Tag: health

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South Beach Diet and the Atkins Low Carb Plan.

Our Review:

The Atkins Low Carb Diet is based on eating very few carbs, and this is especially true during “Phase 1”.  We believe that it’s one of the strictest low carb diets on the market, especially during “Phase 1”. 

There is no mistaking this program for anything other than a very strict low carb plan, since it only allows 80 carb calories per day during the first phase (20 grams of net carbs is approximately 80 carb calories per day)……..and that’s less carbs than you’ll find in a large apple, since even a large apple has slightly more carbs than that. 

Phase 1 of the Atkins Diet is now listed as ‘optional’ — but even if Phase 1 is skipped we still believe that the overall carb limitations make it a very strict low carb diet. 

This program is probably not for the faint of heart, since only truly committed dieters will probably be able to withstand Phase 1 of this program.

What about the South Beach Diet?

The South Beach diet is also a fairly strict low carb program (especially during the first phase)…..though perhaps not as strict as the Atkins program.

…But it’s our opinion that the South Beach plan is too strict (limits carbs too much) to be practical for everyday dieters — especially during phase 1 with the severely reduced carbs and other rules forbidding many foods.

For example, we’ve observed that the higher carb foods (on the South Beach menu) are severely limited in portions during the first phase of the diet — and this prevents a normal amount of carbs from being eaten during the first phase.  

In fact, most of the foods which dieters are allowed to eat in “unlimited portions” (during phase 1) are protein foods and super-low-calorie vegetables.

For example, the South Beach menu allows unlimited lettuce during phase 1 — but yet it limits the portions of “tomatoes” and “onions” and “peanuts”. 

Additionally, the “sweet snacks” which are allowed on the South Beach menu are limited to a mere 75 calories per day during phase 1.  

So even though the South Beach plan allows “sweet snacks” — they are severely limited to just 75 calories per day……..and that’s less calories than a single large cookie contains. 

So although the South Beach program is not as strict as the Atkins diet, it’s our opinion that both diets are fairly strict low carb programs — and we believe that both plans will be fairly difficult to follow for average dieters who are not truly committed, especially during Phase 1.

Also…….both of these diets seem to have no “end” in sight — since both the Atkins plan and the South Beach diet never allow dieters to return to a normal carb lifestyle (where carbs don’t have to be closely watched). 

Both of these diets do gradually allow more and more carbs to be eaten as time goes by of course (as time goes by the rules are relaxed a bit), but even after 6 months dieters are still told to watch their carb intake to some degree each day, and both diets seem to require a lifetime commitment of some sort.

So it’s a permanent lifestyle change which is required by these diets, and many dieters may find it difficult to never be able to enjoy their favorite carb-filled restaurant meals (which can be eaten completely “as served”, and without any restrictions).

So overall we think that both diets are not very practical for average dieters who are not 100% committed to making huge sacrifices for the long term, since we believe that many people will find it difficult to modify their entire lifestyle permanently.   We therefore recommend against using the South Beach and Atkins programs for most people, for the reasons outlined above.

End of Review.

We’ve created a new Fat Burning Diet which is called the Idiot Proof Diet, and it has no specific limits on portions (it also allows 3 cheat days every 11 days where anything can be eaten, making the diet more practical for everyday dieters). 

Thousands of people are losing weight each week using this new diet.

You can begin using this new diet right here.

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Are Low Carb Diets Good or Bad for Weight Loss Success?

Everybody has heard of “low carb” diets — since they are emerging as the newest trend in dieting.

But do they really work? …And if so, are they the solution to weight loss that everybody is looking for?

We don’t think so, because most low carb diets have several problems which make losing weight very difficult for the “average” dieter.

For example, if you follow the Atkins diet (a popular low carb program) then the restriction on carbs for the first couple weeks is very severe (by almost any standards).

The Atkins program allows just 20 grams of “net carbs” per day during the first phase of the diet (which usually lasts for 2 weeks).

Just to give you an idea of how few carbs that really is – even a large apple has more than 20 grams of “net carbs”.

This low level of carbs is often too severe for the “average” dieter to tolerate for 2 weeks straight, and in fact eating such a low level of carbs can make a person feel “weak” and “miserable” all day long (because your body needs more carbs than that for energy).

Other low carb diets (such as the South Beach Diet) are not quite as severe as the Atkins Plan, but in our opinion even the South Beach Diet is not as easy to follow as it could be.

We believe that a successful diet needs to be easy to follow – because that’s the only way that people will stick to the diet and lose weight.

We believe that diets should not make average people feel “miserable” and “weak” all day long, because if a diet makes people feel miserable and weak then it’s going to be very difficult for average dieters to adhere to such programs.

We’re not saying that all low carb diets are as restrictive as the Atkins Diet is, but we’re saying that most low carb diets are so hard to follow that “average dieters” will probably wind up feeling hungry and weak all day long (which is not a good thing for dieting success in our opinion).

We believe that “low carbs” is not the answer to losing weight, since your body needs a reasonable amount of all 3 types of calories to lose weight consistently (protein, carbs, and fat).

The truth is that your body needs a reasonable amount of protein, carbs and fat calories too.

To lose weight quickly you must eat all 3 types of calories in the right proportions, and that’s why most dieters fail. They fail because nobody knows what the right proportions of calories should be.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Idiot Proof Diet shown below — since there are no specific “portion limits” at any meal (and dieters can eat as much as they need to at each meal).   Also, unlimited amounts of certain condiments can be eaten with every meal.

This is a brand new type of diet never seen before.

You can begin this new diet right here.

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Why Calorie Counting Doesn’t Work for Weight Loss…

Most people believe that calories are the “enemy”, since eating excess calories leads to excess fat, right?   That’s why most people believe that the fastest way to lose weight is to cut way back on calories each day.

After all, if a dieter is eating 2,500 calories per day and they decide to cut back to 1,500 calories per day – then obviously those extra 1,000 calories have to result in weight loss, right?

Well, actually this is not exactly true.

In fact, if you try to cut your calories too much (via starving yourself and skipping meals) then you’ll quickly reach a dieting “plateau” (a point where the scale refuses to drop any lower no matter how little your are eating).

Firstly, let’s talk about how the average person begins a new diet…

The scenario usually sounds something like this…

One day you look in the mirror and see that your clothes are fitting tighter than normal, and you look more overweight than normal. …And on this day you get “angry” with yourself, you’re angry with what you see in the mirror – and you decide that you’re going to lose weight no matter what it takes.

You are filled with lots of motivation and anger on this day, and you feel determined to do whatever it takes to get slimmer.

So what’s the first thing you do?

…You begin skipping meals and cutting way back on calories in an attempt to starve yourself thinner, since you’re convinced that calories are the enemy.

Anyway, the above scenario is how you begin your “starvation diet.”

On the first day of dieting you feel so “motivated” to lose weight that you decide to skip breakfast.

Unfortunately, this motivation doesn’t last for long, because after a few hours your hunger begins making you feel weak — because your body is not accustomed to “skipping meals” like this, and your body is not accustomed to being without calories for so long.

Anyway, by the time lunchtime arrives you’re so hungry (and weak) that you feel absolutely miserable — but yet you bravely tell yourself that you can handle this diet (because after all, you certainly don’t want to feel like a quitter).

So you perhaps have a piece of fruit for lunch (or perhaps another small food item instead), since you’re still convinced that you can starve yourself thinner.

Finally, hours later when dinnertime arrives you’re so miserable and hungry that you have a major headache – and this is the moment when you finally begin to realize that starving yourself might not be such a good idea after all.

After this first day of starving yourself you feel horrible, but you’re determined to stick to your diet since you don’t want to be a quitter so soon — so you’ll likely hold out for another few days on this diet.

Or, if you are particularly brave then you may even hold out for a week or two.

However, regardless of how long you actually hold out — you won’t get any slimmer and the final result will still be the same.

You see, even after two weeks of starving yourself you won’t have achieved any serious weight loss at all.  In fact, your body will still look the same when you look in the mirror.

Why is this true?

This is true because most of the weight lost during a “starvation diet” is just water weight, and not real fat loss.

You must remember that any “water weight” lost during a starvation diet will be gained back immediately when you stop dieting and start eating normally again.

Also, whenever you starve yourself you cause a “hidden” factor to come into play…

You see, whenever you starve yourself your body will begin burning fewer calories each day.

For instance, let’s say that you normally eat about 3,,000 calories per day.

….But then you suddenly cut way back on calories — so that you’re now eating only 1,000 calories per day.

Guess what happens?

Even though you’re eating 2,000 fewer calories per day your body will begin burning 2,000 fewer calories per day – so in reality your weight will remain the same even though you’re eating 2,000 fewer calories per day.

When this happens the scale will stop going down regardless of how little you are eating each day, and this is known as a weight loss “plateau.”

This is why most starvation dieters cannot make the scale go down anymore after just two weeks of dieting. They all hit a “plateau” where the scale just refuses to go down any further, no matter how little they are eating each day.

Now you know why you’ve always failed when trying to starve yourself in the past, since it’s just not possible to lose weight by starving yourself.

The truth is that “serious” weight loss can never be achieved by starvation dieting.

Serious weight loss can only be achieved by giving your body the right types of calories at the correct times each day, which is something that we talk about below…

Your body is actually like a big “engine” — and the truth is that your body needs all 3 types of calories (protein, carbs, and fat) to some degree.

To begin losing weight fast we recommend using the new Idiot Proof Diet from Fat Loss 4 Idiots — because it does not require any calorie counting (it’s one of the only diets in the world which forces fast weight loss without the need to count calories).

You can begin this new diet right here.

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The Zone Diet vs. Jenny Craig Weight Loss

Our Review of these 2 programs:

The Zone Diet is based on the theory of 40/30/30 — which means that 40% of calories should be from carbs, 30% from protein, and 30% from fats.  This program was created by Barry Sears……and a well known book was published about this diet called “Enter the Zone”.

So when a dieter eats a meal which is “40/30/30”  — then it’s referred to as a “Zone Favorable” meal.

The author of the Zone Program (Barry Sears) claims that if you make all meals “Zone Favorable” then your body will have reduced insulin levels, which will lead to weight loss and fat burning. 

However, we do not agree that eating a 40/30/30 meal (Zone Favorable meal) is the best way to reduce insulin levels.

Also, another thing to remember is that it can be difficult to follow the Zone Diet because everything must be calculated “precisely” at every meal (and most people will find such calculations very tedious, especially people with busy schedules). 

We believe that average dieters may find this program too difficult to use for any serious length of time, and therefore we do not like the Zone Diet program.

The makers of this diet have even created their own line of Zone Favorable Food products (such as Zone bars, Zone Shakes, and other Zone products for dieters). 

But of course, such products cost much more than “average food” costs……so many average dieters may discover that buying such products is not economical for them.  This is yet one more reason why we do not recommend using this program.

The Jenny Craig weight loss program is a bit more traditional and simple in our opinion, though it probably costs a bit too much for the average person (it’s also a little too basic in its principles, in our opinion).

This entire diet seems to be based on eating fewer calories while exercising more, which is a very old concept.  With Jenny Craig you get assigned your own weight loss expert (nutrition counselor) who will help to keep you motivated each week so that you’ll remain on the diet.

This is possible because Jenny Craig has many weight loss centers throughout the world, and if dieters live close to a facility then they can choose to meet with a nutrition consultant “in person”.   Or, if dieters do not live near a facility then they can choose to meet with their nutrition counselor “via telephone” each week.

…But regardless of whether you meet with your nutrition consultant via telephone or in person — you’ll still have to buy Jenny Craig’s expensive “pre-packaged” meals.  That’s the downside of this diet program in our opinion, since you have to continually buy Jenny’s pre-packaged meals (which are fairly expensive when compared to normal meals).

From everything we’ve seen these pre-packaged meals seem to be lower calorie versions of normal meals, so they don’t seem to be anything too earth shattering or special (from our perspective). 

So with Jenny Craig you’ll basically be eating fewer calories (smaller portioned meals) and exercising more while meeting weekly with a nutrition counselor (who will keep you motivated so that you don’t quit the diet).

Plus, don’t forget that you’ll be required to buy Jenny Craig’s pre-packaged food every single week — which can be expensive over time.  

So overall we don’t think that it’s smart to use the Jenny Craig program, since any diet that requires you to continually spend money for “special meals” is not a good choice in our opinion.

When we compare the Zone Diet to Jenny Craig we find that both programs have too many negative qualities to recommend — though the Zone Program is probably just a tad better in our opinion. 

But overall we strongly recommend against both of these weight loss programs.

END OF REVIEW.

If you want to lose 9 lbs. every 11 Days then read about this new diet right here.

Learn the details of the Idiot Proof Diet.

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Lose 45 lbs in just 29 days! – 100 lbs in 60 Days!

New Breakthrough Secret discovered by lady doctor has other doctors baffled!

Find out how Dr Suzanne Gudakunst discovered how calories, carbs, and such have far less to do with the real reason you’re fat and can’t seem to lose weight regardless of what you do!

It is currently available at:

=> Dr Suzanne Gudakunst discovery

But hurry as lobbyist want her secret forever banned because it threatens the food & drug companies’ continued stronghold on the masses in order for them to remain rich at the cost of YOUR health!

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The Real Truth behind Organic Foods

Many people are unaware of what organic food really is.  It seems that everywhere we go now, someone is promoting something that is “organic”.  Are these foods worth your time and money?

It almost seems like some people are afraid of organic food. Could this be possible? Are people afraid that eating one morsel of organic food is going to somehow instantly initiate them into the organic food cult where you’re only allowed to wear sandals made from tree bark and deodorant is prohibited?

I swear I have had people say to me “Well, you can’t be that organic because you wear make-up and you don’t smell.”

What? That’s not what organic means at all!  All it means is that the food or the product has been grown the way mother nature intended: without the use of chemicals, pesticides, herbicides and fungicides. In other words, naturally!

Are some people afraid of the price? Organic does not automatically mean “break the bank”. Many times when I compare the price of the organic food versus the conventional food, they are only a few cents different. In the case of the bag of organic carrots I bought today for my lunch, they were the exact same price as the conventional ones. Imagine that!

If anything about the word “organic” makes you want to jump and run the other way, be sure to read my previous blog post “Is there such a thing as Cheap Organic Food?”

It will help you understand exactly why organic food is all the rave these days and what you can do to make organic living easy, simple and not so scary!

Get started on your own fat loss and health goals right away with these Simple and Easy Healthy Meal Plans.

Stay up to date on the most current nutrition and health information here:  The Best Diet Info.

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3 Simple, Healthy Meal Plans You Can Start Right Now

Is it possible to put together a simple and healthy meal plan?  One that is not going to be complicated and hard to follow?  Yes.  It is possible and I will show you how.   The healthy meal plans below will help you achieve your health goals while simultaneously shedding fat off your body.

Here are 3 healthy meal plans you can get started on right now.

Breakfast

Protein should be included in every meal throughout the day and breakfast is no exception.  Make sure to include organic eggs, cottage cheese, raw nut butter or smoked fish as one component of your healthy breakfast.  Carbohydrates should also be included in the form of oatmeal, sprouted grain bread, fruit and/or vegetables.

3 great sample breakfasts are:

Oatmeal with almond butter, topped with fresh berries and a bit of Stevia to sweeten.

2 hard boiled eggs, 1 slice sprouted grain toast and ½ grapefruit

Smoked salmon over sliced tomato and 1 green apple

Lunch

The same rules apply as breakfast.  An easy way to ensure that you always have a healthy protein available for lunch is to pack leftovers from dinner the night before.  Leftover hamburger, chicken legs or wild fish are all great to include in a salad or over vegetables.

3 great sample lunches are:

Baked Tilapia over sautéed spinach, green salad with chick peas (oil and vinegar as dressing) followed by  ½ cup of pineapple.

Leftover chicken legs with ½ sweet potato and broccoli.

Lean hamburger over portabella mushroom and brown rice.  Cooked vegetables or a green salad.  1 orange.

Dinner

You can really be creative with dinner.  Look for recipes that are quick and easy and modify them with your own healthy ingredients as needed.  Again, always remember to include protein and carbohydrates.

3 great sample dinners are:

Mexican salad: Ground beef over shredded lettuce and tomato, guacamole and brown rice.

Grilled Salmon over asparagus, green salad (oil and vinegar as dressing) followed by a  fresh fruit salad.

Buffalo meat balls over rice pasta with sautéed broccoli.

Snacks

You never want to let your body get too hungry.  Hunger often leads to binge eating of unhealthy food and makes sticking to a healthy eating regimen much more difficult.  It’s important to keep snacks handy so you never experience hunger or a blood sugar low without having a healthy option nearby.

3 great snacks are:

2 Tbsp almond butter on ½ apple

Trail mix made up of walnuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and dried fruit (no sugar added)

Cottage cheese and pineapple

Incorporate just a few of these meals into your daily eating regimen and you will see an incredible difference in your weight loss results.  Following simple and healthy meal plans like these is the first step in achieving your health and fitness goals.

 To get started right away on your own fat loss goals , download these Simple and Healthy Meal Plans right now.

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Coffee: Good or Bad for your Health?

Is your morning coffee an ok option on your healthy eating plan?  If coffee really bad for you or is it actually good?

I get these questions about coffee and health all the time and as a coffee drinker myself, it is smart to take a look at both the good and the bad. 

Now, I’m not here to tell you that coffee is good for you. If I did, I would be telling only the good side of the story and I’m no politician. I am here to give you the good and the bad and tell you how you can incorporate your favorite coffee or tea into your healthy meal plan.

The Ugly Side of Caffeine

Most coffee and tea contains a lot of caffeine. This is usually the primary reason people make coffee their drink of choice in the morning. Caffeine is a drug like any other and comes with a long list of side effects. Have you ever tried not having your coffee in the morning? Yeah, pass the Excedrin, right? The headache that comes on when you try and kick this habit can be brutal (just like with other drugs) and creating a dependency and addiction like this is harmful to the body.

Second, coffee is extremely acidic. Our bodies function at optimum levels when they are slightly more alkaline (the opposite of acidic). It is best for us to greatly reduce any foods that will drive our body’s pH to be more acidic and eat more foods that are alkaline (like fruits and veggies). An acidic body pH is like a magnet for all kinds of illnesses. Also, an alkaline body has a much stronger immune system, making illness much less likely.

Last but not least, the caffeine in coffee and tea is abuse to your adrenal glands. Your adrenals release your “fight or flight” hormones basically giving you a nice “boost” when needed. Unfortunately, people who drink coffee all day long are consistently beating on their adrenals. This is the equivalent of whipping a tired horse even when he is exhausted. Eventually he will not move at all.

The Pretty Side of Caffeine

Coffee tastes oh so yummy and makes me feel great in the morning. (What? Is that not a good enough reason to drink it?)

Many studies have shown that coffee can help in the prevention and treatment of diseases and illnesses as varied as Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, liver disease, skin cancer, Parkinsons’s disease and more. Although, I don’t believe coffee would be the cure all to any of these diseases, many ancient cultures did rely on the coffee bean to cure a long list of ailments. Not to mention, small doses of caffeine can increase performance and mental focus.

Green tea is also a great drink to include with a long list of benefits. If nothing else, green tea is a wonderful source of antioxidants which are important in cancer prevention. Green tea has even been found to raise metabolism and aid in fat burning. Before you go take a green tea bath, its effects are really minor when compared to the effects of sound nutrition and exercise plans. Now that I’ve said that, don’t think you can eat junk food and just wash it down with green tea!

What is a coffee and tea drinker to do?

1. Limit your coffee and tea intake to 2 – 8 oz cups per day. No, not 2 of each, 2 total. Any more than that is considered as a heavy addict. (I know. I’ve been there).

2. If you are currently dependent on a lot of caffeine each day, replace 1 or 2 cups of coffee with green tea instead. Green tea has much less caffeine than coffee and will help combat the ugly detox symptoms.

3. Do not jack up your coffee with sugar, milk, syrup and whip cream (So I guess that means no Starbucks, huh?). Use stevia or xylitol to sweeten and avoid all the empty, harmful calories. A teaspoon of half and half won’t hurt either. Please oh please, do not use any of those flavored creamers. They are closer to someone’s chemistry experiment than they are to real food.

4. Make sure to make your food choices healthy. Avoiding other acidic foods like sugar, artificial sweeteners and processed foods will lighten the acid load on the body.

5. Make sure the coffee you drink is organic. Conventional coffee is filled with pesticides and chemicals and should be avoided at all costs.

There is no need to give up your morning coffee but it is important to drink the right types of coffee, without the added unhealthy extras and, as with most things, in moderation.

Get started on your own weight loss goals right away with these Healthy Weight Loss Meal Plans.

Keep up to date with the Best Diet Information on Isabel’s Blog.

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Healthy Eating On A Budget

Contrary to popular belief, healthy eating does not have to inflict damage to your wallet.   In challenging economic times, many people tend to go for the “cheapest” food options and sometimes these options are far from healthy. 

Just recently I put myself on a serious “budget” and of course this meant a “food budget” as well.  

 Below are the simple steps I took to continue to live our healthy lifestyle while saving a few dollars in the process.

 1.    I drastically cut out eating out.  It’s shocking to discover how much you are really spending by buying a quick pizza and ordering quick take out every once in a while.  What we often don’t realize is that every once in a while is much more often than we think.   I am now cooking at home a lot more and discovering quick, easy and delicious recipes that cost very little when made at home.  Now I am no chef by any means but it’s amazing what you can put together in 20 minutes or less by just getting a bit creative and seeking out new recipes.

 2.    I am now packing my lunch.  I often take leftovers from the night before and put them together in a salad or a sandwich. I was spending an average of $10-$15 each day on lunch and taking my lunch instead will save me over $280 a month.

 3.    Bargain shop.  I have become a master of seeking out the sale.  I know which grocery stores will put their fruits and vegetables on sale and where I can get the best bargains.  If the weather permits, I always go to the local farmers markets to get fresh fruit and veggies.  Not only will you save a ton of money at a farmers market, the produce is fresh and delicious.

 4.    I have learned to love and embrace leftovers.  It is amazing what you can do with leftovers once you get a bit creative.  Don’t let food go to waste.  Use leftovers from the night before for lunch or re-heat for dinner.

 5.    Cut out the expensive junk food.  It’s shocking how expensive cereal, crackers and packaged snacks are.  You can get 10x’s more for your money and value by buying plain oatmeal, making your own bread, and snacking on fresh fruit.

 Healthy eating does not have to break the bank.  Find good deals, learn to embrace cooking and discover the power of the leftover and you will be well on your way to a healthy, cost effective eating plan.

Get started on your own Fat Loss and Healthy eating plan right away with these Simple and Healthy Meal Plans.

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Skinny Guy’s Guide To Creatine

What is creatine? How do I take creatine? What are the side effects of creatine? What is the best creatine? Unless you just arrived from another planet, you should know that when it comes to muscle building supplements, creatine is the king!

To date, creatine has proven to be the most research-proven sport supplement on the market to day. Creatine has collected hundreds of clinical studies that show increased lean muscle mass, improved energy levels, increased muscle strength and size and improved exercise performance. There is even a new batch of research showing creatine supplementation having a significant effect on memory and intelligence, as well as immune function. Bigger, smarter and healthier, not that’s a solid combo!
What is creatine?

Creatine acts by supporting the reproduction of ATP (fancy term for energy) in muscle tissue resulting in cell volumization which can create a more optimistic cellular environment for muscle growth. By having more energy reserves in the muscle tissue, you now have the ability to train harder at higher intensities. This means more reps, more sets, heavier loads, more explosive power and quicker recovery. Each of these stimulus are key requirements for continual muscle growth. Creatine is simply a mechanism that allows you to work harder and out do your previous workouts.

How do I take creatine?

To load or not to load, that is the question! You have three research-proven options to choose from. Each method will appeal depending on a variety of reasons:

· Method 1: Six day load at 20 grams a day plus a maintenance of 2-3 grams a day afterward.

· Method 2: 3-5 grams a day for the long term.

It was once thought, that a loading phase was required to maximize the effects of creatine but there is countless research that shows you don’t have to go through all the hassle of loading. This will appeal to the individual who experiences gastrointestinal upset, diarrhea and other problems with higher dosages.

Personally, I have found the best time to take creatine is 15 minutes BEFORE a workout and AFTER a workout with a liquid protein and carbohydrate drink. As well as first thing in the morning on non-training days.

What kind of creatine should I buy?

With all the fancy bell and whistle creatine supplements out there, a lot of people of forgotten about simple, powdered creatine. All you need to know that the best creatine manufactured is sold to companies in the form of Creapure. So as long as you see the that the creatine bottle you have bought, as Creapure as their source of creatine, that’s the good stuff.

There has much debate about creatine purity and it is not accepted that not all creatine is created equal.

Creatine ethyl ester is a new form of creatine. It is made up of a creatine, alcohol and acid meaning the absorption rate into the tissue is better. Manufacturers claim it does not cause bloating, cramping or stomach discomfort and gets into the muscle faster resulting in better results. Due to it’s chemical structure, it might result in greater stress on the liver. Although it does seem to have potential, wait for more research and rely on the time-tested powdered creatine.

Should I take creatine with sugar?

Stimulating insulin release by consuming high amounts of sugar has been shown to enhance the transport and uptake of of creatine into the muscle tissue. However, insulin is also responsible for fat storage. Therefore my recommendation would be to only consume your creatine with simple carbohydrates if it is before or after your workout. On non-training days, creatine would be be better shuttled using insulin mimicking compounds like alpha lipoic acid and D-pintol which can help improve creatine transport and retention without the excess sugars.

Conclusion

Creatine, is by far the king of the jungle when it comes to muscle building supplements. I have only included the information I believe to be the most critical and useful. Your take home message is to use powdered creatine, year round before and after your training workout and in the morning on your non-training days. Make sure your creatine says Creapure and don’t get caught up wasting any more time or sleep on the academic debate associated with creatine use. Just do it!

Everything you need to know about muscle building