I do not know who originally wrote this but my coach at beachbody posted it in the forums and ironically enough my wife and I had just discussed this at dinner (sushi mmmm) tonight. So, I am posting this for archival of key information I am picking up along the way in my journey to be physically fit.
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Wouldn't it be great if you could take a simple pill that would improve your energy, control your weight, enhance your physical abilities and lower your risk of a multitude of diseases? All of these and no side effects? Sure it would! Unfortunately this pill does not exist but there is something that will do all this for you and you already have it: the food you eat!
Before I launch into this subject, realize this: I'm not a doctor and even though I have played one on TV, I am not AMA sanctioned and nothing that I say or write should be considered medical advice.
Most of us don't think of it this way but the food we eat, in addition to providing all the nutrients that our bodies need, also has far reaching drug-like effects. This comes as a surprise to many and to understand this we need to consider the hormonal effects of what we eat. Hormones dramatically affect the body, influencing many aspects of health and function. Everybody is familiar with estrogen and testosterone (and what they are capable of) but there's many more where those came from which are integral to the proper functioning of the body.
This is where eicosanoids come into play. Eicosanoids are the superhormones that control the production of other hormones in the body. Make no mistake that these are extremely critical to the function of the body. To make it simple, there are good eicosanoids and bad eicosanoids and the object is to maximize the good ones and minimize the bad ones. When you are talking about the very keys to the hormonal system that integrally controls your whole body and it's functionality, you're dealing with something very powerful indeed!
Here's the exciting part: The very food that you eat directly affects the production of both types of eicosanoids and by following a few simple rules you can increase your good eicosanoids, decrease production of bad eicosanoids.
Sorry, but this is the part where I'm going to leave out some details. I'm not writing a book (which is about what would be required for a thorough explanation), so for expedience let me just say that the protein/carbohydrate balance in your diet controlls your insulin/glucagon balance which directly effects your eicosanoid production. And here's the big secret for getting that balance right:
* For each pound of lean body mass that you have, you need to consume between .5 and 1.0 gram of protein per day (depending on your activity level)
* For every 7 grams of protein, you must consume 9 grams of carbohydrates.
* For every 7 grams of protein, you must consume 3 grams of fat.
* Fats should be mono-unsaturated whenever possible. Avoid hydrogenated oils.
Chances are that you're wondering, "Wait a second... where did the fat come from? Shouldn't I be reducing it as much as possible?" In a word, no. Fat plays an important part in the production of eicosanoids and in other bodily processes as well. Reducing it too much will foul up a lot of things. Contrary to popular belief, low fat diets do not necessarily make you lose weight and can have the reverse effect as well as causing other system deficiencies. Dr. Sears explains this very nicely in The Zone and if you are still skeptical about what I've just said about fat, read the book.
Now all this counting of grams of protein, carbohydrates and fat can be a real drag. To make this a little easier, a "block" system has been developed. A block of protein is 7 grams, a block of carbohydrates is 9 grams and a block of fat is about 3 grams. This system makes it easy to break foods down into their block components for very simple block to block to block ratio comparasin.
The ideal block ratio for most people is 1:1:1 but this may change somewhat from person to person. To accurately determine this ratio and your daily calorie requirement you will need to have a profile assembled based on some of your personal statistics.
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Day 7- Rest Day #1
I have officially completed all of the Fat Burner Express - both the meal plan and exercise routine!!! I can say that I never would have thought that I would have gone through a meal plan/diet as stringent as the one I just did for the last 6 days. I posted each day with what I had and it totaled to around 800 calories each day. I have taken before and after pictures and hope to post those up later today along with the stats comparison.
I completed a stretch and power yoga routine this morning which is just the first 8 minutes of the Fat Burner Express DVD. I did this to help all of my muscles stretch out and get just a mini workout in today. For the rest of the day I plan to take it easy and "Rest" as is prescribed.
A special thanks to my wife for doing this program with me as well as helping by making sure that I followed the diet to a tee by buying, preparing, and serving just what the plan ordered. This took a bit of extra effort by her and I am very appreciative. She has already planned out our exact meals for this coming week as well!
I am very much looking forward to my "free" meal today. We are planning to eat a very nice restaurant named Stonewoods (http://www.stonewoodgrill.com) where I am sure to have a nice Filet Mignon :) I may also allow myself to have 1 chili cheeseburger as this has been one of my biggest cravings all week.
Have a Wonderful Sunday!
//jsk
I completed a stretch and power yoga routine this morning which is just the first 8 minutes of the Fat Burner Express DVD. I did this to help all of my muscles stretch out and get just a mini workout in today. For the rest of the day I plan to take it easy and "Rest" as is prescribed.
A special thanks to my wife for doing this program with me as well as helping by making sure that I followed the diet to a tee by buying, preparing, and serving just what the plan ordered. This took a bit of extra effort by her and I am very appreciative. She has already planned out our exact meals for this coming week as well!
I am very much looking forward to my "free" meal today. We are planning to eat a very nice restaurant named Stonewoods (http://www.stonewoodgrill.com) where I am sure to have a nice Filet Mignon :) I may also allow myself to have 1 chili cheeseburger as this has been one of my biggest cravings all week.
Have a Wonderful Sunday!
//jsk
PROTEIN ~ YOUR KEY TO NUTRITIONAL SUCCESS!
PROTEIN ~ YOUR KEY TO NUTRITIONAL SUCCESS! -by Mike French
One of the biggest mistakes many people make is that they don't pay attention to their muscle building nutrition with the same detail, desire and determination with which they pay attention to their weight training program.
If you neglect (or ignore completely) one or the other, whether it be your training or your nutrition, your results will only be a fraction of what they could be!
Look, you work extremely hard on your workouts. Don't screw it up by neglecting to be as dedicated to your nutrition program.
So let's talk about the importance of nutrition.
The truth is, no one will ever gain muscle without food. Nutrition for building muscle is simply a matter of eating. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to learn.
The Best Muscle Building Supplement
So here's the question every dedicated Fitness enthusiast wants to know.
What's the best muscle building supplement available today?
You might not like the answer. It's not sexy, it's not new, but it works.
Your number one supplement should be a high quality protein powder.
I know you probably already know this. But it's worth repeating because I get a ton of questions from people wanting to know what is the best new miracle supplement they can buy. And they aren't getting enough quality protein.
Before buying any other supplements, make sure you are always taking in a high quality protein powder.
If you want to make outstanding muscle building progress, you must put together a solid weight training program, train with a high level of intensity, add poundage to your exercises as often as possible, eat six high protein meals every day, and make sure recovering from your workouts so that your muscles have time to grow.
Protein powders make it extremely easy and convenient to eat six meals a day and to get enough quality protein into your body.
Using protein shakes will make it easier for you to consume enough calories and protein each day, as well as making it much more convenient to have 6 meals a day. Who has time to prepare six meals a day? Not anybody I know, that's for sure.
You may need to add or subtract ingredients based on individual taste preferences and number of calories needed.
When I was younger, more active, and had a metabolism like a furnace, I needed all the quality muscle building calories I could get. And protein shakes like this were the only way to get them.
You should eat every 2 or 3 hours.
When you have your post-workout muscle building protein shake, throw in a serving of creatine as well.
High quality protein, aka, "the real muscle building supplement" should be the center point of all your meals.
Intense exercise increases demand for protein, which support muscle repair and growth.
When you train with weights and you're looking to pack on pounds of quality muscle, you should try to eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you weight 150 pounds, try and take in at least 150 grams of protein each and every day.
You don't have to have carbs or fat at every meal, but you must have protein. When I say protein, I am referring to high quality protein derived from animal sources.
For getting more fit and stronger, the only protein you need to be concerned with are those found in whey, casein (cottage cheese), eggs, beef, poultry, and fish.
Throw in a high quality creatine product and you are good to go. Stick with the dual muscle building protein/creatine stack for awesome muscle/Fitness gains.
A crucial time to get a lot of high quality protein is right after your intense weight training session.
One thing I've found that has helped my progress is to add a few more calories than I normally would and then drink part of the smoothie right before my workout, or even sip some of it during my workout so my muscles are constantly getting the nutrients they need, both to power my workout and to recover from it.
If you want to push your muscle/Fitness results forward and do it as fast as possible, you have to get your protein. There is no excuse to skimp in this area. You need plenty of protein. Nowadays, most protein powders taste great and many are pretty inexpensive when compared to food.
Mix your protein powder in Soy/Skim milk or water. Why? Quick muscle building!
The Importance of Post Workout Supplementation
I cannot overstate the vital importance of the post workout meal, or more specifically, the post workout drink.
You see, after a hard training session, your body is primed and ready to absorb all the nutrients it needs to help your body begin recovering from the muscle breakdown that has occurred during your training session.
Why a drink? Because your body is craving nutrients immediately following a hard training session and it needs them quickly. Your body will digest the nutrients in liquid form much more quickly than a solid fool meal.
During this time your body is ready, willing and able to quickly and completely absorb the protein that it needs. This will help to optimize protein synthesis, leading to a positive nitrogen balance, gains in muscle and strength, and the loss of body fat.
Of course, you need to constantly supply your body with the protein it needs to maintain and build muscle mass. However, the time right after a hard training session intensifies your body's ability to absorb the protein it needs.
Immediately after my weight workout I take my post workout drink. For this meal you want fast acting protein and fast acting carbs. This is one of those times you gladly want your body to release insulin, to help shuttle the much needed carbs and amino acids into the muscles.
Another great way to do it is to use a drink specifically designed to take advantage of the post workout opportunity as I mentioned earlier.
One of the biggest mistakes many people make is that they don't pay attention to their muscle building nutrition with the same detail, desire and determination with which they pay attention to their weight training program.
If you neglect (or ignore completely) one or the other, whether it be your training or your nutrition, your results will only be a fraction of what they could be!
Look, you work extremely hard on your workouts. Don't screw it up by neglecting to be as dedicated to your nutrition program.
So let's talk about the importance of nutrition.
The truth is, no one will ever gain muscle without food. Nutrition for building muscle is simply a matter of eating. But that doesn't mean there isn't a lot to learn.
The Best Muscle Building Supplement
So here's the question every dedicated Fitness enthusiast wants to know.
What's the best muscle building supplement available today?
You might not like the answer. It's not sexy, it's not new, but it works.
Your number one supplement should be a high quality protein powder.
I know you probably already know this. But it's worth repeating because I get a ton of questions from people wanting to know what is the best new miracle supplement they can buy. And they aren't getting enough quality protein.
Before buying any other supplements, make sure you are always taking in a high quality protein powder.
If you want to make outstanding muscle building progress, you must put together a solid weight training program, train with a high level of intensity, add poundage to your exercises as often as possible, eat six high protein meals every day, and make sure recovering from your workouts so that your muscles have time to grow.
Protein powders make it extremely easy and convenient to eat six meals a day and to get enough quality protein into your body.
Using protein shakes will make it easier for you to consume enough calories and protein each day, as well as making it much more convenient to have 6 meals a day. Who has time to prepare six meals a day? Not anybody I know, that's for sure.
You may need to add or subtract ingredients based on individual taste preferences and number of calories needed.
When I was younger, more active, and had a metabolism like a furnace, I needed all the quality muscle building calories I could get. And protein shakes like this were the only way to get them.
You should eat every 2 or 3 hours.
When you have your post-workout muscle building protein shake, throw in a serving of creatine as well.
High quality protein, aka, "the real muscle building supplement" should be the center point of all your meals.
Intense exercise increases demand for protein, which support muscle repair and growth.
When you train with weights and you're looking to pack on pounds of quality muscle, you should try to eat a minimum of 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight. If you weight 150 pounds, try and take in at least 150 grams of protein each and every day.
You don't have to have carbs or fat at every meal, but you must have protein. When I say protein, I am referring to high quality protein derived from animal sources.
For getting more fit and stronger, the only protein you need to be concerned with are those found in whey, casein (cottage cheese), eggs, beef, poultry, and fish.
Throw in a high quality creatine product and you are good to go. Stick with the dual muscle building protein/creatine stack for awesome muscle/Fitness gains.
A crucial time to get a lot of high quality protein is right after your intense weight training session.
One thing I've found that has helped my progress is to add a few more calories than I normally would and then drink part of the smoothie right before my workout, or even sip some of it during my workout so my muscles are constantly getting the nutrients they need, both to power my workout and to recover from it.
If you want to push your muscle/Fitness results forward and do it as fast as possible, you have to get your protein. There is no excuse to skimp in this area. You need plenty of protein. Nowadays, most protein powders taste great and many are pretty inexpensive when compared to food.
Mix your protein powder in Soy/Skim milk or water. Why? Quick muscle building!
The Importance of Post Workout Supplementation
I cannot overstate the vital importance of the post workout meal, or more specifically, the post workout drink.
You see, after a hard training session, your body is primed and ready to absorb all the nutrients it needs to help your body begin recovering from the muscle breakdown that has occurred during your training session.
Why a drink? Because your body is craving nutrients immediately following a hard training session and it needs them quickly. Your body will digest the nutrients in liquid form much more quickly than a solid fool meal.
During this time your body is ready, willing and able to quickly and completely absorb the protein that it needs. This will help to optimize protein synthesis, leading to a positive nitrogen balance, gains in muscle and strength, and the loss of body fat.
Of course, you need to constantly supply your body with the protein it needs to maintain and build muscle mass. However, the time right after a hard training session intensifies your body's ability to absorb the protein it needs.
Immediately after my weight workout I take my post workout drink. For this meal you want fast acting protein and fast acting carbs. This is one of those times you gladly want your body to release insulin, to help shuttle the much needed carbs and amino acids into the muscles.
Another great way to do it is to use a drink specifically designed to take advantage of the post workout opportunity as I mentioned earlier.
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