What makes muscles grow? - Jeffrey Siegel

Want bigger muscles here is the basic blue print for how!

interesting watch let me know your thoughts and ideas in the comment section below. 

Learn Which Dietary Fats Can Actually Help You Lose Fat

It sounds contradictory, but consuming certain dietary fats can help you lose body fat. But you need to know what you're doing. Here's your guide.

Fats and cholesterol are the building blocks of key hormones such as thyroid hormone, oestrogen, testosterone, and cortisol. Under normal circumstances, when fat accounts for less than 15 percent of total calories, the production of those hormones begins to suffer. This has negative consequences for everything from fat burning and muscle growth to fertility and mood. Inadequate fat intake also impairs absorption of essential fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, and K), each of which has an important biological role.

On the flip side, getting more than 40 percent of total calories from fats can come at the expense of protein and fiber. Excessive intake of fats—which are the most calorie-dense nutrient at 9 calories per gram—can lead to unwanted weight gain, especially in people not accustomed to higher-fat diets.

The official recommendation from the American Dietetic Association is to get 20-35 percent of total calories from fat.[1] Based on my review of the literature, 0.3-0.5 grams of fat per pound of your goal body weight is adequate for optimizing hormone levels and meeting other physiological needs such as the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, structure and funtion of cell membranes, blood clotting, wound healing, and brain and neuron function.

Dietary fat also helps suppress appetite by activating specific hormones in the gut and by slowing digestion.[2] Fats can also slow the release of nutrients from the small intestine, helping to promote stable blood sugar and a healthy glucose metabolism.

Choosing The Right Fats For Fat Loss

Certain types of fats are more beneficial for fat loss than others. A diet high in monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fatty acids, such as avocado, nuts, and fatty fish, has been shown to reduce insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is a dominant risk factor for type 2 diabetes and is often associated with obesity and high blood pressure.[3]

Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of polyunsaturated fat found in fatty fish, flaxseed, chia seeds, and walnuts. Omega-3's have been shown to enhance the health benefits associated with regular exercise, as well as reduce hunger cravings. Both can help you achieve your fat-loss goals![4,5]

Avoid trans fats, though. Found in processed foods containing partially hydrogenated oils, these fats are a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease. Go easy on the saturated fat, too. Too much of it, along with inadequate intake of monounsaturated and omega-3 fats, can hinder fat loss. And it just might increase your risk of insulin resistance, obesity, and metabolic syndrome.[3] All can lead to type 2 diabetes.

While trans fats should be avoided completely, we do need a minimum amount of saturated fats for hormone regulation, cell messaging, and immune function. Certain saturated fats, like coconut oil, are rich in MCTs (medium-chain triglycerides) which can increase fat oxidation and may be beneficial for weight management. Other sources of saturated fats, like egg yolks and butter, are rich in essential fat-soluble vitamins, like A, D, E, and K.

Nevertheless, the current consensus among health authorities like the Harvard School of Health and the American Dietetic Association, based on reviews of all the available research, is that saturated fat should be limited to 10 percent or less of total calories.[1,6]

Still Fuzzy About Fats?

• Monounsaturated fats: olives and olive oil, canola oil, avocados and avocado oil, almonds, macadamias and most other nuts, sesame seeds, and pumpkin seeds
• Polyunsaturated fats (including omega-3): salmon, sardines, mackerel, herring, ground flaxseed and flaxseed oil, chia seeds, walnuts and walnut oil, and canola oil
• Saturated fats (limit to 10% total calories): coconuts and coconut oil, palm oil, butter and ghee, egg yolks, grass-fed red meats, free-range poultry, and full-fat dairy

The Bottom Line

Consuming all the "fat-loss foods" in the world will not reduce body fat unless you're eating fewer calories than you burn. You've probably heard it before, and the science still holds true: Calorie deficit is the chief requirement for fat loss.

Start by figuring out your total caloric requirements (factoring in exercise), reducing calories by 15-30 percent for fat loss, subtracting your protein and fat requirements, then using nutrient-dense carbohydrates to fill your remaining energy needs.

By Sarah Wilkins

References

1. Kris-Etherton, P. M., Innis, S., & Ammerican, D. A. (2007). Position of the American Dietetic Association and Dietitians of Canada: dietary fatty acids. Journal of the American Dietetic Association, 107(9), 1599-1611.
2. Little, T. J., Horowitz, M., & Feinle-Bisset, C. (2007). Modulation by high-fat diets of gastrointestinal function and hormones associated with the regulation of energy intake: implications for the pathophysiology of obesity. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 86(3), 531-541.
3. Riccardi, G., Giacco, R., & Rivellese, A. A. (2004). Dietary fat, insulin sensitivity and the metabolic syndrome. Clinical Nutrition, 23(4), 447-456.
4. Parra, D., Ramel, A., Bandarra, N., Kiely, M., Martínez, J. A., & Thorsdottir, I. (2008). A diet rich in long chain omega-3 fatty acids modulates satiety in overweight and obese volunteers during weight loss. Appetite, 51(3), 676-680.
5. Hill, A. M., Buckley, J. D., Murphy, K. J., & Howe, P. R. (2007). Combining fish-oil supplements with regular aerobic exercise improves body composition and cardiovascular disease risk factors. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 85(5), 1267-1274.
6. "The Truth about Fats: The Good, the Bad, and the In-between - Harvard Health." Harvard Health. N.p., 7 Aug. 2015. Web. 02 Aug. 2016.

http://www.bodybuilding.com/content/learn-which-dietary-fats-can-actually-help-you-lose-fat.html

****Cold Weather Can Actually Help You Burn Calories****

It's one benefit of winter

This time of year is filled with opportunities to pack on extra pounds. Think Christmas cookies, eggnog, lazy days when your only exercise is shuffling from the couch to the fridge … you get the idea. But if you live in a cold-weather climate, you have at least one calorie-burning weapon in your holiday arsenal: that arctic blast that hits you when you step outside.

Yup, cold temperatures can boost calorie burn. We already knew this, thanks to recent studies on brown fat and the hormone irisin, both of which are involved in energy expenditure and are activated by involuntary muscle contractions—like shivering when the temperature drops.

But we love how the American Chemical Society spells out the science for us in this new video, and shows us exactly how the process goes down. It’s a great reminder of how hard our bodies are working beneath the surface, even when we’re barely moving a muscle.

To be clear, shivering on a ski lift or waiting on line outside a movie theater could never provide all the benefits of an actual heart-pounding, muscle-building workout—which can also, by the way, trigger brown fat to burn more calories. But at least we can take heart in knowing that it may help—even in the tiniest way—keep off some of that dreaded winter weight.

• By Amanda MacMillan / Health.com
  
  http://time.com/4617607/cold-weather-calorie-burn/

Sleep: The most overlooked cause of belly fat!

WE ALL want a flat stomach. No surprise there.

But since many are still relying on a countless number of sit-ups to get it, I’ll just make one thing clear: There are less painful and longer lasting ways to get the amazing middle we crave.

YOUR WAISTLINE

As much as you hate to hear it, there’s no silver bullet to fighting belly fat. You have to go back to the basics: Eat a balanced diet and make fitness part of your everyday life.

But while belly fat can still accumulate for those who exercise regularly and maintain a decent diet, what’s most often overlooked is the amount of shut-eye we get each night.

Scientists have known for years that sleep deprivation has all sorts of ramifications, especially on how fat cells function. Research indicates that too little slumber reduces your fat cells’ ability to respond properly to the hormone insulin, which is crucial for regulating energy storage and use.

In other words, our fat cells also need sleep to function properly otherwise they too, can get ‘metabolically’ groggy. Over time the disruption to insulin is responsible not only for an unsightly ‘muffin top’, but can also be a risk factor for type 2 diabetes, heart attacks and stroke.

Insulin also has a knock-on effect on appetite-controlling hormones: leptin and ghrelin. Leptin is responsible for telling your brain that it is satisfied or full. Ghrelin tells you when you are hungry.

When we don’t get enough sleep, our leptin levels drop and ghrelin levels rise — an effect that increases our appetite during the hours where we are awake, meaning we tend to eat more, but feel less satisfied.

But it’s rare you’ll reach for carrots when you’re tired. Instead, people crave high-sugar/high-fat foods for an energy hit to get them through the day. This brings us back to insulin, which determines whether food gets used right away for immediate energy, or stored as fat. Eat the wrong kind of foods, chances are it’s the latter.

Around 75 per cent of Australians struggle to get to, or stay asleep each night, according to the world’s largest sleep report unveiled this week. The report, commissioned by The Sealy Sleep Census, surveyed over 11,000 respondents across five countries, including 2,300 respondents living in Australia.

The study also found 25% of Australians take more than 30 minutes to get to sleep, and only one in four get eight hours a night.

“It is easy to trade sleep for another activity without recognising the consequences, however, what people need to realise, is that quality sleep is equally as important as nutrition and exercise. A lack of sleep has been linked to obesity, diabetes, heart issues and even increases the likelihood to catch a common cold,” said Doctor Amy Reynolds, sleep expert and researcher at CQ University.

The findings also suggest a strong association between high levels of insomnia and the nation’s addiction to technology in the bedroom, with 70% of us keeping our phones near the bed.

“A hormone called melatonin helps to prepare the body for sleep. Levels of melatonin rise in the evening before bed, but blue light from devices can throw this off as the light sends the wrong cue to the brain — so, when we are wanting to sleep we are giving our brains a signal that we are awake” adds Reynolds.

The Australian Sleep Health Foundation recommends that adults should get seven or more hours of sleep a night to avoid health risks.

THE TAKE AWAY

A well-rounded exercise regimen, nutrition and reducing stress are all important factors in reducing belly fat and improving general health, but you can’t ignore the role of sleep. The more you get, the more fat you burn — so you can put crunches last on your flat-belly list.

Kathleen Alleaume is a nutritionist, exercise physiologist and author. Follow her @therightbalance


http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/fitness/weight-loss/sleep-the-most-overlooked-cause-of-belly-fat/news-story/e218a48550ae0b63535f459fc57719b6