I'm a personal trainer with over 20 years of experience in the health and fitness industry and I have to be honest and tell you
that more than 75 percent of the exercise required to stay fit and firm as you
age involves a fork and knife. No amount of exercise can compensate for poor
dietary habits. I believe in finding a healthy eating plan that works for you,
and one you can live with for the long-term.
Fad diets don’t work because they
are too restrictive for most people to follow and to incorporate into their
daily lives. How many times have you seen someone lose a lot of weight in a
short period and heard people say, “Have you seen so-and-so, since she’s been
on that new diet? She looks so good.” Then you see that person a year or later,
and she is heavier than ever. That’s the typical outcome of a fad diet.
The key to eating healthy over the
long-term is balance and moderation in the foods you consume daily. You can eat
any food you desire as long as it is in moderation and balanced it with the
rest of the foods you consume. For example, I love brownies, so when I have a
brownie for dessert I only have one. I also balance the carbohydrates and sugar
in the brownie by not having bread with my meal.
The first step to learning balance
and moderation in your diet is knowing how to classify foods into their basic
source of protein, carbohydrates, and fats as well as how they are used in your
body. The second step is mastering portion size. Knowing how many calories you
consume from each food source and what your serving sizes are will enable you
to balance your meals. Eating this way can be easily incorporated into your
lifestyle—it’s a plan you can stick with over time.
So let’s begin by seeing how foods
are broken down into their basic components of protein, carbohydrates, and fats
and how your body uses them.
Protein
Protein is a necessary part of
every living cell in your body. Next to water, protein comprises the greatest
portion of your body weight. Protein substances make up your muscles,
ligaments, tendons, organs, glands, nails, hair, and many vital body fluids. It
is essential for the growth, repair, and healing of your bones, tissues, and
cells. In addition, the enzymes and hormones that catalyze and regulate your
body processes are comprised of protein. So you see the proper amount of
protein in your diet is vital for your health and wellbeing.
Protein is
composed of building-block chemicals called amino acids. There are
approximately 28 commonly known amino acids that your body uses to create all
the various combinations of proteins needed for survival. These 28 commonly
known amino acids are further classified as essential and nonessential amino
acids. Nonessential amino acids can be produced in your body, while essential
amino acids cannot be produced in your body and must be obtained from the foods
you eat.
The sources of protein in your diet
are classified as complete or incomplete. Complete proteins contain all the
essential amino acids and are mostly from animal sources such as meat, fish,
poultry, eggs, and dairy products. Incomplete proteins lack one or more
essential amino acids that your body cannot make itself. Incomplete proteins
usually come from plant-based sources such as fruits, vegetables, grains, and
nuts. You must eat incomplete sources of protein in a combination that contains
all the essential amino acids in order for your body to use them.
As mentioned, you must get your
essential amino acids from your diet because your body cannot make them itself.
Some of the best animal sources of protein are fish, poultry, lean cuts of
meat, and low-fat dairy products. Some of the best vegetable sources are beans,
nuts, and whole grains.
Protein’s Effect on Aging
Getting enough protein in your diet
is crucial for building and maintaining muscle mass especially as you age. As I
mentioned earlier, losing muscle mass is very detrimental to your health.
Age-related muscle loss known as sacopenia can begin in your thirties and
accelerate with age if left unabated. Sacopenia can lead to muscle weakness,
fatigue, insulin resistance, body fat accumulation, injury, and many other
problems we associate with aging.
Increased protein consumption, and
strength training are two of the most effective ways to combat muscle loss.
While 0.8 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.36 grams per pound)
has been the normal recommendation for daily protein intake, new studies show
that 1 to 1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight (0.45 to 0.68 grams
per pound) may be more beneficial in building, maintaining, and reducing muscle
loss.
Protein quality, quantity, and
timing of consumption throughout the day, in conjunction with physical
activity, are all important to the building and maintenance of muscle mass. The
goal of protein consumption and lean muscle mass is to optimize muscle protein
synthesis (the biological process by which muscle cells are regenerated).
Studies now show consuming 25 to 30 grams of high quality protein at each meal
(breakfast, lunch, and dinner) is necessary to stimulate maximal protein
synthesis.
Protein’s Effect on Weight Loss
Scientific research is now
revealing that people who consume higher amounts of protein (20 to 30 percent
of their daily caloric intake), while cutting back on their carbohydrate
intake, tend to lose weight faster and stay leaner than those people on low-fat
diets.
The reason higher protein, lower
carbohydrates diets are more conducive to weight loss and maintenance is
interesting. First, high-protein foods slow the movement of food from the
stomach to the intestines, meaning you feel full longer and don’t get hungry as
often. Second, protein has a leveling effect on your blood sugar which means
you are less likely to get spikes in your blood sugar that lead to cravings for
carbohydrates. Third, your body uses more energy to digest protein than it does
to digest fat or carbohydrates.
Getting the proper amount of
protein at breakfast is especially important if you are trying to lose weight.
Breakfast is the first meal of the day and what you eat determines whether you
start your day in fat burning or fat storage mode.
Eating a breakfast rich in
carbohydrates and low in protein (the typical American breakfast) starts your
day in fat storage mode. The cereal, bread, fruit, and juice you have for
breakfast are all carbohydrate-based and are converted into sugar by your body,
thus causing a spike in your blood sugar. Then your body produces insulin to
take that blood sugar and store it in your body mostly as body fat. Soon after
your blood sugar drops and you feel famished, and you crave more
carbohydrate-based foods which starts a cycle of blood sugar spikes and crashes
and its insuring sugar cravings.
On the contrary, having a breakfast
that contains the proper amount of high quality protein such as eggs, lean
meat, and low fat dairy starts your day in a fat burning mode. As mentioned
earlier, consuming 25 to 30 grams of protein is necessary for maximal protein
synthesis. This building and repair of muscle cells is very energy intensive
and it burns body fat mainly as fuel for this process. Thus, having 25 to 30
grams of protein at breakfast activates muscle cell regeneration and also
alleviates blood sugar spikes which lead to cravings.
Now that you know how important
protein is for you, here are some good sources of protein listed by the U.S.
Department of Agriculture to help you get the proper amount in your daily diet.
1 ounce meat, fish, or poultry
equals 7 grams of protein
1 large egg equals 6 grams of
protein
4 ounces milk equal 4 grams of
protein
4 ounces low-fat yogurt equals 6 grams
of protein
4 ounces soy milk equals 5 grams of
protein
3 ounces tofu, firm equals 13 grams
of protein
1 ounce cheese equals 7 grams of
protein
1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese
equals 14 grams of protein
1/2 cup cooked kidney beans equals
7 grams of protein
1/2 cup lentils equals 9 grams of
protein
1 ounce nuts equals 7 grams of
protein
2 tablespoons peanut butter equals
8 grams of protein
1/2 cup vegetables equals 2 grams
of protein
1 slice bread equals 2 grams of
protein
1/2 cup of most grains/pastas equals
2 grams of protein
Carbohydrates
The popularity of low-carbohydrate diets has probably led you to believe that
carbohydrates are “bad” for you. Just reading the hype in the media would make
you think that carbohydrates are the cause of the obesity epidemic in the
United States.
It’s true: eating a lot of
easily-digested carbohydrates from white bread, white rice, pastries, sugared
sodas, and other highly processed foods may contribute to your weight gain and,
therefore interfere with your efforts to lose weight. On the contrary,
consuming whole grains, beans, fruits, vegetables, and other intact
carbohydrates promotes good health. As I mentioned before, a healthy diet is
about balance and moderation. A basic knowledge of what carbohydrates are and
how your body uses them is essential to understanding how to balance them in
your diet.
Carbohydrates are essential
nutrients that are excellent sources of energy (measured as calories) for your
body; they are the preferred fuel for your brain and nervous system.
Carbohydrates are found in an array of foods such as bread, beans, milk,
popcorn, potatoes, cookies, spaghetti, soft drinks, corn, and desserts. The
most common and abundant forms are classified as sugars, fibers, and starches.
The basic building block of every
carbohydrate is a sugar molecule, a simple union of carbon, hydrogen, and
oxygen. Starches and fibers forms of carbohydrates are essentially chains of
sugar molecules.
As mentioned above, most carbohydrates
come from plant sources and are in the form of sugars, starches, and fibers.
Sugars, also called simple carbohydrates, include fruit sugar (fructose), corn
or grape sugar (dextrose or glucose), and table sugar (sucrose). Starches, also
known as complex carbohydrates, include everything made of three or more linked
sugars. Starches include foods such as breads, cereals, grains, pasta, rice,
and flour. Fibers are technically classified as a starch because they are complex
carbohydrates that your body cannot break down into sugar molecules. Fibers are
more abundant in whole grains, legumes, and vegetables.
Your body breaks down all
carbohydrates, except for fibers, into single sugar molecules regardless of
their source. These simple sugars are further converted into glucose, also
known as blood sugar. Your body is designed to use blood sugar as a universal
source of fuel for energy.
Fiber is the form of carbohydrate
that your body cannot break down into simple sugar molecules. It passes through
your body undigested. Fiber comes in two varieties: soluble, which dissolves in
water, and insoluble, which does not. Although neither type provides energy for
your body, they both promote health in many ways. Soluble fiber binds to fatty
substances in your intestines and carries them out as waste, thus lowering your
low-density lipoprotein (LDL, or bad cholesterol). It also helps regulate your
body’s use of sugars, helping you to keep your hunger and blood sugar in check.
Insoluble fiber helps push food through your intestinal tract, promoting
regularity and helping to prevent constipation.
Here’s what happens when you eat a
food containing carbohydrates. Your digestive system breaks down the digestible
ones into sugar, which then enters your blood. As your blood sugar level rises,
special cells in your pancreas churn out insulin, a hormone that signals your
cells to absorb the blood sugar for energy or for storage. As your cells soak up
the blood sugar, its level in your bloodstream begins to fall. Now, your
pancreas starts making another hormone called glucagon, which signals your
liver to start releasing stored blood sugar. This interplay of insulin and
glucagon ensures that cells throughout your body have a steady supply of blood
sugar.
Maintaining a steady blood sugar
level is a very important component of your diet. While you’ve just seen that
your body breaks down all digestible carbohydrates into blood sugar, some are
converted into blood sugar faster than others. Thus, some carbohydrates cause a
spike in your blood sugar level causing you to feel hungry faster and to crave
more sugary foods. Other carbohydrates are converted into blood sugar more
slowly, leveling out your blood sugar and resulting in less hunger and food
cravings.
For this reason, the Glycemic Index
(GI) was developed to classify how quickly your body converts carbohydrates
into blood sugar as opposed to pure glucose. Glucose has a GI of 100, and all
other carbohydrate-based foods are ranked against it. Foods with a score of 70
or more are considered to have a high GI, while those with a score of 55 or
less are considered low.
Eating lots of food with a high GI
causes spikes in your blood sugar level, this can lead to many health issues,
such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. Eating low GI foods causes
your blood sugar level to stay steady thus keeping your energy level balanced
and causing you to feel fuller longer between meals. The following are some
additional benefits of eating low GI carbohydrates.
·
Helps you to lose and manage your weight
·
Increases your body's sensitivity to insulin
·
Decreases your risk of developing type 2
diabetes
·
Reduces your risk of heart disease
·
Improves your blood cholesterol levels
·
Reduces hunger and keeps you fuller longer
·
Helps you prolong physical activity
·
Helps you to refuel your carbohydrate stores
after exercise
You can get the GI rating of
hundreds of carbohydrate-based foods from the Glycemic Index Foundation,
sponsored by the University of Sydney in Australia. It maintains a searchable
database of more than 1600 entries at http://www.glycemicindex.com.
The GI is interesting because some
of the foods you think would have a high rating actually do not. For instance,
fructose, or fruit sugar has a minimal effect on blood sugar, while white bread
and French-fried potatoes are converted to blood sugar nearly as fast as pure
glucose. In other words, you can’t classify foods as having a high or low GI
based on the sweetness of taste. Many factors affect a food’s GI such as:
·
Processing: Grains that have been milled and
refined have a higher GI
·
Type of starch: Starches come in many different
configurations. Some are easier to break into sugar molecules than others. For
example, starch in potatoes is digested and absorbed into the bloodstream
relatively quickly.
·
Fiber content: The sugars in fiber are linked in
a way that is hard for your body to break down. Thus, the more fiber a food has
the less digestible carbohydrate, and consequently, the less sugar it can deliver
into your blood stream.
·
Fat and acid content: The more fat or acid a food contains, the
slower its carbohydrates are converted to sugar and absorbed into your
bloodstream.
·
Physical form:
Finely ground grain is more rapidly digested, and so it has a higher GI
than more coarsely ground grain.
The basic technique for eating the
low GI way is simply a "this-for-that" approach. In other words, swap
high GI carbohydrates for low GI carbohydrates. You don't need to count numbers
or do any mental arithmetic to make sure you are eating a healthy, low GI diet.
Follow these easy to implement suggestions.
·
Use breakfast cereals based on oats, barley and
bran
·
Use breads with whole-grains, stone-ground
flour, or sourdough
·
Reduce the amount of potatoes you eat
·
Enjoy all types of fruit and vegetables
·
Use brown rice
·
Enjoy whole-wheat pasta and noodles
·
Eat plenty of salad vegetables with a
vinaigrette dressing
As you see, it’s important to
include the right kind of carbohydrates as part of your daily intake. Now you
ask, how many grams of carbohydrates can I eat daily? This depends on factors
such as your age, gender, body composition, physical activity level, and
metabolic health. Thus, there are no one-size-fits all answers.
People who are physically active,
and have more muscle mass need more carbohydrates than people who are sedentary
and have less muscle mass. People who have metabolic issues such as obesity and
type 2 diabetes cannot tolerate the same amount of carbohydrates as people who
are in good health.
Here are some general guidelines
for daily carbohydrate intake if weight loss is your goal. For moderate weight
loss (around 2 lbs per week), eat 50-100 grams of low to medium glycemic
carbohydrates per day. For gradual weight loss and maintenance (1-1.5 lbs per
week) consume 100-150 grams of low to medium glycemic carbohydrates daily.
Because I have a lot of muscle mass
and I’m also very active I generally consume about 210 grams of low to medium
glycemic carbohydrates daily. I find that this amount gives me plenty of energy
for all my daily activities. You’ll find that eating low to medium GI
carbohydrates levels out your energy and keeps you from those high and low
points throughout the day.
Fat
Fat has also taken a bad rap over
the years, but it is very essential to your health and well-being. Again,
balance and moderation is the key.
For decades, the mantra for healthy
eating has been “eat a low-fat, low-cholesterol diet.” Touted as a way to lose
weight and prevent heart disease and other chronic conditions, millions of
people have followed this advice. Seeing a tremendous marketing opportunity,
food companies re-engineered thousands of foods to be low-fat or fat-free. The
low-fat approach to eating may have made a difference for the occasional individual,
but as a nation, it has neither helped us control our weight nor has it helped
us become healthier. In the 1960s, fats and oils supplied Americans with about
45 percent of their calories. About 13 percent of the population was obese and
less than one percent had type 2 diabetes. Today, Americans take in less fat,
getting about 33 percent of calories from fats and oils; yet 34 percent of the
population is obese, and eight percent has diabetes (mostly type 2).[1]
Research has shown that the total amount
of fat in your diet is not linked to weight or disease. What actually matters
is the type of fat in your diet. Trans fats and saturated fats increase your
risk of cardiovascular disease, while monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats
do just the opposite. But then you ask, “What about cholesterol in food?” The
answer is, for most people the mix of fats in their diets influences
cholesterol in their bloodstreams far more than cholesterol in food.
Almost all foods contain some fat. Even
foods like carrots and lettuce contain small amounts of fat. That’s a testament
to how important fats are for your health and well-being. Fat provides a
terrific source of energy for your body as well as a great depot for storing it.
It is an important part of cell membranes, helping govern what gets into and
out of your cells. Your body uses cholesterol as the starting point to make
estrogen, testosterone, vitamin D, and other vital compounds. Fats are also
biologically active molecules that can influence how your muscles respond to
insulin. Also, different types of fats can fire-up or cool down inflammation in
your body.
Your body packages fat and
cholesterol into tiny protein-covered particles called lipoproteins in order to
get them into your blood stream. Some of these lipoproteins are big and fluffy,
while others are small and dense. However, the most important ones to remember
for your health and well-being are low-density lipoproteins, high-density
lipoproteins, and triglycerides as explained below.
Low-density lipoproteins (LDL) carry cholesterol from your liver to
the rest of your body. Your cells latch onto these particles and extract fat
and cholesterol from them. When there is too much LDL cholesterol in your
blood, these particles can form deposits in the walls of your coronary arteries
and other arteries throughout your body. These deposits, called plaque can
cause your arteries to narrow and limit blood flow, resulting in a heart attack
or stroke. Thus, LDL cholesterol is called your bad cholesterol.
High-density lipoproteins (HDL) scavenge cholesterol from your
bloodstream, your LDL, and your artery walls and ferry it back to your liver
for disposal. Thus, HDL cholesterol is referred to as your good cholesterol.
Triglycerides comprise most of the fat that you eat and that
travels through your bloodstream. Because triglycerides are your body’s main
vehicle for transporting fats to your cells, they are essential for good health.
However, an excess of triglycerides can be unhealthy.
The type of fat in your diet
determines to a large extent the amount of total and LDL cholesterol in your
bloodstream. Cholesterol in food matters too, but not nearly as much. You can
basically break the fats in your diet into three categories; good, bad, and
very bad.
Good Fats
Unsaturated fats are called good
fats because they can improve blood cholesterol levels, ease inflammation,
stabilize heart rhythms, and play a number of other beneficial roles. Unsaturated
fats are predominantly found in foods derived from plants, such as vegetable
oils, nuts, and seeds. They are liquid at room temperature.
Furthermore, there are two types of
unsaturated fats: monounsaturated and polyunsaturated. Monounsaturated fats are
found in high concentrations in canola, peanut, and olive oil, in avocados,
nuts like almonds, hazelnuts, and pecans, and seeds such as pumpkin and sesame.
Polyunsaturated fats are found in high concentrations in sunflower, corn,
soybean and flaxseed oil. They also are found in foods such as walnuts,
flaxseeds and fish.
Research has shown that replacing
carbohydrates in your diet with good fats reduces harmful levels of LDL and
increases protective HDL in your bloodstream. A randomized trial called the
Optimal Macronutrient Intake Trial for Heart Health showed that replacing a
carbohydrate-rich diet with one rich in unsaturated fat—predominantly
monounsaturated fats—lowers blood pressure, improves lipid levels, and reduces
the estimated cardiovascular risk.
Bad Fats
Saturated fats are called bad fats
because they increase your total cholesterol level by elevating harmful LDL. Your
body can produce all the saturated fat that it needs, so you don’t have to get
any from your diet. In the U.S. and other developed countries, saturated fats
come mainly from meat, seafood, poultry with skin, and whole-milk dairy
products. A few plant sources, such as coconuts and coconut oil, palm oil and
palm kernel oil, also are high in saturated fats.
As a general rule, it’s good to
keep your intake of saturated fats as low as possible. Saturated fats are found
in many foods, including vegetable oils (that are mainly unsaturated fats), so
you cannot completely eliminate them from your diet. Because red meat and dairy
fat are the main sources of saturated fats for most people, minimizing them in
your diet is the primary way to reduce your intake of saturated fat.
Very Bad Fats
Trans fatty acids, more commonly
known as trans fats, are made by heating liquid vegetable oils in the presence
of hydrogen gas—a process called hydrogenation. Partially hydrogenating
vegetable oils makes them more stable and less likely to spoil. It also
converts the oil into a solid which makes transportation easier. Partially
hydrogenated oils can also withstand repeated heating without breaking down,
making them ideal for frying fast foods. This is the reason partially
hydrogenated oils have been a mainstay in restaurants and the food industry.
Trans fats are worse for
cholesterol levels than saturated fats because they raise bad LDL and lower
good HDL. They also increase inflammation, an over-activity of the immune
system that is associated with heart disease, stroke, diabetes, and other
chronic conditions. Even small amounts of trans fats in your diet can have
harmful health effects. For every extra two percent of daily calories from
trans fat (the amount in a medium order of fast food French fries) the risk of
coronary heart disease increases by 23 percent. It is estimated that
eliminating trans fats from the U.S. food supply would prevent between six and
19 percent of heart attacks and heart attack-related deaths (more than 200,000)
each year.
Recommendations for Fat in Your Diet
Are you confused at this point
about the type of fats and their varied effects on your health? If so, remember
to replace the bad fats in your diet with the good fats. Here are some
suggestions to help you limit the bad fats in your diet.
·
Eliminate trans fats from partially hydrogenated
oils. Check food labels for the presence of trans fats and avoid fried fast
foods.
·
Limit your intake of saturated fats by cutting
back on red meat and full-fat dairy products. When possible replace red meat
with poultry, fish, beans, and nuts. Also, try switching from whole milk and
other full-fat dairy foods to lower-fat versions.
·
Use liquid vegetable oils rich in
polyunsaturated and monounsaturated fats in place of butter in your cooking and
at the table.
·
Eat one or more sources of omega-3 fats every
day. Good sources are fish, walnuts, canola or soybean oil, ground flax seeds
and flaxseed oil.
Water
Water constitutes the largest part
of your body. Most people don’t drink enough water daily. If you are even
mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down. In one study, adults who
drank eight or more glasses of water a day burned more calories than those who
drank four. To stay hydrated, drink a glass of water or other unsweetened
beverage before every meal and snack. In addition, try munching on fresh fruits
and vegetables, which are full of fluid, rather than pretzels or chips. I
suggest you drink at least 64 ounces of water daily.
My Typical Diet
Here’s an example of how I balance
my diet. Each day, I typically consume around 2300 calories consisting of
approximately 210 grams of low to medium glycemic carbohydrates, 160 grams of
high quality protein, and 80 grams of fat mostly from walnuts (high in omega-3
fat). Here’s my typical day:
Breakfast: I usually have 16 ounces of water as soon as I wake up. Then,
I have a protein shake (whey protein) made of frozen blueberries, ice and almond
milk. I also have one cup of oatmeal.
Mid morning snack: Around 9:00, I usually have about 2 ounces of
raw walnuts, and a medium sized apple.
Lunch: I typically have about six ounces of chicken, fish, or lean
meat, a medium size baked sweet potato, and steamed vegetables.
Mid afternoon snack: Around 3:00, I usually have about 2 ounces of
raw walnuts, and a medium sized apple.
Dinner: I typically have about 6 ounces of chicken, fish, or lean
meat, a serving of a low to medium GI carbohydrate, and a garden salad.
In addition, I drink at least 64
ounce of water every day. I can’t overestimate the importance of hydration in
your diet. Your body needs water to process calories. As previously mentioned,
if you are even mildly dehydrated, your metabolism may slow down.
As you can see, I eat about every
three hours. When you eat large meals with many hours between them, you train
your metabolism to slow down. Having a small meal or snack every three to four
hours keeps your metabolism cranking, so you burn more calories throughout the
day. Several studies have also shown that people who snack regularly eat less
at meal time.
I follow this diet Monday through
Friday. On Saturday and Sunday I enjoy a cheeseburger, desserts, or any other
food that I have a taste for. It’s easy for me to stick to my diet during the
week when I know that I can loosen up a bit on the weekend. This way of eating
has worked well for me for more than 20 years.
In Summary
Life is meant to be enjoyed. Part
of the joy of living is enjoying good food. On the other hand, if you don’t
have good health, how can you enjoy life? The task is creating a healthy
lifestyle in which you don’t deprive yourself of the things that you love and
enjoy. This is what balance and moderation is all about. With knowledge comes
power, and I hope I have given you enough basic information about food for you
to choose a healthy diet that you can live with for the rest of your life.
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