I just received a few Element Bars in the mail, and instantly knew I'd need to share them with you. If you're a person who likes to have a protein/energy bar on occasion when you can't grab a meal, or uses them as a healthier version of snacks or desserts ... Element Bars are a fantastic choice. Why? You can design them yourself!

The process is really quite fun, and you'd be surprised how personalized these bars can be. You get to choose things like: bar texture, fruits, nuts, sweets, and nutritional boosters. Once you've made your purchase, the bar you receive in the mail will literally be a custom bar created by you!

I ordered a few of the most popular Element Bars and enjoyed them all. My favorite was "Chocolate Nut Pie". I couldn't decide whether this bar tasted more like chocolate chip cookie dough or brownies, but either way ... it was delicious. I'm actually in the process of trying to keep lean for a photo shoot coming up for of all things, my abs. Ugh! But the bars I chose are high in protein and fiber and low in sugars, so fortunately they fit in with my plan.

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Recent studies show that soy protein is just as valuable for building lean muscle as whey and casein. In fact, most fitness experts these days suggest regularly including soy as part of a healthy diet, particularly in a post-workout meal.

Here's a few reasons why:

• Soy enhances muscle recovery and growth
• It increase nitric oxide (NO) production
• It enhances fat loss
• It improves heart health and protects against certain types of cancers
  

In the past, many people avoided soy because they believed it was an inferior source of protein. However, as evidenced by the above stated list of health benefits, this is clearly not the case. Just the same, there still exists a fair amount of opposition to this pro-soy stance. What's your take on this matter?

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I don't know what the prices of gas and food are looking like in your neck of the woods, but I'm paying $3.91 a gallon at the pump and close to four bucks for a loaf of whole wheat bread. Whether the feds care to officially label what we're facing a recession or not, a decision on semantics will do nothing to help keep our necessary living expenses under control. With that being the case, and with there being no end to the rising prices in sight, spending money on nutritional supplements may seem a bit wasteful. Maybe it is maybe it isn't. That's for you and your accountant to decide. However, in a time when saving a little here and there really makes a difference, it's good to know that you can also use this approach should you still opt to purchase supplements.

The post-workout meal is among the most important you'll eat all day. It's long been known that upon completion of a strenuous workout -- particularly, a resistance training workout -- it's vital that you replenish your body with a good amount of protein. The good news is that we may not need as much protein at that point as we previously thought we did.

According to Canadian researchers, half a scoop of whey protein powder (o about 10 grams of protein) is enough to replenish and help build muscle. So, if you're used to drinking 20 or more grams of protein in your post-workout shake, make that bucket o' protein go a little further by only using half as much. It may only seem like placing a Band-Aid on a bazooka wound, but over time the savings will add up. And best of all, as the study suggests, it won't come at the expense of your fitness.

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If you are an average exerciser, working out about an hour a day, you'd be wise to steer clear of high protein energy drinks or drinks made with whey protein. Fitness experts warn that most of us mere mortals don't require specialized drinks, especially if we're trying to lose weight.

"Your present diet should provide enough carbohydrates and protein for the exercise you are doing and should not have to rely on additional sports bars or drinks," says Kendra Evans, registered dietitian and fitness instructor with the Greenbush (N.Y.) Area YMCA.

It's no surprise people get confused about how to prepare for workouts with all the conflicting information circulating about. But the bottom line is this: The average person does not need the same refueling as those engaged in endurance or heavy-duty weight training. What they need to do is this: Hydrate with water at least an hour before a workout and eat three small 100-calorie snacks throughout the day. Ideas: An orange or low-fat cottage cheese.

As a follow-up to a great post just written by Bethany Sanders here at ThatsFit, I wanted to further emphasize the significant role the post-weight workout meal plays.

It's important to realize that when you lift weights, your body is stretching and tearing muscle fibers. This may seem like a bad thing at first blush, but make no mistake, it's the process by which your muscles initiate hypertrophy (growth). One of the most vital parts to making this happen is feeding your muscles what they need right after your workout. And by right after, I mean RIGHT after. For the most part, you have a window of about 30 minutes after your weight lifting to eat your post-workout meal, or else your body may actually become catabolic (a situation where you actually lose muscle).

Does what you eat matter? Absolutely. Unlike any other part of the day, you need some simple, high glycemic index ranked sugars right after a weight workout. This is because your body requires immediate sustenance in order to begin rebuilding. Also, it is equally as important that you consume an adequate amount of protein right after a weight workout -- preferably whey.

One thing you do want to avoid right after a weight training workout is fat of any kind. Although nuts, avocados, olive oil and flax seed oil and other healthy fats should be part of your daily diet, they should not be consumed during your post-weight workout meal. Fats slow the absorption of carbohydrates and protein, which works against your goal of almost instant replenishment during this post-weight workout window.

Some great choices for a post-weight training meal include: a slice of white bread with a teaspoon of jelly + a whey protein shake mixed with water, a sports drink such as Gatorade and a fist-sized portion of grilled chicken or fish, or simply purchase any number of post-workout meal replacement shakes, such as EAS's Myoplex.

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Probably not, but depending on what your goals are you might. And although they're intimidating for most people (no, taking them won't balloon you up like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of old) they really aren't that complicated. Buying muscle-building supplements is just like anything else health related: it's all about assessing your lifestyle and reading labels.

The most common supplements used for building muscle mass include creatinine, sports drinks, and whey protein. Creatinine is found in the body naturally and is used to fuel short bursts of intense activity, sports drinks provide a good balance of energy and protein, and whey protein is great for post-workout muscle repair. Read this article for more tips on how and where to start if you're considering supplements for your workout, and there's also a list of the best supplements to consider.

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I've heard a lot of buzz surrounding protein shakes in the past few years, so I decided to figure out just what they are and whether or not I should be drinking them, like everybody else seems to be doing. Protein shakes are just that -- shakes infused with protein, often in soy, egg or whey form. The shakes are often fruit smoothie-style -- at least the ones I've had have been. In theory, increasing your protein intake increases your chances of losing weight when you're working out.

Should you be consuming protein shakes? If you're a pro athlete, sure, but otherwise it's not really necessary. Adding protein to a smoothie adds calories -- lots of them. If you already have a balanced diet, that extra protein isn't necessary. As for weight-loss, it's a result of decreasing the number of calories you consume, but if you add a bunch of extra calories in the form of a protein shake, that kind of defeats the purpose, doesn't it?

What are your thoughts on protein shakes? Have they helped you lose weight?

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