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Paulo

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Posts by Zenovia Iancovici:

Debunking the Protein Myth: Facts vs. Fiction

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Introduction: Debunking the Protein Myth


Protein is often praised as a vital nutrient for building muscle, feeling full, and staying healthy. But what if you’re actually eating more protein than necessary? In this post, we challenge common beliefs about protein consumption and emphasize the importance of balance.

The Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA):
The widely recommended daily protein intake is around 0.8 grams per kilogram of body weight. However, this is a minimum requirement to prevent deficiency, not an optimal amount for everyone.

Quality Over Quantity:
Not all proteins are the same. Animal sources like meat, eggs, and dairy are complete proteins, while plant-based options like legumes, quinoa, and tofu provide different essential amino acids. Variety is key.

Protein Timing and Distribution:
To maximize benefits, spread protein intake throughout the day. Incorporate protein-rich foods into every meal and snack, rather than having one large protein-heavy meal.

Protein Needs and Individual Variability:
Protein requirements vary based on age, activity level, muscle mass, and health. Athletes, pregnant women, and those recovering from injuries may need more protein. Consult a professional to determine your ideal intake.

The Role of Excess Protein:
Too much protein can strain the kidneys, cause dehydration, and disrupt nutrient balance. Focus on a balanced diet with moderate protein, while also including fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and healthy fats.

Conclusion:
Protein is important for health, but blindly following generic recommendations without considering individual needs and other factors can lead to unnecessary excess. Find a balanced approach that suits you and promotes overall well-being. Let’s challenge the protein myth and nourish our bodies wisely.

Macro specific nutrition plan

The best homemade sports drink recipe

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The best homemade sports drink recipe

Benefits: It not only aids in hydration, but provides carbohydrates for energy and electrolytes (primarily potassium and sodium) to replace losses in sweat.Contains various vitamins & minerals.



Did you know… Muscle comprises of up to 75% water. This means if you are dehydrated, your muscles can’t contract at their peak levels.
This can negatively impact your strength and speed making your performance suffer and putting you at great risk of injury.

Your regular diet can replace the small amounts you lose through normal activity. However,for exercise longer than 1 hour (or when you are sweating a lot, like some forms of hot yoga),you will need to replace a bit more.

 

High protein feel good snack

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Only 4 ingredients!

You will need: 1/2 cup coconut or almond flour
                           1 cup peanut butter powder
                           1/3 cup maple syrup or agave nectar
                           3-4 tablespoons dark chocolate chips
                           coconut flakes ( optional)

  • Place all ingredients in a large mixing bowl and stir to combine.
  • Once combined, use a small cookie scoop to scoop and form the dough into balls.
  • Refrigerate for 30 minutes

Can be stored in the fridge up to one week or two months in the freezer.

                Enjoy!

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High protein feel good snack

Stretching exercises for balance and posture improvement

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quadriceps

  • TECHNIQUE

    Place your right foot on the edge of the bed and kneel on the opposite leg.
    Keep your glutes engaged and torso up nice and tall.
    Push your hips forward making sure your upper body is in a straight line.
    Hold this position for 30 seconds (you can increase the time for up to 90 seconds) on each side and repeat.

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Thoracic spine & lats

  • TECHNIQUE

    Kneel in front of the bed and place your elbows up on the bed about shoulder-width apart. Kneel far enough from the bed that you have room to sit back and drop your chest through your arms to extend your spine.

    Then with your elbows on the bed, sit your butt back and relax your chest and head over, pressing your chest toward the ground so that you feel a nice stretch down your triceps and lats as well as through your thoracic spine. Try to extend your back as much as possible as you drop your chest toward the ground between your arms. Try to get your biceps by your ears as you extend your spine.

    You can either hold here and breathe, relaxing deeper into the stretch as you hold or you can perform repetitions, trying to stretch further each time you repeat the stretch.

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lower back and sides

  • TECHNIQUE
    Kneel on the ground and raise one arm. Then rotate your shoulders and middle back while looking upwards. Keep your arm pointing straight upwards and follow your hand with your eyes. This will help to further extend the stretch into your neck. Hold the stretch position for a minimum of 20 seconds and then repeat with the opposite arm.

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Homemade high protein pancakes

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Homemade high protein pancakes

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 Eggs
  • 2 scoops Whey Protein powder
  • 1 teaspoon Baking powder
  • 1 cup Water or Almond milk
  • Cooking spray, butter, or coconut oil for greasing the pan

INSTRUCTIONS

  • Place a non-stick skillet on the stove over medium heat.  Spray with cooking spray or use butter or coconut oil and let melt.  
  • Mix the eggs, protein powder, and baking powder in a large bowl. Add the water or almond milk a little at a time until the batter is pancake batter consistency. You may not need all of the water.
  • Using a 1/3 cup measure, pour out the batter into the skillet.  I was able to make 3 at a time.  They are ready to flip when bubble start to form on the top.
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How to Stretch Properly

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When to Stretch

As most of you may know, it is important to stretch both before and after exercise.
But when else should we stretch and what type of stretching is best for a particular purpose?
Here are some suggestions for when to use the different types of stretches:
For warming up, dynamic stretching is the most effective, while for cooling-down, static, passive, or PNF stretching is best. For improving range of movement, try PNF and active isolated stretching; for rehabilitation, a combination of PNF, isometric, and active stretching will give the best results.

So when else should we stretch?
Stretch periodically throughout the entire day. Its is a great way to keep loose and to help ease the stress of everyday life.

Sequence

When starting a stretching program it is a good idea to start with a general range of stretches for the entire body, instead of just a select few.
The idea of this is to reduce overall muscle tension and to increase the mobility of our joints and limbs.
The next step should be to increase overall flexibility by starting to extend the muscles and tendons beyond their normal range of movement. Following this,we work on specific areas that are tight or important for our particular sport.
Once we have advanced beyond improving our overall flexibility and are working on improving the range of movement of specific muscles, or muscle groups, it is important to isolate those muscles during our stretching routines.
To do this,concentrate on only one muscle group at a time.

Hold, Count, Repeat

For how long should I hold each stretch?
How often should I stretch?
For how long should I stretch?


“For how long should I hold each stretch?”
This question causes most conflict.Some text will tell us that as little as 10 seconds is enough. This is a bare minimum: 10 seconds is only just enough time for the muscles to relax and start to lengthen.
For any real benefit to our flexibility we should hold each stretch for at least 20-30 seconds.


“How often should I stretch?”
The beginner should stretch each muscle group 2-3 times. However, if we are involved at a more advanced level in our sport we should stretch each muscle group 3-5 times.


“For how long should I stretch?”
For the beginner, about 5-10 minutes is enough, and for the professional athlete, anything up to two hours. If we feel that we are somewhere between the beginner and the professional, we should adjust the time we spend stretching accordingly.

Please do not be impatient with stretching. Nobody can get fit in a couple of weeks, so do not expect miracles from a stretching routine.
Looking long term, some muscle groups may need a minimum of three months of intense stretching to see any real improvement.
So stick with it- it is well worth the effort.

Posture

Posture, or alignment, while stretching is one of the most neglected aspects of flexibility training.
It is important to be aware of how crucial it can be to the overall benefits of our stretching.
Bad posture and incorrect technique can cause imbalances in the muscles that can lead to injury, while proper posture will insure that the targeted muscle group receives the best possible stretch.

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Muscle gain and fat loss

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Is it posible to build muscle and lose fat simultaneously?

Hi everyone,
For those of you following me on Facebook and/or Instagram, you will already know the answer to this question is No.

Building muscle requires a greater amount of calorie intake which, in combination with exercise leads to an increase in muscle but also an increase in body fat(To lose fat, you need to be in a calorie deficit. To gain muscle, you need to be in a calorie surplus).
There are people who are able to achieve this and these are the Newbies. When you first start weight training, your body is highly responsive and can add muscle very quickly as well as shed fat at the same time. In short, if you haven’t touched a weight in your life, you’re going to have a much easier time dropping fat and replacing it with muscle. But as you get leaner, things become progressively more difficult.
This can also be done if you use illegal substances such as steroids.

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Diet & Nutrition Advice

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In order to live, grow and to protect us from various diseases, we need a good, nutritious diet. Nutrition is found in various types of food. Everyone wishes for themselves and their family to remain in good health. A healthy family also makes a healthy and strong homestead. Besides this, you can also help others to be strong. If the family is sick it needs constant expense and can cause much worry. A good, nutritious and balanced diet helps to protect and release the family from sickness. A nutritious diet is not just available from expensive foods. We can also obtain and prepare a nutritious diet from easily available local and even wild foods.

This chapter gives information about what foods are needed for our bodies, where these foods are available, and simple ways of increasing the quality of our diets.

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DID YOU KNOW?

Healthy fats such as those found in meat, dairy, olive oil, avocados, and various seeds and nuts, help your body better absorb other nutrients, nourish the nervous system and maintain cell structures.

(And ladies, healthy fats are very important in helping to regulate your hormone levels.)

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Diet & Nutrition Advice
Diet & Nutrition Advice