Muscle Building Bacon Sandwich

For this post I have a high-protein version of the classic Bacon Butty. The unhealthy options of butter and mayonnaise have been replaced with garlic, and salsa, which also makes this a great healthy alternative to the original. A Columbian University study completed, showed that the nitrates in bacon could cause bronchitis and emphysema, but you can buy nitrate-free rashers, so have a chat with your butcher. 

So, onto the ingredients........You'll need;

- 2 slices of wholegrain bread
- 1 clove of garlic (halved)
- 1 tbsp of salsa
- 4 rashers of back bacon
- 2 sun-dried tomatoes
- Spinach leaves 


How to make.....

1) Switch the grill to a medium heat, and trim the fat from the outer edge of the bacon rashers. Doing this can reduce the fat content of the bacon by 50%.

2) Stick the bacon under the grill and lightly toast the bread. Once the toast is done, rub the filling-facing side with the garlic clove (halved).

3) When the bacon is cooked, leave it to rest for a minute, between two pieces of kitchen roll. This will soak up the remaining excess fat.

4) Spread the salsa on each slice of toast, and add the bacon and spinach leaves.

5) And, one last thing..........Eat, enjoy, and watch the muscle grow.....

Healthy Living - Food and Fitness

Want The Body? Eat Clean!

More healthy foods in this post, and I'll start with a couple of foods that are essential for healthy eyes; 

Salmon - Ideal if you work all day sat in front of a computer screen. Japanese research found that office workers reported a 54% reduction in eye fatigue, after taking astaxanthin, 5mg daily, for a month. A medium salmon fillet provides the perfect dose. 

Aubergine - Stop age-related vision problems by eating aubergines. A Columbia University study showed antioxidants found in the skin prevented the accumulation of vision-clouding pigments in later life. 


3 Quick Tips 

1. Train harder by sucking mints! Cyclists who could smell peppermint before training perceived 15% less effort, so went further, according to studies done in West Virginia.

2. Add 2 alcoholic drinks and three moderate cardio sessions into your week to reduce your risk of heart failure by 20%. But go steady, regular alcohol in-take, of 30 units or more a week, can lead to congestive heart failure. 

3. Lose an extra 33 lbs of fat if you swap running regularly for playing football, plus you can gain an extra 2kg of muscle too.

Health Benefits of Blueberries

Natural Viagra

This post focuses on 3 natural 'Viagra' products widely available to you, instead of reaching for the 'blue pill' every time. 

 L-Arginine - This amino acid increases the body’s production of nitric acid, which is proven to help maintain erections, according to the journal Neurology. “It relaxes and widens blood vessels,” says Jayney Goddard, President of the Complimentary Medicine Association, “which means your penis gets a better, more consistent supply of blood.” Giving you a better, more consistent supply of sex. 

Recommended Dose - 500mg daily

Horny Goat Weed - According to Chinese folk law this was discovered by a goatherd who noticed his male goats became sexually aroused after eating it. According to research by University of Michigan neurologists, it contains a compound called lacariin, which stimulates nerves and boosts testosterone levels.

Recommended Dose - 200mg 90 minutes before sex

Maca -  According to the journal Urology, the root extract contains ‘macamides’ and ‘macaenes’ – unique photochemicals, which restore hormone levels and boost energy in both sexes. “For men, it’s one of the most potent aphrodisiacs available – it not only helps maintain erections but also increases seminal volume, sperm count and sperm motility,” says Sarah Dobbyn, author of The Fertility Diet.

Recommended Dose - 500mg Twice Daily

Healthy Eating - Perfect Food Combinations

Perfect Food Combinations, with Huge Health Benefits

Having looked around at various healthy foods and their benefits over recent times, I came across a great article, which listed foods which were beneficial being consumed together, as well as having their own individual benefits. Below, I have listed some of the food-combinations and their benefits.

Salmon & Broccoli Pasta Bake

Salmon and Broccoli - Eat these together to fight against ageing. Sulforaphane, an antioxidant found in broccoli, is 13 times more effective of fighting the free radicals responsible for your skin losing its elasticity when combined with the selenium in fish.
Broccoli is high in vitamin C and magnesium, helping to process toxins much quicker. 
Wild salmon is beneficial for lowering cholesterol and protecting your heart. It also fights liver damage due to the omega 3 fats in the fish. 

Tomatoes and Olive Oil - Cooking your tomatoes in olive oil enhances the body's absorption of the flavanols. The skin contains 98% of it, so don't peel them. 
Flavonols shield your heart against disease and guard against infection.

Grapes and Apples - Enjoy these together to improve circulation. Barry Halliwell, a professor of nutrition at the National University of Singapore, says that the combination of the quercetin in apples and the catechin in grapes has an anticoagulant effect. The compounds fuse to make blood platelets less sticky, improving circulation.

And there you have it, a few food combos to try together, and to get healthy at the same time.

Legal-Highs Can Kill

The number of UK deaths linked to so-called "legal highs" has risen in recent years - from 10 in 2009 to at least 68 in 2012, figures show.

Legal-high Gogaine

Researchers compiled post-mortem test results for the National Programme on Substance Abuse Deaths. 

Designed to mimic the effects of illegal drugs, "legal highs" are chemically different enough to not be covered by the law. They are on sale openly on websites and high streets across the UK.

The chemicals - known as New Psychoactive Substances (NPS) - are made on an industrial scale in countries like China and India and then packaged and distributed throughout Europe. Suppliers can sell many of them legally as long as they write "not for human consumption" on the packets. They are often sold as plant food or bath salts.

The government says it is leading the way globally by banning new drugs quickly.

But often new versions are then cooked up and come on sale almost immediately after a ban comes into place. The European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction identified 73 new substances in 2012 alone.

Read more on this story, and the devastating effects it's had on one family, on the BBC news website. 

Healthy Snacks

Now, we all like a snack, or 3, during the day, and below I've listed a couple of the healthy snacking choices, and the benefits they bring to our bodies.

UNSALTED PEANUTS - Stronger Muscle - The most protein-rich nuts on the shelves. 1.8g of protein is needed per kg of body weight, in order to build muscle. A handful of peanuts will give you 20% of your RDA. 


OATCAKES - Lower Cholesterol - These can help lower your LDL (bad) cholesterol and even reduce your risk of heart disease. Rich in fibre. 25% of your RDA of fibre per 4 oatcakes.


APPLES - Sharper Mind - Hydration is vital for staying alert mentally, and apples contain 95% water-content. Studies in the US also show they help prevent age-related memory decline.