One way to start improving your health today is to eat heart-healthy foods. What is the significance of food?

We want to keep our blood pressure in check, as well as our cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Healthy eating can also help you maintain a healthy weight, which can prevent a range of health problems.

The good news is that by incorporating a few foods into your diet, you may improve your heart health while also guaranteeing appropriate nutrition.

More good news: heart-healthy meals are also tasty and versatile, so you can make them in a number of ways for breakfast, lunch, and dinner without getting bored. As a result, including them in your diet and daily routine is a win-win situation.

A healthy heart also helps to prevent aging and can extend one’s lifespan, so you’ll benefit from both the short-term benefits of body fuel and the long-term health benefits as you get older by eating these nutrient-dense meals.

Here are twelve heart-healthy items to stock up on this week and keep on hand in your pantry and refrigerator as go-to mainstays.

1. Whole Grains

Whole grains in the diet on a regular basis may reduce the risk of heart disease. This is evident in well-studied diets like the DASH and Mediterranean eating plans, and a new study indicated that replacing whole grains for refined grains lowers total and LDL cholesterol, as well as triglycerides. Unless you have Celiac disease, you don’t need to avoid gluten.

In truth, research reveals that gluten has no link to the risk of heart disease; rather, removing gluten from one’s diet is connected to a decreased intake of heart-healthy whole grains, which may increase the risk.

2. Tart Cherries 

Tart cherries are strong in polyphenol antioxidants and have anti-inflammatory properties. Drinking sour cherry juice on a regular basis decreases blood cholesterol levels, according to a 2019 study. If you don’t want to drink the juice, eat frozen tart cherries in smoothies or dried tart cherries with nuts as a snack.

3. Beetroots

Beets are high in dietary nitrate and provide a variety of vitamins and minerals, including potassium, which is beneficial to your heart. Dietary nitrates from beets are converted to nitric oxide in the body, which helps blood vessels dilate. This reduces heat stress and may aid in blood pressure reduction.

You can get high nitrates by drinking beet juice, but you can also make them yourself. In the refrigerated section of the grocery store, you may also find pre-cooked beets and a beet powder that provides the nitrate benefits you desire when you’re in a hurry.

4. Pistachios 

Pistachios include around 90% of the healthy fats, such as mono and polyunsaturated fats, and each serving has 3 grams of fiber. Pistachios Chili Roasted and Pistachios Honey Roasted are two varieties to try for a more filling snacking experience.

Also read: How To Follow A Cutting Diet: Your Complete Guide To Losing Weight While Maintaining Muscle

5. Potatoes

Potatoes are high in potassium, which is vital for blood pressure control, and they have more potassium per serving than a banana (with creamer potatoes providing more potassium than a russet). Potassium intake is vital for blood pressure control when it comes to heart health.

They also have a lot of vitamin C, which is an antioxidant. If you believe potatoes take too long to prepare, try cooking them in the microwave. Many manufacturers produce microwave-ready packages with tastes that cook in 5 minutes or less.

6. Beans

These nutritional powerhouses are abundant in fiber as well as heart-healthy minerals like folate, magnesium, and antioxidants, which can all help to decrease blood pressure. Beans are delicious in soups, salads, chili, dips, and a number of other foods, and fiber helps to maintain healthier blood sugar and cholesterol levels.

7. Fish 

The majority of people do not consume the recommended two servings of fatty fish each week to reduce their risk of heart disease and stroke. To get your omega-3 fix, eat fatty fish like salmon, herring, or sardines twice a week. Even tuna cooked in a can (as some brands do) has a little quantity of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.

Experiment with different varieties of fish and think outside the box. A delectable combo is a whole grain cracker topped with avocado, sardines, and a touch of lemon. Also, don’t forget about the canned salmon! It can be found at any time, is moderately priced, and is quite easy to include in salads, sandwiches, pasta dishes, and other dishes.

8. Flaxseed 

Flaxseed is high in fiber, omega-3 fatty acids, and phytochemicals known as lignans, all of which may aid persons with high blood cholesterol and heart disease. To provide fiber and a little amount of protein to smoothies, muffins, pancakes, and waffles, ground flaxseed can be sprinkled on yogurt or cottage cheese, or added to smoothies, and muffins, pancakes, and waffles.

9. Avocado

According to the American Heart Association, mono and polyunsaturated fats should be included whenever possible, whereas saturated and trans fats should be avoided entirely. Avocado is largely monounsaturated in nature, and when ingested instead of high-fat meals that are high in saturated fat, it can help to maintain good cholesterol levels.

10. oats

Soluble fiber, such as that found in whole grain oats and oat bran, has been demonstrated to reduce LDL cholesterol or “bad” cholesterol. Combining three grams of soluble fiber per day with a low-saturated-fat diet may reduce the risk of heart disease. Old fashioned oats have 2 grams of soluble fiber per 12 cup serving, so enjoy a classic bowl of oatmeal or sprinkle some in your smoothie or overnight oats and top with nutritious toppings like nuts, seeds, and berries to add a bit of fiber to your diet.

11. Walnuts

Walnuts are a good source of fiber and micronutrients like magnesium, copper, and manganese. Including a few servings of walnuts in your diet can help avoid heart disease, according to research. Some tree nuts, particularly walnuts, have a lot of research backing them up in terms of avoiding cardiovascular disease.

Walnuts were proven to reduce LDL (bad) and total cholesterol levels in a study of 365 adults conducted in 2009. Interestingly, frequent eating of nuts like walnuts has been associated in multiple studies to a lower risk of heart disease.

12. Dark Chocolate

Flavonoids, which are antioxidants that can help enhance heart health, are abundant in dark chocolate. Chocolate consumption has been related to a lower risk of heart disease in several studies.

Chocolate use in moderation (less than 6 servings per week) may reduce your risk of coronary heart disease, stroke, and diabetes. Keep in mind that while these studies suggest a correlation, they don’t necessarily take into account other aspects.

In addition, chocolate is high in sugar and calories, negating many of its health benefits. Choose high-quality dark chocolate with a cocoa content of at least 70% and take it in moderation to get the most heart-healthy benefits.

Also read: Super Sets For Super Strength – Benefits And Common Mistakes

Take Away

As new information emerges, the link between nutrition and heart disease becomes stronger.

What you eat can affect nearly every aspect of heart health, from blood pressure and inflammation to cholesterol levels and triglycerides. As we covered before in this post, there are numerous food sources that are not only delicious but also beneficial to your heart’s health.

If eaten as part of a nutritious, well-balanced diet, these heart-healthy foods can help keep your heart in good shape and lower your risk of heart disease.

The post The Top 12 Delicious Foods That Are Also Heart-Healthy first appeared on FitzoneTV.

Bodybuilding appears straightforward on the surface: you eat a lot of food and lift a lot of weights to get as muscular as possible, right? That’s not entirely true. The construction phase is the initial step in the process. A bodybuilder’s prep phase includes reducing fat from their frame in order to accentuate the muscles they gained in the gym. This is also known as the cutting stage.

One of the most crucial questions you’ll ever have to answer is how to structure your cutting program. In some ways, knowing when to start is just as important as knowing how to start. I can’t give you a one-size-fits-all answer because your body and lifestyle are unique. I can only assist you in developing an efficient weight-loss approach that does not leave you fumbling for answers or make you feel horrible about yourself by putting you on a miserable crash diet. Let’s start by discussing the differences between bulking and cutting.

What’s the Difference Between Bulking and Cutting?

You’ve probably heard the terms bulking and reducing before. There are two dietary regimens that can aid in body composition improvement. You’ve almost certainly done both unless you’re freshly new to bodybuilding.

Bulking is the process of gaining weight, primarily in the form of muscle mass, through a combination of strength training and caloric excess. You want as little of that weight gain as possible to be fat. However, even the most successful bulks will result in fat gain.

The technique of lowering – or “cutting” – body fat in order to make muscles more visible and defined is known as cutting. Unlike standard weight-loss strategies, a cutting diet focuses on maintaining lean body mass through dietary adjustments and intense physical activity.

Bulking is usually straightforward and pleasurable, but trimming is more challenging and unpleasant. After all, the majority of us would rather eat than go hungry.

What Is A Cutting Diet?

A cutting diet, also known as shredding, is intended to help people lose weight while keeping muscle mass.

Bodybuilders and fitness enthusiasts frequently adopt the cutting diet as a short-term program prior to an event, competition, or as part of their training plan.

A cutting diet is different from other weight-loss diets in that it is personalized to the individual, contains more protein and carbs, and should be complemented with weightlifting.

To reach their aims, they combine a reducing diet with weightlifting. When calorie reduction begins, weightlifting helps people maintain muscle mass, which helps to prevent muscle loss.

A cutting diet normally lasts 2–4 months, depending on how slender you were before dieting, and is timed to coincide with bodybuilding competitions, sporting events, or special occasions like holidays.

Also read: How To Perform Heel Raises And The Top 6 Reasons To Do Them

How To Do A Cutting Diet?

Calculate how many calories you consume on a daily basis

You lose weight when you eat less calories than you burn on a daily basis.

Your weight, height, lifestyle, gender, and amount of physical activity all influence how many calories you should consume each day in order to lose weight.

In general, a woman needs 2,000 calories per day to maintain her weight and 1,500 calories to lose 1 pound (0.45 kg) of fat every week, but a male needs 2,500 calories to maintain his weight and 2,000 calories to lose the same amount.

A cutting diet works best when you lose weight gradually and regularly, such as 1 pound (0.45 kg) every week or 0.5–1% of your body weight.

Although a bigger calorie deficit may help you lose weight faster, studies have shown that it also increases the likelihood of muscle loss, which negates the diet’s objective.

Calculate your protein consumption

Getting enough protein on a reducing diet is critical.

Several studies have found that eating a high-protein diet can help you lose weight by improving your metabolism, lowering your appetite, and preserving your lean muscle mass.

You’ll need more protein if you’re on a cutting diet than if you’re merely attempting to keep in shape. This is due to the fact that you’re consuming less calories but exercising on a regular basis, which increases your protein needs.

Most studies suggest that 0.7–0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight (1.6–2.0 grams per kg) are enough to sustain muscle mass on a reducing diet.

For example, a 155-pound (70-kg) person should consume 110–140 grams of protein each day.

Determine how much fat to consume

Fat is necessary for weight loss since it plays an important role in hormone production.

While it’s common to lose weight on a cutting diet, not eating enough might affect the production of hormones like testosterone and IGF-1, which help maintain muscle mass.

For example, studies suggest that reducing fat intake from 40% to 20% of total calories lowers testosterone levels by a small but significant amount.

However, some studies suggest that a drop in testosterone levels does not always imply muscle loss if you eat enough protein and carbs.

Experts recommend that you consume 15–30% of your calories from the fat on this diet.

Because one gram of fat contains 9 calories, a 2,000-calorie diet should consist of 33–67 grams of fat per day.

If you exercise frequently, the lower end of that fat range can be better for you because it allows you to eat more carbohydrates.

Calculate your carbohydrate intake

Carbohydrates are necessary for preserving muscle mass while on a weight-loss regimen.

Eating adequate carbs can help you minimize muscle loss since your body prefers to use carbs for energy rather than protein.

Carbohydrates might also improve your workout performance.

Carbohydrates should make up the remaining calories on a calorie-restricting diet after protein and fat have been eliminated.

Fat has 9 calories per gram, but protein and carbs both have 4 calories per gram. After subtracting your protein and fat needs from your overall calorie intake, divide the residual figure by 4, which should tell you how many carbs you can eat per day.

A 155-pound (70-kg) person on a 2,000-calorie reducing diet might consume 110 grams of protein and 60 grams of fat. The remaining 1,020 calories can be filled with carbohydrates (255 grams).

Do Meal Timings And Frequency Matter?

According to the International Society of Sports Nutrition, protein should be ingested at 3–4 hour intervals throughout the day and within 2 hours of activity (ISSN).

Before, after, or both, the ISSN recommends consuming protein with carbohydrates.

The size and timing of any meals ingested previously to the workout impact the amount of protein required afterward.

Evidence suggests that a moderate meal frequency of 3–6 meals per day, each with at least 20 grams of protein, is best for bodybuilding.

Also read: Super Sets For Super Strength – Benefits And Common Mistakes

Refeed Days And Cheat Meals

Most cutting diets contain cheat meals and/or refeed days.

Cheat days allow for occasional indulgences to break up the monotony of a diet, whereas refeed days are carbohydrate boosts once or twice weekly.

A higher carbohydrate diet provides a multitude of benefits, including refilling glucose storage, improving exercise performance, and regulating hormones.

A higher-carb day can briefly enhance your metabolism and increase levels of the satiety hormone leptin, according to studies.

Even if you gain weight after a cheat meal or refeed day, the weight you shed over the next few days is usually water weight.

Even yet, it’s easy to sabotage your weight loss efforts these days by overeating. Furthermore, if you’re prone to an emotional eating disorder, these routines may encourage poor habits.

Cheat meals and refeed days, it’s safe to say, aren’t necessary and should be carefully scheduled.

What To Eat On A Cutting Diet

Sports nutrition recommendations advocate a nutritionally adequate and balanced diet.

A varied diet is necessary to ensure that key vitamins and minerals are received through food. In addition to supporting overall health and well-being, essential nutrients are required for energy and recuperation.

In a weight-loss diet, the following items should be included:

• Protein can be found in lean meat and poultry, oily fish, and eggs.
• Pulses and beans
• Seeds and nuts
• Low-fat cheese, milk, and yogurt
• Whey, hemp, rice, and pea protein powders are examples of protein powders.
• Avocados, olives, and olive oil
• Whole grains include brown rice and pasta, oats, whole grain bread, barley, and quinoa.
• Various colored fruits and vegetables, as well as leafy greens

People must also maintain optimal hydration levels.

Tips While On A Cutting Diet

Here are some tips to help you stick to your fat-loss goals while on a reducing diet:

• Increase your fiber intake by eating more fiber-rich foods. Non-starchy vegetables, which are high in fiber, contain more nutrients and can help you maintain a calorie deficit by keeping you full for longer.
• Make sure you’re getting enough water. For a brief period of time, staying hydrated can help you eat less and speed up your metabolism.
• Make it a practice to prepare meals ahead of time. Preparing meals ahead of time can help you save time, stay on track with your diet, and avoid unhealthy food temptations.
• Carbohydrates in liquid form should be avoided. Sports drinks, soft drinks, and other sugar-sweetened beverages are devoid of micronutrients, may trigger hunger, and may not provide the same level of satiation as fiber-rich, whole foods.
• Consider engaging in some cardiovascular exercise. When paired with weight lifting, aerobic exercise, particularly high-intensity cardio, can help you lose weight faster.

Take Away

A cutting diet is one that allows you to lose weight while maintaining muscle mass.

This diet includes calculating your calorie, protein, fat, and carb needs depending on your weight and lifestyle. It should only be done for a few months before an athletic event, and it should be done in conjunction with weightlifting.

If you’re thinking about trying out this weight-loss diet for athletes, see your trainer or a doctor to see if it’s right for you.

The post How To Follow A Cutting Diet: Your Complete Guide To Losing Weight While Maintaining Muscle first appeared on FitzoneTV.

Which muscles do seated rows use?

The sitting row engages various back and arm muscles. These are some of them:

• latissimus dorsi is a muscle in the back of the body (middle back)
• rhomboids are a type of rhombus (between shoulder blades)
• trapezius is a muscle in the trapezius muscle (neck, shoulders, and upper back)
• biceps brachii biceps brachii biceps brachi (front of upper arm)

The lats and rhomboids are the principal movers in the seated row. By aiding the lats and rhomboids, the trapezius and biceps aid movement.

How to do a standard seated row

Seated rows are commonly performed on a seated row machine or a seated cable row machine, and the instructions for both are nearly the same.

Adjust the seat and chest pad before you begin. The machine handles should be level with your shoulders.

Next:

• Sit erect on the bench with your knees bent and your feet on the floor or foot pads. Hold the handle or cord with your extended arms. Back and forth with your shoulders. Your core should be braced.
• Exhale. Pull the handle or cable with your elbows tucked tight and your back in a neutral position. 1 second of pause
• Count to three as you inhale and slowly stretch your arms.
• One set of 12 to 15 reps is sufficient.

How to do a wide-grip seated row

A thin grip is typically used for the seated row. A wide grasp, on the other hand, can be used to focus on the smaller back and arm muscles rather than the lats. The following muscles are among them:

• trapezius middle (upper back between shoulders)
• rhomboids are a type of rhombus (between shoulder blades)
• deltoids in the back (back shoulder)

You’ll need a seated cable machine with a straight-bar attachment to complete this version. With your arms slightly wider than shoulder-width apart, hold the bar. As usual, perform the seated row.

How to do a seated row with a resistance band

If you don’t have access to gym equipment, you can do seated rows with a resistance band.

This variation, like seated rows on a machine, targets the lats and rhomboids.

To do a seated row with a resistance band, follow these steps:

• Sit on the floor with your legs crossed in front of you. Slightly bend your knees. Wrap the band around your feet’s soles and grasp the ends in your hands, palms facing inward. Your core should be braced.
• Pull the band across your thighs with an exhale, keeping your elbows tucked in and your back neutral. Take a one-second break.
• Count to three as you inhale and slowly stretch your arms.
• Complete a 12- to 15-rep set.

Begin by using a light resistance band. You can utilize a heavier band as you gain strength.

The resistance band can also be wrapped around your hands to increase the intensity.

Common mistakes to avoid

To be efficient and safe, the seated row, like all workouts, requires good form and movement.

Avoid these typical blunders for the greatest results. If you require one-on-one assistance, speak with a personal trainer.

• Outward elbows. During the pulling phase, keep your elbows against your body (except during the wide-grip row). Lifting your elbows up and out engages your biceps rather than your lats and rhomboids.
• Shrugged shoulders. Keep your shoulders back and down as you draw the weight. When you shrug your shoulders toward your ears, you’re putting too much emphasis on the traps.
• Rounded back. Maintain a neutral back at all times. Engage your core muscles and keep your spine upright to avoid rounding or arching.
• Swinging torso. Keep your torso still. Otherwise, there will be no tension in the targeted muscles. Your torso will be stabilised if you brace your core during the activity.
• Rapid movements. Slowly do each rep to thoroughly stimulate your muscles. Avoid jerky and quick movements.
• Partial range of motion. For the best results, each exercise should go through the entire range of motion. While having a limited range of motion allows you to lift more weight, only half extending your arms will not adequately strengthen your muscles.
• Locked knees. Because locking your knees is demanding on the joints, it’s ideal to bend them slightly.

Modifications to try

Modifying your seated rows to match your fitness level is a terrific way to mix things up.

Make it easier

Begin with a lightweight and a low number of reps. Increase the weight and reps until you’ve mastered the movement with excellent form.

Make it harder

Try these tweaks for a more challenging exercise if your seated rows are too easy:

• Move the chest pad. Shift the chest pad away from your body when using a seated row machine. To keep still, your trunk will have to work harder.
• Use one arm at a time. With one foot on the floor and the other on the plate, sit on a seated cable row machine. Pull the cord along the side of your body with one arm.
• Extend the pause. stop for 3 to 5 seconds at the end of the tugging phase to push your muscles
• Extend the return. Returning at a slower pace will also enhance the intensity.

Safety tips

Always perform seated rows with proper form and movement to avoid injury. This includes the following:

bending your knees slightly while keeping your back straight and tucking your elbows in, moving slowly

Start with a lightweight. Using a weight that is excessively heavy might cause major back and shoulder pain.

If you have a current or previous back, shoulder, or arm ailment, consult your doctor or physical therapist before trying sitting rows. A personal trainer can show you how to work the same muscles in a safer way.

In the initial posture, you should only feel a slight stretch. If you experience any pain throughout the activity, stop immediately.

The post Ultimate Seated Row Variations for Back and Upper Arms first appeared on FitzoneTV.