Archive for November, 2008

These Body Building Foods Can Supercharge Your Diet

Just about every body builder knows how important balanced and proper nutrition is to building mass. Taking in the right amount and types of calories and burning them off at the optimum rate is the essential foundation for growth. We’re talking about fuel here — real body fuel. Protein and complex carbohydrates generally make up the bulk of the serious body building menu, with an emphasis on fish, egg whites, chicken, and powders for the protein supply, as well as pasta or rice among the most common choices for carbs. The old adage is true: put the right things in and get the right results out.

But what about some less common body building foods? How can you add a little diversity to your diet by choosing some less well-known items to supplement your nutritional selections so that you can develop even more dramatic gains? Simple! Consider these three food choices to diversify your menu in order to help maximize your development:

Onions

Raw onions are a very significant source of quercetin, which is a powerful antioxidant. Antioxidants are believed to help protect the body from damage done by free radicals, which can be a byproduct of intense training. Excessive free radicals contribute to inflammation in the muscle tissue, so raw onions are a great way to fight the dreaded post-workout flare ups. Consider eating raw onions, one of my favorite body building foods, as a post-exercise snack to help aid your recoverability.

Beef Liver

Forget any misinformation you may have heard about organ meat. Ounce for ounce, beef liver provides the greatest supply of protein. Every workout warrior is looking for protein to fuel his body, so beef liver is a great choice as a body building food. But more than just protein, beef liver also contains other valuable nutrients like creatine, iron, and B vitamins for energy and efficient metabolism. And don’t forget that beef liver, unlike beef, also contains carbs. An equal amount of beef contains about the same amount of protein as beef liver, but beef also contains more fat and contains no carbohydrates. Beef liver is a true power food.

Asparagus

When you think of a body building diet and you talk about green vegetables, spinach and broccoli are the ones that may come to mind. But a great body building food to add to your plate is asparagus. It isn’t uncommon for a top body builder to make a meal out of asparagus when training for an upcoming competition, for one very simple reason: asparagus is a natural diuretic. That means asparagus is the body building food that you can turn to when you want to rid yourself of subcutaneous water.

When body building and planning your diet, make sure you include the staples like fish and chicken for protein, as well as pasta and rice for carbs. But don’t forget about three body building foods that can pump up your diet as well: raw onions, beef liver, and asparagus.

Tags: body building foods, asparagus, beef liver, onions, quercetin, body building

Household Aromatherapy Recipes and Practices to Consider

Aromatherapy has a lot of great uses. You can use essential oils in massages and use the scents of the oils to help you relax and rejuvenate your mind and body. There also many uses for aromatherapy around the home. You can use common mixes of essential oils around your home to clean, disinfect and make your home a welcoming environment. Need some ideas for using essential oils around your home when it comes to aromatherapy? Here are some suggestions, along with some easy to make recipes.

Tea tree oil cleaner and disinfectant: Tea tree oil is known for its healing and disinfecting properties. If you take a few drops of tea tree oil and mix it with water in a glass spray bottle, you have just created a great cleaner for your home. You can use the spray to kill germs around your home when someone is sick and you can clean your kitchen countertops and bathroom. The right mix of tea tree oil is just as effective as the expensive stuff you get at the store. You can also add some drops of some citrus oil for an added scented touch.

Bathroom spray: You can use a variety of essential oils for your bathroom, too. Sprays are easy to make and they smell great. Get some distilled water and mix a few drops of the following: cinnamon, citronella, lavender, eucalyptus, sage, lemon and bergamot. It is recommended that you place the ingredients in a glass bottle, as it will last longer than in a plastic bottle. This spray will not only help give your bathrooms in your home a clean, refreshing scent, but it will also kill germs that you do not want in your home.

Homemade soaps with essential oils: Soap making is a fun hobby and it is relatively easy to make. If you are into making soap, consider using unscented liquid soap and add your favorite oils for just the right scent. If you have an average sized soap pump, then you will want to add about 20 drops of essential oil to the soap. Shake it up and mix well. If you like making bars of soap, you can add the drops of essential oils right into the mixture and pour into the molds. You can just created your very own soap with your favorite scents. Some oils that are popular include lemon, orange, pine and tea tree oil.

Body oil: You can also make body oil with your favorite essential oils. It is very easy to do, too. Just grab your favorite carrier oil such as almond oil, apricot kernel and grapeseed oil. You will then pour the oil into a bottle or a soap pump and add about ten drops of your favorite essential oil. For a great smell try lavender or even peppermint for a quick pick me up. Mix well and then use as you would lotion. You can also use this for massages.

There are so many great things that you can do with essential oils to use around the house. Try these recipes and you will be pleased with the results.

Tags: aromatherapy recipes, body oil, bathroom spray, cinnamon, essential oils, aromatherapy