Week 6 Roundup
The creatine craze, crunchy chicken salad, and the celebrity candy you're not going to want to miss.
Creatine Chronicles
Creatine is the most studied supplement on the market and, while historically reserved for athletes and bodybuilders, in recent years, creatine has become all the rage. It is now recommended widely for a wide range of benefits including building and maintaining muscle mass, neurological health, and more. Creatine is a naturally occurring compound in the body that plays a vital role in energy production, particularly during high-intensity activities. Supplementing with creatine enhances the availability of energy in muscles by boosting phosphocreatine levels, which helps regenerate ATP, the primary energy source for muscle contractions. This leads to improved strength, endurance, and recovery during exercise, making it especially beneficial for athletes and individuals engaging in resistance training or sprinting. It supports muscle growth while helping fend off age related muscle loss, sarcopenia.
Beyond the physical benefits, creatine has been shown to improve cognitive function, particularly in vegetarians and older adults, by enhancing brain energy metabolism and supporting memory and reasoning. It has even been shown in mice studies to help slow degenerative neurological diseases such as Parkinson’s, Alzheimer's, Huntington’s, and more. Creatine can also aid in recovery, improve bone density, brain function, and heart health, lower blood sugar levels, combat obesity, among other benefits. The supplement is cheap, easy to use, and widely available. Many supplement companies such as Bloom, Create, and Promix are capitalizing on the creatine craze through their expanding product lines.
Recipe of the Week
Rainbow Asian Chicken Salad
2 cups of shredded chicken
½ head of red cabbage
½ head of green cabbage
1 yellow bell pepper
1 red bell pepper
1 cup of bean sprouts
1 cup of shredded carrots
1 large cucumber
½ red onion
½ cup of toasted almonds
1 large avocado
1 tsp of garlic powder
1 tsp of salt
½ tsp of pepper
Dressing
2 tbsp of soy sauce
2 tbsp of olive oil
3 tbsp of rice vinegar
1 tbsp of sesame oil
1½ tsp of fresh grated ginger
1 clove of minced garlic
1 tsp of honey
Chop all vegetables finely and combine with chicken and seasonings. Whisk dressing ingredients together and pour over salad mixture. Mix until evenly coated.
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