Creatine is found in human body mainly in the skeletal muscles and in small quantities in the brain, heart and testes. The benefits of Creatine are observed through its role in intra-cellular water retention and by increasing ATP production. As Creatine is stored in the muscle cells, it enlarges the cell by using the water molecules that surround the cell. This increases the strength and makes the muscle look fuller.

When muscle strengthening exercises are carried out, this contracts the muscle. ATP is the compound which the muscle uses as fuel upon contraction. ATP releases a phosphate molecule as its contribution to build energy. Due to loss of the phosphate molecule, ATP becomes ADP. Within ten seconds of contraction, the energy contributed by ATP is exhausted. Now glycogen burning takes place for further muscle contraction. This process gives rise to the production of lactic acid as a byproduct. The burning sensation felt at the end of an exercise set is due to the build up of lactic acid. If no Creatine supplement is taken, one is forced to stop further muscle contraction.

However, the Creatine supplement intake comes into play now. It is able to provide the missing phosphate molecule to ADP, which, in turn, is reconverted to ATP and is ready for a further muscle contraction session. The role played by the Creatine supplement increases the muscle contraction duration during the exercise and permits the body to continue with the workout to further. Hence, one can exercise longer and harder. This in turn permits the individual to build leaner muscle.

Another effective diagnostic measure that can be self-administered is the elimination test. Here, suspected allergy-producing foods are eliminated from the diet for 4 days. Every 5th day one of the foods is added back in to see if an allergic reaction occurs. So, if, for example, wheat is eliminated, on the 5th day a bowl of cracked wheat can be eaten.

Recording Symptoms: It is helpful to keep a food diary to isolate those chemicals and foods that make you ill. Ask yourself, “Do I get bloated? Tired? Headaches?” Even is symptoms are not immediate, write them down. If you are allergic to a food, patterns will begin to emerge. A wide array of symptoms can occur depending upon which systems are most affected:

Adrenal System Reactions: Low energy or chronic fatigue is a common reaction, with immune dysfunction being at the most severe end of the spectrum. Another possibility is obesity, which can stem from a tendency to overeat in response to low glucose levels. A hypoglycemic person eats to raise the blood sugar and overcome inertia and exercise too little because not enough energy is available.

Central Nervous System Reactions: Brain allergies occur when molecules, breathed in or eaten, leave the blood and enter the brain. These foreign substances can interfere with enzymes and lead to any number of reactions – diminished concentration, impaired thinking, spaciness, anxiety, headaches, aggressive or antisocial behavior, depression, rapid mood swings, insomnia, hallucinations or episodic memory loss.