Protein powders has become a common topic among athletes or the guys who are sweating it out in the gymn, in order to build their muscles. The fitness experts have to answer innumerable queries about it. Yes, the protein powders are indeed becoming increasingly popular these days.

What are Protein Powders?

Protein powders are mostly available in three different forms i.e. whey, soy and casein protein. Peter Horvath, PhD, associate professor in the department of exercise and nutrition sciences at the State University of New York at Buffalo say, “Since whey is soluble in water, it is the most commonly used and can be taken with milk. It also possesses all the amino acids and hence is regarded as the complete protein. Soy protein is preferred by vegans.

“Under certain circumstances, protein powders can be used to provide the body with some readily available protein,” Carole Conn, PhD, RD, CSFD, associate professor of nutrition at the University of New Mexico. “But it is true that you can even get it by eating everyday foods like meat, chicken, fish and milk products.”

“They can be used under certain circumstances,” says Barbara Lewin, RD, LD, a dietitian and sports nutritionist who has worked with NFL, NBA, and NHL athletes and trained Ironman competitors. They are as follows:

• During your growing up years.
• At the start of a body building program.
• When you intend to make your exercise regimen more rigorous.
• While recovering from an injury.
• People who are vegetarian.

“Most Americans get about 15% of their calorie requirement from protein. Many of the protein powders contain as much as 80 grams of protein in one serving and your body doesn’t need it,” he elaborates further.

How much Protein Powders do one need?

Doing some simple calculation would help you to determine the amount of protein your body needs.

• The need of recreational athlete is around 0.5 to 0.75 grams per day for every pound of body weight.
• Athletes who are into competitive sports require around 0.6 to 0.9 grams per pound of body weight.
• Athletes in their teens require about 0.8 to 0.9 grams per pound of body weight.
• Sports person who want to build muscle mass require about 0.7 to 0.9 grams per pound of body weight.

A normal healthy athlete can use up only 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight in a day at the most. So, that makes it 157.5 grams for an adult athlete weighing about 175 pound. But it is not difficult to get it through your diets. (The U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Nutrient Database, online at www.ars.usda.gov/Services/docs.htm?docid=20958 contains a list of foods along with their protein contents for your ready reference.)

So, the question is, how are you going to replenish it through the use of protein powders?

“Carbs are more important during workouts as it provides the body with fuel or energy to go through the rigors of exercises. The body also needs protein. But its requirement is less compared to carbs. The ratio of carbs to protein that the body requires is 4:1 or 5:1. One scoop of protein powder normally has 20 grams of protein in it. So, you have to consume around 80 grams of carbs to maintain a proper balance of nutrients in the body,” says Lewin.
“So, if you discover that you can’t get your daily doses of protein through your daily diets, you can go for protein powders as snacks or during your meals,” Lewin concludes.

Medical research over the years has revealed that a high fiber diet provides many health benefits. But unfortunately, as per the Columbia University Institute of Human Nutrition, the average American consumes less than fifty percent of the required dietary fibers.

“Of late, the many benefits of dietary fiber has come to fore,” says Debra J. Johnston, RD, director of nutrition services at Remuda Ranch, a treatment program for eating disorders in Wickenburg, Arizona.

Dietary Fiber

“Dietary fiber is part of the structural component of the plants.  Human body is incapable of digesting it. It doesn’t provide the body with energy but greatly helps in digestion and prevention of diseases,” says Lanah J. Brennan, RD, a dietitian in Lafayette, La.

The dietary fiber has a couple of divisions – soluble and insoluble fibers. Mixture of these two can be found in most of the foods that contain fiber.

“The soluble fibers when come in contact with liquid, makes the process of digestion in the body sluggish. On the other hand, the insoluble fiber moves inside the intestinal tract, which aids the bowl movements,” Brennan elaborates.

Fruits and vegetables as a whole are good source of soluble fiber, while their skins contain insoluble fibers. Whole grains and seeds are also good source of soluble fiber.

Advantages of a High Fiber Diet

“Fiber also maintains the blood sugar level, fights obesity, lowers cholesterol and even decreases the risk of some cancers,” Brennan reveals.

Following are the advantages of having a high fiber diet:

Cholesterol: The soluble fiber forms chemical bondage with fatty acid to lower cholesterol level in the body.

Heart: Apart from reducing cholesterol, fiber also lowers the blood pressure, thereby reducing the chances of any cardiac problem.

Diabetes: A high fiber diet wanes the absorption of sugar. Due to this, there is lesser chance of occurrence of type 2 diabetes.

Obesity: A high fiber diet creates fullness in stomach, lowers absorption of sugar by the body and decelerates the process of digestion. A combination of all these helps to fight obesity.

Colon cancer: A high fiber diet helps the body to purge the toxin formed in the colon. Hence, it also prevents the occurrence of colon cancer.

Constipation: High fiber diets are excellent laxatives.

Foods that contain high fiber

“Everyone should take around 20 to 30 grams of fiber in a day,” advises Johnston. Look at the food labels carefully when you shop for your meals.

Studies point that most Americans do not have the proper knowledge about high fiber-rich foods. Vegetables and fruits are excellent sources of fiber. You can also get it from seeds, nuts, bran, oats and barley. The following food items also contain high amount of fiber.

Avocados: Avocado is the fruit that has the most fiber.

Legumes: Legumes like lentils and peas contain high amount of fiber.

Noodles: Since noodles are prepared from grains, they are good source of fiber. Whole-wheat grain is the best in this regard.

Popcorn: Having popcorn for breakfast is a smart way to get your share of high fiber.

Berries: Berries, whether fresh or canned are good source of fiber.

Now that you know the many advantages of high fiber diet, remember to incorporate them into your daily diet to help you lead a healthy and happy life.

Vitamins, fibers and minerals are very important for the development of the immune system of the body apart from helping in the digestion and can be found in a variety of fruits and vegetables. Since fruits and vegetables contain these ingredients, it is essential to consume plenty of them for the overall health of the body. But how can you add more of them into your daily diet?

What is the exact amount of fruits and vegetables that you should take?

In order to maintain a good health, the daily intake of vegetables and fruit should be in commensuration with your active level, sex and age. In this context, the U.S. Department of Agriculture and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended the amount in terms of cups in place of helpings to make it more clear and understandable. Its daily recommended amount of vegetables and fruits in the different age groups are as follows:

Girls and women
9 to 13 (2 cups)
14 through 50 (2.5 cups)
51 and over (2 cups)

Boys and men
9 to 13 (2.5 cups)
14 through 50 (3 cups)
51 and over (2.5 cups)

The recommended fruit intake is on the lesser side:

Girls and women
9 to 18 (1.5 cups)
19 through 30 (2 cups)
30 and over (1.5 cups)

Boys and men
9 to 13 (1.5 cups)
18 and over (2 cups)

Your consumption of vegetables and fruits has to be more than the recommended amount if you undertake physical activities for more than half-an hour.

Following the CDC’s fruits and vegetables calculator would tell the exact amount of fruits and vegetables you should take with respect to your daily physical activities.

Have small helpings of fruits and vegetables:

Susan Kraus, MS, RD, a registered dietitian at the Hackensack University Medical Center in Hackensack, N.J. opines that you can easily do this through your daily diet.

For your fruit requirement daily, having a glass (8 ounce) of fruit juice in the morning is enough. A whole fruit like a banana, apple or pear counts as one cup too.

As for your vegetables requirement, add a cup of raw cucumber, tomatoes and pepper to a cup of cooked vegetables.

The CDC’s online primer “What Counts as a Cup?” elaborates more about it.

Get the best of them:

Kraus advises to choose the fruits and vegetables of varied colors. This ensures that you get all the ingredients necessary for the body. She also recommends going for seasonal fruits and vegetables as they are fresher, tastier and cheaper compared to the non-seasonal fruits and vegetables.

9 tips to fulfill your much needed daily quota of fruits or vegetables

1. Take it raw – The raw vegetables are healthier diet compared to cooked vegetables as they preserve the essential nutrients and fibers.
2. Make fruits, especially those constitute less fiber, part of your daily breakfast. Pack your breakfast with different fruits like berries, plum, peaches etc. with cereals, pancakes, waffles or toast. If you love to take yogurt for breakfast, you can go for a parfait with chopped fruits, cereal and yogurt. Kraus suggests going out with an apple or some grapes if you don’t have the time for a proper breakfast.
3. Prepare your yogurt topper carefully – take fat-free or low fat granola or yogurt after topping it with berries.
4. Add vegetables to your omelets or any other dish of eggs.
5. Be choosy – Learn to abhor greasy fries and go for tossed salad or bean medley.
6. Pack your pasta with vegetables – Prepare your tasty pasta primavera by adding lot of vegetables like cauliflower, zucchini, onions, tomatoes etc.
7. Take pizzas with vegetable toppings instead of meat or cheese.
8. Take dried fruits. One-fourth cup of dried fruits is as good as half cup of fresh fruits. Hence, chew up some dried ones as well.
9. Even frozen is fine – You can also take frozen fruits during winter months.

As you can see, it is easy to eat different types of fruits and vegetables in order to make your daily diet healthier.

Isn’t it a fact that there are advices in abundance for women about the different supplements? Be it the premenstrual syndrome (PMS) or menopause – each woman has her share of advices.

But it is true that women often are confused about the kind of health food supplement products they should select standing in front of a health food store.

Evangeline Lausier, M.D., assistant clinical professor in medicine for the Duke Integrative Medicine Center in North Carolina sees supplementation to be only part of the holistic approach to self-care but it has to have enough supporting evidence. And before following any new dietary supplement regimen, take the opinion of the health care practitioner for the exact dosage and any drug-nutrients interactions.

Lausier recommends the following supplements and dosage for a healthy woman irrespective of their age:

1. Calcium – Calcium is necessary for women under the age of 35 to keep the bones strong. It also slows down the natural bone loss that occurs in women after the age of 35. Due to this protective quality of calcium over the bone, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has allowed this claims on the supplement labels. Calcium is also known to lower blood pressure and mitigate the symptoms of PMS.

   Dosage – The dosage is 1,000 milligram per day for pre-menopausal women and 1,200 1,500 milligrams per day for postmenopausal women. It should be divided into two equal dosages and be taken in the morning and evening.

2. Vitamin D3 – It enhances the body’s absorption capacity of calcium. Studies show that Vitamin D3 taken in higher dosage also helps to prevent problems of osteoporosis, cardiovascular diseases, type1 diabetes and multiple sclerosis (MS).

   Dosage – In order to enhance the body’s capacity of absorption of calcium, the recommended dose for pre-menopausal women is 500 IU per day, which should be increased to 800 IU Per day in case of elderly and postmenopausal women. It can even be increased to 1000 IU if necessary. Usually 20 minutes of exposure to direct sunlight on the face and arms is enough for the required amount of vitamin D, if the UV (ultraviolet rays) is intense.

3. Iron – Lauser says that the deficiency of iron causes anemia, which affects greatly the metabolism and energy enzyme of the body. Iron is very essential for pre-menopausal and pregnant women. The requirement of iron for pregnant women is twice that of the other women due to increased volume of blood during gestation period and blood loss during delivery.

   Dosage – Lauser recommends 10 to 20 milligram of iron per day, which can be increased to 27 milligram per day in case of pregnant women. But excess iron is also not good for the liver. So, postmenopausal women should take the iron supplements only after consulting the doctor as their requirement is not high.

4. Gamma-linolenic acid (GLA) – This fatty acid is known to alleviate inflammation. It also helps in reducing the irritable bowl syndrome-type symptoms women generally go through during menstruation. For women with PMS, taking GLA also has a positive affect. You can enhance the level of GLA by taking primrose oil, borage or black currant seed oil.

   Dosage – Lauser and other doctors recommend evening primrose oil as they do not have any side effects. The recommended dosage is 3 to 6 grams of evening primrose oil or 270 to 500 milligrams of GLA.

5. Vitex – Vitex agnus-castus, aka chaste tree berry or monk’s pepper have been used to address many health problems in Rome during ancient periods. Even today, they are used for infertility, PMS symptoms and irregular periods.

   Dosage – Vitex keeps the hormonal balance in order. Luasier suggests that women should take 30 to 40 milligram per day for some months to be effective but pregnant women are forbidden to take it.

6. Indole-3-carbinol (I3C) – Found in cruciferous vegetables like broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflowers, 13C is known to reduce the risks of some cancers.

   Dosage – Early trial reports point that 13C may reverse the symptoms of human apillomavirus (HPV) infection like cervical cell abnormalities. Some study also showed that by taking 200 to 400 milligram of 13C per day fro a period of 12 weeks can reverse cervical cancer in its early stage. Lauser recommends a dose of 200 to 400 milligram per day.

7. Folic acid – Folic acid is essential for cell regeneration and their maintenance. Hence, this vitamin B in sufficient amount is necessary during the time of cell division like the period of pregnancy. Intake of enough folic acid during early pregnancy protects against neural tube effects. Clinical trials show that folic acid supplements reduce the level of homocystiene in the blood, thereby decreasing the risks of cardiovascular diseases.

   Dosage – Lauser recommends 800 milligram per day, which can be increased to 1,000 to 2,000 milligrams per day at the time of pregnancy. Postmenopausal women may take 400 to 8000 micrograms per day for its cardioprotective quality. You should take foliage (green) to get your share of folic acid.

The FDA says the 17 cited firms committed different kinds of violations:

Claims that the food products treat or mitigate disease. Such claims mean the food is actually an unapproved new drug, the FDA says. Misleading labels on blended juice products that make them appear to be made entirely from a single juice. “Healthy” claims that do not meet established standards for use of the term. Claims that a product is free of trans fats on products high in unhealthy saturated fats. Nutrient claims on foods for children under age 2 that are approved only for use on foods for adults.

The 17 firms cited, and the products with “misleading” labels, are:

Beech-nut: Beech-Nut Good Morning Whole Grain Oatmeal with Mixed Fruit (nutrient claims on products for small children)
Diamond Food Inc.: Diamond Shelled Walnuts (unauthorized health claims)
Dreyers Grand Ice Cream Inc.: Nestle Drumstick Classic Vanilla Fudge and Dreyer’s Dibs Bite Sized Ice Cream Snacks Vanilla Ice Cream (unsupported nutrient claim; trans-fat-free claim on high saturated-fat product)
First Juice Inc.: Organic Fruit and Veggie Juice Beverage products (unauthorized nutrient and health claims)
Fleminger Inc.: TeaForHealth green tea products (promoted for conditions that cause the products to be drugs)
Gorton’s Inc.: Gorton’s Beer Batter Crispy Battered Fish Fillets (trans-fat free claim on high-saturated-fat product)
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Ken’s Foods Inc.: Healthy Options Parmesan & Peppercorn, Sweet Vidalia Onion Vinaigrette, and Raspberry Walnut Dressing (unauthorized health claims; low-fat claims on product high in fats)
Nature’s Path Foods Inc.: Organic Flax Plus Multigrain Cereal (unapproved nutrient claim)
Nestle USA: several Juicy Juice products (misleading claims of juice content; nutrient claims on products for small children)
PBM Products: some Parent’s Choice cereal products (nutrient claims on products for small children)
Pompeian: Pompeian Imported Extra Light Olive Oil (“light” claim for product high in fat; unsupported nutrient claim)
POM Wonderful: POM Wonderful 100% Pomegranate Juice and POMx products (promoted for conditions that cause the products to be drugs)
Redco Foods: Salada Naturally Decaffeinated Green Tea (promoted for conditions that cause the product to be a drug)
Schwan’s Consumer Brands: Mrs. Smith’s Classic Coconut Custard Pie (trans-fat-free claim on product high in saturated fat)
Spectrum Organic Products Inc.: Organic All Vegetable Shortening (cholesterol-free claim on product high in fats)
Sunsweet Growers: Sunsweet Antioxidant Blend dried fruit mix (unapproved nutrient claim)
Want Want Foods: Baby Mum-Mum Original Selected Superior Rice Rusks (nutrient claim on product for small children)

The consumer group Center for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI), which has lobbied the FDA to toughen food-label standards, hailed the FDA action in a news conference.

“This is a once-in-a-generation event,” said Bruce Silverglade, CSPI legal affairs director. “Not since the early 1990s have we seen FDA actions of this magnitude.”

The FDA today also released the results of a survey showing that more than half of all U.S. adults say they “often” read a label the first time they buy a product. It’s the first time in the survey’s 10-year history that most adult said they read food labels.

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