Soy: It Isn't Just Tofu Any More

Soybeans are an excellent source of high-quality protein and as complete as the protein found in meat. They are rich in calcium, iron, zinc, several of the B vitamins and fiber. Soybeans also have fat, but the fat from soy is low in harmful saturated fat yet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Soy isn’t just tofu these days. From the dairy case to the freezer section, food manufacturers are finding innovative ways for consumers to enjoy soy. Some options are: whole soybeans (frozen, dried or canned), tofu, tempeh, textured soy protein (TSP), miso, soy milk, soy yogurt, soy cheese, soy milk creamer, soy frozen dairy desserts, soy meat substitutes, soy nut butters, soy flour, soy oil, soy nuts, soy potato chips, and soy snack bars or protein bars.

To read more of this content at Quad City Times' 'Ask the Dietician' column, click here.

Better Living Through Chemistry: The Top Five Nutritional Supplements You Really Should Try

by Synthesis

The sale of dietary supplements is big business today; 2007 sales in the U.S. alone are estimated to be as high as $22.5 billion. With numbers like these at stake, it's no surprise that savvy nutrition marketers are seeking to increase their market share via an exponentially expanding roster of products, all aimed at consumers' self-image, fears and paranoia.

So, from this multi-coloured galaxy of pills, powders and potions, which nutritional supplements do we really need? Which are the priority?

To read more of this content at Newsvine, click here.

Work Out to Exhaustion -- and Beyond -- With Carnosine

For years, elite athletes and their trainers have known that in order to increase muscle mass and strength, it’s necessary to work muscles to complete exhaustion, since it’s at the brink of muscle failure where the body’s ongoing protein synthesis is put on hold because available adenosine triphosphate (ATP) -- which is critical for protein synthesis -- is fully depleted by the contractions of the exercise. When the exercise ceases at the point of exhaustion, the body over-reacts, signaling muscle cell nuclei to drastically increase protein synthesis. It is thought that this results in super-increase of muscle protein.

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