Muscle Fuel

If it seems you're exercising day after day but not seeing any results, you're not alone.

Many Canadians hit the gym regularly without any immediate change to their appearance, which is especially frustrating when, say, there's a big high school reunion coming up or a certain someone to impress.

But take heart - there's a selection of foods that can increase your performance, and have results appear much sooner.

And the best part is you don't need to drink them in a powdered protein shake.

Building muscle mass is a key component of overall health. From preventing the onset of osteoporosis and diabetes to helping you burn calories even when you're standing still, muscles do it all.

And just like your car probably runs better on high-test, there are foods that can help your physical performance.

Here they are:

Fish: It contains protein, which helps build muscle, and Omega-3 acids.
Recommendation: 2-3 meals per week

Sweet potatoes: Great source of antioxidants, which help to rebuild muscle. Also an excellent source of potassium
Recommendation: 3 servings of potassium rich foods (like sweet potatoes) should go into your 5-9 servings of vegetables and produce a day

Low-fat yogurt: Contains calcium and Vitamin D, which help to build healthy bones; and also protein and potassium.
Recommendation: 6-8 oz a day

Quinoa: A complex carbohydrate, which fuels active muscles.
Recommendation: half a cup a day

Pumpkin seeds: Packed with magnesium, manganese, iron and copper which are all essential to build healthy muscle and to help it to function.
Recommendation: small handful a day.

But be warned - don't cut out fatty foods completely. Those items rich in unsaturated fats may actually fight obesity, by naturally curbing your body's hunger.

A study by pharmacologists out of University of California - Irvine found that edibles like avocadoes, olive oil and nuts send signals to the brain that your stomach is full.

The researchers think this information could be used to treat eating disorders as well as obesity.

A fat-derived compound called oleoylethanolamide (OEA) regulates hunger and body weight.

"We are excited to find that OEA activates cell receptors that already have been the focus of successful drug development," Daniele Piomelli, the Louise Turner Arnold Chair in Neurosciences, outlined in a press release.

"This gives us hope for a new class of anti-obesity drugs based on the savvy use of natural appetite-controlling mechanisms."

OEA can also improve blood cholesterol in addition to reducing appear tight and potentially helping weight loss.

"Another trick," advises CityNews Medical Specialist Dr Karl Kabasele, "is to fill up on fresh fruits and vegetables. Because they have a high water content, they'll fill your stomach and make you feel fuller."

Source: citynews.ca

Light Painting

I don't really know why I had never heard of this before. Apparently this form of art and photography has been around for a while. It's called Light Painting and it is way cool. I recently went out with a camera and a friend one evening and we took loads of pics. I'll post some soon. It was so much fun, it was easy to hoard the camera and we had to make sure to share :)
Light painting, or light drawing is a photographic technique where exposures are made usually at night or in a darkened room by moving a hand-held light source or by moving the camera. In many cases the light source itself does not have to appear in the image. The light can either be used to illuminate parts of the subject or to "paint" a picture by shining it directly into the camera lens. Light painting needs a relatively slow shutter speed, the darker, the slower. Like night photography, it has grown in popularity since the advent of digital cameras because they allow photographers to see the results of their work immediately. And you never know what the "art" will turn out like, until it shows up on the screen. Surprise! Here's a great light painting movie....Enjoy!

Frank

His name is Frank. We met at the Virgin Music Festival last month. He stood and watched me for a while. I was taking in the sun and looking at the sparkling was of Lake Ontario. He approached me casually. He winked and then walked away. He'd look back. Then he's stroll up towards me again. We looked at one another. He was cute. Healthy looking. He had a way about him. I started to talk to him. Small talk. I spoke to him in a soft voice as I didn't want to scare this timid creature away. He didn't really say much. But he stayed with me for a while. It was nice. He did let me take a photo of him though. Here he is....

V -Fest 2008

Yes, I know it was a month ago, I know it's kinda old new. I apologize. I haven't been in the mood to write. And when I have been, I haven't had the time. Now, I have the time and quasi feel like it...so here ya go!
Last month, I attended the Virgin Music Fest on Centre Island. It was a 2 day event and it ROCKED! The weather, though pending at times, turned out great. The company was great, the Hero burger hit the spot and the music....well! There were a variety of bands of different stages throughout the day. Some local (Lights) and some from afar (the Kooks). Some bands, I had heard about some I had not. But is was great discovering new talent and expanding my musical horizons. Saturday night, the Foo Fighters headlined. Wow, they kicked-ass several times over and then some. I liked a lot of their music, but in concert - shit - they were fucking awesome. And Dave Grohl was funny, entertaining and intense. I don't think the band or any of the fans wanted the night to end. On the down-side, the Love Boat back to the mainland was a totally fucked up situation. There was chaos. There were crowds of people heading towards the dock, in a huge detour and then ROAD BLOCK. No one knew where the line ended or where it began. The docks were still so far away and yet no one could really move anywhere. As some people stayed "in line" others would be brave enough to search around for a way out. For freedom. Want to get off the island now. Bed-dy by time. With some luck, my friend and I found a way to get past some of the crowds. VICTORY! However, it wasn't till 1 hour and 45 minutes later that we actually got on a god-damn ferry. In the meantime, the crowd tried to stay lively. We cranked out some tunes with total strangers. It was actually pretty amazing. Too bad we didn't have the video camera. Would have been cool to film and put up on youTube. The next day, the weather cleared up in the afternoon, just in time for our second day on the island. Heading to the Bacardi Live! tent, which was small and intimate, we had a couple of mojitos. Took in some DJing by Niagara native, Deadmau5. Cool vibes and energy for sure. Then it was time for Moby. He is a legend in the DJ circuit. And boy, did he deliver. People were dancing and happy. Positive energy all around. I have to say, that personally, after that set, Oasis was a disappointment. I know it was OASIS. I understand. Hey, I was disappointed to be disappointed too. There are too stuck up. They aren't great entertainers. They don't really interact well with their fans. Yes, a fan attacked Noel and then his brother. Ok, guess that was kinda exciting. I do like some of this band's tunes. But after the Foos and Moby....meh. We decided to leave the concert early since 1) it was a school night 2) didn't want to wait 2 hours again for the ferry ride home. It turned out to be a good decision. On a side note, I do plan on going to V-fest again next year - of course - pending on the headliners. But, the beer tend situation was also a bit frustrating. There were fucking line-ups everywhere. Just to get into the beer tent. And lo and behold, many of the tents were for VIPs only. Well, jebus, why not put a sign up telling us average joes that? I mean, most of us can read. Instead, of wasting our time, and kindly letting us know once we reach the front of the line. I hope they change that for next year. K.I.S.S., ya know? Also, I got really pissed because you couldn't bring a back-pack or bag into the beer area. What did they think I would do? If I had a nice purse, could I not also fit beer in that purse? There was no logic. Anyways. that's my run down for V-fest 2008. And I didn't even feel like writing. Lucky you - if I had been up to it, I may have written a few more paragraphs....!! Here's a few shots. Moby, crowd listening to music in the sun and a highlight, the Energizer Bunny. Woot!
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