So lets dive right in a find out about this great supplement.

Glutamine is an important amino acid with many functions in the body.

It is a building block of protein and critical part of the immune system.

What’s more, glutamine has a special role in intestinal health.

Your body naturally produces this amino acid, and it is also found in many foods.

Yet, you may be unsure if you need extra glutamine from supplements for optimal health.

This article explains why glutamine is important and discusses the benefits and safety of glutamine supplements.

Glutamine Powder

What Is Glutamine?

Glutamine is an amino acid. Amino acids are molecules that play many roles in the body.

Their main purpose is to serve as building blocks for proteins.

Proteins are crucial to the organs. They also serve other functions, such as transporting substances in the blood and fighting off harmful viruses and bacteria (1).

Like many other amino acids, it exists in two different forms: L-glutamine and D-glutamine.

They are almost identical but have a slightly different molecular arrangement (2).

The form found in foods and supplements is L-glutamine. Some supplements list it as L-glutamine, but others simply use the broader term glutamine.

While L-glutamine is used to make proteins and perform other functions, D-glutamine appears to be relatively unimportant in living organisms (3, 4).

L-glutamine can be produced naturally in your body. In fact, it is the most abundant amino acid in the blood and other body fluids (5, 6).

However, there are times when the glutamine needs of your body are greater than its ability to produce it (7).

Therefore, it’s considered a conditionally essential amino acid, meaning that it must be obtained from the diet under certain conditions, such as injury or illness (8).

Also, glutamine is an important molecule for the immune system and intestinal health (9).

SUMMARY

Glutamine is an important amino acid. L-glutamine is the form found in foods, supplements and the human body. It is part of the proteins in your body and involved in immune function and intestinal health.

It Is Found in Many Foods
Glutamine is naturally found in a variety of foods. It has been estimated that a typical diet contains 3 to 6 grams per day, but this can vary based on your specific diet (10).

The largest amounts of this amino acid are found in animal products due to their high protein contents.

However, there are some plant-based foods that have a greater percentage of it in their protein.

One study used advanced lab techniques to determine how much L-glutamine is found in various foods (11).

The following are the percentages of protein made up of L-glutamine in each food:

Eggs: 4.4% (0.6 g per 100 g of eggs)
Beef: 4.8% (1.2 g per 100 g of beef)
Skim milk: 8.1% (0.3 g per 100 g of milk)
Tofu: 9.1% (0.6 g per 100 g of tofu)
White rice: 11.1% (0.3 g per 100 g of rice)
Corn: 16.2% (0.4 g per 100 g of corn)

Although some plant sources, such as white rice and corn, have a large percent of protein made up of glutamine, these foods have fairly low protein contents overall (11, 12, 13).

Thus, meat and other animal products are the simplest ways to get high amounts of it.

Unfortunately, the exact glutamine content of many specific foods has not been studied.

However, because glutamine is a necessary part of proteins, virtually any food containing protein will contain some amounts of it.

Focusing on getting enough protein in your overall diet is an easy way to potentially increase the amount of glutamine you are consuming.

SUMMARY
Almost any food containing protein will contain some glutamine, but specific foods vary in how much they contain. Animal foods are good sources due to their protein content. Getting enough protein in your diet can ensure you are getting enough.

It Is Important for the Immune System
One of the most important functions of glutamine is its role in the immune system.

It is a critical fuel source for immune cells, including white blood cells and certain intestinal cells (14).

However, its blood levels can decrease due to major injuries, burns or surgeries (15, 16).

If the body’s need for glutamine is greater than its ability to produce it, it may break down protein stores, such as muscle, to release more of this amino acid (17, 18).

Additionally, the function of the immune system can be compromised when insufficient amounts of it are available (17, 19).

For these reasons, high-protein diets, high-glutamine diets or glutamine supplements are often prescribed after major injuries like burns (17).

Studies have also reported that glutamine supplements may improve health, decrease infections and lead to shorter hospital stays after surgery (20, 21).

What’s more, they have been shown to improve survival and reduce medical costs in critically ill patients (22, 23).

Other studies have shown that they may also improve immune function in animals infected with bacteria or viruses (19, 24).

However, there is not strong support for benefits in healthy adults, and the needs of these individuals may be met through the diet and the body’s natural production (25).

SUMMARY

Glutamine plays an important role in immune function. However, during illness or injury, the body may not be able to produce enough. Glutamine supplements may help improve immune function and preserve protein stores in the body.
It Plays a Role in Intestinal Health
Glutamine’s immune system benefits are related to its role in intestinal health.

In the human body, the intestines are considered the largest portion of the immune system.

This is because of the many intestinal cells with immune functions, as well as the trillions of bacteria that live in your intestines and impact your immune health (26).

Glutamine is an important energy source for intestinal cells and immune cells (9, 14).

It also helps maintain the barrier between the inside of your intestines and the rest of your body, thereby protecting against a leaky gut (6, 27).

This prevents harmful bacteria or toxins from moving from your intestines to the rest of your body (28).

Additionally, it is important for the normal growth and maintenance of the cells in the intestine (6, 27).

Due to the major role of the intestines in the immune system, glutamine may benefit your overall immune health by supporting the intestinal cells (19, 26).

SUMMARY
Your intestines are a major part of your immune system. Glutamine is an energy source for intestinal and immune cells. It also helps maintain the barrier between the intestines and the rest of your body and aids with proper growth of intestinal cells.

Effects on Muscle Gain and Exercise Performance
Due to its role as a building block of protein, some researchers have tested whether taking glutamine as a supplement improves muscle gain or exercise performance.

In one study, 31 people took either glutamine or a placebo during six weeks of weight training (29).

By the end of the study, both groups showed improved muscle mass and strength. However, there were no differences between the two groups.

Additional studies have also shown that it has no effects on muscle mass or performance (30, 31).

However, some research has reported that glutamine supplements may decrease muscle soreness and improve recovery after intense exercise (32).

In fact, one study found that glutamine or glutamine plus carbohydrates can help reduce a blood marker of fatigue during two hours of running (33).

It has also been used to try to boost the immune function of athletes, but results vary (34, 35, 36).

Other research has found that it did not improve the recovery of carbohydrate stores (glycogen) in muscle when added to carbohydrates and certain amino acids (37).

In the end, there is no evidence that these supplements provide benefits for muscle gain or strength. There is some limited support for other effects, but more research is needed.

It’s also important to note that many athletes have high protein intakes in their regular diets, meaning they may be consuming large amounts of glutamine even without supplements (38).

But all of this is just advise. You can do whatever the f**k you wanna do!

Your friend and coach,

Crystal aka Barbell_barbie.NY

References:

https://www.bodybuilding.com/fun/glutamine.htm

https://draxe.com/l-glutamine-benefits-side-effects-dosage/

The post Glutamine?! What is it??!!! appeared first on .

Fat loss can be tricky, especially for women. As a researcher, physique-enhancement consultant, and professor, the biggest mistake I see women making is getting caught up in the minutia of dieting and exercise and missing the bigger picture as a result. When they lose sight of the proven scientific principles of fat loss, and their efforts suffer, they often grow frustrated.

I encourage anyone reading this to step back from the microscopic focus you may have on particular foods, ingredients, exercise programs, and supplements. Make sure you’re following a strategy scientifically proven to work on improving your physique.

It should be based on these three rules:

Lose fat slowly.

Never decrease protein intake when dieting.
Resistance train when dieting.
When trying to lose weight, it’s important to focus just as much on retaining lean body mass as you do on dropping fat. Use this as your guiding philosophy as you embark on improving your physique.

RULE 1 LOSE FAT SLOWLY

This is the most difficult principle for people to adhere to; after all, everyone wants results yesterday! Going in with the mindset of “I need to lose 10 pounds by next Thursday” or “I must exercise 3 hours per day to lose fat fast” only sets you up for fat-loss failure.

I won’t lie to you; if you drastically cut your calories, you’ll lose fat, but this type of approach can come at a cost.1-3 Specifically, when rapid fat loss is achieved by severely restricting your calories, you lose not only fat, but also the muscle you’ve worked so hard to build.

Severe calorie restriction can also lead to a chronically slow metabolism, which may not be easy to reverse.7,8 This is what we want to avoid at all costs—a loss of muscle mass and metabolic damage.

Guideline: While everyone’s ideal rate of weight loss will differ slightly, aim for a loss of 1 percent of your body weight per week. For example, for a 140-pound woman should lose 1.0-1.5 pounds per week. Anything greater than this could compromise your lean body mass.

RULE 2 NEVER DECREASE PROTEIN INTAKE WHEN DIETING

Do you need to reduce calories when attempting to lose fat? Yes, but the one macronutrient you should never reduce is protein. In fact, in my consulting work, I increase a client’s protein intake during a fat-loss phase. Some of them even gain muscle as a result!

Elevating protein intake has been shown to result in greater maintenance of lean-body mass during weight loss in both overweight and athletic populations.8-11 In each of these studies referenced above, protein intakes were 20-100 percent higher for the group that experienced significant improvements in body composition, compared to groups that consumed lower amounts of dietary protein.

Guideline: Daily, aim for about 1 gram of high-quality protein per pound of body weight. For a 125-pound female, this equates to 125 grams of protein.

RULE 3 RESISTANCE TRAIN WHEN DIETING

The final rule is likely the easiest one for you if resistance training is already a defining characteristic of your lifestyle. When undergoing an energy-restricted diet to induce fat loss, the body responds to remain in a stable and relatively constant manner by decreasing lean body mass, lowering your body’s metabolism, and decreasing maximal strength.

The incorporation of an appropriate resistance-training program will offset each of the negative outcomes that dietary restriction induces. It’s important to make sure you are doing the right kind of resistance training. It’s common for women to solely engage in high-repetition workouts during a fat loss phase, but this is a mistake.

Guideline: Follow a periodized resistance-training program that emphasizes strength and hypertrophy. (Don’t make high-repetition, endurance-based training your priority.) Make sure to pick at least one exercise to target each major muscle group, and perform 3-4 sets of 6-12 reps.

If you follow each of the rules, fat loss can be accomplished without going to drastic measures. Stop listening to the horror stories about competition prep and dieting. You can certainly maintain your muscle mass and not damage your metabolism while dieting—as long as you do it the right way.

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

Keep growing Strong,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie NY

REFERENCES
Bryner, R. W., Ullrich, I. H., Sauers, J., Donley, D., Hornsby, G., Kolar, M., & Yeater, R. (1999). Effects of resistance vs. aerobic training combined with an 800 calorie liquid diet on lean body mass and resting metabolic rate. Journal of the American College of Nutrition, 18(2), 115-121.
National Task Force on the Prevention and Treatment of Obesity, National Institutes of Health (1993). Very low-calorie diets. JAMA, 270(8):967-74.
Tsai, A. G., & Wadden, T. A. (2006). The Evolution of Very-Low-Calorie Diets: An Update and Meta-analysis. Obesity, 14(8), 1283-1293.
Sénéchal, M., Arguin, H., Bouchard, D. R., Carpentier, A. C., Ardilouze, J. L., Dionne, I. J., & Brochu, M. (2012). Effects of rapid or slow weight loss on body composition and metabolic risk factors in obese postmenopausal women. A pilot study. Appetite, 58(3), 831-834.
Sweeney, M. E., Hill, J. O., Heller, P. A., Baney, R., & DiGirolamo, M. (1993). Severe vs moderate energy restriction with and without exercise in the treatment of obesity: efficiency of weight loss. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 57(2), 127-134.
Rosenbaum, M., & Leibel, R. L. (2010). Adaptive thermogenesis in humans. International Journal of Obesity, 34, S47-S55.
Doucet, E., St-Pierre, S., Alméras, N., Després, J. P., Bouchard, C., & Tremblay, A. (2001). Evidence for the existence of adaptive thermogenesis during weight loss. British Journal of Nutrition, 85(06), 715-723.
Gordon, M. M., Bopp, M. J., Easter, L., Miller, G. D., Lyles, M. F., Houston, D. K., … & Kritchevsky, S. B. (2008). Effects of dietary protein on the composition of weight loss in post-menopausal women. The Journal of Nutrition, Health & Aging, 12(8), 505.
Leidy, H. J., Carnell, N. S., Mattes, R. D., & Campbell, W. W. (2007). Higher protein intake preserves lean mass and satiety with weight loss in pre-obese and obese women. Obesity, 15(2), 421-429.
Garrow, J. S., Durrant, M. E., Blaza, S., Wilkins, D., Royston, P., & Sunkin, S. (1981). The effect of meal frequency and protein concentration on the composition of the weight lost by obese subjects. British Journal of Nutrition, 45(1), 5-15.
Mettler, S., Mitchell, N., & Tipton, K. D. (2010). Increased protein intake reduces lean body mass loss during weight loss in athletes. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise, 42(2), 326-37.

The post 3 Fat-Loss Rules Every Woman Should Know appeared first on .

It’s the trend that just won’t die. Have a few conversations at a few parties, and you’ll get an earful about how consuming carbs will inevitably lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes, double chins, double bellys and, ultimately, death. Carb phobia is even more pervasive among active women. Men say I cant eat carbs. I blow up. Women say I cant eat carbs I gain weight. I cant eat, I do cardio for hours and hours and still don’t loose weight!!!!

This is a shame, because in my experience, active women and men have the least to gain by going low-carb—and the most to lose. Carbs also provide many benefits, particularly to those who train with intensity. Like me

The key is to know the difference between different types of carbs and when to consume them. Here are six reasons you shouldn’t fear carbs, and my personal tips on what you should do to get the most from this maligned macronutrient. So sip on those BCAAs and enjoy the following tips.

1 CARBS CAN FUEL INTENSE TRAINING

Intense training leads to immense gains. But you can’t have a dance party without any dancers—and carbs are, without a doubt, the partiers of your body. They provide most of the energy you need to really dial it up, and without them, intensity quickly becomes misery. Cutting carbs too severely can leave you feeling lethargic, perhaps even miserable.

INTENSE TRAINING LEADS TO IMMENSE GAINS. BUT YOU CAN’T HAVE A DANCE PARTY WITHOUT ANY DANCERS—AND CARBS ARE, WITHOUT A DOUBT, THE PARTIERS OF YOUR BODY.

To have enough fuel to light up your workouts, I recommend drinking a shake with protein and powdered carbohydrates before or during your workouts. Another tried-and-true approach is to eat a small meal of carbs such as potatoes or yams an hour or so before training.

However you get them, consuming carbs during this window will help power you to better workouts.

2 CARBS HELP SPARE PROTEIN FOR BUILDING MUSCLE

One thing you may not know about protein is that it can be converted into blood glucose. I said “can be,” not “should be.” In fact, the last thing you want is for valuable protein to undergo this conversion because there aren’t adequate carbs around. Sure, you might lose some weight, but much of it will be from a loss of muscle. You need to have a lot of muscle mass to make a long-term, low-carb diet worth the effort.

The best way to prevent this from happening is to consume an adequate amount of carbohydrates each day. I recommend about 2 grams per pound of body weight when the goal is to maintain body weight or add muscle, and closer to 1 gram per pound when dieting.

I usually eat the majority of my carbs at two times: around workouts and when I’m really hungry. When I’m hungry, I eat fibrous veggies in big servings.

So unless you have a very good reason to do it, think twice.

3 VEGGIES PROVIDE YOUR BODY WITH CRUCIAL MICRONUTRIENTS
I have a rule about diet plans: If it recommends you cut out all carbs, including vegetables, don’t follow it—ever!

While most versions of what people call the paleo diet includes fibrous vegetables, other diets recommend cutting even highly nutritious carbohydrates. Even if you’re not cutting them out entirely, you’re often limiting them or weighing them out using complicated ratios.

Limiting fibrous veggies is for the birds! Aside from being filling, these are among the best sources of many vitamins and minerals. Your body needs these micronutrients to fight free radicals, the damaging chemicals caused by stressors such as intense training.

I HAVE A RULE ABOUT DIET PLANS: IF IT RECOMMENDS YOU CUT OUT ALL CARBS, INCLUDING VEGETABLES, DON’T FOLLOW IT—EVER!
Your sweat carries away vital minerals such as calcium, magnesium, zinc, and potassium when you work out, all of which are needed for growth, recovery, exercise performance, and overall health.

4 CARBS PROVIDE FIBER FOR ENHANCED HEALTH AND FITNESS
Regardless of whether your current goal is building muscle mass or losing fat, you need fiber—and plenty of it.

Fiber not only helps improve overall health, it also fills your stomach (and your toilet) and provides satiety between meals. It’s crucial for building and maintaining a healthy environment in your gut, as well—all of those healthy microbes eat fiber, too!

While you can take fiber supplements, they’re not a suitable replacement for the fiber you get from whole foods. In addition to fruits and vegetables, eat enough root vegetables, beans and legumes, and nuts and seeds. This is non-negotiable!

5 CARBS BOOST POST-WORKOUT RECOVERY
So you consumed enough carbs that you felt great going into your workout. Long story short, you crushed it—and now you feel crushed!

This is when more carbs can help you. Insulin gets a bad rap these days, but the truth is that at certain times, it definitely has its uses. For instance, post-workout, the insulin that gets released in response to the carbs you eat acts as an anabolic hormone, helping to drive protein to muscle tissue for better growth and faster recovery. This is why bodybuilders often consume sugar after they work out.

You don’t have to go that far, but you should definitely refill your carb tank with glycogen—the form of sugar your body stores up for energy—after depleting it through hard training. After all, you still have to make it through the rest of your day and to your next workout!

6 CARBS ARE DELICIOUS

This is news to nobody! Aside from what they do for us, carbs are popular because we all love to eat them. Women who train intensely often underestimate this aspect of carb consumption. We often cut carbs too drastically because we love being disciplined in our approach, but we end up feeling awful. Our bodies need to feel good to maximize growth and performance. This isn’t about being miserable!

Of course we’ve all experienced that tasty, regretful evening with Ben, Jerry, and all of their delicious mixed-in friends. Have they helped expand waistlines across the world? Of course! But newsflash: This isn’t the only way to get your carbs.

Consume enough carbs every day to feel good and fuel your body to smash your goals, and it’ll be easier to resist the lure of the freezer case! That’s a win any way you slice it.

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

Keep Punching and growing strong,

Crystal aka Barbell Barbie NY

The post CARBS FOR THE ATHLETE IN US ALL appeared first on .

– Low Fat and Fat Free Foods

All the “healthy” fats are typically replaced with fattening
sugar and processed garbage.

Anytime you see “low-fat” or “fat-free” on a packaging label it’s a red
flag for a highly processed product that is probably loaded with
sugar.

Swap out for full fat real foods like organic cottage cheese, grass
fed raw cheese, and unflavored Greek yogurt.

– Over the counter Salad Dressings

Most are loaded with unhealthy ingredients like high fructose corn
syrup, inflammatory oils, and even trans fats.

Swap for apple cider vinegar with real olive oil.

– Whole wheat bread

Has been shown to spike your insulin just as much as white bread.

There are also a few studies showing that today’s modern wheat
can potentially cause inflammation and increased cholesterol levels.

Swap for Ezekiel 4:9 bread from Food For Life®.

– Breakfast cereals

Typically packed with sugar, refined carbs, and chemicals.

Swap for steal cut oats (throw in some protein powder and raw
nut butter with a little stevia—YUM).

– Granola

Highly processed and loaded with unhealthy sugars and oils.

Swap for Ezekiel 4:9 Sprouted Grain Cereal from Food for Life®.

– Roasted Nuts

Although raw nuts are one of the healthiest foods on the planet,
roasted nuts are a totally different story because most of them
contain sugar, corn syrup, and unhealthy oils.

Also, the roasting process destroys the benefits of the healthy
fats found in nuts.

Swap for raw nuts instead. You’ll know because the only thing
you’ll see on the label will be the name of the nut itself.

– Fruit Juices

MOST fruit juices don’t even contain REAL fruit.

Even if they do have some real fruit, all the fiber has been removed
leaving nothing but the liquid sugar.

There are a few rare exceptions, like swapping fresh squeezed non-
pasteurized grapefruit juice (shown to improve insulin sensitivity), but
95% of all fruit juices are terrible for your health and belly fat.

EVERY single one of these so-called “diet foods” can cause chronic
inflammation that destroys your health and robs you of your youth.

Remember, REAL FOOD doesn’t need a label because there
should be only ONE ingredient… the food itself.

However, it’s not always easy to get your daily 5-7 servings of fruits
and vegetables in, which is why most people turn to these convenient
(yet very unhealthy) choices.

Truth be told: it’s a lot of work!!!

Your friend and Coach,
Crystal aka Barbell Barbie. NY

References:
http://www.healthsourceofportlandnorth.com/Talking-Health_305_Eat-This-Instead-7-Food-Swaps-That-Will-Leave-You-Feeling-Satisfied-.html

http://www.foxnews.com/health/2013/01/16/virgin-diet-drop-7-foods-lose-7-pounds-in-1-week.html

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