Mind and Muscle - The Supplement Placebo Effect - Is it the Supplement, Or Your Mind Working?

Back during World War II, the medics and hospitals would often run out of painkillers and would give their patients the latest and greatest painkiller, peace of mind.

Sometimes they would inject the soldiers with what they were told to be morphine, but was actually a healthy dose of saline solution, or saltwater. The good news is that, when injected with the "morphine," most of the soldiers' pain would vanish, at least temporarily.

The Placebo Effect

The medics weren't exactly tricking the soldiers; they were activating a placebo effect. The placebo effect is basically a series of reactions in the brain that can change its psychological or physiological functioning. Like in the example of the soldiers, they thought they were getting morphine, which they know dulls the pain immediately, but they were given saltwater. The reaction was the same; it cancelled out the pain, at least temporarily. The reason for this is because your brain controls your body, and your mind can subconsciously control your brain.

Muscle Building Placebo Effects

The placebo effect spills over into the muscle gaining environment through other drugs known as supplements. The truth is, many of the supplements on the shelves don't actually contain any active ingredients that would cause someone to gain muscle. Some supplements are like a shot of saltwater, they are useless and just get carried out. Other supplements have very little active ingredient, but not enough to account for any muscle growth that someone might experience while on the supplement.

Most muscle gaining hopefuls don't simply walk into a store and purchase any flashy tub of powder they see. They usually make "informed" decisions based upon what they've read in magazines or heard from others. In most cases, when someone starts taking a dietary supplement for the first time, it's a leap of faith. They are using the supplement for one simple reason, because they believe it will work.

The belief is key here. When you believe something completely, and back it with emotion, you can accomplish things that once seemed impossible. This includes physiological changes, or changes to the body. By thinking and believing that the supplement that was just consumed will cause muscle growth, the brain takes it as instructions. Basically, because of the individual's strong conviction, the person's brain will actually get to work and start the muscle building process. It will do this because it was told to do it.

Now, usually when a trainee starts a new supplement, they believe it will help build muscle. With everything else staying the same, this belief is strong enough to spark growth. The thing is, how many people start a new supplement and keep doing what they are doing? Not many. Most people will get on the "new miracle" and will kick their training up a notch. Not only will they improve their training, they usually improve their nutrition and recovery.

Give Yourself Some Credit

If you were to make those improvements to your muscle gaining strategy: training more intensely, eating better, and resting properly, wouldn't you gain muscle anyway, even without the supplement? The answer is a resounding Yes! Too many people get on a supplement and give all credit for improvement to the supplement. Give yourself more credit! You did the work, not the supplement! Chances are, the supplement didn't even do anything, and it was just a placebo. Some supplements are worth taking and do the body some good, but if you don't build the foundation with solid training, nutrition, recovery... the supplements won't do you any good. Now if supplements can't help build muscle with poor training and nutrition, do you think they help with proper training and nutrition? Maybe a little, but it's you getting the results, not the supplement.

Here are three easy steps to wean yourself off of unnecessary supplements:

1. Slowly stop using whatever you want to quit and see your results not slip, but actually believe that they will improve. Use the placebo effect for your advantage.

2. Realize that it's you doing the hard work, not the supplement. Give yourself the credit.

3. Start believing in yourself and your ability to gain muscle. Just as a belief in a supplement can cause growth, believe in yourself and see what happens.

Now you can use the placebo effect to your advantage and use your mind and muscle connection to build muscle.




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Ginkgo Biloba for Depression, Memory and Heart Problems

Ginkgo biloba is a tree that existed for more that 100 million years - it grew in many parts of the world before the Ice Age and it survived in Asia. The ginkgo biloba tree reaches and average height of eight metres and it can live for up to 1,000 years and is highly adaptable to many different conditions. The fruit of the tree has an unpleasant odour and the pulp can cause a severe skin irritation in most people. However, the leaves and the nuts have many medicinal qualities. The tree is now cultivated all over the world for use as medicine. It is a safe and effective herb when used in prescribed doses.

There is a great deal of research that has been done and continues to be conducted on ginkgo biloba's efficacy - there are over 400 published studies and reports, as well as several books on. Over 4 million prescriptions are written for its use every year in Europe alone - the annual sales in Europe exceed $500 million. It is the most frequently prescribed herb in France and Germany.

Both the leaves and nuts are used medicinally. The nuts are edible and can also be dried. The chemistry of the nuts and leaves are similar but the quantities of the components vary a little. The combination of components gives ginkgo biloba its wide variety of healing qualities. Single components cannot be isolated and used individually - as the combination is what makes it effective.

Ginkgo biloba has many functions in the body. 

These include:

Heart, lungs and cardiovascular system - increases oxygen supply, boosts circulation by improving blood flow and heal blood vessel damage.

Brain - helps to keep the mind alert, lifts mood, regulates brain metabolism and enhances mental function, including memory and concentration.

Aids eye health, balance and hearing.

Reduces premenstrual syndrome, protects the prostate in men and provides help with urinary problems- it is well known for its positive effect in the treatment of male impotence resulting form decreased blood flow to the penis.

Protects the nervous system.

Supports the immune system - enables white blood cells to fight a range of foreign invaders - including viral and bacterial infections. It also helps to reduce the occurrence and severity of allergic reactions.

Anti-inflammatory and eases muscle cramps.

One of the main uses of ginkgo biloba is in improvement of the circulatory system. It has the ability to increase the blood flow through the aging blood vessels - especially the brain. The improved circulation in the brain enhances memory, mental agility, alertness and concentration. It also alleviates some forms of depression. Ginkgo biloba improves the circulation to all areas of the body - especially the extremities (hands, feet, penis) and is therefore recommended in the treatment of varicose veins, Raynaud's disease, intermittent claudication, winter hands and feet, varicose ulcers, diabetic ulcers, and end-arterial disease associated with smoking. In order to improve functioning of the brain and nervous system it is suggested that you take a combination of ginkgo biloba and multivitamin and mineral supplements (these need to include balanced B group vitamins). The amino acid Acetyl-carnitine is also suggested to improve memory and mental alertness (This amino acid is often prescribed for Alzheimer's and senile dementia). The essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 are also important for improved nerve transmission and nervous system health.

Ginkgo biloba has been shown to be effective in treating some forms of mild to moderate depression. The antidepressive effects of ginkgo biloba have been studied and in one recent study 40 elderly patients were given 80mg ginkgo biloba extract or a placebo three times per day. After 4 weeks the patients taking ginkgo biloba showed a marked reduction in the total score as measured by the Hamilton Depression Scale. The dosage for mild depression is 40 mg three times per day. Ginkgo biloba can be used with prescription antidepressants.

Ginkgo biloba is a very safe herb to use and has few side effects in long-term studies and there is no decline in its effect over time. In 44 studies, involving 9,800 patients the only side effects reported were gastrointestinal discomfort in 26 cases, headache in 7 cases and dizziness in 6 cases. These were transient and lasted a few days only. Ginkgo biloba shows no interaction with other medication and can be used with prescription drugs. Because of ginkgo's effect on blood clotting it would be wise to use less prescription anti-clotting agents such as warfarin, heparin as well as aspirin - tell your doctor and ask for your medication to be decreased. It is best to consult your health care professional if you are taking medications.

Ginkgo biloba is a valuable herb with a unique combination of chemicals which mean that is has many uses in the body. Some of these uses have been presented in this article. The range of uses is still being explored by researchers but ginkgo's effectiveness in improving circulation, brain and nervous system function, immune system and depression is well established.

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Why Lunch Counts As An Important Meal

We live in a world that moves at a very rapid pace. With a major population working and struggling to find time to do anything else, health becomes a very serious issue that is often overlooked. Often we end up skipping our meals and this negligence costs us in the long run. We have often been told that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and because of this no matter what we never miss out on our breakfast. A lot of people though are unaware of the fact that lunch is the second most important meal of the day. Now those of us who are working often take a good breakfast but have little or no time to prepare lunch and end up skipping it or substituting it with easy to have instant stuff or fast food. This can have a very bad effect on your health in the long run. In case you are one of those who have no time to make lunch, you can consider a lunch delivery service that provides homemade and healthy food options. There are several reasons why taking a good hearty lunch is a must for a healthy body.

Health experts advise people to take a break from work to eat their lunch. This not only provides valuable energy that keeps them active and gives them the strength to carry out their work but also relieves stress. If someone is working in a stressful environment then lunch can be therapeutic for them, they can eat peacefully and gather their thoughts, that half an hour is a breather in their hectic schedule. It is also healthier than snacking during lunch which can turn to binge eating and have negative effects on health.
Often our mind gets foggier as the hours passes by, we find it harder to concentrate and make sense of things. All the daily tasks that tend to start from early morning start depleting us, we eat our breakfast to power our body but from early afternoon our body starts to feel tired and drained out. Brain is an organ that makes the major decisions for our system and all our daily tasks too and after a while it takes a toll on our mental, physical and psychological health. We have an internal body clock that regulates our waking up and sleeping hours and an important thing about that body clock is that there is a natural dip in energy in the afternoon. This is a major reason why eating a healthy lunch and providing a much needed fuel to the body is necessary. Just like breakfast lunch too is an important meal of the day and should never be skipped.

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