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Liquid Calories

By now, most ChrisFit Blog readers should know the importance of eating the right foods at the right times and in the right amounts, but, have you stopped to consider the effects of what you drink? For many people, the consumption of the wrong liquids can be a major hindrance to their fitness and weight goals. We have discussed before the importance of proper hydration in the human body, but let's face it, most of us cannot or will not drink only water for our hydration needs - we crave flavor sometimes! The problem is, many beverages on the market can really do a lot of damage to your nutrition plan. Let's take a look at some common problematic drinks:
-Gatorade - though marketed as a fitness product, Gatorade and other sports drinks are loaded with simple sugars, and a ton of sodium. A 12 oz. sports drink can contain up to or above 87g. of carbohydrates, including 42 g. of sugar! While these simple carbs and electrolytes are beneficial to an athlete competing in a grueling game, match, race, etc..., for the average exerciser looking to lose some bodyfat, those calories are just going to add up to more time on a treadmill, or less progress, or both.
-Wine - One of the biggest culprits in holding people back from achieving their goals is wine and other alcoholic beverages. A single glass of red wine (6 oz.) contains about 150 calories from alcohol and simple carbs. An average 12 oz. can of beer is around 145 calories. Another detriment to alcohol consumption is that it dehydrates muscle tissue - depriving your hard-earned muscles the nutrients needed to recover from a tough workout.
-Concentrated Fruit Juices - the juice cocktails such as Orange Juice, various Grape, Cranberry, and Pomegranate blends and Fruit Punch found in many soft-drink aisles are also full of added sugar. While the natural juices themselves are usually high in natural fructose, this is made up for to some extent by their naturally-occurring vitamin contents. However, many bottled drinks are actually a very low percentage of actual fruit juice, and are instead flavored with all sorts of flavor-enhancers and artificial sweeteners that are not readily digested by the human body, and have little to no nutritional value.
-Sugar-free drink mixes - Products such as Crystal Light and the various off-brands of sugar-free drink mix powders are a great alternative to high-calorie soft drinks such as the juice cocktails listed above. However, the artificial sweeteners found in them (aspartame to name one), are not easily digested in our stomachs and so can trigger the body to think that it is hungry, when in fact, it is just working harder to digest these chemical sweeteners. So, although these drinks can provide a splash of low-calorie flavor to your water intake, be mindful of the fact that some people will feel more hungry after drinking them, possibly leading to overeating.
-Soda - one of the worst products for your nutrition plan is soda. To be blunt, soda has no nutritional value of any kind, is full of high-fructose corn syrup, causes bloating, and should basically be avoided altogether. An occasional treat at most, Soda should be cut out of any serious plan to alter your physique for the better. This includes diet pop, which brings with it the same hunger-inducing effects of the afore-mentioned sugar-free mixes, and the bloat of regular pop.

So, what can you drink? While water is obviously your best bet, Skim Milk can provide a good supply of vitamins and some protein, V8 juice packs a lot of healthy vitamins from actual vegetables, and brewed tea (no sugar, please!) provides not only a healthy supply of antioxidants and a bit of caffeine to boost you through a long day.


In conclusion, be mindful not only of what you are eating, but think about the impact of your beverage choices as well! Read labels, use flavored drinks sparingly, and don't forget to include the nutritional value of your beverages into your calorie count for the day.

Happy Fourth

Happy Fourth everyone!
Congrats to Sandra R for hitting the 40lbs lost mark!!!!! Check out the transformation page here
http://www.chrisfit.net/

Just a quick update, here is a link I think you'll enjoy.
Precision Nutrition is a solid company with some pretty sweet products. Here are a few before and after photos of what happens when you hit the weights hard and have a solid nutrition plan.

http://www.precisionnutrition.com/cmd.php?pageid=753027&u=

Enjoy the weekend

Amino Acids and fitness

What are amino acids, and why are they important?

You may have seen the term “Amino Acid” or BCAA (standing for Branched Chain Amino Acid) floating around on the label of your favorite protein supplement, or in the ever-popular Xtend drink mix, but do you know what an amino acid is, or why it is important to you?

At the most basic level, Amino Acids are (as nearly every high school biology teacher of all time has stated) the “building blocks of protein.” What this means is that a protein molecule is made up of a series of individual Amino Acid molecules bonded together into a chain. The human body, through various metabolic pathways, is able to build proteins from these individual pieces, and use said proteins for energy or to build and repair muscle tissue.

There exists a very large multitude of Amino Acids, ranging a wide gamut of uses from both a nutritional standpoint, as well as having certain industrial applications (such as the production of plastics). Some of the more familiar Amino Acids that we see commonly in food substances include:Phenylalanine – a naturally occurring amino found in mammalian breast milk, used most commonly in diet sodas or as the artificial sweetener Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet). It is also sold in pill form as a dietary supplement due to its reputed antidepressant effects.
Glutamic Acid – usually seen in its salt form Monosodium Glutamate – used as a flavor-enhancer in many processed foods. This amino acid should be avoided as much as possible, as a number of possible health risks are associated with high levels of MSG consumption, including increased Asthma symptoms, Obesity, and Neurotoxicity.

The most useful Aminos to fitness enthusiasts and athletes are the Essential Amino Acids (EAAs), and the BCAA group, which are used in protein synthesis. EAAs are Aminos required by the body for metabolic functions, but are not naturally produced by the body in sufficient quantity, and so must be acquired via food or supplements. There are 8 EAAs: Leucine, Isoluecine, Lysine, Methionine, Phenylalanine, Threonine, Tryptophan (yes, the substance in Turkey that makes us sleepy every November!), and Valine. Many protein supplements have high levels of these Aminos, but they are also found naturally in meat, eggs, and milk. Perhaps the most important of the EAAs are the BCAAs Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine. Roughly 1/3 of the skeletal muscle system in humans is made up of chains of these 3 Amino Acids. This fact alone is a powerful indicator that Amino Acids are extremely important in human nutrition, and especially in those who participate in weight training or athletics. Another important Amino Acid involved in muscle repair is Glutamine. This is a very popular ingredient in sports supplements, as it speeds along recovery. By ingesting Aminos via quality food sources or supplements, the body has a good supply of them to repair muscle tissue damaged during exercise, and can do so more efficiently – making you less sore after a tough workout, maximizing your workout’s effects.

One other function of Amino Acids, aside from protein synthesis, is as a source of energy. When the human body is lacking in energy to burn from dietary fats or carbohydrates, it can turn to Amino Acids as a fuel source. It generally does this under intense workloads, while the body is in a calorie-deprived state (Extreme dieting and training like that commonly undergone by Bodybuilders or Wrestlers who strive for low levels of body fat or to make weight classes, or when people exercise first thing in the morning without eating beforehand, thus having been in a long fasted state after sleep) The body will sometimes turn catabolic in this state, and start to burn its own muscle tissue as a fuel supply. To prevent this, an amino acid supplement such as Xtend can be ingested before and during exercise to supply Aminos to the body as a fuel source, helping to prevent muscle loss.
So, what does all of this mean to us? Aminos play such an important role in human nutrition that we should ensure that we consume a healthy supply of them via good nutrition, and, if necessary, dietary supplements such as Protein supplements, BCAA products like Xtend, or Amino Acid tablets like those found in nutrition shops. By getting an adequate Amino intake, we help to ensure better recovery from exercise, and a strong, healthy body.