PROTEIN BROWNIE RECIPE

Everybody that is trying to get in shape will know the struggle with avoiding sweet treats such as brownies. That is why everyone deserves to know a good protein brownie recipe that will not blow your diet out of the water and satisfy your craving. Besides just using Natural Body Nutrition RAW protein powder to get the protein content in the brownies I have used lupin

Ingredients

2/3 cup lupin flakes

1 cup gluten free self-rising flour

¼ cup almond meal

2 scoops Natural Body Nutrition WPI chocolate protein powder

1 tbsp cocoa powder

4 egg whites

4 egg yolks

250g butter melted

Instructions

1. Preheat the oven to 180°C

2. Separate the egg whites into a mixing bowl and the yolks into a small bowl.

3. Whisk the egg whites until they become stiff and are able to form peaks

4. Mix the Lupin flakes, SR gluten-free flour, almond meal, cocoa powder and nbn chocolate whey protein.

5. Melt the coconut oil and add it along with the yolk to the lupin/ flour mixture by making  a well in centre and mix until it becomes smooth.

6. Now fold the egg whites into the mixture.

7. Get a baking tray and line it with baking paper and spread the mixture out in the bottom and pop it in the oven for about 20 – 25 minutes.

BENEFITS OF TAKING DIGESTIVE ENZYME SUPPLEMENTS

Ever sit down for a heavy meal and leave the table feeling bloated, tired and sick? I’ve been there. And if I’m being completely honest, I haven’t always had the healthiest diet. If you’re like me, your digestive issues may be caused by a lack of enzymes.

Digestive enzymes help the body break down proteins, carbohydrates and fats, so you can use these nutrients. The easier it is for your body to break down and absorb these nutrients, healthier and more energetic you’ll be.

And you may be surprised to learn that after the age of 27, it becomes even more difficult for your body to produce its own enzymes.

The good news is that you can take digestive enzyme supplements to improve digestion and better absorb the nutrients in your foods.

What are Digestive Enzymes?

Digestive enzymes are like having little additional workers to help your body break down complex foods, like carbohydrates, protein and fat. The more enzymes you have, the easier it will be to break down nutrients. An ample supply of enzymes will ensure that your gut remains healthy.

There are four primary digestive enzymes:

1. Protease – These breakdown proteins.
2. Lipase – These help digest and assimilate fats.
3. Cellulase – These break down cellulose into sugars.
4. Amylase – These break down starches, or carbohydrates.

Each enzyme type has its own function and benefit, and a good quality digestive enzyme supplement will contain all of these enzymes.

Now that you understand what digestive enzymes are, you may be wondering what the benefits are when taking them.

The Top 5 Benefits of Taking Digestive Enzymes

1.      Improved Nutrient Absorption

One of the main benefits of taking digestive enzymes is that it can help your body absorb more nutrients.

If your body is not producing enough enzymes, you’ll have difficulty breaking down carbohydrates, proteins and fats. This means that your body will have a harder time getting the fuel it needs. And because fats are required to digest certain vitamins and minerals, you may wind up suffering from vitamin and/or mineral deficiencies.

A digestive enzyme supplement will make it easier for your body to break down and absorb these key macronutrients.

2.      Reduce or Eliminate Digestive Issues

If you’re suffering from gas, indigestion, bloating and/or acid reflux, digestive enzymes can help minimize or eliminate these uncomfortable symptoms by helping the body break down and assimilate the nutrients in your food. If the body is unable to properly breakdown carbohydrates, fats and proteins, digestive issues are sure to follow.

I personally had a difficult time digesting carbohydrate-rich foods, like potatoes, pasta and certain grains. After a few weeks of taking digestive enzymes, I had no issues at all eating these foods. The gas, bloating and uncomfortable “heavy” feeling simply disappeared.

3.      Enzyme Levels Drop With Age

If you’re over the age of 27, your body naturally produces fewer enzymes. As we age, normal digestion slows down simply because we have fewer enzymes to rely on. As a result, we are unable to absorb nutrients as efficiently as we once were.

Taking a digestive enzyme supplement can help prevent this from happening.

4.      We Use Up Our Supply of Enzymes Faster

There are certain factors that cause us to use up our enzymes faster than normal. Once you use up this supply, it will take your body some time to produce more. Extreme weather conditions, illness and strenuous exercise can cause us to use up more enzymes.

5.      Some Foods Contain Enzyme Inhibitors

Certain foods – healthy foods – contain enzyme inhibitors that actually neutralize some of the enzymes your body naturally produces. These foods include egg whites, beans, seeds, raw wheatgerm, nuts, raw peanuts, peas, lentils and potatoes.

Enzyme supplements can help replenish your supply, making it easier for you to digest these foods without any uncomfortable side effects.

Enzymes play a critical role in the health of your body, and ensuring that you have an ample enzymes is crucial. Supplements can help bridge the gap, so your body is better able to digest food and absorb nutrients. Take it from someone who has personal experience with digestive enzymes – these supplements really do improve digestion. There’s no reason to struggle with uncomfortable digestive issues any longer when you can take a simple, natural supplement to remedy the problem.

HOW TO DEADLIFT

In the past few months I have been using SMOLOV training to increase my squat strength with my goal being to hit a 200 kg squat. I managed to join the 200 club and it got me thinking, maybe I should use SMOLOV with deadlifts and see if I can hit 250 kg.

Seeing as I have been squatting so much for the last few months it has been a while since I have gone heavy on deadlifts. Therefore I thought I would make sure and brush up on my form to make sure there are no cobwebs that may hold me back. So I thought I would write a small post on how I go about deadlifting and hopefully it may help you.

Firstly feet…

You should have your feet hip width apart with your toes turned out ever so slightly. When you are stood with your feet under the bar you should see the bar approximately over the middle of your feet. You don’t want the bar right up against your shins yet as this will happen when you lower your hips ready to lift.

Hands

Your grip should be about shoulder width. You will find your hips are slightly narrower than your shoulders so you shouldn’t have a problem with your legs being in the way. Your arms should never be bent during the lift with the elbows locked at all times.

Chest, Shoulders

Keep your chest up with your shoulders relaxed! I used to make the mistake of pulling my shoulder blades back and trying to engage my traps.

Head

It is important to keep a neutral spine and maintain this position during the entire lift. I find the best way is to not actually look at anything this will help to keep your back in a neutral position with a slight natural arch. You don’t want to have a rounded back or an exaggerated arch in your back.

Breathing

Before each rep take a deep breath and hold it during the lift and exhale when the bar reaches the floor again. You don’t want to exhale during the rep as you don’t want to lose pressure in you abdomen.

The pull

From the standing position with your feet under the bar bend your knees until your shins touch the bar with the bar still positioned over the middle of your feet. Chest up, straight back, take a deep breath and stand up! This should be a slow controlled motion dragging the bar over your legs. When you lockout at the top you want your knees and hips locked. A mistake I used to make was to lean back at the top, this puts pressure on your lower spine.

Lowering

Hips back and only bend your legs once the bar isn’t in danger of hitting your knees.