Go Figure goes Green

Green is for Go!
There's no time like the present and Green is the way to go! Green is life. Green contains the powerful energies of nature, growth, desire to expand or increase. Balance and a sense of order are found in the color green. Change and transformation is necessary for growth, and so this ability to sustain changes is also a part of the energy of green. Green Drinks
We couldn't celebrate without the drink of St Patrick's celebration - the Guinness! The old advertising slogan "Guinness is Good for You" may be true after all, according to researchers.

A pint of the black stuff a day may work as well as an aspirin to prevent heart clots that raise the risk of heart attacks. Drinking lager does not yield the same benefits, experts from Wisconsin University told a conference in the US. The Wisconsin team tested the health-giving properties of stout against lager by giving it to dogs who had narrowed arteries similar to those in heart disease. They found that those given the Guinness had reduced clotting activity in their blood, but not those given lager. Heart trigger. Clotting is important for patients who are at risk of a heart attack because they have hardened arteries. A heart attack is triggered when a clot lodges in one of these arteries supplying the heart.

Many patients are prescribed low-dose aspirin as this cuts the ability of the blood to form these dangerous clots. The researchers told a meeting of the American Heart Association in Orlando, Florida, that the most benefit they saw was from 24 fluid ounces of Guinness - just over a pint - taken at mealtimes.

They believe that "antioxidant compounds" in the Guinness, similar to those found in certain fruits and vegetables, are responsible for the health benefits because they slow down the deposit of harmful cholesterol on the artery walls.

As with most alcoholic drinks, try not to overdo it and drink responsibily!

Green Tea Green tea contains powerful antioxidants called catechins which have been shown in recent studies to fight viruses, slow aging, and have a beneficial effect on health. Clinical tests have shown that catechins destroy free radicals and have far-reaching positive effects on the entire body.

Free radicals are highly reactive molecules and fragments of molecules that can damage the body at the cellular level leaving the body susceptible to cancer, heart disease, and many other degenerative diseases.

EGCG is a potent antioxidant. Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG), an antioxidant found in green tea, is at least 100 more times more effective than vitamin C and 25 times more effective than vitamin E at protecting cells and DNA from damage believed to be linked to cancer, heart disease and other serious illnesses. This antioxidant has twice the benefits of resveratrol, found in red wine. Green tea also boosts the immune system because of its high concentrations of polyphenols and flavenoids.

 

When Green Goes Bad!
Not all good things green are good for us. Here's a few things that at first are great but then turn nasty if we do too much of it or just catches with us with time.


The Green Eyed Monster
is probably the biggest baddest Green thing ever. Green eyed monster ofcourse refers to envy and how we're envious of others.

You could be envious of someones body, car, house, success, their girlfriend or boyfriend. Its nice to wish we could do what others do or be how others are but if you dwell your emotions on wanting to be (or have) something you don't then its a waste of energy - you'll just angrier. Concentrate on yourself and you'll be happier person...and anyway how many hairdos can you have with 2 horns on your head??!!

Someone might be envious of you! enjoy the attention but don't let it go to your head. Take the compliments and keep your head down so you can keep on doing what you're doing that gets everyone oh so jealous of you. Its not your fault that you have traits that everybody wants and its their issue not yours.

Bad Tan You've seen it at the shows ladies and gents. Athletes who are so eager to get a dark tan that they've applied so much, or left on for too long before the show, that they've got a green undertone! We're not actually sure of the cause of this so beware next time you put your tans on.

Popping Veins
Sometimes we like to see veins popping up when we're doing heavy duty training. Seeing it makes us feel like we're working hard and seeing results while training but its the other kind of permanent veins that's more of a problem. Varicose veins and other very small veins called 'spider veins' or 'thread veins' that appear on legs aren't pretty and they are a case of veins 'gone bad'.

Vericose veins are abnormally swollen (dilated) and tortous (twisted) veins. Varicose veins are usually situated quite near the surface and are often visible beneath the skin. Varicose veins can vary in size from quite small (2-3mm across) to very large (2-3cms across). Very small veins like "thread" or "spider " are different to varicose veins because they are situated within the layers of the skin itself.

Although they may be unsightly, they are not the same as varicose veins and can be more difficult to treat. Varicose veins tend to become more common with increasing age. Thread veins are very common later in life and are a normal part of ageing. Eight out of ten people will develop thread veins (Yippeee!).

Green Feet
Athlete's foot or Tinea pedis is a foot infection due to a fungus - so mould - which is green. Some of us athlets may get tinea from time to time as Tinea pedis thrives in warm humid conditions.

The fungal spores can persist for months or years in bathrooms, changing rooms and swimming pools. Walking bare foot on a communal floor or sharing a towel can result in infection. Tinea pedis has various patterns and may affect one or both feet where you'll see patchy fine dry scaling on the sole of the foot . But commonly they'll be moist peeling irritable skin between the toes, most often in the cleft between the fourth and fifth toes.

To prevent tinea try and keep the skin as clean and dry as possible. When you're at home take your shoes off and expose your feet to the air. Change our socks everyday, especially in warm weather. Avoid walking barefoot in public areas. Throw away worn out exercise shoes and don't wear other people's shoes!


Part 2

Get your green thumb! gardening burns lots of calories so get outdoors and get weeding and pruning, mow the lawns and burn some cals while trimming your waistline!

Go Outdoors!
Get out of the iron jungle and get outdoors and enjoy the greenery of our beautiful wide spaces. Get out of the gym and do your cardio. In fact, it won't even seem like cardio once you go out and enjoy the scenery that our countryside has to offer. Try going walking on some of your nature tracks or try some other sports like rock climbing or test yourself on obstacle courses. If you like to walk outside maybe try golf! it'll also be a good test of your patience.

Go Organic!
Try and buy fruit, veges and meat that is least processed as possible. Easier said than done as these foods are usually quite expensive. But it is worth the investment as these foods have the least fertilisers and pesticides that has contributed to its growth which means its healthier for your insides. These foods are usually more nutritious and have higher quality nutrients.

Go Kiwi! Weight for weight, kiwifruit is the most nutritious of all commonly eaten fruits – high in Vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, dietary fibre and anti-oxidants, low in calories, sodium and fat, and a good source of folic acid and Vitamin E - a powerful antioxidant. This is of particular interest since most foods which contain vitamin E are high in fat, but kiwifruit contains almost no fat and are low in calories too - an ideal choice for healthy eating and healthy weight management. What's more, kiwifruit is found to be a great source of phytochemicals - known to assist in preventing chronic illnesses. They also contain some amino acids, the building blocks of protein.

 

Part 1
Green is for Go!
There's no time like the present and Green is the way to go! Green is life. Green contains the powerful energies of nature, growth, desire to expand or increase. Balance and a sense of order are found in the color green. Change and transformation is necessary for growth, and so this ability to sustain changes is also a part of the energy of green.

Put some green in your life when you want: * a new state of balance * feel a need for change or growth * freedom to pursue new ideas * protection from fears and anxieties connected with the demands of others

Green apples. Mmm green apple with a protein shake after your workout is a great post workout snack. Its low glycemic and easy on the digestion. Their high fiber content adds bulk that aids the digestive process, making elimination natural and comfortable. Apples contain pectin, a soluble fiber that encourages the growth of beneficial bacteria in the digestive tract. Apples contain flavonoids, antioxidants that improve immune function and prevent heart disease and some cancers.

Green apples act as a liver and gall bladder cleanser and may aid in softening gallstones. Eating raw apples gives the gums a healthy massage and cleans the teeth. This popular fruit is said to have properties that are a muscle tonic, diuretic, laxative, antidiarrheal and antirheumatic.

Apples are a good source of potassium, folic acid, and vitamin C. A medium apple has only 81 calories, 3.7 grams of fiber from pectin, a soluble fiber. A medium apple supplies 159 mg of potassium, 3.9 mcg of folic acid, 7.9 mg of vitamin C, and 9.6 mg of calcium. Additionally, there are trace amounts of B vitamins, iron, magnesium, and zinc.

Broccoli
Broccoli is the superhero of the vegetable kingdom with its rich vitamin A content. With one half-cup of cooked broccoli providing 1083 IU of vitamin A and raw offering 678 IU, this veggie should make a frequent appearance at your dinner table. Folic acid is also abundant with one-half cup cooked registering 39 mcg and raw 31.2 mcg.

 

Broccoli offers 71.8 mg of calcium for a whole cup of cooked, as much calcium as 4 oz. of milk. That cup of raw contains 42.2 mg. A cup of broccoli gives you 10% of your daily iron requirement, and the vitamin C content helps the body to absorb the iron. If you're a calorie counter, count broccoli in with only 22 calories for one-half cup chopped and boiled and 12 calories for one-half cup raw chopped.

 

One cup of cooked broccoli has as much vitamin C as an orange, and one third of a pound has more vitamin C than two and one-half pounds of oranges. A serving of one-half cup cooked broccoli offers 58.2 mg while the raw stores 41 mg. A cup of broccoli actually fulfills your daily vitamin C requirement

Avacodo
Contrary to what many people think, avocados are a fruit, not a vegetable, and are packed with nutrients you need and may not be getting enough of. Avocadoes are great in your salads and give you that feeling of fullness so you can't overindulge on them too much.

 

Avocados are one of the best sources of monounsaturated fat, the fat known to lower artery-clogging LDL cholesterol and raise heart-healthy HDL cholesterol. A few slices of avocado also contain a hefty serving of folate, one of the B vitamins that helps promote healthy cell and tissue development, as well as potassium, which helps maintain the electrical balance important for nerve conduction.

 

Other nutrients include vitamin E, lutein and beta-sitosterol. Vitamin E is an antioxidant, which means that it neutralizes free radicals, which can destroy a health cell or induce inflammation. Vitamin E has been shown to have a dramatic effect on a variety of diseases ranging from heart disease to Alzheimer’s. Lutein, a carotenoid, is linked with heart, prostate and eye health, while beta-sitosterol is a plant compound that studies show can help maintain healthy cholesterol levels.

Alpha linolenic acid is so important for bodybuilders because it "enhances insulin sensitivity within muscle cells." (1) This omega-3 fatty acid also has many other beneficial effects:

You can either buy flax seeds, flax seed oil, or flax seed oil supplements. If you use the seeds, make sure to grind them up before eating, otherwise, you won't be able to absorb them. You can add the flax seed oil to your protein shakes, drink it by itself, or add it to any kind of drink.

Flax oil Flax seed is 1/3 oil, and the rest of it is made up of fiber, protein, and mucilage. Flax seed oil is a rich source of essential fatty acids - it contains alpha alphalolenic acid, omega 3 essential fatty acid, and omega 6 essential fatty acid, and flax seed oil contains these 3 EFA's in just the right proportions. Omega 3 helps reduce cholesterol, blood pressure, plaque formation, and cardian arrhythmia. Arthritis - Studies have found that oils rich in Omega 3 (like flax seed oil) patients can reduce their drug use. Omega 3 has been found to kill certain cancer cells without harming normal cells. Skin problems like acne, eczema, and psoriasis are shown partly to be related to Omega 3 deficiency. Also helps improve your response to stress.

 

Green lipped Muscles Green lipped muscles or Perna canaliculus contains complex proteins, polypeptides, naturally chelated minerals, long chain unsaturated fatty acids, enzymes, glycosaminoglycans (GAGs), vitamins, nucleic acids, chondroitin sulfates, glycoproteins and polysaccharides.

 

Mussels have been used for their antiinflammatory properties as they have very high concentrations of glucosamine, chondroitin sulphate - mucopolysaccharides, vitamin B-complex, proteins and minerals, natural Omega 3 fatty acids.

Musssels are great steamed or stir fried with little garlic and chilli and makes a great low cal meal. The average analysis of Green Lipped Mussel yields: amino acids 60-62%,complex carbohydrates 12-13%, chondroitin sulfates 11-12%, lipids 4 - 5% , minerals 5 - 6%, water 4%.

If you don't like muscles, you can buy it as whole extract green mussels capsules. The capsules may drastically reduce the discomfort from Arthritis, Gout, and other inflammatory and gastro conditions. Clinical studies showed that mussel therapy helped to reduce joint pain, stiffness and prevented further damage to affected areas.

More green stuff on the way!

Green Icons

 

Frankenstein Victor Frankenstein secretly wanted to be a bodybuilder but he couldn't quite get to gym in between his crazy scientific experiments. So he decided to build one taking the best bodyparts from the bodies he could find. What he created wasn't quite the vision he wanted but neverthless we'll recognise Victor as master creator!

 

The Joker The greenhaired Joker is known his love of laughter. And we should follow his lead. Why? Laughter is great exercise. It exercises the heart, diaphragm, abs, respiratory and facial muscles and 20mins of laughter provides a workout equal to 10 mins on a stationary bike. Be Happy & Have Fun!!

Incredible Hulk Supreme Transformer. Forget the 12 week challenge, this green icon is the envy of many gym junkies and we name him Supreme Transformer changing from puny to muscly in 12 seconds! what a guy

Kermit the Frog Its not easy being green but Kermit leapfrogged to succes in the Muppet show after years of wandering Sesame Street. He never let up on his fitness maintaining his clean green body and super strong legs over the years. His secret ..frog squats! thanks Kermy.