Whey Concentrate
Whey concentrate has several unique properties that help with weight loss. Whey protein is high in cysteine which promotes production of glutathione which aids the body to combat oxidative stress and inflammation. Oxidative stress and inflammation has been shown to promote weight gain by damaging sugar metabolism. Whey protein has been shown to improve insulin function. Whey protein also boosts serotonin levels.
Make sure you whey protein is tested to be what is known as WPC 80 for eighty percent whey by volume otherwise you are getting mostly lactose I.e. milk sugar.
Whole Egg
Whole eggs can be one of your best weight loss foods. One whole egg serves to increase production of the hormone glucagons which functions to increase blood sugar and in the process increases your fat burning.

Egg Whites
Egg whites are extremely hard to digest. Your body expends a lot of energy to digest egg whites so they aid you to burn more calories/ also, egg whites, when eaten without carbs, force your body to secrete more glucagons which promotes fat loss.

Turkey
Turkey is a brilliant source of protein for weight loss. Turkey promotes the release of tryptophan which aids sleep. You can use turkey to aid sleep which helps you to lose weight because when you sleep your body releases growth hormone which helps aid fat loss.

Grass Fed Beef
Not only has it been shown to improve cholesterol ratios which aid blood sugar metabolism to help keep you lean, it is also very filling and aids satiety and hunger.

Fish
This is an excellent source of protein for weight loss because it is very lean and has an excellent ratio of good fats. Fish should really be a staple food for anyone wanting to lose weight.

First of all, body fat is a natural substance and we all carry some body fat because it is essential to life as well as energy process as well as being a source of hormones and other substances like essential fatty acids that we need to sustain life. Problems start to occur when we store too much fat and as we age fat levels increase. Our bodies can convert excess energy into fat. This is very much over-looked because people tend to think if something is ‘fat free’ they can eat as much as they like but this isn’t the case. If we eat in excess of our energy needs our bodies convert other main nutrients like carbohydrate and protein to fat which is then stored when not used for energy. This is the reason why we get fat if we eat too much of anything.

Metabolism of fats

When you eat fat, enzymes break it down into fatty acid portion and the glycerol portion for digestion and absorption across the intestines. Fat is then reformed for transport to body tissues for energy storage. Fat is broken down into fatty acids when they are needed for energy production. Carbohydrates, which provide glucose on digestion, can be turned into fat when body stores of glucose are full. Protein itself cant be converted to fat but some protein can be converted to glucose when consumed in excess and then be stored as fat in the usual way.
Body fat is stored under the skin and in other less healthy places like the liver and internal organs.

Fat for energy

The fatty acids component of fat are an essential part of our energy systems. Fatty acids are burnt for energy along with glucose for just about all of the activities we undertake in proportion to intensity level. More glucose is used at higher intensity and more fat is used at lower intensity.

What you need to know about fat storage and burning

• Excess dietary fat and protein and carbohydrate is stored as body fat
• Protein uses more digestive energy and is not stored unless it is converted to fat along the way, while fat has most calories per gram and takes the least amount of digestive energy.
• Excess body fat can cause diabetes and heart disease by disrupting fat metabolism.
• You don’t have to target body fat specifically with exercise activity, only ensure you perform sufficient exercise volume to achieve significant energy expenditure which will result in fat burning.

Have you been dieting for a while and still not seeing any results? Feel like you are starving all the time yet body fat composition hasn’t changed? if you are finding yourself in this situation then its likely you are suffering from low leptin levels.

Leptin is produced in the fat cells. The production rate of leptin is controlled by your level of body fat and the number of fat cells in your body.

Leptin’s function is to play a significant role in hunger, food intake and energy expenditure. As leptin levels fall the greater your hunger becomes for all those foods you used to eat when you aren’t dieting. Along with hunger pangs, low leptin levels also slows down metabolic rate. When you have been dieting for a long period your body will adapt to the calorie restriction by slowing the metabolism down in an effort to make due with the food it is being given. This means little or no fat loss which isn’t the situation we want to be in.

How to raise leptin levels

So, we want to raise leptin levels so we don’t get into that horrible situation where we start craving our favourite foods and get hunger pangs. A lot of people will choose to have a cheat day, some people choose to have a cheat meal in an effort to raise leptin levels which is basically a meal or an all day binging of everything in sight. This, however, is not the best approach. Leptin is responsive to glucose metabolism so when you have a re-feed it makes sense to get all those extra calories from good sources of carbohydrates that will turn into glucose.  Doing it this way your leptin levels will show a significant rise.

Re-feeding

How much you should consume when re-feeding really depends on  how long you have been dieting, how intense your diet is and, of course, your levels of body fat. People who have a low level of body fat will have to re-feed more often. The more extreme the diet the more often you will need to re-feed. If you have low levels of body fat then you will have low leptin levels so you will need to eat more calories in your re-feed to bring leptin levels back up. The only downside to a re-feed is that there is a possible chance you may store a little body fat from the high calories but the good thing about it is that your metabolism will be through the roof and fat loss will be rev’d up.

Gaba also increases growth hormone levels in the body. Growth hormone has been found in studies to facilitate the metabolism of fats in the body. As you get older your growth hormone levels decrease which means it’s a lot harder to lose fat with age so increasing growth hormone levels is definitely a good thing as it also helps with increasing muscle gain.
In a clinical study, Gaba supplementation has demonstrated a wide variety of benefits that may help to provide support memory, tiredness, fatigue or weakness associated with occasional nervousness, anxiety, stress, sleep difficulty.

Gaba is normally produced in the body but in small amounts. Although being deficient in Gaba is rare, exposure to environmental toxins may increase the rate at which Gaba is depleted in the body.

The recommended daily dose is usually 250mg-500mg twice a day. Dosage is really dependant on the type if disorder you are suffering from but if you contact your GP he/she will advise on the dosage.

Gaba should always be taken on an empty stomach, preferably at night as it can cause drowsiness.

Common knowledge:
Leucine is a vital amino acid because the body can’t produce it naturally so needs to come from diet. There is no doubt that you have heard of its ability to increase protein synthesis. Most importantly, Leucine is the only BCAA that can be  oxidized by muscles for ATP production. In contrast, L-Valine and L-Isoleucine provide very little energy for muscles and a molecule of either yields only one acetyl group. During intense exercise L-Leucine is oxidized at a greatly accelerated rate.

Leucine serves a number of purposes related to strenuous muscle damaging  exercise. it’s a simple dietry method that helps preserve muscle mass and prevent muscle breakdown during times of catabolism. Supplementing with leucine is ideal to assist in the potentiation  of anabolic activities for lean mass promotion and its anto-catabolism properties. Leucine also causes a release of insulin which will further encourage anabolism. This is why carbohydrates are added  to capatalize on promoting massive glycogen storage.

Advanced Muscle Science believes L-Leucine is the most important out of the three branched chain amino acids when it comes to increasing protein synthesis hence the copious amounts included in a serving of Body Mortar. L-Valine and L-Isoleucine are also key ingredients along with L-Glutamine so here are a few of their benefits:

L-Valine and L-Isoleucine – These are other essential components of the BCAA family. They are used to maintain a positive nitrogen balance in the body as well as the repair of muscle tissue. Glutamine is known as a cell volumizer and comprises the majority of dry weight of aminos within the cell. It is very important for recovery and repair of muscle tissue. Also included is a healthy  2.5g of muscle saving glutamine. Research suggests that after intensive exercise glutamine levels are reduced by as much as 50%. Since the body relies on glutamine for cellular fuel for the immune system scientific research suggests that glutamine supplementation can  minimize the breakdown of muscle tissue and improve protein metabolism. In addition, glutamine’s cell volumizing effects have also been supported by several studies.

Why is Ripped Freak better than any other pre workout supplement?
Ripped Freak contains the most powerful combination of adrenaline enhancing ingredients ever used in a pre workout supplement.
Ripped Freak is the only pre workout supplement that uses a clinically proven dose of  Tyropure which is instant zed L-tyrosine for maximum mental alertness. Tyropure  dramatically amplifies the adrenaline stimulating effects of its formula. With this ingredient added you will maximize your energy and intensity levels.
Ripped Freak is the only supplement to include Astragin which is a clinically proven absorption enhancer . With Astragin in this formula it has better bioavailability of its ingredients and is therefore able to deliver  more powerful effects than all other pre workout formulas.

Here is the breakdown of the ingredients:

• Oleuropein – stimulates the release of norepinephrine and epinephrine aka adrenaline. This type of ingredient really cranks up your intensity levels, energy and strength in the gym.
• Tyropure instantized L-Tyrosine and USP grade Caffeine – Tyropure is instant zed L-Tyrosine which allows for maximum absorption into the bloodstream so it can then be delivered to the brain. In a part of the brain called the adrenal medulla L-Tyrosine is converted into norepinephrine (noradrenaline) and epinephrine (adrenaline). Caffeine blocks the adenosine receptors in the brain and reduces the release of adenosine which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter (the opposite of adrenaline).
• Beta-Alanine and Arginine AKG – Beta-Alanine increases the buffering capacity of muscle which results in delayed muscle fatigue and greater muscular strength and endurance. Arginine is the immediate precursor to nitric oxide which mediates an increase in vasodilation, blood flow and muscle pumps. In a nutshell, Beta-Alanine and Arginine AKG ensures your muscles are primed for maximum performance, growth and recovery.
• Astragin – is a patented nutrient uptake enhancer that is clinically proven to significantly improve absorption of amino acids, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. Ripped Freak has better absorption and bioavailability of its ingredients and is therefore able to deliver more powerful effects than all other concentrated pre workout formulas.

Due to the way of BCAA’s metabolism, which occurs in the muscle rather than the liver, the effect of these branched chain amino acids is much quicker than any other amino acid. After BCAA’s are digested, protein is broken down into amino acids that can either be used to build new proteins or be used as some sort of fuel that produces energy for the body. If your diet is balanced then these branched chain amino acids will be used for protein synthesis.

BCAA’s are also used to reduce fatigue  in both anaerobic and endurance sports because of its anticatabolic properties and role in protein synthesis. Leucine is known to be the most important out of the three branched chain amino acids.

What are BCAA’s used for?

• Increase protein synthesis – Several studies demonstrated the ability of branched chain amino acids to provide beneficial results on protein synthesis which resulted in bigger muscles. In addition, BCAA supplements increased the levels of growth hormone, testosterone and insulin.
• Endurance – BCAA’s ability to serve as a donor for nitrogen in the formation of l-alanine shows benefits for the whole body. It provides the tissues with glucose when the glycogen stores are depleted. BCAA supplementation may also keep your energy levels higher, even when on low carbohydrate diets.
• Faster recovery – Studies show BCAA supplementation results in the increase of metabolic recovery meaning that the recovery period between workouts is faster.
• Fat loss – At least two studies demonstrate the ability of BCAA’s to significantly promote fat loss which is difficult under normal circumstances.
• Immune system boost – Your immune system suffers when the body experiences strenuous workouts or you fall ill or become stressed and you become more prone to strength loss and infections. These amino acids can help prevent the body going into a catabolic state and also improves faster recovery and damage to cells in the body. With the help of BCAA’s muscle proteins arent broken down and used by the body for fuel which means the supplement spares muscle tissue break down. This helps the body train harder and increase protein synthesis.

• Leucine – is found in beans, brewers yeast, casein ate , brown rice bran and corn.
• Isoleucine – can be found in meat, fish and cheese products.
• Valine – can be found in mushrooms, meats,  fish, soy flour, cottage cheese, grains, vegetables and peanuts.

Why is Olimp Vita-Min especially recommended for men?
This dietary supplements contains specially selected plant extracts which have a protective effect on the male genito-urinary system. Active components of saw palmetto inhibit hormone transformations which facilitate the hypertrophy of the prostate, aid in passing urine and  regenerate cells of the prostatic  gland and the urethral glands. Their action is additionally supported by extract of pumpkin seeds, abundant in various biologically active  substances and having a high  content of zinc, a mineral which is indispensable  for creating and transforming male hormones. The supplement is especially recommended  not only to protect the prostatic gland but also in order to help in conditions with reduced sexual arousal, impotency or fertility disorders.

Other health benefits that Olimp Vita-min can give:

• Gives a specific protective shield for the heart and circularity system
• Extract of nettle stimulates the activity of blood forming cells
• Extract of pumpkin seeds inhibits inflammatory and atherosclerotic processes in blood vessels and has anticoagulant and regenerative action.
• The active components of  maidenhair tree extract ginkgo biloba protect and support the functioning of cerebral vessels, facilitating the memory processes, relieving headaches, insomnia and mood disorders.

A positive effect can also be noticed within liver cells. Extract of milk thistle contains the whole complex of biologically active flavanoid compounds which demonstrate supportive  and protective action in all liver overloads caused by  malnutrition or the presence of toxic factors such as alcohol or medicines.

Protein is the key building blocks for optimal performance. The body is continuously rebuilding damaged cells and tissue meaning a rich supply of  proteins essential for all athletes. Eating enough protein will help with power and get you in peak condition ready for your next workout.

How much protein do I need daily?
The UK food standards agency suggests one should have around 55g of protein daily. However, new research claims that regular training increases protein demands. All forms of intense exercise increase protein demands drastically. Most experts say to endurance athletes should consume around 1g protein per pound of bodyweight daily but if you are a person that lifts weight then they say to consume more at around 1.5g – 2g per pound of bodyweight daily.

What happens if I don’t eat enough protein?
We all have days where maybe we don’t eat enough protein but carry this on for too long and your performance and recovery power will severely  be affected.

Best sources of protein
High quality protein is essential for peak performance and recovery. However, not all proteins are the same and don’t offer the same level of nourishment. You need to make sure you consume proteins that  have a rich supply of  complete proteins which contain all the essential and non-essential amino acids.
High quality proteins I would suggest would be:

• Meat
• Fish
• Poultry
• Eggs
• Dairy
• Whey

Benefits of whey protein shakes
High quality whey protein shakes are a convenient way of boosting protein intake.

• After training – Whey protein has a fast digestion speed. So having a whey shake would be ideal at this time.
• Before bed/between meals – Protein drinks can be a convenient and nutritious drink to consume before sleep or between meals for sustained recovery support  after training.

Whey protein fact file:
Whey is one of the two major proteins found in milk. The other being casein. Its one of the most popular proteins that athletes consume to help with recovery and performance.

• A serving of whey protein has the same amount of protein as one chicken breast.
• Whey is often referred to as a ‘fast’ protein for its ability to provide rapid nourishment.
• Whey protein as a higher biological value than many foods including fish, beef and soya. This means that more of the protein is used by the body.
• Whey protein contains high levels of essential amino acids and BCAA’s, both in which play an important role in exercise performance, recover and immune health.
• Whey is naturally high in glutamine and leucine which help with repair and recovery after intense exercise.

The holy grail of high end whey isolate is cross-flow micro filtered whey protein isolate. Using this process Allmax is able to produce Isoflex, an ultra pure protein that maintains an optimal macronutrient ratio, yielding 27g protein, 1g carbohydrate and 0g fat (varying depending on flavour).

Isoflex protein powder is a whey protein isolate powder meaning it contains the highest concentration  of protein, about 90% due to the cross-flow micro filtration process. It also mixes instantly and tastes great!

Isoflex contains four propriety delivery systems. the ingredient in each system work synergistically to provide a high quality protein powder designed to help you with your goals. The four systems of Isoflex are:

WPI – (Whey protein isolate) complex, WPI fortified, CTP (cold temperature process), cross-flow micro filtration process, 97% whey protein isolate and Synermune, Colostrum, a natural source of EGF, IGF-1 (growth factor).
NOS COMPLEX – Contains hydrolyzed vegetable protein, Folic Acid and N-Acetyl Cystine designed to increase blood flow and increase nitrogen and whey peptide delivery. It can also boost nitric oxide levels thereby speeding up recovery and  protein delivery to muscle tissue.
GLUTAMINE COMPLEX – Naturally occurring glutamine peptides. Designed to improve recovery and  provide immune support.
IS COMPLEX – For rapid absorption. Alpha Lipoic Acid, d-Pinitol and 4-hydroxylsoleucine. Designed to increase protein uptake and insulin support.