Phytonutrients: Your Key to Optimal Health

Whether you are trying to shed winter weight or kick-start your training regimen, phytonutrients are essential in your health plan.  I’m sure you’ve heard of them in various forms like carotenoids in carrots, lycopene in tomatoes, or isoflavones in soybeans.  Not only are these nutrients packed with powerful antioxidants, but they have amazing disease fighting properties as well.  There are still thousands of phytonutrients that have not even been studied or discovered to their full extent.  In past research, the thought was that vitamins and minerals were the “cancer protective” component of food.  But, as the studies unfolded, people receiving beta-carotene did not produce a lower risk of cancer at all.  It was then, that scientists realized that there is more to food than just vitamins and minerals…there are phytonutrients.  To get the full benefit of each nutrient it’s a good idea to go organic; eliminating herbicides and pesticides.  The table below shows a small glimpse of the most prominent known phytonutrients. [read more...]

Nutrient Timing

Nutrient timing seems to be the buzz word around town, so let’s take a look at what it’s all about.  For starters, I’m sure most of you have heard about the importance of whole grains, eating smaller, more frequent meals, and keeping your sugar intake low.  This is all true, but there is a time and place for sugar and maximizing your muscle recovery as well as sustaining a better performance during and after exercise.  Each athlete is different, some need more protein than others, some need more carbohydrate, but there are some similarities in the optimal recovery for all types.[read more...]