Coffee is by far the most popular beverage on the planet (aside from water). The caffeine in your morning cup of Joe – also found in tea, chocolate, etc. – is also the most frequently ingested pharmacologically active substance in the world. There have been a lot of recent debate over the benefits and drawbacks of coffee (and caffeine) consumption, and with a lot of new research coming out, I thought I would take the time to highlight some of the findings. The following is a quick review of five ways coffee can extend your life.

NutritionMarc BubbsFebruary 8, 2017Coffee, Cancer, Gut Flora, CVD Comments

6 Winter Foods That Boost Your Health

This time of year, it seems like every time you turn on the TV or open up Facebook, someone is talking about tips and tricks for staying healthy during the winter months. And while being a stickler about hand washing, disinfecting your workspace, and getting plenty of rest is excellent advice for avoiding seasonal colds, one area you cannot—I repeat, cannot—neglect is your diet.

If a strong, high-functioning immune system is your goal, then consuming quality, nutrient-dense foods needs to be a keystone in your game plan.

Nutrition, HealthMarc BubbsFebruary 6, 2017Mussels, Beets, Eggs, Kale, Grapefruit, CauliflowerComment

Rhodiola & Athletic Performance

Rhodiola rosea, referred to as the Arctic or Golden root, has been used by a variety of ancestral cultures for millennia to support energy and vitality. It grows at high altitudes, on mountain tops and sea cliffs in Europe and Asia and is classified as an adaptagen – a substance that supports the body during times of stress. In the 8th century, it’s believed rhodiola was used by the Vikings to fight off fatigue and increase stamina, by indigenous Sherpa’s in the Himalayas to adapt to living at high altitude and a “secret” of Soviet-era military used to ramp up resiliency during extended time on the combat field.

What Is The Minimum-Effective Dose For Hypertrophy?

When you’re young or have lots of time on your hands, it’s easy to carve out 5-10 hours a week to hit the gym. Getting all your lifts in when you train 5-6 days per week makes achieving your hypertrophy goals quite straight forward. However, as you get older or your time becomes more limited, or if you’re simply looking for the most efficient hypertrophy program possible, the real question is… “how little time can you spend in the gym and still maximize your gains?”

Training, PerformanceMarc BubbsJanuary 26, 2017Hypertrophy, Lean Muscle, Sets, Minimum-Effective Dose Comments

Yuca Root: 7 Reasons To Include In Your Diet

Yucca root, commonly known as cassava, is native to north, central and south america and a dietary staple in Americas and Caribbean. This gluten-free root vegetable is able to survive the winter months or dry months and regrown due to the nutrients stored in its tuberous stem, similar to potatoes and yams. Yucca is an absolute nutritional powerhouse and should be a dietary staple for all athletes and active people (with the exception of those following a ketogenic diet). The following are seven great reasons to include yucca in your nutrition arsenal.

Food, NutritionMarc BubbsJanuary 15, 2017Yucca, Resveratrol, B-Vitamins, Vitamin C, Vitamin A Comments

Top-3 Mineral Deficiencies On A Keto Diet (And How To Fix It)

Keto, NutritionMarc BubbsJanuary 10, 2017Electrolytes, Potassium, Sodium, Magnesium, Keto, Ketogenic Diet, Nutrition, Sports Nutrition Comments

What To Do If You Have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?

It’s that time of year again. The darkest and shortest days of the year don’t just bring about cold weather; they can also bring about significant changes in your mood and how you feel.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a real thing that affects over 10 million Americans, with another 10-20 million said to struggle with mild symptoms.

If you live in a city with a true winter climate – like New York, Toronto, or London – you’re up to 10 times more likely to struggle with mild to moderate SAD. Also, adolescents and young adults are more likely to be affected.

Health, MoodMarc BubbsDecember 29, 2016Vitamin D, Light Therapy, Blue Light, Circadian Rhythm Comment

Coffee vs. Caffeine (Supplements) - Impacts On Training Performance

To optimize performance gains, the conventional wisdom has always been that caffeine supplements are superior to coffee. That’s one of the reasons why pre-workout supplements are so popular, and for most people, highly effective for improving exercise performance. But, in the last few years there has been some interesting research coming out demonstrating that coffee can perform just as well as caffeine supplements when it comes to exercise. Thus, the narrative shifted to coffee is just as good as caffeine or pre-workout supplements. Until now.

Nutrition, LifestyleMarc BubbsDecember 6, 2016Coffee, Caffeine, Anhydrous, Work capacityComment

Vitamin D & Endurance Sport Performance

Vitamin D has been gaining significant momentum recently in the research for its ability to influence over 1,000 different genes in the body and subsequently some important performance parameters. Failing to get sufficient vitamin D regularly can negatively impact many endurance parameters, including maximal aerobic capacity (VO2 max), susceptibility to colds and flu, inflammation, recovery, and stress fractures.