You Are What You Eat

Last week's homework assignment was to make sure you are eating within one hour of waking and then every 2.5 - 3 hours. I was not as concerned about what you ate, just as long as you were having frequent meals. I know some of you still have coffee, run out the door and don't eat most of the day. Don't worry about eating perfectly - yet. Sometimes we are so concerned about being perfect that we get paralyzed and do nothing. If you have mastered the skill of eating frequently, this week I would like your meals to consist of protein, healthy carbs, veggies and a little bit of healthy fat. Why? The answers are below, but natural, non-processed foods make better fuel and build a better body. That's what we are trying to do at GISFW - build a new you that feels better, works better and keeps the weight off, and create habits that last a lifetime.

I've attached the handout that I've been giving out at the nutrition consults. If you want me to go over it, please stop by my office. I also included a new document from franchise school that has 3 days of sample menus and the shopping list to go with it. Between the 2 documents, you should be able to plan you meals for the rest of the week!

I know you are all logging your meals on Vitabot and on paper logs. I've been reviewing the Vitabot accounts, but please email me if you want me to look at yours. Let me know if you have any particular questions or concerns.



Protein - creating a better, stronger you

Exercise is vital if you want to transform your body, and stay transformed. Exercise actually creates small tears in muscle fibers that need to be repaired. The feeling of being ?sore? after a workout is just that, you feel the minuscule tears that have occurred during your workout. To repair these sore muscles properly, you must fuel them with the proper amount, and type, of proteins. Just like a scar forming after a cut heals, the human body responds to stress by reinforcing the affected area; this tissue will grow back together stronger and denser than before to protect itself from continued stress. The denser and stronger the muscle is, the more fuel it requires to operate. Following a workout program consistently will build lean muscle and raise your body's resting metabolic rate, which means your body will burn more calories throughout the day. Good protein sources include lean meats, chicken, lamb, turkey, whey supplements, as well as fish, eggs, and Greek-style yogurts. Meat should be free of hormones and antibiotics whenever possible. To expedite the break-down of protein for use in muscle repair, certain fats should be utilized as well.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are the main energy source for the body. We need carbs to fuel our bodies properly throughout the day. The best sources are fresh fruits and vegetables and complex carbohydrates such as brown rice, oats, whole wheat, quinoa, and potatoes. Complex carbs break down more slowly and contain more fiber, which will keep insulin sensitivity down throughout the day, leading to lower risks of diabetes and heart disease.
Simple carbs should be severely restricted, or eliminated entirely from your diet. These include white sugar, white breads and pastries, many breakfast cereals and anything else containing sucrose, glucose, maltose, and high fructose corn syrup. A diet high in these simple carbohydrates have been linked to obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular problems and tooth decay. They will spike insulin levels, which will lead to calories being stored as fat instead of being used by the body for energy.

Fats, they aren't all bad

Making sure your body is being fed certain fats every day is just as important as keeping other fats out. Fats build and maintain healthy cells, insulate tissue, protect organs, help to absorb fat soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K, and maintain skin and hair. Another benefit of having good fats in our diet is to help make you feel full for longer periods of time.
There are 4 types of fats ? monounsaturated fat, polyunsaturated fat, saturated fat, and trans fat. Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fat are the 'good fats' ? they are more easily broken down to be used for energy, and have great benefits. Any saturated fats should be kept to a bare minimum in your diet. Saturated fats are resistant to breakdown, and clog your body?s processes, raising your blood cholesterol levels. Documentation supports that people living with diets high in saturated fats have much higher instances of disease, especially over time. Trans fat should be totally avoided. Trans fats are the partially hydrogenated oils and shortenings that can be found in packaged goods and used in restaurants (which some states are starting to ban!). They are synthetic, not essential to the body, and highly damaging. Trans fats increase LDL (bad cholesterol) and decrease HDL (good cholesterol). Trans fats are being linked to increases in heart disease, cancer, diabetes, and obesity.
Polyunsaturated fats are made up of essential fatty acids, and the two main essential fatty acids are omega-3 and omega 6. In addition to the benefits listed above, unsaturated fats can also help boost metabolism, mood, brain function and libido. Since your body cannot create these on its own, you must introduce these from an external source. Most people get enough omega-6's in their diet, from oils such as corn, canola, soy, sunflower and animal fats, but are lacking in omega-3's, found in flaxseed, walnuts, cold water fish, and dark green leafy vegetables. Having a balance of omega-6 to omega-3 in a 3-to-1 ratio is best. The average person has a ratio of 15-20:1, which can have a negative effect by causing inflammation and cardiovascular problems. Monounsaturated fats can be found in vegetable oils such as olive, canola, peanut, sunflower, and sesame, as well as avocados, peanut butter and many other nuts and seeds. They can help to lower bad cholesterol levels, lowering risk of heart disease and stroke.

Water, it's all around you, and chances are you aren't getting enough!

"Drink More Water", you hear it everywhere, but most people do not understand how it can help with proper bodily function. The liver is a very capable organ, it can even assist other organs to perform their jobs if things get too crazy. One of the liver?s jobs is to metabolize stored body fat and turn it into usable energy. Great! Getting the liver to work at its peak efficiency means getting the kidneys to work at 100% as well, since the liver takes some of the load off the kidneys when things get troublesome. Keeping the kidneys hydrated allows them to do their job, and reduces the need of the liver to get involved in the process. Getting enough water into your system will allow your kidneys, and thus your liver, to function properly, metabolizing the fats you have released by eating and exercising correctly. Staying hydrated also keeps your body flushing away any unwanted toxins from your system. Sodium can build up and retain water outside of the cells, giving your body that ?bloated? look. It may seem backwards, but drinking enough water actually reduces the bloat. Your body learns that it will be kept hydrated from an outside source, and does not have to hold on to water internally to function properly.