5 Essential Bodybuilding Nutrition Rules

By Chad J. Beck

Every successful bodybuilder understands that nutrition is a
key component of any training program. Following correct
nutritional practices will provide you with a stable amount
of energy needed for daily activities and for each training
session. Having an excellent nutrition base and enough rest
are vital for ongoing bodybuilding success. Not following a
sound nutritional plan will just limit your potential muscle
gains and may put to waste all your effort and time invested
on training.

According to Catherine Ratzin Jackson, author of the book
"Nutrition for the Recreational Athlete", the eating habits
of bodybuilders aren't always based on sound nutritional
advice. She explains that many bodybuilders base their diet
strategies on tips they've read in bodybuilding magazines or
from -experts' at nutrition stores. Unfortunately, much of
this advice is usually one-sided and does not provide the
complete picture of the essentials of calorie intake,
protein requirements and specific types of food to eat for
weight loss. If you're just getting started with
bodybuilding, here are some essential rules of nutrition
used by professional bodybuilders:

1. Avoid rapid weight loss. Rapid weight loss can result in
the loss of lean body tissue and make it very difficult to
increase muscle size and strength. Extreme weight loss often
results from starvation or low-calorie diets, and may result
in electrolyte imbalances, water and important lean body
mass. High protein, low-fat diets can be harmful to your
health and may prevent you from achieving your ideal body
weight.

2. Always calculate your protein requirements. Muscles need
protein to build up strength and mass. Just make sure that
you are getting the right amount of it. Too much or too
little of this nutrient will not produce your desired
results. Different people need to take different amounts of
protein as measured by their Recommended Dietary Allowance
(RDA). The RDA of protein for sedentary individuals is
0.8g/kg per day. While for athletes, the RDA is set at
1.0-1.5 g/kg. Make it a habit now to check the nutritional
labels of each food you eat to keep track of your protein
consumption.

3. Eat Fresh Foods. Eating fresh foods is an important
component of any bodybuilding program. Stay away from
artificial and processed food as much as possible. Natural
foods from animal and plant sources give out the most
nutrients to our bodies. Our bodies assimilate more
nutrients from natural foods as compared with artificial
foods.

4. Exercise caution in taking supplements. It is now widely
acceptable to use supplements for performance enhancement.
Supplements are a great help to any athlete but they do
cause some negative side effects, especially if abused.
Supplements are designed to be added, or supplement, our
nutrition program. Supplements are by no means created to
replace proper diet and exercise.

5. Watch what you eat before and after a workout. Muscle
builds up significantly before and after you exercise. What
you eat at this time will surely influence this process
either positively or negatively. Always monitor what you eat
at this time by keeping a written record.

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Thieves Vinegar

Anti- Epidemic Vinegar from the leaflady
This is the historic recipe known as "Thieves' Vinegar" used during the time of Black Plague.

You will need:

1 quart of organic raw apple cider vinegar

1 pound garlic cloves

8 oz. comfrey root

4 oz. each of oak bark, marshmallow root, mullein flowers, rosemary flowers, lavender flowers, wormwood, black walnut leaves

12 oz. vegetable glycerin

Make a tea from each herb by soaking in clean spring or distilled water for 12 hours, then boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Let steep for 30 minutes. Then strain each herb and simmer again reducing the amount to one-half to concentrate the tea. Juice or squeeze the garlic, and add to the mixture of teas and vinegar. Stir in the glycerin thoroughly.

Store best in an amber glass bottle.

Take 1 -3 teaspoons during an epidemic, or 1 teaspoon hourly if someone has a serious communicable dis-ease.

Most of the supplies you'll need to make this vinegar may be ordered through our strategic partner link in the right column: Starwest Botanicals.

Please note that comfrey root may only be ordered for external use under current FDA guidelines (salves, oils or liniments).

Immune Health

Herbal remedies compete with mainstream medicine

If Dr. WES, a medical blogger had his way there would be no room for natural health care, anywhere any how.

He is just another one of those arrogant mainstream medical folks who can't fathom that there is real science behind natural remedies and it has existed for a very long time.

And of course if we all get savvy and work to keep our health in top shape or re-build it with a healthy food plan and natural supplements or related treatments, his income will be impacted.

I suppose my wish is that enlightenment hits Dr. WES square up the side of his closed mind.

from Essen, Germany -
Mon, 19 Jan 2009. Author: DPA: Herbal remedies compete with traditional medicine

Essen, Germany - From a chamomile infusion for a cold or some fennel tea for an upset stomach, herbal remedies are becoming increasingly popular and are believed to strengthen the body's immune system. Though often self-prescribed, these treatments are gaining acceptance among practitioners of traditional medicine.

"Patients want to avoid the side effects of traditional therapies by turning to natural remedies," says Gustav Dobos, professor of internal medicine and Chairholder of Complementary and Integrative Medicine at the University of Duisburg-Essen.

The Central Association of Doctors for Natural Medicine (ZAEN) also believes herbal and natural remedies are gaining acceptance, especially among people with allergies and chronic health problems.

"We don't want to condemn traditional medicine. Natural medicine is no substitute. But you can be more successful if you work on two tracks," says ZAEN spokeswoman and general practitioner Christel Papendick.

Traditionally, herbal remedies are used to combat minor ailments that can be treated without a doctor. Cloisters and monasteries were the original groundbreakers for herbal medicine, helping to spread them across Europe during the Middle Ages and into the 15th century, says Dobos.

Hildegard, a Benedictine nun from Bingen, who lived from 1089 to 1179, was one of the best-known practitioners. Today, some monasteries still have gardens focused on herbal medicine.

"There's something that reduces the problems and speeds up the healing for almost every illness," says Johannes Gottfried Mayer of the University of Wuerzburg. He runs a research group that focuses on the medical discoveries of monasteries.

Research shows that willow bark was used to combat fever and pain as early as the 13th century. In the 19th century, researchers discovered that the plant's active ingredient was acetyl salicylic acid (ASS), a substance used in modern pain relievers.

Mayer says people are beginning to turn to natural remedies amid growing scepticism about the ability of high-tech solutions to solve all health problems. In addition, most of these herbal remedies are easier for the body to process.

"The mildness of plant remedies is the most interesting part, especially when it comes to treating children," he says.

The only irony is that some plants that can be used medicinally present huge problems for people who could benefit from herbal remedies: the allergic. Plants from the daisy family such as leopard's bane or marigolds can cause allergic reactions and should be used with caution.

Copyright, respective author DHA or news agency, Essen, Germany