PimpMyHealth

The Power of Potassium
Awesome for Muscle Growth…..

Recommended Daily Allowance: (not established) 4.7g
- Necessary for muscle contraction and growth
- Greatly aids in efficient cell function by maintaining fluid volume inside and outside the cells
- Helps entrap water in the muscle thus supporting an anabolic environment
Sources Include: Raisins, bananas, red meat, potatoes, cantaloupe

The phenomenon that is dating is a somewhat fickle event even at the best of times. I am at the grand old age of 21 and still don’t fully grasp the bloody thing, however one thing I have learnt is that money and thought invested in the date is often a large determinant of the outcome. Please see my equation below:

Money x Thought = Outcome of date (i.e. another date)

This isn’t to say you need to spend loads of money on the date, but it does mean if you don’t spend a lot of money on the date proposed, by god it better be thoughtful. In essence the quality of the input (money and thought) will largely determine the outcome (another date) much like when you are trying to build muscle mass; the quality of protein put in your pie hole (Biological Value of the Protein) will largely determine the outcome (whether you build muscle or not.) As always permit me to elaborate and draw a comparison:

All macronutrients (protein, carbohydrates and fats) contain carbon, oxygen and hydrogen, but it is only protein that contains the additional molecule nitrogen. Thus by measuring the amount of nitrogen excreted from the body you can determine the amount of protein in the body and since 70% of protein in the body is found in the muscles, this can give a great indication of the body muscle building capability. This is known as the Nitrogen Balance of the body, and there are 3 basic types of Nitrogen balances in the body:

-    Positive: Optimal for muscle growth this is where the nitrogen intake is greater than nitrogen output (nitrogen intake > nitrogen output) i.e. Muscles are in an anabolic state

-    Negative: Greatly detrimental to muscle growth, this is where nitrogen intake is less than nitrogen output (nitrogen intake < nitrogen output) i.e. muscles are in a catabolic state.

-    Equilibrium: No gains are really made when you are in equilibrium, this is where the nitrogen intake is the same as nitrogen output (nitrogen intake = nitrogen output) i.e. your muscles don’t progress or regress

Now there are a few factors that will determine whether you have a positive, negative or equilibrium nitrogen balance in the body but I wish to concentrate on the main 2, these being Rest and the quality of protein you consume.

Rest: This refers to the hours slept per day, rest from strength training and hours recovery after strength work out.

Quality of Protein: The quality of the protein is determined by fining out its Biological Value, this measures how well the body can absorb and utilize a protein. The higher the Biological Value of the protein you use, the more nitrogen your body can absorb, use, and retain. As a result, proteins with the highest BV promote the most lean muscle gains since they create a positive nitrogen balance within the body.

Lastly allow me to explain how the 2 factors (Rest and Quality of Protein) can result in the three possible nitrogen balances:

-    Positive: This is where you are consuming High Biological Value Protein (e.g. chicken, egg whites, beef, whey protein) and also having adequate rest from strength training. Therefore you’ve the necessary materials (High BV Protein) and invested adequate time into resting, for your muscles to repair and grow. This is very similar to what is considered a good date; enough money is invested so not to appear cheap (but not too much that you are considered flash) and ample thought has gone into the preparation, outcome: high chance of second date.

-    Equilibrium: This is where you are consuming High Biological Value Protein (e.g. chicken, egg whites, beef, whey protein) but perhaps you are not getting enough rest from strength training. Aliken this to a ringside seat date at a Cage Fight, perhaps a lot of money invested but unless your dates a big blood sports fan I’m thinking she is going to score you quite low on the ‘thoughtfulness’ scale. Or perhaps you were ultra thoughtful and decided to take her to favourite ballet, but decided you didn’t want to pay and so had her sneak in through the back entrance and watch the entire show hiding under the stairs from security.

-    Negative: This is where you are consuming Low Biological Value Protein (e.g. processed meats, luncheon meats…etc) and you are not getting enough rest from strength training. Often people are unaware they are in this state, believing all protein is the same or too enthusiastically training whilst depriving their body of rest. Similarly some men have taken their dates to what they believe to be a fantastic restaurant; service is very quick, seems very popular and great value for money getting a whole meal for £5….. but the reality is their female companion is less than impressed with her happy meal at MacDonald’s.

Sunday Mornings are fantastic; Firstly you can have as much sleep as you want, secondly you can have as much sport on the TV as you want and thirdly you can wander the house in your underwear all day if you choose to do so, scratching yourself wherever you please with no regard for social etiquette. Yes Sunday mornings are a true blessing; in fact without them the world would be a much sadder place… Children would no longer experience the joy of Sunday morning football, there would be no such a thing as a traditional English Sunday roast dinner and lastly men and women the world over would all be fat. You see Sunday morning is mankind’s way of catching up on sleep, restoring the body’s hormonal balance and regulating the body’s appetite and metabolism. As I remain in bed, still in my underwear and watching the football on TV allow me to share my musings:

It was recently discovered at the University of Warwick, by Professor Cappuccio, that sleep deprivation causes hormonal changes in the body that can lead to an increase in appetite and possibly even obesity. Since when our bodies become sleep deprived all different types of hormones begin rushing about the body causing neurons to send different signals to the brain. Some neurons inform the brain we are hungry and need food immediately, whereas others tell the brain we are content and don’t need to raid the fridge like Pavarotti at a cake sale.

It was then, as I watched a poor Bolton FC defence concede yet another goal courtesy of Thiery Henry’s right boot that I realised, the competing hormones and neurons that occur when the body is sleep deprived are much like a football match. The stadium is the hypothalamus, known as the “satiety center,” where all of the neurons transmit their various messages to the brain and the two teams are:

Fat Free FC

Players: α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) = the hormone that is an important mediator of satiety (‘feeling full’)
Substitutes:
Hormone – Leptin

Obese FC

Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) = responsible for the regulation of appetite, too much of them and the body constantly craves food.
Substitutes:
Hormone – Ghrelin

Now both teams have strong players, however it is your star player Leptin who can win the game for Fat Free FC. Yes Leptin is the Ronaldinho of the hormone world, since not only does Leptin inhibit the activity of Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) but it also allows it’s team mate α-melanocyte-stimulating hormone (α-MSH) to do its job and inform the brain we are content and full.

On the other hand don’t have enough sleep and the hormone ghrelin, will put on his boots, strap on his shin pads and come off the bench for Obese FC. Because when we don’t get enough sleep our bodies produce more of the hormone ghrelin, which, among other effects, stimulates appetite and creates less leptin. Less Leptin and of course Agouti-related peptide (AgRP) and Neuropeptide Y (NPY) are no longer inhibited and so Obese FC run riot on the pitch (hypothalamus)….Final score… Obese FC 1 – 0 Fat Free FC and a much chubbier you.

But never fear good people for as I mentioned before there is hope, and it comes in the form of Sunday Mornings. So like me embrace it, cherish it and stay defiant when your wife, girlfriend, mum or dad tries to wake you from your Sunday morning slumber, for your star player (leptin) needs your support. And speaking of support, I’m now going to visit the land of nod for a few more minutes and do some supporting of my own, since I know I don’t want Ghrelin playing later today when the chocolate cake is put on the table for desert.

Broccoli is ‘the dogs nuts’ of vegetables….it contains vitamin C and phytochemicals (namely compounds called isothiocyanates) that greatly aid in the prevention of cancer and also stops free radicals causing damage within the body.

Sugary foods strip other foods of their chromium, also refined processed foods have the chromium removed. This is bad news; since Chromium’s main function is to regulate blood sugar levels…unstable blood sugar levels and you are more prone to putting on fat. (see ‘articles’ section and search ’sugar’ for more info)

It’s quite late on a Sunday night and I find myself doing some last minute packing before departing tomorrow morning for the south of France. I personally am just packing the essentials however my older brother seems to think there will be a need for the 5 jumpers he is putting into his case, at a predicted 36 Degrees I’m thinking his knitwear may prove pretty useless. This then got me thinking, what else do people incorporate in their lives that really are not needed…hmmmm….???…watches that say they go to 500m below sea level, stringed vests and lastly sugar. Yes the latter is terrible; sugar has so many detrimental affects to the body, infact:

Sugar is needed in the diet about as much as trump scented perfume, since it causes blood glucose to spike and plummet

Sugary foods/ High Glycaemic Index/ Fast releasing carbohydrates cause blood sugar levels to become unstable thus leading to mood swings, headaches, fatigue, cravings and therefore fat gain. Since any sugar that enters your ‘pie hole’ (mouth) causes a rise in blood sugar levels and also endorphins (feel good hormones) so you feel fantastic for a few minutes until your blood sugar levels drop dramatically. This is not a nice feeling and so you go for some more sugary foods to pick you up again, and so the craving cycle and journey to Chubsville begins.

Sugar is needed in the diet about as much as Solar panelled flashlight since sugar interferes with the body’s immune system

Now research on this topic is still somewhat vague however scientists do know that bacteria and yeast feed on sugar and that, “when these organisms get out of balance in the body, infections and illness are more likely.”

Sugar is needed in the diet about as much as Condoms when trying for a baby since sugar increases the risk of obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease and forms of cancer

Research has revealed that the more Sugary foods/ High Glycaemic Index/ Fast releasing carbohydrates you consume the higher your risk of becoming obese. And obesity is directly related to cardiovascular disease, diabetes and different forms of cancer.

Sugar is needed in the diet about as much as Stairs in a bungalow since a high-sugar diet often results in chromium deficiency.

If your diet consists of a lot of Sugary foods/ High Glycaemic Index/ Fast releasing carbohydrates chances are you don’t get enough of the mineral Chromium inside that body of yours. This is bad news; since Chromium’s main function is regulate blood sugar levels (permit me to refer you back to my first point entitled ‘Sugar is needed in the diet about as much as trump scented perfume’ to remind you what unstable blood sugar levels lead to.) Foods containing chromium include a variety of plant, animal and seafoods but sugary foods strip these foods of their chromium supplies. Furthermore processed refined foods often have the chromium extracted, why food companies do this? I haven’t the foggiest, but the idiots do, haha.

Once again I thank thee for reading through the ramblings of a nutty Englishman, haha, until next time…I bid you adieu x

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