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Fox News Slams USDA for “Meatless Monday’s” even as Food Prices Soar

The international campaign for eating vegetarian on Monday’s brought the spotlight to the US Department of Agriculture recently. The USDA encouraged its employees to begin Meatless Monday’s as part of the mission of sustainability to decrease environmental impact. In fact, as food prices increase in the US because of the drought, you can bank on it.

Is this what Meatless Monday’s are all about?

But then…  them ther’ Kansas Republicans and the cattleman’s association were not pleased! In a statement released, they fired back saying,

“It is my hope that the USDA has not abandoned farmers and ranchers in pursuit of policies best left to the Environmental Protection Agency,” he said.

Ah, sharp point indeed — if we take the assumption that the EPA needs no additional support to save the planet (at least that which locates on US soil).  The result was predictable as immediately the USDA dropped its support for Meatless Monday’s.

The Mission Statement for the USDA is below:

We provide leadership on food, agriculture, natural resources, and related issues based on sound public policy, the best available science, and efficient management.

Now, the actually framework lists, “expanding markets for agricultural products,” as first part of its strategic plan. The criticism inherent in Meatless Monday’s is that it is negative for a positive. You are taking away meat, even though you are promoting vegetables as a substitute.

We need sustainable environmental policy.

Plant based agriculture is of equal or greater value than meat agriculture because both humans and livestock consume plant based foods. Plants are the source of energy and nutrients. As a country, we are able to produce a greater volume of plant based food which. Then if the USDA promotes expansive vegetable consumption, it is DEFINITELY in alignment with its framework to expand markets of agricultural products.

Introducing Cruciferous Tuesdays

I promise I will never take meat off your plate. However, whether or not you are looking, I may be serving you up  some fresh chard with a side of kale and you’ll never be healthier.

Cruciferous Tuesdays

We should take a moment on Monday’s to make sure the broccoli is ready for Tuesdays. Take it up to the next step, slow cook some lentils and put the cheese on top with black pepper. Consuming sufficient vegetables supports many nutritional needs that meat don’t meet!

The Takeaway

Here’s the key points:

  • Cow farmers have strong influence over government agencies
  • The 2012 DROUGHT significantly increases the price of livestock feed, and therefore the price of meat will be noticeably higher in the upcoming months.  
  • Reducing meat consumption is not anti-American and may in fact be good for your health
  • A balanced diet always wins
  • Be with me and make it a goal to eat vegetables in the cruciferous family on Tuesdays (broccoli, kale, brussel sprouts, etc)

Stay tuned for more commentary on current events as it relates to health… also more fitness tips!

Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion
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Anabolics and the Male Significance

Promoting anabolism could be the best choice you ever make.

Anabolism plays an important metabolic role in body composition. From Greek origin, anabolism means to “throw” and “upward.” Within cells, it affects the quality of living tissue throughout the whole body.

Dietary decisions of major concern.

There are two important metabolic principles when considering the diet.

1. Catabolism is the opposite of anabolism.

When cells go catabolic, it breaks down the complexity of molecules into more basic pieces. The breakdown of cells is a normal part of function, but the risk comes from extended catabolism.

Extreme catabolism may be noticed in anorexic victims. At it’s worst, catabolic lifestyles are wrecked by a weak disposition and dysfunctional immune system.

Because catabolism needs to be balanced with anabolism, you already know the value of going anabolic.

2. Anabolic relates to Fat AND Muscle.

Just as muscle cells can go anabolic, so may adicyphotes (fat cells). Nutrition has a strong impact on promoting anabolic responses in targetted tissue, such as muscle fibers.

The food you eat is crucial to choosing the best pathway for going anabolic.

Anabolic Nutrition Choices for Lean and Toned Body Composition

  • Essential Amino Acids
  • Certain non-essential amino acids.
  • Omega-3 Essential Fatty Acids
  • Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (when in balanced ratio to Omega-3’s)
  • Medium Chain Triglycerides
  • Antioxidants (including glutathione, betacarotene, chloropgyll, flavanoids)
  • Carbohydrates, mono-, di-, poly-, saccharide.
  • Minerals
  • Vitamins
  • Living organism flora (probiotic: acidophilus, bifidus, kefiran)
  • Water

Greater absolute potential and  value as it relates to body size.

Strength and size are beneficial qualities. Those qualities have many roots in the understanding of masculinity. All of the components of a healthy system are involved in supporting that potential.

The food you eat is your choices and will always have strong effect on body composition.

A good body composition has muscle tone, a strong heart, and a fat brain.

Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion
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Learn from Athletic Injuries to Stop Pain Now

Injuries by athletes can be brutal or minor…

Think about the knee for example, you know someone with the dreaded ACL tear. Usually they were playing soccer or football and it just snapped. You fell to the ground in agony and the game paused until you whimpered off the field.

Injuries are a horrifying occurrence during any moment. The bad part about injuries is that it reduces your ability for a period of time, or worse — you may never regain the stability you once had.

Keys to Injury Prevention

During intense sessions of strength and conditioning, the risk for injury is present. Almost any untrained individual (read: average person) would risk serious injury during intense training. Smart athletes must condition to generate force through a superior range of motion. They will be present when called upon to dominate in their way of life.

1. Warm up before activity.

Don’t try going from 0 to 100 miles per hour in ten seconds on a residential street. That’s just asking for disaster. Unless you are me.

Like everything in life, it’s best to get warmed up before you get to the really good stuff. While weight conditioning can bring you toward climactic personal achievements, the gradual movement before exercise is key to a big bang.

2. Stay hydrated

I like caffeine pre-workout and I do intend to maintain proper fluid balance.

With an electrolyte formula like 40,000 Volts mineral drops, my muscles can continue to fire and activate optimally. Dehydration confuses and weakens muscular force potential. If attempt to generate force while dehydrated, you’ll lose your balance easier and risk tearing soft tissue at whatever joint.

Drink water often.

3. Own Inflammation with Diet

Think about as your breathe right now. Why do you do it? To an extent, we can consciously control it but it comes natural because we need the oxygen. With all this oxygen, every single breathing animal must deal with oxidative stress on a daily basis.

To compare oxidation to someone in daily life, imagine an old rusty vehicle. The rust is the oxidation. This rusting or damaging process will occur in every person but can be put into healthy balance by consuming an anti-inflammatory diet.

Antioxidants protect the body’s systems from being damaged by oxygen-related chemical reactions in the cells. By eating fruits and vegetables, you will get a healthy supply of antioxidants.

I eat a ton of sweet cherries to help recover my muscles and keep my joints healthy. The tart cherry antioxidants are one of the best sources of anti-inflammatory support for the body.

You could write an entire library on food and physical degeneration. There’s only one real secret.

Consume foods and herbs with a wide range of colors and natural pigmentation. For example, Salmon (pink astaxanthin) with Turmeric spice (orange curcumonoids), red cabbage (purple betalains), kale (green chlorophyll and carotenoids) and avocado (liver protector glutathione).

Dinner is served

More on this topic later…

And more, stay tuned.

Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion Sports & Athletics
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Big Three Nutritional Benefits of Wild Salmon

Sockeye fresh!

Buy salmon by the whole fish and save on what you get. With benefit in mind the price can be worth it.

The Benefits of Salmon:

1. High quality protein

The meat of salmon is loaded with essential amino acids in the perfect ratios.

Top notch filet

In addition to being a high quality protein source, salmon also delivers many other significant nutritional benefit. Such as…

2. Essential Fatty Acids (Omega-3’s)

Most people talk about Omega-3’s using acronyms ALA, EPA, DHA.

These healthy fats are beneficial and required for life.

The following parts of body are benefited by Omega-3’s:

  • Central Nervous System
  • Muscoskeletal System
  • Immune System
  • Cardiovascular System
  • Lymphatic System
  • Blood Glucose and Insulin

Omega-3’s benefit the entire system

Omega-3s are highly supported by professionals in nearly all branches of health.
Salmon delivers!

3. Astaxanthin: The ultimate antioxidant?

Asta-what? Yea, but its getting more popular now that Dr. Oz talked about it. Actually, it is widely regarded as one of the most functional antioxidants from food.

Astaxanthin strengthens living force

Salmon stores astaxanthin in the meat and that is responsible for the red-pink color of salmon. In humans, after we digest the salmon, the astaxanthin preserves the entire body against free radicals and other stresses of life.

BONUS for SKIN

After astaxanthin has circulated through the body, it will then be stored in your skin. For people wanting the best summer skin, eat a lot of salmon.

Salmon protects against sunburns and promotes healthy tanning. So get some sun!

Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion
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3 Fat Burning Super Foods to make you Feel Great for Summer!

Super Foods to fuel the active lifestyle.

You should always include Bang-for-the-Buck natural foods that satiate, detoxify, and rebuild.

Listed below are three powerful nutrient dense foods  — their function is multi-purpose and their benefit can be felt from head to toe. Today, I bring awareness to the following foods as part of an empowered lifestyle.

THE LIST BEGINS…

1. Cherries

Welcome to an adventure of natural proportions. I invite you along in this tale of the Cherry — one of the planet’s tastiest natural healers.

A vibrant red hue, antioxidants in the cherry skin are responsible for many health benefits of this tart pleasure. Cherry lipstick or even the tantalizing tongue twister of cherry stems has significance in our culture. Actually, the color of the cherry is so attractive that attention grabbing lips tempt even the strongest of dispositions.

The signs are out there: embrace the cherry, for it is precious. The cherry represents youth — a time before stress and reality begin to take its toll on our mortal bodies. My friends, the cherry is the spark of life which explodes of powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-aging properties.

Benefits of Cherry Success:

  • Phytochemical antioxidants with strong anti-inflammatory effect in the body.
  • Effects promote healthy joint function
  • Hastens recovery from training, workouts, and reality of life.
  • Sweet, delicious and sexy (you will be).
So go forth and revel in this feel good summer food. Enjoy fresh cherries or frozen.
For an easy post-workout meal, combine frozen cherries with greek yogurt — fantastic!

2. Swiss Chard

Swiss Chard is PACKED with vitamins and minerals, and that isn’t even the main benefit. 

Nutrition experts support the idea of consuming fruits and vegetables in colors “like the rainbow.” Take a look at Swiss Chard — it combines nature’s most powerful colors in one.

The leafy Green, representing ability to synthesize energy from the sun.

Yellow with its power to protect the skin and bring warmth to my flow.

Red... the color of my blood — a force in my veins that compels life.

Take your imagination forward as you discover and re-discover…

The Top 5 Benefits of Swiss Chard

  • Contains a very good amount of Vitamin K, Vitamin A, Vitamin C, Magnesium, Manganese, Potassium, Iron, Vitamin E, and Dietary Fiber.
  • Delivers over a dozen phytonutrient antioxidants that work in synergy to protect billions of cells in your body.
  • Weight loss, more than fiber. Swiss Chard has a beneficial effect on blood sugar to support fat loss.
  • Powerful detoxification support, Chard makes your skin beautiful and liver strong.
  • Bone health. Chard is LOADED with Vitamin K, which prevents bone breakdown. The leftover Vitamin K  is converted by friendly bacteria into Vitamin K2 — and that promotes collagen and bone integrity.
If you are a person who consumes Swiss Chard, I consider you a friend and you may dine at my residence.
Now on to the next and final Super Food…

3. Whey Protein

Lets get one thing straight though…

Whey Protein IS natural. It is simply the protein molecules which have been separated from milk. As a consumer, you should be considering the type of protein extraction methods utilized by your protein brand.

Whey is the byproduct of cheese production.

Like most natural foods, lower heat preserves a greater nutrient density. For the highest in quality, get ‘Cross-flow Microfiltration’ Whey Protein Isolate (WPI).

Whey Protein can be taken at any time during the day.

So lets get to the benefits of Whey Protein:

  • Why Protein contains a balanced amino acid profile with significant amounts of the muscle-preserving BCAA’s.
  • Immunoglobulins naturally occur in whey to promote a healthy immune system and preserve integrity.
  • Contains all essential amino acids, which are synthesized via enzymatic processes into the essential components of the body as well as neurotransmitters in the brain and gut.
  • Whey Protein promotes healthy hair, skin, and nails.
  • Easily digestible and well absorbed in the body.
  • Convenient and cost-effective method to increase protein in your diet.
My friends, it is vital that you understand the importance of Whey. In its natural form, Whey has been used as a medicine and vigor builder for thousands of years.
The tribe which comes together for its ‘daily whey’ shall grow strong and resilient to both disease and invasion.

Eat Food for Sensational Fat Loss!

If you want real results fast, you have to eat MORE of the good stuff. For the sake of this post, I don’t care how much junk food you’re eating. Right now, all I care about is how much good food you consume.

How many superfoods entered your mouth today?

It’s an opportunity cost and you only get one chance every-time hunger strikes.

Maybe you’re just afraid that you’ll never want to go back…

Progress is to Eat with Purpose!

Stay tuned for more posts featuring the benefits that food can offer you.

Nutrition, Immunity, and Digestion Weightloss Now