Just in Time for the Olympics

Have you been watching the Olympics?  I've really enjoyed watching them. 

Olympians have to be very careful about what they put into their bodies.  The following is a study of  "sports nutrition products" that aren't what they appear to be.  Also word of caution, just because it is natural does not mean it is good for us.

First came an article in the July 18th edition of the British Medical Journal (Cohen, BMJ, doi: 10.1136/bmj.ed737, 2012) saying that most sports nutrition products have little or no scientific backing.

And they named two of the biggest names in the industry, Pepsi-Cola (manufacturer of Gatorade) and GlaxoSmithKline (manufacturer of Lucozade Sport) as marketing products with little scientific backing.

So how was this study conducted?

A team at the Centre of Evidence Based Medicine at Oxford University evaluated the evidence behind 431 performance enhancing claims in advertisements for 104 different sports products, including sports rehydration drinks and protein shakes.

They contacted the companies and asked them to provide studies to back their claims. Many companies were unable to provide any evidence to back their claims.

However, several companies provided a total of 106 studies, which the team then evaluated. The scientific team concluded that only 2.7% of the studies were of high quality and low risk of bias.

They identified a number of major flaws in the remaining studies including:

- small sample size
- poor quality surrogate outcomes
- poor quality trial design including badly blinded or non-blinded studies
- data dredging using pre-defined outcome measures
- biological outcomes that did not necessarily correlate with improved performance
- inappropriate use of relative measures
- pre-study nutritional input manipulation
- changes in environmental factors - such as heat or cold - during the study

Suffice it to say that lots of the studies were really, really bad! Sadly, many of the sports nutrition products out there are based on hype and marketing, not science (Are you really surprised?).

As if that weren't bad enough, less than a week later the British Medicines and Health Care Regulatory Agency (MHRA) identified 84 sports supplements that should not be used by Olympic athletes (or any athletes, for that matter) because they contained dangerous ingredients.

Some of the supplements in question contained steroids or hormones that were not only dangerous, but could cause Olympic athletes to fail drug testing.

Others contained stimulants like DMAA, ephedrine, synephrine and yohimbe that can cause kidney failure, seizures, heart problems and death.

Most of the supplements in question were not publicly named. Instead, the MHRA simply advised shopkeepers in England to remove them from their shelves.

So there you have it. Most sports supplements are based on hype and marketing, not science. And many sports supplements are downright dangerous.

Your best bet is to stick with a reputable company with a history of working with Olympic athletes. And simply ignore all those claims about instant muscle growth super fast times.

Thank you to Dr. Stephen Chaney for providing this information.

Want the best for your athlete? Contact Mary Beth at marybeth@mamabearproductions.net.  Also you can view some of the exceptional sports products by going here.

Be educated, read labels and for a source you can trust, contact me.

Mary Beth Potrykus
www.mamabearproductions.net

Cancer proof your barbecue

We love to barbecue in the summertime!  But we also barbecue in the winter.  Not as much of course. 

You may feel a little overwhelmed at the list of things that can cause cancer.  But if you have never had cancer, GREAT, and wouldn't it be wonderful if you had another source of information to prevent cancer?  All the while enjoying foods cooked on the grill?

Go here and view ideas that will cancer proof your barbecue and also included is some tasty tips. 

If you're looking for exceptional barbecue sauces, and are gluten free, click here.  Dale is a friend of mine and he really knows how to grill!  Take a tour of his website and see all the services he provides.

As an added note, remember to keep hydrated and keep your skin moisturized.  One of the top reasons for skin cancer is people do not moisturize their skin.  For a high end sun tan lotion that doesn't smell like tropical fruit and you won't slide off the lounge chair, click. 

Enjoy the summer!

Mary Beth Potrykus
www.mamabearproductions.net

One little apple and what it can do

The old saying is "an apple a day keeps the doctor away".  What I believe they were really saying is to incorporate fresh fruits and vegetables into our diet.

Did you know that apples, along with other fruits and vegetables have numerous benefits?

You'd be surprised at the benefits of the fruits and vegetables you may already be eating.  If not, maybe it's time.  Check out this chart.

apples	Protects your heart	prevents constipation	Blocks diarrhea	Improves lung capacity	Cushions joints
apricots	Combats cancer	Controls blood pressure	Saves your eyesight	Shields against Alzheimer's	Slows aging process
artichokes	Aids digestion	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Guards against liver disease
avocados	Battles diabetes	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin
bananas	Protects your heart	Quiets a cough	Strengthens bones	Controls blood pressure	Blocks diarrhea
beans	Prevents constipation	Helps hemorrhoids	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Stabilizes blood sugar
beets	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones	Protects your heart	Aids weight loss
blueberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Boosts memory	Prevents constipation
broccoli	Strengthens bones	Saves eyesight	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure
cabbage	Combats cancer	Prevents constipation	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Helps hemorrhoids
cantaloupe	Saves eyesight	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Supports immune system
carrots	Saves eyesight	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Promotes weight loss
cauliflower	Protects against Prostate Cancer	Combats Breast Cancer	Strengthens bones	Banishes bruises	Guards against heart disease
cherries	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Ends insomnia	Slows aging process	Shields against Alzheimer's
chestnuts	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
chili peppers	Aids digestion	Soothes sore throat	Clears sinuses	Combats Cancer	Boosts immune system
figs	Promotes weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
fish	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Supports immune system
flax	Aids digestion	Battles diabetes	Protects your heart	Improves mental health	Boosts immune system
garlic	Lowers cholesterol	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	kills bacteria	Fights fungus
grapefruit	Protects against heart attacks	Promotes Weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
grapes	saves eyesight	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Enhances blood flow	Protects your heart
green tea	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Helps stops strokes	Promotes Weight loss	Kills bacteria
honey	Heals wounds	Aids digestion	Guards against ulcers	Increases energy	Fights allergies
lemons	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
limes	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
mangoes	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Regulates thyroid	aids digestion	Shields against Alzheimer's
mushrooms	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Kills bacteria	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
oats	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	prevents constipation	Smoothes skin
olive oil	Protects your heart	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Smoothes skin
onions	Reduce risk of heart attack	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Lowers cholesterol	Fights fungus
oranges	Supports immune systems	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Straightens respiration
peaches	prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes	aids digestion	Helps hemorrhoids
peanuts	Protects against heart disease	Promotes Weight loss	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Aggravates diverticulitis
pineapple	Strengthens bones	Relieves colds	Aids digestion	Dissolves warts	Blocks diarrhea
prunes	Slows aging process	prevents constipation	boosts memory	Lowers cholesterol	Protects against heart disease
rice	Protects your heart	Battles diabetes	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes
strawberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	boosts memory	Calms stress
sweet potatoes	Saves your eyesight	Lifts mood	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
tomatoes	Protects prostate	Combats cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart
walnuts	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	boosts memory	Lifts mood	Protects against heart disease
water	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Conquers kidney stones	Smoothes skin
watermelon	Protects prostate	Promotes Weight loss	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure
wheat germ	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
wheat bran	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
yogurt	Guards against ulcers	Strengthens bones	Lowers cholesterol	Supports immune systems	Aids digestion

Get your 2-3 servings and variety makes it more tasty and doable.

For printable chart, contact Mary Beth at marybeth@mamabearproductions.net.

Mary Beth
www.mamabearproductions.net
.