By Alex Ariza,
Preparing fighters to fight is not easy- There are complexities in every aspect of training and diet. When I choose the word complexities, what I mean is, you are always having to adjust and adapt to each fighter and to each circumstance to each fighter. Anyone can learn on paper. We can all learn, we can all memorize, and we can all understand, but the key is to apply. Once you apply your knowledge then is is all about adapting. Adapting to what is happening. Adapting to your surroundings. Adapting to your fighter. Adapting to every change that always needs to take place. Everyday you have to pay attention for a possible needed adjustment. It is my job to make that correct call.
However, you need the knowledge to make that correct call. What I write below is what I know in the area of nutrition and supplementation. I take from this and apply it to everything I do.
Remember- the key is to not act like a robot- the key is to adapt to what your body needs what it wants-what it demands.
I have learned this through trial and error over the years. It takes years to learn- it takes mistakes to get better. I am still learning everyday. As we all are in life. I hope I can help you learn and most of all I hope these articles help your quest in everything you want to achieve.
Yesterday was about introducing the topic of Nutrition, here is a quick recap on what we discussed yesterday.
What is it? Nutrition is the preparation, foundation, or provision, to cells and organisms, of the food you eat to support life.
What some people may not know is that common health problems can be prevented or alleviated with a healthy diet. The human body needs good nutrition to be able to perform to the best of it’s abilities The human body contains water, carbohydrates (sugar, starch, and fiber), amino acids which are found in protein, fatty acids, along with other compounds.
The area of nutrition that my diet will focus on is the amino acids found in protein, and the differences between branched chain amino acid and free form amino acids. I will explain what these amino acids do for your body and for your health.
Today we are going to discuss….
key vitamins that you should be supplementing into your daily diet, and why they are important.
This blog can not and should not be construed as medical advice. Also this blog is not in any way stating these are the only vitamins you should take. Any vitamin we speak about is something you should do your own research on and make sure it is something healthy for you to take. If necessary, contact your Dr. If you have any concerns. That being said, every vitamin we are going to discuss is the only vitamins that are used in any of my diet programs for any of my athletes. They are all FDA approved over the counter vitamins.
A Term You Will Here and Need to Know the Definition is: ”Antioxidant” meaning,a substance, such as vitamin C, vitamin E, or betacarotene, that counteracts the damaging effects of oxidation in a living organism, basically it helps to prevents damaging free radicals in your body from attacking your immune system and other key functions and organs in your body.
Vitamin C works as an antioxidant. The thing that it is the most well known for is preventing the body against getting any type of cold. Another one of its main roles in the body is to protect you against certain medical problems, such as heart disease, which are caused by damaged LDL cholesterol levels. It is believed by many that Vitamin C can work to prevent cancer from developing in the body.
The most well known source of Vitamin C is orange juice, or oranges. However, there are many other types of foods where you can find high amounts of Vitamin C. Some of these include strawberries, papayas, cantaloupe, and lemons. While most other fruits do contain some percentage of Vitamin C, these are the fruits that contain the highest amounts.
Vitamin E
Vitamin E works as an antioxidant. It is well known for preventing heart attacks. One of the main roles that Vitamin E plays in the body is helping the body process glucose. It is believed that Vitamin E could eventually lead to the prevention and treatment of diabetes. Vitamin E regulates blood cells and can have an affect on growth of connective tissues.
There are a variety of places where you can find Vitamin E. Some of these places include eggs, whole gain, green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils. In order to make sure that you get the vegetable oils that contain Vitamin E, you will need to make sure that you read the labels, because it has been extracted from many of them.
B Vitamins
Although you may have always thought that B Vitamins referred to only one type of vitamin, this is not the case. In fact, there are eight different B Vitamins, all of which are referred to when “B Vitamins” is discussed. One of the main roles that B Vitamins have in the body is providing it with the energy that it needs. Some of the other roles that B Vitamins play include
There are several ways to get B Vitamins. One of the best ways is through cereals and grains. Another one of the best ways is through proteins, such as beef. Though they are not a significant source, you can also get B Vitamins through eggs, fruits, and green leafy vegetables.
Different Types of B Vitamin
Vitamin B1, also known as Thiamine, is used to regulate the metabolism of your body as well as keep the level of bad cholesterol low. Symptoms of a thiamine deficiency are weakness in your arms and legs as well as a large and sudden weight loss. Vitamin B2 or Riboflavin is used to promote good vision and healthy skin. Symptoms of a deficiency of riboflavin are mouth dryness and a sensitivity to light. Vitamin B3 also known as niacin is needed to help reduce the levels of bad cholesterol in our bodies. Confusion and insomnia are symptoms of not enough Vitamin B2 in our system.
Vitamin B5 or Pantothenic acid is essential for the affect it has on pimples, acne and other dermatological problems. Needless to say, severe acne is a symptom of Vitamin B5 deficiency as well as numbness in the extremities. Vitamin B6 or Pyridoxine helps with the production of red blood cells as well as the benefits it gives to our cardio vascular health. Anemia and possible depression are symptoms of a lack of Vitamin B6.
Vitamin B7 or Biotin is useful in helping to strengthen our nails and hair as well as a preventative against hair loss. Not enough biotin can result in brittle nails. Biotin is also very important for babies. Vitamin B9 or Folic acid is a very important vitamin for women, especially pregnant women. A Vitamin B9 deficiency can lead to possible birth defects or low birth weight. Vitamin B12 or cyanocobalamin is very important to the functions of our brain. Severe brain damage can occur from Vitamin B12 deficiency.
Amino acids are critical to life, and have many functions in metabolism. One particularly important function is to serve as the building blocks of proteins, which are linear chains of amino acids. Amino acids can be linked together in varying sequences to form a vast variety of proteins. Twenty-two amino acids are naturally incorporated into polypeptides and are called proteinogenic or standard amino acids. Of these, 20 are encoded by the universal genetic code. Eight standard amino acids are called “essential” for humans because they cannot be created from other compounds by the human body, and so must be taken in as food.
We are going to add into the diet program two types of Amino Acids, 1st Branched-Chain Amino Acids or BCAA (they get their name because the chains look like they are connected by little branches. BCAA consist of Leucine, isoleucine, and valine.
Leucine: really helps to regulate skeletal muscle protein synthesis after exercise.
Isoleucine: This amino acid is important for many biochemical reactions in the body, and errors in metabolism can have drastic consequences. It is also used to treat burn victims, and is taken as a supplement by body builders.
This amino acid functions as a stimulant and promotes muscle repair.
FREE FORM AMINO ACIDS WE WILL CONCENTRATE ON ARE:
L-glutamine as it may stimulate the body’s natural hormonal responses to reduce muscle soreness and supports the natural production of growth hormone, which initiates the release of insulin growth factor (IGF-1), which can increase lean muscle mass and bone density while promoting general good health.
L-arginine: it is involved in protein formation. In larger amounts, L-arginine stimulates the release of hormones growth hormone and prolactin.
and:
L-Ornithine: which may be very helpful if you are trying to lose fat. It is important because it initiates the release of growth hormone in the body. This can be very helpful with fat metabolism.
Now I know this may seem like a lot of mumbo jumbo to you and I know you just want to get into seeing everything in place, but we have plenty of time to teach. I want this to be a truly beneficial and learning process for you, as it is better to understand why then have no understanding at all.
I say, accepting and understanding go hand and hand. I would like you to understand, so you will accept what I share with you. Then you can implement it into your life as best you see fit.
Until tomorrow,,,,,
