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Why is Diet Important?
You will hear many of the renowned fitness experts say
this and I totally believe in it. What you do in the
gym or during your workout only has a 20% impact on
your overall development or towards your fitness goal.
What you eat to repair the torn muscle tissue after
a high intensity workout and eating a balanced diet
low in fat while trying to loose fat is more important.
One other thing that is often overlooked but is very
important as well is the amount of rest you provide
your body thru sleep. Here are some key learnings about
diet and caloric intake requirements.
Diets for gaining and losing weight receive considerable
press. I have the opinion that the best approach is
one of balance. A diet high in fat and protein but void
of carbohydrates seems radical, although newsworthy.
But this diet is flawed in many respects. An important
consideration of any diet is whether or not you can
stay on it for life. If you can't you will revert back
to your old eating habbits when you get off. This has
been proven over and over. If weight loss is your goal,
you can temporarily try such an approach and weight
will come off. Eventually you will scrap this diet and
start eating as you did before. The secret of a good
diet is that it should be balanced, consists of ingredients
that are easily accessible and not be too harsh.
My dietary approach, which is the starting foundation
of all fitness programs, takes a moderate way. Balance
your eating habits with a blend of proteins and carbohydrates
while reducing fats. The timing of your carbohydrate
intake is important. I believe that most of your carbs
should be consumed by early afternoon. Carbohydrates
are energy foods and thus by intaking them early, they
are available to burn up. Unused carbohydrates can turn
into excess weight during sleep. It makes sense to consume
and burn them before bed.
If you are trying to gain weight or loose it, you must
count your calories. You have to eat well and take in
sufficient nutrients. Some athletes I have trained complain
about not being able to gain weight on 2000 calories
a day. I wonder why? OR loose weight while consuming
4000 calories when they only needed 2500.
If you would like more information on diet, I highly
recommend that you check out the website of AAPI (this
is contingent on me getting the info from them, I have
sent mail to Mr, Patel of AAPI, still waiting to hear
from him)and The American Dietetic Association. They
have quite a bit of very informative dietary information
at their website.
Diet is the base from which we must start in discussing
fitness and health. It is certainly true that we are
what we eat. Therefore, it is necessary to understand
how what we eat affects us.
I hear a lot about Magic Pills
and Magic Diets, do they work?
There has been so much written about diet that one
can become very confused. We may be overwhelmed with
so many promises of magic pills and magic diets. There
are the low fat, low carb, slim-fast, miracle pills,
fat burners, etc., etc., etc., etc. Where do we go from
here, if we want to lose weight, gain weight, put on
lean mass? Well, we have to start from the basics. My
strong belief is that there are no magic pills. There
are no magic diets. Some of these so-called miracle
approaches may work temporarily, but what happens when
you get off the diet. I have known people who have been
on miracle liquid diets for 12 months and lost megapounds.
However, when they got off the diet, they reverted back
to their old eating habits and pounded the weight back
on. The miracle pills are really scary. With basically
no governmental control over these, who knows long term
and even short term effects. The diets that promote
eating all the fat that you want but basically eliminating
carbohydrates have to be suspect. They may bleed off
the weight but what are they doing internally? Carbohydrates
are high energy foods and are necessary for the active
person. Would you like to gorge on bacon, sausage and
suck on steak fat every day of your life? Something
seems inherently wrong here. The risks just aren't worth
it.
Also some of the fat loss pills contain things like
Ephedra. Epehedra has been linked with severe health
disorders in subjects who consumed. Recently a MLB pitcher
was supposed to have died because of taking this supplement.
I strongly recommend sticking with natural products
and a good balanced diet to make those pounds come off.
What are the basics
of a healthy diet?
A healthy diet is one which involves a combination of
all the essential nutrients our bodies need.
Nuitrients:
There are six classes of nutrients: carbohydrates, fats,
proteins, vitamins, minerals and water.
Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen
and are essential sources of energy. Carbohydrates are
subdivided into three groups including 1) and 2) the
simple sugars the most important of which is glucose.(The
simple sugars are divided into two groups but are considered
one for our discussion.) This category provides most
of the caloric content of fruit juices, soft drinks
and candy and 3) complex carbohydrates, examples of
which are rice, pasta and whole grain breads. Grains,
vegetables and fruits are excellent sources of carbohydrates.
Foods high in carbohydrates are excellent sources of
dietary fiber, which have significant health benefits.
Fats:
Fats serve a vital function in a healthy diet. Fats
play important roles in temperature regulation, energy
production, distribution of vitamins, protection of
vital organs, and formation of component parts of cell
members. Saturated fats come from animal sources and
are generally solid at room temperature. Plant sources
of saturated fat include palm oil, coconut oil and cocoa
butter. Unsaturated fats are typically liquid at room
temperature and include olive, corn, peanut, canola
and soybean oils. The unsaturated fats are more desirable
that the saturated. Less than 10% of caloric intake
should come from saturated fats. No more than 30% of
caloric intake should come from saturated and unsaturated
fats.
Proteins:
Proteins are made up of combination of amino acids.
Animal sources of protein, such as meat, milk and eggs,
contain the eight essential amino acids. Plant sources
of protein such as beans, starchy vegetables, nuts and
grains do not necessarily contain the essential amino
acids. Vegetarian diets must be carefully planned to
assure that the essential amino acids are consumed in
sufficient quantities. Proteins should make up 10% to
15% of ones caloric intake.
Vitamins:
Vitamins are organic substances that are essential to
the functioning of the human body. Although vitamins
do not contain energy that the body uses, vitamins are
key substances that are needed for various processes.
There are 13 vitamins: B1, B2, Niacin, B6, Pantothenic
Acid, Folic Acid, B12, Biotin, C, A, D, E, and K. A
well balanced diet is required to assure that sufficient
quantities of each are obtained. All of these vitamins
play important role in the healthy functioning of the
body. Vitamin supplementation is sometimes required
to assure sufficient vitamins are being obtained.
Minerals:
Minerals are inorganic substances that also perform
important functions. These include calcium, phosphorus,
potassium, sulfur, sodium, chloride and magnesium and
many trace minerals including iron, zinc, chromium etc.
Each of the minerals is a key ingredient in the functioning
of the body.
Water:
Water contributes approximately 60% to body weight and
is necessary to regulate temperature and transport various
substances throughout the body. Most adults need about
10 glasses of water a day to supply their needs.
As can be seen, food supplies the necessary ingredients
to operate the most complex machine known to man, the
human body. Although I am not a nutritionist, it seems
to be good common sense to eat a well-balanced diet
consisting of 1) 6-11 servings of the bread, rice, pasta
group 2) 2-4 servings of fruit 3) 3-5 servings of vegetables
4) 2-3 servings from the milk, yogurt and cheese group
4) 2-3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, dry beans, eggs
and nut group 5) sparse use of fats, oils and sweets.
This is the basic food pyramid and although scientists
continue to study nutritional requirements, this food
standard provides an excellent starting point for dietary
design.
How do I begin a weight-loss diet
program?
Controlling weight is not magic. It is easy to get
in the habit of eating when we are bored. Sometimes
eating disorders have a psychological component. Trying
to fill a psychological need with food is not uncommon.
It is easy to get hooked on high calorie sweets, soft
drinks and high fat fast foods. These generally make
us "feel good" at least temporarily. If you
look at your diet, you can probably see bad habits that,
if eliminated, would dramatically reduce your weight
over time. Remember that changes must be for the long
range in order to make a permanent difference. Weight
will come off slowly with gradual, long-term changes.
It will stay off with these permanent changes. For those
that are trying to lose weight, I suggest as the first
step, eliminating sweets, soft drinks and minimizing
fast foods. Maybe you can have an occasional sweet,
but make it rare. You know what you have to do, so get
started. I know this is easier said than done. Take
that first step now. Eat balanced meals. Don't go hungry,
but use sensible snacks like fruits and raw veggies.
This small change should allow you to drop at least
6 pounds in a month. Try it! If you are thrown off course
one day, don't quit, get right back on! It is simple,
but not easy. In addition, get out and walk a little
each day. Start with even 10 minutes and add on as you
feel you can. Small steps lead to big rewards. Be kind
to yourself. It is natural to be impatient. We live
in a society that expects instant results. Take one
small step at a time. The slow, natural way will pay
big dividends. And remember desi-fitness.com can prepare
a weight-loss workout package for you and track your
workout to help you achieve your goals. Click for details.
(add link to the desi-fitness.com programs link)
Are some Carbs better than others?
Carbohydrates that quickly empty into the blood are
said to have a high glycemic index. These are recommended
immediately following your workout. These restore the
glycogen allowing the body to essentially refuel itself.
High glycemic foods include white bread, potatoes, sweet
corn, raisens and cornflakes. Moderate glycemic foods
include spaghetti, bananas, grapes, oranges, rice, yams,
oatmeal and baked beans. Low glycemic foods are apples,
cherries, dates, peaches, plums, peas, whole milk and
yogurt. A balance is needed so that you sufficiently
restore the glycemic stores thereby providing the energy
you need, but not overdoing it. If you add too much
ready fuel ready fuel, the body has to do something
with this excess. This is why the high and moderate
glycemic carbs are best taken in before the evening
meals. The low glycemic foods can be used later in the
day, although you can use these at other times.
Why do I need protein, and how much
do I need?
Protein builds and repairs muscles, ligaments, tendons
and other body tissues. Protein synthesizes enzymes,
hormones and antibodies. Protein is not a basic energy
source. If you are not taking in enough calories and
carbohydrates to take care of your energy needs, protein
will be called upon to supply the extra energy the body
needs. The body uses some of the protein for fuel. Protein
will therefore not be available for the primary job
it was intended for. Based on this rationale, I have
a hard time believing that the low/no carb diet can
do you any good. It seems like you are going to be leaving
a deficit that cannot be filled by normal means. It
seems that the body is going to get what it needs by
robbing proteins to pay for the lost carbohydrates.
This is not good in my book.
Adults need about .8 to 1.0 gram of protein per kilogram
of body weight. This can be calculated as follows: (Weight
in pounds/2.2) X .8 Thus a 220lb man would need( 220/2.2)
X .8 or 80 grams of protein per day.
Protein can be obtained from many sources including
milk, yogurt, cheese, cottage cheese, eggs, chicken,
steak, tuna etc. Some amounts are given as follows -
below is a list of the protein content in some foods:
Heavy exercise and weight training will increase the
need for more protein. Some extra protein will have
to be consumed. It is generally recommended that about
1.2 to 1.8g of protein per kilogram of body weight is
needed for athletes and people on significant exercise
programs. It is important to consume the relative amount
of protein needed and not oversupply your body. The
body is the most complicated system in existence and
pushing the system too far in one direction or another
can cause complications.
What are some of the benefits
of eating good fats?
Fat is the major fuel for exercise in the light to
moderate intensity range. Fats supply 2.5 times the
amount of calories per weight(9 kcal/gram) as carbs(4
kcal/gram) and protein(4 kcal/gram). Fats are needed
for cell membrane functioning, as well as skin and hormone
functioning. Fat also is important in transporting the
fat soluble vitamins. Although fat is important in long
range aerobic activity, it should not be consumed in
excess due to potential coronary heart disease, diabetes
and cancer associated with high fat intake.
How many calories do I need?
Caloric intake is an important consideration when gaining
or losing weight. If we want to lose weight, it does
not take a genius to figure out which part of our diet
may be causing damage. We look to the high calorie fast
food, junk food, sweets and pastries as real culprits.
Cut these out or way back and we have to see a weight
loss. Carb and fat balance must be maintained. Consuming
carbs before the evening meal is important. But do not
cut them out. We need them to help fuel our body. We
can calculate relative caloric needs using the following
formula:
Current weight X 10 + current weight(woman)
Current weight X 10 + 2 X current weight (man) -
2% for
each decade after 30 years of age. Applies for men and
women
Thus a 180 pound man, 41 years of age would require
180 X 10 + (2 X 180) -2%
1800 + 360 = 2160 - 2% = 2160 - 43 = 2117 calories
This gives a rough idea of what you need to consume
to maintain your current weight. I said "rough
idea" because basal metabolism varies from one
person to another. Other complicated factors including
health issues come into play. For complicated situations
not responding to dieting, a nutritionist should be
consulted and can play a very important role in getting
to the root cause of the problem and offering scientific
solutions.
However, for "normal" situations, a reduction
in calories will eventually result in weight loss, especially
when this is coupled with an increase in physical activity.
The physical activity allows greater expenditure of
energy thereby burning more calories and eventually
results in an increase in basal metabolism. This allows
greater caloric expenditure while at rest. You must
remember that in trying to lose weight, if you are not
counting every calorie you must watch the size of your
portions. Even if you are eating only good wholesome
food, you can't eat an unlimited amount of food. Common
sense will prevail here.
In gaining weight, of course, the opposite is true.
You must consume extra calories. In both cases, well
balanced diets are the key. I hope this discussion relays
the message that fad, unbalanced diets are wrought with
danger and result in you playing plant manager with
the most complicated chemical/biological plant in the
universe. Enough said!
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