There are numerous articles in the media about healthy diets and what we should be doing to improve our health. Furthermore, there are many news stories suggesting that dairy products should be kept to a minimum in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, with some even suggesting the removal of dairy products completely.
In a recent study this theory of removing dairy products is contradicted. The study has found that women that drank two large glasses of milk a day after exercising with weights, went on to gain more muscle and lost additional body fat. In comparison to those who exercised and drank sugar based energy drinks.
A previous study that showed milk had a similar effect in increasing muscle mass and fat loss in men after weight training was different as the majority of women avoid weight training and are likely to keep away from dairy products based on the idea that dairy foods are high in calories and aid weight gain.
The gains in muscle where expected, however the size of the weight loss where a surprise. The actual cause of the weight loss is still a mystery; however the initial belief is that it could be the combination of calcium, high-quality protein, and vitamin D, all of which is found in abundance naturally in milk.
The study also monitored women that avoided a weight training course. These women only consumed water before their exercise programme and one hour after completing their routine, one group consumed 500ml of fat free milk, the other group consumed 500ml of a sugar-based energy drink.
The study showed that the women who drank milk after training did not gain any weight because what they gained in lean muscle they then balanced out with a loss in body fat. The study has lead to the belief that milk can form a healthy part in a balanced diet and can actually aid the loss of body fat when consumed as part of a health diet and exercise programme.
Now is the time to take advantage of an affordable health plan as it means you will always have help with the cost of remaining healthy. Health plans are a good idea if you require basic cover for your day to day health care.