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Fish Oil | Benefits and Side Effects from Answer Fitness

Hooked on The Idea of Taking Fish Oil Supplements? Before You Start, Learn About the Benefits and Potential Side Effects.

Fish oil is on a roll.

It’s difficult to open up a health or fitness magazine, browse the Internet or turn on the TV without seeing yet another piece on this “wonder” supplement. The health claims made in the media and online are often as amazing as the idea that we can distill down the oil of hundreds of fish into a single capsule: Reduce heart disease! Prevent cancer! Stave off depression! Stop arthritis! Improve your mood!

Not since Linus Pauling published his work on the benefits of Vitamin C (which has come under increased scrutiny by scientists in the past few decades), has there been so much buzz around a single supplement.

So before we dig into some of the possible benefits (and the potential side effects) of fish oil, let’s take a look at how we got here in the first place.

A Brief History of Fish Oil

The whole fish oil story started with a simple observation: People who had diets high in certain types of fatty, cold-water fish appeared to have lower rates of heart disease than other populations who ate less fish. The traditional Japanese diet, for example, contains large amounts of fish, as do certain Norwegian and arctic populations (like the Inuit.)

Scientists were intrigued enough with this correlation that they started to conduct studies to see if whether including more cold-water fish in the diets of people who don’t normally eat fish, could produce a similar benefit. Their results, while not conclusive, did find a strong correlation between the consumption of certain fats contained in fish, and decreased risk for certain form of heart disease. 

So what’s so great about fish?

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Kimkins Diet: Big Fat Fraud? | Diet Reviews

The Kimkins Diet Promises Dramatic Weight Loss, But A Little Investigation Shows Kimkins Is A Diet Disaster

I first saw the Kimkins Diet pop up in the Yahoo Answers Diet and Fitness category about 12 months ago.  Someone calling herself “Kimmer” was trolling the diet-related questions and posting cookie-cutter answers touting an amazing new diet that was “better than Atkins.” The claims seemed incredible: weight loss of up to 124 lbs and zero need to exercise.

Being curious about this “miracle diet” I clicked through.

What I found was typical of a fad diet site: Unbelievable claims of dramatic weight-loss, the usual testimonials (predominately from women) with before and after pictures, and “Kimmer’s” story of how she went from fat to model-thin using her own “amazing” diet plan.

There were even before and after pictures of Kimmer demonstrating her own transformation from morbidly obese to svelte beauty. With her low-cut leopard top and smoky eyes, I had to admit Kimmer looked pretty hot. It was hard to believe she was the same woman in the grainy “before” picture who looked like she was steadying herself with the handrail to keep from falling over under all that extra weight.

I clicked back to Yahoo Answers, marked her post as “spam” and moved on. 

Over the coming months, I saw a few questions about the “Kimkins Diet” here and there, posted some responses dismissing it as a unhealthy crash diet and recommended spending your $79.95 “membership fee” on some healthy, whole food.

I more or less forgot about it.

And then it hit. In June 2007, Woman’s World Magazine featured a cover story on the Kimkins Diet, complete with the pictures of glowing Kimkins success stories and the sensational headline “Better Than Gastric Bypass!”

Suddenly, Kimkins had gone mainstream.

What Is The Kimkins Diet?

The Kimkins Diet website describes the Kimkins diet as a “low-fat, low-carb” weight-loss program that “doesn’t require pills, special foods, expensive supplements” or “exercise.” It also presents itself as an alternative to costly gastric bypass surgery, which immediately throws up a red flag that the diet is targeting the most desperately overweight people — people who really need the help of a nutritionist and medical weight loss professional, not an Internet guru.

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Steamed Asparagus with Dijon Mustard Sauce | Healthy Recipes

Let The Flavor of Springtime Asparagus Shine Through With This Simple and Healthy Dijon Mustard Sauce Recipe

Note from Matt: Today’s post is dedicated to the memory of my Grandmother, Doris Williams, who had her own asparagus patch and taught me everything I know about preparing and eating this amazing vegetable. Grandma, I just ate my first asparagus of the spring … seven beautiful stalks I plucked out from the among the weeds in the side yard at your old house.  Yes … they still come up each year. You are missed.

Nothing says “spring is here” like a bowl of fresh steamed asparagus.  We’re not talking about the bland stuff that’s shipped in from California during the winter — this is the real deal, in season, in all of it’s sublime glory.

Crisp, slightly sweet and never tough or chewy, asparagus is one of the first vegetables to make it’s way onto the table in the spring, and if you’re lucky enough to have a u-pick farm nearby, or even your own asparagus patch, once you’ve had asparagus in-season, it’s hard to ever get used to the store-bought stuff again.

The Health Benefits of Asparagus

And asparagus is wicked good for you.

It’s an extremely nutrient dense food. It’s high in folic acid and is a great source of potassium, fiber, vitamin B6, vitamins A and C, and thiamin. It also has no cholesterol or fat, and is low in sodium and calories. 

A single 5.2 oz serving of asparagus provides 60% of your daily requirement of folicin (folic acid), which is critical for blood cell formation, growth, and prevention of liver disease.

Folic acid is critical during period of rapid cell growth and division, such as infancy and pregnancy, and research indicates a link between insufficient folic acid and birth defects, like neural tube defects. Folic acid also may decrease circulating homocysteine levels. There is evidence that elevated homocysteine levels are an independent risk factor for heart disease and stroke.  A recent study from the University of California - Berkeley also found that men who eat folate rich foods may also lower the risk of birth defects in offspring, since folate seems to prevent certain chromosome abnormalities in sperm.

In other words, if you’re not eating asparagus, it’s time to start.  

Why Does Eating Asparagus Make Your Pee Stink?
Asparagus contains sulfur compounds that give off the distinct “asparagus pee” odor when broken down by the body (usually within 15-30 minutes after ingestion.) Believe it or not, there is actually a raging scientific debate over what the actual compound is that’s responsible for this unique “scent.” One theory says it’s methanethiol. However, in 1975, a California chemist using gas chromatography claimed that the offending compounds are actually S-methyl thioesters.  One interesting point: while all people produce these stinky compounds, only but only about 40% of the population have the autosomal genes required to smell them. 

A Simple, Delicious Asparagus Recipe That’s Ready In Five Minutes

This particular recipe for preparing asparagus is so simple, that you’ll be surprised at how good it tastes based on the little time it takes to prepare and the limited ingredient list. Asparagus is almost always best served with a very simple sauce, since you want the flavor of the asparagus to take center stage — not the sauce that it’s swimming in.

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Planet Fitness Gym Review | Gym & Health Club Reviews

The Planet Fitness Health Club Chain Promises a Less Intimidating Gym Experience, But Do They Deliver? And At What Cost?

Gym/Health Club: Planet Fitness
Location Reviewed: Northville, MI
Hours: Varies by location; many locations 24 hours

Ratings (1-4 Scale: 1= poor, 2= fair, 3= good, 4= excellent)

Cleanliness: 3
Weight Training Equipment: 2
Cardio Equipment: 3
Fitness Knowledge of Staff: 1
Amenities: 1
Overall Facility: 3
Price/Value: 3
Overall Rating: 2.2

Planet Fitness Review

First, let’s be honest: gyms and health clubs can be intimidating places, especially for a beginner.  If you are overweight, out of shape and trying to live a more active and healthy lifestyle, being surrounded by really in-shape people can either be an inspiration or incredibly demotivating.

And because everyone’s goals are different, most gyms will attractive a diverse group of people, from hardcore bodybuilders, to power lifters to soccer moms and teenagers. This of course varies tremendously from gym-to-gym, but in general, gyms are a microcosms of the rest of society. And like the rest of society, we have to live with each other and get along. Period.

Gyms can also be a magnet for all kinds of stupid and annoying behavior, from high school kids loitering around the bench press and flexing in the mirror, to middle-aged “bodybuilders” in striped clown pants grunting loudly with weights that don’t really warrant that level of exertion, to rude patrons who needlessly bang weights around or leave their equipment strewn across the floor behind them after each exercise like a Tsunami of sweat, testosterone and ripped Gold’s Gym shirts.

So when Planet Fitness says it wants to change that and make gyms a little less intimidating for average people, the fitness populist in me says “it’s about time.”

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What’s the Best Tasting Protein Bar? | Protein Bar Reviews & Ratings

We Reviewed and Compared Four of the Leading High-Protein Energy Bars to See Which Ones Are Tops in Taste

Protein bars have gone mainstream. No longer found solely in the bottom of bodybuilders’ gym bags, protein bars are now turning up in airplane snack carts, in gas stations, vending machines, party-stores, and even people’s desk drawer at the office. Sales of protein and energy bars have exploded over the past ten years, from $200 million in sales in 1997 to over $1 billion in 2003.

But not all protein bars are created equal when it comes to nutrition and flavor. Despite having lots of protein, many protein and energy bars also come with a hefty serving of sugar, along with a list of arcane ingredients that only a PhD in food science could pronounce and decipher.

The Protein Bar Tasters Challenge 

So I decided to assemble a 13 person team of intrepid taste-testers to discover which of the protein bars were tops when it came to flavor.

For this round of taste testing, we focused on energy bars that had a minimum of 20 grams of protein. Each taster was given a sample of four top protein bar brands, along with a rating sheet for each. The testers were asked to rate the bar on 1-5 scale (with one being “inedible” and five being “yummy”) in two categories: flavor and texture. They were then asked to provide an overall rating, along with any tasting comments.

And then I asked them the ultimate question: “Would ever eat it again?”

Scores are based on an average rating for each category.

The Protein Bars Tested

The brands I chose to review for this round were:

• Met-RX Big 100 Bar (Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough) Meal Replacement Bar
• Clif Builders Cocoa Dipped Double Decker Crisp Bar (Peanut Butter)
• Think Thin Creamy Peanut Butter High Protein Bar
• Detour Carmel Nut Protein Energy Bar from Designer Whey

Who Were the Tasters?

I chose the tasters at random from across the Marketing Team at the office. The sample included a good mix of people who regularly ate energy bars and those who ate them infrequently or never. The sample also was balanced for gender and age. 

So without further ado, let’s take a look at what our tasters found.

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Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal | Healthy Food of the Day

Try This Tasty Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal The Next Time You’re Looking for a Healthy Breakfast Cereal

It’s becoming easier than ever to find healthy, organic whole-grain cold cereals at the grocery store. Just a few years ago, eating whole grain for breakfast generally meant some type of bran flakes. But today, there are dozens of options, from cereals made with exotic grains like kamut, spelt and quinoa, to low-sugar, low-fat versions of breakfast granola.

One of my favorite cold cereals is Ezekiel 4:9 sprouted whole grain cereal. Once you get past the goofy Biblical name and scripture references on the box, you’ll find an excellent whole grain cereal that is high in protein and fiber and low in fat.

Ezekiel 4:9 is made with sprouted grains and beans, specifically wheat, barley, soy and lentil beans, spelt and millet.  The recipe is an ancient one, going back to the Old Testament (it was actually a recipe for making bread, not cereal — Ezekiel 4:9 also offers a line of sprouted grain breads as well) and the company, Food for Life, modified the basic Biblical recipe to make a line of sprouted grain products.

But how can sprouted grains make a crunchy cereal? After all, aren’t sprouts green?

Apparently you can sprout grains and then dry them and make a cereal or bread from it.

According to Food for Life, sprouted grains are more nutritious and release more healthy enzymes.  I can’t vouch for this, but the cereal itself is nutritionally solid.

Because it’s made with beans and several whole grains, it’s a complete protein on its own, which is not common in many breakfast cereals. It also has an excellent vitamin and mineral profile, without having a single synthetic vitamin added to the cereal (unlike many mainstream, fortified cereals.)

Also, because the grains aren’t ground into flour, the Ezekiel 4:9 cereal doesn’t have the same effect on blood sugar that more refined, flour-based cold cereals suffer from. The high fiber and truly whole-grain ingredients in the cereal reduce it’s glycemic load and reduce it’s impact on blood sugar.

So how does it taste?

If you’re expecting something sugary, this won’t be the cereal for you.

Ezekiel 4:9 tastes remarkably similar to Grap-Nuts, and even has a similar texture.  Like Grap-Nuts, the flavor is slightly malty and very crunchy.

The cereal comes in three varieties, Golden Flax, Original and Cinnamon and Raisin. There is no added sugar, which means that you may need to sweeten the cereal up slightly with some fresh fruit like bananas, apples or blueberries or even some additional dried fruit like cherries or cranberries.

The cereal is also very easy to digest, and I find that I don’t have some of the same bloating issues with Ezekiel 4:9 that can come with higher-fiber bran cereals made from whole-grain flour.

I checked the Food for Life website, and there is actually an explanation for this. Apparently, when you sprout the grain, the carbohydrates in the grain are converted into maltose, which is ordinarily done by the body during digestion. This pre-digests the nutrients for you.  

If you’re not a big cold breakfast cereal person, try including some Ezekiel 4:9 into your homemade granola, or kick it up a bit with some dried fruit for a portable trail mix snack.

In terms of cost, a 16 oz box will run you between $5-$6 dollars — definitely not inexpensive. But like many organic whole grain cereals, you pay for what you get. The cereal itself is pretty satisfying, so a 57 gram serving usually does the trick when combined with some skim milk.

If you can’t Ezekiel 4:9 at your local grocer, try a health or organic food store.

Nutritional Information - Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Whole Grain Cereal (Golden Flax)

Serving Size: 1/2 cup (57 grams)

Calories: 180
Fat: 2.5 grams
Saturated Fat: 0 grams
Trans Fats: 0 grams
Cholesterol: 0 mg
Sodium: 190 mg
Potassium: 190 mg
Total Carbohydrates: 37 grams
Dietary Fiber: 6 grams
Sugars: 0 grams
Protein: 8 grams

Vitamin and Minerals*

Vitamin A: 0%
Calcium: 0%
Thiamin: 15%
Niacin: 15%
Folic Acid: 6%
Phosphorus: 15%
Zinc: 8%
Vitamin C: 0%
Iron: 10%
Riboflavin: 6%
Vitamin B6: 10%
Panthothenic Acid: 15%
Magnesium: 15%
Copper: 10%

* Percent daily values are based on a 2,000 calories diet. Your values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

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What is Whey Protein Powder and Do I Need It? | Diet and Nutrition

Find Out How Whey Protein Powder Went from Dairy Underdog to Nutritional Superstar

Whey protein seems to be everywhere. 

One of the top selling (and most heavily-marketed) nutritional and sports supplements on the market today, whey protein turns up as an ingredient in everything from smoothies to nutrition bars to high-protein cereals.  Personal trainers often include whey as part of their clients’ diet plan, smoothie bars offer it mixed with ice and fruit, and aspiring bodybuilders and soccer moms alike seem to have found a permanent place for a tub of whey protein powder in their pantries.

But what exactly is whey protein powder? Where does this stuff come from? And do you really need it?

A Brief History of Whey Protein

Whey is a natural by-product of the cheese-making process. Milk contains two primary proteins: casein and whey.  Whey composes about 20% of milk proteins, and casein comprises the remaining 80%. So when you drink a glass of milk, you are consuming both casein proteins and whey proteins.

During the cheese-making process, an enzyme called rennet is added to milk to curdle it. The curds are used to make cheese, and the remaining liquid is whey.

Historically, this liquid was considered more-or-less useless. Indeed, the dairy industry had so much excess whey that they struggled with disposing of the surplus. Some of it found its way into swine or cattle feed, where it appeared to produce larger, meatier cows or pigs, but a great deal of it also ended up in the landfill.

Which was really a shame, because the cattle farmers were on to something. It turns out that whey is extremely rich is three milk proteins – specifically beta-lactoglobulin (~65%), alpha-lactalbumin (~25%), and serum albumin (~8%) — which are more easily digested by the body than any other protein, including the holy grail of protein, eggs.

There was just one problem: Whey in its naturally occurring form is a sloppy, liquid mess.  It also has very little flavor. Trying to sell the world on a great protein source that has to be refrigerated and doesn’t have much taste would challenge even the best marketer.

Enter modern technology.  Scientists figured out a way (no pun intended) to “dry” and powder-ize whey, while still maintaining it’s basic nutritional profile.  The result was whey powder, which could be reconstituted in liquids while still preserving its protein values.

The rest, as they say, is history.

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