There are various muscle building supplements available in the market but many are just gimmicks and hyped about. The best method or technique to choose a supplement is to find out whether it has scientific support and the feedback of the people who have used them. It is always advisable to choose a supplement which combines and works with the natural hormones of your body to help you reach your goal.

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Diet supplements should be selected which have high protein content and some amount of good fat. They should prepare the body and provide the power and stamina for workouts for building muscle mass. Also the supplements should help the body to recover from post workout damages. You need to find out which exact body building supplements help you to achieve your goals and which are just hype. You also need to know how to optimize the muscle building nutrition to get the most lean muscle mass gains or maximize the anabolic response and minimize gaining body fat.
There are various books on this subject including free e-books available on line which guide you to get the best muscle building and fitness supplements. You need to be very careful before selecting the supplement and need to keep certain things in mind. You need to know which supplements to use to maximize muscle building in minimum time. Know where to get discount supplements and save money. Learn how to save your supplement bill and get more by paying the same price. Know what to look for before buying a supplement. There are various articles published in magazines which provide you this information. Books like Body for Life Book by Bill Phillips, Bodybuilding Nutrition by Mandy Tanny, Natural Bodybuilding by John Hansen, all provide you with the required information complete body building from what supplements to choose to what exercises to adopt.

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Many of the supplements industry do not give serious thought before producing supplements or think of improving them. They think that people will buy anything that they produce whether or not they are effective. Thus one has to be very careful before spending so much money on supplements because half the time they are not effective. Supplements are basically produced keeping in mind to raise your growth hormone and testosterone. Supplements are available in various forms like Protein, Meal & Weight Gain Powders, Testosterone & Growth Hormone Boosters, Carbohydrate Polymers, Fat Burners & Metabolize rs, Muscle Cell Volumisers including Creatine and Nitric Oxide, Amino Acids, Anti-Estrogens, Isoflavones, Vitamins & Minerals, Nutritional Bars, Energy Gels & Electrolyte Drinks. There are various international brands who produce these like International brands such as Redbak, Dymatize Nutrition, Muscletech, Body Science, BSN, Ladybird, Optimum Nutrition, AST, Body Ripped, Ultimate Nutrition, MRM, Biotest, Maxs, Bronx, Isatori, Universal Nutrition, Gen-Tec, Vital Strength, Aussie Bodies, Musashi, Muscle Asylum Project, Ultimate Nutrition.

Before selecting the right supplements one needs to find out which are legal and which are not and regularly check for updates on these supplements. Also do keep in mind to check the new products which are coming in the market and make comparison study on the basis of how effective they are with the existing ones.

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You should first know that no amount of physical activity can give you your desired body if it is not coupled with bodybuilding nutrition and a total body workout. Actually, it is the bodybuilding nutrition that is the most vital factor in building the best body.

Women’s Weight Training Myth #1 – Weight training makes you bulky.

Due to the fact that women do not and cannot naturally produce as much testosterone (one of the main hormones responsible for increasing muscle size) as males do, it is impossible for a woman to gain huge amounts of muscle mass. Unfortunately, the image that may come to your mind is that of professional female bodybuilders. Most of these women, unfortunately, use anabolic steroids (synthetic testosterone) along with other drugs in order to achieve that high degree of muscularity.

In addition, most also have good genetics coupled with an unbelievable work ethic that enable them to gain muscle quickly when they spend hours in the gym lifting very heavy weights. Believe me when I say that they do not look like that by accident. Women who conduct weight training without the use of steroids get the firm and fit cellulite-free looking body that you see in most fitness/figure shows these days.

Women’s Weight Training Myth #2 – Exercise increases your chest size.

Sorry girls. Womens breasts are composed mostly of fatty tissue. Therefore, it is impossible to increase breast size through weight training. As a matter of fact, if you go below 12 percent body fat (which I do not recommend doing), your breast size will decrease. Weight training does increase the size of the back, so this misconception probably comes from confusing an increase in back size with an increase in cup size. The only way to increase your breast size is by gaining fat or getting breast implants

Womens Weight Training Myth #3 – Weight training makes you stiff and musclebound.

If you perform all exercises through their full range of motion, flexibility will increase. Exercises like flyes, stiff-legged deadlifts, dumbbell presses, and chin-ups stretch the muscle in the bottom range of the movement. Therefore, by performing these exercises correctly, your stretching capabilities will increase.

Women’s Weight Training Myth #4 – If you stop weight training your muscles turn into fat.

This is like saying that gold can turn into brass. Muscle and fat are two totally different types of tissue. What happens many times is that when people decide to go off their weight training programs they start losing muscle due to inactivity (use it or lose it) and they also usually drop the diet as well. Therefore bad eating habits combined with the fact that their metabolism is lower due to inactivity, and lower degrees of muscle mass, give the impression that the subjects muscle is being turned into fat while in reality what is happening is that muscle is being lost and fat is being accumulated.

Women’s Weight Training Myth #5 – Weight training turns fat into muscle.

More alchemy. This is the equivalent of saying that you can turn any metal into gold; don’t we wish! The way a body transformation occurs is by gaining muscle through weight training and losing fat through aerobics and diet simultaneously. Again, muscle and fat are very different types of tissue. We cannot turn one into the other.

Women’s Weight Training Myth #6 – As long as you exercise you can eat anything that you want.

How I wish this were true also! However, this could not be further from the truth. Our individual metabolism determines how many calories we burn at rest and while we exercise. If we eat more calories than we burn on a consistent basis, our bodies will accumulate these extra calories as fat regardless of the amount of exercise that we do. This myth may have been created by people with such high metabolic rates (hardgainers) that no matter how much they eat or what they eat, they rarely meet or exceed the amount of calories that they burn in one day unless they put their mind to doing so. Therefore, their weight either remains stable or goes down.

Women’s Weight Training Myth #7 – Women only need to do cardio and if they decide to lift weights, they should be very light.

First of all, if you only did cardio then muscle and fat would be burned for fuel. One needs to do weights in order to get the muscle building machine going and thus prevent any loss of muscle tissue. Women that only concentrate on cardio will have a very hard time achieving the look that they want. As far as the lifting of very light weights, this is just more nonsense. Muscle responds to resistance and if the resistance is too light, then there will be no reason for the body to change.

Women Should Train Hard Myth #8

I have trained with girls that train as hard as I do and they look nothing but feminine. If you want to look great, don’t be afraid to pick up the weights and lift hard!

If you are looking to for a diet plan that can mold to fit your need, then Atkins diet plan is perfect for you. By using the Atkins Diet, you can lose weight by enjoying much of the food you like.

Atkins nutrition bars are available now-a-days. Atkins nutrition bar are delicious and nutritious. Atkins nutrition bars are lower in carbohydrate. The low carbohydrate Atkins nut-bar supports the Atkins diet. Atkins Advantage bars are delicious and nutritious protein bars. Atkins Apple breakfast bars are much fewer in carbohydrate. Atkins blueberry and cinnamon bun bars are the only flavors that don’t have sugar alcohols. Some Atkins nutrition bars with apple, strawberry and chocolate flavors contain maltitol. The flavored whey protein or protein bars taste good.

You can make your own Atkins nutrition bars. Atkins nutritional bar contains protein powder and a binding agent to hold it together. The most basic protein mixture is simply protein powder combined with natural peanut or other nut butter.

The basic ingredient of Atkins nutrition bar is flour. You need not use regular flour. But instead take large flake oats, or other type of unprocessed grain flake. Grind it fine grainy flour using food processor. The next ingredient you need to prepare Atkins nutrition bar is protein powder. You can use protein powder of whatever flavor you prefer. Vanilla flavor tastes well. The final ingredient you need to prepare Atkins nutrition bar is peanut or nut butter. Nut butter gives the bars a more interesting taste. Mix all these ingredients in 1:1:1 ratio such that the mixture holds itself together, like cookie dough, without being excessively thick. You can also add other food items which Atkins diet recommends in order to get a different texture.

You need food processor, wax paper, rolling pin, cookie sheet or shallow square/ rectangular roasting or cake pan, and the essential ingredients in order to prepare Atkins nutrition bars.

The basic process of preparing Atkins diet is as follows: Grind the grain in the food processor to get the required flour. Dump in the protein powder to the flour and whiz the mixture in the food processor so that the flour and protein powder are well mixed. Add the peanut or other nut butter to the mixture of flour and protein powder. Blend the total mixture until the mixture has the texture of cookie dough and holds its shape when pressed together. Spread wax paper on the cookie sheet or in the roasting or cake pan. Put the prepared dough mixture on the wax paper. Cover it with another sheet of wax paper and roll or pat it out into the desired thickness. You can also press it into the roasting or cake pan with your hands, and then cover it with another sheet of wax paper. When properly frozen, remove and cut into bars of desired size. Wrap each bar in wax paper. Keep the bars in the freezer until just before eating.    

You can also add any kind of fruit puree or a banana to give a moister, chewier texture to the bars. You can also add applesauce to add moisture and to hold things together. You can also grind dry spices such as cinnamon and nutmeg, and nuts or seeds such as pumpkin or sunflower seeds with the flour you use. Walnuts and pumpkin seeds add omega-3s, and Brazil nuts add selenium which is an antioxidant. You can also add dried fruits.

If you’ve decided to get into bodybuilding, it’s important to remember that the right bodybuilding routine is crucial for best results. Just like the bodybuilders who design them, bodybuilding routines are also equally different in many ways. The best bodybuilding routine is ideally the one that achieves the maximum result in the minimum amount of time.

It’s a common mistake for rookie bodybuilders to think that they can attain a physique like that of a certain Mr. Schwarzenegger by simply renting a copy of “Pumping Iron” and imitating Arnold move for move.

Now, borrowing bodybuilding techniques from a world-class bodybuilder is fine, however, expecting those same techniques to give you a sculpted body within ten months is really just building castles in the air.

Here are three fundamentals of bodybuilding routines that work which you should keep in mind when choosing a workout routine for yourself.

Fundamental #1 of Bodybuilding Routines That Work: No such thing as One Routine Fits All

When it comes to bodybuilding, what works for one individual doesn’t ever work for the other. You can see this by spending sometime observing builders at your local gym and you will realize that each one of them is performing separate exercises for different rep counts and with different weights in order to tone, sculpt or build different body parts. Experienced bodybuilders have all found their routines through a basic trial and error process and so shall you if you proceed diligently.

Fundamental #2 of Bodybuilding Routines That Work: Different Strokes for Different Muscle Folks

In order to choose a bodybuilding routine that actually works for you, make sure to pick one that suits your body type. There are three basic body types as far as gaining muscle mass is concerned. These are Endomorphs, Ectomorphs and Mesomorphs:

Those with the Endomorph body type are able to easily build muscle mass but are also prone to putting on weight. This type has to watch their diet carefully and need some amount of cardio in their workout routine as well.

Ectomorphs on the other hand are of the tall, thin and lean body type with long, slim limbs. Ectomorphs don’t put on weight or muscle mass easily and need to eat the right kind of food to increase their calorie and protein intake. They must also weight train to a great extent instead of cardio in order to sculpt a good body.

The final body type is Mesomorphs and those with this kind of body type are extremely lucky since they don’t put on weight easily and are also able to gain muscle mass fast. If you fall in this category, do not change the amount of food you eat, only eat healthier and start bodybuilding immediately.

Fundamental #3 of Bodybuilding Routines That Work: Change is the Name of The Bodybuilding Game

Finally, if you do find a bodybuilding routine that works amazingly well for more than three months, then chances are that you will probably have to add some variations as you go along, doing what’s necessary to get the desired results as well as adding or removing exercises to build different muscle groups and parts of your body.

To conclude, no bodybuilding routine that works is complete without the right kind of nutrition. And also no bodybuilding routine includes workout sessions longer than 75 minutes or more than 5 sessions per week. If you push your body beyond its limit, you must be ready to face the consequences such as injury and long recuperation periods. This is why it’s especially important to choose and follow a bodybuilding routine under the watchful eye of a professional natural body builder or trainer.

Apart from that, keep the above-mentioned bodybuilding fundamentals in mind to find the perfect bodybuilding routine that works for you and before long you will be well on your way to attaining that dream body you’ve always wanted.

To some it’s no more than a bunch of macho men trying to flatter their already over-hyped egos. To others it’s the ultimate of sports, requiring dedication, persistence, and knowledge. Despite it’s growing popularity, bodybuilding is still considered by many to be an obscure sport offering few redeeming qualities. It’s too bad such archaic beliefs still exist as few forms of exercise offer the benefits of working out with weights.

Increasing muscle size and strength!

The most obvious benefit of bodybuilding is an increase in muscular size and strength. Working out with weights causes the muscles to grown in size and vastly increase in strength. Most forms of exercise are limited in this as there is no increase in resistance over time. Once the muscles become adapted to your bodyweight, they quickly plateau. Weight training on the other hand allows you to increase the resistance as the muscles get bigger and stronger.

Stronger bones!

Besides strengthening muscles, weight training also stimulates the body’s bones to absorb minerals, thus making them stronger. Weight training is now recommended to older people as a way to combat osteoporosis.

Fat loss too!

One of the unknown benefits of bodybuilding is its effects on metabolism and fat loss. For decades women have been told that the key to fat loss is aerobics. But it’s now known that the real key to losing fat is boosting your metabolism. Aerobics is very limited in its effects on metabolism. Working out with weights, however, produces what’s called an afterburn. This means your metabolism is revved up and will keep burning calories even after you leave the gym. How many sports can accomplish this?

And for athletes!

For those who doubt the physical benefits of weight lifting look no further than professional and college sports’ teams. Virtually all teams have strength coaches these days. By following a well-rounded bodybuilding routine, athletes not only perform better but are less susceptible to injuries.

Feeling good about yourself!

Besides its many physical benefits, bodybuilding has numerous other great qualities. As painful as strength training can sometimes feel, there is nothing more satisfying than the feeling after a good solid work-out. Bigger and stronger muscles and joints can have a dramatic impact on posture and a leaner physique tends to make everyone feel better about their appearance. The end result is improved self-esteem and increased self-confidence.

Knowledge is Power

It takes more than lifting heavy weights to build a great physique. You have to know how to lift, when to lift, and what exercises. Simply following the training routine of some professional bodybuilder is not the best approach. In fact such training may only set you back. Many such individuals are loaded up on steroids and other performance enhancing drugs. While these substances do allow bodybuilders to train harder and longer, such compounds are illegal and may cause severe side effects. Your goal in bodybuilding should be to develop a great looking physique that is also healthy. You should be thinking long-term health not short-term fix.

Besides training you also must be informed about what foods to put into your body. If you eat like crap you’ll look like crap. Sound nutrition is just as important as bench pressing or squatting. You wouldn’t put junk fuel into a high-performance racecar, so why put nutritional garbage into your body? You have to eat good to look good.

Closely related to nutrition is supplementation. All the best bodybuilders take supplements. Food supplements will help you build bigger, stronger, and leaner muscles, in a shorter period of time. But as with training and eating, there is much misinformation on supplementation floating around these days. You want to only buy the best bodybuilding supplements from reputable manufacturers. Don’t just buy the cheapest supplements. Do some research and make an intelligent choice.

If you have spent much time trying to put on muscle mass, you have probably figured out that you need a very large quantity of protein to make significant muscular gains. Bodybuilders and their nutritionists tend to recommend an intake of anywhere from one to two grams per pound of bodyweight PER DAY. Unfortunately, most protein-packed foods tend to be dense, filling, inconvenient, and relatively expensive. It can be hard on your wallet, stomach, and schedule to get in all that you need to build muscle as quickly and efficiently as possible. Here are four cheap, easy ways for you to add more protein to your diet.

Drinking Egg Whites:

This may sound disgusting, but unlike the yolks, plain egg whites have a very neutral flavor. Also, if you buy them pre-separated in a carton, they are usually pasteurized. I have found that the best, easiest way to consume raw egg whites is to just blend them with some ice, fruit, and some kind of sweetener. The shake goes down very easy, and depending on how many whites / cartons you use, this is a quick way to consume 50-100 grams of protein.

Whey Protein Shakes:

The most common type of protein that people consume as a shake is whey, a dairy byproduct of cheese production. While not as quality a muscle-building food as chicken, steak, or other meats, whey is the easiest food for adding protein to your bodybuilding nutritional regimen. If you can find a good deal online or in a bulk or wholesale store, it also will give you the cheapest cost per gram of this nutrient.

Canned Tuna (and how to eat it):

While certainly not pretty or particularly appetizing, canned tuna is your best bet for cheap, solid-food protein. Go for the “chunk light” type to get the cheaper and easier-to-eat option. One can usually has about 25 grams of protein for less than one dollar. I have found that the easiest way to consume a significant quantity of tuna is to just take very large bites, chew them a few times, and wash them down with a big gulp of water. It has too strong an odor for polite company anyway

Fatty Ground Beef (and how to remove the fat):

If you have some basic cooking skills, you will probably find this to be your most versatile protein-packed food. Browned ground beef crumbles can be used in almost any savory dish. To remove most of the fat from cheap, fatty beef, start by browning it all in a skillet. Then, place a colander in a sink under a water faucet. After placing the browned beef in the colander, turn on the water and toss and turn the beef. This will allow most of the grease to flow out into the sink. After the beef has been thoroughly washed, place it on paper towels to blot out the remaining fat.

As you probably noticed, I have placed a greater emphasis on convenience and cost than on taste. Though it is important for your sanity to indulge in some tastier meals and treats every once in a while, you are going to have to prioritize if you are serious about building muscle on a budget. Emphasizing these foods in your diet will keep the muscular gains coming without tapping too far into your hard-earned money and your spare time.

Let us ferry first to the Tropics for basic build up and bodybuilding nutrition. You are sitting in the middle of 45,000 acres of jungle woodland, littered with teeming plant life, perhaps a multitude of shimmering pot-herbs, vile ivy-like creeping albizzas, exotic magic mushrooms waiting to be evacuated and robust pomegranates, Umeboshi plums twinkling with decadent aroma. How to discover and arrange permutations of this bounty for healthy muscle gain, a life-time of freaky big muscles plus most importantly, a top of the feeling balance of the mind? How is this the business of the conscious grocery picker in Manitoba?

In the following sections, we will be having a 3 step-by-step discussion of how to catch the wind in your diet, put on fine and calming nerves during your workouts, produce terrific anti-bodies and maintain a healthy balance of body P.H.

The first step would be to set apart the functional qualities in say your vegan diet from its mere nutritional value. This is to isolate in your diet functions which server more than a mere supply of the basic ingredients of what you need to efficiently drive your metabolism. To include functional foods in your diet would mean to include foods that target specific functions in the body.

A functional food may also be one from which components have been removed, such as harmful saturated fatty acids. For instance, beneficial organic compounds produced almost exclusively by members of the Leguminosae (bean) family can now be extracted from Soya and added to products designed to help reduce osteoporosis (a bone disease) and as well promote cardiovascular health.

Same for some commercially produced extracts of garlic bulb which specifically promotes the build up of healthy fats and promotes circulation of blood to the muscles and the brain. Also, some specialty teas such as roobios (Aspalathus Linearis) and honeybush (Cyclopia Intermedia), two tea species widely grown in South Africa are rich in antioxidant flavonoids-substances which boost immunity to allergies, viruses and cancer.

Put in a more straightforward manner, in a single meal of periwinkles ( a miniature kind of clam) gathered from the littoral waters of the Atlantic coasts of West Africa, one could crave its meaty juice for their rich protein content while adoring the chitin enriching flakes made from the shell. Chitin specifically enhances muscular agility and superb nervous co-ordination so that you can fly like a butterfly, sting like a bee and prance with the awesome lithe agility of a Manx cat. Well, the meaty juice of the periwinkle, all good for the packs but the chitin richness of the shell, good for those exclusive Harta Yoga stunts.

The second step would be to access the psycho-pharmacological value of your diet, which also serves different purposes other than the functional value of your diet. Staying in a strong capable body also involves cultivating stable and balanced mental and emotional environments.

The Ayurverdic nutritionist tradition of the Indian civilization holds that food beyond supplying you with the calories, vitamins and proteins, should enhance your bouyant humors states of well being. Your buoyant humors would reflect in your sense of timing during a workout, how effortlessly you are able to satisfy the mental demands of physical exercises, a state of relaxation as you relate with your partner(s) and the exuberance of the emotional colors or vibrations you exude during these moments.

In the Ayurverdic nutritionist tradition of Indian Civilization, vegetarian diets like that of the Soma plant supply you with the “Tapas”: motivating immeasurable bouts of energy that allow you to accomplish your tasks while at the same time giving you etheogenous radiance.

The third and final step we will be discussing as so to do with incorporating some degree of body PH measurement into your diet. The basic head on this has to do with shifting your body’s PH towards the Alkaline. The PH scale is from 0 to 14, with numbers ranging from 0 to 7 acidic (low in oxygen) and numbers above 7 and through to 14 alkaline. Acidic bodies are sickness magnets.

While there are no strict rules as to combining acidic foods and alkaline foods, it is advisable that a great percentage of the food one consumes should come from the alkalines. I will run a cute list of some acidic and alkaline foods though it is by no means exhaustive.

Alkalizing Vegetables: Alfalfa, barley grass, beets, beet greens, broccoli, cabbage, carrot, cauliflower, celery, chard greens, chlorella, collard greens, egg plant.

Acidic Vegetables: Corn, lentils, olives, winter squash.

Alkalizing Fruits: Apple, apricot, avocado, banana, blackberries, cantaloupe, dried dates.

Acidic Fruits: Cranberries, currant, blueberries, canned or glazed fruit

Alkalizing Proteins: Almonds, chestnuts, millet, tempeh (fermented), Tofu (fermented).

Acidic Proteins:Bacon, beef, carp, clams, cod, fish, haddock, lamb, lobster.

Bodybuilding nutrition such as getting a correct proportion of alkaline foods that suits your body’s needs is important to maintaining a healthy bodybuilding lifestyle. So remember, arrange your diet for a super combo mix of functionality, psycho-pharmacological values and a healthy PH balance.

Copyright 2008, Masszymes Inc. All rights reserved.

Taking care of yourself is not as hard, time consuming, expensive, or dull as most would have you believe. In fact, once people decide to choose a healthy life, they notice more energy, increased self-confidence, more time to do things that really matter, and they spend less time in the doctor’s office or hospital. Nutrition refers to the nurturing of our body, in our ability to keep it healthy and functioning as it is supposed to do. Our ability to provide the body with all the necessary food, vitamins, and minerals so that we continue to thrive in our daily life processes.

Good nutrition can put a stop to many health problems, including becoming overweight, developing weak bones, and developing diabetes. Finding your child all the foods that have all the important nutrients will help your child grow to their complete potential.

A child’s body prospers on certain nutrients that work together to promote growth and development. There is no specific nutrient or group of nutrients that is more important to a child’s well-being, than these five nutrients I am about to mention to you right.

Never attempt to assess your state of hydration by the level of your thirst. Once thirsty it is often too late. Always plan your fluid intake beforehand. The amount of fluid needed to restore your fluid levels could vary from 500ml to 3l, depending on the amount of sweat lost during a session, and whether you replaced fluid during the exercise itself. It is often necessary to need between 4-24 hours to replace and rebalance your body fluid losses effectively.

Proper nutrition means getting both enough calories and the proper nutrients. Many people in this country eat more calories than the body needs. This can lead to obesity which is a risk factor for many diseases, like diabetes, heart disease, and cancer. It is important to remember that, although an overweight person may be getting more calories than needed, he or she may not be getting all of the necessary nutrients.

Eating a daily diet that includes adequate amounts of bread, cereal, grain, rice, pasta, vegetables, and fruit, and limits high fat foods, can promote health and reduce the risk of developing certain chronic diseases. You can help the people who use your pantry or meal program to be healthier by providing nutritious foods.

The foods you eat provide the energy your body needs to function. Just like you need to put fuel in your car or recharge your cell phone battery, your body needs to be fed energy-providing foods every day. The main form of energy for your body is carbohydrates.

In order to have that awesome bodybuilding physique, you need to feed your body the proper fuel. As a bodybuilder, your goal is to be in the best physical form possible, one that connotes health, fitness, and strength. In order to reach that level, though, you’ll need to focus on your food consumption and make sound nutritional choices that will not only enhance your physique but also improve your health.

I wanted to share a little about female bodybuilding nutrition. This is fundamentally the most important place to focus your energy. If you’re not eating the proper foods at the proper times than you’re not going to put on muscle. Bodybuilding is hard enough for women; therefore we need to focus more on our diets. I’ve provided 3 nutritional tips for that can be very valuable tips for any female bodybuilder.

1. Eating Often

Most people don’t eat often enough to get as lean and trim as they would like. Let’s think of your metabolism as a burning fire. Ok, what is your metabolism? The term: resting metabolic rate (RMR) is the number of calories your body burns at rest to carry out typical body functions like breathing and pumping blood. RMR makes up most of your metabolism – the total number of calories you burn in a day. Back to your fire, or metabolism; women that feed their bodies with 300 calories every three hours will be naturally boosting their metabolism and may improve their memory and cognitive skills later in the day.

On the other hand, skipping meals can leave you feeling drained, unable to concentrate and want to forfeit your evening workout. Long stretches between eating signal the body to slow the metabolism and store fat – it’s the survival mechanism left over from our heritage as hunter-gatherers. When we skip meals earlier in the day we may want to overeat at night. When night time falls you’ll be more likely to choose foods that are high in fat, sugar and calories; leading to feelings of guilt.

Snacks

Best to eat around five times a day–that’s three meals and two snacks. Always plan ahead if you have a busy schedule. Store some snacks that you know are healthy in your workbag. Some suggestions include:

Almonds

Apples

Dried fruit

Energy bars

Protein bars

Meal replacement or protein shake (with your shaker cup)

Canned vegetable juice

Small boxes of ready-to-eat breakfast cereal

These are all good choices that are high in carbohydrates, fiber, vitamins and minerals. Get yourself a cooler and enjoy cottage cheese or yogurt as your mini meal.

2. Go Green

Folate, another gem in the B vitamin family, is waiting for you in green, leafy vegetables such as broccoli, kale and certain dark-green lettuces. Most women don’t get enough of this vitamin, and the deficiency is linked to severe neural-tube defects in newborns. This connection is so strong that the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now recommend that women take in 400 micrograms of folate daily, which is more than twice the current RDA.

Recently there has been talk by the FDA of fortifying grains with folate (as is already done with the B vitamins thiamine, riboflavin and niacin). Adding folate to breads and pastas would boost your folate intake by an estimated 30 to 70 percent. As we wait for this to take place, try to eat good sources of folate daily. Sources of folate include: leafy greens, citrus fruits. A 6-ounce glass of orange juice contains 120 micrograms of folate. Folate can be lost from foods during preparation, cooking, or storage.

To Retain Folate:

Serve fruits and vegetables raw whenever possible.

Steam, boil, or simmer vegetables in a minimal amount of water.

Store vegetables in the refrigerator.

3. Add Soybeans To Your Routine

People who eat regular servings of soybean products (such as tofu and miso) are at a lower risk of heart disease. One of every two women will die of cardiovascular disease. And although we women are, on average, a decade older than men when the disease first strikes, it kills as many women as it does men (ten times more women die of heart disease than die of breast cancer each year). Native to East Asia, soybeans have been a major source of protein for people in Asia for more than 5,000 years. Soybeans are high in protein (more than any other legume) and fiber, low in carbohydrates and are nutrient-dense. Soybeans contain substances called phytoestrogens, which can significantly lower your “bad” LDL cholesterol and raise your “good” HDL cholesterol.

Add soybeans to soups and casseroles as you would other dried beans. Tofu works well in salads, pasta dishes, sandwiches and even shakes. And though soybeans are somewhat higher in fat than other beans, that fat is primarily the cholesterol-lowering monounsaturated and polyunsaturated types.

Bodybuilding can be easily defined as the activity through which muscle mass is developed through exercising; this is mainly through the lifting of varying weights in repetitious sets. There are many competitions through which bodybuilders can make names for themselves on the international arena. These competitions are normally sanctioned by the International Federation of Bodybuilders. The IFBB was founded by Joe and Ben Weider. Eugen Sandow, a native of Prussia is credited as a forerunner in the development of bodybuilding and ensuring that the sport became a popular activity that is admired and awed by many across the globe. Sandow was responsibe for organizing the maiden bodybuilding contest that was held in London, England on 14th September 1901. The contest was dubbed The Great Competition and its winner was William Murray from Nottingham in England.

The premier event in modern bodybuilding is obviously the Mr. Olympia competition. The winner of the annual event receives a trophy that is made with an effigy of Eugen Sandow. The trophy has been affectionately referred to as the Sandler. From 1901 when the first contest was held there have been great developments in the sport. The greatest developments were however experienced between the 1930s and the 1970s. These four decades saw the emergence of athletes who had began to thoroughly understand the benefit of intense training techniques and the importance of proper nutrition. This made for great competitions where audiences were awed by the massive frames of these athletes. This same period saw the formation of various bodies which catered for many aspects of the sport. The IFBB was formed during this period as mentioned by Ben and Joe Weider. This federation is responsible for the organization of the Mr. America competition. In Britain the National Amateur Bodybuilders Association or NABBA was formed. NABBA is responsible for the organization of the Mr. Universe contest which has remained a popular contest to this day.

Among the icons of the sport it is Arnold Schwarzenegger who has enjoyed the most success. The native of Austria but now a citizen of the United States wowed audiences through the late 60s and all over the 70s. Schwarzenegger won a remarkable 4 Mr. Universe titles and an unprecedented 7 Mr. Olympia titles which included a five time consecutive win. After his successes the sport saw the emergence of other legends including Lou Ferrigno, Dorian Yates and Lee Haney. These stars of yesteryear have found worthy successors in the likes of Ronnie Coleman and Jay Cutler.

The 1980s saw an influx in the usage of bodybuilding steroids. The IFBB and the Olympic Committee spearheaded campaigns and activities that were aimed at reducing or discouraging the use of these steroids. Tough anti-doping regulations were introduced and these measures continued well into the 90s. The current crop of bodybuilders is reverting back to more natural training methods without too much of steroids. It has been established that with proper resistance training, proper diets and adequate rest one can achieve top results.