Nutrition Tips by Brad Schoenfeld
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The Importance of Meal Frequency
The Truth About "No Carb" Diets
Good Fat/Better Body?
The Glycemic Way
The Importance of Meal Frequency
In today's fast-paced world, most give little thought about the timing of
their meals. All too often, breakfast consists only of a cup of coffee. Succeeding
meals are eaten whenever there is a free moment, usually culminating with
a large feast at dinner and possibly a midnight snack.
Unfortunately, this type of nutritional regimen has a harmful effect on your
body composition. When you deprive your body of food for more than a few
hours, it shifts into a "starvation mode" as a means of conserving energy.
Your metabolic rate slows down, preventing additional burning of calories.
In addition, an enzymes is secreted into your bloodstream, signaling your
body to store fat as a reserve source of fuel. The end result is an increase
in body fat levels with a corresponding loss of lean muscle tissue.
- Consuming small, frequent meals, your body is able to operate at peak
efficiency
- Nutrients are better absorbed into your system, allowing them to be
efficiently utilized for important biological functions.
- Your metabolism revs up, increasing your body's internal production
of heat which, in turn, helps to burn fat for fuel.
- Your appetite remains suppressed, making you less likely to binge out
on a big meal late in the day.
The Truth About "No Carb" Diets
There has been a tremendous amount of publicity associated with "no-carb" diets.
Also called ketogenic diets, these nutritional regimens restrict virtually
all carbohydrates while allowing consumption of proteins and fats. In theory,
this is supposed to switch your body into a "fat burning" mode, rather than
a "carbohydrate burning" mode.
Although ketogenic diets can be effective for certain people, several important
factors must be understood...
- A large portion of the initial weight loss is derived from water. Carbohydrates
attract water in a 3:1 ratio. Thus, when carbs are restricted, a significant
amount of water is flushed from your body. While this can be desirable
in the short-term, it does not constitute "real" fat-weight loss.
- Many the popular diets allow (or even recommend) eating foods that
are high in saturated fat such as bacon, sausage and cream. In numerous
studies, saturated fat has been linked to cardiovascular disease - a
fact that can't be readily dismissed.
- While advocates of ketogenic diets claim that the benefits of keeping
weight under control offset any other potential side effects, this philosophy
is short sighted. There is no data available to determine the long-term
effects of ketogenic diets. If you decide to entertain a ketogenic diet,
do so for only a few months at a time.
The overriding concern with respect to weight loss is the amount of calories
consumed. If you expend more calories than you consume, you will lose weight.
This is simple physiology. Don't be duped into thinking that any diet has
a magic formula for success.
Good Fat/Better Body?
For many years, common nutritional wisdom preached that fat was the enemy. "Eat
fat and you'll get fat," was the mantra of most dieticians. Recently, however,
this view has softened and a more moderate approach has been adopted in respect
to fat intake.
Certain fats are vital for basic sustenance. They are involved in cushioning
your internal organs for protection, aiding in the absorption of vitamins
and facilitating processes within the body. Physiologically, it would be
impossible to survive without the inclusion of fats in your diet.
Saturated fats, however, have virtually no biological purpose. If you don't
burn them immediately for fuel, they either are stored as fat throughout
your body or become fatty deposits in your arteries. These fats tend to make
your muscles less responsive to insulin and inhibit your body's ability to
store sugars as glycogen. And because of their chemical make-up, they are
prone to clumping together... making fat deposits more likely to take on
the appearance of "cellulite".
- Rather than cutting all fats out of your diet, focus on eliminating
saturated fats and replace them with unsaturated, essential fatty acids
(EFAs). The best sources of EFAs are found in soy products and deep-colored,
cold-water fish such as salmon, mackerel and tuna.
- Limit your fat intake to less than 20% of your total calories, with
the majority coming from EFAs. Flaxseed oil also contains high levels
of EFAs. It comes in liquid form and either can be mixed into your foods
or taken by the spoonful. Look for a brand that has a 3:1 ratio of omega-3
(eicosapentanoic acid) to omega-6 EFAs (linoleic acid).
The Glycemic Way
All carbs are not created equally! While most people know that it's important
to cut back on fatty foods, they often are oblivious to the types of carbohydrates
in their diet. When ingested, carbs cause a rise in blood sugar levels,
commonly referred to as a glycemic response. Carbs that cause a rapid elevation
of blood sugar are termed high-glycemic, while those that are "time-released" and
maintain stable levels of blood sugar are called low-glycemic.
The problem with high-glycemic foods is that they are rapidly broken down
into simple sugars, causing a spike in your blood-sugar levels. Consequently,
your pancreas secretes large quantities of insulin as a means to clear the
sugar from your bloodstream. Excess insulin is detrimental to weight management.
It is directly responsible for converting sugars into body fat as well as
inhibiting the conversion of stored fat into energy. This double-whammy greatly
increases the potential for body fat storage.
- If you want to stay lean, keep your consumption of high glycemic foods
to an absolute minimum. When eaten in abundance, they can be one of the
biggest obstacles to maintaining a lean physique - perhaps even more
so than foods laden with fat.
- Just because a food is "fat-free" doesn't mean it won't make you fat
- it also must be low-glycemic to qualify as a healthy choice.
- Try to stay away from sweetened cereals, potatoes, white rice, and
white flour breads. Instead, replace them with oatmeal, yams, brown rice,
and whole grains. Dreamfields® pasta is an excellent choice, too
- If you choose to consume a high-glycemic food, make sure you eat it
in conjunction with a protein-based source. This will help to slow down
absorption and lessen its effect on insulin secretions.
Fitness tips by Brad Schoenfeld
Dreamfields Pasta
recipes by Brad Schoenfeld
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