Another green supplement to try.

Spirulina… What is it?

A blue-green algae, often taken as a green powder mixed with water or juice. It garnered attention after it was used by NASA as a supplement for astronauts on space missions. Research has shown that it helps to reduce inflammation and sensitivity to pain, both of which may aid performance.

Fitness Boost

In a study that examined the ergogenic and antioxidant effects of spirulina, people who were given about 2 ½ teaspoons took significantly longer to fatigue and increased their fat burning by 10.9 percent compared to the placebo group.

Health Benefits

It has been shown to decrease blood pressure and blood lipids such as triglycerides, LDL, and total cholesterol while also increasing HDL. Several studies found that it increases natural killer cells, which help the body rid itself of tumors and viruses. One study showed a 40 percent increase in these natural killer cells after a seven-day dose of 400 milligrams of a spirulina supplement. That’s just over one-eighth of a teaspoon per day.

How To Use

Spirulina is needed in such small quantities to be effective that it can easily be mixed into your favorite protein shake with little to no flavor change. It can be found in most health food stores and in most health food aisles of most supermarkets. It is always the best idea to talk to your healthcare provider before starting any new supplements.

Support has many faces

Time for Change Fitness wants to help you help others!

Getting the support of your friends, and especially your family, can be crucial when attempting to reach any kind of fitness goal, especially a weight loss program. It is important to feel as if you are not alone in the struggle. Your family can encourage you when they see you reaching for a cookie instead of an apple. Your wife can make sure there are lots of high-protein, low-fat snacks available for you to take to lunch. Compromise can be reached when deciding where to go for an evening out.

Friends can offer other kinds of support. Dieting and exercising together can create a common bond, strengthening a friendship. Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom suggests on her Health Journal website that finding someone who can help you stay motivated is essential when you get discouraged. "Support from a diet buddy is key to long-term success," she says.

Social support can aid in weight loss.

Social support benefits the dieter on several levels. The first is a psychological level. John Sheridan, a professor of oral biology and molecular virology/immunology at Ohio State University, says that socially isolated people are hit harder by illness than people with an active social life, and that those who are alone more even get sick more often and have more trouble recovering. It's hard to stick with an exercise program when you're in bed.

In addition to psychological benefits, in an article in the July 31, 1998, issue of Ohio State University's Research News, Sheridan points out that emotional support can actually affect us on a cellular level, increasing our body's ability to withstand stress. And everyone knows how stressful dieting can be.

Sometimes, support means helping a friend or family member find the resources need to reach their goals, including financial assistance.

Time for Change Fitness is a perfect resource to talk about with a friend or family member. Helping people reach their goals is the purpose of this blog. If it's helping you, share it. So tell someone about the Time for Change Fitness blog, or go a step further and encourage a friend or family member to train with you at Time for Change Fitness.

Let's support our friends and family together!

Time for Change Fitness

Trainer/Nutrition Coach - Michael Holland

Phone - 310.630.7606

Email - hollandfitness@gmail.com

6. Arugula

ARUGULA

Don't let the bitter taste (some call it "spicy") sway you from this energizing, slimming leaf. Arugula's pseudonym is "rocket," implying supersonic fuel, and it has an ancient reputation as an aphrodisiac (sorry but, as with all such claims, there's a lack of science to support it). Perhaps it's due to arugula's peppery flavor that turns up the metabolic heat. If not for energy to fuel your fat loss, eat arugula for your immunity. Just like people,the longer these leaves are left to grow, the more defenses they develop from living in the harsh elements.

HEALTH BENEFITS

The vitamin A found in arugula is important for keeping your mucous membranes, eyes, and skin moist. The antioxidant properties of its numerous vitamins - A, C, K, and folic acid - have a multi-protective effect. Vitamin K, for example, is multifunctional: It helps blot up clotting and enhance immune system function.

TRAINING BENEFITS

Arugula contains three different types of quercetin derivatives that are known to enhance endurance, which can mean longer times at cardio (more calories burned) and longer and more intense sets (more muscle). Vitamin A aids in the absorption of calcium, which is known for improving bone density.

Arugula Fact:
Research shows that people who avoid bitter flavors tend toward obesity. It's the larger, more mature arugula leaves that have that distinct flavor, which actually equates to more disease-fighting antioxidant power per bite. However, you may prefer to stick to the younger types, which aren't as strong-tasting.

5. Romaine Lettuce

ROMAINE LETTUCE

You probably already know that iceberg lettuce pale in comparison to romaine (both in taste and nutrient density), but here's the fit-body difference: Romaine provides the highest levels of folate and manganese of all leafy green vegetables.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Folate, a B-complex vitamin, supports heart health. Research also shows that a low intake of folate may lead to the development of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, osteoporosis, and various cancers. Also found in romaine lettuce, manganese is a trace mineral that is an essential part of your body's defense system, and it helps to relax nerves.

TRAINING BENEFITS

Folate affects performance by aiding in the development of red blood cells, which help carry oxygen-rich blood to working muscles. In fact, a folate deficiency can cause muscle and mental fatigue. Equally interesting, folate, as well as manganese, contributes to protein and carbohydrate metabolism, which is crucial for an active individual to max out their training potential.

4. Kale

KALE

Kale is used to be the ho-hum leaf adorning salad bars as a decoration, but now it is widely regarded as a true "super-food." So far, at least 32 phenolic compounds have been identified in kale, but we know that there are still more to be discovered. One such powerful compound is quercetin, which boasts antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Kale boasts the highest levels of vitamin A compared to other leafy greens. Vitamin A plays an important role in promoting the health of your eyes, skin, and immune system - so much so that a low intake may of vitamin A may increase susceptibility to allergies and infections. Another immunity-boosting health wonder that this curly leaf contains is vitamin C, a powerful free-radical fighter.

TRAINING BENEFITS

The compound quercetin found in kale has been shown to enhance endurance, while vitamin K helps to keep your vascular bed supple, which not only promotes cardiovascular health but also allows nutrients to flow into your muscles, training waste byproducts to exit them efficiently.

3. Collard Greens

COLLARD GREENS

Collard greens top the leafy-greens list for their cholesterol-lowering power. Packed with vitamins A and C - as well as great doses of muscle-repairing folate - this is one green you should try.

HEALTH BENEFITS

Like their cabbage cousins, collard greens are known cancer fighters. They contain sulforaphane compounds, which help activate detoxifying enzymes in the liver that help neutralize potentially carcinogenic substances. For example, research has shown that people who consume the highest levels of folate have the lowest levels of colon cancer.

TRAINING BENEFITS

Along with a slew of health-promoting phytonutrients, collard greens are also rich in vitamins A and C and folate. Folate has been shown to aid in the production of red blood cells, which carry oxygen to muscle cells, and promote the repair of muscle tissues following exercise.

2. Swiss Chard

SWISS CHARD

A relative to spinach, Swiss chard is an excellent source of vitamins A, C, E, and K, as well as magnesium, manganese, potassium, iron and dietary fibers. Swiss Chard is also loaded with two classes of antioxidants: carotenoids and anthocyanins (the latter denoted by its fiery hue).

HEALTH BENEFITS

While carotenoids and other plant pigments help attract various rays of light to the plant for photosynthesis, anthocyanins act as sunscreen, protecting the plant from too much light and stress. in your body, anthocyanins, along with carotenoids and vitamins C and E, act as powerful free-radical scavengers, mopping up potential invaders to thwart the aging process and, as it is believed, fight certain forms of cancer.

*Personal note: There is no such thing as anti-aging. What we can do is try to slow down the aging process and improve quality of life, or what I like to call "compressed morbidity"; meaning that we are actively making an effort to delay our own decay. Not the most pleasant term in the world, but our earthly bodies were built to fade away, and it is a process that even the most stubborn among us cannot stop.

TRAINING BENEFITS

By reducing free-radical muscle inflammation, the anthocyanins found in Swiss chard can aid your recovery from exercise.

1. Spinach

SPINACH

The most popular green on the market and the most nutritious, according to George Mateljan's World's Healthiest Foods rating system, is Popeye's favorite. In the 1930's, the cartoon seaman made spinach a household vegetable that was often served cooked instead of the raw spinach salads we see more often today. But, either way, spinach has what it takes to save the day.

HEALTH BENEFITS

just two cups of raw spinach provides a significant source of carotenoids, vitamin C, folate, magnesium, manganese, iron, and potassium, plus honorable amounts of calcium and vitamin E. Many of these nutrients help protect us against chronic inflammation, which has been implicated in any number of "lifestyle" diseases.

TRAINING BENEFITS

If you up your daily dose to six cups of spinach a day, you may even be able to do more cardio before you bonk (also holds true for romantic potential). This is thanks to the vasodilator nitric oxide present in spinach. Maybe that's why Popeye was "strong to the finish": because he ate his spinach.

Go Green For More Power

NOT ALL GREENS ARE CREATED EQUAL. HERE ARE SIX OPTIONS THAT WILL POWER YOUR TRAINING AND YOUR HEALTH.

Source: Elizabeth Brown, MS, RD (2010) Maximum Fitness

With leafy greens, you get macronutrients like protein, complex carbohydrates and even those essential inflammatory-fighting omega-3 fats. Then there is the plethora of energy-converting nutrients, such as B-vitamins, manganese, magnesium, iron, and copper. These nutrients help ensure that complex carbs are used for energy instead of being stored as fat – an ideal scenario if you are looking to carve down the waistline and shrink that behind a bit. As well, other nutrients actually allow you to train longer and harder, which leads to more rapid muscle gains.

Additionally, your immune system gets a boost with more than 600 types of carotenoids, vitamin C, and thousands of phytonutrients in every bite of the green stuff. Translation: You get protection from diseases and an improved quality of life.

Research has also shown that leafy greens may protect bad cholesterol from being oxidized. Keep in mind that cholesterol has a purpose in the body: as a component of cell membranes, which regulate the flow of nutrients in and out of cells. Cholesterol helps your body make steroid hormones like sex hormones, cortisol and vitamin D, which are, in part, responsible for the synthesis and development of muscle cells. Cholesterol only becomes “bad” when oxidation sets in – and it’s those good greens that help keep it from turning bad.

Leafy greens are not only dirt-cheap – in today’s world, that’s a good thing – but they also provide the highest quality of nutrients for the least number of calories of any other food group you choose to throw down your gullet. The following six blog posts will showcase 6 greens – along with their health and exercise benefits – that you simply have to include in your daily meal plans. And the great thing is; you can buy them year round. No matter what your health and fitness goals are, these 6 greens can help you get there faster.

Now let’s get there together!