Marco B

http://www.physorg.com/news165674929.html (PhysOrg.com) -- Fifty million years ago, the North and South Poles were ice-free and crocodiles roamed the Arctic. Since then, a long-term decrease in the amount of CO2 in the atmosphere has cooled the Earth. Researchers at Yale University, the Carnegie Institution of Washington and the University of Sheffield now show that land plants saved the Earth from a deep frozen fate by buffering the removal of atmospheric CO2 over the past 24 million years.

Things that stress me out: Work, and sometimes extreme workouts. How I relax: Beer and/or a long bath (spa bath if you got one) with bath salts.. and don't come out till your wrinkly.

Hi All, I've been researching spirulina mainly because of it's a complete protein source and it has allot of other good stuff in it. I was looking at mineral content - particularly copper and iron since they are pro oxidants. I looked up the USDA nutrient profile on spirulina (dry mass) http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/ it contains: 28mg/100g Iron (~8mg RDI for men - Unless you donate blood regularly) 6.1mg/100g Copper (2-3mg RDI) For people taking spirulina it is certainly worth considering the iron and copper intake as it can dramatically increase oxidative stress. I am aware that the RDI is an estimated minimum requirement before you suffer adverse effects from malnutrition. The US recommended daily allowance for daily iron intake is 8 mg for postmenopausal women, 8 mg for all men, and 18 mg for premenopausal women. Previous studies calculated a potential risk from excessive iron intake of 25 to 50 mg of iron per day. For the first study linked below, more than 18 mg of iron per day was considered "high intake." Transferrin Saturation, Dietary Iron Intake, and Risk of Cancer http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/502752 Metals, toxicity and oxidative stress http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15892631 The role of iron in cancer http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8664805 I have tried to find other sources for nutrient profiles. The Australia/New Zealand Nutrition database didn't have an entry for spirulina. I believe the iron and copper content will vary depending on where it is grown (mineral content of the water used). If anyone has any more data on this please post it here. Where I am at the moment I should be eating approx 80-120g protein/day. Based on what I currently know I can take 50g/day spirulina ~30g protein and ~40g sunwarrior protein almost reaching 18mg of iron. Combining this with protein from other meals should take me to about 80-90g/day. So far I see spirulina as an important addition to the diet. It is rich in anti oxidants, and has allot of other good stuff in it. It's just cant be my primary protein source unless I can find some spirulina with reduced iron and copper content. I still have more research to do on the other protein sources, I'll be back with more later. It's 1am here!

I was in tears reading that shit. I thought it was a parody at first. The best bits: Vegan Males Become Wussies "The vegan diet wipes out the hormonal system in males.", "They become impotent sissies. This is the reason vegan males become submissive to females and become homosexual.", "The fact that the vegetarian diet turns men into homosexuals is very easy to prove. Simply go to a gay rally and shout this question into the microphone, "If you are gay and a vegetarian, please raise your hand?" Repeat the question once again to make sure most of them heard it. You will quickly see all the hands go up." Vegan Females Become Infertile "She may drift into a lesbian relationship thinking her lack of arousal indicates she is gay when in reality it was caused by the deficient vegan diet." "She soon looses her sex drive and fails to achieve an orgasm." "The female vegan often becomes infertile or miscarries the baby." Vegetarians Have the Shortest Lifespan on Earth <- Just a funny title by itself True Vegetarianism Exposed "Vegetarianism is a religion which is falsely disguised as a health way of eating. The leaders of the vegetarianism religion worship animals. These people place animals on the same value level as human beings and sometimes above that of the human race. The result of their spreading myths, distortions and lies about healthy eating has lead to a dramatic surge in obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer that is not found in low-carbohydrate, high-fat, meat-eating societies. The low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet of the last 40 years has cause the early deaths of millions of people and untold suffering, both of which continues unabated to this day." I am just amazed... Young earth creationists use exactly the same arguments when they attempt to refute evolution. And that's without mentioning the bigoted, sexist and homophobic remarks. "Vegetarianism" - is that even a word?

Aside from eating adequate amounts of protein throughout the day, I go with the position that post exercise protein and sugar within 2hrs exercise improves muscle gain. I have an apple after my workout for a small insulin spike. Also approx 30g easily digested balanced protein. I found these with a quick Google search: http://jap.physiology.org/cgi/content/abstract/96/3/951 Submitted 31 July 2003 ; accepted in final form 21 November 2003 Elevated postexercise amino acid availability has been demonstrated to enhance muscle protein synthesis acutely, but the long-term impact of postexercise protein supplementation on variables such as health, muscle soreness, and function are unclear. Healthy male US Marine recruits from six platoons (US Marine Corps Base, Parris Island, SC; n = 387; 18.9 ± 0.1 yr, 74.7 ± 1.1 kg, 13.8 ± 0.4% body fat) were randomly assigned to three treatments within each platoon. Nutrients supplemented immediately postexercise during the 54-day basic training were either placebo (0 g carbohydrate, 0 g protein, 0 g fat), control (8, 0, 3), or protein supplement (8, 10, 3). Subjects and observers making measurements and data analysis were blinded to subject groupings. Compared with placebo and control groups, the protein-supplemented group had an average of 33% fewer total medical visits, 28% fewer visits due to bacterial/viral infections, 37% fewer visits due to muscle/joint problems, and 83% fewer visits due to heat exhaustion. Recruits experiencing heat exhaustion had greater body mass, lean, fat, and water losses. Muscle soreness immediately postexercise was reduced by protein supplementation vs. placebo and control groups on both days 34 and 54. Postexercise protein supplementation may not only enhance muscle protein deposition but it also has significant potential to positively impact health, muscle soreness, and tissue hydration during prolonged intense exercise training, suggesting a potential therapeutic approach for the prevention of health problems in severely stressed exercising populations. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11507179

Yeah, I just looked through a few posts. Basically it seems to be more about balance and making sure it's not the only protein source. I've decided to give it a go, how much do you have (daily average) for things like tofu?

Yeah, I agree, good variety of people. People here are really helpful and there is a great wealth of information here, a sense of community. At the moment i'm here to learn, and switch my diet over. Also I guess to track my progress and socialize.

Hi all, I have decided to have another look at soy products/weigh things up again. One of the main reasons that I have been put off using soy is the stuff I read about it containing phytoestrogen and isoflavones. Also that it requires a fair amount of processing/chemical separation before it is edible. http://www.pnas.org/content/99/11/7616.full This article mostly talks about infants that are fed purely soy milk products. I guess this would be more of a concern for infants since thats all they eat and messing with a baby's hormone balance is a cause for concern. Adults probably wouldn't consume these amounts of soy products when you compare consumption with body weight. I was just wondering if anyone has more info on these things that can help me decide whether or not to use soy products.

Thanks guys for the welcome! I have just been looking around at local shops and I'll be ordering some Sun Warrior protien coming weekend. I have considered buying a 2kg of spirulina. What does spirulina taste like? What do you mix it with? I saw the 'Chocolate Fudge' in the recipe's section. That looks really good, it's going to be one of the first things i'll make. Someone here was talking about a program or something they use to track their diet. You program it once with recipes and it tracks energy and nutrient intake. It could be an online/web based system. Does anyone know about a program like that? What i'm up to now is building a shopping list and a weeks worth of meals. For me the hardest part will be the cooking.

Hi guys, I've been training now for the last year (81kg/9% bodyfat/190cm) I love Muay Thai Currently on a standard diet and am looking at this as a way to improve my health. I just found out that there are lots of different protein sources other than soy products which is good. (I'm biased against soy.. sorry.) Once I have accumulated enough knowledge I should be able to switch over to a vegan diet. I just need to be sure it doesn't get in the way of my training goals. I'm looking at a combination of fitness and strength and I still want to gain another 4-5kg of lean mass. I currently know next to nothing, so I need to find out amino acid balances of the other protein sources. Preparation time, how to cook, meal macro nutrient content - sugars:proteins:fats etc. If anyone has some good links and stuff to share let me know!

Yeah you have the captcha image on the sign up page so that should have slowed them down!