June eNews 2010

IN THIS ISSUE

Quote of the Month

Hearty Winter Recipe

Treating Shin Splints

Fat Loss Essentials

Battle of the Gyms click here

Alexey Muhkin dares to dream click here

 

Quote of the month

"ALLOW SCIENCE TO PROVIDE DIRECTION, BUT LET PERSONAL EXPERIENCE PROVIDE DISCRETION."

Mel C. Siff, author of Supertraining

 

 

Hearty Winter Recipe ~ Chicken Provencale

This hearty winter meal can be made in one pot. Just prepare the ingredients and take it easy while your stove or oven does the work.

Preparation Time 10 minutes

Cooking Time 60 minutes

Ingredients (serves 4)

8 chicken thigh fillets, trimmed and halved

flour, for dusting

salt and cracked black pepper

1 onion, sliced

3 garlic cloves, crushed

2  ½ cups (625ml) chicken stock

¾ cup (180ml) white wine

4 thyme sprigs

8 slices (120g) pancetta, cut into strips

6 chat potatoes, halved

½ cup whole green olives

Method

Toss the chicken in a little flour, salt and pepper, and shake off excess.

Heat a little olive oil in a large deep saucepan over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, in batches for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Return all the chicken to the pan. Add the onion and cook for 3-4 minutes or until softened. Add the garlic and cook for another minute.

Combine the stock and wine and pour over chicken. Add the thyme and cover the pan with a lid. Bring to a simmer, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until chicken is tender.

Uncover, add pancetta and potatoes, and cook for a further 25 minutes or until the potatoes are soft. Stir through the olives and cook for another 5 minutes. Serve immediately.

Note

This dish freezes well (in an airtight container) for up to 3 months. To thaw, place in the fridge overnight.

 

 

Treating Shin Splints

Shin splints have become an umbrella term for any pain in the shin area. It is characterized by a dull aching sensation at rest and an area that is often extremely sensitive to the touch. However, not all lower leg pain is actually shin splints. There are also several preventative measures that can be put into practice in order to prevent the discomfort caused by shin splints.

What are the Symptoms of Shin Splints?

There are several characteristic signs that indicate shin splints. Shin splints are actually medial tibial stress syndrome, although these symptoms can be associated to other conditions.

Pain along the inside of the shin bone.

The affected area is hot to the touch

A sharp pain when the foot strikes while running.

Extreme tenderness to the touch.

Swelling along the length of the bone.

Bumps along the side of the shin.

Pain becoming more pronounced the day after exercise.

PREVENTING SHIN SPLINTS

Although there are different treatment options for shin splints, ideally runners and athletes should be looking to prevent the condition before symptoms arise. Shin splints are a product of excess strain on the tibia and connective tissue in the lower leg. There are a few common causes of this. For runners, this is often a result of repeated shocks as the foot strikes the floor. The best way to minimize this is to adopt a better running mechanics. Another easy solution is to avoid running downhill at pace. The forces from a downhill impact are considerably more important than running on flat ground. In fact, the best solution to decrease risk here is to do as much running as possible uphill. Using a sensible training volume strategy ie distance and speed of runs over time is essential. Using a progressive program of resistance training to strengthen the lower leg is also a wise investment of an athlete's time.

TREATING SHIN SPLINTS 

Once symptoms of shin splints are present, it is important to act quickly. The longer pain persists, the worse it tends to be and the longer it takes to effectively restore lower leg health. Here are some things to do as soon as possible.

REST: It is important to maintain some physical activity. Swimming or other low-impact solutions will maintain conditioning and accelerate the healing process.

ICE: Ice the affected area. This can be somewhat uncomfortable, especially if the shin is very tender. It should be repeated several times throughout the day for 15-20 minutes.

PAIN RELIEF: Take pain relief in the form of an anti-inflammatory. This will make day-to-day activities easier.

COMPRESSION: Compress and elevate the affected area. This will help reduce swelling.

For some, especially competitive athletes, taking a complete rest from training is impossible. There are a couple of things that can make training with shin splints more bearable. Firstly, taping the shin can reduce pain during training. Secondly, reducing high impact training to a minimum should be a priority.

 

 

Fat Loss Essentials Against Obesity - Lose Weight Naturally

Fat loss programs effective against obesity consists of two essential means: appropriate exercise and nutritional adjustment.

Fat loss has become a serious undertaking to many, considering the growing statistics of obesity and weight gain, particularly in developed nations.

According to the Center for Disease Control, obesity continues to be a worldwide public health problem. It ranked first as the number one health risk in America. While efforts in order to disseminate public awareness about health risk due to obesity such as the conduct of prevention programs and activities in partnership with health and education departments, the wide problem about obesity continues to grow.

This is an alarming condition and it calls for personal response by those concerned. You may take the challenge to lose weight with the help of suggested activities in order to promote fat loss the natural way. It is notable that many are willing to try almost any fat loss programs in order to get promising result in counteracting weight gain.

Synthetic drugs are available but many are wary of their potential side effects. Nothing could be better than attaining fat loss efficiently the natural way.

Proper nutrition and appropriate exercise are essential when planning a fat loss regimen. Dieting allows you to understand the macronutrients that can be responsible for excessive fat storage in the body. The macronutrients of food are lipids (fats), glucose (carbohydrates) and amino acids (proteins).  These are essential in fueling the body with energy. Elevated insulin, due to glucose overdose contributes to obesity and weight gain. Cutting down processed foods and grains will minimize insulin secretion and promote fat loss without starving your body.

Meal frequency as part of diet program to lose fat involves eating more often in small servings to keep the body’s insulin levels lower. Having low insulin levels the body adapts to becoming a fat burner as opposed to a sugar burner. Whole foods that are low on the food chain are highly preferable over processed foods as it is important to focus on losing body fat, while maintaining muscle.

Cardiovascular training has significant health benefits aside from promoting natural means to lose weight. This form of exercise strengthens the lungs and the heart, improves cardiovascular compliance, and reduces the risk for heart disease. High intensity endurance workouts optimize fat loss by imposing a significant degree of fat burning requirement post exercise, which utilizes the conversion of fats to energy, reducing excessive fat storage. High intensity exercise will also require the body to burn more energy resulting in significant fat loss.

Cardiovascular exercise, strength training and dieting are three simple natural processes to lose weight. They promote fat loss without worrying side effects. Individuals with underlying ailments such as diabetes and heart conditions should consult their GP’s to establish precaution and safety with their fat loss program using these three key natural elements against obesity.