Most people are not aware that there are two types of vitamin D, and they are not interchangeable. In fact if you are taking vitamin D2 it could do you more harm than good.

A recent meta-analysis looked at mortality rates for people who supplemented their diets with D2 versus those who did so with D3, highlighting the significant differences between the two.

The analysis of 50 randomized controlled trials, which included a total of 94,000 participants, showed:

A six percent relative risk reduction among those who used vitamin D3, and A two percent relative risk increase among those who used D2.

Vitamin D3 is an important supplement for overall health but make sure you are taking D3 rather than D2.

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If you suffer from mood swings and constant stress you may want to consider phenylalanine and tyrosine, the amino acid precursors of neurotransmitters and neurohormones.

Phenylalanine is one of eight essential amino acids. Both phenylalanine and its derivative tyrosine, are precursors of the neurotransmitters dopamine, norepinephrine and epinephrine. These neurotransmitters are known as “catecholamines” because of their adrenaline-like effects in the brain and body. Dopamine mediates many forms of motivated behavior and motor function, while epinephrine and norepinephrine modulate the “fight-or-fight” mechanism.

Neurotransmitters are chemicals that are released at nerve endings in the brain where one nerve cell is close to another. They allow messages to pass from one cell to the next and are essential for communication between cells. A balance between neurotransmitters that excite and those that are calming maintains healthy brain function. Parkinson’s disease, for example, is caused by an imbalance of the neurotransmitter dopamine in specific areas of the brain.

Additionally, tyrosine functions as an “adaptogen” by relieving the physical symptoms of stress, such as high blood pressure, mood swings, and anxiety. In one study, 23 male U.S. Army personnel, aged 18-20 years were exposed to extreme weather conditions. On the first test day, half the group were supplemented with L-tyrosine while the other half got a placebo. On a second test day, the groups were switched so that the tyrosine supplemented group received a placebo. The other half of the group now received tyrosine. Tyrosine significantly reduced many of adverse behavioral effects produced by exposure to cold and lack of oxygen at high altitude. These included headache, coldness, distress, fatigue, muscular discomfort, and sleepiness.

I have to start out by saying I am definitely excited about this product as I have used it several times with excellent results. Every other sleep supplement that I have ever used has fallen into one of two categories. One being products that are not effective and two being products that work but leave you feeling drowsy or hung over in the morning. This is the first product that actually worked without any type of “hangover” effect. Specifically the product helped me fall asleep and stay asleep without waking up in the middle of the night and in the morning I felt rested.

Below is a breakdown of the key components of Sleep Revolution and what each one does.

L-theanine creates a sense of relaxation via at least two different mechanisms. First, this amino acid directly stimulates the production of alpha brain waves, creating a state of deep relaxation. Second, L-theanine is involved in the formation of the inhibitory neurotransmitter, gamma amino butyric acid (GABA). GABA influences the levels of two other neurotransmitters, dopamine and serotonin, producing the relaxation effect.

Additional human clinical research suggests that L-theanine may have application in improving the quality of sleep, improving learning performance, heightening mental acuity, promoting concentration, reducing negative side effects of caffeine and supporting the immune system.

(GABA) is an amino acid found mainly in the human brain and eyes. It is considered an inhibitory neurotransmitter, which means it regulates brain and nerve cell activity by inhibiting the number of neurons firing in the brain. GABA is referred to as the “brain’s natural calming agent”, by inhibiting over-stimulation of the brain, GABA may help promote relaxation and ease nervous tension. GABA is also helpful in promoting sleep for those who have difficulty sleeping.

Melatonin is a hormone produced naturally in the pineal gland at the base of the brain. It is important in regulating sleep, and may play a role in maintaining circadian rhythm, the body’s natural time clock. Natural melatonin production decreases with age, and the decrease is associated with some sleep disorders, particularly in the elderly.

Whether you believe in evolution or creationism, one fact remains: human beings were designed to move from the ground up.

In the health club/nautilus culture, machines were designed with the intention of working every major muscle group in an isolated way with the theory that fitness is achieved by the collective summation of the parts of the body. Functional training takes an oppositional stance of the body acting as a whole and disregarding the strength of a single muscle group over others.

The invention of these machines has led to a host of exercises where the feet are no longer in contact with the ground (ie. leg extensions and leg curls). Excessive use of these machines creates strength where the focus of that strength is not at the point of contact with the ground, but at a point around the ankle. This creates unnatural or unbalanced torque on the knee. Exercises of this type are called “open chain” because the direction of force is not at the farthest point of the lever arm (ie. hand or foot). ”Closed chain” exercises are by definition the opposite, and maintain the foot in contact with the ground. Squats, lunges and even leg curls on a stability or medicine ball are all examples of closed chain exercises.

Jaime Gamache M.Ed., CSCS, is Owner and Head Strength Coach of The Way Human Performance Institute ( www.thewayhpi.com and www.facebook.com/pages/The-Way-Human-Performance-Institute/117742824954659 )

Australian researchers published a long-term weight loss study in healthy adult overweight women (BMI initially ~32).

In this study, they followed 79 women for more than a year to see how protein influences weight loss and compliance to a dietary program.

Women who followed a high protein diet lost MORE weight and more fat than those that ate the high carb diet. Protein intake was inversely related to weight and fat loss such that for those that ate more protein lost an average of 14 lbs and 10 lbs of fat compared to those that ate less protein (and more carbs) who lost 7 lbs and 5 lbs of fat over the course of a year. Body composition was measured by DEXA, the gold standard for body comp assessment. After 64 weeks, body fat was higher in those that ate more carbohydrate and lower in those that ate more protein. The same was seen for belly fat – more belly fat in those that ate a higher carb diet compared to the higher protein diet.

There’s no shortage of whey products on the market, but unfortunately most of them will NOT give you the health benefits associated with high-quality whey.Most whey proteins are processed from ultra pasteurized milk and many are exposed to acid processing. Heat and acid damages the protein and makes it insoluble in water. Many cheap whey protein products are produced from acid cheese; they’re byproducts of acid processing, which is a cheap way to separate whey from the curd. Most of these whey products are rated below pet foods because of the inferior quality of the protein, which is actually more of a nitrogen waste product than one that will produce health benefits that are associated with whey.

In order to make these powders soluble in water they must add chemical flavors and detergents to restore flavor and solubility. 

Overheated whey protein is a clearly an inferior form of whey that also changes its molecular shape. If you have taken biochemistry you will be familiar with optical isomers. Proteins in foods and in your body are in the L form, but processing used to produce some whey products produces damaging D optical isomers, which are not designed to be in your body. Depositing this D protein in your bone, brain and muscle is associated with accelerated aging. Accumulation of D proteins in the brain has been linked to Alzheimer’s and Parkinson.

If you are looking for a high quality whey and a good value stick with trusted brands like Optimum Health’s Pro Complete 40 or Intek Evolution Protein.

What is cleansing?
The body is capable of self-cleansing but modern lifestyles can overwhelm it with toxins causing weight gain, cellulite, and all forms of skin problems to appear. People who understand cleansing, eat nutritious food and periodically use a Detox product which makes cleansing easy. Think of it like sweeping a floor. Detox gently sweeps the digestive tract helping to eliminate any unwanted buildup or toxins that have accumulated in the body.How often should I Detox?
It varies with the individual. People with specific weight loss goals generally do 3 or 4 days per week or every other week until they achieve their goal. Those who wish to maintain, or gradually improve, their weight or overall health, generally decide on a pattern: several days a week, 7 to 10 days a month, etc.

What is in Detox and Cleanse?
Detox and Cleanse is a blend of 12 herbs, which is consumed in a capsule form. It is designed to help the body cleanse itself by supporting the liver, kidneys and colon.

What is the connection between Detox and Cleanse and weight loss?
Detox and Cleanse makes cleansing easy-you feel neither hunger nor discomfort.
The extended period without hunger or cravings breaks bad eating habits.
In other words, Detox aids in short-term weight loss through cleansing, and long-term weight loss because we no longer desire the foods which caused weight gain in the first place.

The name of the game in pre-workout products seems to be stimulants and more of them. But can too much be a bad thing? This depends on the person and you need to monitor how you feel both during your workouts as well as throughout the day. If you are feeling chronically tired, having mood swings, or a reduction in sex drive you may want to consider adjusting the dose of stimulants you are consuming. The main culprit for the negative effects is geranium extract which is listed in many products as 1,3-dimethylamylamine. Don’t misunderstand me; I am not saying this ingredient doesn’t work or that it doesn’t have its place. I have personally had some great workouts while using it. I am just trying to make the end user aware of some of the potential negative effects which may be experienced by some people. If you have experiencing any of these problems we recommend taking 2-3 days off and getting some extra sleep and then starting back up with a pre-workout that is using caffeine rather then geranium (1,3-dimethylamylamine). Also keep in mind that because these products are allowing you to train harder you may need more days off and possibly extra sleep to recover. It only makes sense that if you are taxing your body to a greater extent that recovery becomes that much more important. You should also be taking a good post workout recovery product like AfterGlow.

Proteins provide the body critical amino acids that serve as building blocks for the formation of new muscle. But not all dietary proteins are equal. The major proteins in milk are casein and whey. These two milk proteins are both excellent sources of all the essential amino acids, but they differ in one important aspect-whey is a fast-digesting protein and casein is a slow-digesting protein.

Whey stimulates protein synthesis
Fast-digesting whey means it is emptied from the stomach quickly, resulting in a rapid and large increase in plasma amino acids. This translates into a quick but transient increase in protein synthesis, while protein breakdown is not affected. Whey also has higher levels of leucine, a potent amino acid that stimulates protein synthesis. Whey protein is superior at augmenting protein synthesis rapidly, but this positive effect is short-lived. Consuming repeated doses of whey allows for sustained high levels of blood amino acids and repeated bursts of protein synthesis that provide superior effects on muscle protein balance.

Casein offers a positive protein balance
Casein is the most abundant protein in milk. It is relatively insoluble and tends to form structures called micelles that increase solubility in water. During the processing of milk, which usually involves heat or acid, the casein peptides and micelle structure become disturbed or denatured to form simpler structures. As a result, a gelatinous material is formed. This is the basis for why casein has a slower rate of digestion, and results in a slow but steady release of amino acids into circulation.

In one study, researchers gave healthy subjects 30 grams of either whey protein or casein protein and made several measures of the anabolic and catabolic effect for 7 hours after the meal. Whey protein resulted in a rapid increase in blood amino acids and protein synthesis, but it was short-lived. Casein, on the other hand, resulted in a prolonged increase in blood amino acids that resulted in a 34% reduction in protein breakdown. The net protein balance remained more positive after intake of casein protein over a 7-hour period. The superior long-lasting effect of casein was attributed to a delayed gastric emptying and slower absorption rate from the gastrointestinal tract to the blood.

Whey and casein are better together
Since whey rapidly increases protein synthesis and casein blocks protein breakdown, a combination of both would be ideal.

A recent study compared the effects of supplementing with either a combination whey and casein protein versus carbohydrate on several markers of muscle anabolism during strength training. Untrained men participated in a 10-week resistance training program and either supplemented with 40 grams of carbohydrate or 40 grams of protein containing a mixture of whey and casein. Half of the supplements were consumed one hour before and then immediately after exercise on workout days. The results were overwhelmingly positive for the combination protein group. Despite similar background diets and identical training programs, supplementation with protein resulted in greater increases in several measures of muscle anabolism, including greater increases in lean muscle mass, thigh muscle mass, muscle strength, anabolic hormones and muscle specific proteins.

In a similar study that lasted 14 weeks, untrained men performed resistance training and received either 25 grams of carbohydrate or 25 grams of a combination whey and casein protein one hour before and immediately after exercise. The combination protein group had significantly greater increases in muscle fiber size compared to the carbohydrate group. These studies provide strong evidence that a combination protein consumed before and after workouts increases muscle size.

Fish Oil Supplements Can Fight Depression

Adults with major depression without anxiety may find serious benefit from omega-3 fish oil supplements, according to a new study (J Clin Psychiatry. ePub 15 June 2010. DOI: 10.4088/JCP.10m05966blu). Researchers from McGill University recruited adult outpatients (n=432) with major depressive episode (MDE, per Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview) lasting at least four weeks for the double blind, randomized, controlled, eight-week, parallel-group trial; 40.3 percent of subjects were taking antidepressants at baseline. Subjects received fish oil supplements containing 1,050 mg/d of eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and 150 mg/d of docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) or a matched sunflower oil placebo. Primary outcome was the self-report Inventory of Depressive Symptomatology (IDS-SR30); secondary outcome was the clinician-rated Montgomery-Åsberg Depression Rating Scale (MADRS).

The studies major finds show that fish oils may be able to help combat depression as well or better than prescription medications.