Broccoli, Vegetable of the Month

One large stalk of cooked broccoli contains:

25 calories; 15 mg Sodium; 2 g Fiber; 3 g Protein; 50 mg Calcium; 220 mg Potassium; 90 mg Vitamin C; 2500 IU of Vitamin A; 1/2 mg Iron.

Since many people eat more than 1 stalk at a time, broccoli is a mother lode of nutrition!

• One medium spear has three times more fiber than a slice of wheat bran bread.
• Broccoli is also one of the richest sources of vitamin A in the produce section.
• But the real surprise is this vegetable's potent cancer-fighting components.

At the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland, food chemist Dr. Paul Talalay and his team have discovered that broccoli is rich in substances called isothiocyanates -- chemicals shown to stimulate the body's production of its own cancer-fighting substances, called "phase two enzymes." According to Talalay, these enzymes, in turn, neutralize potential cancer-causing substances before they have a chance to damage the DNA of healthy cells.

Shaping Up For Valentine's Day

Shaping Up for Valentine's Day

Valentine's Day is three weeks away. Most of us want to feel our best on this special day. Feeling good about ourselves translates into looking good as well. What can you do to feel better about yourself in three weeks?

Start exercising! This doesn't mean that you have to join a gym or spend an hour in the basement every morning sweating it out. Five minutes in your bedroom before you start your day is the place to start.

What should I do?
50 marches in place
50 low leg kicks to the front
25 Standing Twists with the arms to the side
25 Crunches

Make this routine part of your morning ritual like brushing your teeth or making coffee. I guarantee that you will feel better about yourself because you will finally be able to succeed in accomplishing your program. Afterall, what is 5 minutes of my day? Just be consistent and don't waiver.

By Valentine's Day, you will be feeling better. You will be ready to take the next step of getting N2SHAPE!

For Valentine's Day, ask your loved one for the gift of fitness. Working with a personal trainer will be the best gift you can ask for. Your trainer will provide you with needed support and motivation as well as a program that will be efficient and effective with the little time that you have.

One of your most valuable commodities is time for you. Exercise is a way to check out and to take care of you. Afterall, if you do not take care of you, how can you take care of anyone else?

To inquire about training one-on-one, with your partner, or with a group of friends, contact Ellen Yates at (703)9064413 or at ellen@n2shape.com.

Re: Liquid Protein Aids Recovery Post Workout

I have been preaching whey protein for some time to my clients.  I myself ingest 36 grams of whey protein after my workouts followed by a piece of fruit or a raw vegetable 15 minutes later so that I am ingesting the needed carbohydrates for recovery as well.  Finally, more research to back it up!  Ellen  

Recovery from a cycling time trial is enhanced with carbohydrate-protein supplementation vs. isoenergetic carbohydrate supplementation.

John M Berardi , Eric E Noreen  and Peter WR Lemon 

Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition 2008

Background

In this study we assessed whether a liquid carbohydrate-protein (C+P) supplement (0.8g/kg C; 0.4g/kg P) ingested early during recovery from a cycling time trial could enhance a subsequent 60 min effort on the same day vs. an isoenergetic liquid carbohydrate (CHO) supplement (1.2g/kg).

Methods

Two hours after a standardized breakfast, 15 trained male cyclists completed a time trial in which they cycled as far as they could in 60 min (AMex) using a Computrainer indoor trainer. Following AMex, subjects ingested either C+P, or CHO at 10, 60 and 120 min, followed by a standardized meal at 4h post exercise. At 6 h post AMex subjects repeated the time trial (PMex).

Results

There was a significant reduction in performance for both groups in PMex versus AMex. However, performance and power decreases between PMex and AMex were significantly greater (p<0.05)>

Conclusions

Under these experimental conditions, liquid C+P ingestion immediately after exercise increases fat oxidation, increases recovery, and improves subsequent same day, 60 min efforts relative to isoenergetic CHO ingestion.