Reinvent your approach to eating: Improve your muscle Gain, your fat loss, and transform your body.
There are many diets, and nutrition theories circulating. Magic or Super foods that will stimulate your metabolism, boost fat burning, increase muscle mass, etc. But the Best Diet is one that consists of foods that you will actually eat.
If you are like me, then you are looking to lose some body fat and gain some muscle mass; you are looking to change your body, but without worrying about whether you are eating the "right" foods. Countless diets claim that they provide the ultimate solution to your goals. Problem however, is they are all different in the types of food they suggest, when they say you should eat, and how much you should eat.
One things all diets--and eating in general--have in common is macronutrient composition: Protein, Fat, and Carbohydrate content in food. These macronutrients are the single most important factor that determines the success of failure of a diet. Every diet or meal plan has its own macronutrient manipulation--one one end of this spectrum are the low-carb diets as such as Atkins (and to some extent the Paleo Diet); in the middle we find The Zone and South Beat; and at the other end of the spectrum are the low-fat but high-carb diets such at Pritikin and Ornish.
So, which one is "right"? Well, recent research from the International Journal of Obesity suggest that he diet that you can stick to is the best one for you--regardless of the exact breakdown. Does not really answer your question, does it? How do you determine your needs in order to simplify your eating. Read on as I summarize some recent articles regarding determining effective meal plans, and macronutrients.
MACRONUTRIENT #1: PROTEIN
WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU NEED IT
Protein is the major functional and structural component of all cells in your body. Proteins play a necessary role in many of the biological processes that allow you to live and function. Not to mention, about 25 percent of your muscle mass is made up of protein; the rest is made up of water and glycogen (your body’s stored form of carbohydrates). This is why so many diets place a heavy emphasis on protein. But the reason you need to eat so much is simple: Unlike other nutrients, your body can not assemble protein by combining other nutrients, so enough must be consumed in your daily meals in order to achieve your desired health and appearance.
MYTH
Your body can process a lot of protein in each meal. Like a big steak dinner? Don’t worry, you can handle it. The most common claim is that your body can only handle 20 to 30 grams per meal and that the rest will go to waste. That is not true. The problem, however, is the quality of protein you consume has a direct relationship to how much of the protein (the amino acids) that your body actually uses--that actually reach your muscles. On average, only about 30% of the amino acids in proteins consumed reach your muscles. In low-quality protein powders (like the big Econo Tubs bought in big box stores and some supplement and nutrition stores), your muscles may receive less than 10% of the amino acids.
ADDING PROTEIN TO YOUR DIET
While consuming protein before and after your workout is important, more important is reaching your protein intake goal for the day. Whether your goal is maintenance, muscle gain, or body fat loss--this simple process of consuming enough protein all day is vital. Research shows we should consume about 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass (LBM). Since most people don’t know or can’t reliably measure their LBM, a good rule of thumb is to consume 1 gram of protein per pound of your goal body weight.
CONSEQUENCES
The negative aspects of under-consuming protein far outweigh those of over consuming it. Meeting protein requirements is particularly important when you’re trying to lose weight because protein is the most muscle-sparing and metabolic macronutrient, and it also keeps you full. If you struggle to achieve your protein target through whole foods like meat, fish, poultry, eggs, legumes, and milk products, you can easily supplement your diet with protein powder (whey, soy, or egg). There’s no need to nitpick over the precise distribution and timing of protein throughout the day, just concentrate on the total for the day, and consume protein at doses and times that suit your schedule and personal preference.
Vi-Shape Nutritional Meal Replacement Shake Mix is an excellent supplement to ensure you are consuming enough protein each day. Research based and formulated in the labs of ViSalus Sciences, their team of nutrition researchers isolated and patented a unique Tri-Sorb protein blend that makes is one of the highest quality and most absorbable forms of protein available.
FAT
WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU NEED IT
Fat is a major fuel source for your body and has multiple functions, such as helping your body absorb fat-soluble vitamins, regulating inflammation, and hormone production. Like protein, fat is considered to be nutritionally essential because certain fatty acids (linoleic acid & alpha-linolenic acid) cannot be sufficiently produced by your body for survival, and thus you must fulfill your needs by eating fatty foods. That’s right. Read that sentence again: You must eat fat. Although essential fatty acid deficiency is uncommon among adults in developed countries, the consumption omega-3 fatty acids is often too low for the purpose of optimizing health and preventing disease.
BIGGEST MYTH
Fat does not make you fat. More calories consumed that calories expended makes you fat.
Once you get beyond that myth, there are many other misconceptions that could steer your eating habits in the wrong direction. Most notably, many people still believe that saturated fat is a dangerous substance that causes heart disease and should be avoided. This myth has survived for at least the last 3 decades, and has refused to die despite numerous studies that have shown that saturated fat is actually good for your body. In a recent invitation-only scientific consensus meeting, the Department of Nutrition at the University of Copenhagen determined that saturated fat does not need to be avoided. What’s more, a recent review failed to find a link between saturated fat and coronary heart disease. More importantly, it’s not just that saturated fat isn’t bad; the scientists found that eating saturated fat benefits your health.
That doesn’t mean that all fats are safe. The Dutch analysis found that excessive trans-fats (from hydrogenated vegetable oils in shortening, commercial baked goods, and refined snack foods) still pose a significant threat to your health.
INCLUDE THE RIGHT FATS TO YOUR DIET WHILE REMOVING THE "WRONG" FATS
The best way to prevent heart disease is to simplify your diet. Eat more whole and minimally refined foods, including an increased proportion of vegetables, fruits, and nuts—and know how to balance your omega-3 fatty acids. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends 0.5-1.8 g/day of combined EPA and DHA, which are omega-3 fatty acids with potent heart-protective properties. This intake can be achieved by either consuming two to six one-gram capsules of fish oil, or by having roughly three to six ounces of fatty fish per day. Vegetarians should realized that achieving the same EPA and DHA levels with flaxseed oil is a much less efficient process, requiring roughly double the dose.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Unfortunately, there isn’t a gold standard for the amount of fat you need in your diet. Instead, it should be determined on an individual basis. The most recent report by the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends that you eat at least 20 to 35 percent of your total calories from fat. But realize that eating slightly more than this won’t cause added fat storage as long as your total calories match your goal for weight gain, loss or maintenance. If you still want a target, divide your weight in half and eat that many grams of fat. So if you’re 180 pounds, you would aim to consume 90 grams of fat per day.
CARBOHYDRATES
WHAT IT IS AND WHY YOU NEED IT
Carbohydrates have many functions, but their main role is to provide energy to the cells in your body. Carbohydrates are unique because they are not considered essential. That’s because your body can synthesize its needs from non-carbohydrate sources though processes called gluconeogenesis and ketogenesis. As a result, the other foods you eat (proteins and fats) can be converted into energy, meaning that your general survival does not depending on eating carbohydrates. As mentioned before, this can’t be said about amino acids (protein) or essential fatty acids (fat)—both of which you need to obtain from foods.
Still, while carbohydrates technically are not essential, you do need them when living an active lifestyle. FRUITS and VEGETABLES, not grains, cereals, or breads, are the two most important sources of carbohydrates, and both provide nutrient-rich calories that protect against disease.
MYTH (?)
Carbs do not make you fat. (Picking up on a theme?)
Ever since the low-carb craze began in the early 1990s, carbohydrates have been demonized as the cause of the growing obesity rates. And while a low-carb diet does have many health benefits and can lead to lasting weight loss, it is unclear if there is a “metabolic advantage” to going low carb. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition compared a low-carb diet with one that was higher in carbohydrates. The result: There was no difference in weight loss or changes in the ratio of muscle-to-fat. What’s more, when researchers compared a low-carb diet with a low-fat diet (and higher in carbs), they discovered that neither was better at boosting metabolism.
What is important, however, is the quality or source of carbohydrates. Move evidence is suggesting that wheat-based carbohydrates are not the best sources, contribute to spikes in blood sugar levels, which results in increased storage of body fat.
You can analyze studies and research all day, but the bottom line is simple: You can eat the right carbs and still lose weight. The diet you choose will be largely dependent on many personal preferences and eating styles, and whether it’s low carb or higher in carbs, both strategies can be equally effective at creating change.
CARBS IN YOUR DIET
Generally speaking, if you’re active you need anywhere between one to three grams of carbohydrate per pound of lean body mass. The carbohydrate requirement tends to range more widely than the other macronutrients because it’s largely dictated by how many calories you’re trying to eat per day, and your total amount of activity. In other words, determining the right amount of carbs is really the fourth step in your diet plan. First, figure out how many calories you need, then set goals for proteins and fats. Once you establish those guidelines, then your remaining calories for your weight goal should be filled in with carbs.
Carbohydrates, just like fat and protein allotments, should be comprised mostly of whole and minimally processed foods. For most people, carbohydrates are a form of dessert. And if you’re eating healthy, about 10 to 20 percent of your total calories can basically come from any foods you want--within reason. Your choices among carb-dominant foods should be based on your personal preference and tolerance, while maintaining as much variety as reasonably possible. Eating two to three fruits and two to three vegetables per day will usually fill up the majority of your carbohydrate allotment, while providing beneficial nutrients that will help your overall health. The rest of your carbohydrate intake should come from legumes and beans, yogurt (and other dairy), starchy vegetables such as yams or sweet potatoes, and finally the grains such as rice, and the ancient grains such as quinoa, kamut, and spelt--avoiding wheat as much as possible.
What are your current health goals? Are you up for a Challenge to meet them?
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