Building Lean Muscle with Superfoods

We all like to look and feel good about ourselves.  It's this desire that gives us the motivation to exercise.  Exercise helps us feel great, we become healthier individuals, lowering the risk of many diseases by partaking in regular activity.  The endorphins released during exercise help us feel fantastic & have been known to assist with mild depression & low self esteem.  It isn't just about feeling good though, many of us are motivated by a desire to look fit, healthy & strong. To achieve this we exercise to look younger, lose body fat & build lean muscle.

Benefits of regular exercise:

• Increased endurance
• Healthier muscles, joints & bones
• Increased metabolism
• More energy
• Better sense of well-being & ability to cope with stress
• Sleep better

Building lean muscle is a sure fire way to look good!  Not only will you look more toned, but muscle in its resting state burns fat - meaning it burns calories for fuel or energy! Inevitably, this means you will be burning more calories each day. An exercise training program to build muscle & a smart nutrition plan, will ensure fat loss occurs - having you looking and feeling great.

How can Superfoods help with building lean muscle?

Building muscle naturally alludes many health & fitness professionals.  Many have been led to believe that we need the latest supplements to get "ripped" & to build muscular physiques.  Many of these supplements contain processed & chemical ingredients that lead to unforeseen side effects including things like fluid retention, breakouts & digestive disturbances - none of which are going to make you feel overly great!  During the process of muscle growth, the body needs more frequent & regular meals, as your metabolisim increases - it's of importance that the body is being fed the right fuel.  By fuelling your body with Superfoods, you will certainly avoid any of the nasty side effects mentioned, but you can be confident that superfoods will naturally increase your levels of anabolic hormones to help you increase your muscle mass.

Hormones

Testosterone is imperative for muscle-building.  The hormone synthesises proteins to rebuild muscle fibres that have been damaged during training, creating muscle growth.  The amount of testosterone in your body is a limiting factor when it comes to muscle building, as you can't build more muscle if your testosterone levels aren't high enough.  Maca contains di-indole methane, which prevents testosterone in the body from converting into dihydrotestosterone - the hormone responsible for muscle atrophy, baldness & man boobs.  Maca is also a rich source of proteins & minerals.  As an adaptogen Maca elevates in adequate hormonal levels and diminishes elevated hormone levels; working directly with your body's individual needs.

Click here to purchase Tonic Superfoods Maca Powder

Nutrition

Protein is made up of amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of your muscles and body. Without them, it would be impossible to build, repair or even maintain muscle tissue.  Protein is made up of carbon, hydrogen, oxygen and nitrogen. Having a sufficient amount of protein will put you in a positive nitrogen balance, or an anabolic state. Being in an anabolic state will allow you to build muscle.  On the contrast, if you have a negative nitrogen balance you will be in a catabolic state. Your body actually fuels itself by breaking down your hard earned muscle for energy. So it is extremely important to get an ample amount of protein intake.  Refer to our post about protein for further suggestions regarding protein intake and what works!  Bee Pollen is an amazing source of complete protein, containing 17 amino acids - which is essential for muscle growth and tissue repair.


Click here to purchase Tonic Superfoods Bee Pollen


Recovery

Muscle growth (hypertrophy) takes place during rest, not during a workout, making recovery an extremely important step in the process of building lean muscle.  In order to optimize muscle growth and recovery, make sure your post-workout nutrition is in order. Why? By supplying your muscles with the appropriate vitamins, nutrients & minerals after a workout, you can increase protein synthesis (musclebuilding) and reduce protein degradation (muscle breakdown), which can lead to an increase in muscle growth. What's more, consuming nutrient dense foods can help replenish cellular energy, which can lead to faster recovery time!  Raw Cacao is a great source of phytonutrients including aminos, protein, omega-3, calcium, zinc, sulphur, copper, potassium, beta-carotene, chromium and magnesium.  Magnesium is critical for muscle relaxation & circulation. Magnesium helps us to relax, and prevents us from getting overly stressed. Chromium is a mineral that is critical for helping us to regulate our blood sugar. It helps our cells to become more sensitive to insulin. Chromium helps us bring insulin levels back into balance,  resensitising our cells to insulin. This is important because, this means that our bodies can  utilise glucose (blood sugar) as fuel.  Without balanced blood sugar, our brain function, muscle function and overall  well being affected.   Iron is an important mineral oxygenation of the blood. Haemoglobin is responsible for transporting oxygen throughout our body. This is important to energy production and recovery after training.


Click here to purchase Tonic Superfoods Cacao Powder

Train smart with Superfoods!

Do you have your own website or blog? Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program. By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!

Moroccan Maca Soup

One of our readers Janet, has requested to know what she can cook for her family during the week, that is going to be healthy & that everyone will enjoy!  Janet is a mother of two, working full time & also has two young children.  

Tonic have put a twist on a fantastic Moroccan Soup dish, that is high in protein & dietary fiber, as well as added calcium & magnesium - Just by adding Maca!  It's easy to make & the left overs can be taken to work as a meal the next day - the whole family will love the flavour!

If you would like us to show you how to put a superfood spin on one of your favourite meals, please email us at sales@tonicsuperfoods.com.au with your request!

Ingredients

2 tbsp Olive Oil

250g Organic Grass Fed Beef or Lamb - Diced

1 Medium Onion - Diced

125g Chickpeas - Soaked overnight then drained

1 1/2ltr Water

125g Red Lentins - Soaked overnight then drained

6 Tomatos - Boiled

3tblsp Tonic Superfoods Maca Powder

1tsp Tomato Paste

1tsp Ground Cinnamon

1 Medium Red Capsicum - Diced

2 cups Quinoa (a fantastic gluten free alternative to rice - that is high in protein, calcium, phosphorus & iron)

1 Bunch of Fresh Coriander - Chopped

Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt

Method

Heat oil in a large pot, add the meat & saute until browned.

Add onion and cook until soft.

Add chickpeas & water, bring to the boil then reduce heat to a gentle simmer - cover and cook for one hour.

Add lentils, tomatos, tomato paste, cinnamon, Maca & Capsicum - then simmer for 15 minutes.

Add quinoa & continue to simmer for another 15 minutes or until all ingredients look soft & tender.

Stir in coriander 

Season with Salt & Pepper - Serve!

Do you have your own website or blog?  Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program.  By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!

Protein Packed, Afternoon Snack!

It hits mid afternoon, and the sweet cravings roll in!  

This happens to me just about everyday, and I then spend time wresting with myself - I really want something sweet, but I know I should have a protein dense snack to get me through until dinner!  To combat this feeling, I've been experimenting for a while to find the perfect mid afternoon snack that will curb the sweet cravings - and see that I'm getting some protein! The best part about this recipe, it sees that I'm getting a serve of protein, as well as omega-3, magnesium & dietary fiber & lastly there is enough to share with others!

If you would like us to show you how to put a superfood spin on one of your favourite meals, please email us at sales@tonicsuperfoods.com.au with your request!

Orange & Chia Seed Muffins

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat or Oat Flour

1/2 cup Tonic Superfoods Maca Powder

1/2 tsp celtic sea salt

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1 scoop of Tonic Superfoods Whey Protein Isolate

2 Eggs

1/2 cup Agave

1/4 cup Coconut Oil

1 Tonic Superfoods Vanilla Bean

4 tsp shreaded Orange Zest

1/4 cup freshly squeezed Orange Juice

2 tbsp Tonic Superfoods Chia Seeds

Method

Pre-Heat the oven to 190° c (375° F)

Grease muffin pan with organic butter

Combine all the dry ingredients in a bowl (Except for the Chia Seeds)

In a blender, mix the eggs, agave, coconut oil, orange zest, juice & vanilla bean

Pour the blended liquid ingredients into the dry ingredient bowl and mix together

Add the Chia Seeds & stir through

Pour the mixture into the muffin pans

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until mixture has risen & will spring back when touched

Enjoy!

Do you have your own website or blog?  Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program.  By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!

ANTI-AGING: How to maintain vitality and vibrancy with SUPERFOODS!

By Bonnie Pockley

We all age, whether we like it or not! It is certainly a natural process and part of being human. When we discuss anti-aging here we are talking about the idea of promoting vitality through our cellular health. Wonderfully, this often corresponds to a better external appearance. ‘Anti-aging’ is all about preventing or slowing down degeneration, which is a process you do in ADVANCE. 

So listen up all you young things! Anti-aging affects you and is a process that starts now!

As with weight loss, detoxification is an important part of maintaining health and vitality. Toxins are acidic in our blood and literally eat away at our cells as well as overloading our digestive, lymphatic and eliminatory system and causing them to function poorly. A toxic body results in bad breath, bad skin, early signs of aging, pain and inflammation. It is important to eliminate toxins from our diets but we must prepare our body first by building up its immunity and defence systems. When toxins are expelled from the body they are first dumped into our blood stream and are a higher stress to the body.

Building up nutrition and preparing the body for detoxification:

The nutritional component of age prevention is of incredible importance. In the initial stages of rebalancing your body, extra nutrition is required to build up your immunity in preparation for detoxification. As toxins impair cellular function and diminish cellular integrity, it is a process that is well worth undertaking. The good news is that this can be FUN when you have prepared for it properly.

Histamine response:

Believe it or not, Bee Pollen is not only extremely high in nutrition but it has an anti-histamine response. This means than taking Bee Pollen for a period of weeks before detoxing with increase your resistance to the negative side effects of detoxification and allergy reaction from toxins being released into your blood stream from your fat stores. Bee Pollen is also high in protein, which provides the amino acids basis for tissue repair and regeneration. The mineral content of Bee Pollen is also extensive and coupled with the consumption of ORAC rich Cacao (Raw Cacao has the highest anti-oxidant value of consumable foodstuff), building up nutrition can actually be a delicious and easy way too boost your health. Cacao, is also very rich in Zinc: a powerful tonic for skin suppleness, vitality and glow.

Stay hydrated:

Any beauty therapist will tell you to drink lots of water. Hydration is important for alkalising the blood and maintaining adequate fluid for cellular function. Megahydrate not only allows the body to absorb and utilize the water you drink more quickly but it delivers a high level of negatively charged hydrogen ions to your cells. What does this mean? The body is constantly exposed to large levels of free radicals that damage cells through oxidization. Negatively charged hydrogen ions stabilise the molecular structure of the cells themselves and make them less vulnerable to oxidization, thus ensuring their integrity and vitality. The process of aging is accelerated or prohibited by the health of your cells and their ability to function at as greater level as your body’s systems.

MSM and detoxification:

MSM is a MUST for detoxification and an important part of improving your body’s vitality and youthfulness. MSM is a naturally occurring form of sulphur that has both a supportive effect on the boy’s tissue membranes as well as a ‘drawing’ effect on toxins. MSM synthesises collagen that makes cell membrane’s stronger but also more permeable allowing nutrition to enter body tissue and toxin laden fat to flow out. MSM also clears stagnant bile from your liver: the organ responsible for the metabolism of fats and the filtration of what you ingest. As sulphur is required for collagen synthesis and the development of the connective tissue fibres of bones, hair, teeth and skin it plays a significant role in promoting and maintaining their health. With more MSM in our diet our cells stay buoyant, clean of toxins and youthful! MSM is a powerful beauty tonic.

Maca and balancing your hormones: 

After detoxification it is very important to balance out your hormone levels. Different types of elevated hormonal levels create problems in the body that range from weight gain to extra facial hair in women. The older we get, the more of an impact poor eating habits and lifestyle have on our hormonal balance. Hormonal levels can be ‘put out’ by environmental factors such as consuming highly processes foods as well as eating ‘healthy’ food such as soy. Maca is a product that works directly on the endocrine system to balance out wayward hormone imbalance. The good news is that it doesn’t matter what hormone imbalance you have because it works effectively and harmlessly on rebalancing the entire endocrine system. Maca is an adaptogenic root vegetable making it something that elevates inadequate hormonal levels and diminishes elevated hormonal levels; working directly with your body’s individual needs. As hormone levels are responsible the health of our skin, for metabolism and for our energy levels, balancing our hormones is the last but one of the most important components of staying young and vital.

TONIC SUPERFOODS has made it their priority to find and present you with the best quality form of Bee Pollen, Maca, Cacao and MSM. It has also been of the utmost importance to promote only the best product to redress dehydration: Megahydrate. All the products mentioned above are available through www.tonicsuperfoods.com.au/store

Think quality, think priority, think nutritional difference. 


Do you have your own website or blog? Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program. By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!

Cold Weather - Comfort Food!

We have all experienced it, the weather gets a bit cold - we crave comfort.  Something warm that is going to make us feel full and happy!  You don't have to throw your clean eating regime out the window to experience this feeling.  Here is one of our nutrient dense, comfort recipes!

Cauliflower Maca Mash

Head of 1 Cauliflower
2 Cloves of Garlic
1 Tablespoon Tonic Superfoods Maca Powder
1/4 Cup of Raw Cream
2 Teaspoons of Olive Oil
2 Teaspoons of Organic Butter
Pinch of Celtic Sea Salt

Pepper or Fresh Chives to Taste

Chop up the cauliflower and boil in water until soft then drain, add all the ingredients into a blender and pulse until smooth.

Being nutrient dense, eating cauliflower is going to ensure you are consuming Vitamin A, Calcium, Magnesium & Potassium.  If you have read our previous post, you would know that a combination of calcium & magnesium is imperative during any strength training plan, as it allows muscles to relax & contract.
Cauliflower is also a great source of Fibre, Folate, Selenium & Vitamin C - with Vitamin C assisting with increased immune function and the manufacture of collagen; the protein that forms the basis for connective tissue.
Maca contains high levels of essential minerals including selenium, calcium, magnesium and iron as well as much needed quantities of linolenic, palmitic, oleic acids, fatty and amino acids.  Making this Maca/Cauliflower Mash the perfect comfort snack for anyone that takes their training or general health seriously!

Do you have your own website or blog? Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program. By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!

The core of your nutrition plan!

To ensure your body is healthy, it requires healthy fuel.  We at Tonic believe that by incorporating the right fuel, the rest will fall into balance.
Tonic was recently lucky enough to have the opportunity to collaborate with Nutritional Coach & Superfoods Enthusiast, Christian Petersen, to create a superfood formulation packed with bio-available (highly digestible) nutrition that will cleanse and rebuild the body.


The Tonic Core has been carefully crafted, with hand picked ingredients to help re-mineralise nutrient deficient bodies.  By consuming mineral rich foods, such as whole-foods, the body is able to make nutrients bio-available through our enzyme systems, and therefore utalise, breakdown and absorb only the minerals it requires.  By giving the body what it needs, cravings for less savory nutrient dense foods will decrease, the body will be better equipped to deal with stress & you will notice increased mental function.


The detox concept has been developed and marketed as a way for people to remediate their grocery sins.  This need for detox arises when people at foods that have been displaced from nature - processed foods.  Processed foods are not compatible with our bodies.  Looking around at civilized people, we can see people surviving on processed foods, however very few are thriving!  The Tonic Core is about thriving! Conventional detox programs cause rapid unsustainable, uncomfortable detox reactions in many people; causing stress to our vital organs.  The Tonic Core is a dietary upgrade, that naturally assists the body in cleansing the way it should be, minimizing organ stress.


With this nutritional philosophy in mind Tonic worked with Christian & chose three ingredients for the Tonic Core, creating a superfood formulation, that can be utalised on its own, incorporated into your current nutrition plan or used as a delivery system incorporated with other nutrient dense superfoods.  The ingredients chosen carefully for the Tonic Core are Raw Cacao, Maca & Mesquite.

Raw Cacao

Cacao is a great source of phytonutrients including aminos, protein, omega-3, calcium, zinc, sulphur, copper, potassium, beta-carotene, chromium and magnesium.

Magnesium is critical for muscle relaxation, circulation, and heart health.  It is the most abundant mineral found in the heart. Magnesium helps us to relax, and prevents us from getting overly stressed. Chromium is a mineral that is critical for helping us to regulate our blood sugar. It helps our cells to become more sensitive to insulin.  Insulin resistance also known as pre-diabetes is a condition that affects many people living in western countries, whilst Chromium helps us bring insulin levels back into balance, re-sensitizing  our cells to insulin. Our bodies can then utilise glucose (blood sugar) as fuel.  Without balanced blood sugar, our brain function, muscle function and overall well being is affected. Iron is assists with mineral oxygenation of the blood, coupled with the magnesium and therobromine it acts as a vasodilator (vein relaxant). When veins are relaxed, the body better absorbs nutrients and transports oxygen throughout the body.   Raw Cacao is a crucial ingredient of Tonic Core - as it acts as the delivery system & assists in nutrient absorption - assisting with energy production & recovery after training.

Maca

Maca is a key component of Tonic Core.  It comes from the Peruvian Andes, and has been eaten as a staple food in this region for thousands of years.  Maca is a rich source of protein, minerals, plant sterols and di-indol methane.  The adaptogenic properties of Maca are one of the reasons it makes such a great addition to our diet. The various phyto nutrients and alkaloids present are said to help balance our master glands.  It is through this balance that we are able to normalise our hormonal function. Having balanced hormones is critical to optimal health because it will help us to build lean muscle mass, maintain our mood, and feel our best.  For more information about the individual benefits of Maca please read our earlier post on the benefits of Maca.

Mesquite

Mesquite is dense in Zinc, Calcium, Lystine & is also a source of fibre.  By combining the calcium in mesquite with the magnesium in cacao, we are fuelling the body to create strong bones.  The calcium is easily utalised by the body, as it is in wholefood form.  The combination of calcium & magnesium will also give you a competative edge with strength training as the muscles ability to relax & contract is heightened.  Zinc & Lystine assist with immune system function, ensuring the immune system is able to endure the stress placed upon it during strenuous cardiovascular or strength training.  Zinc & Lystine also fuel enzymes/muscle building proteins within the body.  Lystine also assists with calcium absorption.

The Tonic Core program has been designed to work as a foundation for any lifestyle, allowing you to easily incorporate nutrient dense wholefoods in an exciting and fun way.  Start to feel great, increase your energy, mental & physical well-being with Tonic Core.

To purchase the Tonic Core click here.

Do you have your own website or blog?  Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program.  By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!

Christian Petersen is available for Nutritional & Superfood consultation and can be contacted by email christianjohnpetersen@gmail.com

 

Protein: The Facts

Over 10,000 different proteins make us who we are; our muscles, hair, bones, skin & tissues are all made up of protein.  Hormones & the enzymes that power many chemical reactions in the body are also made up of proteins.  Our bodies are constantly using up proteins to build and grow, with this in mind, it is imperative that we continually replace this protein.
Amino acids provide the raw materials or building blocks for protein development and growth.  By following genetic instructions the body strings together amino acids.  The body doesn't store amino acids, as it does with carbohydrates & fats, and subsequently needs a regular supply of amino acids to create new proteins.  Unfortunately, not all amino acid chains can be manufactured by the body, so it is important to turn to sources of protein to be able to include these amino acids in our diet.
A lack of protein in the body can lead to growth failure, loss of muscle mass, decreased immunity as well as weakening of the heart and respiratory system.


All Protein Isn't The Same
Some of the protein we eat contains all the amino acids needed to build new proteins. This kind is called complete protein. Animal sources of protein tend to be complete. Bee Pollen is a great source of complete protein. Other protein sources lack one or more "essential" amino acids—that is, amino acids that the body can't make from scratch or create by modifying another amino acid. Called incomplete proteins, these usually come from fruits, vegetables, grains, and nuts. To get all the amino acids needed to make new protein—and thus to keep the body's systems in good shape—people who don't eat meat, fish, poultry, eggs, or dairy products should eat a variety of protein-containing foods each day.

What Are You Consuming With Your Protein? - The Protein Package

It's important to pay attention to what comes along with the protein in your food choices. Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains offer healthy fiber, vitamins, and minerals.  Whilst nuts, oily fish & organic grass fed meats are a great source of fats.  

One of our readers, Natalia posted the following question - "I was wondering, how good for you is whey protein? It's very processed and being an animal protein, is it not acid forming in the body? Let me know your thoughts"
"According to Dr. Jonny Bowden who is a certified nutritionist and author of the best selling “Living The Low Carb Life"

"Whey protein is my favorite kind of protein powder. Not only is it extremely high quality, bioavailable protein, but also it supports the immune system by providing the body with the building blocks for glutathione, arguably the body’s most important antioxidant. And studies indicate that whey protein may boost weight-loss efforts. According to one French study, consuming whey before exercise supports fat burning and may help with gaining or maintaining lean body mass."

Tonic Superfoods Whey Protein Isolate is of the highest quality proteins on the market, it is sourced from New Zealand from cows that feed on chemical free grass pasture and is carefully processed at low temperature to avoid denaturing it. By consuming Tonic SUPERFOODS Organic Whey Protein Isolate you are consuming both amino & branch chain amino acids, which will aid in nitrogen retention, whilst the glutathoine in our Whey Protein helps to boost the immune system, contains antioxidant properties, whilst promoting muscle restoration & growth. Lots of the trainers and health professionals that Tonic work with rave about how good they find our whey protein!

In the Book "The Metabolic Typing Diet " by William Wolcott, the author points out how we all differ biochemically and while one food can be acid forming for one person it can have the opposite affect (alkaline) on another person.
Our suggestion to you, Natalia, would be to try it out and listen carefully to how your body feels a couple of hours after consuming the whey protein. We also would advice you to rotate your proteins around as any food if consumed too often may lead to an allergy or sensitivity.

Tonic has been doing lots of research into plant based proteins for those who don't like to consume animal protein or for those who would like to rotate their protein sources and we have found a brand that comes highly recommended by some of the leading health and wellbeing experts in the world and it is " Sun Warrior Protein".

Why has Tonic chosen Sun Warrior Protein?

Sun Warrior Protein is made with 80% protein, and is the highest non soy, raw, whole grain, vegan protein available.  Compared to many vegetable proteins, Sun Warrior possesses a smooth texture and is not chalky in taste.  Sun Warrior protein is hypo allergenic, with a perfectly balanced amino acid profile, possessing 9 essential amino acids, as well as other non-essential amino acids.  What makes Sun Warrior even more versatile is its digestibility, possessing 98.2% digestion efficiency, making it easily assimilated by infants, the elderly and adults, as well it is naturally rich in Vitamins and Minerals and contains high amounts of Antioxidants, Tocopherols, Tocotrienols and other essential nutrients — such as thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, phosphorous, iron and potassium.

Try Sun Warrior Protein - Recommended by Tonic Superfoods!

Simple Rules for Protein Consumption:

• Ensure you are getting a good mixture of different proteins & rotate your protein sources
• Balance your carbohydrate & protein consumption
• Pay attention to what you are consuming with your protein (The protein package)
• Eat soy in moderation - Avoid it if possible!

Do you have your own website or blog?  Check out the Tonic Superfoods Affiliate Program.  By spreading the word about Tonic Superfoods on your site, you are not only helping people in their health journey, but you can make money!