Plants with naturally occurring medicinal compounds growing today in Mississippi could hold the keys to tomorrow’s cures and become important crops for the state’s farmers.Comment

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I get a lot of comments and questions regarding
nutrition. Most of them have to do with time. In
other words, people feel they are too busy to eat
5 or 6 nutritious meals a day, whether their goal
is to burn fat or build muscle.

Another time factor is the preparation of these meals,
especially when you factor in trying to get the proper macro
and micro nutrients in each meal - protein, “good” fats,
the “right” carbohydrates, enough vegetables, enough
fruits, etc.

People get very frustrated with all of this
and end up taking shortcuts, such as eating only 2 or 3
meals a day. In addition, they have no idea if they are
getting enough (or too much) of the vitamins, minerals,
essential fatty acids, protein, etc. that they need.

Then they don’t understand why they aren’t building muscle
or losing fat. While training properly is extremely important,
a lot of people who do so, don’t make the gains they should
because their nutritional program is out of wack.

Here are some tips to help you overcome these nutrition obstacles
and put you on the correct path toward your health and fitness
goals.

Eat 6 Meals A Day

Meal Frequency (i.e., the number of meals you eat each day)
could be the most important aspect of your nutrition program.
If you do this right you will build muscle, burn fat, and
with a proper resistance training program, be well on your
way to achieving the body of your dreams.

The thing is, most people know about it, yet few actually
follow through with it and put it into action because of the
reasons mentioned above.

It takes motivation, persistence, planning, and a little
bit of sacrifice. Sounds horrible, doesn’t it? Don’t worry, it’s
not. But as I’ve stated before, nothing worth achieving comes
easy. Don’t get me wrong, it is simple, it’s just not easy.
But it can be pretty painless, if you have the right mind set.

Reason number two - eating six proper, nutritious meals a day
takes work. It takes a time commitment, among other sacrifices.
And it’s not just the time it takes to make the meals, or the
time to eat them. It also involves other aspects of your life.

For example, socializing, going shopping, playing sports on the
weekends, etc. If you eat six times a day, you need to eat
every 2 or 3 hours, tops. What are you going to do, sit home
all day every day so you can be near your food? Of course not.

But you will need to plan ahead. This could mean shopping and
then cooking most of your food once a week, putting each meal
in a microwaveable container, and then carrying meals to work
with you.

You may need to invest in a high quality thermos (or two or
three) and make your favorite protein shakes to take with you
when you are going to be out and about for a while, or bringing
some protein bars with you instead.

This, more than anyplace else, is where supplementation is an
absolute life saver. I don’t know how I’d get proper nutrition
day in and day out without supplements like meal replacement
powders and protein powders such as Muscle Meals and Pro-Fusion
by Muscle Link and Optimum Nutrition’s Whey Protein.

I know, eating right may not be easy, but it is necessary if you
truly want to achieve your best body, and in the shortest amount of
time possible. If you’re like most people, you already eat breakfast,
lunch and dinner. So, for starters, consider just adding two snacks
to this, preferably a protein or meal replacement shake, or bar. My
favorite bars, that recently one a contest in Men’s Health (for
nutrition and quality as well as taste) are Tri-O-Plex bars.

You could also consider bringing certain foods with you for
snacks, such as fruit, raw veggies (carrots, cauliflower, celery, broccoli
and so on). Seeds and nuts like almonds and walnuts are excellent
snacks while providing the healthy fats we all need. Cottage cheese
and yogurt also make great snacks (preferebly the low fat variety,
so that you keep your calories in check). I usually add a few
pineapple slices (the natural juices variety, not syrup), to my
cottage cheese.

Plan your daily (or weekly) menus. Planning is a crucial
part of success for any goal you want to achieve. Your nutrition
plan is no different.

Yes, it can be a real pain in the you know what to eat 5 or
6 times a day, but it’s not impossible, and it’s simply a
part of the price you pay for a great, healthy body. In fact,
don’t even think of it as paying a price. Intead, think of how
you’l be enjoying the benefits of being healthy and in shape.

However, with these tips I’ve given you, it can become easier
than you think.

If you think planning your nutrition is paying a price, wait
until you start having serious health problems from eating
improperly and being overweight - heat disease, diabetes and
the list goes on. Really, if you think it’s difficult to
be healthy and fit, try being fat and sick for a while!

Gregg Gillies is the founder of Buile Lean Muscle.com.
His articles have appeared in Ironman Magazine. He has written
two books and is a regular contributor to Body Talk Magazine.
He publishes a free fitness newsletter available at his site and see how you can get a customized nutrition
plan at http://www.mynutritionjournal.com. that helps you save time.

Tags: medicinal, vitamin, Nutrition Information, antioxidant, nutrition guide

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Everyone wants to get a good night’s rest however it is increasingly difficult
for many individuals due to their work and family schedule, stress, and even
their diets. While there may be nothing we can do to control some things in our
life that make getting sleep difficult eating right is one thing we can control
and is something that should be made a priority if you want to get some shut eye
each and every night. To get good deep sleep there are certain foods you should
eat and foods you should avoid in order to close your eyes and get the best
benefits from sleep. Of course, if there are any food intolerances they should
be removed from the diet altogether as they may be the prime reason an
individual cannot get good rest at night.

Food to Eat for Sleep

All green and leafy vegetables are sleep promoting and good things to include in
your diet to enhance sleep. Following the green theme is micro algae like
chlorella. Whole grains are another food group that really helps calm the
nervous system and promote sleep in an individual. Carbohydrates in general make
you sleepy because they cause a boost in serotonin that makes you feel sleepy
and tired. So, if you need some sleep eat some carbs and you should be on your
way to dreamland soon. Other great foods to promote sleep include mushrooms,
oyster shell supplements, dill, basil, certain fruits and all processed carbs
like bagels and bread.

Lettuce might be the magic sleep food much to the surprise of everyone.
Amazingly, lettuce has opium like substance that enhances sleepiness. As a
result, if you suffer from insomnia or just can’t get to sleep make sure you
include a big lettuce salad as part of your dinner and you will fall off to
sleep faster than you ever imagined.

One old trick for getting to sleep that has been around for ages is a cup of
warm milk. You have probably heard of this remedy and even tried it yourself,
but were unaware why milk makes you sleepy. The answer is because milk has
tryptophan that is converted to serotonin and promotes sleep when it is in the
body. This same element is found in turkey and the cause of many a Thanksgiving
afternoon nap! Also, niacin helps the production of serotonin to produce
sleepiness and a great night’s rest. Niacin is found in fish, peanuts, poultry,
and other foods.

Foods to Avoid for Sleep

Getting the shut eye you need and deserve can frequently be obtained by simply
avoiding certain foods and drinks that make sleep difficult. The following foods
are things you should avoid after late afternoon to ensure a good night’s rest.

Alcohol and caffeine are two foods that make sleep difficult and for this reason
should be avoided at all costs in the early evening. Chocolate is another food
that should be avoided because it contains caffeine and can rev you up rather
than soothe you for bed. Spicy foods get your metabolism rolling and as a result
they make getting to sleep difficult not to mention they can cause digestive
problems that result in a shady night’s rest. All foods that are refined
carbohydrates or have additives or preservatives should also be avoided at
nighttime. Foods high in sugar allow for an energy burst rather than induce
sleep so sugar should be saved for the daytime. High protein foods should also
be avoided near bedtime as well because they block the serotonin in our brains
and make getting to sleep difficult.

While there are numerous foods that are great for promoting sleep and foods one
should certainly avoid to get a good night’s sleep, their affects are different
on everyone. So, if you notice when you drink caffeine you can’t get to sleep
you know to eliminate caffeine from your nightly routine. The same goes for any
other food that consistently keeps you awake. However, if you have insomnia and
don’t know why simply avoid all of the foods on the list before bedtime and you
should be able to get some sleep. If not, there might be other reasons you can’t
sleep like working in front of the computer late, anxiety, stress, and many
other reasons that can negatively impact a good night’s rest.

This article is by http://www.sleepingcommunity.com. A great resource for those who love sleep, and
those who need solutions to get to sleep. This article and many more similar
articles can be found at our
Sleeping Nutrition section!

Tags: dietary, , healthy diet, vitamin, mineral supplement

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