6 Training Tips to Prepare for a Workout Event

You won't win any workout event without training. When preparing to compete in
the Olympics, Michael Phelps reportedly swam 80,000 meters per week. Of course,
this paid off as Phelps now holds the record as the most-decorated Olympian with
28 medals to his name. So, if you're planning to participate in a workout event, consider
the six following training tips.

#1) Hit the Weights

Training for a workout event begins with hitting the weights. Running on the treadmill
or using an elliptical isn't an effective way to build muscle and increase your chances
of winning. On the contrary, too much cardio can actually backfire by lowering your
muscle mass. You'll achieve better results by lifting weights, focusing on short
intervals of heavy weights. Known as high-intensity interval training (HIIT), it's the
key to building bigger muscles and winning workout events.

#2) Rest and Recover

While lifting weights is important when training for a workout event, resting is
equally important. This is because HIIT weightlifting creates micro-sized tears in
your muscles, which is responsible for the soreness you feel after working out. If you
continue to lift weights without giving your body time to heal and recover, your muscles
will continue to break down. Therefore, most professional trainers recommend a 48-hour
period of rest between HIIT weightlifting.

#3) Adjust Your Diet

Whether you're training for CrossFit Open, Spartan Race or any other workout event,
you must adjust your diet for maximum performance. The foods you eat will directly
influence your strength and endurance. When evaluating your diet, focus on high-protein
foods that contain little to no added sugar. Protein is responsible for repairing and building
muscle tissue. Without protein, or enough protein, you'll experience reduced muscle mass
and slower recovery.

In addition to protein, you should also consume plenty of carbs in your diet. While protein
builds muscle tissue, carbs replenish this tissue with glycogen. According to Men's Fitness,
you should consume a 2-to-1 ratio of protein to carbs. If you consume 100 grams of protein
per day, you should strive for 50 grams of carbs.

#4) Perfect Your Form

Strength will only take you so far in a workout event. You must also perfect your form. This
is particularly important when participating in weightlifting events. Lifting weights while using
the wrong form could result in disqualification. Furthermore, it increases the risk of injury,
which is something no one wants to experience during an event. To prevent this from happening,
perfect your form in the weeks and days leading up to the event. If you need help, ask
someone at your gym for help. Alternatively, you can watch YouTube videos revealing the
correct way to perform a specific workout or exercise.

#5) Taper

What is tapering, and why should you do it when training? Tapering refers to the process
of reducing physical exercise in preparation of an upcoming event. If you usually spend
three hours in the gym, for instance, you should gradually reduce this time in the days
before your event. Rather than three hours, for instance, perhaps you can spend two hours
and then just one hour in the gym.

#6) Sleep

Don't underestimate the importance of getting enough sleep. Lack of sleep or poor quality
sleep slows down your metabolism, promotes higher levels of cortisol and interferes with
your body's ability to repair damaged muscle tissue. For these reasons, it's important that
you get a minimum of seven hours of high-quality sleep per night.

Workout events require thorough training as well as a strong mental mindset. By following
the tips outlined here, you'll gain an advantage on your competitors and increase your chances
of success.

Introduction to Food Additives

Food additives are substances added to food to modify its texture, enhance its color, improve its safety, or supplement its nutritional content. Food additives that are generally recognized as safe (GRAS) do not require government approval, while other additives must go through premarket approval by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) before they are allowed in foods. Even with this regulatory process, controversy surrounds many food additives, especially fears that specific chemicals may cause cancer or other serious health problems. Here, we review some of the common purposes food additives are used, and share some surprising facts about their sources, safety, and history.

 

Thickening Agents

One common use for food additives is to modify a food’s texture, increasing its mouthfeel and making it taste smoother or creamier. Starches are essentially long chains of sugars bound together to store energy for plants; when heated, starches expand as they absorb water, thickening and gelling food to change its texture. Long chains of sugars, or polysaccharides, also can play structural roles in microbes and plants, helping to protect them from pathogens. Carrageenan is a polysaccharide from red edible seaweed species that is used as a thickening agent and may have health benefits beyond those of common thickeners such as cornstarch. Xanthan gum is a polysaccharide thickener that is produced by Xanthomonas campestris as described by the Journal of Food Engineering.

 

Food Coloring

A large component of enjoying food is visual stimulation, so food companies use coloring additives to enhance their products’ graphic appeal. Certified colors are synthetically produced and must be approved by the FDA for their use in foods, whereas natural pigments, such as grape-skin extract, do not require certification. There are currently nine certified color additives approved for use by the FDA. Although these colors are approved, Yellow No. 5 may cause hives in fewer than 0.01% of people, but there is no evidence that this additive causes asthma attacks. This example highlights that even though a food additive may be safe for the general populace, every individual is unique, and many consumer goods are associated with a small, albeit non-zero, risk.

 

Freshness and Preservation

Another reason for food additives is to preserve and maintain the freshness of foods, as well as their safety. Antioxidants, such as vitamin E, can be added to foods to prevent the oxidation or rancidification of fats and oils in food.

 

One controversial food preservative is sodium benzoate, which prevents fungal and bacterial growth, but has been suspected to cause hyperactivity in children and form the carcinogenic compound benzene. The FDA tested hundreds of beverages with sodium benzoate and found that more than 2% had unsafe benzene levels; the drinks were modified to meet safety requirements and the FDA regulates the amount of sodium benzoate allowed in foods but benzene exposure is still a concern with this preservative.

 

Improving Nutritional Quality

Food additives are also added to foods to improve their health benefits. Dietary fiber is not digested by the human body, but plays a vital role in a healthy lifestyle by keeping bowel movements regular, controlling blood sugar levels, lowering cholesterol levels and maintaining a healthy weight. Extracts from chicory root or Jerusalem artichoke are used to increase the dietary fiber content of many foods.

 

Enhancing Sweetness

Controversy surrounds the use of artificial sweeteners in food, with many claims of their adverse health effects, including an elevated risk of cancer. Despite these claims, there is no sound scientific evidence that the FDA-approved artificial sweeteners cause serious health problems. Although these guidelines generally hold true, certain individuals may experience gastrointestinal discomfort with certain artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. Additionally, people with the rare condition phenylketonuria should avoid aspartame, which contains an amino acid that they have trouble metabolizing. Interestingly, although refined stevia extracts are approved by the FDA, whole-leaf and crude stevia extracts are not allowed as food sweeteners due to safety concerns.

Kickstart Your Gluten Free Diet

There are many reasons for deciding to switch to a gluten-free diet and, it can be a little overwhelming at the beginning with all the information out there. Don't lose motivation! With some planning, trial and error, and a little elbow grease, you can figure out how to embrace the gluten-free lifestyle in a way that is right for you. Putting in the work will pay off big time in your future, positively affecting your health and overall wellness. One in five Americans states that they try to purchase gluten-free products while one in six chooses to stay away from gluten completely. With 18-million Americans suffering from gluten sensitivity, it's not hard to see why more and more are going gluten-free. All that being said, how do you get started?

What is gluten?
First, you need to know what gluten actually is. It is a substance that is present in wheat and cereal grains and what makes the dough stick together. It is a mixture of two proteins that can cause illness in those with celiac disease and those with gluten sensitivity.

Gluten-free foods are healthy and easy to find
You don't actually need to stock up on a bunch of crazy "health foods" with a giant gluten-free sticker plastered across the top of the package. Gluten-free breads, muffins, and other snack foods are not good for you because they are usually packed to the brim with sugar and other fillers. Start reading the entire label of the item you are considering as it may or may not be a healthy option. The more you read, the more you will get used to it. It doesn't take long and will pay off in the long run. You can also help others decipher labels as well. Keep in mind, it is completely okay to splurge on these items occasionally, but when they become a dietary staple you can expect consequences including weight gain.

Traditionally healthy foods such as beans, veggies, fruits, fish, nuts, and lean meat are in fact gluten-free and these are the items you should be eating the most of in the first place- gluten-free or not. Are you a lover of grains? No problem! There are plenty of grains that don't contain gluten. For example, rice, quinoa, millet, and buckwheat are all gluten-free, and the even make pasta made from these grains so you have plenty of options to choose from. If you have a hard time planning your meals, you might want to consider a gluten free meal delivery service. These services can supply you with easy to make meals and snacks, making it easy to stick your diet if you're very busy or having a hard time disciplining yourself.

Eating out
Eating out can present quite the challenge at first but keep in mind that one day you will get used to it. You need to become comfortable with asking servers lots of questions because you need to know the ingredients in everything you will be eating. Always ask if your items will be cooked on the same surface as foods containing gluten as this may present an opportunity for cross-contamination. Remember that you are the one paying for the restaurant's service and you should never feel bad about asking questions that will directly affect your health.

Plan ahead and find support
It is a good idea to plan ahead in general but especially important if you are planning on going out for a while or leaving on a trip. Having people that are sharing the same experience with you can make the difference between keeping up with the lifestyle, or falling behind. There are many online resources and groups dedicated to connecting people that are living the gluten-free lifestyle. When you're having a difficult time sticking to it, these resources will be a huge source of motivation- keeping you on track. Good luck!

Tips to Help Your High School Grad Prepare for the Real World

Now that your teenager is getting ready to graduate from high school, you are probably feeling a big mix of emotions. You might be excited about the fact that your teen is ready to move on with the next stage of his or her journey in life, and you could be really proud of your son or daughter for all that he or she has accomplished so far. However, you could also be nervous and unsure of whether or not your teen is actually ready to take on the real world. These are a few things that can help you help your high school grad prepare for life beyond high school.

Encourage New Experiences

So far, your teen might not have experienced much beyond day-to-day life in your hometown and days filled with school, sports, friends and family. This can lead to a big culture shock later on. Now is a good time to encourage your high school grad to enjoy new experiences, before he or she is saddled with a ton of debt, a full-time job and a family. For example, getting your teen involved in one of the gap year service programs that can allow him or her to travel and experience new things before heading off to college can be a great idea.

Teach Your High School Grad About Finances

Even if your teen has already learned a little bit about money management from having a part-time job while in high school or from managing his or her allowance, he or she might not fully be prepared for everything that goes along with managing finances in the real world. Now is a good time to talk to your teen about things like saving for the future and for retirement, investing, purchasing insurance and more. Now is also a good time to talk to your teen about the importance of credit and how to establish good credit without getting in over his or her head in debt.

Walk Your Grad Through the Process of Buying a Car

When many teens get their driver's licenses, they often want the coolest-looking and fastest car that they can get. Now is a good time to teach your high school grad a little bit about buying a car, even if he or she is not ready to do so yet. Teaching about things like comparing prices and negotiating at the dealership, looking at safety ratings, getting a price quote for insurance, finding a good interest rate and more can all be very helpful in the future.

Help Your Teen Get an Apartment

Whether your teen is planning on going to college or going straight into the workforce, he or she is probably going to need a place to live. Your teen might need help with things like shopping for a new apartment, saving up money for his or her first place, buying furnishings and other items for the new apartment and more. Even if you aren't going to be helping financially with this process, providing tips and advice along the way can go a long way toward helping your teen get started in the real world.

Be There for Support

Just because your teen grad is not a child anymore does not mean that he or she does not need your support. In fact, you might find that your teen needs your support more than ever right now. Therefore, just being there to give advice or listen to your teen vent while he or she is going through some serious life changes can make a big difference.

As you can see, there are various things that you can do to help you prepare your high school grad for the real world. Even though your teen will probably make a few mistakes along the way, helping him or her in this way can help you set him or her up for success.

Make Friends By Throwing A Pancake Party

Food is a powerful tool for bringing people together. People who have just moved to into a new neighborhood, started their first semester in college, or simply want to make a few new friends can use it to achieve their goal. One of the best ways to do it is to bake some fresh food and hold a pancake party, where everyone has a chance to meet new people and start new relationships. There are just a few things that the host needs to keep in mind to make sure it goes well.


Use Alternative Flour

There are a lot of different types of flour out there, and it can be wise to experiment with a variety of them. Many people choose to avoid gluten for health reasons, so it can be wise to opt for flour that doesn't include gluten in order to accommodate them. Using different blends of flours can also adjust the taste of the baked goods and provide a topic of discussion to help break the ice. Some of them even have unique nutritional benefits!

The easiest way to start with alternative flour is to use a packaged blend, which will usually come with a set of recipes that work with it. Alternatively, buckwheat flour gluten free pancakes are fairly easy to make, while rice and potato flour pancakes are also popular choices. For most people, the easiest option will be to check the selection of flours at their local stores, and then find recipes that can put those flours to good use. Keep in mind, flour is completely optional. Some pancake recipes require no flour at all, and they still taste great.


Customize With Toppings

People like to have options, but it takes a lot of time and kitchen space to produce each one of them. The solution to that problem is to bake a single, versatile dish, such as pancakes, and then provide a variety of toppings to go on top of them. That will ensure that every guest can find something that they like. It also gives people another basic topic to talk about, which can help to diffuse awkwardness among strangers.

Jam is one of the best toppings for this sort of event, both because it is easy to make and because it tends to be popular with most people. Three or four choices will be fine for most events. Whipped cream can also be a good choice for people who want something other than jam, because it can be used on its own or as an additional topping to go with the fruit. It is also quick and easy to make, so offering it does not make the preparation any harder.


Avoid Common Allergens

Nothing will ruin a party quite like an allergic reaction. Even having to inform a guest that they are allergic to one of the options can bring down the mood. That is why it is best to make a point of avoiding the most common food allergies when possible.

Eggs, milk, and wheat are the ones that are most likely to cause problems, so it can be wise to use substitutes. Using alternative flours will prevent problems with wheat allergies, but the eggs and milk can be more challenging. Many of the most common substitutes for milk, such as almond or soy milk, are common allergens in their own right. Rice and coconut milk are usually the safest alternatives. Eggs can be replaced with special egg substitutes, silky tofu, or even a combination of mashed banana and baking powder.


Experiment In Advance

It is impossible to know how a recipe will turn out without making it once or twice. It's always best to do that before the party, so that you can be confident that your pancakes or other baked goods will turn out well. If one recipe turns out poorly, treat it as a learning experience and try another one until you find a set of recipes that works well for you.

5 Ways the Elderly can Protect Their Joints

While getting older can have its upside, it also has major drawbacks – such as joint pain.

The frustrating thing about joint pain is that it can impair your ability to enjoy life. Joint

pain can interfere with even the most basic movements, from standing up out of a chair

to walking. While new techniques are being developed to deal with joint pain, including

stem cell treatment, below are some things you can do yourself.

Low-Impact Exercise

Exercise it any age is a great way to improve the overall health of your joints. Usually –

and especially if you’ve been fairly sedentary – it’s important to do this slowly and carefully.

Definitely get the advice of a physician first. For the elderly, low-impact exercises are

probably best. Jogging and similar activities resulted in too much impact on the joints and

can result in injury. Low-impact exercise will get your joints moving and your heart

pumping without actually damaging the joints.

Exercise with Others

Exercising alone is often a mistake, particularly for the elderly. If you happen to fall and

hurt yourself you’ll want somebody there to help you. And there’s also the motivational

actor. Exercising with others makes you more likely to engage in exercise. There’s also the

fact that you can visit senior friendly gyms that have low impact exercise equipment, such

as stationary bikes and elliptical machines.

You can also join other seniors in yoga, stretching and other group exercises that are

unlikely to damage your joints in any way. At the same time, they will provide your joints

with the motion they need and you will get a bit of cardio as well.

Remember Your Posture

People often fail to realize the damage that poor posture can do to their bodies. This is a

particular problem these days, since so many of us – including seniors – spend most of

our days sitting in chairs or at desks looking downward at tablets or phones. Holding this

position for hours at a time can cause real problems for your neck and spine.

Try to keep yourself sitting up straight to protect your neck and all of your other joints.

Also tried to remember the importance of posture whenever you are standing or sitting or

when you are carrying or lifting an object from one place and putting it in another. Even

airly lightweight objects can cause problems if you lift them incorrectly.

Control Your Weight

There’s no question that that it’s difficult to keep weight off as we get older, but it so

happens that this is exactly the time when you need to keep weight off with a healthy

lifestyle. Combined with sensible exercise, other lifestyle changes – such as eating more

sensibly – can help you minimize your weight problems.

Losing weight will take a lot of pressure off your joints – and particularly your knees and

ankles. This in turn will allow you to lead a more active life with much less pain and

stiffness in all of your joints.

Choose the Right Diet

Eating the right foods will help you keep your weight off and minimize pressure on your

joints.This will reduce the pain you feel in your joints and give you a much greater degree

of mobility. But there are other reasons why your diet can help protect your joints.

For one thing, the foods you eat represent the building blocks of your body, so you need

to eat right to help your body build strong, healthy joints. Ensure that the foods you eat

are full of vitamin D, omega-3 and fatty acids. You might want to take a supplement

containing these nutrients. Joint pain doesn’t have to be something you simply accept

as you get older. There are a number of things you can do right now to minimize joint

pain so that you can enjoy an active and rich life.

5 Tips for Raising a More Cultured Child

It can be easy for children and parents alike to fail to learn about other cultures other than their own. However, you may want to do what you can to raise a more cultured child. If this is the case, consider these helpful tips for doing so.

1. Take Lots of Trips

One of the best ways that you can raise a more cultured child is by taking your family on lots of trips. Luckily, you do not have to spend a lot of money in order to do so. For one thing, you can get started by taking domestic trips; even taking your child to other cities and towns in your own country can be a wonderful way to expose them to more people, places, cuisine, accents and more. However, if you would like to raise a truly global child, taking international trips can be a great way to do so. Consider giving "experiences" -- such as international trips -- rather than a lot of gifts for the holidays so that you can make this possible. If you shop around online, you might be able to find some really good deals for international travel packages for you and your family, particularly if you are open-minded about where you visit.

2. Encourage Your Child to Learn Another Language

Learning another language is a great skill for children that can benefit them for the rest of their lives. Plus, encouraging your child to learn another language is a great way to help him or her become more cultured. Your child might already be taking Spanish or French lessons at school, but you can help encourage this even more by hiring a tutor who can work one-on-one with your child or by investing in a good software program that is designed to help kids learn another language.

3. Enjoy Foods from Other Cultures

One great way that you can teach your child about other cultures while having a fun -- and delicious -- time is by introducing foods from other cultures. Dining at authentic ethnic restaurants in your area is one good way to start, but with all of the information that is available on the internet nowadays, you can also look for recipes and tutorials to help you prepare these foods at home. You can shop at local ethnic markets to find the ingredients that you need for these recipes; if you bring your child along with you, this can be a good way to introduce him or her to other cultures as well. Then, you and your child can work together to create delicious meals with flavors from other nations.

4. Learn About Other Countries Together

Even if you are not able to take a trip to a certain country, this does not mean that you and your entire family can't focus on learning about that country. As a family, you can make it a priority to read books, watch documentaries and look for information online while learning about other countries that are far away. This can be an interesting and fun hobby for everyone in the family, it can be highly educational for your child, and it can be a great way for you to encourage your child to be more cultured as he or she grows up.

5. Encourage Your Teen to Consider Traveling Before College

When your child graduates from high school, it isn't a bad idea for him or her to consider taking a “gap year” to do a little bit of traveling. This can be a good way for your child to spread his or her wings and experience new places, people and things. As an alternative, your child could also consider studying abroad.

As you can see, there are a few tips that you can follow if you would like to raise a more cultured child. If you follow these tips, you can help your child learn a lot and experience new cultures and things from a young age. This can be fun for your child while he or she is young and can provide lifelong experiences as well.