The post The Tech Of Food – BBC Click appeared first on .

The post What I Eat in a Day // Healthy Vegan Recipes appeared first on .

The post FOODCASTER on food and the environment appeared first on .

The post Italian Sausage & Peppers appeared first on .

The post Food and Fitness with Laura Dee appeared first on .

The post FOODCASTER on Protein For Thomas appeared first on .

In fact, opting for quality carbohydrates like whole grains, legumes, fruits and veggies will help you feel satisfied and show off a leaner, more energetic body. Another bonus? Quality carbohydrates actually improve your health. Yipeee!!!

The key to the making sure carbohydrates are your friend is to choose portion-controlled, quality carbohydrates (like the ones mentioned above) that are packed with fiber and nutrients and that aren’t processed into a lesser food. Plus be on a carb cycle plan to fight the devil! lol

Here are six reasons you shouldn’t be afraid of all carbs:

1. Hello, energy!

Carbs are the number-one fuel for your brain and for your muscles. Without them, you’ll have trouble focusing, you’ll feel tired and, when it comes to exercise, your workouts will suffer—you’ll feel physically and mentally exhausted.

The fix? Simply have a small portion of a healthy carbohydrate with each meal and snack so that your brain and muscles have a constant supply. For example (the quality carbohydrate and portion suggestion is first in each snack): ½ cup oatmeal and a hardboiled egg; a banana and a tablespoon of peanut butter; an apple and 30 pistachios.

2. They’ve got fiber.

This means that not only do they help to fill you up for very few calories, but they help to keep you regular and flush waste out of your body.

Looking for a flatter tummy? Fiber helps prevents constipation resulting in fewer bulges in the belly.

3. They boost your mood.

Have a carbohydrate and soon you’ll be singing Pharrell’s song Happy. That’s because carbohydrates boost your body’s feel-good chemical, serotonin.

Again, the key is the wholesome, unprocessed carbs—reach for sugar and the Happy boost will be short-lived and quickly followed by a low (a.k.a. “a sugar crash”).

4. They make your heart sing.

Quality carbohydrates keep your ticker in good shape. Their phytonutrients help to fight disease as well as protect the heart against damaging free radicals.

Plus, their fiber fights diabetes, cancer and heart disease. Of course leafy greens, broccoli, cauliflower, citrus fruits, apples and grains like quinoa, oats and brown rice all fit the quality carbohydrate bill, but don’t forget about beans (legumes), which are one of the best foods for your heart. Ideas? Black beans, corn, tomato and avocado salad; hummus sandwich with spinach; or a three-bean salad.

5. Carbs can help trim your waistline.

Choose whole grains instead of refined carbohydrates and you actually may reduce your total fat and your belly fat (score!). According to a study published in The Journal of Nutrition, if you can get about three servings of whole grains a day, you’ll have about 2.4 percent less body fat and 3.6 percent less belly fat than those people who eat less than a quarter serving of whole grains.

Quality carbs may help your waistline because they help you to feel full longer. Remember to drink water with your meals as the fiber in the carbohydrate will act as a sponge in your stomach, filling you up, making you feel more satisfied and helping to prevent you from overeating.

6. They prevent sugar cravings.

Skip out on energy-providing carbs for your brain and muscles and you’ll crave energy. In fact, your brain will crave the quickest pick-up it can get—sugar. An easy way to prevent this is to fuel your brain with quality carbohydrates—those with fiber and nutrients.

But all of this is just advice. You can do whatever the fudge you wanna do!!

Keep growing Strong and making them gainzzzz!!!

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie. NY

References:

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/food/you-need-to-eat-carbs

http://www.tracybenson.com/blog/6-reasons-why-carbs-are-your-friends

http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_exercise_tips/6_reasons_you_should_be_eating_carbs

https://www.acefitness.org/blog/4948/6-reasons-carbs-are-your-friend

The post 6 reasons why carbs are your friend appeared first on .

For as long as any of us can remember, it’s been thought that the only way to build lean muscle and lose fat was to have athletes eat 5-7 small meals per day. But the truth is that there are many ways to eat in regards to meal frequency and science continues to hammer the point home.

Older research suggested that consuming frequent meals would speed up the metabolism, control insulin and cortisol, and manage appetite. Now, a recent study published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition found, among other things, that while increasing meal frequency does blunt appetite and decrease hunger, it does not appear to favorably alter body composition, improve energy expenditure or raise resting metabolic rate. Let the head scratching begin.

What can we gather from the research? Mainly that as long as we eat the right foods in the right amounts, meal frequency is a matter of personal preference.

WHAT WORKS BEST FOR YOU?
It all comes down to what best fits your schedule and how your body responds best. If you like eating six times a day and that works, keep doing it. If you like to only eat a couple big meals, then do it.

If you stand with the old guard and are taking down six meals per day and that is not working for you, then switch it up. It’s that simple. There is no set way for anyone and, as with different types of workouts, will ultimately be a matter of experimentation.

More important than the meal quantity or frequency are the less debated tenets of muscle-building and fat-burning. Hold on to these basics if you want to continue seeing results:

5 TENETS OF MUSCLE BUILDING & FAT BURNING
1. Reduce nutritional deficiencies by eating a complete, balanced diet

2. Control macronutrient breakdowns and food portions to suit your goals

3. Consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight to support muscle repair

4. Use proper supplementation to support training and general health (creatine, whey protein, fish oil, multi-vitamins, BCAAs are fairly universal)

5. Pay attention to pre- and post-workout nutrition, which will govern performance and recovery

At the end of the day, if you consume the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, fats, calories, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients, meal frequency is obsolete. Try a “three squares a day” approach – making small adjustments to match your goals – to see if less frequent feedings can help you. If you’re gaining strength, getting lean and not walking around hungry all day, chances are you’re on the right track.

But all of this is just advise. You can do whatever the FU** YOU wanna do!

Keep Lifting and Growing Strong,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie.NY

References:

http://www.muscleandfitness.com/nutrition/lose-fat/yes-you-can-eat-just-3-meals-day
http://www.eatingwell.com/nutrition_health/weight_loss_diet_plans/diet_exercise_tips/6_mini_meals_or_3_square_meals_which_is_better_for_weight_loss
https://www.t-nation.com/diet-fat-loss/whats-best-3-or-6-meals-per-day

The post 3 Meals a Day?? Or 6 Meals a Day?? appeared first on .