Improving the Amount & Quality of Your Sleep to Recover, Refresh and Feel Great!

Are you getting enough sleep?  Are you training hard at the gym, eating a healthy diet and staying active?

All the training and healthy eating you are doing along with the supplements you are taking can all be for nothing if you’re not getting the rest the body and mind needs to recover.

In today’s busy world our schedules rarely give us time for 8 hours of sleep a night and even if we do have the time are we really getting the proper sleep?  Less than eight hours a night of sleep can be ok if you are getting the right sleep.  

What is the right sleep? There are two types of sleep,  nR.E.M.  and R.E.M. 

The first type nR.E.M. (non Rapid Eye Movement) has 4 stages:

Stage 1 – between awake and asleep or light sleep,

Stage 2  - Onset of sleep, disengaged from surroundings, breathing/heart rate are regular and your body temperature drops.

 Stage 3 & 4 – Deep restorative sleep, blood pressure/breathing slows, blood supply to the muscles increases, tissue growth, repair and hormone release occur.

The second type of sleep is R.E.M – (Rapid Eye Movement).  R.E.M. sleep first occurs about 90 minutes after falling asleep and recurs about every 90 minutes, getting longer later in the night.  It also provides energy to the brain.  During this stage the brain is active and dreams occur.  It also supports daytime performance.

Resurrect PM by Ronnie Coleman Signature Series has the ingredient make up to help you obtain the necessary sleep and recovery you need as an active person to stay on top of your fitness program and help you succeed in your goals.

Let’s look at some of these ingredients and how they help you obtain the necessary rest and recovery.

Some of the Vitamins and Minerals found in Resurrect PM are key to its success as a recovery and rest product.

Vitamin A is an important antioxidant that can enhance the immune system and also aids in protein utilization. 

Vitamin B-6 aids in the health of the nervous system and Vitamin E is a powerful antioxidant to assist in a healthy immune system.

The lack of Magnesium in your system can cause you to wake up and not allow you to go back to sleep during the night so this is another ingredient found in Resurrect PM that helps prevent this and makes sure you are getting the proper sleep cycle.

Zinc another mineral found in Resurrect PM has many advantages. Zinc is the number one mineral for raising testosterone levels it also protects against prostate problems. It is a powerful aromatase inhibitor making it an extremely effective anti-estrogen. Finally, Zinc is crucial for the immune system and will help you to train harder without over-training and it balances copper in the body leading to greater energy levels and clearer thought processes.  All key to a bodybuilder or fitness regimen.

The other main ingredients of Resurrect PM are designed to aid in the neurological health, mood enhancing and growth hormone production areas to again assist the bodybuilding and fitness persons recovery and well being. 

GABA or Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid is a naturally occurring neurotransmitter that helps nerve impulses communicate. GABA supports the nervous system as well as natural hormone production. GABA has been linked to supporting stable mood, relaxation and restful sleep.  It may also help support the production of hormones that can build lean muscle and metabolize fat.

Mucona Pruriens or otherwise known as Velvet Beans are a tropical legume.  This herb has a high L-Dopa content and converts into dopamine, an important brain chemical involved in the support of mood, sexuality and movement.  It also may help with the natural production of GH and Testosterone in the body.

Creatine Gluconate is an amino acid and is linked to increased GH release during sleep and is paired with Arginine for even more support of GH Levels. 

L-Ornithine which is also found in Resurrect PM helps increase the efficiency of energy consumption and promoting the excretion of ammonia.

The last of our Growth and repair ingredients is HICA.   HICA is an amino acid packed with Leucine that has also been linked to increased natural GH release during sleep.

Resurrect PM is what you are looking for in a supplement to enable you, the athlete to get the necessary sleep and recovery needed to reach your goals. On sale this month at 4X Nutrition for $39.99 through July 31, 2014.

Deep Sleep, G-H Support, Anti Catabolic, Recovery, Anabolism and Relaxation. 

9 ways to detox naturally in the New Year

Jeff Behar, MS, MBA President at MyBestHealthPortal.net Top Contributorgive us a run down of the best way to detox for the new year that's safe and effective check it out.

It’s the New Year, which means everyone’s talking about “cleansing” and “detoxing” after a bit of holiday binging. But the truth is, your body detoxes just fine on its own: Your liver, lungs, kidneys, skin, and digestive track are programmed by Mother Nature to keep your body clean 24/7.

But you can give your body’s natural detoxing powers a boost with these nine easy tips. 

1. Stay hydrated with water. Water is part of every metabolic process in the body, and adequate water intake also helps keep the balance of body salts normal. Natural thirst should always be addressed. And remember that fruits and vegetables are almost all water, so 5-7 servings can boost your natural water intake. And the best way to tell if your water intake is adequate is to check the color of your urine. Pale yellow is the goal. If it’s any darker than that, drink a glass of water or two.

2. Limit caffeine – but there’s no need to eliminate it. Caffeine can be a boost for mental focus and energy, if limited to less than 300 milligrams per day. A large mug of coffee has about 150 milligrams of caffeine, so that’s about two servings a day. A mug of tea is around 50 milligrams, so that’s about six servings. When it comes to caffeine, the less often it is consumed, the more of a positive biological effect you can expect. 

3. Extra credit: Avoid alcohol -- even red wine. (it.

4. Skip sugar – and low-calorie sweeteners. You want to ground zero your sweet taste buds with more limited intake of sweet of all kinds. Cut out sugary drinks, snacks, and treats, and you’ll be surprised how fruit will satisfy your sweet tooth. And taking a break from all low-calorie sweeteners helps you learn to tamp down your perception of sweetness.

5. Eliminate processed and prepared foods. As a general rule, don’t consume things that come in cans, boxes, bags or jars. Bonus points: Don’t eat in restaurants, either. Many restaurant foods may look healthy, but the food may have been prepared in unhealthy oils, or they may be drenched in a creamy sauce. Cutting out processed foods is the quickest and easiest way to limit excess (and often hidden) sugars, fats, and calories. 

6. Break a sweat. Skin is the body’s largest organ, and sweating helps you eliminate excess body salts and other metabolites of body processes. Breaking a sweat every day is a good way to support your body’s healthy elimination of metabolic breakdown products.

7. Eat fiber. There are so many myths associated with “cleansing” the digestive tract, but your digestive tract actually wants to be stimulated, especially with fiber. Think of this as exercise for your gut. Fiber revs up your digestive tract -- it’s like nature’s Roto-Rooter. But stick to fiber that’s found in nature -- fruits, veggies and whole grains -- and skip the bulked-up processed products that claim to contain 50 percent of your daily fiber needs or more in ONE serving. Stick with nature’s fiber content, which is about 3-4 grams a serving, about 15-20 percent percent of your daily requirement.

8. Get some sleep. Aim for seven to nine hours every night. Adequate sleep supports and maintains a healthy brain. Recent studies continue to support the connection between amount of sleep and cognitive function.

9. Change your response to stress. While eliminating stress is not realistic, changing how your respond to daily stressors goes a long way to boosting a healthy body.

Also, stop by 4x Nutrition Center adn speak with one of our certified nutrition specialist about other way to detox and get your body ready for the new year!

Til next time,

Mikie 

Post workout - A look at what they are and how they work!

Bullnox. Cellmass. Cell-Tech. Maxx Recovery. Xtend. NO Synthesize. Size On. Humapro. Jetmass.

There are literally hundreds of products out there called POST WORKOUTS.

So what IS a post workout? Do you need one? What is it for?
Today I'm going to give you a brief explanation about what a post workout is and what's the benefits of taking one.
So let get to it!
According to Webster online a post workout is "The period of time immediately following an intense workout when your body is best able to handle carbohydrate. 60-90 minutes long."

This is the time when your body is in need of precious nutrients to help it recover from the workout you just put it though and depending on the work out and your individual goals should be depleted of mostly protein, aminos and carbohydrates.

Let's look at the three main things that make a good post workout.
1.Protein
2.Amino Acids
3.Carbohydrates


Protein is the easiest so lets start there, as Whit explain in our other blog each persons protein needs will be set by their goals. Protein is what your body uses to repair the holes we tear in our muscles during any periods of exercise. Protein synthesis is also a big part in how our body's cells grow and rejuvenate with the help of amino acids.

Amino acids are the chemical units that make up proteins, as they are famously called the “building blocks” of protein. Specifically to post workout are the aminos L-Glutamine and BCCA's (Branch Chain Amino Acids) which help increase nitrogen retention within muscle cells, speed recovery,support optimal growth hormone levels and reduce muscle breakdown and cortisol levels. All important functions to insure you can not only recovery and repair from the workout you finished but that your muscles are able to go and and repeat the same intensity of exercise again later.

Now to the big one CARBOHYDRATES!

Most people look at carbs as the enemy when it comes to post work out and fitness in general. Let me remind you that carbs are the fuel our body's use to function! Just like the high priced gas that goes in your car, with out carbs our bodys will not run at their best performance. Think about a time you didn't have a lot of carbs before work. Did you find it hard to focus? Where you overly tired even after a good nights sleep? Were you a little cranky? All attributed to not enough carbs. A great after workout carb is sugar. Taking in 5-25 grams of sugar will cause a spike in insulin hormone which increases the nutrient absorption.Insulin counteracts cortisol and minimizes protein breakdown,so all the good protein and aminos you have make it to the sites where they are need. So in this case sugar and other fast acting carbohydrates are your friend!

Now that doesn't mean stop by Dunkin Donuts on the way home, but having a post workout shake like Intek Evolution Post-Workout or even a Gatorade Recover will supply your body with just the right amounts of protein, carbs and aminos to help you bounce back faster.

Depending on your goals will determine on how much of those three key ingredients you might need. Here are general guideline based on two common goals: Leaning out. Gaining Mass.

If your looking at leaning out you should shoot for easily digested protein sources such as whey protein, egg whites and fish are definitely important for immediate recovery. The best approach is to consume 30-50 g immediately,with Whey Isolate being the best source and then include slower-digesting protein sources such as chicken, meat, whole eggs or casein powders about an hour or so later.

For our gainers looking for mass gain, a good goal is to try and make your post-workout meal about 15-25% of your total daily caloric goal (if your diet calls 3,000 calories a day, your post-workout meal would be about 450-750 calories). It should contain a quality carb mixture and a quality protein source.

Now according to Timinvermont.com, "Post workout nutrition doesn't end with the meal immediately after your workout. Protein synthesis is elevated by 50% postworkout but it can be as high as 110% up to 24 hours postworkout. So keep supplying nutrients to your body in small, frequent and balanced feedings of carbs (40-70 grams), protein (30-50 grams), and water (up to 1L meal meal) every 1.5-3 hours.

As with all supplementation and food planing feel free to stop in a talk with one of our Certified Sport Nutrition Specialist to make sure your on the right track per your goal.

As always "Hard work pays off, easy work is worthless!"
-Mikie

Do Night-Time Fat Burners Really Work?

We get this question a lot in the store.  We sell many great night time or overnight fat burners that claim to reduce fat while you sleep, is that possible?


First, what's the point?
You spend between 30 and 50% of your time sleeping, why not try and make use of that time to achieve your goals.  Also, these products usually include sleep aids, which is a big problem in our current world...getting  enough sleep.  If you are deprived of sleep many things happen, you are more stressed and you release more cortisol which causes you to collect fat easier.  More sleeps means more energy the next day and more opportunity to train and lead an active and healthful life where you will burn more calories so don't discount the need to improve sleep.


Second, what's in them?
Obviously these PM fat burner products cannot rely on energy or thermogenics to do their work so they must be creative in the design of the ingredients in order to improve your metabolism or burn fat.  Most of these fat burners work with controlling your appetite (to curb late night craving or fridge runs at 3am) with ingredients like hoodia, white kidney bean and or chromium (to curb sugar cravings).  


Then after that they rely exclusively on ingredients trying to improve lipolysis.  Lipolysis is the process of using fat for energy...so you will see supplements with CLA, L-Carnitine (or some derivative), Carnosine, and Guggelsterones to name a few.  All these are plant based and they try to soak up stored fat and make it available to burn as fuel over night.


Finally, the sleep aid usually comes in the natural forms of melatonin, 5-HTP (trytophan) and relaxants like chamomile and valerian root.  These are all safe, but the first time you take products with sleep-aids should always be on a night when you can sleep in the next day to gauge your body's own response to the ingredients/compounds.


Well, do they work?
Simply put, YES, but they do not work as fast as daytime fat burners and certainly not as well as daytime burners combined with proper diet and exercise regimens.  But they do work, so be patient.  IN addition, these products are great for people who are trying to lose that last few inches or pounds of fat without sacrificing any of that hard earn lean muscle or lean tissue you have created in the gym and through proper protein supplementation.


In the store we have:
Noxitropin PM
Nite-Burn
and a few other night-time supplements designed to help you get leaner!


Come see us or email today and we will help figure out the best plan and use of supplements for you!

Til next time,
Mikie