The Best Protein Sources To Add To Your Diet

Looking to get your protein intake up higher? Check out these top sources of protein to eat daily.

Protein is a critical part of any diet plan, especially one geared towards fat loss. Protein helps with the repair and rebuilding of lean muscle mass tissue, it helps to suppress your hunger, and it also helps to speed your metabolic rate. As you can see, it’s a nutrient you can’t afford to miss out on.

But, which are the best protein sources to be eating on a regular basis? Let’s take a quick look at the best protein sources to include in your meal plan.

Chicken

Rich in protein, low in fat, and highly versatile, you simply can’t go wrong with chicken. You can cook this one in many different ways, so it’s a great stand-by to always have on hand.

Beef

Don’t fear beef! Even if you are focusing on fat loss, beef is an excellent source of protein and also provides a good dose of energy-boosting iron as well. Plus, it contains vitamin B12, which is hard to find in the diet.

Choose lean cuts of beef whenever possible and add it to your menu once or twice per week.

Egg Whites

Egg whites are another terrific choice. While you can eat up to one whole egg per day in most cases without worry, egg whites are great after that.

They’re a high volume food, meaning you get plenty of food for few calories. This makes them a great option for those seeking fat loss results. They’ll combat hunger without putting a huge dent in your calorie intake.

Salmon

To help bring your omega-3 fatty acid intake up, consider salmon. Salmon is a rich source of protein and these omega fats will help to improve blood glucose control, increase brain health, boost heart health, and simply improve your overall well-being. It’s one food you don’t want to miss out on.

Cottage Cheese

Finally, don’t overlook the value of cottage cheese. This type of protein is known as casein protein, which is slow to digest in the body and great for combating hunger. It’s also a perfect protein source to help provide some bone-building calcium as well.

Serve it with a few grapes as a snack or on the side of your main meal.

So have a good look at your current diet plan. Are you getting these protein sources in? If not, now is the time to start.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Cheat Meals 101: Why They Help And How To Use Them

Should you be using a cheat meal? Find out how these can help boost your progress here.

Cheat meals. It’s something that almost every dieter wants to know about – and may be dreaming about the entire time they are on the plan. Many have the notion that having a cheat meal is basically experiencing a set-back and could even result in fat gain.

But, this isn’t always the case. In fact, cheat meals, when used properly, can help you see faster success than if you didn’t use them.

Here’s the low-down on how cheat meals can benefit you.

A Lesson On Leptin

Whenever you go on a reduced calorie diet, your body will slowly begin to adapt. Your metabolic rate will slow down thanks to a hormone called leptin, which is produced in your body fat cells. When leptin levels start to decline, your daily calorie burn drops, hunger goes up, fatigue sets in, and basically, you want to come off that diet plan entirely.

Leptins goal is to stop the perceived starvation (your diet) from occurring.

Enter The Cheat Meal

The best way to get leptin back to normal amounts is to simply gain the weight you’ve just lost back again. Since this is clearly not desirable, there is an alternative. You can temporarily reset leptin levels through eating a very high calorie meal, specially high in carbohydrates.

When you do this, the body thinks it’s no longer starving and leptin returns back to baseline. With it, you’ll also see food cravings decrease, hunger become more manageable, and your energy level will increase.

Often when weight loss slows, it’s because leptin is too low and your metabolism is running at slow speeds. When you have a cheat meal however, you raise your metabolism back up and then when you go back down to that lower calorie intake, fat burning continues.

Cheating For Success

So how can you maximize your chances of success? First, focus that cheat meal primarily on carbohydrate rich foods. Keep fats lower as this will help ensure that you don’t gain excess body fat from the cheat meal itself. Carbohydrates have more of an influence, so they should be the focus.

Then, know how often to cheat. Obviously you can’t cheat too often or you will just gain weight.

Those with 20 pounds or more to lose should cheat once per month while those with fewer than 10 pounds to lose can cheat every other week.

If you plan your chest meals correctly and use the right foods, they can both satisfy your food cravings and help you see faster results.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Are Fat Burners Worth The Investment?

Should you consider a fat burner? Here’s a little more information to help you decide.

After making the decision to focus on fat loss, you may decide to look at the many different fat burners out there to choose from. Could a fat burner give you an extra edge allowing you to see optimal results?

Many people aren’t quite certain about fat burners, so let’s clear up some of this confusion.

What Fat Burners Do

Fat burners are, as their name suggests, a product designed to help you burn fat. They assist the weight loss process by either suppressing your appetite, making it easier to stick with your diet plan, giving you more energy throughout the day so you’ll burn more calories over all, or through boosting your metabolic rate, also increasing your calorie burn.

Basically, they help to make the fat loss process and sticking with your plan that much easier.

Common ingredients in fat burners include yohimbe, bitter orange, caffeine, as well as green tea extract. Each ingredient will have its own unique set of benefits and most fat burners have a different combination of ingredients and their dosage.

Who Should Use Fat Burners

So who should use fat burners? The key point to note here is that you should not use a fat burner unless you are on and following a proper diet and exercise plan. Don’t use a fat burner thinking it will get you result alone. It won’t. This is where most people go wrong. They believe that if they use a fat burner, they don’t have to worry about dieting or exercising regularly.

This is not the case however. You need that proper plan first and then from there you can use a fat burner to help give you an extra edge.

Weighing The Risks Worth The Benefits

Always remember, all good things come with drawbacks. While fat burners may help accelerate fat loss results, they aren’t without side effects. Especially if they contain caffeine or bitter orange, you may experience side effects such as increased heart rates, higher blood pressure levels, feelings of anxiety, and nervousness.

So keep these points in mind. Fat burners can be helpful but only when used in moderation in the proper dosages.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

A Closer Look At Protein Powder Varieties

Which protein powder variety is right for you? Find out with this overview of the top choices.

Thinking of adding protein powder to your daily routine? If you’ve been doing your research, you know by now that adding more protein to your menu is key for optimal success. Protein powder just happens to be a great way to do just that. If you aren’t keen on eating multiple chicken breasts per day and are watching your fat content putting steak and eggs out of the question, you’re going to need an alternative solution.

Protein powder can fill in the missing void, however it is important to realize that not all protein powder varieties are created equally.

Let’s take a closer look at the main types of protein powder and what you should know about each of them.

Whey Protein Powder

The most commonly used protein powder is just your standard whey protein. This protein powder is typically cost effective and contains an average of 20-23 grams of protein per scoop, along with a gram of two of each fat and carbs.

This protein powder has been shown to help blunt appetite levels, so using it in the day may actually help you see faster fat loss results. It also contains immunoglobins, which serve to strengthen your immune system and may help keep you feeling strong and healthy.

For someone on the hunt for a basic protein powder, it’s a great choice to use.

Whey Isolate Protein Powder

If, on the other hand, you want a protein powder that’s designed for immediately after exercise, a whey isolate protein powder is the better route to go. This is another form of whey protein powder only this time, it’s been processed for rapid digestion.

The minute it hits your blood stream, it’ll start breaking down, delivering you the amino acids your body is hungry for. This protein powder typically contains very few grams of carbs and fats and is great for jump-starting recovery.

Casein Protein Powder

Finally casein protein powder is the third option and is a slower digesting form of protein, so is directly opposite that of whey isolate powder. This one is thicker in consistently and best to use before bed as you are entering the overnight fast.

It’s also a good option if you know you’ll be going quite a few hours between meals.

So there you have a brief look at the different types of protein powders. Choose whichever one will meet your needs and requirements best.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

4 Reasons To Add Squats To Your Workout

Discover the most important benefits that squats have to offer and why they deserve a place in your workout program.

If there’s one exercise that must be making an appearance in your workout program, squats would be it. But yet, so many people skip over this highly effective move, usually because it’s hard work. Make no mistake, squats can be slightly painful from a muscular fatigue standpoint and they do demand a lot out of you.

This said, squats also offer a number of unique payoffs. Let’s look at four reasons to make sure that next time you hit the gym, squats are on your agenda.

Squats Burn Massive Calories

Looking to lose weight? You might just consider hopping off that piece of cardio equipment and getting into the squat rack instead. While most don’t consider squats a fat loss exercise as they think of it as a way to build muscle, they can do both.

When you are squatting, you’ll be working so many muscle fibers all at once, your calorie burn both during the exercise as well as after the exercise will skyrocket.

Doing four sets of 10 rep heavy weight squats is a sure-fire way to get your body utilizing fat as a fuel source for the next 48 hours. Try it yourself and see.

Squats Get You Six Pack Ab

Okay, so many squats themselves will not get you a six pack (as you also need a good diet to achieve that!), what squats will do is strengthen your entire core region so that when you do get down to low body fat percentages, you can see those abs clearly.

Don’t mistake squats as just a move for your lower body. It’ll work your abs and core as well.

Squats Give You Cardiovascular Benefits

One thing you’ll notice about squats is that they leave you breathless – and not because you love them. When you’re pushing yourself hard in this exercise, you’ll be gasping for air at the end of each set you do.

This clearly illustrates you’ll be reaping cardiovascular benefits from them. Ditch your cardio and try squats instead. You’ll get the same heart-health benefits you’re going for.

Squats Defend Against Low Back Pain

Finally, squats can help put an end to low back pain. While if you do squats improperly, they can cause back pain, if you take care to use proper form and an appropriate weight, they’ll strengthen all the muscles in the lower back, helping you avoid back pain down the road.

So as you can see, there are plenty of reasons to add squats to your workout program. Next time you head in for legs, get them on deck.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Certified Organic: What does the label mean?

In my health coaching practice, I consistently recommend that my clients choose certified organic produce and products whenever possible. Organic is worth the extra costs in terms of money and time to obtain organic food in my small Southern town.

Many people are confused as to why organic is worth the extra time and effort. Others are convinced certified organic labeling is a marketing scam. I don’t blame them!  Food manufacturers slap the word “natural” onto their products willy-nilly, rendering the term virtually meaningless.

Each time I’m cruising the produce section of my local supermarket, I ask myself, “Why should I buy a bag of certified organic celery for $5.99 instead of the larger, fresher-looking conventional celery for $1.79?” Note: these are the actual prices at my local supermarket.

Unfortunately, many stores in food deserts lack organic produce, or only offer select items for 2-4 times the cost of their conventional counterparts. Moreover, because the prices are so outrageous, product turnover is slow, and shipments are infrequent. Often, the organic produce on the shelf has clearly weathered through its peak freshness, and sits waiting, soft, squishy, and molding.

Clearly, the people in less progressive areas (read: the middle of the country, the South, and non-metropolitan areas) do not know the value of organic. It’s a buzzword most people are familiar with, but the meaning of the term escapes the masses.

What does certified organic mean exactly?

Technically-speaking, the term “organic” describes the way in which the food was grown, raised, or produced. “Certified organic” denotes that a government-accredited certifying agent verified that the produce, livestock, or product passed government-defined standards and requirements.

According to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA), organic agriculture encompasses cultural, biological, and mechanical practices that protect natural resources, conserve biodiversity, and promote ecological balance. [1] Organic farming operations enhance soil and water quality; conserve wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife; and use approved substances. [2]

The Double Standard

This makes me wonder that if certified organic farms must meet regulations to ensure all the benefits of their natural practices, why is it that conventional operations are allowed to use potentially harmful farming practices scot-free? Conventional farming ostensibly damages soil and water quality; devastates wetlands, woodlands, and wildlife; and uses God-knows-what on OUR FOOD? It seems like the government has it backwards!

Moreover, organic farmers avoid synthetic fertilizers, sewage sludge and biosolids (i.e. organic matter recycled from sewage), irradiation, and genetic engineering. [3] It’s frightening that conventional farmers use these unnatural substances in the first place! Who wants their spinach grown with sewage sludge? Not me!

Man with—not versus—nature

Instead, organic farmers harness the power of natural processes and materials in farming systems that augment crop and livestock nutrition, preserve nutrients in the soil, manage pests and weeds, meet production goals, and conserve biodiversity (e.g. don’t kill off any and all critters, directly or indirectly, that may threaten production goals).

In other words, organic agriculture respects and embraces nature, rather than fighting against it, which I may add, is a losing battle! This planet existed for many millennia before humans showed up on the evolutionary timeline. To think that humans are separate from nature and above the laws of nature is absurd.

The bottom line: the certified organic label represents food grown without things we don’t want on or in our food (e.g. sewage, genetic modification, plant- and insect-killing chemicals), and in ways that help maintain and preserve our land, water, and wildlife.

Is it worth the extra money and hassle to obtain certified organic produce? Let me know in the comments below.

References:

[1] https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/introduction-organic-practices
[2] https://www.ams.usda.gov/grades-standards/organic-standards
[3] https://www.ams.usda.gov/publications/content/introduction-organic-practices

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Arthritis: Treating Inflammation

Turmeric is a very popular spice primarily used in curry. In holistic medicine turmeric is used for its anti-inflammatory, antioxidant and anticancer properties. Curcumin is found in the spice turmeric. Curcumin is an agent that fights inflammation and helps cure osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

Turmeric Curcumin

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 1,000mg daily. To treat inflammation caused by arthritis or over active muscles this will be a supplement you must have in your medicine cabinet. The best part is that there are no side effects from taking turmeric curcumin. This is not a trace mineral and will be digested if the body does not absorb its healing properties.

Active adults should add this supplement if suffering from tight, achy, fatigued muscle pain. Rather than assume you have a bad knee, hip or back look into turmeric curcumin as a remedy. Those who suffer from osteoarthritis or rheumatoid arthritis sufferers should take the RDA of turmeric curcumin to reduce inflammation in arthritic joints. Relief of arthritic pain will take up to three weeks, once the inflammation is fully reduced sufferers should regain full range of motion in the effected joints.

Take note that this is not a prescription, but a recommendation to those who suffer from inflammation in joints or muscles. Consult your medical professional for further information, and research turmeric curcumin as a solution to your pain.

In Your Diet

Ways to add turmeric into your daily life: Blend it in a smoothie or juice either put in a tablespoon of turmeric in a smoothie or juice 1-2 inches of fresh turmeric in juicer. Take it by the spoonful mixed with coconut oil. Or you can simply take turmeric curcumin in a capsulated form to ensure the correct dosage. Remember to supplement the turmeric in it’s naturally raw state, as heating the turmeric will remove the healing properties within the turmeric curcumin.

Turmeric Tips

When you buy the turmeric in a capsule for anti-inflammation be sure the dosage is 1,000mg or less. Ensure the product and capsules are organic with no gmo (genetically modified organism). The label should read only turmeric curcumin if there are other ingredients then move on to the next one on the shelf. Taking this supplement will help relieve joint pain caused my overactivity or arthritis. It can take upward of three weeks to notice the relief of joint pain. Enjoy moving easier with the help of turmeric curcumin.

To see some of the turmeric curcumin products Alyve Market offers, please click here.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Overcoming Seasonal Allergies

As the seasons change so do our allergy triggers. These seasonal transitions bring cooler, hotter, dryer, wetter weather which in turn brings new foliage into bloom; releasing their pollens into the air which then trigger seasonal allergies. These new pollens bring allergy sufferers to their knees with dry/red/itchy eyes, runny noses, sneezing, sinus infections, low energy and head aches.

Natural Remedies

One great natural way to help your body fight off these allergens is with raw local honey. With the use of the immunotherapy method, one will introduce a small amount of the pollens into their body through the use of locally-made raw honey. Thus creating a natural immunity to the pollens consumed in the raw local honey. It will be hard to tell exactly what pollens are in your raw local honey, but at least there will be trace amounts of most local pollens in the local raw honey.

Raw Honey

Raw local honey is made by the bees that pollenate local plants within a 2-5 mile range, some may even travel farther. Taking pollen from trees, flowers, plants and so on to include a wide variety of pollens in their raw honey. Some honey may claim to be local honey, but unless the honey is manufactured in your hometown it is most likely not worth buying for this cause. You also want to insure that in fact the local honey is in it’s raw state and is unprocessed honey. Many less expensive honey brands will treat their honey by cooking down the honey to yield greater production. Once the honey is treated with heat it will cook off the enzymes within the honey that benefit allergy sufferers. Keeping the honey raw will keep the pollens in their natural and more complete state.

Using Raw Honey

This ideal proves that over time as the raw natural honey is introduce in large enough doses your body will build complete immunity to these pollens. To start find your local honey bee farmer and develop a relationship with them, supporting local farmers will strengthen the community and help keep your farmer in business. Take 1-3 Tablespoons daily, this can either be taken by the spoonful, over yogurt, spread on toast, etc. as long as it is not cooked. Remember, cooking the honey will read down the pollen content. Eventually, you will build up your immunity and eventually be allergy free or at least reduce your symptom days.

Check out some of the Honey and Raw Honey products that Alyve Market offers here.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Get Your Z’s with Passionflower

In a world that is filled with hustle and bustle people are getting fewer and fewer hours of sleep at night. The most reported cause of sleep deprivation is stress and anxiety. Stress and anxiety from finances, work, family and other underlying stressors have taken over people’s ability to relax and fall asleep, let alone get into the deep sleep of REM (Rapid Eye Movement) that the body needs.

Importance of REM Sleep

In the REM state your body repairs itself and prepares for the grind of the next day. Not meeting the 6-8 hours of sleep with the 90-120 minutes of REM sleep the body will reflect the negative effects in energy, mood, physical fitness, multitasking, constructive thinking and one’s overall quality of life. This is were one would benefit from supplementing passionflower.

Benefits of Passionflower

The calming effect of passionflower help with nervousness, anxiety, insomnia and sleep deprivation. If you are one of those people who struggle to unwind after a long day you will benefit from passionflower. Passionflower is not like a prescription sleeping aid in that there is no hangover in the morning or heavy sedation. Passionflower simply calms the mind and body to bring you to a relaxed state that induces sleep. Passionflower will leave you refreshed in the morning and ready to take the day with full confidence. There are few side effects from supplementing passionflower the worst being that it simply will not relax one’s mind enough to reach REM sleep.

Passionflower as a Supplement

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) is 1,000mg of passionflower. Take the 1,000mg an hour before you wish to fall asleep. Do not fight the sleepy, tired or relaxed feeling as this is the affect of passionflower. Let your body enjoy unwinding and feeling of being stress free. Once you take passionflower for 3 months try not taking the supplement and see how your sleep cycle is working on its own. You may find that you can relax on your own and feel less anxious without the supplement which is the ultimate goal. When it comes to supplementing it is important to cycle them in and out of your system. Take a supplement for 3 months then stop for 2-3 weeks. Thus giving your body a chance to work on its own. Remember everything in moderation and supplements are called supplements because our body is not producing what we need to function. Enjoy getting your Z’s.

Check out some of the Passionflower products that Alyve Market carries by clicking here.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

Know Your Body Composition for Better Health

When it comes to getting fit there are a lot of different ways to measure success. Some say BMI (Body Mass Index) factoring height and weight, pant/dress size, the number on the scale or just the way you look in the mirror. What you should be focused on to have healthy and long-term success in a fitness plan is body composition.

Know Your Numbers

Knowing your body composition is important, because this does not just focus on your weight, but rather your lean mass to fat mass. Everyone carries weight differently and you have to remember muscle is a condensed weight and weighs twice as much as fat. Keeping in mind that most measuring tools do not account for water weight so the accuracy is about 98% for most body composition measuring tools.

Measuring Body Composition

In measuring body composition, there are many different tools used to calculate percentages: skin calipers, bioelectric impedance, hydrostatic weight, DEXA (Dual-Energy x0Ray Absorptiometry) and Air-Displacement Plethysmography. If you do not have access to any of these tools then you can do your body composition through and internet based site. You will need the following: measuring tape (tailor tape), scale and knowing your height. These websites will assist you in calculating your body composition and give you the direction for getting the most accurate measurements.

Factors in Composition

A healthy active range for men is 7-14% body fat and for women 18-25% body fat. With these numbers you can set a goal body fat percentage for your overall fitness plan. For example, to add muscle you will need to add protein, lower complex carbohydrates, other refined sugars and alcohols. Adding in rich leafy greens, colorful fruits and veggies to fill your body with clean energy. Try and eat the rainbow everyday…meaning eat something red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple everyday. This will help you get a wide variety of your RDA (Recommended Daily Allowances) minerals, vitamins and nutrients.

Remember when you are starting a fitness plans you should set attainable goals if you want to lower your body fat which is the most common goal for Americans, you should try for 1/2-1% body fat in a month’s time. This will keep you motivated and excited for the months to come rather than dread the scale. Knowing your composition will also help when you may feel a plateau in your weight. Even if the scale is not changing your composition is.

Disclaimer: These statements have not been evaluated by the FDA. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.