healthy life

Define Your Plate

Use a rule of three to build a healthy, satisfying meal. This rule can help you lose weight and manage your diabetes by increasing your intake of non-starchy foods. Divide your plate in half. Fill one half with non-starchy vegetables like spinach or broccoli. Next, divide the empty side into two halves. Use one for starchy foods like bread or pasta. In the last section, add meat or another protein. You can also add an 8-ounce glass of low-fat milk and a ½ cup of fruit.

Researchers analyzed data collected from nearly 100,000 U.S. nurses over eight years and found that those who lifted weights, did press-ups or similar resistance workouts were less likely to develop type 2 diabetes, BBC News reported.

Compared with inactive women, those who did at least 150 minutes of aerobic activity and at least an hour of muscle-strengthening exercises a week were a third less likely to develop diabetes, said the study in the journal PLoS Medicine.

It was already known that regular aerobic workouts can help prevent type 2 diabetes. And previous studies have shown that muscle-building exercises protect men against diabetes, BBC News reported.

Mealworms: The Next High-Protein Food Source?

While beetle larvae may not seem appetizing, study finds they’re more environmentally friendly than livestock


They’ll never replace the traditional Christmas ham, but mealworms (beetle larvae) may someday offer an environmentally friendly alternative to meat, a new study suggests.

Researchers in the Netherlands used three factors — land usage, energy needs and greenhouse gas emissions — to compare the environmental impact of mealworm farms to chicken, pork, beef or milk farms.

Compared to the other types of farming, mealworm farming produced more edible protein using the same amount of land and less energy, according to the study in the journal PLoS One.

The same team of researchers previously found that mealworms produce less greenhouse gases than other meat-producing animals.

“Since the population of our planet keeps growing, and the amount of land on this earth is limited, a more efficient, and more sustainable system of food production is needed,” study author Dennis Oonincx, of the University of Wageningen, said in a journal news release.

“Now, for the first time it has been shown that mealworms, and possibly other edible insects, can aid in achieving such a system,” he added.

Health Tip: A Dirty Sponge Spreads Germs

If it smells, throw it awayYou use your sponge to clean your kitchen, but do you clean your sponge? Without careful cleaning, a sponge can soak up bacteria and spread it around.
The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics offers these suggestions:Don’t reuse a sponge that has an odor, as it probably harbors bacteria.Never reuse a worn sponge.Clean a dirty sponge by running it through the hot cycle of your washing machine or soaking it with water and microwaving it at a high temperature for about two minutes. Never microwave a dry sponge, which could start a fire.If your sponge was used to clean up after raw meat, throw it out or clean it in a diluted bleach solution (1 tablespoon of bleach added to 1 gallon of water).Dish towels can harbor bacteria too. Frequently wash them in the hot cycle of your washing machine.

Hair Loss in WomenHair loss is a clinical problem that’s increasingly observed these days in women. When the cause is high androgen level, it’s called female androgenetic alopecia. When it occurs with normal androgen level, it’s called female pattern hair loss There can be numerous causes of hair loss in women, and a dermatologist is the best specialist to identify the cause and treat it. Hair loss also occurs in children, wherein it’s more frequent in girls, and is seen in girls at an earlier age compared to boys. Menopausal women don’t necessarily have hair loss, but when it occurs suddenly, it needs to be investigated. High hormone level during pregnancy protects from hair loss, but following delivery, almost all women experience hair loss as estrogen hormone levels decrease. Blood loss during delivery could trigger further hair loss from iron deficiency . Even in women with heavy periods, and who don’t eat red meats or have vegetarian diets, iron deficiency related hair loss can occur. This happens because iron from hair follicles is diverted to support the function of other important organs.
Worry and depression can also cause hair loss. Deficiency in Vitamin B12 can indirectly cause hair loss by causing depression. Excessive dieting in women can also cause hair loss as proteins and lipids are required for healthy hair. This is apparent in the clinical case of anorexia nervosa. Seasonal hair loss in women is seen in autumn.
Non-hormonal loss of hair in women can occur with nutritional deficiencies of aging. It has been observed in women ages 60 and older, and has some genetic predisposition, though not always.
Topical Minoxidil is a commonly used pharmacological therapy for hair loss. It has several side effects, such as facial hypertrichosis, irritation dermatitis, contact exzema, pleuritis, scaling, dryness, and headaches. It’s not recommended during pregnancy or lactation.
While there are several pharmacological treatments for hair loss, there are other ways in which hair loss in women can be dealt with. For example, weight loss has been found to improve hair loss in women with high androgen levels; even a weight loss as low as 2% to 7% has helped regain lost hair.Supplemental Vitamin B12 and Biotin will be required in vitamin deficient women and those at risk of such deficency from being treated with pharmacological hormone therapy (i.e.cyproterone acetate and ethinyl estradiol). Iron therapy will be required in those with low iron. Botanic products like Saw Palmetto has shown increased hair growth in 60% of men with moderate hormonal hair loss. This product inhibits conversion of testosterone to 5alpha-DHT (a testosterone byproduct responsible for hair loss) in hair follicles. Other botanical compounds like phytoestrogens which is similar to the hormone estrogen also helps in preventing hair loss. The primary food sources for phytoestrogens are soy, soy products, cereals, flaxseeds, and berries.

18:6 diet (a.k.a LeanGains)

Based on an 8-hour feeding period followed by a 16-hour fast

What it is

Fasting used to be forced upon us, usually during winter or a famine, keeping our weight in check before the next kill or bumper crop. These days, food has us surrounded and we’ve had to invent dietsto do the fasting for us.

Various fasting diets have been around since the 1970s to detox the body, manage weight, or both. In recent years, intermittent fasting has gained new traction with the development of the 18:6, 20:4 and, most popularly, 5:2 diet.

“The 16:8 protocol is a brand of fasting also known as LeanGains, as espoused by Martin Berkhan,” says Brian St. Pierre, nutrition educator at Precision Nutrition. “It’s based on an eight-hour feeding period followed by a 16-hour fast. The 20:4 protocol, also known as the Warrior Diet, has you fasting for 20 hours each day, working out during your fasted state.”

The 5:2 is a little easier, which explains its popularity. It involves eating normally for five days followed by two days ‘fasting’, where you consume significantly less calories.

The Claim

The claims are many: that you’ll burn fat, increase metabolic rate, control blood sugar levels and appetite and detox your entire body.

“One of the amazing proven side effects of fasting is that it’s anti-ageing at a cellular level, which is the only place that really counts,” says Amanda Hamilton, nutritionist and author of Eat, Fast, Slim. “This inside-out approach really can help to create a glowing beauty from within.

“I’d go as far to say that I see fasting as the future of weight loss.”

For 

“Research on rodents has found fasting to be helpful for weight loss, glucose tolerance, insulin resistance, inflammation, blood lipids and even life expectancy,” says St. Pierre.

Aside from studies on obese mice, limited research has also shown reduced blood pressure, increased fat burning and increased fatty acid oxidation later in the fast,  and increased metabolic rate due to the release of epinephrine and norepinephrine (again, later in the fasting period).

“It is not entirely clear if this is a result of the fasting itself or simply the weight loss achieved from the fasting,” says St. Pierre. “But we do see occasional fasting as a great way to practise managing hunger.”

Against

“I think the results you see are caused by the calorie deficit not by the fasting itself,” says Kate Gudorf, from the Dietitians Association of Australia. “And in the case of the 5:2 diet, you’re eating 500 calories a day for a woman and 600 for a man. That’s well below what we would recommend.

“Studies have shown that weight loss as a result of fasting is just as good as regular portion control and healthy eating.”

In some cases, people may even put on weight.

“People think of it as a licence to eat freely for five days a week as long as they have the two days of fasting,” says Gudorf. “If you’re eating sensibly and healthily for five days you will see weight loss, but a lot of people aren’t doing that.

“Disappointingly, fasting also seems to be more effective for those who need it the least,” says St Pierre.

“The results we’ve noticed are that intermittent fasting seems to work best in people who are already fairly lean – 15 per cent body fat for men and 22 per cent body fat for women – especially lean young men,” he says. “It seems to be less effective for women.”

How to Make Your Own Honey-Wheat Bread

Last January, inspired by a Greatist team member who decided to avoid all processed food, I vowed to only eat bread made in my own kitchen. Considering that I consume toast at least twice a day, my bread habit was getting kind of expensive. Plus, I wasn’t exactly thrilled about the additives and unpronounceable ingredients in most packaged bread (ever wonder why it can sit on the shelf for weeks without going stale?).

Although it’s been on our list of Healthy Foods to Make and Never Buy Again for over a year, many people believe that baking bread is a tricky, experts-only kind of operation. Far from it! It’s possible to make tasty, super-easy bread with just a few common pantry ingredients. Read on for the simplest, easiest honey-wheat bread recipe ever, plus instructions on how to turn a bowl of flour into a loaf of wholesome yumminess.

P.S. I didn’t end up lasting the whole year without eating pre-packaged bread. But I’m ready to try again in 2014!

Feeling inspired? Learn how to make homemade pumpkin puree and yogurtfrom scratch, too! 

RECIPE: DIY BREAD

 What You’ll Need:

1 ½ cups whole-wheat flour (bread flour is ideal, but all-purpose works just fine)

1 cup white flour (bread or all-purpose)

1 cup warm (but not hot) water (100 degrees)

1 packet of yeast (yeast almost always comes in 2-tablespoon pouches)

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons brown sugar

2 tablespoons + 2 teaspoons honey

1 tablespoon + 1 ½ teaspoons olive oil

Pinch salt

Yield: 1 medium-sized loaf

(Scroll down for detailed instructions)

What to Do:

2. Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
3.  
4. Gently stir the yeast and water together in a small bowl until the yeast dissolves. (The water should be cloudy and light brown with some small bubbles on the surface.) Set aside.
5.  
6. Mix the brown sugar, honey, oil, and salt together in a large mixing bowl.
7.  
8. Add both flours to the mixing bowl (which already contains the sugar, honey, oil, and salt). Pour the yeast-water mixture on top and stir everything together. If the mixture is too difficult to mix with a spoon, it’s fine to use clean hands.
9.  
10. Cover the bowl with a clean dishtowel. Let it rest for about two hours, or until it’s doubled in size, in a warm spot (a sunny patch on the counter, inside the microwave next to a bowl of hot water, or near a heat vent are all good places).
11.  
12. Punch down the dough (literally punch into the bowl with your fist) and knead it (folding, pressing, and turning the dough) for three to five minutes. If it’s sticky, rub some flour on your hands and sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Don’t skip kneading — it’s essential in strengthening the gluten, which makes the dough rise and helps provide a fluffy texture. To test if you’re done kneading, gently press into the dough with two fingers. If the indentations stay after you remove your fingers, it’s ready to go. If they fill back in, keep kneading and repeat the test until the indentations remain.
13.  
14. Shape the dough into a loaf. You can either roll it, fold it, or just kind of smoosh it (technical term) into a rectangular shape. Place the loaf in an ungreased loaf pan or on a baking sheet.
15.  
16. Let the dough rest for one hour, covered with a clean dishtowel, in a warm spot (any of the warm spots described in step #5 will work).
17.  
18. Bake for 30 minutes at 400 degrees, until the top is golden brown and emits a loud, hollow-sounding noise when you flick it gently with a finger.
19.  
20. Remove from the oven and let rest for 10 minutes before slicing. 
21.  
22. Homemade bread doesn’t stay fresh as long as store-bought baked goods. To keep it from drying out, avoid slicing the bread until you’re ready to eat it. Store it at room temperature in a paper bag or just “naked” on a plate — covering fresh bread with plastic can trap moisture, which makes the crust soft and encourages mold growth.

 didn't realize how closely I associated my weight with who I was.

I lost 53 pounds over the course of 10 months. I dropped three dress sizes, went from a BMI of 32 to 23 (so, from clinically obese to a healthy weight) and went from someone who lived on the couch to running 5Ks and living for spin classes.
I'm happy about the health benefits, but in some ways, I've never felt worse about myself. That was the biggest shock of all: even at a weight I should be proud of, I still feel unhappy about how I look.
Let me explain. I began this weight loss “journey” in April 2012. I’d been overweight for a long time, so when my post-college weight came close to 200 pounds (I'm 5'5"), I was not surprised and also not particularly motivated to do much about it. I’d tried diets before that hadn’t stuck, leaving me the same weight or heavier than before and doubly discouraged. I had a job in my chosen industry, a New York City apartment, great friends, a wonderful boyfriend — so what if I shopped in the XL section? My bad eating habits and lack of exercise weren't stopping me from having everything I'd wanted in life.
What changed my mind was a photo taken during a trip to Key West, Florida, for a friend’s wedding. I don’t know what it was about that particular photo — the lighting was fine, the angle was normal, I wasn’t dressed in anything unflattering — but something made me stop. I wanted to delete it, I wanted to hide it, I wanted to cry. It suddenly hit me that I didn't want to look like that anymore.
So I signed up for Weight Watchers and joined the gym. And, little by little, the weight came off — a pound one week, two pounds other weeks, sometimes none at all. I was going about all this the “right” way, and it was working; less than a year later, I'd dropped more than 50 pounds. I should have been happy, and I was. But it also brought on all these other feelings I wasn’t prepared for. I’m much more aware of how I look now — and often, a lot more critical. This body is healthier and stronger (and yes, smaller) than the one I had before, but it doesn’t always feel like mine. I once said “excuse me” to a woman in a clothing store and tried to let her go around me, only to realize that I was talking to myself, in a mirror, like a crazy person. I didn’t even recognize my own reflection.
My relationship with food has totally changed. I'm no longer officially on Weight Watchers, which involves tracking every single thing you eat and drink, but I'm still second-guessing food choices and keeping a mental inventory of what I want to eat, what I ate earlier that day, what I might want to eat later this week. There’s a lot of guilt and fear that if I’m not “careful,” I’ll gain it all back. I know in my heart there’s nothing wrong with indulgences in moderation, but I still have to remind myself that it’s OK if I have a cupcake or want to eat a bagel some Saturday mornings.
Then there’s the matter of clothes. It sounds like the world’s biggest first-world problem, but imagine if everything in your closet didn’t fit. Every. Single. Thing. Your winter coat? Nope. All of your pants? Sorry! I couldn’t afford to replace my entire wardrobe at once (I’m still working on it), so figuring out what to wear each morning was extra anxiety-inducing for a while, because too-big clothes don't look good either.
Exercise has become a big part of my life, too, which is great, obviously, but also sort of compounds my weird feelings about food. I aim to work out three or four times a week, and have beat myself up over it if other plans or, heaven forbid, just wanting to relax gets in the way. I trade food for exercise in my mind, and I'm still working on not withholding food if I didn't exercise "enough."
Breaking your mind out of weight loss mode is hard. Without a changing number on the scale, I'm no longer getting any reinforcement of whether I’m doing the “right” things or not. No one tells you about that part, or about the parts where you are left with loose skin, intensified swimsuit anxiety, and the feeling that the person you see in the mirror isn’t “you.”
The anxieties will eventually lessen, I hope, but even if they don’t, I keep reminding myself that I literally changed my life. I took the steps I needed to take to be healthy. I eat more fruits and vegetables than ever before, and I like them. I can run a mile; I can run three miles! I’m even toying with the idea of training for a half marathon. I'm slowly teaching myself that my self-satisfaction shouldn't be tied to my appearance, but to my health and career success and incredible network of friends. All that has brought tremendous good to my life — those are the things that really define me, and they're most definitely worth celebrating. Possibly even with cookies.

The World's Most Bicycle Friendly Cities - from Copenhagenize.com
Motion
Scanning the internet there seems to be a wide range of information about which cities are the world's most bicycle friendly. Many of them are opinion pieces and others use various criteria in making up the list.

Here at Copenhagenize we figured we'd just look at the hard facts. How many trips are made by bicycle in various cities? If there are many people choosing the bicycle in a city then that would indicate that cycling infrastructure is in place, that the culture is bicycle-friendly, that there is a will to transform cities into more liveable places and that cycling is, or has been, promoted positively.

We looked at the stats for OECD countries since these are traditionally cultures where the car is accessible to the citizens and is a main competitor to the bicycle.

In the interest of brevity, we chose to feature cities with percentages that are in double-digits. There are large cities and small on the list, from Tokyo to Davis, USA.

Copenhagen - 55% [37% city wide]
Gronningen, Netherlands - 55%
Greifswald, Germany - 44%
Lund, Sweden - 43%
Assen, Netherlands - 40%
Amsterdam, Netherlands - 40%
Münster, Germany - 40%
Utrecht, Netherlands - 33%
Västerås, Sweden - 33%
Ferrara, Italy - 30%
Malmö, Sweden - 30%
Linköping, Sweden - 30%
Odense, Denmark - 25%
Basel, Switzerland - 25%
Osaka, Japan - 25% [est.]
Bremen, Germany - 23%
Bologna, Italy - 20%
Oulu, Finland - 20%
Munich, Germany - 20%
Florence, Italy - 20%
Rotterdam, Netherlands - 20-25%
Berne, Switzerland - 20%
Tübingen, Gemany - 20%
Aarhus, Denmark - 20%
Tokyo, Japan - 20% [est.]
Salzburg, Austria - 19%
Venice (and Mestre), Italy - 19%
Pardubice, Czech Republic - 18%
York, UK - 18%
Dresden, Germany - 17%
Basel, Switzerland - 17%
Ghent, Belgium - 15%
Parma, Italy - 15%
Bern, Switzerland - 15%
Davis, USA - 15%
Cambridge, UK - 15%
Graz, Austria - 14%
Berlin, Germany - 13%
Strasbourg, France - 12%
Turku, Finland - 11%
Stockholm, Sweden - 10%
Bordeaux, France - 10%
Avignon, France - 10%

More Than Skin Deep: 23 Expert Skin Care Tips For Athletes

Training and competing make your body look great, but it can tax your skin. Need some tips on how to get a glowing complexion? Here’s all you need to know.

by Dr. Sara Solomon, BSc. PT, DMD 

Contest prep can take a toll on your skin. Makeup, sweat, bronzer, and stress aren't ingredients for a perfect complexsion Despite putting your skin through some rough treatment, there are things you can do to combat the ill effects of preparing to take the stage.

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing board-certified dermatologist, Dr. Lisa Kellett, who is the mastermind behind some of the most radiant complexions in Canada.

She offered some great advice for any athlete who wants to take better care of his or her skin.

Q

How many times per day should we cleanse our skin?

It depends. Everyone should cleanse at night to remove makeup and dirt. However, if you work out during the day or get dirty for some reason, you can certainly wash during the day.

How often should we exfoliate our face and body?

I always tell all my patients to exfoliate their face and body once or twice per day. It's one of the easiest and least expensive ways to better looking, healthier skin. However, the right product is essential. Use a non-foaming, particulate-based gel clenser

What over-the-counter products do you recommend to combat acne?

Use Benzoyl Peroxide in a mosterising gel base to treat asene. The gel helps soothe and hydrate skin, while the Benzoyl Peroxide kills and prevents acne-causing bacteria. Look for 5% BP.

What products best fight aging?

Vitamin A, also known as retinol, is one of the most effective, clinically-proven, anti-aging ingredients. It's most effective in a liquid formulation of 1% retinol.

What should we be using on our skin before bed, and how often?

Use a moisturizer suitable to your skin that includes vitamin A. You should use it every night.

Which foods or supplements should we include or exclude from our diets to improve our skin?

Nutrition is paramount, because your overall health is reflected in your skin. The best way to obtain vitamins and protien is through food. Eat leafy and bright-colored vegetables. Don't forget your fruits.

Competition athletes are instructed to exfoliate each day ten days prior to being spray tanned. Should they use loofahs or scrubs?

Scrubs, washcloths, or loofah sponges can be used to exfoliate the skin as long as they are used gently. You should choose a product designed for the area you wish to exfoliate—a facial exfoliant will be much finer and milder than one meant for the bottoms of your feet. Being overly aggressive when exfoliating can lead to skin damage, especially if you are planning on using a product like a spray tan.

The 10-day suggestion is not based on evidence-based medicine, so thoroughly exfoliating your skin just prior to a spray tan will probably be fine.

Often, shaving before spray tanning makes pores appear larger. How can I combat this?

The best way to remove hair is by doing laser hair reduction. Any trauma to hair follicles and their oil glands unit can make pores appear larger. For this reason shaving isn't always the best choice.

Dieting sometimes makes the skin appear shallow and flat. What can athletes do during their competition prep to give their skin a healthier, fuller appearance?

Oxygen treatments and hyaluronic acid serums can help with anti-aging and with skin plumping. They're great pre-competition additions to your regimen to ensure your skin is stage ready.

Any tricks to prevent or minimize dark under-eye circles?

Dark under-eye circles can be treated in advance of any competitions using an injectable filler to minimize their appearance.

Is it safe to use products that make eyelashes grow fuller and longer?

The only product to be reviewed by Health Canada as a drug to increase eye lash growth is Latisse. Latisse is a prescription eyelash growth product that contains bimatoprost, an active ingredient for treating hypotrichosis (inadequate or not enough eyelashes). This product is a great addition to any skin care regimen and can increase thickness, length, and darkness of eyelashes.

Are there any non-invasive treatments available that can tighten the skin and reduce the appearance of cellulite and stretch marks?

Thermage uses radiofrequency to tighten the skin on the face and body. The treatment usually takes six months and the results are gradual. So, you should try this treatment well in advance of any competition.

The appearance of cellulite can be reduced with the use of Synergie treatments. Synergie treatments are non-invasive and will improve your skin through stimulation, stretching, and pressure to subcutaneous tissues.

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WHAT'S SUP?

MUSCLE-BUILDING SUPPLEMENTS OFTEN PROMISE VEIN-POPPING GAINS IN A WEEK,
BUT HOW CAN YOU TELL FACT FROM FICTION?

In its inaugural edition, TRAIN magazine, the newest 
 bible, reveals the truth about how they work and what you should be taking when.Lift big weights. Eat protein. Get muscles. Simple, eh? Unfortunately, no. It's all too easy to hit a muscle-building plateau, and supplements can seem like the answer. But, before you blow your hard-earned cash on whatever supps your local gym has in stock, you should learn how your muscles work.

Your body has two forms of muscle fibers: type-I fibers (aka slow-twitch) help you perform endurance exercise, and type-II fibers (aka fast-twitch) are the large fibers responsible for strength and size when weight training. To damage these type-II fibers enough to cause growth, you have to lift weights and keep your muscles under enough tension to recruit satellite cells.

These cells sit on the top of muscles and help grow, maintain and repair your muscles. They often lie dormant until you do heavy lifting. The heavy lifting causes tiny micro-tears in the muscle fibers, which triggers your satellite cells to multiply and move toward the areas you damage. They use the proteins from food to thicken and strengthen your muscles and you end up with tighter sleeves.

Fortunately, scientists have developed supplements that can help these efforts by influencing your nutritional, hormonal, and energy systems. Learn how to use them to your advantage.

HORMONAL SUPPLEMENTS

SUPPLEMENTS MAY HELP YOUR MUSCLES REPAIR AND REGROW.

Hormones are the 2 a.m. phone call, the hand-delivered letter, or the email marked urgent. They carry messages that demand your body take instant action. And supplements can gear these hormones toward gaining more muscle.

The two main hormones are testosterone andgrowth hormone. Yes, messing about with synthetic versions of these hormones is what got Ben Johnson and Arnie into hot water, but you can increase your levels to their highest natural concentrations without running the risk of handcuffs or a hospital visit.

TESTOSTERONE BOOSTERS

Testosterone occurs naturally in your body and bumps up your muscles mass by improving muscle-protein synthesis.

Fortunately if you're between the ages of 18 and 35, probably won't create too much difference because your body already produces enough of its own.

Even if you're older, these supplements won't put your testosterone levels through the roof, but they will put your body in a position to increase your testosterone to its highest natural levels.

Living in a polluted area, using soaps with triclocarban, having a high-sugar diet, and enduring stress can dampen your supplies.

GROWTH HORMONE SUPPLEMENTS

Your body naturally produces groth harmoni, and, as the name implies, it's responsible for cell growth and regeneration. It gradually declines with age, transforming your Zac Efron face into a George Clooney.

Without GH, you won't build muscle. Supplementing with it does the same as testosterone boosters, increasing your levels to their highest natural peak.

Age and high training loads can mean you naturally produce less of this hormone, so supplementation can be beneficial before bed.

ENERGY SUPPLEMENTS

Getting more energy to train will obviously help you work harder in the gym, helping your muscles grow. The trouble is that plenty of energy supplements can leave you more jittery than the junkie Jesse Pinkman from "Breaking Bad."

Energy supps can often also cause weight loss. To make sure your supplement regimen isn't working against your brawn-building goals, you should stick to the supplements listed.

CAFFEINE

It's pick-me-up in your morning brew blocking the brain chemicals associated with sleep. It also causes your heart to beat faster, opens your airways, and increases muscle blood flow.

Research published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" showed that taking caffeine before resistance training improves the total number of reps done and overall strength. It essentially gives you the oomph to train harder.

Trouble is, the more caffeine you have, the more resistant you get to it. It's best to cycle caffeine intake for when you train hard.

THIS SUSPICIOUS WHITE POWDER IS HELPING ME GET HUGE, OFFICER!

CREATINE

This bread-and-butter for gym enthusiasts is a combination of three amino acids: glycine,arginine, and methionine. When you drink it, it gives you more adenine tri-phosphate (ATP), which is your body's main energy source. But you only have a finite amount, which is part of the reason your muscles fail on the final rep.

Creatine increases these levels for a few extra reps, helping you get stronger and bigger. It also hydrates your muscles' cells, which improves recovery and ability to build size.

Research published in the "Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research" showed creatine can improve your ability to build muscle by 14 percent.

RECOVERY USING NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS

You cannot supplement yourself out of a bad diet so supplements should be treated as supplements, not substitutes.

WHEY PROTEIN

Your muscles break down during exercise and remodel when they repair. Research found that this remodeling process is accelerated by as much as 33 percent when people drink a whey protein shake directly after exercise. That's not enough evidence to suggestprotein shakes work better than salmon steaks—it only means that they can work just as well.

Shakes are a valuable asset if you aren't a heartbeat away from your kitchen and are traveling home or going back to work. Your approach should be to drink a protein shake directly after training, then have a high-protein meal at least 60 minutes afterward.

FISH OIL

This supplement has accrued a lot competition since people caught on to its benefits. Despite all the other competing supplements such as krill oil, chia oil, and flaxseeds, fish oil is still the top choice.

The unique fatty acid is rich in omega-3 vitamins, and helps strengthen your cells' membranes, reduce inflammation, and increase blood flow to your brain. These are important recovery aids that will help you repair the damage done to your muscles when training. And the faster you can recover the faster you'll be able to go hard again the next day.

THAT'S WHAT'S SUP!

So now you know how all those supplements affect your muscle-building regimen the next step is to work out when you should take them. To save you the trouble, TRAIN has put together a detailed 12-month schedule that'll have you stacking on the brawn quicker than it takes Usain Bolt to get out of the starting blocks. All you have to do is go out and pick up the first edition. We guarantee you won't be disappointed.