January Newsletter
New Year New You!
Our goal is to help you reach your goals. Whether you want to slim down, lean out, bulk up or just get healthy we have something to fit your needs and keep you looking great! Visit any of our 63 locations in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Utah and Arizona to find a smoothie that works for you.
Health and Fitness
The Power of Antioxidants: Staying healthy and energized
The flavanoid quercetin, found in citrus fruits, berries, red grapes and onions, is shown to be a powerful antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and has positive effects in helping prevent heart disease, cataracts and respiratory diseases.
According to a study out of Queensland, Australia mice that were given quercetin were less likely to contract the flu virus when exposed. Also, reaching stressful levels of exercise increases the risk of becoming ill; however, quercetin reversed these affects.
Visit your local Emerald City Smoothie for your daily does of quercetin in the all natural energy drink FRS®.[i]
Log onto our website at (enter site link here) to enter to win a case of FRS!
What’s in a name?
FRS stands for Free Radical Scavenger. This is the scientific term for powerful antioxidants such as quercetin.
Are you getting enough Vitamin D?
Vitamin D was one of the top ten medical breakthroughs of 2007 as listed in Time Magazine. However, since then we have discovered much more. Researchers have long known that the “sunshine vitamin” boosts bone strength by encouraging the body to absorb calcium. Many new studies published in 2007 and 2008 suggest that the vitamin has a lot of other benefits such as, warding off diabetes, gum disease and multiple sclerosis – and maybe even cancer. Among infants, children and teens it is a matter of preventing rickets, a bone softening disease that can lead to fractures and bowed legs.
Doctors encourage us to add between 1,000 and 2,000 I.U.’s of vitamin D to our daily diet. Why? We’re sun deprived! The simplest way to boost levels of vitamin D is by soaking up ultraviolet rays, prompting the skin to manufacture D, but in gray northern climates, Boston, Seattle or Milwaukee, for instance, the sun is too weak from November through February to trigger vitamin synthesis. Even if you live in sun rich California, SPF-8 is enough to inhibit the vitamin’s production.
What are the effects you ask? A shortage of D could lead to a rough flu season. Among the benefits of supplementing with vitamin D, it also helps strengthen our immune systems and defenses in the lungs.
So where do we get vitamin D from? The sun is the most common source, but if you live in the northwest where the sun is weak, you should try adding more vitamin D rich foods to your diet including: fortified milk and cereal, salmon, tuna, sardines, or eggs. Try our Quick Start smoothie with 100% Egg Protein, High Performance Fitness Liquid Multi-Vitamin, or the all natural energy drink with quercetin FRS.[ii]
Did You Know
Make sure to stop by any Emerald City Smoothie today and order the potassium packed Nutty Banana. If you are not a fan of bananas you can also consume orange juice or wheat germ, both found in the Quick Start smoothie.
Recession Hits Health Too
With record highs in unemployment and our economy in a recession history has shown illness becomes a concern.
Emerald City Smoothie is here to make sure you stay healthy. It’s as easy as adding a boost to your smoothie or purchasing one from our selection to take at home.
Tips for Stacking
-30 minutes prior to workouts: 20 grams whey, 3-5g creatine and 1-2 grams amino acid
- 30 minutes post workout: 20-30 grams whey protein, 10-20 grams casein protein, 305 grams creatine and 1-2 grams amino acids
For a METABOLIC stack try:
-250-500 milligrams green tea extract, 100-400 milligrams caffeine two to three times daily before meals and 3.4 grams CLA with meals three times daily
For Building STRENGTH try this:
-30 minutes pre-workout take 1000-1500 milligrams Betaine, 1-3 milligrams Taurine and ½ cup wheat germ in pre-workout protein smoothie
-30 minutes post workout 1000-1500 milligrams Betaine and 1-3 grams Taurine to post workout protein smoothieEmerald City Smoothie is competitive in price and offers high quality vitamins and supplements.
If you prefer to reap the benefits from a smoothie without adding boosters, try our Zone Zinger or Re-juvenator for a vitamin-dense smoothie that will give your immune system a jump start. Both are packed with Vitamins A, C, Calcium and Iron to keep you going strong.
Supplement Health
When it comes to sports supplements it is very difficult to figure out what to take if you don’t know what you are looking at. One of the most important ways to making sure you get the most out of your supplements is stacking.
Stacking supplements is combining two or more products to enhance results. Certain supplements work better when paired together and aid in lean muscle growth, fat burning and strength building. Here are a few stacks to try for achieving muscle mass growth, losing weight by boosting your metabolism and building strength.
Building Muscle Mass - Whey Protein, Casein, Amino Acids and Creatine are the most effective supplements to stack when trying to gain muscle mass. Whey protein is a dairy based protein which boosts blood flow and aids in building muscle. Casein is another type of milk protein which digests slower and increases protein synthesis (muscle growth). Amino Acids help repair muscle tissue, and when combined with Creatine, which helps boost muscle size, boosts the effects of creatine.
Increasing Metabolism - Green Tea Extract, Caffeine and CLA are three keys to boosting weight loss and fat storage by boosting your metabolism. Green tea boosts metabolism naturally, while caffeine helps remove stored fat by putting it into circulation where it can transfer to your muscles and be used as energy. CLA (Conjugated Linolic Acid), a naturally occurring fatty acid found in meat and dairy, also helps process stored fat and blocks little fat cells from growing bigger, however, at a slower rate (one to two months before noticing results).
Strength Building Stack – Betaine, Taurine and Wheat Germ will aid in building strong muscle and muscle mass. Betaine inhibits the production of the amino acid homocysteine, which is associated with the risk of cardio vascular disease. Taurine is an amino acid that helps boost muscle strength and endurance. Wheat germ is the inner layer of the wheat kernel which stores protein, healthy fats, vitamins and minerals. This is a slow digesting carbohydrate that boosts both muscle strength and endurance, and enhances reaction time in athletes. Wheat germ offers many other health benefits as well.
[i] Royal Pharmaceutical Society of Great Britain (2007). Quercetin, March 15, 2007, p. 272-275, retrieved from http://www.pharmpress.com/shop/samples/diet_supp_3E_sample.pdf
[ii] Guthrie, C. (2007). Top 10 Medical Breakthroughs of 2007. Retrieved February 2, 2009, from Time Magazine
Web site: http://www.time.com/time/specials/2007/top10/article/0,30583,1686204_1686252_1690393,00.html
