In this day and age if your not using a protein supplement in your diet then you are failing behind. Protein supplements are great for helping to gain lean muscle, replacing a meal, controlling your fat intake and balancing a well rounded diet. Only problem is that there are so many kinds of protein supplements on the market right now, how are you expected to choose the best one? Here are a few tips:

• Don’t buy on looks alone - some proteins come in really nice and flashy packaging but may lack a quality product. Always do research on a product before you buy it.

• Check the label – Make sure your getting what your paying for, look for things like 100% whey protein and make sure there aren’t other ingredients in the product being used as filler.

• Ask around – Ask people you know about products they have used before, you want to ask things like: did it mix well, how was the taste, how many scoops per jar, would you get it again?

Choosing the right protein can be crucial when it comes to your health and fitness, not only can it be expensive it can also scause you to lack results.

Check out this video of some of the most popular proteins on the market right now:

Top 5 Protein Review

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As your knowledge of health and fitness continues to grow you will hear more and more words said repeatedly  that you may not fully understand. One of those words will be “metabolism”; without going into a scientific ramble for 2 minutes metabolism basically involves a network of your hormones and enzymes that convert the food you eat into energy and also how efficiently you can burn that energy.

Think of the food you eat as gasoline and your body is the engine, if you’re eating fatty foods like deep fried chicken, french fires, greasy hamburgers etc… then you’re giving your body a low grade fuel. While if you’re eating lean meats, green leafy veggie’s and other healthy alternatives its like giving your body high grade rocket fuel which can be burnt off fast and clean.

What affects your metabolism?

• One thing is your age: depending on how healthy and active you have been living up to this point in your life you could already have a fast or slower metabloism than average. But once you hit the age of 40 your metabolism starts to slow down about 5% every 10 years (hence the number of pregnant looking men over 40 everywhere in north america).

• Another big factor that comes into play is your gene pool, chances are if your family suffers from obesity and diseases like “heart disease” or “high blood pressure” then most likely than not your going to have an up-hill battle. But in all honesty if you commit to change, change will happen.

• The third thing that affects your metabolism is the percentage of lean muslce in your body vs. the amount of fat. The more muscle your body has the higher your metabolism will be. This is also true for the more fat you have the slower it will be. So how are some ways to increase your metabolic rate?

How to increase your metabolism

• Well if you have been reading this article it should be clear to you that you need to either A): Increase your muscle mass, which you can do by lifting weights, doing body weight exercises, using resistance bands to name a few. Or option B): Which will be to lose some of your existing weight, things you can do here include: eating a healthier more balanced diet, doing some cardio training or even just stretching in the morning. These two options work better if you have a gym membership or even a home gym where you can get some training completed.

• If you’re not a gym person then you need to start doing more physical activity in your day to day life. This can be anything from parking further away from work so you need to walk an extra few hundred feet each day. Start taking the stairs instead of the elevator, take your dog outside for 45 minutes daily, do 20 push-ups throughout your day.

The reality is that if you want to increase your metabolism than you need to take charge, if your serious about change and want to see results then do something about it.

Here at Venom Training we take people like you everyday and give them a new lease on life by educating and giving direction to not only boost your metabolism but to live a healthier all around life. No matter what you do in the end the only person you have to please is yourself, so take a minute to really think about your life and if your actually living it the way you want, or maybe its the only way you can.

What’s your reason?

• Set Goals- If you set realistic goals with an appropriate time frame you are much more likely to achieve it. Set monthly goals whether its a body weight you want to reach or an amount of weight for an exercise you want to lift; any goals you can set will be beneficial.

• Partner Up- Having a workout partner will keep you motivated, if you have someone to workout with you will find that you feed off of each others energy and will both see great results.

• Have Fun- There are plenty of winter activities that you can do while getting a good workout, skiing and snowboarding is one of the most popular ways to get exercise in the winter. There are also lots of indoor sports groups you can join whether it’s hockey, basketball or soccer – any group you join will get you out of the house and get you active.

• Timing Your Workouts- It’s too much to ask yourself to workout everyday, you need to find a time to get to the gym that works for you. I find getting up first thing in the morning to work out is the best time for me. My workout gives me a great energy boost for the day, but if late afternoon or nights work better for you than make sure to make the time to get in.

• Stay Committed- The most important part is to not slip and miss a workout that you have planned. Missing one workout turns into a snowball effect and next thing you know your right back where you started. Plan for rest days so your not going to skip on a workout day and you will keep your motivation levels high all winter.

Another problem with the winter months is your diet, it’s easy to put on that extra layer of fat in winter for so many reasons. Really try to watch what you eat and plan accordingly for what your going to eat throughout the day. Pack your own lunches so you don’t find yourself at a fast food joint every day . Eat small meals 5 times a day rather then indulging in 2 or 3 big meals. Just because it’s winter time doesn’t mean you have to hibernate, get out and get active you’ll be surprised how much faster the time will pass and you’ll already be able to fit into your swimsuit.

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Many people are building home gyms either for the convenience of  not driving 10 minutes to the gym, or they feel embarrassed about themselves and don’t want to be  judged in a social environment. Both these reasons may be why your workouts are not working as effectively as they could be. Also being embarrassed at the gym should never be an issue as you are doing it for you! So lets take a look why it’s so much better to drive the 10 minutes to a real gym:

• Getting out into a social environment is a great why to give you a little extra motivation.
• Seeing other people sharing some of the same goals as you and the gym will be a real boost for you to keep you coming back.
• The gym is a great place to meet people with some of the same lifestyle qualities as yourself.
• The amount  of equipment at a gym will be much better then a home gym unless you’re will to spend a pretty penny.
• Once you’ve made a commitment of driving to the gym you are much more likely to stay longer and get a better workout so you don’t feel like you drove to the gym for no reason.
• You can find a spotter at the gym if you need one. If there is not many people working out just go ask an employee, I’d be very shocked if they said no.

Here are some reasons to avoid a home workout:

• It’s much easier to quit when all you have to do is walk 15 feet and you are at your couch eating a salty snack.
• Not having a spotter will not allow you to lift at your maximum potential and it is also a safety issue.
• The equipment you will be using will likely be much worse then a gym and you will not have nearly the same variety.
• There are way to many distractions in your house that you won’t get the focus and full dedication of going to a gym.

Getting to a gym can be very useful if you’re on a workout plan that requires some equipment that a home gym can’t offer. A good workout manual can be very useful for tracking your progress, giving your new ideas for  workouts at the gym, teach you correct form and give you extra incentive to get to the gym. If you are interested in a great workout system check out our V.T.S program, I personally guarantee this 8 week program will get you the results you want and will help you stay in shape after you’ve finished. It includes over 50 workout ideas, a great log book, tones of healthy, tasty meal ideas and you get a lifetime membership to the V.T.S team.

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Tis the season for grilling! and nothing beats a great tasting fresh and healthy salad made fast and delicious. Even if your not a huge seafood fan, you will have a hard time not falling in love with this easy to make summer specialty. Here’s what you need before you fire up the grill:

• 3/4 lbs of large peeled and deveined shrimp
• Your favorite bbq sauce
• 1/3 cup of almonds
• 4 oz’s of romaine lettuce

Then for the salad dressing you will need:

• 1/4 cup Orange juice
• 1/8 cup vinegar
• 1/4  cup olive oil
• 1/4 cup green peppers (diced)
• 1/4 cup red onion (diced)
• 1/4 cup parsley (diced)
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt

Mix all into a bowl and stir before serving

Cooking instructions

1. BBQ shrimp for 5-7 minutes over even heat
2. prepare salad dressing in serving bowl
3. place romaine lettuce on dinner plate and sprinkle with almonds
4. place BBQ shrimp over top of lettuce
5. pour desired amount of dressing over entrée
6. Enjoy; and bask in the attention people will shower you with

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Many people go to the gym and work hard but still don’t see results, this can be due to of many different things but typically it comes down to these 5 critical points.

• Dedication- If you only go to the gym once every couple weeks and expect to see results your way off. One hard workout will get your blood pumping and your body sweating but for actually seeing results your waisting your time. It is much more efficient to have 4 short workouts spread throughout the week rather then one long workout once every now and then.

• Proper Workouts- To see actual results you need to follow a smart workout plan, jumping from exercises to exercise at the gym with bad form will not only minimize your results, its a great way to get yourself injured. You have two choices here, either make a custom plan for yourself or get some help, there are many great workout plans out there including the one we offer.

• Diet- This might actually be the biggest factor to not seeing results from the gym. Following a good diet plan is more then 50% of the battle against obesity, it takes commitment from your morning breakfast to eating healthy snacks late at night. A human body not getting the nutrition it needs is like giving a plant lots of sunlight but disregarding water.

• Rest- Not only sleep but rest from the gym; lots of people will go to the gym everyday and not see the results of someone who is putting in half the effort. Your body needs a break; 4-5 workouts a week is optimal with proper recovery days. Over working your body can be detrimental to seeing great results.

• Quality of workouts- If your lifting too much weight your form will suffer and you wont see good results. On the other end of this, if your not lifting enough weight then your muscles won’t be getting the stimulation needed to grow muscle. Finding the right balance is crucial to your work outs, for adding bulk muscle to your frame you should be looking to do around 5-7 reps and 3 sets per exercise. For lean muscle you should be doing 10-15 reps minimum and 4-5 sets per exercise.

By following these 5 points you will see better results in less time then you thought and with less effort. A smart, safe workout is the key to success in your overall health and fitness relationship at the gym.

This is always a subject of debate, but when all is said and done you need to take care of what’s most important in your body… Your heart. Without a healthy heart your life expectancy goes down, you can’t be physical active and can’t enjoy life and all it has to offer. So here is why Margarine is healthier then butter:

1. Margarine is made from vegetable oils, so it doesn’t contain any cholesterol, where are butter is made from animal fat so it does contain a significant amount of cholesterol.
2. Margarine is higher in “healthy fats” both monounsaturated and polyunsaturated, which can help to lower your LDL cholesterol levels. Butter on the other hand is higher in “bad fats” like saturated and Trans-fat.

Beware of un-healthy margarine’s

Just like all foods some margarine’s are not made equal, this is why some people think butter is the better choice. But if you know the facts you can avoid the impostors very easily.

• Watch out for solid forms of margarine, they may be in “stick” form so they look like a stick of butter. These types of margarine are solid because they are chemically enhanced with hydrogenated oils which are full of bad fats. Instead look for “soft” types of margarine’s that come in tubs, these are the ones that are made without cholesterol or Trans-fat and will help lower you LDL cholesterol.

• Never buy cheap name brands, they are usually cheaper because they cut corners and leave out vital nutrients that your body can use for good. Always buy a brand name that you trust even if it is a dollar or two more.

It may not seem like a big deal in the small picture of things because you think you don’t use butter or margarine that much. But the average North American will use up to 3 table spoons a day! The American Heart Association also recommends you use margarine over butter whenever possible, so what reasons do you have not to?

Most food sources today are extremely high in sodium and can take a real toll on your health and body. The body needs approximately 500 mg of sodium for functional purposes and to keep a natural balance of water in your system. Having to much sodium can cause health problems such as heart diseases and high blood pressure. These problems will begin to occur with a diet that consists of more then 2400 mg of sodium daily.

Some major contributors to a high sodium diet are;

• Fast foods- some fast food  meals can contain over 1000 mg in just one serving, which is more then half of your recommended daily intake. Fast food may be convenient and taste good but has several negative health factors and reasons to avoid it.

• Processed foods- These are so high in sodium because salt is used as a preservative and for additional flavor. The worst processed foods are packaged meats, canned soups and canned fruits and vegetables. Not all canned foods are high in sodium, but to find them you’ll have to look and spend a little extra.
• Table salt- by adding table salt to foods while cooking or to prepaired foods can really add up. Instead of salt try adding natural herbs and spices while you’re cooking.
• Salty snacks- In just 1 ounce of regular potato chips (about a handful) there can be up to 200 mg of sodium, so when having a snack it might be a good idea to think of a healthier alternative then a grabbing a bag of chips.

Here are some healthy options for foods that are high in sodium:

• Fresh meats- Eating fresh meats will have lower amounts of sodium because they have no preservatives or artificial flavours. Fresh meats have many health benefits including: a high source of iron, protein and zinc; not to mention the taste over a t.v dinner.
• Fresh fruit and vegetables- There is a very low amount of sodium in fruits and vegetables and getting sodium from a natural source is much better for you then getting it from preservatives and artificial flavours.
• Unsalted nuts- These are a great snack to substitute for chips. They have a high source of protein and omega 3 6 9 oils. When picking up nuts i would recommend almonds and stick with 1/4 cup daily.
• Smoothies- Throwing together a quick smoothie is a great way to fill you up and you can add almost anything you want to it. Just adding milk, OJ, frozen fruit and whey protein together in the blender for a few minutes gives you a healthy meal substitute that keeps you full for hours.

Hopefully this opens your eyes to some of the dangers of sodium rich foods, try and make slow and steady changes to your diet over time and you will see the results in day to day activities and the doctors office.

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Having a balanced diet is a lot tougher than most people think, its not easy getting all those precious vitamins and minerals into your body day in and day out. One very over-looked mineral is Iron and that’s why it is essential to get enough into your daily diet.

Types of Iron

There are two types of iron in foods and they are “Haem-Iron” and “non-Haem Iron”, if you are someone who suffers from lower levels of Iron in your body you should try to get more “Haem-Iron” into your meals because it is more easily absorbed than “Non-Haem-iron”.

“Haem-Iron” foods include:

1. liver – (8.8 mg) Per 100 Grams of food
2. Fish – ( anywhere from 0.2 to 1.2 mg)
3. Chicken – (0.8 mg)
4. Turkey – (4.8 mg)
5. Red meats – (5.5 mg)
6. sardines – (4.0 mg)
7. mussels – (7.0 mg)

“Non-Haem-Iron” foods are:

1. Soybeans – (5.0 mg per cup)
2. Lentils – (2.2 mg)
3. Spinach – (3.5 mg per cup)
4. Tofu or Tempeh – (6 mg)
5. Lima beans – (2.2 mg)
6. Raisins – ( 1.5 mg per 1/2 cup)
7. Tomato Juice – (1.0 mg)

How Iron Benefits Your Body

Iron plays a pretty big factor in your overall health, people with low or weak immune systems often suffer from a low iron count in there blood. So other then keeping you healthy all year long iron also does the following:

• Binds Oxygen to your blood cells
• Helps with brain development and function
• Creates better blood flow for your body, which can help with cardio, weight training and your sex life.

How Much Iron Do You Need?

According to the office of dietary supplements:

Adult male should try to get about 8.0 mg daily

Adult female should get 18.0 mg (females lose a lot during the menstruation process)

Teens should get between 8.0 mg and 15.0 mg daily

Getting Iron on a daily basis is not something you should worry about unless you are feeling symptoms on a daily basis which may include; depression, fatigue, dizziness, appetite loss, poor memory. If you do have these symptoms you should schedule an appointment with your family doctor to check if you might have low iron levels.

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There are many ways to incorporate protein in your diet, some healthy options include: Lean meats, eggs, soy, or supplements such as whey protein. Even though protein isn’t hard to come by there is defiantly proteins you should be looking for and proteins you should be staying away from. A variety of these proteins is what you should be aiming for, not only is it great for building muscle it also provides satisfying flavor which may stop you from getting other cravings during the day.

Here is a list of the top sources of healthy protein;

• Chicken- Chicken and other poultry has about 7 grams of protein per ounce with limited fats and carbs. Although when you have breaded or deep fried chicken the fats and carbohydrates will increase dramatically. Preferably your want fresh skinless chicken for taste and overall nutrition.

• Tempeh and tofus- Tempeh is a type of soy protein with around 6 grams of protein per ounce, tempeh is much better for you then any mock meat or the highly processed tofu. Raw tofus are great with about 2.5 grams of protein per ounce, personally I enjoy the taste of tofu over tempeh but with the right recipe you can make almost anything taste great. This is a great alternitive for any vegetarian strugling with protein intake.
• Eggs- In a single large egg there is about 7 grams of protein, the trouble with eggs is the high cholesterol and fat but if you buy egg whites you’ll eliminate most of that. Try using one whole egg and a few teaspoons of additional egg whites to get the most out of a breakfast.
• Almonds- Are very high in protein, but with that comes a high fat content  which is a source of omega fatty acids (the good fats). Almonds have about 6.5 grams of protein per ounce and many other health benefits such as vitamin E, omega 3-6-9 oils which can help to lower LDL cholesterol and raise HDL cholesterol (good cholesterol).
• Salmon- Salmon has around 7 grams of protein per ounce and offers a lot of fatty acids and fish oils. When choosing salmon or other fish look for a wild source apposed to a farmed fish.
• Beef- Ground beef has around 7 grams of protein per ounce but a higher fat content then poultry or fish. When buying beef look for lean or extra lean beef and be sure to drain the fat when your cooking it. Other benefits of beef include a high content of iron, zinc and vitamin B12.
• Protein Powder- With some powders containing 50 grams of protein per scoop this is by far the easiest way to get protein. Protein shakes are great for after a workout or for a quick meal replacement if your rushed, but i wouldn’t suggest it to often as your missing out on some valuable vitamins and minerals you get with a whole meal.

Getting a healthy source of protein is great for after a workout, protein will rebuild and repair torn muscle tissue and make for a quicker recovery . Protein intake is very important for your body weight, if you are trying to gain muscle or lose fat you should eat as many grams of protein as you want to weigh. Ex: if you want to weigh 180 pounds you need to eat 180 grams of protein a day, if you want to weigh 200 pounds then you would need to eat 200 grams of protein. Getting enough protein is another way to help stay healthy and strong, this along with a healthy diet will add to an overall healthy lifestyle.