The Protein Breakdown: Amino Acids

   Protein, you need more protein. You need ALL the protein. Dr. Atkins said so. Then he died of a heart attack. Ok, so maybe you need some other things along with all that protein. Protein is extremely important though. To clarify, all the macronutrients (Carbs, Fats, and Proteins) are important, and so are your micronutrients (vitamins, water, minerals) to keep the body in perfect working order. It can all be extremely overwhelming though and I feel like you hear about protein SO MUCH. So I wanted to break it down a bit for you. Mind you, I knew the basics and had a general understanding, but I spent a solid few days on researching this to bring all of you the most accurate information. I'll be leaving the really super-duper big words out and chemistry behind it all, because my job is to help it make sense, not make you want to crawl into a hole of despair.
    I'm sure you've heard about whey isolate protein, protein powder, BCAA's, glutamine, etc. If you haven't, you are living under a rock and we aren't friends because I'm over here putting Slap Nutrition Protein Powder in EVERYTHING. We will return to that topic though. For the longest time I was very anti- any supplement of any kind and said just eat a balanced diet. A balanced diet is still very important, the most important actually, but sometimes you just can't get all of your daily nutritional needs from food when you have very specific goals. Before I start anything though, I research. I ask questions. I learn. I understand. I try. I bring the information to you.

    Protein Basics: Proteins are the building blocks of the body. They build muscle, enzymes, help in hormone production, they do a lot. They are a Macro for a reason. Proteins are the building blocks of many bodily functions. Amino Acids are the building blocks of protein.

   Amino Acids: There are 20 total; essential and non- essential (sometimes called dispensable), and there are conditionally essential. Essential amino acids CANNOT be made by the body, therefore they have to be ingested. There are 9 of these. Ready for some big words? You don't need to remember these, but I will go over some of them in more detail.

   Essential Amino Acids: Phenylalanine, Valine, Threonine, Tryptophan, Methionine, Leucine, Isoleucine, Lysine, and Histidine. I know, I know. You have probably now lost interest. Keep reading. Many of these are precursors to building hormones and neurotransmitters. Some interesting facts: Methionine helps to fight stress and decrease the chance of your hair graying.
    Leucine, Isoleucine, and Valine make up your BCAA's (Branched Chain Amino Acids; how many of you have been popping those pills not even knowing??). Leucine is the ONLY amino acid that can stimulate muscle protein synthesis and regulate cell growth, which is why it's huge among body builders and the like. Want a BCAA, look for a 4:1:1 ratio of Leucine, isolucine, and valine. Keep in mind, to break down and be able to use leucine and isoleucine you need Biotin/ vitamin B7 or it's just floating around in the body, not building your biceps for flex Friday. Biotin can be found in intestinal bacteria and is produced plentifully, so put down that bottle the guy at GNC is telling you that you need. Unless your doctor has told you are Biotin deficient, you have enough. 
   Lysine is important in surgery and injury recovery (I ate a lot of protein while recovering from ACL surgery for this very reason!) and increases your Calcium absorption, elastin and collagen, and assists in hormone, enzyme, and antioxidant production. Histidine can also be converted to an antioxidant. Antioxidants fight free radicals that can often cause signs of aging and sometimes breakdown DNA and lead to cancer and disease.

   Non-Essential: There are 11 proteins your body can manufacture all on it's own magical self. A few of these can be considered "conditionally essential", such as in premature babies or people undergoing severe catabolic stress (disease, cancer, etc.) and need to be ingested. The conditionally essential are: arginine, cysteine, glycine, glutamine, proline, and tyrosine. The ones your body will make no matter the circumstances are: serine, alanine, aspartic acid, asparagine, and glutamic acid.
   Arginine is important because it is involved in cell division, wound healing, hormone release, immune function, and removing ammonia from the body. Glycine can help improve the quality of your sleep. Tyrosine is a precursor to the creator of your Thyroid hormone, which can influence your weight and other aspects of your health.
   Alanine helps create ATP (energy to pick things up and put things down!). Asparagine does a lot for brain development and function.

   All of the amino acids are important. But before you run to your nearest supplement store and buy a bottle of each, sit back down. Protein is plentiful in so many foods. Complete proteins are considered protein sources that have all the essential amino acids and are almost always found in animal protein but also in Quinoa and Soy. Incomplete proteins often need to be paired with others to create a complete protein. Feeling overwhelmed? I know. Moral of the story; eat a variety of foods. Beans, turkey, chicken, eggs, milk legumes, etc and you will be all set. Whey protein is an abundant mixture of BCAA's so you don't necessarily need to be taking BCAA supplements and washing it down with your protein shake. There is also such a thing as protein toxicity. Protein has a Nitrogen attached to it (I know, I promised no Chemistry!) and the body breaks this off and it goes through a chemical process and creates ketones and urea. The body rids itself of urea and ammonia but if you become dehydrated or are just consuming way too much protein, ketones can build up. Ketones can be extremely harmful to the body, they are a waste product for a reason. Always aim for a balanced diet full of variety to ensure you are getting all of the nutrients your body needs for optimal performance.

   I hope this helped! I know I enjoyed researching it. But I'm a nerd. Looking for a protein to supplement with? Try Slap Nutrition; WeSlap.com. They don't use artificial flavors, and only have 4 ingredients with really yummy flavors. They are also lactose, gluten, and soy free for those of you with allergies. And I represent them so you get a discount! LTIPFIT gets you 10% off your whole order. I have every single thing they offer and I love it all. Want more? Check out athleticnutrients.com for a wider selection of nutritional supplements. I work with them too; LTIPOFF10 for 10% off your order with them. I'm all about the good stuff, and would never represent a company I don't trust or believe in and they all get heavily researched by yours truly :)
   If you have more questions, feel free to email me, ltip.fit@gmail.com!

EAT YOUR EGGS!

Beachbody Bullshit

      Warning: this will piss off a lot of people and I don't care. It's a daily struggle to be a personal trainer, let alone with a college degree in kinesiology and exercise science, like yours truly. What struggle? Constant nonsense flooding the market telling people their product will make them skinny. My newest pet peeve, Beachbody coaches. 

    It is not necessarily the people in general I dislike, it's how they're portraying themselves. I know many Beachbody coaches, and I also know none of them have an actual educational background in health, fitness, or nutrition. They're selling a product. Does it work? I guess, in a way, but it's not teaching you to change your lifestyle. It's a "quick fix". Everyone wants a little blue pill to make losing weight easy, but let's face it, that's not how life works-- unless you want a little blue pill to make things hard, that they have! But I'm not here to endorse Viagra (unless they want to pay me?!). 

   Becoming healthy requires a complete lifestyle change. It will be hard but it will be worth it. Gimmicks like nutrisystem and Beachbody are not lifestyle changes because it's not realistic to maintain it for a long time; it's expensive, for one. If you can afford to make that your lifestyle, call me, give me your money instead! Or marry me, either one works. It's also stagnant, there's little room for error or change. 

    I know I would much rather live my life and plan my exercise and meals around the adventure of life. There's much more variety and freedom, not to mention taste. Why have a gross milkshake when you can have a real one?! I'm sure Beachbody coaches across the country will come riot outside my door-- so I'm asking fellow trainers, dietitians, professionals who learned and earned to back me up! Figuratively, of course, I only have 1 couch to sleep on. Beachbody, insanity, p90x, nutrisystem, etc are a product, not backed by FDA offering a quick fix, not a healthy life. Don't even ask me about how many injuries I've seen from insanity launching, we will be here all day. Coaches need ZERO background in exercise or nutrition, but they're selling you that? This alone should make you wary. I have watched one too many "Beachbody coach" videos with their awkward and terrible form inflicting the minds of those new to getting healthy. They're popping up with nutrition and shake recipes but can't even begin to explain how it works because they don't need to know nutrition. They need to know how to market and how to sell. They don't know squat about the biomechanics of... Let's say, a squat! Or how to modify that push-up due to a previous risk fracture. You have a list of medications? They don't know what any of those are for or how they might react with your food. These reasons are why I passionately urge people to seek out professionals! Not look for the easy or cheapest health plan. You have one life- ONE. It's worth the extra few bucks, don't you think? As you can see: it's all about business. 

   Eating real foods, working activity and exercise into your daily routine, and choosing to take care of yourself are how you create a lifestyle change and there are so many of us out here with the tools and knowledge to help you reach your goals realistically and safely, not to mention enjoyably! All I'm saying is do your research! Education and knowledge will always get you much further than the "quick fix"! Check out my last blog about clean eating and IIFYM (macro counting) these aren't gimmicks- simply a better way to view your food. Food is fuel, fuel your body with the real & healthy to perform at peak levels! 

Macros vs. Clean Eating

   Diet fads will unfortunately, never fade, but they have made A LOT of progress. Who remembers the Atkins Diet, the Paleo Diet, the only drink lemon water diet?! I do. Ridiculous. Don't ever do those. You should NEVER remove an entire macronutrient category from your diet. Period. Now the big contenders are the clean eaters and the macro eaters. Which side to chose?! Neither. Both. Find a middle ground. Don't know what I'm talking about to begin with; let me explain. First, what is a macronutrient you ask? Carbs, Protein, Fat.

   Clean Eating: this trend says NO to processed foods. You eat often, you try to eat organic. And it already lost a ton of peoples interest. Who has time for that? No one. Would it be ideal? Absolutely. Is it realistic though? Not so much. Things I like about Clean Eating: bulk up your healthy foods; produce, fresh fish and meat, fresh dairy.

All the colors should be in your meal plan! 

   Macro Counting: then along came IIFYM, (if it fits your macros) which does a lot of math to find your body's perfect balance of fat, carbs, and proteins for your specific goals. Math I'm not fond of, but having proven scientific parameters, I like. The problem is, the macro plan lets you eat ANYTHING as long as it fits your macros. It claims the body doesn't know the difference between a cheeseburger and fresh salmon filet with rice and broccoli. That is where they are wrong. There are so many other things going on besides just your macronutrients, including healthy fats, chemicals, hormones, the list goes on. So while some people are on the macro diet, they are taking serious advantage of it. What I like about this plan the most? It's more flexible and realistic. There are going to be times you go out to eat or you really, truly need that cookie and this eating plan allows you to have that without guilt.

They're not- don't take advantage! 

   Find the balance. Don't take advantage of one or you'll make no progress. Weight loss should never be your goal; Performance should be the goal and weight loss the outcome. Whether you are an athlete who has to be at peak performance or not, don't you want to wake up every day feeling like you can take on the world?? If you fill your day with junk, you will be junk. If you fill your day with healthy, filling foods you will be happy and healthy.

The Ultimate Eating Plan (this better make me famous):
1. Be aware of what you eat. Are most of your meals coming from a drive through, delivery man, or box? Learn to cook! It'll be the best thing you ever do for your health.
2. Know your body's needs for what you want to achieve. Trying to lose or gain weight? The meal plan your neighbor is on might not fit you. Get help (from me!) to get your macros personalized to you.
3. Eat as many whole and fresh foods as you can. This is a DUH statement. Your body needs energy, vitamins, minerals, and your macros to perform at it's peak. Real food is going to give you everything you need.
4. Variety and activity are key. Don't be a couch potato and don't eat the same thing every single day.
5. Know your portion sizes. Buy a food scale. Just do it. Use it. Read labels, measure things, log them. It may seem like a pain but after a few weeks you won't need to hold the scale's hand to figure out what you can and can't eat. Retrain your brain and body.
6. Drink tea. See past blog. It's good for you and calorie free but has flavor. Go stock up.

Oh you speak right to my soul! 

Questions? Email me! ltip.fit@gmail.com

Coffee! And Why it's Good for You!

   So as a newbie to the coffee addict world, I'm dedicating this blog post to the benefits of it. I used to never understand it, it was so bitter and people were zombies without it. Then one day, after many years of being a barista, I finally found a coffee drink I could tolerate on occasion. Three weeks later, here I am, sucking the liquid goodness down to function. At first I was slightly upset for getting away from black tea (it's so healthy for you!) but it just doesn't pack the same punch as coffee for me. My newest problem? I like the fancy-frilly flavorful sugary latte variety. But I'm experimenting to find the healthiest way to deal with this new addiction!
   Coffee has a ton of antioxidants. These antioxidants fight against free radicals in the body who are on a war path of destruction to your cells. The list is long, so I'll summarize in a picture!

Those antioxidants are the things in coffee helping to prevent all those diseases. Coffee also boosts your metabolism. Now most of you may not be drinking it only for the health benefits but more for the ZING it gives you. Coffee has also been shown to not only increase energy, but to make a person more alert and focused. Ingested 1-2 hours before exercise, it has a super effect on your performance.
   Now with anything good for you, there is a bad side. Coffee can increase anxiety levels if you are already an anxious person. It can interfere with sleep cycles, and it can raise your blood pressure, especially if you already have high blood pressure. Most experts and doctors agree that 5-6 cups a day should be the limit. Personally, I don't know how you drink that much coffee, but if you think in serving sizes, a Venti Coffee would be 2 1/2 servings in one cup, so I suppose some people would have no problem exceeding a safe and healthy amount of coffee!
    Also, jut to clarify, by coffee, I mean the black and plain variety. Having a latte, cappuccino, mocha, etc changes things. Now you're adding milk, syrup (SUGAR) and calories. Am I hating? NOPE. I'm on a mission to make a healthy mocha that tastes good but doesn't kill my macros and calories for the day. Use skim milk, and have it as plain as you can. This is my struggle- I love the flavors! But I am training myself to enjoy coffee flavor and not simply mask it. Maybe in a month I can drink plain coffee with just a bit of creamer but until then I'm on the espresso train!
   Keep your eyes peeled on my fb and instagram accounts for my healthy-espresso approved recipes! Also try almond and coconut milk instead of regular. Try new things!! I am :D

High Altitude Training Risks and Benefits

   Ltip Fitness has moved to Colorado! Denver, the mile high city, to be exact! So to celebrate, I'm going to blog about the benefits of exercising at a high altitude, as well as warn you of potential risks. Some of you may have heard that exercising at a higher altitude can increase your training capabilities. Many athletes utilize this, and the Olympic Training Center isn't located in Denver for no reason.
   As the altitude increases, the air thins and while the oxygen content is the same as it is at sea level, the barometric pressure is less. Your body might signal this by your ears popping. The decrease in barometric pressure decreases the pressure in the lungs, making your bodies oxygen delivery system work at a sub par level. Luckily, the body adapts! While you don't have less oxygen, you have less hemoglobin saturation; your red blood cells can't hold as many oxygen molecules as they usually can, making transporting oxygen to the muscles more difficult. The body deals with this by signaling to your kidneys the decrease in oxygen saturation, and the kidneys say "make more blood!" by releasing a hormone called Erythropoietin. The release of that hormone tells the bone marrow to make more blood cells. More red blood cells = more cells to carry oxygen. This takes the body 7-14 days. (Ever heard of blood doping, similar idea... hmm maybe I'll do a blog on ergogenic aids?!) While adapting to the altitude change, your body does this fairly quickly (or you would die) but the effects are much longer lasting, hence the saying live high, train low.
    Living at a higher altitude has also shown an increase in Mitochondria, the power house of the cell, and an increased threshold for lactic acid so you feel the burn later than you usually would! Again, these changes take a few weeks. Adjusting to the altitude has risks as well that you should be aware of.
    Risks associated with higher altitude are altitude sickness, which can feel like the flu or a hangover, dehydration, headache, dry skin (not a serious risk, but a bothersome one!), high altitude pulmonary edema which is a fluid build up in the lungs, and high altitude cerebral edema which is fluid buildup in the brain.
   Like I said, the body adapts but you have to give it time to acclimate to these changes. I wouldn't recommend you live at sea level and decide you are going to climb Mt. Everest tomorrow. You prepare for these things. Coming to visit me? Don't worry-- I will provide you with lots of water and I never have an asthma inhaler far away! I've luckily only gotten one headache since moving here, but I think I was ultimately dehydrated. I drank as much water as I could get my hands on and felt much better! It's a win-win, you drink more water and you let your body adapt to be awesome!

The Skinny on Society

   Our society shapes so much of our lives that it's getting out of control. Everywhere you look, there is an ad or social media telling you how to look, how to dress, how to eat, how to live. The problem is, so much of this is created by marketing departments to sell you a product. They don't want to better your life. They want to make money. Everyone needs more, bigger, better. They need to be skinnier, have bigger boobs, and a thigh gap. Why? Because society tells you so. Because that is what's popular and pretty. WRONG! What should be promoted is being healthy. Even if you are not the healthiest, just making healthy choices is a step in the right direction. What should be promoted is real images and products-- no gimmicks.
   This blog has been a long time coming, but after the VS Fashion Show, and the onslaught of statuses and pictures of the models with captions "starting my Angel diet tomorrow!" I just became utterly disgusted. Those models are a size 0. For most people, that's not a healthy weight. For some, who are naturally just petite, that's one thing. Women who are 5'7 shouldn't weigh 110 pounds though. So just a reminder, for those who get caught up and forget, because these days it's so easy to believe what you see and read; pictures of models are photoshopped. Not to mention those people won the genetic lottery, but being pretty is their career. They have the time, and money, to spend on chefs who create special meals and the time and money to spend on personal trainers for hours on end each week. Then they have people contour and edit their looks, to make them more appealing. It's unrealistic. Yet people are striving for it, failing, and becoming frustrated. Last time I checked, no instagram filter is creating these effects. Stop beating yourself up over

something you can't possibly become; strive to be better than the person you were yesterday, no somebody else.
    There is truth in the phrase "Love Yourself". Everyone has flaws, but everyone is also unique in their own way. Don't stress over the flaws only you are seeing; embrace the uniqueness. Rock what you got!
   Be realistic. If you don't love what you see in the mirror every day, change it. But set small goals that you can reach. Remind yourself you are doing this for you, not so you can try to transform yourself into someone else. Me personally, I envy athletes. Especially now, while I'm on injury reserve and I can barely walk around. I don't envy their looks or their fame; I envy their dedication, self discipline, and raw talent. I watch sporting events like the Olympics in complete Awe, and it makes me want to set goals for myself. I know I'll never become an Olympic gymnast, but I can vow to stretch every day and try to push for those extra few minutes during my run. My point is, don't try to change and become something you aren't and can't be. Be a better version of yourself.
   Also, stop buying into everything you see. Ads these days have experts working behind the scenes to sell you that product. So the commercial with Beyonce drinking a Pepsi or Kate Upton and Paris Hilton eating cheeseburgers- do you really think those women do that? They don't. They endorse those companies because they are paid to. Marketing magic knows we idolize celebrities, and they buy them to sell you their product. Ever see a commercial that just get's your mouth watering, only to run out, buy the burger, and be sadly disappointed and with a stomach ache? More marketing magic. They beef up the beef (pun intended, I can be funny, too!) to make it look simply delectable. But any cheeseburger that costs a measly few dollars should make you wonder what kind of beef, and how much, they're really using. I've worked for many restaurants as a chef, and many real restaurants either hire professional photographers to photograph their food, or they don't use them on the menu. Want to know why? It's hard to capture food in an appetizing way sometimes. Nothing should come close to looking as good as the real deal. Look below; how they market their food, vs what it actually looks like when you get it in real life. Take a step back from the media, from society, and stop buying into their tricks. Research things, learn things. The more you know, the more prepared you are to be healthy, and happy.

How they market their food

Crossfit < Functional Multi-Purpose Exercises

   Everyone who does Crossfit, loves crossfit. It's all they talk about. Almost any exercise science professional, strength coach, personal trainer, or biomechanist will also have a strong opinion about it; it's dangerous. So you're torn and don't know what to do? I'm here to help.
   The basics of Crossfit are to lift as heavy as you can, as fast as you can. I personally don't see a need to complete a ton of 200 lb. deadlifts in a matter of moments. Your spine doesn't see a need for this either. While it does increase strength and overall fitness, it's also breaking down a lot too and the risk for injury is extremely high. Don't believe me? Look at your Crossfitting friends; covered in bruises or bloodied hands. Watch the Crossfit Games; everyone is wrapped in Kinesiotape. Kinesiotape is not a fashion statement. Look at their form; it's usually terrible. And my last argument against Crossfit; is anyone actually getting any better looking?! Let's be honest, most people exercise not only to be healthy, but because they like the way it makes them look and feel. I've seen many friends join the Crossfit craze, and if they're lucky enough to not become injured, I'm not noticing any weight loss. So you can lift 150 pounds over your head, awesome. But I still see that spare tire under your shirt. There's a lot to losing weight, more than just exercising, but if you're hitting the Crossfit gym every day, you should be seeing some weight loss. In my personal experience, coupled with what I've learned over the years being an exercise science major at Towson University, Crossfit is an injury waiting to happen. You also have to watch out for Rhabdomyolsis; which is where you break down your muscles to the point they start to poison you. I'm definitely not joking when I say Rhabdo can kill you.
   Now to be fair, not all Crossfit people are the devils. Most Crossfit gyms don't teach proper form first, and there lies the biggest problem. If you are an experienced exerciser, try it out, see if you like it. My guess is you might like the structure and the high calorie burn, but not much else.

The picture that inspired the blog. Exercise shouldn't cause this much damage.

   So what should you do? Functional or multi purpose or neuromuscular training. They're all the same thing, just with multiple names. Functional exercises is working out for real life situations. So while your Crossfit friend can deadlift 200 pounds, do they even really need to be able to do that on a day to day basis? Think of it this way... have you ever tried to get a 25 pound toddler out of carseat from a two door car? It's a damn challenge. Functional training makes tasks like that, easier. Functional training teaches your muscles to work together rather than isolated, as you might train them in the gym. You can curl all day, but can you pick a box up and put it onto a high shelf without any trouble?
   In functional fitness, you're not using a machine to do any of the work for you. It's not bracing your back or core while you sit in a seat or creating a perfect lever-system world. It uses your own body weight a lot, and your balance. You'd be surprised how sometimes just your body weight is too much. For example, can you do a one-legged squat? If you're thinking you'll never be in that situation in real life, think again. While I hope none of you experience a lower extremity injury, I recently had ACL surgery (that I tore not doing anything exercise related! It was a complete freak accident involving a piggy back ride) and I can't tell you how many times I've had to do a one-legged squat motion because my left leg is all but dragging around uselessly.
   Another perk to functional exercises; they challenge the brain a lot more. The harder you work your brain, the healthier it stays. It's been medically proven. Form is of course important in functional exercises too, and while you don't do much high intensity and you don't train to fail, you still get a great workout. I started doing functional training last summer and not only did I burn 800+ calories in under an hour, but I got a full body workout. Everything was a little sore, but few times was I so sore that I couldn't function (pun intended!) or use that body part. Functional training has now been added into ACSM (American College of Sports Medicine) as a recommendation to do at least twice a week. Does ACSM endorse Crossfit? Nope. I could go on for hours debating the two but none of us have time to exercise, let alone read that never-ending article.
   Before you start any exercise program, you should do your research, and talk to your doctor. Everyone has their own opinions so get as many as you can. Find what works best for you, and start down the lifestyle path to health in the best way possible.