Nutrition - Fitness Mantra : A Health and Fitness Blog

Have you ever wondered enough about the food you eat to sit down and actually ask yourself some questions about it? plate We all have our favorite “regular” foods for different meals and rarely deviate too much from our daily habits (indeed, one of my good friends has a healthful turkey-on-rye-with-mustard sandwich every single day for lunch! He is lucky, his habit is a healthful one - not of all of us are so fortunate!). This means we rarely bother to question ourselves about the food we eat.
When I started to wonder what kind of questions one could ask about food, I came up with the following list. I am presenting them in - what I think is - their order of importance, but you certainly might feel some are more applicable to you than others. Do feel free to add more personal insights in the comments as you explore them all.

Let’s begin the list with the one thing I am sure we would all agree is supremely important …

How Much You Eat
Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats, High-Fiber, Anti-oxidants, Sugar-free, Low-fat, Fat-free …. none of it matters - at first, anyway. If there is only one thing you want to ask yourself at the end of the day about the food you ate, then ask yourself this: How Much Did You Eat? Because irrespective of whether it was high or low-carb, saturated or unsaturated-fat, soluble or insoluble-fiber, the bottomline is that consuming more/less calories than your target intake (whether it be for weight-loss,maintenance or gain) will cause an imbalance leading to undesirable results.
If you are on a lean-mass building spree then very well go for the 3000-3500 calories you need; if it’s weight-loss you’re after, restrict yourself to 1500-1800 (or whatever numbers are right for you). To find answers to how to determine your specific intake level and understand the effects of calories and how to make them work for you, begin with “5 links to calorie-conscious fitness“.

What You Eat
Once you know that you are eating the right amount of food, it’s vital to immediately focus next on what kind of food you are eating. But if two foods give you the same calories, and total calories are the most important factor for weight-management, does it matter what type of food you eat? Sure, for calories have quality too. Yes a bag of chips and a bag of carrots might have the same number of calories, but we both know which is better for you. It all boils down to Calorific Payload - getting the calories you consume to really work for you. For example here are just two of many possible considerations:

The kind of grain: The reason whole grains are better for than the refined white stuff is not because it will help you lose weight directly. Calorie-wise they are the same and and if consumed in excess, even whole-grain stuff will make you gain weight. But the whole grain food is different because being high in fiber, it releases its energy slowly. This means two things: you feel full longer (less tendency to feel like snacking just an hour after eating a meal) and also since energy (glucose) is released more slowly to the blood, there is less need for sudden surges of insulin - this helps keeping a steady level of blood sugar.
The kind of fat: Mistake me not: Although the two main types of fats - saturated and unsaturated - have different effects on the body (particularly the arteries and the kind of cholesterol the body makes from them), all fats are highly calorie-dense (9 calories for every gram of fat) and must be eaten in moderation. Once you know that you are eating the right quantity, then you should focus on the type of fat. Try to reduce the quantity of saturated (bad) fat (the type you get from dairy and animal products) and try to get more of the unsaturated (good) variety (the type you get from plant oils like olive/canola oil and also from nuts like almonds and walnuts). While calorie-wise both are equivalent …

The reason why unsaturated fats are considered healthier than saturated or transfats is the nature of the fat molecules once they reach the bloodstream. Saturated or trans fat molecules have a natural tendency to bond with each other on contact, which eventually leads to the formation of artery-clogging plaque. Unsaturated fats, however, have larger molecules and tend to slide past each other in the bloodstream, which means little to no plaque build-up.
- Via WiseGeek

There are several other such considerations like which of two equal-calorie foods has more protein, fiber and so on, but you already have the idea: once you have the total calories intake part all squared away, it’s pretty easy to decide which of several options you can choose to get those calories!

When You Eat
There is a perennial debate over whether it matters when (what time) you eat if it’s the same kind of food, but personally I can vouch for the fact that it’s best to eat larger meals during the day, if you’re trying to lose weight and “Distribute And Progressively Reduce Your Calorie Intake Throughout The Day“. On the other hand, I have found that a sure-fire way to put on some weight is to eat heavier meals just before bed-time. This boils down to simple metabolism and body-rhythm principles. Large meals consumed at the end of the day when the body is winding down and getting ready to lower its metabolism will lead to greater storage of fat because more of the available calories are unwanted than during the day when they are needed for much of the physical activities we perform.
I am still a hearty breakfast, moderate lunch and light dinner kind of person, but I wouldn’t be surprised if an equally strong argument were made for why it does not matter when you eat at all. The best advice in this case would be to see what works best for you and sticking to it. Nothing succeeds like success and you’re best off pursuing the actions that give you the best results.

How You Eat
This question is bound to surprise many of you. How you eat? Surely everybody opens their mouths, sends food in, closes their mouths, chews and swallows! Is there a secret way of eating you’re not aware of? Well sort of. Have you considered things like …

How fast you eat? It’s been shown that it can sometimes take as long as 20 minutes for the brain to receive the signal that you have had enough food. If you are racing through your meal, by the time you get the “stomach-full” message you’ve already consumed past that point. Slowing down and savoring your meal will not only improve digestion as you chew the food better, but it will also give you a chance to stop eating past the “full-indicator”.
Whether you’re sitting down or doing “drive-by-eatings”? One of the key ideas in Judith Beck’s The Beck Diet Solution is that people should sit down while eating, slow down and always be aware and mindful of what they are eating - a point I wrote about in “Eat, but first take a seat“. For example during a buffet, filling your plate once and sitting down to eat lets you understand better how much you are really eating which would be much difficult if you walk around filling your plate at frequent intervals.

Where You Eat
This one is a little related to the How You Eat section above, but is still important in its own right. By “Where You Eat” I mean are you a frequent restaurant-eater? Is your route back from work defined by the fast-food joints in the area? Hae you ever eaten anything from the refrigerator while still standing in front of it?
Yes, where you eat is important because it defines several other important factors like how fast you eat (maybe you’re in a short lunch-meeting and need to finish with everyone else before the meeting ends), how well you eat (if it’s at fast-food joints, then the answer is sadly: not so well) and even how much you eat (ever wondered how you could eat the entire bucket of popcorn while engrossed in a movie?!).
Whenever possible (it’s impossible to guarantee this for every meal), try to eat in a place where you can give your meal the fullest attention possible so you can focus on aspects like eating slowly and mindfully.

Why You Eat
OK, this is the last category and I feel like I am entering Dr.Phil’s territory here so let me say right at the start that I am no psychologist. Also, placing this question last does not mean that this is unimportant. Like I mentioned right at the start of this post, different people have different priorities and I can see why, for some readers, answering this question truthfully can be the only real way to a life of successful weight management and fitness. Whether you turn to food to fight stress, failure, fear, shock, sadness or any number of the myriad emotions we are subjected to everyday, understanding and recognizing that you are doing this itself is a giant step in the right direction.
“Your Internal Feelings About Food And Weight” is a short and simple questionnaire available on Dr. Phil’s site, the answers to which can get you started toward understanding if and why food has become the shoulder you cry on. Give it a spin - you might surprise yourself.

While all this might be a lot to take in at one go, the good news is these are not questions you have to have to ask yourself everyday. Like I have mentioned many times before, most people have a set schedule for their meals and rarely deviate from that routine. This is actually a good thing because it’s really easy to make alterations that will replicate everyday. Once you have answered these questions for yourself it should be pretty easy to see just where those life-changing alterations need to be made and hopefully this will lead you to a better understanding of your relationship with food.

Live (and eat) well!

Technorati Tags: health, nutrition, food

Fitness Mantra del.icio.us page Welcome to “FitnessMantra Weekend”, your once-a-week health news update. As always you can also stay updated with the latest in fitness news by subscribing separately to the Fitness Mantra del.icio.us feed.

In the Glycemia series of posts, I described the effect that different foods have on our blood sugar levels. While our goal should be to maintain a steady level of blood sugar (since our bodies perform optimally under this condition), not all foods like to comply with our wishes. High-glycemic-index (GI) foods like white rice, pasta, or bread create a surge of glucose that our bodies must respond to with insulin. The failure to adequately match insulin requirement with proportionate production is the deadly disease, diabetes. (Do read the series again to brush up your knowledge of the key terms involved in the discussion).

fatty liver No, all that was not just to promote a previous post: BBC News reports that a Starchy diet ‘may damage liver’. Regular consumption of high-glycemic and refined foods not only causes the body to develop insulin resistance and develop a risk for diabetes, it is now also being shown to cause “fatty-liver”, a condition by which fat accumulates in the liver, leading to potential liver-failure in the future. The image on the right shows a close-up of fatty cells in an affected liver (courtesy Brown University).

In an interesting study conducted at the Boston Children’s Hospital, two groups of mice were given food with exactly the same calorie content but one group got food composed of high GI ingredients while the other was fed low GI foods.

After six months on the diet, the mice weighed the same, but those on the high GI diet had twice the normal amount of fat in their bodies, blood and livers.
…
Dr David Ludwig, who led the research, said that the results would also apply to humans, and even children, in whom fatty liver is becoming far more common.

- Via BBC News

Including more whole grains and reducing the amount of refined carbohydrates in our diets is a key step to maintaining a steady glucose level in our blood while also keeping full for longer periods of time as the energy in the food is released slowly to the cells in our bodies.

Here’s more health news from the week that was:

Diabetes may hike death risk from pneumonia: People with type 2 diabetes or elevated blood sugar are at increased risk of dying after being hospitalized for pneumonia, a new study hints.
Make your friends fit your diet - not blow it: As it turns out, not only does your diet influence which friends you pick, your friends influence your diet.
Seniors balk at ban on free doughnuts: It was just another morning at the senior center: Women were sewing, men were playing pool - and seven demonstrators, average age 76, were picketing outside, demanding doughnuts.
Rich or Poor, Fat People Have Higher Diabetes Risk: Fat people who are rich are just as likely to develop a precursor to diabetes as those who are poor, suggesting that money for a healthier diet and better treatment matters less than being active
Soccer beats jogging for fitness: A friendly game of soccer works off more fat and builds up more muscle than jogging, new research shows.
Obesity Won’t Affect Seniors’ Memory: While past studies have found obesity in middle age increases a person’s risk for dementia or Alzheimer’s disease, our finding shows obesity in old age has no effect on a person’s memory.
Starchy diet ‘may damage liver’: A diet rich in potatoes, white bread and white rice may be contributing to a “silent epidemic” of a dangerous liver condition.
Smart Fitness: Getting high on exercise: The euphoria that some people report from exercise is often referred to as a “runner’s high,”
FDA helps kids learn to read food labels: “Since I find parents are not doing a bang-up job (teaching nutrition), I think it’s important to empower the children with their own information”
Any kind of exercise helps diabetics: Weight training works just as well as running on a treadmill or biking to help the most important symptom of type-2 diabetes - long-term control of blood sugar
Report: Fewer soft drinks in school: School vending machines are stocked with fewer high-calorie soft drinks today because some states have banned the sale of sodas on campus and the beverage industry is phasing in healthier drinks