ELIMINATING EXCUSES | fitness

This week I will share some tips to help you make healthy food choices.

If you are like me, you love meat whether it be beef, chicken, turkey, fish, lamb, etc. Meats are an excellence of protein; and the body needs protein to build and maintain muscle, to form neurotransmitters in the brain and to create hormones. Meat is best for you when it is closest to its natural form meaning that it has not been processed and does not have any preservatives or other additives. To find the most natural meats, I recommend that you find a reputable butcher and buy as much of your meat from this individual as you can. Make sure to ask your butcher about how the animal was raised and what it ate. With this information, you’ll know more about what you are putting into your body.

Processed meats often included preservatives that can be carcinogenic (meaning they can cause cancer if consumed over a certain period of time or beyond a certain amount) and these meats can be higher in fat. Examples of processed meats are some lunch meats, hot dogs, some meats found in mircrowavable meals and fast food meats like chicken nuggets. Minimize your intake of these types of meats. If you can avoid them all together, that is even better.

Also be mindful of the ground meat that you buy. Ground meat often includes other parts of the animal that you might not find appetizing (hooves, parts of organs, snouts, etc.) and can have a higher fat content. The meat industry uses these techniques to help minimize that amount of actual meat per product sold, so companies can make more $/lb of actual meat sold. If you want ground meat, buy meat from your butcher and have it ground so that you know what went into it.

As for organic meat, find out what makes it “oragnic.” Usually, the food industry uses this term to describe what types of food the animal ate and how it was raised. So some organic meats can be healthier since the animals were allowed to eat healthier foods and were raised in more sanitary conditions. In the true sense of the word (how chemistry defines it), all meat is organic since this term refers to compounds that contain carbon (like the amino acids that make up protein in the meat). So don’t let these types of terms impress you. Dig deeper to get the details.

Yes, these recommendations I’ve made are usually the more expensive options. But, you and your health are worth it. DO SOMEHTHIN’!

This week’s focus is carbohydrates’ role in nutrition.

In yesterday’s discussion of the glycemic index of carbs, I mentioned that High GI foods lead to high blood sugar levels. In turn, the pancreas produces insulin to stabilize the blood sugar. Sometimes, the body produces too much insulin leading to low blood sugar levels or hypoglycemia which causes dizziness, low energy levels, shakiness and delirium. Let’s look at some of the other effects of an insulin imbalance.

In addition to hypoglycemia, elevated insulin can lead to increases in body fat by assisting in the transformation of glycerol and fatty acids into triglycerides, which are stored as body fat. High insulin levels can inhibit the body from breaking down fat into usable energy. On the other hand, insulin can be beneficial when at the right levels. Insulin aids in muscle development by increasing the transport of glucose, amino acids and other nutrients into muscle.

In summary, another reason eating the right kinds of carbs (low to moderate GI) is important to good nutrition is that these kinds of carbs allow the body to regulate insulin levels. Keeping insulin in balance allows the body to maintain normal functions and it even helps develop muscle.

Keep this in mind as you train hard and eat right. DO SOMETHIN’!

***information source: Macrobolic Nutrition by Gerard Dente with Kevin J. Hopkins

This week’s focus is carbohydrates’ role in nutrition.

In yesterday’s posting on some of fiber’s benefits, I mentioned the term glycemic index in regards to fiber’s benefit of glycemic control. The glycemic index (GI) is a measure of the power of the carbohydrate content in a specific food source to raise blood glucose levels after being eaten. Carbs that break down slowly release glucose more gradually into the blood stream and have a low glycemic index. The GI of a carbohydrate is determined by measuring the blood sugar level after ingesting 50 grams of the carbohydrate in a fasting person. The GI of a food can be influenced by various factors: the ripeness, method of cooking and processing, types of preservatives used and the types of macronutrients (other carbs, proteins, fats) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) ingested with the carbohydrate.

GI of 70 or > is considered high. GI of 56 to 69 is considered medium. GI of 55 or < is considered low.

Low GI foods
-mean smaller rise in blood glucose levels after meals; can help people lose body fat and increase lean muscle; can improve the body’s sensitivity to insulin; can help replenish carb stores after exercise; can prolong muscle endurance and energy levels; can improve diabetes control; can keep you feeling fuller for longer.

It is important to measure the GI index because carbohydrates influence insulin production. Insulin is a hormone released by the pancreas in response to changes in the blood sugar level. The faster carbs are digested and converted to glucose, the faster insulin is produced to stabilize blood sugar level. The ideal state for the body is to have slow conversion of carbs into glucose for the blood stream so that high levels of insulin are not released; high levels of insulin may cause the body’s blood sugar level to get too low. Low blood sugar is called hypoglycemia. Hypoglycemia causes a person to feel weak, anxiety, perspiration and delirium. If you feel these conditions of hypoglycemia, consume some carbs with low to moderate GI to get your blood sugar back to normal levels in a controlled manner (be careful with high GI foods. They may take your blood sugar too high) .

So in regards to fiber’s glycemic control, fiber leads to a slow release of glucose when it is digested. Thus fiber has a low GI. Research the GI of some of the carbs that you eat to determine if you want to consume that carb in the manner that you do currently.

Tomorrow, we’ll discuss the role of insulin in more detail. DO SOMETHIN’!

***information source: Macrobolic Nutrition by Gerard Dente with Kevin J. Hopkins

This week’s focus is carbohydrates’ role in nutrition.

There are 3 classes of carbohydrates:
- monosaccharides which have one sugar molecule. Examples: glucose, fructose, sorbitol, mannitol, mannose and galactose.
- disaccharides which have two sugar molecules. Example: sucrose.
- polysaccharides which have 3 or more sugar molecules. Examples: dextrin, cellulose and starches.
- Fiber is another kind of carb composed mainly of undigestable polysaccharides.

Let’s talk more about fiber. There are two types of fiber: insoluble and soluble. Insoluble fibers aid in the intestinal cleansing and slow down digestion through the gastrointestinal tract. By slowing down digestion, insoluble fibers facilitate more thorough nutrient absorption. According to a study placed by M. Chandalia, et al., in the New England Journal of Medicine (2000), a diet containing 50 grams of fiber, 25 grams insoluble and 25 grams soluble, can lower cholesterol, decreases the overproduction of insulin by the pancreas (called hyperinsulinemia) and improves glycemic control. Tomorrow, we’ll talk more about carbohydrates and the glycemic index, so you’ll understand more about glycemic control.

As you can see, fiber is an integral part of a healthy diet. Here are some examples of foods high in fiber: lentils, black beans, peas, artichokes, whole wheat spaghetti, oatmeal and pears. Keep this in mind as your wokout hard and eat well. DO SOMETHIN’!

***information source: Macrobolic Nutrition by Gerard Dente with Kevin J. Hopkins

This week’s focus is carbohydrates’ role in nutrition.

Low carb diets like the Atkins diet have helped many people lose significant amounts of weight over the years. I acknowledge this fact and by no means intend to slander these diets. However, with the popularity of low carb diets, I feel that carbohydrates have been unfairly labeled as “bad for you/leading to fat.” I will review some of the key roles that carbohydrates play in the body’s functioning so that you can keep these in mind as you think about your carbohydrate consumption.

Carbs are
- the most efficient nutritional source for the body’s energy needs since they are more easily converted to glucose than fat and protein (remember that glucose is the body’s fuel. every cell in the body uses glucose for fuel.)

- stored in muscles as glycogen; and glycogen is the energy source of muscles (also, glycogen helps make muscles look full and hard).

- the prefered energy source that is converted to glucose when glycogen and blood sugar are low. This fact is critical to those of you looking to develop muscle. When carbohydrates are restricted from the diet, only protein and fat are available to the body as energy sources. The process of using stored fat as the preferred energy source is called ketosis. This explains why many people burn fat on low-carb diets. However, the body may not go into ketosis but rather use protein as an energy source. When this happens the protein comes from the diet or from the body breaking down muscle. This explains why some people on low carb diets also loose muscle mass. So for those of you that are looking to maintain or gain muscle mass, know that carbohydrates are crucial to muscle maintenance and development.

Please keep these facts about carbs in mind as you manage your nutrition and train towards your fitness goals. DO SOMETHIN’!

***information source: Macrobolic Nutrition by Gerard Dente with Kevin J. Hopkins

This week’s focus is nutrition at work/school.

Friday is finally here! After a long day at work, it’s nice to go to a happy hour and get the weekend started proper. Be mindful of your diet routine and don’t drink or eat your progress away with all of the half-price specials going on during happy hour. Yes, it is true that one day of excess will not completely ruin your progress. But, we are creatures of habit and we are working on discipline here. Right? So stay focused and let’s stick to the program. DO SOMETHIN’!

This week’s focus is nutrition at work/school.

Back to the topic of eating out for lunch. Be careful of what you eat and how much you eat at a buffet. These restaurants often make for a convenient and low priced lunch; and with the option of eating as much as you want, it is tempting to act as if there’s an eating contest occurring. Do not make it part of your routine to eat at buffets . At some of these places, the food is not the highest quality meaning that many of the choices are high in fat, high in cholesterol and generally not healthy. Before you arrive there, make a conscience decision about how much you will eat; and stick to the plan.

DO SOMETHIN’!

This week’s focus is nutrition at work/school.

During the work or school week, there may be days when you go out for lunch especially if you are having a case of the Mundays (my “Office Space” fans know what I am talking about). Depending on where you are in your diet routine, you might choose to make it a healthy lunch like you usually prepare at home; or you might take it as an opportunity to treat yourself for sustaining your healthy diet for a significant period of time. Regardless of what you are having for lunch while you are out, do not make it a habit to have dessert with lunch. This behavior can cause you to consume more calories than your body needs leading to more fat and ultimately frustration with your lack of discipline (in addition to fat, think about cholesterol, clogged arteries, etc.). When you look at your food, always think about what impact it will have on your fitness and health goals. Ask yourself, will this strawberry frosting covered, double chocolate cheescake with extra whipped cream help me get that 6-pack I am working on? I say this not to take the fun out of eating but to be practical. A little discipline will go a long way.

DO SOMETHIN’!

This week’s focus is nutrition at work/school.

Watch your coffee and soda intake throughout the day. Be careful not to rely on these as a “pick me up” and not to let either one of these replace water. Coffee and soda both contain caffeine which is addictive and in excess amounts has been linked to sleep disturbance, nausea, headaches and increased severity of stomach ulcers. In some extreme cases, it has lead to irregular heartbeats. Many sodas also contain phosphoric acid which damages teeth and the lining of your esophagus.

If you are feeling sluggish or drowsy, take a walk and get some water.

DO SOMETHIN’!

This week’s theme is Nutrition tips for work/schoool.

Many of us spend the majority of the weekdays away from home at work or school. Eating properly at work or school can be challenging with all the meetings, classes and activites occuring. So sometimes we skip meals or eat whatever is nearby so that we can eat quickly and move on to other tasks. Futhermore, school and office cafeterias can make eating healthy a challenge due to limited options and to low quality of food; after all, most cafeterias’ focus is to provide food in a cost effective manner for the establishment. Providing healthy food is usually not the number 1 priority.

As we work towards our fitness and health goals, it is important to continue to eat properly at home and away from home. Therefore, I recommend that you take the time to prepare a lunch and snacks the night before work/school or that morning. By you preparing your own food and snacks, you can control what you eat and how much you eat. Also, you will know exactly how the food was prepared as well as the source. By taking control of your food intake in this manner, you will be more likely to reach your fitness goals.

One example of a lunch you can prepare is grilled chicken breast, brown rice and mixed vegetables. Vegetarians can substitue pasta or a salad for the chicken. For snacks, you can have any one or combination of the following: fresh fruits, nuts or boiled eggs.

DO SOMETHIN’!