ELASTIC WRIST STRAPS

This is very cheap product by AQF. I got them for £3.49. I got a cheap pair so I could test them first. They are basically a large elastic strip of material which you wrap around your wrists to prevent injury.

Wrist straps are a necessity when you begin to start lifting heavy weights. This is because the joint is very small meaning it will ache when you put alot of stress on it. The straps simply stop the unnecessary movement in the wrists which causes them to hurt. I started needing them after every time is did a set I would rub my wrists. They support my wrists and provide them with stability while I lift. This allows me to lift greater weights meaning I can work my muscle more.

There is only a thumb loop aswell. I mention this because there is no fabric on your hand. This means there is no alterations to your grip. A brilliant aspects of any wrist strap with this design. As you can see in the title they are elastic meaning one size fits all. This means you can shop online with the comfort of knowing they will fit. Mine are quite new so I can't yet comment on the durability but ta the moment they are lasting well!

When it comes to your health and well being it is important that you do anything and everything possible to stay at peak physical health. As you get older your joints become weaker so protect them now to prevent yourself hurting everyday when you are older. Respect your body and you'll feel brilliant all the time.

This is a short post because, well there is not much to talk about. Again this is the same as the lifting belt, as they are all the same I will give it no rating but if they break I will let you know and also tell you what other brand I go for.

MY PROTEIN AND OAT PANCAKES (PROTEIN OATCAKES)

I did abit of experimenting with oats the other day. This is because I have to eat them all the time to get good quality carbs in. There is only a certain amount of toppings you can put on oats before you get bored. I got bored. Very bored, so I decided to try something new. I had a look at recipes and did not like them at all due to them looking very boring and being full of fat, so here is my oatcake recipe:

Ingredients:
4 egg whites
1 egg yolk
2tbsp of honey
1 banana
1 scoop of protein powder (30g)
100g of oats

Crack your eggs into a bowl making sure you only keep one egg yolk in and whisk. In a another bowl measure out your your oats and protein powder scoop. Combine the eggs and oat mixture and stir. Now mash up the banana and add that to mixture aswell as the honey. The consistency will not be like normal pancake mixture, it will be abit more stiff but you don't want it too stodgy. If this happens just add either a little milk or water to loosen it.

Once you have your mixture, heat up a frying pan and put a very small amount of olive oil into it. (Make sure it is very hot before adding the oatcake mixture.) Spoon about two or three spoonfuls of mixture into the frying pan and spread into the pancake shape. Once this is done turn the heat down and watch carefully. Flip when needed, it should be golden brown by the end.

Serve straight from the pan with some warm honey and fruit.

(makes 3 to 4)

Here we go then...

So there is only 193 calories per pancake! This isn't the lowest calorie breakfast you can have but it will keep you going and feeling full for a good amount of time. It is a balanced breakfast to have which is full of complex carbs, proteins, fibre, salt and sugar! As you have just been in a resting state during your sleep you need a pick me up in the morning! This is because you don't eat during sleep and your body still burns a high amount of calories to keep your body going. By having all of this come into your body It helps restore what you have lost making you feel better.

As the oats are a source of complex carbs it provides your body with a slow release of energy. The protein helps repair muscles and the salts help your cells retain water so you will feel less dehydrated. The sugar from the honey also gives your a nice pick me up in the morning so before the slow release of energy kicks in you have that instant buzz from the sugar. There is not much fat at all in this recipe aswell. This is because I have taken the yolks out. I have kept one in because there is alot of good vitamins and minerals in there along with good fats. 

This is a very filling breakfast and did give me a nice lot of energy. If you want it to taste more fruity just add some more mashed bananas in. You can even substitute bananas for blueberries or even add both! If you make them thin aswell you can put two together and make a sandwich for your lunch, just take the fruit out. They are easily portable, can be eaten as a snack and are very cheap and easy to make!

Stack of oatcakes drizzled in honey

The uncooked oatcake in the frying pan

PRE WORKOUT: IGNITE

Well if you have seen my previous 'pre workout' post you'll know I don't really get on with them. I just feel sicky, but that is just me. I think before I get into the science bit i'll go through my personal experience with ignite.

I started taking it on a chest day. I took one scoop and I felt a difference in my performance. I wouldn't say I could lift more weight as I hate the people that say 'this supplement made me reach a pb for weight' or 'jumped up 20kg today on a certain exercise because of blah blah blah' . This is a stupid thing to say and helps no one decide what pre workout product they want. This comes from the unfocused people at the gym who probably don't push themselves everyday until they get that little push by the supplement which focuses them and allows them to push more weight. This is not a bad thing I just think they should stop saying it makes you push more weight. Months and years of continuous dieting and training allows you to push more weight.

What I will say is that this product cut my resting period significantly. This is an amazing aspect of ignite as the less time you rest the more you work your muscle. I was also able to push one more rep out which is the rep that I feel transforms your body. Obviously the more your muscles is worked and the greater stress that is put on it the stronger and larger it will become. The one scoop I took increased my energy levels and to my surprise I did not get any of the side effects which I got from 'Pulse V4' which I absolutely loved. An increase of energy and no little annoying headaches or stomach discomfort was brilliant & as my recovery time decreased so I was able to put another exercise in which means I worked my muscle more and harder than normal. How do I know I worked it harder? Well I woke up in the morning and felt I had a car resting on my chest. It was that nice post workout pain, (don't worry I haven't been in a car crash or anything).

I then proceeded to take two scoops for leg day........Wow. Just wow. I felt like this guy:

Photo by: www.churchyroll.com

At first I thought nothing was happening and then the 30 minute mark hit and got one of the best leg sessions out of it. Again, no weight was increased past what I have already done before but the intensity of the workout increased massively. After every set i'd be laying on the floor crippled and then do it all over again. I would also say that don't become dependent on the product otherwise you'll feel sluggish if you run out. What is also brilliant is it lasted my whole 2 hour workout. It wasn't a 10 minute buzz then nothing. I felt a release of energy throughout.

The price of the product is expensive. Especially for me being a student. £37.00 is very expensive for 720g, but what I love about it is the company. Icon nutrition have put every ingredient down on it, they are I feel a trustworthy company so with that in mind I feel it is worth the money if you have it. It would take me forever to explain every last ingredient but what i'll do is list them and pick the key ones out.

Picture from icon nutrition site.

Ignite will increase your metabolism through the caffeine and green tea extract. This means you will also be burning more calories and burning that fat away.

Everyone knows caffeine increases alertness, energy levels and focuses you.

Creatine turns into creatine phosphate in the body which helps produce the only from of energy your muscles use ATP (anedosine triphosphate) so this will increase the power output, for more info see my creatine post: http://mmillarnutrition.blogspot.co.uk/2013/06/creatine-monohydrate.html

Leucine is an amino acid. Alot of research has been put into this and has been proven to improve and stimulate protein synthesis. For those who do not know what that is it, it's the process in which makes the muscles grow. 

Beta alanine is proven to increase muscle endurance and power output. 

I'v just noticed these go into alot more detail on their website but the ones above are just a basic overview. I would suggest you read about the ingredients before buying, i'd suggest you do this with all products.

So, the company are brilliant. The delivery was incredibly quick and they provide all of the ingredients clearly. I will say these are a very promising company to buy stuff from. Ignite increases your focus, energy levels, power output and your endurance levels. It will also in the long run burn fat and WILL help you promote muscle growth. My one concerning factor is the price. This is because I am in a student mindset but this is a high quality product. 

The positives are that there are no lies and the company has not misled me in anyway with this product & ignite says what it does on the tin but it is abit pricey so my score will reflect on this:

My Overall Rating: 9 out of 10

OATS & WHEY PROTEIN BAR

Protein bars! Another thing myprotein sent me as you lot were asking about portable snacks! A sample bar costs £1.89 and it is £29.99 for 18 bars which is about £1.66 per bar. This is pretty cheap for protein bars as I have seen some in shops and gyms for £3.00!

This product is great for the busy individual. It is easily portable and a great source of protein. I got sent the chocolate peanut flavor and this has 22 grams of protein and is 316 calories. This means if you are trying to put on weight it is brilliant to get those added cals in. Myprotein state that this is the ideal choice of food to eat after exercise because of its 2:1 ratio of carbs and protein, I agree with this. I had my bar after exercise and I felt refueled but it didn't fill me up. So with this in mind you can't live of these things! They are just a temporary meal replacement. If you do eat to many protein bars can actually begin to have a laxative effect.

I don't usually like protein bars as they have that weird texture and usually don't taste too good but this protein bar was different. It tasted brilliant. I can't comment on the other flavors but the chocolate peanut hit the spot. It did taste real good but still had that weird texture. I have a sweet tooth and this was a great replacement from a chocolate bar. I bet many people have a sweet tooth and this bar is the way not to cheat on your diet!

Don't rely on these bars though! A good balanced diet is the way forward to weight loss and even weight gain, but these bars are great to settle those sweet cravings and are a great source of protein.

My Overall rating: 8 out of 10

Sorry for the bad photo I started eating it before I realized I needed a blog picture.

Here is the link to their website: myprotein.com/home.dept .

PRE WORKOUT: PULSE V4

Pulse V4 tropical storm

Recently myprotein.com got in touch with me and sent me samples to review. First of all they only sent me one sample pack so I cannot tell you about the long term benefits. So I talked to my brother as he has taken this product previously to give you the best all round review possible. This may seem like there are two sets of different opinions but we are pretty much both genetically the same. We both share the same weak points, strong points, train together and consume similar supplements to each over.

I am very skeptical about using products without at least a basic understanding of it. It has occurred to me that not enough people research into product before they buy and consume them. I have heard many storied about pre workouts containing alot of harmful and possibly illegal ingredients After researching the ingredients in this pre work out supplement I have come to the concluded that there is nothing which could affect me in a negative way in the long run which in my eyes is a very important aspect of a supplement.

If you are a beginner at the gym, or new to taking pre-work out supplements I would highly recommend only taking half servings as a start due to a high intake of caffeine and other ingredients which  your body is not use too. After I had consumed the product I felt an instant buzz. However when I had got into the gym and started to work out I experienced enhanced sweating, like crazy sweats. Like sitting in the rain sweats. It was like I had baby oiled myself. I also got light headaches after sets and reps. My brother and I both had these side effects. However after this passed we both felt more mentally focused and were able to train at a higher rate.

The long term effects of the product where my brother comes into play.  After sticking to the product he found it wasn't too bad. He started taking half servings for a week for the beginning and then upped his intake to full servings of 17g. He told me this increased his workrate significantly. His recovery time increased due to a heightened heart rate increasing circulation and speeding up the process of carbon dioxide & lactic acid removal. This increased the intensity of his workout reducing rest periods which workedhis  muscles harder and achieving overall a better work out.

There are some problems with pre workouts in general. People who I have talked to about them have become very addicted to them and feel they cannot perform in the gym without the aid of it. When in reality success comes from hard work and determination not supplements but if you are a new to the gym or someone who is easily distracted this is a way forward for you to keep yourself focused and determined.

Bare in mind though finding pre-workouts which work for you is about trial and error. For example my brother took Grenade 50 caliber which gave him many bad side effects which actually gave him a bad workout.

Keep in touch for more reviews about pre-work out supplements.

My Overall Rating: 6 out of 10

Post leg day picture. Tired & run down.

This rating is because of all the side effects which happened to me and I didn't have enough of the product to carry on for a period of time so this is the most generous score I could give.  

Here is the link to their website: myprotein.com/home.dept .

BURN FAT BY EATING & DRINKING

Recently I gave you the choice to decide what I was going to write about via my Facebook group: https://www.facebook.com/mmillarnutrition

So this article is to help you burn fat while still eating a good amount of food. Well exercising is obviously one of the best ways to get in shape but dieting is key. Good eating separates people who have amazing bodies from those people in 'alright' shape. Within this article I will tell you what foods increase your metabolism. This means by eating food you are actually burning fat which will decrease your weight and waist line. 

The Foods:

Green tea 

This raises your heart rate which makes your system burn calories faster. It also has many minerals and vitamins which nourish the body. Studies have shown that it promotes weight loss by stimulating the body to burn abdominal fat. That's right this tea will decrease your waist line. 

Chilies 

Chilies! This actually raises you core temperature very very slightly, which is why people go red and start sweating. As your body is hotter the chemical reactions happen quicker within which promotes fat burning. Your body at the same time is trying to cool you down (the sweating) this means your body is working harder so you are burning more calories. It is also easy to add to dishes, just chop a few and whack them in and there you go.

Water 

Well, your body is made up of about 70-80% water. Your skin is made up of it, your muscles are made of it and so are alot of other things like organs. Dehydration makes you look bad and feel bad. It also makes you want to eat more because your body wants the water out of the food. This means your calorie intake heightens and you'll put on weight. Water also clears toxins and helps you transport vitamins and minerals around the body. SO UP YOUR INTAKE. 

Broccoli 

This super food is very low in calories and very high in vitamin c, so this food will not only promote weight loss but make your skin look better also. This is because vit c increases your collagen production. There is alot of fiber which helps you clear toxins and makes you feel much more full. This means you wont want to snack. 

Greek Yogurt (low fat)

This dairy product contains probiotics. This is friendly bacteria which helps the body reduce the amount of fat your body absorbs. It is also rich in calcium and vitamin D helping maintain a good metabolism. 

Oats

Oats are rich in fiber and are very filling. Again, this means you will be less likely to snack because you will be full.

Almonds  

These are full of protein, fiber and good fats. Studies have shown that almonds can promote weight loss and improve cholesterol levels. A few almonds fill you up alot also! They are perfect for a healthy snack. 

Black Coffee

Caffeine kicks your metabolism up some gears. It also helps with the breakdown of fat. So have a cup in the morning and you will feel more awake and you will lose the pounds. 

Blueberries 

These little blue gems are loaded with antioxidants. They satisfy that sweet tooth and are brilliant to snack on. They don't have many calories in them and have a high water and fiber content.

This will take time, don't expect things to happen over night as it's not magic. By adding these foods into your diet in time you will lose weight and feel better. Keep in mind though to look really good you have to both exercise and eat well. I would also recommend that you eat smaller meals at a more frequent rate. this is much better than eating three massive meals a day or even the worst thing you could do which is not eat all day and chug down loads of food at night. By keeping yourself topped up throughout the day you will not go feeling hungry, you will have alot more energy, you will feel alot better and you will reach your fitness goal/goal weight. 

Didn't have all the food listed!

I hope this is what you're looking for. 

Like the group and I will ask again soon what you want me to write about!