Health Matters : Whey Protein and it’s Benefits

Whey is a truly amazing supplement, because not only has it been proven to help build muscle, improve physical performance, sharpen mind, enhance circulatory system function, but it also has potent anti-aging effects and improves motivation. Another incredible effect that Whey Protein has on the body is that it enhances the production of the body’s most powerful anti-oxidant — Glutathione. It also has the highest levels of branch-chain amino acids, which boosts the immune system functioning.

Inadequate protein consumption is linked to many conditions such as osteoporosis, weak immune system, fragile soft nails, thinning hair, wrinkled skin, lack of muscle tone, sagging chin, breast cancer, edema, urinary incontinence, hormonal dysfunction, heart problems, poor wound healing, increased aging, hypoglycemia, poor digestion and even depression due to lack of serotonin.

Whey protein is an excellent choice for individuals of all ages who value the role of diet in helping maintain and improve their health.

Adding Protein To Your Diet

1. Can help create macronutrient balance for weight management

2. Helps curb the appetite by slowing the transport of nutrients through the gut.

3. Builds lean muscle mass, increasing metabolism, strength and well-being.

Whey protein is a soluble, very easy to digest protein. Since it is in a powdered form, it is also very useful when you need a quick fix.

It is especially useful in the mornings. Your muscles will be craving for more food in the morning since most of the time you won’t have eaten since dinner. Having a protein shake prior to or alongside breakfast will satisfy your muscles quickly and allow them to continue to rebuild as well as dampening hunger drive later in the day.

Other Key Benefits 

1. Boosts memory

2. Relieves depression and insomnia

3. Rebuilds cartilage in bone

4. Helps lower blood pressure

5. Promotes healthy insulin secretion

6. Reduces overall sensation of pain

7. Directly boosts the immune system because it contains immunoglobulins

Protein powders can either be cooked or mixed into a smoothie made from organic fruit, vegetables or yogurt. The powder can also be stirred into milk, juice or filtered water. Adding your own frozen or fresh berries to blended meal replacement shakes adds variety and phytonutrients. Choose a protein powder that is low in sugar and doesn’t contain artificial sweeteners.

The importance of protein for optimal health cannot be overstated. Practically everyone an benefit in some way from whey protein supplementation.

Reference

Peltier, P. (2013), Quirk : Connecting Lethbridge. The Whey to Fight Fatigue. p 20.

Image sources : http://halliefreedman.com

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• Protein shakes aren’t just for body-builders (metro.co.uk)
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Shopping in Your Lingerie

Over the past decades, thousands or even millions of write-ups, commentary, reviews have been published online. As time goes by, e-tailers sprouted. Amazon, eBay, Groupon and lots of online shopping websites are now becoming a trend. You might end up being convinced that the World Wide Web will soon replace all outlet, boutiques, supermarket and it’s people. People finds it easier to just sit at home with the freedom from disturbance, and with just a few clicks they can decide what did they really want to pay for. No more troubles in finding a parking space, not harassed by a salesperson who follows you around the stall as if you’re sneaking away some of their items, no more pressure on what to wear for malling. You can buy anything you want as long as you have a credit card.

Even myself, I enjoy browsing the online shopping websites. I get so excited about the sales on designer handbags, shoes, dresses and even kitchen items. Just anything on sale makes me so delighted. Online shopping is fun and easy. You can even buy an auto in your lingerie and not get apprehended.

Based on my own experience, honest-to-goodness, online shopping is great. But there’s always a catch, a drawback not readily evident until you received what you have purchased and tried it on. The dress is too tight or too short. The shoe is not as comfortable as it looked like online. The beautiful sweater worn by a gorgeous model in the website is not as beautiful when you tried it on. On the bright side, it could be the perfect fit, perfect color, perfect made. It’s either you are pleased or dismayed. To catch a glimpse of the dress you wanted, stroke on the fabric and trying it on are the old-fashioned streak of doing shopping in which the majority of the population would still prefer.

Shoppers would go online to save time but some would end up sitting all day without purchasing anything. Time savings doesn’t always happen. Some would leave and abandon their shopping carts after sitting and browsing for 4 hours putting 10 items in their carts which frustrates the e-tailers. Though the people online are no different than the people who shop in retail stores, in actual retail you don’t fill up your shopping cart with items that you don’t really want to purchase. The bag, the sweater, the dress, the shoes in your shopping cart are all tried on and you yourself agreed they all looked good on you and that you wanted to buy them. You don’t grab things from the shelf, put it in your cart and after browsing for an hour you abandon them, well unless you’re a weirdo.

People browse websites to purchase a necessity and as they browse the site they end up purchasing more than what they needed. Why? The looks of the items, the sale price can be deceiving.

See, touch and try. For most people, the old-fashioned way is always a must before they are willing to part with their back-breaking, laborious hard-earned salary. Purchasing an expensive item online would be too risky. Experiencing the product first would be safer.

On the other hand, shopping online is enjoyable for some people. Wake up on a Saturday morning, open your laptop and browse for sale items. There’s the convenience of being able to shop in you lingerie, on your bed, at home and the ease of comparison of prices from one website to another. No more driving around from one store to another to see the availability of the item and for checking prices. Save gas, save energy.

Be Smart.

In my opinion, I think online shopping is a fun convenient way to shop. It just depends on the item you wanted to purchase. Accessories for a DSLR like tripods, lens filters, bags, kitchen and bathroom accessories, shoe organizers are just examples of what you can buy online. Websites have competitive prices for each item.

Purchase only the things you need. Do not be outwitted by e-tailers trying to get rid of a decade-old stock. The prices could be cheaper but don’t just stop there. You want to make sure you have checked a few more sites before you proceed to checkout. After a few days of purchase, check your credit card statements. Make sure there’s no fraudulent transactions. If you notice any unusual transactions then phone your bank right away. Having said that, before purchasing anything, optimize the security settings of your computer to ensure that your account and credit card details are being dealt with safely and to prevent malicious programs that can alter transactions.

Don’t forget to pay attention to the shipping costs as well. When a seller is trying to make up for a low sale price, shipping are sometimes padded and be the prime expenditure for pricey and heavy items.

Expensive items should always be purchased in retail stores after experience like furniture, designer bags-coats-shoes-dresses, cellphones, computers, DSLR’s, televisions etc. You want to make sure you’re purchasing an authentic product.

Make sure you are perceptive about the complete purchasing process. Know who you are bargaining with. Know what you are about to purchase. Be confident you will get what you have paid for. Be smart.

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Coffee or Not

Coffee. Why is coffee so good that I can’t go on with my day without having a cup?

I have been addicted to coffee since my college years. I used to drink a cup in the morning before going to school, another cup on a lunch break and the last cup before going to bed. I know that the caffeine in coffee is a stimulant, for some reason I react atypically from it. I did not have any sleeping problems at all even if I drink coffee before bed. Sometimes the coffee makes me drowsy. Maybe I put too much powdered milk in it. I love the Nescafe brand and I still use it up to now. I do not use a brewing machine for my coffee. I did not have a fancy Keurig or any kind of brewing machine back in my college days. A teaspoon of the Nescafe Great Taste Instant Coffee and 2 tablespoonful of Bear Brand Powdered Milk simply makes my day. Sometimes I buy a cracker or a bun to go with it for a more satisfying coffee break.

In the province, I had the habit of waking up early in the morning with my mom and dad and have a nice and hot coffee. 6 o’clock in the morning, my mom turns on the radio and we listen to news while we enjoy the scent and the creaminess of our morning addiction. We also buy sweet buns from the Poot-poot boy, a boy on a bicycle with a huge basket of freshly baked sweet buns and dip it in our cup of joe. We call our sweet buns “Pandesal“. Pandesal are always good with coffee.

I used to drink only 3 cups of coffee a day until I started studying for Canadian Evaluating Exam for Pharmacists. I ended up drinking 5 cups a day. I got more addicted to it that I experience headaches if I drink less than 5 cups of joe. A cup in the morning, a cup at lunchtime, a cup at 3 o’clock, a cup at suppertime and the last cup at bedtime. I know the adverse effects of caffeine but I can’t stop my routine and having said that I ended up having acid reflux. I had to stop for sometime and suffer from withdrawals but when I feel better I get back to the routine.

I had severe gastritis one time and swore not to have coffee ever again. I cried for that matter as I love coffee too much but I have to prioritize my health. After a few months of not having coffee, my tummy felt a lot better and never had episodes of acid reflux again. I thought of the promise I made to myself, I thought I did it. Since the tummy felt better, the stubborn head can’t stop thinking about coffee again. And so I tried a decaffeinated one which is not as good as the regular coffee. Slowly, I started shifting from decaf to the old addiction.

What is it about coffee that makes people over consume it? I know it has an idiosyncratic effect on me but I still crave for it. It gives me a bit of stimulation in the morning, a burst of energy to keep me awake but it damages my stomach. I felt brainwashed by caffeine. I’m giving myself good reasons of drinking coffee instead of looking at the harmful effects it can possibly cause me.

Pros:
Antioxidant Property
Improve Mental Performance
Lowers the risk of kidney stone formation
Improve asthma symptoms
Reduces the risk of Parkinson’s Disease

Cons:
Stained Teeth
Induces stomach problems
Reduces sperm count
Sleep disturbances
Increase risk of osteoporosis
Risk of cardiovascular diseases
Increase stress level

Coffee is truly addicting but what is the key? “Everything in moderation”, an old ground rule which holds true for coffee. It is not deleterious unless you abuse it. Coffee has its own disadvantages, but offers an adequate amount of satisfactory points to make it a worthwhile drink.

Best of Luck!

Long John Hunt On Easter Weekend

We went to Calgary on a Good Friday without any plans. We just packed our stuff and drove up to the city. No plans but one thing is for sure, we will hit Chinook Center and The Core for I am in search for work shirts. I need long johns in the pharmacy because my workplace can get really cold sometimes and I cannot focus on my tasks when my hands are frozen. They get stiff and numb.

I did not find any good deals for long johns in Chinook Center. Gerlie bought a pull over from Free People for her upcoming whale watching in Vancouver Island with the boyfriend and then we decided to hit The Core and get fancy. We had our lunch at Falafel King along Stephen’s Avenue and then back to The Core. The portions in Falafel King is huge. I felt like jogging in the restaurant after the meal.

So, I had purchased 2 pairs of jeans and cardigans. We tried on some Christian Louboutin shoes, Lanvin and Prada flats in Holt. I liked the Prada flats. They’re comfortable and fashionable but I’m holding myself not to buy them. It was very frustrating when you see an item that looks perfect on you but you can’t have them because they’re too pricey. We need more overtime hours in the pharmacy to have them. (lol) The thing is, we are not supposed to be buying anything fancy. We are there to buy our necessities. It depends on how you describe or give the meaning to necessity. That day, necessity for me is an item that you feel like you don’t have it even if you do…haha. I felt like I don’t have any nice jeans at all that’s why I bought some. Here’s the thing, I really don’t have a black and white cardigan and that makes me feel better (to not feel guilty). Still I did not find any long johns on sale. There are nice ones but they’re expensive and I don’t want to spend too much on work clothes. Why? Because they’re not seen anyway. I still have to put on my white pharmacist coat on top of my shirt. There should be something out there which has a good quality, comfy and reasonably priced.

It’s 4 o’clock in the afternoon and we have to rest for a bit. We drove to Holiday Inn in Macleod Trail South. As usual, the receptionists are very welcoming. We rested for an hour, had a power nap and prepared ourselves again for dinner.

We went to Thomsons Restaurant in Stephen’s Avenue. Neil and I have been there many times and we just keep on coming back. We liked the aura of the place, the food and the people. I wanted Gerlie to experience Thomsons as well. To cut it short, we had an awesome time in the restaurant. After dinner, we decided to go to Elbow River Casino and gamble. We had a great time! We won and we lost. Well, it’s not too bad at all though. We had set our limits so it’s not much of a loss. Yes, we lost but the experience we gained was precious. We enjoyed the Motown music in the casino. We had lots of laughs and excitement. Neil told us a news about a girl sitting on the corner while waiting for her boyfriend  just won $17,000.00. What a lucky lass! She got bored, inserted her money in the VLT machine, pressed a button and suddenly the alarm of a jackpot filled the place. I wished I got lucky that night too. C’est la vie.

It was Black Saturday, woke up and had breakfast in McDonalds. We went to Cross Iron Mills and again to search for the long johns. Finally, I found them in Tommy Hilfiger. They were 50% off the regular price. I was so delighted! I grabbed 4 different colors and design, tried them on and bought them. Gerlie had a nice cardigan and Neil had a pair of jeans and a knitted gray sweater too. After the purchases, we still browsed some of the stalls and had more shopping bags in the end.

Below are some of our photos in the wonderful world of retail.

Camwhoring while waiting for Neil trying on Some Fred Perry shirts and jumpers.

After shopping, we went to 17 Ave to have dinner in our all time favourite Filipino Restaurant, Pacific Hut. We ordered 4 heart attack dishes, crispy pata, pork sauteed in shrimp paste, beef in sour soup and “pinakbet” . After the gluttonic dinner, we went back to Chinook Center to buy Gerlie’s fancy Red Espadrille in Browns then back to Lethbridge.

That’s how we started our Easter Long Weekend. We had a fun adventure searching for long johns. How did you spend yours?