Mussels Stewed

Mussels Stewed with Apple & FennelFrom: EatingWell
Apples and fennel pair beautifully in this dish.
Servings: 2 servings
Prep: 35 mins
Total: 40 mins
Rated : Not yet rated
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Ingredients
2 teaspoons walnut oil, or canola oil
1 tart green apple, such as Granny Smith, cored and thinly sliced
1 small bulb fennel, quartered, cored and thinly sliced
1 small onion, thinly sliced
2 teaspoons fresh thyme, or 1/2 teaspoon dried
1 teaspoon minced fresh sage, or 1/4 teaspoon dried
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup vegetable broth, or chicken broth
1/4 cup dry vermouth, or dry white wine
2 pounds mussels, scrubbed and debearded (see Note)
Directions
1. Heat oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.
2. Add apple, fennel and onion. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened, 6 to 8 minutes.
3. Stir in thyme, sage and nutmeg. Cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
4. Pour in broth and vermouth (or wine), stirring to scrape up any browned bits. Bring to a simmer.
5. Add mussels and stir to combine. Return to a simmer. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until the mussels open, 6 to 8 minutes. Stir; discard any unopened mussels before serving.
Tip:Note: To debeard a mussel: Hold the mussel in one hand. Firmly pull out the black fibrous "beard" from the shell.
Nutrition Facts
Calories 310, Total Fat 9 g, Saturated Fat 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat 2 g, Cholesterol 48 mg, Sodium 494 mg, Carbohydrate 29 g, Fiber 6 g, Protein 23 g, Potassium 770 mg. Daily Values: Vitamin C 50%, Iron 40%. Exchanges: Fruit 1,Vegetable 2.5,Lean Meat 3.Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet
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What Are You Talking About

Most of you have heard the terms type one and type two muscle fibers, also known as fast twitch and slow twitch, but do you really know what those two terms are referring to? Which type dominates your physique?

By: Wayne Mercer
Most of you have heard the terms "type one" and "type two" muscle fibers, also known as "fast twitch" and "slow twitch" - but do you really know what those two terms are referring to?
In general, the two terms refer to the two types of muscle fibers present in every mammal, which are responsible for the composition of the muscle. The two types of muscle fibers are as inverse in physiological properties, as they are in the performance that the two yield.
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By now you're probably wondering which type of muscle dominates your physique. There is actually a very simple way to tell whether you are made up of white or dark meat...
So, What Are You Talking About?
I refer to the two as white and dark meat because that's actually what the two are! Perhaps one of the main differences is the difference in the rate of full contraction for the two different types of muscle.
"The full contraction rate for a Type One musclefiber is about 150 milliseconds..."
It takes about 2½ times longer for a type one fiber to fully contract, when compared to the full contraction rate of type two fibers. The full contraction rate for a type one muscle fiber is about 150 milliseconds, while that of a type two is about 65 milliseconds.
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Type Two (Fast Twitch) = White Meat
I will explain a little more about type two muscle (fast twitch) fibers first. Type two fibers are able to exert more force and greater energy, but with much less endurance than type one muscle.
Fast twitch muscle fiber is also more complex than type one. There are actually two different types of type two muscle fibers:
Type IIa
Type IIb
The only difference between the two is that Type IIa have more endurance than the Type IIb variety.
Nevertheless, no matter what version of type two muscle you are talking about, type two muscle fibers are also larger than type one, and respond better to resistance training than the type one fiber.
This is why many people are able to train and become stronger, but stay literally identical in size. So if you excel at short burst or sprinting type activities, then you are probably a white meat bird.
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Type One (Slow Twitch) = Dark Meat
Type one muscle (slow twitch) is not capable of the type of force exerted by type two fibers, but retains endurance well beyond that of the type two (fast twitch) muscle fiber.
Type one muscle is the darker of the two types because of the additional oxygen, mitochondria, and myoglobin (oxygen carrier in muscle) it contains.
Mitochondria One of the major organelles of the human cell.
Mitochonidria: The spherical or elongated organelles in the cytoplasm of nearly all eukaryotic cells, containing genetic material and many enzymes important for cell metabolism, including those responsible for the conversion of food to usable energy. Also called chondriosome.
These are the three factors (oxygen, mitochondria, & myoglobin) which are responsible for the performance characteristics of the muscle fiber as well. This is also the reason a bird possesses both white and dark meat; they have two types of muscle fibers as well!
This Is For The Birds
Humans, not unlike our feathered friends, are made up of mostly type one fibers in the areas that are responsible for doing endurance type of work - the most common area of type one fibers being the calves and lower legs. The type one fiber is also smaller than that of the type two.
I personally didn't realize how much type one muscle fiber I have (in my arms of all places!), until my recent workout partner of 175 lbs began to stack on more plates than I do while doing curls. I even have an extra 1.5" in my arms than he does! So if your endurance overshadows your strength, then you are more than likely a dark meat bird!
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The fact of the matter is that genetics plays the primary role in what type of fiber makes up your muscle composition, and we are actually neither a strictly white meat bird nor a strictly dark meat bird. What type of fiber dominates your muscle is as dependent on genetics as height, eye, or hair color. There is some hope though...
Research leads us to believe that participating in exercises or sports that rely on a certain type of fiber can lead to an increase of that particular fiber's development.
Although the increase in fiber development isn't equal to the amount of effort put into the cause, you will gain some of the fiber type desired. Once again, there is always a genetic plateau.
What's A Plateau?A level of attainment or achievement in weight loss or bodybuilding where one gets "stuck in a rut", barring further progress or noticable results. As obvious as it may seem, if you continue to do the same thing, you will continue to get the same results. Click here for tips on breaking through plateaus.
Thanks
As always, I hope that you have enjoyed this rather intriguing article or, at the very least, educational article - and if you have any questions, please let me know. All emails are welcomed, and I will get back to you with all possible speed!
Thanks,
Wayne MercerCMERCER@hot.rr.com
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BODYBUILDER

Muscle Physiology and the various lumps on a persons body. What are they you ask? Well let's take a look inside these lumps and see what they are made of.

By: Eric Broser
When the average person takes a look at a bodybuilder all he sees is a series of lumps and bumps of varying shapes and sizes.
Upon inspection he/she may find these odd protrusions to be fascinating, cool, or perhaps grotesque, maybe even a little intimidating. But little does he know how complex and intricate all these "lumps" really are!
Let's take a look inside these lumps, see what they are made of and what we can do to make them bigger and stronger.
What Are These Lumps Made Of?
Ok, first let me stop calling them lumps or bumps and refer to them more properly as skeletal muscles, or just muscles for short.
Muscle is composed of bundles of muscle fibers or myofibers. Each fiber is composed of myofibrils, which, in turn, are composed of myofilaments. The myofilaments are made up of two proteins called myosin and actin. The myosin and actin act within the smallest functional unit of muscle, the sarcomere, to produce a contraction.
Back Next Muscle Structure.
It is the myosin protein, however, which holds the key to the differences in muscle fiber types. (Complicated lumps these muscles, aren't they!) In general, there are four different fiber types in skeletal muscle. These four include:
Type I, also known as slow-twitch or slow fibers
Type IIA
IID
IIB, also known collectively as fast-twitch or white fibers
Speed, Size & Endurance:
Type I are the slowest, smallest, and have the highest level of endurance of all the fibers. Next come the Type IIA, IID, and finally the Type IIB, which are the fastest, largest, and least endurance oriented in the group.
Muscle Contraction:
As you contract a muscle, you'll recruit those muscle fibers in a specific order. The smallest (lowest threshold) fibers, the Type I, are recruited first.
As the speed or force of contraction is increased, you will sequentially recruit the Type IIA, IID, and IIB muscle fibers. However, to recruit the Type IIB fibers it may take over 90% of a maximal contraction!
Fiber Concentrations:
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All people are born with these muscle fiber types. Most muscles contain almost an even split of slow (Type I) and fast (Type II) fibers.
There are a few exceptions, however, as the soleus muscle of the calf is prominantly slow twitch, while the gastrocnemius muscle and the hamstrings are prominantly fast twitch.
Also, individuals on opposite ends of the athletic spectrum like sprinters and marathon runners for example, may possess a higher percentage of one fiber type.
What Does This Mean To Bodybuilders?
Well, in order to obtain maximal muscle size we must regularly train all of our muscle fibers. A combination of bodybuilding (higher and lower rep), powerlifting, and even a little Olympic-style lifting may be best. Bodybuilding seems to stress the Type I and IIA fibers, while the IIB fibers may be best stimulated through powerlifting and Olympic lifting.
The IID fibers are perhaps stressed equally by all three forms of training. I believe that the key to long term progress in bodybuilding can be summed up by one important word: Variation!
Mix It Up!
Doing the same three sets of 8-12 reps over and over will help you to a point. But after that, make a change! By selectively alternating your:
Training volume (total sets/reps)
Training intensity (weight lifted)
Training techniques (forced reps, pre-exhaust, supersets, drop sets, etc.)
Forced Reps Video Guide:
Windows Media Player (376 KB)
Real Player (512 KB)
Mpeg (1.1 MB)
Super Set Video Guide:
Windows Media Player (401 KB)
Real Player (547 KB)
Mpeg (1.2 MB)
Drop Set Video Guide:
Windows Media Player (376 KB)
Real Player (512 KB)
Mpeg (1.1 MB)
Training tempo (rep speed)
Rest between sets
Bodypart arrangement, etc.
You're also more likely to avoid injuries and overtraining and therefore maximize your gains. As long as the stimulus presented to your muscles is novel and taxing, they will continue to adapt accordingly.
Just remember that your muscle fibers are not static entities, they are dynamic and malleable. Therefore you yourself should not be static - don't do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.
Don't get stuck in just one type of training program! Be creative! Be dynamic! Your muscles will reward you with continuous gains in size, strength, and endurance.
Now, go get to work on those "lumps!"
Eric Broser
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