The Many Benefits of Coconut Water, Milk and Oil

What are the benefits of coconut water and other products derived from coconut? Not that long ago, unless you lived in the tropics, you probably seldom thought about coconut. Perhaps you had a coconut flavored drink every so often (more likely than not, one containing alcohol!) - but you never considered coconut to be one of the healthiest foods on the planet. Now, however, it seems that every other product that's for sale in a natural foods store has coconut in it!

Yes, we're hearing about the benefits of coconut water, coconut milk and coconut oil all the time. Coconut oil is not only good for cooking, but it's used in all kinds of skin care products. Coconut water is now becoming popular as an alternative sports drink. Coconut milk, meanwhile, is starting to become a leading milk substitute, especially as soy based products are becoming suspect in many ways. So let's take a closer look at this coconut craze and see what benefits can be derived from this wonderful fruit from the tropics!

Coconut Water

Coconut water is cool and delicious

Coconut water is the clear liquid you find when you open a young coconut. It's naturally sweet, yet low in calories and it's fat and cholesterol free. For this reason, it makes an excellent sports drink. It's the ideal compromise between people who find plain water too boring but who don't want to load up on sugar and empty calories that are found in commercial sports drinks.

Coconut Milk

Coconut milk is the thicker, creamier white liquid that's prepared from meat of the coconut. In other words, you can't crack open a coconut and get coconut milk - you only get coconut water this way. Coconut milk has to be made.

Coconut milk is sweeter and richer than coconut water, making it a good substitute for regular milk or soy milk. While coconut milk is considered by many to be very healthy, these claims are sometimes disputed because it's high in saturated fat (the same is true for coconut oil, as we'll shortly see). However, many nutritionists are rethinking the whole "saturated fats are bad" philosophy.

Coconut Oil

Discover the benefits of coconut oil

Coconut oil is enjoying a real renaissance in the health food community, probably even more so than coconut water or milk. Suddenly, we're hearing that this oil, though high in saturated fat, is ideal for cooking as well as for skin care.

It seems that previous research that supposedly proved that coconut oil caused a rise in cholesterol was based on using hydrogenated coconut oil. As many people are now aware, this is a process that produces the "bad fats" or trans fats that are the cause of so many health problems. Trans fats in anything raise the LDL or bad cholesterol to go up. Pure coconut oil, however, has no such effects - just the opposite.

One of the major benefits of coconut oil is that it contains lauric acid, which is a natural enemy of many harmful microorganisms and possibly even cancer cells. Lauric acid helps protect the body against bacteria, fungi and viruses, so it has many healthy qualities.

Coconut Products and Weight Loss

Coconuts can help with weight loss

If you're trying to lose weight, which coconut products should you consume? The short answer is, "all of them!" This doesn't mean, however, that you have to go overboard and drink or eat coconut products from dawn till dusk. Even though coconut milk and oil both contain healthy fats, if you're trying to cut back on calories you obviously don't want to overdo it with any kind of fat.

You can use all of the products in moderation and gain the benefits. This is true for everyone, whether you want to lose weight, gain weight or maintain your current weight. You can drink coconut water as a sports drink, or just when you want a refreshing cold drink. Don't drink it in place of regular water, though. Pure H20 should still be your primary beverage of choice!

Coconut milk is probably the best milk substitute if you're vegan or lactose intolerant. Even if you do eat dairy, there's no reason not to add coconut milk to your diet. You can find many healthy recipes that use coconut milk, or you can just drink it as a refreshing beverage that's a bit more substantial than coconut water.

Coconut oil is ideal for cooking. This is one big edge it has over the other super healthy oil - olive oil. I'd never suggest giving up olive oil, as this is not only delicious but it's one of the healthiest "good fat" foods you can consume. However, olive oil is not good for cooking, as it loses its benefits and actually becomes toxic. So, if you want a simple formula, consume olive oil raw and coconut oil for cooking (though coconut oil is also fine uncooked).

Coconut oil also has many other benefits, and it can be used as a moisturizer and even in your hair. You can find many products on the market that contain coconut oil, but very often it's safer to just use it straight up. Many products, even those sold in health food stores and online from health and nutrition companies contain all kinds of suspect ingredients.

Do your research - the Dr. Mercola website has a lot of good information on the dangers of many supposedly healthy and natural skin care products, shampoos and so forth. With plain coconut oil, you don't have any such worries! You can't really use pure coconut oil as a shampoo, but you can use it in your hair as a conditioner and then wash it out with a gentle and preferably organic shampoo.

In conclusion, more benefits of coconut-derived products are being discovered all the time. Of course, the native peoples of regions where coconuts grow - many tropical regions from Africa to the South Pacific- have long known how healthy, as well as delicious this fruit is. Now, however, modern civilization is finally catching up. So, coconut water, coconut milk, coconut oil - and just plain coconuts of course- are all foods you can eat with pleasure and without guilt!

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Maire_Brody/205861

Monday Muscle - 7 Top Muscle Building Nutrition Food Sources To Gain Muscle Mass

You can't actually neglect muscle building nutrition in your muscle building program. But the thing is, many people avoid the topic of nutrition when it comes to building muscles. They think it's complicated. It's simply a matter of obtaining the right information because it is in fact easy to find the right muscle building nutrition foods to complement your workouts. What's more, your nutrition can even make your muscle building program more successful. With muscle building nutrition sustaining your sufficiently, your workouts would be less tedious. That's right. Eat more foods for building muscles and you can work out less. What are the top muscle building foods to help you gain strength and muscle mass?

1. Lean beef. 

This ought to be a staple in your meals if you want to build muscles fast. Loaded with zinc, iron, B- vitamins and other nutrients that promote the growth of your muscles, you can't skip lean beef in your nutrition. Other than that, it also provides high-quality nutrition for growing your muscular physique. Take note that not all proteins are equal, but proteins in lean beef contain high amounts of amino acids that work in tandem with insulin to boost muscle growth. If you're trying to lose weight, lean beef is a valuable option for your nutrition, too. Eat 3 oz of lean beef and you'll get the same amount of proteins found in 1.5 cups of beans. However, you'll get half of the amount of calories.

2. Skinless chicken. 

Get your nutrition in order

Chicken, like beef is a good source of high quality protein which is essential for the maintenance and repair of muscles. It also aids in bone health and weight loss. You can prepare delish meals as well because chicken is easy to cook and prepare. At the supermarket, you'll find meat packaged in single serving sizes. You can season and cook it quickly.

3. Cottage cheese. 

It's a perfect nutrition to maintain the health of your muscles because it is an excellent source of pure casein protein. Casein, as a slow digesting protein can sustain your muscle health even if you go on long periods without eating.

4. Eggs. 

Other than being a good source of high quality protein, eggs also contain the right kind of fat, nine essential amino acids and Vitamin D. It's food that truly provides excellent value for your money. Contrary to what some studies have reported, eggs are not unsafe for your health.

5. Whey protein. 

Supplements containing whey protein are the most popular in the fitness industry. They are a fast, convenient and affordable source of protein.

Whey protein comes in many flavors

Bodybuilders take whey protein supplements in the morning after waking up, as a post-workout supplement and as a supplement to mix with their meals. A scoop of whey protein in your muscle building shake is effective for gaining muscle mass. Then again, see to it that whole foods are your main source of high quality protein, augmented by whey protein supplements.

6. Tuna and other fish. 

These foods are also rich in protein and omega 3 fatty acids. Being low in fat and high in omega 3 fatty acids, fish also aid in fat loss and revs up your metabolism.

7. Oatmeal. 

It's low glycemic index (GI) value makes oatmeal an excellent source of carbohydrates. It's also minimally processed as a muscle building nutrition food

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Walter_H_Menuet/1833556

Monday Muscle - Muscle Building Work Outs For A Button-Popping Chest

If you're skinny then you might want to build some muscles fast, and so muscle building work outs might be of interest to you.

Firstly you must consider your diet, and then you can start to look at muscle building work outs. If your body is not getting the necessary fuel to build muscles, then no amount of muscle building work outs will build any extra muscle mass.

To find an ideal muscle building diet for your muscle building work outs, you need to work out your current daily calorie intake, note down what you eat each day and also write down the calories. Then you know how much you are eating in order to maintain your current weight -- if you want to build muscles then you need to intake more. By eating more you will be able to build muscles through muscle building work outs.

Take your existing weight in pounds and multiply it by 20,

Keep track of your calories

then you will find out how many calories you will need to consume every day in order to gain weight. This is because you are therefore eating more than your body needs to maintain the current weight. You'll have to use trial and error to decide on the correct number of calories that you should eat, if you are gaining too much fat then you should reduce the number of calories. The amount you need to eat depends on the muscle building work outs that you are using.

The best foods to eat to gain muscle are foods that are high in protein, make sure that you eat a lot of chicken, fish, and red meat. You should also keep your carbohydrate intake high, so eat plenty of veg, pastas, and bread. Then start to look at muscle building work outs.

Now we're onto the muscle building work outs section, bodybuilders are faced with the fact that the fibers in their muscles are completely exhausted during a workout session. However, this process is the only way to achieve the maximum muscle gains through muscle building work outs. You have to work harder and harder with muscle building work outs to get bigger muscles. The muscle building work outs have to become more and more intense. The muscle building work outs always have to be challenging otherwise your muscle mass may decline.

You should increase the amount of resistance by increasing the weight that you lift during your muscle building work outs. Make sure you do several repetitions so that the muscles are pushed beyond what you think they can handle. Try to increase the reps in increments of six or eight. The best way to ensure every muscle gets a good work out is to incorporate a variety of exercises into your muscle building work outs.

Some bodybuilders find that reducing the resting interval between muscle building work outs is advantageous and it helps them to gain more muscle mass.

Use these techniques to supersize your chest

Introduce supersets into your workouts. This process involves doing two exercises that work the same group of muscles.

Partial repetitions are a great way to build more muscle mass, so you could add them to your muscle building work outs. If you complete only part of the lift you will still gain muscle without wearing your body down. This is a technique advanced bodybuilder's use in their muscle building work outs. Isometric contractions involve holding the weight for a count and then contracting the muscle group.

Adding these various techniques to your muscle building work outs session will help you to get the most out of your workout. With any luck you will be very happy with the outcome. Good luck with your muscle building work outs! Remember to stop if you feel any pain during your muscle building work outs..

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Richard_Gwent/87543

Wednesday Video - How sugar affects the brain

When you eat something loaded with sugar, your taste buds, your gut and your brain all take notice. This activation of your reward system is not unlike how bodies process addictive substances such as alcohol or nicotine -- an overload of sugar spikes dopamine levels and leaves you craving more. Nicole Avena explains why sweets and treats should be enjoyed in moderation.

Fat Loss Friday - 5 Unusually Fast Fat Loss Tips

TIP 1: EXERCISE EFFICIENCY

The idea here is that we're all very busy, and I don't have time to spend hours at the gym or workout nearly every day of the week. I know most people are in the same boat.

So what is needed is an exercise routine that can be performed infrequently and takes very little time, but still gives you great results...

...now the only way to do this is to use a form of exercise that produces fat loss in the time that you're NOT working out.

Most popular forms of exercise provide most of their calorie and fat burning during the exercise...but this is not efficient because we can only exercise so much...even the aerobic and cardio fanatics out there can only stand say 5-10 hours a week of exercise.

There's only so much cardio you can do in a week

So with 24 hours a day times 7 days, that gives us 168 hours in a week... so even working out 5-10 hours a week still leaves us with 160 or more hours that we won't be working out...

...it is these 160 hours we should be focusing on if we want maximum fat loss in minimum time...

...and when you can do that, now you've got exercise efficiency. So the idea is to get the most fat burning out of those 160+ hours that you're not working out...

...and the best way to do it that I've found is by using a very high level of intensity combined with resistance training exercises performed in fairly rapid succession.

This type of exercise will burn fat for up to 2-3 days after the workout is over, so you can see why just 2-3 sessions a week of this type of exercise can double or even triple the amount of fat loss that can occur with typical type of exercise in the so called "fat burning zone".

TIP 2: FOCUS ON MICRONUTRIENTS FIRST

Perhaps the most important tip I can give anyone trying to get and stay lean is to look at food from a micronutrient standpoint.

This is not something you'll hear from most nutrition experts, in fact they'll tell you just the opposite, to look at your food from a macronutrient view (protein, carbs, fats)...

...this is what most people end up doing, and it is still important for fat loss, but the big turning point in my personal fat loss journey happened when I started to focus on eating most of my calories from foods that are super loaded with nutrients instead of stressing out over my protein, fat, and carb ratios.

The foods I'm talking about are vegetables, fruits, beans, legumes, nuts, seeds.

Now don't mistake this for a vegetarian or vegan diet, that's not what I'm talking about, but a diet that supplies the body with the nutrients it requires to burn fat optimally.

Now, you'll notice that I didn't include lean animal meats on this list. Well, that doesn't mean these foods won't help you burn fat, they will, but what I'm saying is you need to take your focus off of the whole protein first mindset and instead go with a "nutrient first" mindset.

Make sure your meals are balanced

I was raised, as I'm sure a lot of people are, that any good meal needs to start with a big portion of beef or poultry, and that the nutrient rich foods (like vegetables, fruits, beans, etc.) are a small part of that meal, if at all.

I'm saying you have to flip that equation entirely and that most of your meal should be based in the nutrient loaded foods, with a smaller bit of the animal proteins.

The fact is that these foods have the most nutrients, and when you give your body the required nutrients without overloading it with foods that have little nutrients, fat loss become so much easier because the hunger and cravings that plague dieters almost disappears.

TIP 3: STOP DOING SITUPS AND USING ABS GIZMOS TO LOSE STOMACH FLAB!

OK, so this is a big one because six pack abs are like a status symbol these days on whether or not you're lean.

I mean back in the 70s and 80s, it was enough just to have a flat stomach, but now it's all about the six pack...for whatever reason.

It probably has more to do with the fact that people are fatter than ever and things like six pack abs are becoming more rare and of course they are that much more desirable because of it.

So, a lot of people are still mystified by the spot reducing myth that you can do exercise a specific area of the body and create localized fat loss.

I should know because I hammer my newsletter subscribers with this myth several times, but I still get question after question about which abs or belly exercises or gut blaster 3000 will get them a set of six pack abs!

Look, you really can't lose fat from one area of your body specifically...

...the only way you can lose belly fat, thigh fat, butt fat or any other fat is by lowering your overall body fat percentage. In other words, losing overall body fat.

The reason you have problem areas or body parts is because you simply have more fat cells stored in that area genetically.

And we can't lose these fat cells, we are stuck with them unless we resort to surgery, but we can shrink them, and that's what happens when we lose fat. We shrink the fat cells.

So the key here is forgetting about all those abs specific exercises for a while and instead focus on lowering your overall body fat percentage by creating a calorie deficit through the right diet strategies and adding lean muscle to your body.

Truth be told, a good set of barbell squats to muscular failure done a couple times a week will do more for losing belly fat and getting six pack abs than 1000 crunches a week because the amount of calories and fat that will be burned from the squats will far outweigh those crunches.

Yeah, you'll need some abs specific exercises to build the abdominal muscles, but no one will see them if they're covered up by layers of body fat.

TIP 4: DON'T JUDGE YOUR FAT LOSS PROGRESS ON A SCALE

Alright another huge mistake people make when determining how successful their fat loss program. First off, we're talking about fat loss here, not weight loss.

Weight loss is the predominant term, unfortunately, because that's what we are taught at an early age.

But when it comes to losing actual body fat, we have to look at our body composition, not how much we weigh on the scale, but how much of our body is fat weight.

This is really the only way to know if you're losing fat or just losing water weight or muscle, which is very common on most crash or fad diets...

...people will end up losing a few pounds really fast and get excit, but they don't look much better in the mirror!

Don't rely on scales to measure progress

I mean they could look better in clothes because water loss and muscle loss will make you look smaller in clothes sometimes, but when the clothes come off...

...yikes!

This is the skinny-fat look that a lot of people have...they have high body fat percentages, but because of a small bone structure they look acceptable to people while in clothes.

I know nobody wants to look like that, which is why body fat percentage must be the key measurement for fat loss.

OK, another reason we can't rely on the scale is because of muscle mass...

...if we're doing this right, our exercise is going to be geared toward gaining lean muscle as this is the best way to create a calorie deficit almost immediately.

Especially as we age because our bodies naturally lose muscle mass every year once we hit our mid 30s or so... by the way that's the main reason so many people who were in good shape in their 20s and 30s wake up in their 40s 20-30 pounds of fat heavier.

So if you're measuring your progress by the scale and you gain 5 pounds of muscle, the scale could show no fat loss or even a small gain because muscle weighs more than fat...

...it's more dense and takes up less space. This can cause you to freak out and think your efforts are causing weight gain when in reality your creating the perfect environment for 24 hour a day fat burning.

So, easy ways to track your bf% are with a skinfold caliper, which you can find online, some of those body fat scales or hand grippers (though there are some tricks to using those correctly).

I actually have a body fat percentage analyzer available for my newsletter subscribers for free which you can get on my website...this is a great little tool and it's there for anyone who wants to accurately track your fat loss.

So that's the idea here... track your body fat percentage, not just your bodyweight! It's fat loss, not weight loss we're after.

TIP 5: KNOW YOUR FAT LOSS NUMBERS

I'm talking about keeping score and knowing your numbers here...

...if you don't know the numbers, you have little chance of success in fat loss and fitness.

Just like anything else in life, if you're not tracking what works and what doesn't work, you'll be using a shotgun approach that will take much longer and not work as well as an approach that includes tracking.

This is especially important in relation to your exercise and fat loss and fitness progress. Let's look at the business world for a moment. In any business, at the end of the day, results are measured by revenue, or the money that was made.

If the business owner doesn't know the numbers, they won't know if they've made any money. And thus they literally have no business! It's crazy and pretty simple, but the most powerful metric a business owner can track.

I'm a big NBA basketball fan, but do you think I'd enjoy watching my favorite team if they didn't keep score? Of course not!

If they don't keep score, we don't know who's winning, and thus there is no "game" to win or lose. They have to know their numbers to know who wins and who loses.

Again, strikingly simple, but the fact is that most people don't track their exercise routines at all. How do they know if they're winning or losing the fat loss game?

In fat loss and fitness it's all about monitoring a few key numbers, primarily strength gains, inches in your body part measurements, and body fat percentage.

Knowing your numbers help your progress

If you don't know these numbers from week to week, month to month, you'll have a tough time judging your progress...and thus you'll second guess yourself, the methods you're using and have little change of succeeding.

This is also important because with any type of exercise or diet plan, you'll need to make slight adjustments as you progress, and how the heck are you going to do that if you don't know what or when to adjust?

So recording your progress on a weekly and month basis is key to getting that lean and fit body you desire... and if you're not doing it, you're using the shotgun approach: just spraying bullets and hoping you hit something.

This is a big reason people give up on their programs...

...not measuring their progress accurately. When you do this right, it can also give you that positive reinforcement to work even hard toward your goals.

Once you sniff something that actually is working, I don't know about you, but I'll do everything I can do magnify that effect for as long as I can.

So, bottom line, make sure to keep accurate records of your workouts and your progress. Just like in any business or in sports, you won't know if you're winning if you don't keep score.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Sean_A_Keats/1193814

Fat Loss Friday - How To Lose Weight - The Permanent Way

Ageing is something we can't avoid. And it is a fact that as you age, your appearance may go through some significant changes. As you reach your 40′s and beyond, you will begin to experience problems such as crow's feet, frown lines, and others associated with aging. Your metabolism will begin to change (read that as slow down) and your will find it easier to gain weight and get out of shape.

Ageing can make your weight creep up 

You might find it more difficult to lose weight and maintain a satisfactory level of fitness. Most people will try to lose weight by dieting. It can work, but it is a slow process. It may be difficult, but it is not impossible.

The cliché "You are what you eat" really applies as we get older and less physically active. Not only will your diet apply to your overall well being, it also affects the health of your skin and mental well-being. Foods rich in protein, vitamins, and minerals have valuable anti-aging effects that counteract or slow down the problems that come with age. And there are lots of supplements that are supposed to make your skin glow and your mind sharp. None that I've seen have any scientific basis and few if any have been evaluated by the FDA. The only hope we have is to learn how to select, prepare and eat foods that are natural and provide the nutrients that help our bodies be the best they can be.

The good news is that there are literally thousands of diets out there that work for some people. The downside is that none of them work for everyone and it is up to each of us to find one that works and that we can live with.

I like a variety of food and some diets restrict certain foods that I like to eat. They won't work for me over the long term. Anyway, my opinion is that it is not what you eat as much as how much you eat that causes you to be fat. You don't have to change what you eat. Just be aware of how much you eat. Eat less, you'll lose weight.

Here are some free weight loss tips:

1. If you want to diet to lose weight, go for it. Do some research and find a diet that fits your lifestyle. Calculate how many calories you're eating before you start making changes and then keep track of how much you eat. Remember, to lose a pound of fat, your body has to burn 3500 calories more than you eat. That could be easy to get just by making small changes in what your eat or drink on a daily basis. Use up or eliminate 3500 calories a week and you'll lose a pound. Sounds simple, doesn't it!

2. Don't drink your calories. Calories from juices, soft drinks and energy drinks add up very quickly and are often not considered as part of what we eat.

Don't drink your calories

Soft drinks are nothing more than liquid candy. Every can of soft drink, diet drinks or energy drinks fill you up with empty calories that have no nutritional value. Read the labels. Soft drinks average about 160 calories. Drink water, lots of water. Use a lemon or orange slice to give it more flavor. Unsweetened tea has almost zero calories. There are lots of things that can take the place of soft drinks.

3. Get committed to lose the weight you want. Think about what you will gain if you lose weight and avoid talking about what you will lose. It's just a matter of perspective, but one is positive and the other is negative. Positive things are always worth working for and if you can visualize the body you want, you can probably get it.

Losing weight is never an easy task. It is important to learn how to effectively lose weight and approach your diet to get the best results.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/Marshall_Crum/121028

How to lose weight by counting calories

A proven way to lose weight is to count calories. It's all about balance. If you use more calories than you take in then you will lose weight.

This video explains how to go about counting calories

An Easy Way To Count Calories

Anyone who is serious about losing weight and getting into better shape needs to realize that some important nutritional decisions will need to be made with the many choices in regards to food and drink on a daily basis.

Each time you are confronted with food or beverages, you have the potential to consume too much and this is when the majority of weight gain occurs. Therefore if you want to make this process much easier and increase the likelihood of being successful, one of the best ways to get started tackling your daily nutrition is to count calories.

In the past, it was a bit cumbersome to count calories since you had to lug around a notepad and pen to actually write down everything you ate and drank during the day. Now with the Internet and smartphones that can run applications, counting calories has now become easier than ever. You can now simply whip out your phone, tap a few buttons and your calorie amount is automatically tabulated.

Before you jump to the conclusion that to count calories is obnoxious and takes weight loss too serious just look at the benefits it can provide you if losing weight is something you truly want to achieve. Really consider this especially if you haven't been successful in the past.

In a nutshell, counting calories allows you to get a clear picture of exactly how much fuel you are putting into your body every day. When you focus on putting just the correct amount of food in your body and exercise a bit, the weight steadily falls off. That's as simple as it can be put.

One of the main reasons people gain an excessive amount of weight is because they do not control how much they eat or drink on a regular basis. When you also throw in the fact that little or no exercise is enjoyed, this is an easy one-two combination that quickly leads to weight gain. Unless some changes are made, obesity is likely the only outcome.

Sure there are surgical options along with some diet fads that may or may not work, but if you want to do this on your own for free and are willing to try something new and stick with it for at least a month, then there's no reason why you can't be successful with weight loss.

Just remember, consistent nutritional changes will need to be made if you want to have any chance of improving your situation. In other words, eating healthy one day then flipping the switch and eating unhealthy the next three days is not going to do your body any good nor will you shed those excess pounds.

Naturally changing the types and amounts of food you eat is often an extremely difficult feat to accomplish and the number one reason why folks fail. But by using a free calorie counting application you will have an ally that will help you as you redevelop your eating habits. You want to put nutrition at the forefront of your thoughts on a daily basis from the moment you wake until you go to sleep. Throughout this time all choices regarding your nutrition should be regulated.

Once you get your hands on one of these free tools to help you count calories, and set up your profile (in literally 2 minutes) you will see how powerful an ally this can be in your fight to get fit.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Gregory_L_Gomez