All About Minerals - What do they do?

Earlier today I was in a Shoppers Drug Mart on Yonge Street in Toronto and I was buying vitamin pills because I was starting to run low.

The pills I purchased had higher dosages of various vitamins, which is a good thing because I lead a pretty active lifestyle. But it also had a long list of minerals in it too.

Now most people know what calcium does (stronger bones) and perhaps also knows what iron does (increases cardiovascular circulation), but a lot of the other minerals I can bet most people don't know what they do.

So as you can see below I've gone ahead and added little explanations for what the various minerals actually do for your body.

Calcium - Strong bones and teeth, nerve function, muscle contraction, blood clotting.

Chromium - Associated with insulin and is required for the release of energy from glucose (converting sugar into energy).

Copper - Necessary for the absorption and utilization of iron, supports formation of hemoglobin and several enzymes.

Iodine - Helps regulate growth, development and metabolic rate.

Iron - Red blood cells and muscle function, white blood cells and the immune system.

Magnesium - Converting energy from food, cell repair, building strong bones, teeth and muscles and regulating body temperature.

Manganese - Facilitates many cell processes.

Molybdenum - Facilitates many cell processes.

Potassium - Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, cell integrity, muscle contractions and nerve impulse transmission

Selenium - Antioxidant. Works with vitamin E to protect body from oxidation

Sodium - Maintains fluid and electrolyte balance, supports muscle contraction and nerve impulse transmissions

Vanadium - Used for treating diabetes and anemia and is great for improving performance in weight training; and helps prevent cancer.

Zinc - Immune system, the breakdown of protein, fat and carbohydrate, important part of enzymes.

So as you can see they're all pretty important. Thus having a shortage of several minerals in your diet can be a problem for your health and will harm your efforts to lose fat / gain muscle. When in doubt, best to make sure you have enough of everything you need.

Javelin Throwing

I was recently curious about getting into the Olympic sport of Javelin Throwing. I tried it back in high school, but didn't really get the opportunity to get into it.

So I asked around to see if anyone knows where I can buy Javelins in Toronto and the best answer isn't even in Toronto. The company has Toronto in the name, but its located in Markham.

Sports Equipment of Toronto Ltd.
250 Telson Road
Markham
Ontario L3R 1E6
Canada

I warn you in advance however that javelins can be a tad expensive. (Which makes sense why so few people get into the sport.) The prices listed at sportsequipmentoftoronto.com/shop/category.aspx?catid=223 range from $1,115 to a mere $50.


So yes, you could get into the sport for a mere $50... but lets be realistic. Do you really want to throw ONE javelin and then have to go pick it up? No. You're going to want at least 4 or 5 javelins that you can throw, and then go pick them all up at once.

So if you want to get into it as a sport you have to be thinking of spending $200 to $6,000, plus you may want to get books about throwing technique, a coach who can teach you how to run and throw properly, or even special gloves or track and field shoes.

But hey, extra equipment is pretty standard with almost any serious sport.

Hot Tip: Sit Ups Humour

Hot Tip

Don't do sit ups after drinking tea on an empty stomach unless you want a weird feeling tummy ache.

Positive Thinking + Motivation

Here Are Three Tips for Developing Positive Thinking + Exercise Motivation

1. Focus on the Positive

If you think you will fail at you exercise / weight loss goals then you will fail because you will end up giving up too easily. If you focus on attaining your goals and WHY you want to attain them then you will stay positive and stay motivated.

We all have qualities that we like about ourselves and things that could use improvement. When we're having a bad day it's important to not dwell on why we're having a challenging time. Remember that a lot of this little stuff is meaningless and there is no point stressing about little details. Focus on the big picture and work on improving yourself to the ultimate goal.

Example: "I may not exercise a lot, but at least I am exercising daily. I just need to stay focused and ty to up the ante on my daily routine."

2. Keep What Motivates you Close

When you are going through a period of low motivation you need to keep your goals close by so you are feeling constantly motivated. This could be simply an image of the ideal body on your fridge or a list of habits that you want to achieve, a picture of yourself when you were 17, or a note that we carry around. Could even be poetry or a movie that you like to see again and again.

Example: For me that would be Rocky (all of the films), plus I have all the music from the Rocky films which I like to listen to while exercising.

When people are feeling depressed and unmotivated they have a tendency to eat junk food. So here's an important tip: Never go grocery shopping when you are depressed and feeling negative!

3. Celebrate Progress in a Smart Way

People love reward systems.

But don't reward yourself with fatty food by suddenly binging whenever you lose 5 lbs. That puts you in danger of a yo-yo diet.

If you're always achieving success but never offering yourself breaks and rewards the effort can begin to seem never ending!

Healthy Ways to Reward Yourself

A) Go out for a movie by yourself or with friends.

B) Go shopping for shoes, power tools, electronic gadgets or whatever makes you happy.

C) Take a day off to make artwork, poetry or listen to music.

D) Sex! Your lover will be appreciative of your efforts!

What is the point of working your buns off if you're always living within the confines of a strict regime and don't reward yourself!

If you're feeling the rewards you will also be feeling positive and motivated to keep at it!

Nutritional Success = Healthy Balance

Fitness is like a cart with two wheels. If you only focus on the exercise wheel and forget the nutrition wheel you will become stuck and never reach your goals.

Nutrition plays a huge part of fitness goals, even more so than exercise. The food (vitamins, carbs, proteins, calcium, etc) that is consumed is our fuel for activity, both physical and mental, and is also the building blocks of new blood, new muscle tissue, and reinforcing our bone structure. The quality of nutrition plays a huge role in how your body is using that food.

The end result is that for every nutrient, protein or calorie you consume your body will automatically try to make the most of it (either by using it or storing it).

How to Eat for Success by Making the Most of your Diet

1. Eat Healthy Food Most of the Time

Aim to eat healthy food 90% to 95% of the time. Every calorie should be going toward a function within the body. Healthy fats from nuts, fish and avocado contribute to healthy hair, skin and nails. A shortage of fats, due to anorexia for example, can cause your hair to fall out. Healthy fats also help the body to absorb nutrients. Vegetables should be a variety of colours and fruits should be high in fiber (apples, pears, etc). Carbohydrates should come from whole grain sources. Aim for a variety and balance and to counteract any deficiencies. eg. If you are low on potassium eat more bananas, spinach, mushrooms, etc.

2. Eat When you are Hungry / Don't Eat when you are Not Hungry

Listen to your body and when you feel hungry. Eat when you are hungry. This prevents over eating. Don't be afraid of snacking, but aim for healthy snacks.

 

When the body thinks it's starving it holds onto fat and this makes it even harder to lose it. On the flip side, if you're feeling satiated, don't eat! Stop eating when you are not hungry anymore. Save the other half of your meal for lunch the next day - or as a snack for later!

3. Don't Drink Calories

If you are drinking soda pop every day the first thing you need to do is cut that out. Its basically just flavoured sugar water, and its not helping you.

 

Calories in liquid form really hurts your daily calorie requirements and soda pop offers nothing nutritionally. Just cutting out sugary drinks during a weight loss diet will help shed a few pounds really quickly. Drink tea, water, skim milk and juices.

4. Track Your Calories

People who track their calories in a journal or on a SmartPhone App are 3 times more likely to succeed at attaining their desired weight. Knowing how much you are consuming daily, learning how to break it up into meals and snacks is an essential key to weight loss and finding a healthy balance. Below is a sample caloric breakdown for a weight loss diet.

 

 Breakfast - 400-500 calories

Mid Morning Snack - 100 calories

Lunch - 500-600 calories

Afternoon Snack - 100 calories

Supper - 500-600 calories

Evening Snack - 100 calories

5. Carry Healthy Snacks on You

If you're one of those people who carries a backpack, purse or briefcase with you wherever you go pack some healthy snacks in there for later.

 

My favourite? Peanut butter granola bars (the kind with no chocolate  in them), although they do have some honey to help it stick together.

 

How To Make

 

Ingredients
1 cup peanut butter
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup margarine or butter
3 cups granola

Equipment
Spatula
Glass bowl
Medium sauce pan
Flat non-stick pan

Step 1      
Measure out ingredients and prepare containers. You can buy 12-oz. packages that measure out to exactly 3 cups.

Step 2

Combine peanut butter, honey and butter in a medium sauce pan. Heat to a simmer and cook for about 4 to 5 minutes. It helps to dice the butter into smaller cubes before tossing in.

Step 3      
Turn off the stove and pour the hot mix into a glass bowl. Pour in the 3 cups of plain granola and stir until well mixed.

Step 4      
Spoon into a flat pan that is 8 x 8 inches or similar size, such as 6 x 10 inches, then flatten with a spatula. Cover with plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hours.

Step 5      
Use a sharp knife to cut the chilled peanut butter granola layer into 2 x 4-inch sections, approximately. This should yield 8 to 9 peanut butter granola bars.