Easy Ways to Boost Your Bland Fitness Food

Laurence Grigorov is director of a residential property development company based in Johannesburg, South Africa that specialises in bespoke high-end luxury living. In his spare time Laurence Grigorov enjoys training at the gym as well as travelling.

Laurence Grigorov found an online article in www.bodybuilding.com written by Frieda Johnson of interest as it explained that benefits of varying taste in food and diets:

Many people who are trying to be fit and healthy use meal prepping as a way to be more conscientious about their diet. Keeping your meals simple and repetitive can make meal planning easier to stick to. However, eating the same thing over and over again can get old fast. (Chicken, rice, and broccoli, anyone?)

Spices are an easy way to change the taste of your food, without adding many calories or messing up your macros. Most spices and herbs add zero fat or protein to your meal, and only add a gram or two of carbs, even if you use an excessive amount. For example, garlic powder has approximately 2 grams of carbs per teaspoon, which is generally way more than you would use in a single serving. Beware of store-bought spice mixes such as a generic “steak seasoning,” though, as many of these have fillers and an excess of salt added to them.

Spices can be used on pretty much every dish, but they are especially good on proteins, such as eggs, pork, tofu, or chicken. Most spices are great on their own, and are a simple way to make your bland meal more flavorful. To take it a step further, combining spices can create nearly endless flavor possibilities. With a few easy spice combos, you can make a simple chicken breast taste like your favorite world cuisine.

The amounts of each spice you use will vary depending on the type of food you’re putting it on and personal taste. As a rule, use less of strong flavors like onion, garlic, and anything spicy than you do

Laurence Grigorov finds that a variety in the taste of healthy foods is a good way to keep motivated with diets and healthy eating.

If You’re Not Taking Creatine, What Are You Waiting For?

As director of a residential property development company, based in Johannesburg, South Africa, that specialises in luxury apartments and bespoke homes Laurence Grigorov enjoys traveling and exercising in his spare time.

Laurence Grigorov enjoys training at the gym and is continuously keeping track of nutritional and supplement information. This helps Laurence Grigorov get the most out of his training and exercise.

 

Creatine

A new report by the International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) says it all: “Government legislatures and sport organizations who restrict and/or discourage use of creatine may be placing athletes at greater risk.”

That’s a pretty strong endorsement for a scientific organization to make about a dietary supplement. But based on the report’s exhaustive look at years of performance studies, creatine merits every gram of praise it receives, and then some.

Creatine helps the human body maintain its supply of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the body’s main source of energy. With the readily available source of ATP made possible by creatine, the human body can perform at significantly higher levels of intensity.

The ISSN report explains that the body needs to replenish 1-3 grams of creatine per day. You can get 1-2 grams by eating red meat and seafood, which naturally contain that amount per pound, yet at that rate, you’d have to eat more than a pound a day to maintain your muscle’s creatine stores. Enter creatine supplementation, which makes it much easier and more convenient to reach that daily threshold.

The report notes that vegetarians usually have lower creatine stores in their body, and they can particularly benefit from adding creatine supplementation to their daily nutritional program.

Per the ISSN report, creatine can increase high-intensity exercise performance, help prevent or reduce the severity of injury, help athletes tolerate heavier training loads, and reduce the occurrence of cramping, muscle tightness, muscle strains, and pulls. It can also reduce gastrointestinal upset and improve the body’s ability to retain water in hot, humid environments.

The report points to a large body of scientific evidence proving that creatine supplementation enables athletes to increase performance of high-intensity and repetitive exercise by 10-20 percent. The report also reinforces benefits outlined in the Bodybuilding.com article, “6 Reasons Everyone Should Take Creatine.” These include increased bone density, improved glucose metabolism and brain performance, and reduced oxidative stress.

The ISSN report states that people who consume about 3 grams of creatine supplementation daily can see significant health benefits. If you do intense training—and especially if you’re large of frame—you may want to take 5-10 grams per day.

If you want to quickly increase the amount of creatine your muscles store, ISSN recommends a loading phase of 5 grams of creatine monohydrate four times a day for 5-7 days, followed by a maintenance phase of 3 grams per day. Bodybuilding.com has an online calculator that can help you figure out exactly how much creatine is right for you.

Some people associate taking creatine with liver damage, but numerous studies cited by the report’s authors conclude that taking even as much as 0.8 grams of creatine per kilogram of body weight per day for five years—which is more than 50 grams per day—”poses no adverse health risks and may provide several health and performance benefits.”

Creatine does help the body retain water, which helps maintain hydration but may also cause weight gain. As with most nutrition supplements, creatine works well if you stay active. Don’t expect to sit on the couch all day and reap the many benefits outlined above!

Words and image courtesy of www.bodybuilding.com

Welcome to the Zanzibar Archipelago

As director of a Johannesburg based residential property development company, Laurence Grigorov enjoys traveling abroad and uses the experience to broaden his scope and appreciation for different cultures and styles. Not only does travelling increase his knowledge for use in work and projects it also offers Laurence Grigorov the chance to destress from the pressures of his work and business and enjoy quality downtime.

Laurence Grigorov would love to travel to Zanzibar on the eastern coast of Africa for its natural beauty, rich history and cultural diversity.

Step off the boat or plane onto the Zanzibar Archipelago and you’re transported through time and place. This is one of the world’s great cultural crossroads, where Africa meets Arabia meets the Indian Ocean.

In Zanzibar Town, the narrow alleys of historic Stone Town meander between ancient buildings decorated with balconies and gigantic carved doors. Meanwhile, on the coast, fishing boats set sail, and in the countryside farmers tend fields of rice or the clove plantations that give Zanzibar its ‘Spice Islands’ moniker.

Beyond these little-changed traditions, visitors see a very different landscape. The idyllic beaches are dotted with hotels, and the ocean becomes a playground for diving, snorkelling and kitesurfing.

With its tropical tableau and unique culture, plus an active beach-party scene for those that want it, the Zanzibar Archipelago offers a fascinating and highly enjoyable East African Indian Ocean experience.

Words courtesy of www.lonelyplanet.com