وبلاگ

THE IMPORTANCE OF BCAA’S FOR MUSCLE CONSTRUCTION

29 Sep 2018 By admin

BCAA’s (Branched Chain Amino Acids) are three essential amino acids that are not produced by our body (L-Valine, L-Leucine and L-Isoleucine), and about one third of muscle proteins are composed of these branched chain amino acids ( BCAA’s). Hence its great importance mainly for those who practice physical activities.

THE IMPORTANCE OF BCAA’S FOR MUSCLE CONSTRUCTION
Muscle building is dependent on specific training for that purpose. Muscle adaptation and development depend on the balance between protein synthesis and degradation, naturally present in these workouts. To promote muscle growth, we must focus on maximizing synthesis and minimizing muscle breakdown. For this, it is important to maintain an adequate nutritional and energy intake, in order to optimize muscle adaptations.

Protein intake, especially BCAA’s, has been shown to have positive effects on sports performance, which is why these amino acids have become a very popular supplement among athletes.

BCAA’s (Branched-Chain Amino Acids) are branched-chain amino acids, namely leucine, isoleucine and valine. They are considered essential amino acids, since they are not synthesized by our body, having to be obtained through food. The foods with the highest presence of BCAA’s are animal foods, meat, fish, eggs, milk and dairy products, legumes and nuts. In order to enrich our intake of BCAA’s, we can find them in supplements in isolation or through whey protein.

Its benefit for physical performance can occur for several reasons, but especially for its stimulating action of muscle protein synthesis, since the ingestion of simple carbohydrates in the presence of protein (in particular the amino acid leucine), greatly increases the insulin levels after physical exercise, which in the presence of amino acids, leads to a stimulation of hypertrophy and muscle strength. On the other hand, BCAA’s play an important role in preventing muscle protein breakdown and reducing the markers of muscle damage induced by physical exercise. In addition to this role at the muscle level, BCAAS’s can interfere with the transport of tryptophan to the brain, reducing the synthesis of serotonin and consequently reducing the feeling of fatigue.

The intake of BCAA’s in view of these goals, should be done essentially after training. The amount must be defined according to the food and / or supplementary intake that is made concurrently.

The Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics, Dietitians of Canada in collaboration with the American College of Sports Medicine recommends a protein intake of 0.25-0.3g / kg body weight or 15-25g protein, especially of high biological value, immediately after the activity. In order to obtain maximum gains for muscle protein synthesis and recovery, it is recommended to ingest 2-3 g of leucine after training.

The best sources of BCAA’s are foods with high biological value protein, namely milk and dairy products, lean meat, egg and food supplements that provide proteins isolated from whey, casein, soy and egg.

ALTERNATIVES TO WHEAT FLOUR

29 Sep 2018 By admin

Cada vez mais existe uma tendência para procurar alternativas à farinha de trigo, seja por razões de intolerância, seja simplesmente pela vontade de ter alimentação variada.

O trigo é um grão muito utilizado na nossa alimentação, bem como na indústria alimentar para produção de alimentos com uma elevada taxa de consumo. Alimentos como o pão, cereais matinais, biscoitos, bolos, bolachas, panquecas, pizzas, massas, doces, sobremesas, molhos, sopas, temperos, carnes processadas e refeições pré-prontas são alguns exemplos de produtos com a sua presença.

O consumo de trigo é bastante elevado e não há necessidade de o restringir sem uma indicação de alergia ou intolerância. Ainda assim, existe cada vez mais a preocupação de apresentar uma variedade na dieta, e isso tem-nos levado a procurar bons substitutos deste alimento. De facto, há muitos alimentos que podem ser usados como substitutos de trigo e que proporcionam variedade às refeições e permitem atingir os nutrientes necessários à nossa dieta.

ALTERNATIVAS À FARINHA DE TRIGO

Como alternativas à farinha de trigo, podemos usar vários tipo de farinha, nomeadamente de cevada, feijão, trigo sarraceno, milho, quinoa, lentilha, ervilha, batata, arroz, soja, aveia, coco e tapioca.

Este tipo de farinhas apresentam, na generalidade, um menor índice glicémico que a farinha de trigo, para além de conterem mais nutrientes, nomeadamente fibra, vitaminas do complexo B, ácido fólico, omega-3, vitamina E, selénio e cobre. Estas diferenças conferem-lhes benefícios ao nível do funcionamento intestinal, da saciedade entre refeições, ajudando a controlar o apetite, e da manutenção do peso saudável como parte integrante de uma dieta e estilo de vida saudáveis.

As farinhas isentas de trigo têm diferentes propriedades de cozedura em relação à farinha de trigo. Contudo, existem excelentes opções de biscoitos, bolos, bolachas, panquecas, molhos, entre outros alimentos, nos quais podemos substituir a farinha de trigo.

Por exemplo, para confeccionar molhos, podemos usar uma dessas farinhas sem trigo, sendo que para conseguirmos uma textura mais cremosa podemos optar por farinha de milho, de arroz ou de batata. Por outro lado, para os alimentos mais utilizados em lanches e snacks, a farinha mais aplicada é a de aveia, pela sua versatilidade e pelo elevado número de receitas disponíveis. Para estas opções podemos também usar a farinha de quinoa, apesar de ter um sabor muito acentuado, a farinha de coco e a de trigo sarraceno, normalmente usada em combinação com a farinha de arroz. Outra aplicação destas farinhas é o polme dos panados. Podemos fazer excelentes panados com farinha de quinoa e farinha de coco por exemplo. Para reforçarmos as nossas refeições, nomeadamente os cereais, a granola, os smoothies, os batidos, podemos acrescentar uma pequena quantidade deste tipo de farinhas. A mais utilizada para este efeito é a de coco pelo seu sabor adocicado.

Na aplicação destas farinhas, pode ser necessário em algumas receitas, ter uma maior precisão com os pesos e medidas dos ingredientes. Pode usar fermento sem trigo disponível na maioria dos supermercados ou lojas de alimentos biológicos, para conseguir o efeito desejado. A goma xantana é também um ingrediente útil, pois quando é adicionada às farinhas sem trigo, melhora a textura e ajuda a ligar a mistura entre farinhas.

São inúmeras as opções e alimentos que podemos confeccionar com este tipo de farinhas sem trigo. A sua aplicação é importante para quem tem doença celíaca, intolerância ou alergia ao trigo. No entanto, quem não sofre destas condições poderá ter uma maior variedade alimentar, sem obrigar à eliminação da farinha de trigo.

BENEFITS OF DRIED FRUIT

29 Sep 2018 By admin

Do you know the benefits of nuts? Dried fruits can be a useful strategy for all of us, as they promote the nutritional enrichment of our food. Find out about its benefits and if you haven’t included them in your meal plan, now is the time!

BENEFITS OF DRIED FRUIT
Oilseed dried fruits, commonly called dried fruits, include foods such as hazelnut, walnut, almond, peanut, chestnut, cashew nut, pine nut, pistachio, among others. Dried fruits have small differences in their nutritional profile. However, there is no ideal dry fruit, each offers its own benefits. Almonds have more fiber than cashews, nuts more healthy fat than hazelnuts, peanuts more vitamin E than walnuts … But none is distinctly superior to the other. As a general rule, dried fruits have a similar nutritional composition, characteristic of a good fatty acid profile (low saturated fats – “bad” fats and high mono and polyunsaturated fats – “good” fats), low hydrate content carbon, source of vegetable protein, fiber, phytosterols, polyphenols, vitamins and minerals. Their nutritional profile gives them several health benefits, applicable to healthy individuals as well as to people with comorbidities (type 2 diabetes mellitus, high blood pressure, obesity, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular diseases). So, instead of getting stuck trying to choose the best dried fruit, how about we choose the variety to achieve a variety of nutrients, flavors and protective attributes for health?

It is known that the moderate intake of these foods (a handful per day – 30g), as part of a healthy diet, can improve the risk factors associated with heart disease, including dyslipidemia, high blood pressure and obesity. Its consumption is associated with a reduction in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol (“bad cholesterol”) and triglycerides and an increase in HDL cholesterol (“good cholesterol”). Various investigations have shown that when eaten alone, that is, independently, dried fruits have a little pronounced effect on the increase of blood glucose levels after ingestion (postprandial glycemia). On the other hand, when consumed together with foods rich in carbohydrates, they decrease the increase in blood glucose levels, normally provided by these foods. Thus, it is accepted that dried fruits are options with an important role in the control and weight loss.

Dried fruits in sport

In sport, we often have a love-hate relationship with nuts. We like them very much for their nutritional profile, but we avoid them because we have the feeling that they promote weight gain, due to their fat content. However, nuts do not only provide calories, they provide us with many nutrients that are difficult to obtain from processed foods. In addition, they give us satiety until the next meal. Therefore, consumed in moderate doses as part of a healthy diet, they are important dietary sources for professional and recreational athletes, as they help in controlling weight and body composition, without any nutritional deficits. In addition to their inclusion throughout the day, nuts can be used as recovery foods, due to their composition of protein, antioxidants and healthy fats.

In this way, dried fruits can be a useful strategy for all of us, as they promote the nutritional enrichment of our food. So, enjoy the dried fruits in moderate portions, as an integral part of your daily life.

Try Eu Nutrition’s range of organic nuts (almonds, hazelnuts, cashews and walnuts). Their biological certification gives them excellent quality. Organic dried fruits have a natural development that respects the time of growth and harvest, providing a higher nutritional content of vitamins, minerals and omega 3, which in turn, promotes a better flavor to these foods.

0 WooCommerce Floating Cart

No products in the cart.

X