Category Archives: Nutrition

Training and nutrition tips

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Nutrition and training tips in a nutshell

I often get approached on my social media to give ‘nutrition and training tips’. More often than not these questions are quite generic because I don’t know what you’re doing (cutting, bulking or just trying to be healthier), I don’t know what your diet consists of currently and I have no information about your training either – therefore I can only give you some generic pointers which I collected in this video. If you have any further questions, please get in touch: hello@tamaramakar.me

If you’d like to further discuss your specific questions, you can book a consultation by contacting me here or by email: hello@tamaramakar.me

The book that I mentioned in this video can be purchased through this link.

About Essential Oils

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Long before medications were developed by using microbes, hormones and enzymes, humans used to turn to nature to treat a wide range of ailments.

People used to take essences from plants, distill them to oils to soothe pain, quiet coughs, or promote restful sleep. The results were so good that this information was passed down to generations of healers and physicians.
Essential oils come from a group of chemical molecules in plants called terpenes, the cellular level compounds that create a plant’s scent.

This unique scent is coming from the combination of over 100 terpenes in each plant.
Terpenes may be found in the plant’s flowers, roots, leaves, bark, stem or seeds. Not only do these compounds give plants their powerful scents, they also make plants particularly potent for a wide range of uses—as flavorings in food, as scents and cleaning agents in household and beauty products, and as medicines with demonstrated remedial properties.

When we are talking about essential oils, we are not talking about oils in their true sense. Olive oil, canola oil, or almond oil remain in their liquid state after heating. They are called fixed oils. But essential oils vaporize when heated.

Most essential oils are made from plants using one of 3 methods:

  • Distillation is a process where we use steam to break down the plant and capture the compounds within it as they escape as vapour.
  • Expression is another method that is mainly used for citrus plants. It is also called cold-pressing and it uses a mechanical process to rotate and puncture the rind of a fruit. The essential oil and juice are then released from the rind and collected in a container.
    The method known as solvent extraction uses a solvent – such as methanol, ethanol, hexane, or petroleum ether – to draw the terpenes and other matter out of a plant. The substance that results is called a concrete. An absolute is the final product of solvent extraction. It consists of an alcohol-based essential oil extract with about 5-10 parts per million (ppm) of solvent residue remaining from the extraction process. Absolutes are normally used only for aromatherapy.
  • Hypercritical carbon dioxide extraction – or CO2 extraction – was developed only recently and it makes it possible to capture elements that would be lost during the other processes. It also produces a more authentic plant fragrance.

The use of plants for healing started amongst our earliest ancestors, who noticed that certain plants have the ability to heal sick people. Around the 7th century BCE, visiting physicians from several Greek cities arrived in Egypt and left with knowledge about the use of essential oils in healing. In the Bible, nearly 200 mentions of essential oils occur throughout the Old and New Testaments.

Each essential oils have different properties for healing, relaxation, or mood alteration. You can use essential oils in your bath water, put them in your massage oil or take advantage of essential oils’ medicinal properties.

Anytime you use a fragrant plant extract in your bath, as a massage oil, as an inhalant in your home, or for health or healing, you are practicing a form of aromatherapy.
Essential oils contain volatile organic compounds extracted from the source plant, and these may be able to improve your health. Volatile Organic Compounds (VOCs) are naturally occurring chemicals. Most scents are made up of VOCs. Some VOCs, such as methane, are harmful to the environment, but essential oils are considered to pose far fewer environmental risks.

The essential oils used in aromatherapy may relieve stress or stimulate the body’s energy levels. They may promote relaxation and restful sleep. They may also have an effect on depression, high blood pressure, anxiety, chest and nasal congestion, infection, and a wide range of other common ailments.

My first article in Brainz Mag

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Stay healthy this festive season!

Hello everyone,

I’m new to the Brainz family so let me quickly introduce myself. My name is Tamara Makar, and I’m an IFBB Pro bodybuilder. I have been coaching people for about 15 years on how to achieve their desired physique and I very much enjoy what I do.

Today I would like to talk about 2 very trendy seasons: the festive season and the flu season.

Let’s start with the festive season since Christmas is just around the corner! I am a professional athlete, and my training and diet is my priority since this is my job. However, I have a full understanding of my clients and other people, who just want to stay healthy, and they are on a completely different level of passion for fitness. I understand that they have other priorities, maybe their jobs or their families, and keeping their fitness could be just another ‘chore’ in their lives.

Let me first start with this statement: the gym is not for everyone. Some people love it, others hate it. We have different priorities, different mind sets and different goals. If you don’t like the gym, if you don’t like lifting weights, do not do it. It’s hard to keep up something when you don’t enjoy doing it. To keep your health and fitness – however – you have to do something. Find what you enjoy doing. It could be walking, running, cycling, swimming, it could be anything really. You don’t have to lift weights to keep yourself fit and healthy. If you do something that you enjoy doing, you’re more likely to stick to it in the long run, instead of quitting and restarting periodically.

However, I’ve noticed that most people struggle with sticking to healthy food choices. The holidays are not a very good time to start a diet for most people. There are certain things though that you could do to prevent overeating:

1: drink lots of water. If you fill up your stomach with water you’re less likely to overeat.

2: try to eat more vegetables, and less carbs. Again, if you fill up with greens: salads, broccoli, asparagus, cucumber etc you will have no space to overeat the naughty foods.

3: try to reduce your portions. Usually there are many courses during festive season and if you want to eat all the food, you will definitely overeat. There’s nothing wrong with trying all the dishes on the menu – especially if you’re invited to someone’s home, because you don’t want to offend them by not eating what they’ve prepared. Have a small portion of foods, especially sweets, and try to fill up with vegetables instead of rice, bread or potatoes.

4: another idea is to serve your food on a smaller plate –  a smaller portion of food will look bigger on a smaller plate and that tricks the brain to believe it’s a full size portion.

But honestly, if you slide during the holidays, don’t sweat it – try and get back on track as soon as you can. A few days of holiday eating will not make you fat or ruin your work if you’ve been working hard – just like a few days of clean eating will not make you slim and healthy either. A little bit of rest will do good to your body, help with recovery and sometimes breaking the good habit of clean eating can be an advantage for your body. And if you haven’t been eating clean but you’re considering a change from next year, well, then enjoy the holidays and get serious once it’s finished.

When it comes to the flu season I’m a big believer of prevention.  It’s always easier to prevent something from happening, than dealing with the hassle and consequences when it occurs. We have a great immune system, and we can help this system to guard us from all attacks.

For a great immune system you need enough rest. How many hours do you sleep at night? Do you wake up tired or do you get some deep rest? If you can’t sleep at night I recommend you try and take some sleep aid: melatonin or antihistamine just to mention a few. If the problem is deeper, you might need some professional help.  Stress can cause some sleepless nights. There are different products and ways you can deal with stress – if you’re interested, hit me up and I’ll send you some information of what I recommend.

You will boost your immune system by taking vital vitamins. Vitamin C, vitamin D, zinc, Echinacea, these all help strengthen your immune system. Multivitamins, that suggest to take 1 pill a day are usually not strong enough to stop us from catching any viruses. Especially if you train on a regular basis, you need a higher amount of vitamins and antioxidants for your recovery and immune system. There are some stronger concentration multivitamins that you could take to help your immune system – if you need any recommendation, drop me a message (I’m not endorsing any products here, that’s why I don’t want to put it in the article).

And of course, last but not least: working out boosts your immune system. Either the gym, walking, running, swimming, anything that gets your heart pumping. Go for it and enjoy knowing that you’re doing something for your own health.

If you need any help with your diet or training plans, healthy choice of foods, how to get back on track or start again, please get in touch and I’m more than happy to help you with tips or full online coaching: hello@tamaramakar.me, www.tamaramakar.me

Steroids and diet

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Many people believe if they’re on a cycle they can slack in their diet. In this video I explain why it is important to have the correct diet during a cycle

Let me know your thoughts: hello@tamaramakar.me

Tips for beginners

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Training tips Part 1

Nutrition tips Part 1 ?????

Nutrition tips Part 2 ?????

My take on supplements Part 1

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Many people ask me about supplements, what to take to gain weight. It’s quite difficult to advise when I have no idea what they eat, but first I always recommend that you put your diet right. Most people wouldn’t need any protein shakes if their diet was spot on. You can have it, it’s your choice, but it’s not necessary to gain muscle. Protein intake is necessary, but most people should be able to have enough protein from their food intake: chicken, eggs, fish and beef.

If you’re vegetarian or vegan then it’s a whole different ballgame – depending on your end goal.

So what supplements do I recommend for gaining muscle?
?Creatine –

  • Helps muscle cells produce more energy.
  • Improves high-intensity exercise performance.
  • Speeds muscle growth.
  • May lower blood sugar levels and fight diabetes.
  • May reduce fatigue and tiredness
  • Can improve brain function

?Glutamine – which is an amino acid, therefore it’s a building block for protein and a critical part of the immune system. It also has a special role in intestinal health.

Some foods that contain glutamine are: eggs, beef, skinned milk and white rice

Glutamine is a critical fuel source for immune cells. If the body’s need for glutamine is greater than its ability to produce it, your body may break down protein stores, such as muscle, to release more of this amino acid.
Additionally, the function of the immune system can be compromised when insufficient amounts of glutamine are available.

Online coaching / training plans / meal plans
? get into shape
??‍♂️ build muscle
??‍♂️ lose fat
? contest prep
✉️ hello@tamaramakar.me

About diet plans in general

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When it comes to diet there’s barely a thing like one size fits all.

?Some people work very well on carbs, others don’t. Some people like eating, some don’t. We all struggle with something: either to put on weight or to lose it.

?Some coaches swear on carbs, they think you can’t train and progress without them. Others say it’s not necessary.

?I say: everyone is different. That’s why you shouldn’t just copy someone’s diet program or search one online. Everyone is different: our metabolism, out activity levels, our insulin sensitivity… our caloric needs are different and where those calories come from. Some people can get away with frequent cheat meals, others have to stick to a strict regime to see results.

?I would avoid working with a coach who doesn’t ask any questions about your current eating habits.

?Another thing with some coaches is that some of them put their clients on a similar plan – whether it works or not. Just because my body works really well on keto, I do understand that it’s not always the case with everyone. Not everyone likes it, not everyone can adapt to it – not just physically, but mentally as well, and therefore it’s not for everyone. Some people try it but don’t do it right or give up too early. There’s too much info out there and it’s difficult to filter what would work for you and what wouldn’t.

?The same thing goes when you’re on carbs. How much you should eat, what carbs work well with your body…

it’s normal to feel lost, but I recommend before you give up, try and find a coach that you trust and get a nutrition program (not necessarily me, but any coach who YOU TRUST)

Online coaching / training plans / meal plans

? get into shape

??‍♂️ build muscle

??‍♂️ lose fat

? contest prep

✉️ hello@tamaramakar.me