What to eat for lunch?

I have heard that people struggle with the lunch time meal.
The key to wellness success is to balance your food intake, and continue weight loss.
3 things you have to remember we need Carbohydrates, Protein, Veg and salad.

Carbohydrates examples, potatoes, wholemeal pasta or brown rice.
Protein examples, eggs, ham, tuna, skinless chicken, prawns.
Veg and salad examples, carrot, green beans, lettuce, tomatoes or apples
.
Using these examples we can create a mixed cold meat salad full of colour and goodness in any of the above combinations using these ingredients.
You can of course use dressings or garnishes to finish off for example light mayonnaise, raisins or walnuts.
Hopefully you get the idea and will have fun creating exciting new healthy lunches.

fitness benefits of cycling

High carbs, low carbs, moderate carbs – depending on who you talk to, you will likely hear one of these recommendations being touted as the optimal approach to maximum fat loss. So what's the truth? The truth of the matter is that there is really no one best way. Each of the above methods has been used by countless people – from bodybuilding and fitness competitors all the way to your every day gym rat – and used successfully at that. In actuality, how many carbs you are eating is not the key determinant of your fat loss progress; calories are. More on that later though. The key to successful fat loss is paying attention to your body, following a plan designed for your body and making the necessary adjustments to your program as your body changes. With that said, a nutritional strategy that includes both carbohydrate and calorie cycling in a structured plan built around your training program could be just what you're looking for. Let's take a closer look at this carbohydrate issue first.

Truth be told, there are benefits to having a fair amount of carbs in your diet and there are benefits to keeping them low. So why not use both strategies? Said in a simpler way, why not cycle your carb intake, and subsequently your caloric intake? By cycling your carb intake you get the best of both worlds. Assuming you keep your protein and fat intakes relatively constant, and only manipulate your carb intake, you are automatically cycling calories as well. The first benefit to doing so is that it keeps your body from adapting to what you are doing. Your body will always try to adapt to what you're doing and the further you move away from your natural set point, the harder your body is going to try to pull you right back. This is just in part related to the regulatory hormone, leptin.

Leptin levels are related to things like insulin, your caloric intake and your current level of body fat. Think of it as one of the big "fat-loss decision makers". The leaner you are the lower your circulating levels of leptin are going to be. On the flip side, under normal conditions, leptin is plentiful. However, while on sub-maintenance calories, and particularly on low-carb diets where circulating insulin levels are low, leptin levels drop and they can drop quickly. Decreased leptin levels cause a cascade of other regulatory changes, namely a decrease in thyroid output and metabolic rate, as well as an increase in catabolic hormone activity and appetite. In an attempt to become more efficient, your body will try to adapt to make your newly lowered caloric intake its new maintenance intake; that is, it will make the necessary changes needed to do the same amount of work on less energy. Unfortunately, this usually means having to continuously lower calories to maintain fat-loss progress, which inevitably makes it very hard to hold onto all your hard-earned muscle. None of this sounds too good does it? There has to be a better way, and there is. Planned and structured days of high calories and high carbohydrates may help with this.

As previously mentioned, there are benefits to both low-carb intakes and to high-carb intakes. When carb intake is drastically reduced you create a temporarily greater caloric deficit. In addition, low-carb intakes result in decreased levels of circulating insulin, increased levels of the fat-burning catecholamines and therefore a much heightened rate of fat oxidation. Quite simply, when insulin levels are low, you create an environment in which fat is more likely to be used for energy. Low muscle glycogen, as a result of decreased carbohydrate intake, obviously results in depleted muscles, but there are benefits to this as well. Low muscle glycogen tends to promote a higher rate of free fatty acid burning. Result? More fat loss.

On the flip side however, most people do not enjoy eating few carbs for very long. While there are clearly benefits to doing so, there are other things that need to be considered. Chronic low-carb intake can actually impair insulin sensitivity and promote insulin resistance. As already noted, low-carb intakes result in overly flat, depleted muscles and gym performance typically suffers. Throw in a day of high carbs and your muscles fill out, you find yourself more vascular, your workouts are great, and you look and feel much better. There is also research to support the fact that these higher-carb/calorie days may stimulate leptin production, which as we already noted is an important player in the fat-loss game. Carbohydrates are also very protein sparing – meaning they prevent protein from being oxidized as fuel – which is an important consideration when muscle retention is a primary focus.

There are psychological factors to consider as well. How you feel on a diet is arguably just as important to your progress as any other variable. There are not too many people that enjoy looking flat and depleted all the time. And lets not forget one of the reasons most people can appreciate – carbohydrates simply taste good.

So to summarize, we want some days where carbohydrate intake and calories are higher and some days where carbohydrate intake and calories are lower. The simplest way to set this is to just cycle your carbohydrates and calories according to your weekly training schedule. For example, assuming four workouts per week, you might have your high days on your two big workouts, medium days on your two easier workouts, and low days on your off days.

PRACTICAL STEPS There is no one best way to cycle carbs or calories. In fact, there are many, many different permutations that can be used successfully. Here is just one example that you could use as a template. Feel free to tweak it to suit your needs if necessary.

First off is caloric intake. Determine all the macronutrient totals (protein, carbs, fat, and calories) for the medium day and then just let the carbohydrate intake change the calories for the high and low days. So, assume the medium day is a standard dieting day. As an aside, but a valuable note to keep in mind, there are many different calorie equations you can use – however be aware that they all have the potential to be off by as much as 20%. So for the sake of simplicity you could just assume maintenance to be approximately 15x total bodyweight and subtract 20-25% to create a healthy caloric deficit. Remember, if you are not progressing based on your caloric intake, simply adjust it up or down until progress resumes. Next up is protein. I am sure we are all in agreement that we need to eat sufficient amounts of protein when trying to lose fat and maintain muscle, so set it anywhere from 1.0-1.5g/lb of bodyweight and split it up evenly throughout the day. You are going to have three carbohydrate intakes – one for high days, one for medium days, and one for low days. Carbohydrate intake for the medium days is going to be set at 1.0g/lb of bodyweight. So now we know our calories, our protein and our carbs. All that remains is to figure out how much fat we're to eat. In this case, fat simply serves as a caloric ballast. Simply make up the rest of your calories from fat. Your protein and fat intake from these days will stay constant throughout all three days. Carb intake for your high days should be set at 2.0g/lb of bodyweight and finally for your low days it is going to be minimal as you're only eating fibrous vegetables; no starch type carbs at all.

Remember the truth of the matter is that there is no one best method for fat loss. Carbohydrate and calorie cycling is just one logical and effective way of approaching it. Many who opt for this kind of approach find it very easy to follow as you get a few days a week where you get to eat some fun carbs, and like I said, who doesn't like eating carbs?

Discover these tips on nutrition for sport and a healthy living

The sport and healthy life diet must have two basic components;
Enough fuel to meet training and sport demands
Essential nutrients for a good healthy life

Nutrients

Carbohydrate - for energy
Fat - for energy
Protein - for growth and repair of tissue
Vitamins - for growth and repair of tissue
Minerals - for regulation of body processes
Dietary Fibre - for regulation of body processes
Water - for regulation of body processes

Carbohydrates
There are two main types of carbohydrates
complex:
Breads, rice, cereals, pasta, biscuits, potatoes, peas, sweetcorn,parsnip,carrots,dried beans and lentils,fruit, milk and yogurt.
Simple:
Sugar, honey, jams, marmalade's, confectionery, cakes, soft drinks and cordials, sweet biscuits and flavoured mineral water.
Complex carbohydrates also contain vitamins, minerals and dietary fibre and are therefore better for you.
Simple carbohydrates are high sugar content and high in fat content.

Fat
A small amount of dietary fat is necessary for good health.
It is recommended that the amount of fat in the diet be kept to 25% to 30% of total kilojoules consumed.
Sources of dietary fat; cream, sour cream, butter, margarine's, full cream milk, cheese, ice-cream, yogurt, nuts, chocolate and snack foods.

Protein
Protein is essential for building and maintaining the body's tissues, such as muscles, skin, hair and blood. Protein also helps in the formation of antibodies.
The basic units of protein are called amino acids , 9 of these cannot be produced by the body and so must be consumed in the diet.The recommended daily amount of body weight.Sources of protein are; lean meat, eggs, dairy produce, fish and poultry, vegetables, nuts, bread,rice, etc.

Vitamins and Minerals
Vitamins C, B, folate, pantothenic acid and biotin are easily passed by the body and so need to be included in the daily diet. Vitamins A, D, E and K are stored in the fatty tissues of the body and therefore can accumulate over time if an excess is consumed.

Minerals are required for nerve transmission and muscle contraction.
The two most important minerals are iron and calcium.
Sources of iron are; lean red meat, liver and green leafy vegetables.
Sources of calcium are; low fat dairy foods.
(To increase calcium retention, minimise caffeine and salt intake.)
Vitamin and Mineral tablets should only be used if your diet does not contain enough.

Dietary Fibre
Dietary fibre consists of plant material such as cellulose, hemicellulose, pectin, polysaccharides, gums, mucilage and lignin.
These are found in wholegrain cereals,fruit,vegetables, nuts and legumes.
dietary fibre slows down the release of sugars from food and gives a move sustained release of energy.

Water
Water is essential for the body to function properly.
Water is passed regularly by the body and through the lungs and skin, so it needs to be replaced.
Thirst is not a good indicator to replace water lost through exercise.
It is recommended that you drink 2litres of water a day.

How You Eat Is Almost as Important as What You Eat

A sound bodybuilding program gets built on a foundation of nutrition, without a proper men's nutrition plan, you are doomed to failure before you even start.
Most body builders eat several small meals throughout the day, instead of the traditional three large square meals that most of us are accustomed to; you see when it comes to building muscle, less is more in regards to your food intake, and timing is everything.
When you work out you need to ensure that your body always has sufficient level of nutrients, eating regularly throughout the day will ensure that you don't become deficient in essential vitamins, minerals and other essential resources.
All meals are important when following a muscle building, program but breakfast and post-workout, are two of the key meal times that are crucial to your overall success.
 Not providing your body with the nutrients it needs at these times will seriously damage your muscle building ambitions.
Do not skimp on breakfast!
Breakfast is one of the most important meals of the day for anyone, but this is especially true for body builders and those who work out on a regular basis. If you are following a workout program, missing or skimping on breakfast is one of the worst things that you can do.
As soon as you wake-up, your body is crying out for nutrients. It has been without food for eight hours and needs nutritional replenishment. If your body does not receive nutrients at this time, it will start to break down muscle tissue for energy, which means all your hard work is going to waste. In essence, your workout program is going backwards.
Having five slices of toast, a bowl of Corn Flakes and two cups of coffee might be ok if you have no ambition to be healthy, but, it is certainly not the kind of breakfast that will power a successful muscle building program.
 A balanced breakfast will consists of high quality proteins, complex and simple carbohydrates and essential fatty acids. The intake of each largely depends on your workout schedule.
 If your breakfast is before a workout, you may want to include more carbohydrates, and maybe a quick-digesting protein such as whey. If your breakfast is after a workout, you might consume a higher ratio of proteins.
The post workout meal:
The post workout meal is even more important than breakfast; if you do not eat properly after a workout then you completely negate any gains and benefits made during your session.
During a rigorous workout your body takes a battering and all its resources are completely stripped and depleted. A balanced post-workout meal allows your body to recoup the lost nutrients, which are essential for both muscle repair and growth.
 A meal full of protein and carbohydrates with minimal amounts of fat will ensure your body gets exactly what it needs after a good training session.
A typical post workout meal might consist of a protein shake made from Whey and a Banana. This will provide you with everything needed to fuel your muscle recovery, and growth.
 Every Meal Counts!
As well as having a good breakfast and post workout meal, you will need to eat at least three other nutritional meals throughout the day.
 Your daily food intake should comprise of at least two heavy meals and three light meals, with a total breakdown of around 40% carbohydrates, 40% proteins and 20% essential fats
 For any body building men's nutrition plan to be successful, it needs to be consistent. If you eat that the right foods at the right times, then you are already half-way down the road to success.
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John Powers is a Men's Fitness Expert who has helped 1,000's of men reach their fitness goals. Whether it be Men's Fitness Routines, Nutrution, or Supplements John can provide you with the expert guidance you desire to reach your Ideal Fitness goals. For more personnel guidance and information please visit <a href="http://www.mensfitnessroutines.com">http://www.mensfitnessroutines.com</a> to Get the Ideal Fitness System eCourse for FREE!

What makes Bee pollen one of the best energy and mood enhancer

Go see any doctor and tell them you're always feeling depressed, and they'll immediately write out a prescription for some mood enhancing drugs. Tell them that you always feel tired, and they'll probably give you another load of tablets, and perhaps some multivitamins. Alternatively, you can go into any shop nowadays, and choose one of the many energy drinks being sold. What a world we live in, where all our problems need to be corrected through the use of pharmaceuticals.

Imagine you had to wake up at the crack of dawn, then you had to run out into the fields with a box, you had to fill that box with apples, and then run back home, empty the box, and then do the exact same thing, over and over again until the sun went down. I don't know about you, but by the end of the second or third day, I definitely wouldn't be in a very good mood. In fact, I don't think I'd even have enough energy to get out of bed.

Now imagine the humble honey bee. These little creatures work flat out all day, every day, and yet they never run out of energy, and I seriously doubt they ever get depressed. Well, bees can't go to the doctor, and they can't take powerful mind altering drugs, so they had no choice but to come up with their own solution.

They did, and you can be rest assured, it's one of the finest natural energy and mood enhancer on the planet. But wait, it gets even better, because it's one of the only, if not "the" only complete foods known to man. That's right, bee pollen contains all the various nutrients your body needs in order to stay alive.

How does it enhance energy? Bee pollen is approximately 55% carbohydrates, but the good kind, unlike the carbohydrates you get from foods such as sugar and flour. It also has incredibly few calories. In fact, many people even use bee pollen as a weight loss aid. Because it contains everything your body needs, it tends to keep hunger at bay, while energy levels remain high.

Bee pollen can also enhance your mood.. This is largely due to the fact that it's a good source of fatty acids, and omega-3 fatty acids have mood enhancing properties. Research studies have for example shown that EPA, which is one of the omega-3 fatty acids, can reduce the severity of depression, and even reduce suicidal behavior amongst people suffering from depression. Admittedly, some people will experience better results than others, but that applies to all health supplements, and even to pharmaceuticals.

If you're skeptical about bee pollen being one of the world's best natural energy and mood enhancer, then I would truly like to encourage you to do some of your own research. If there were no benefits to be had, people certainly wouldn't still be using it thousands of years later.
If you would like to learn more about what makes bee pollen one of the best natural energy and mood enhancer on the planet, please visit my site at http://www.bestbeepollensupplement.com/. By V K Rajagopalan.