Basics - Understanding Food

[JawD]

Help !

Ive spent the last few days scouring the net reading various info on what fod is and how its works. Some I can absorb and some is buzzing around my head due to conflicting info and opinion, esp when it comes to Carbs. So, please tell me where I`m right or wrong here if you could.

Protien

Basis for growth and repair. Need to consume 1g / body weight in lbs, for me that is 196g / day ! or if I base it on 30% of a 2500 calorie intake then its 187g which is near enough. Any that is taken but not used, can be stored as fat. If my daily intake is low I can top up with suppliment. Need to take after training (shake etc), also perhaps before bed to help repair during sleep.

:confused: On target or waaay off?

Ok, now the good bit

Carbs

Basically, two types. Simple and Complex.

Simple carbs. Glucose (natural sugar), Fructose (Fruit Sugar), Galactose (from Milk), Sucrose (Table sugar used in Chocolate etc), Lactose (dairy prod), Maltose (malt sugar).

Now, I think, some of these (Glucose, Fructose) are what you find in energy drinks. These can be used prior and during training. Also, after training. The others should be avoided?

Complex Carbs. Starch (Bread, Pasta, Rice, Cereal) enter the blood quickly so is useful to use for energy 1-2 hours prior to training? But not late at night as the energy wont be used and so stored as fat?

Fibre (Fruit, Veg, Grains and nuts) and Glycogen ?

I think you can see I`m starting to get a bit mixed up here. I`ve switched my bread to wholemeal. I eat a fair amount of cereal, is this ok as long as I cut down as the day goes on? Are all carbs avoided late at night or just simple and starchy ones?

Fat

A few different types, but I think I still need to take in around 30% of my daily calories. So, if 2500 then its 93g. Unsaturated (animal fat) avoid at all costs. Good sources of other fat would be oily fish and nuts?

So there you go, confused an puzzled. I think I`ve got one foot on the target and one in my own goal !!!

[B.A.]

Hmmm, I'm not sure what you are actually asking?? Would you like to know basic chemical digestion of these macro nutrients?

Maltose, sucrose and lactose are actually disaccharides. When you eat starchy foods like pasta, rice or bread, it is broken down into maltose first before it is broken down into glucose (enzymes in the saliva, salivary amylase aka ptyalin break the polysaccharide into the disaccharide maltose); gastric juices (the stomach will hold food for between 1 to 4.5 hours depending on what you have ingested) convert proteins into peptones using enzymes such as pepsin, and curdle milk proteins using renin. Enzymes such as lactase/ beta-galactocidase, fructase and sucrase convert those disaccharide/ monosaccharide sugars into glucose in the small intestine (i.e. duodenum); enzymes released into the duodenum (first section of the small intestine) such as erepsin and trypsin convert peptones into amino acids (where, like the glucose produced, they are absorbed through the wall of the small intestine into the blood stream to be transported to tissues and organs such as the liver and kidneys for further processing if necessary); bile released from the gall bladder into the duodenum emulsifies (breaks down) fats into smaller pieces.

To answer what questions that I can see, eat a meal, then wait a minimum of two hours before doing physical activity, ecspecially when doing "stamina" work in the fitness suite. When you are physically active almost 90% of your blood is being used for the muscles so there is virtually no blood to keep your stomach churning and digesting, which is why you never exercise on a full stomach. I personally wait between 2-3 hours after a meal before heading to the gym.

30% proteins may be too much. Usually, for recreational athletes your CFP ratios will resemble something close to this : 55-60% carbohydrates; 20-25% fats, 20-25% proteins.

You get fibre from fruit, vegetables, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. Remember, the body will actually only utilise nuts/ seeds if you chew it into a paste in your mouth before swallowing the bolus (chewed up food).

Kellog's cereals such as rice crispies, corn flakes and frosties are a miss, as they a well processed/ refined source of carbohydrates, which isn't good for you. Cereals such as wheetabix and all bran are the better choices.

Avoid all processed, packaged, refined carbohydrates as much as possible. Eat grains that still have the husk (wholegrain), and other natural carbohydrates such as fruit and vegetables. Tro to avoid simple sugars/ limit it to fruit juice, and get the core of your carbohydrates from wholemeal bread, cereals and rice, and also pasta.

Animal fats are good for you, as are oils/ fats from fish and certain nuts and seeds. Avoid fats such that have been hydrogenated, and trans fats. Butter is good for you but margarine is not. Also avoid all soy products.

Tro to eat as many natural essential/ 1st class proteins as possible for all your protein intake: organic whole eggs produced by free range chickens, whole milk (raw and/ or organic if possible), fish, corn feed, free range poultry, and red meats.

Supplements aren't necessary if you are eating properly. Personally I only use a basic multi vitamin and mineral each morning. Remember to drink a minimum of 2-3 litres of water each day.

That's everything that comes off the top of my head. Further questions just ask obviously.

- B.A.

[CJNY]

You've actually got a good start on the basics of sound nutrition :thumbup:

A few comments:

Protein requirements should be based on lean body weight, not merely body weight. Also the 1g/lb suggestion is for people who are working out hard, not for everybody.

Animal fat is saturated (not unsaturated as you said) but you are right - most authorities suggest keeping saturated fat intake low. Oily fish and nuts are, indeed, good sources of fats, as are avocado, olives and olive oil. A bit of other vegetable oils probably won't hurt.

Your are also right about the carbs in that it's here that you are most confused. Carbs *can* be divided into simple (sugars) and complex but this distinction is not all that useful. Better to consider how fast the carbs enter the blood stream and how big an insulin response they generate.

Most simple sugars and refined starches hit the bloodstream fast and hard, causing a strong insulin response (assuming your pancreas is still healthy and not worn out from a lifetime of eating poorly). Most people would do well to avoid these or, at least, keep them a small percentage of your total carbs. Potatoes fit in this category as well.

Carb sources that don't cause this insulin response include things like most vegetables and fruits. These should supply the bulk of the carbs for most people.

Some more carb-related details:

The sugars in dairy products don't cause a big insulin problem but some people don't tolerate dairy well. You decide what works for you.

Fructose is another simple sugar that doesn't trigger a big insulin response but it has other drawbacks that probably mean you don't want to make it a big part of your diet. Fruit has some fructose (although a lot less than many people seem to think) but what I am really talking about here is the high-fructose corn syrup that is used in so many food products these days. Avoid them.

Fiber is actually a carbohydrate but isn't digested by your body to any significant extent so it doesn't count in your daily carb total. Most people don't get enough fiber but if you follow the advice to get most of your carbs from fruits and veggies then lack of fiber will not be a problem.

Fiber eaten with carbs (especially soluble fiber) tends to dampen the insulin response of foods that might otherwise be poor choices. This is one strong reason why whole, unrefined foods tend to be healthier choices than highly refined products.

The glycemic index is an attempt to classify food according to their tendency to cause a fast rise in blood sugar. It has a few problems but generally is a useful tool in selecting carbs.

Naturally, there is a lot more but this includes some of the basics (and, I think it's safe to say, is all fairly well accepted and non-controversial).

[JawD]

Two good replies there so thanks for that.

Ok, so I`m there or there abouts on the Protein. Phew!

Carbs though. So, whats the advantage / disadvantage of the differing insulin "boosts"?

This G.I. Index, so am I looking really for carbs on the lower end of the scale then?

The cereals I eat are mainly All Bran, Bran Flakes, Shreddies, Special K (if you know them!)

Regarding not eating carbs late in the day, this applies to all of them then?

ummm.....

[adrenaline]

Originally Posted by B.A.

Also avoid all soy products.

- B.A.

WHATS WRONG WITH SOY?????

[B.A.]

Originally Posted by adrenaline

WHATS WRONG WITH SOY?????

It's not a complete protein; It's not a natural food; Many contaminants within soy products; Extreme processing involved; It undergoes hydrogenation; and it has been manipulated on a genetic level to get the isolate/ develop a form of soy that is actually "edible". Soy defies everything that healthy eating stands for.

Soy plants were actually used for re-introducing nutrients back into heavily farmed soil, and then as an animal feed not that long ago.

- B.A.

[kronik]

Originally Posted by B.A.

Kellog's cereals such as rice crispies, corn flakes and frosties are a miss, as they a well processed/ refined source of carbohydrates, which isn't good for you. Cereals such as wheetabix and all bran are the better choices.

You dont happen to have a list of good cereals and cereals to avoid do you? ;D

[B.A.]

Originally Posted by kronik

You dont happen to have a list of good cereals and cereals to avoid do you? ;D

Lol, 'fraid not What cereals do you eat anyway?

- B.A.

[JawD]

Right or not, Ive always avoided "kiddies" cereals ie those with sugar coatings, honey coatings, chocolate etc. I tend to stick to weetabix, shreddies (malt wheat), bran flakes, all bran (small amounts!) and the like.

Looking at the nutritional info on most of these, they "seem" about the same. I eat with skimmed milk. Typically I get 6P 31C 3F from this. Whatr is a good way of telling the cereals apart by the nutrition? or, what is worth avoiding?

[cursor]

Even if you feel that soy "is not a complete protein," that isn't reason enough not to eat it. Hell, most foods don't have a full array ... but they all contribute varying amounts of select groups of quality aminos acids to your system. It's not as if the aminos are worthless to your body if not part of the same morsel.

It's really a matter of making sure that your diet includes a reasonable balance and volume of essential amino acids (those that the body cannot produce). While there are traditionally recognized combinations, there is nothing to say that you cannot intelligently pick any reasonable set of foods (not even necessarily eaten in the same meal) that offers a balance that might be similar to egg, or powdered whey, or chicken, etc. Even "quality" sources of dietary protein have widely varied amino acid balances.

amino acids: soy, egg, and whey
amino acid comparisons: egg vs whey
__read through the end of the thread
amino acids
combining amino acids

[B.A.]

Originally Posted by cursor

Even if you feel that soy "is not a complete protein," that isn't reason enough not to eat it. Hell, most foods don't have a full array ... but they all contribute varying amounts of select groups of quality aminos acids to your system. It's not as if the aminos are worthless to your body if not part of the same morsel.

I still eat grains, nuts/ seeds and vegetables for non-essential protein. Non-essential proteins are part of a healthy balanced diet, if they come from an unrefined natural source. "not a complete protein" is not the reason that I wouldn't eat soy (though alot of vegetarians seem to think that tofu is a complete protein such as my ignorant sister). I recommend avoiding soy as it is a "food" not consistent with the meaning "healthy" or "natural".

- B.A.

[REAPER]

Think again when consuming soy, especially if you are bodybuilding. Studies show that males who consume soy had a decrease of 7% in testosterone, and also an increase in estrogen.

Decrease in testosterone = decrease in performance

http://t-mag.com/html/body_143soy.html
http://www.t-mag.com/articles/185soy2.html

SOY IS EVIL (but not for females)

[GushK]

disregarding supplements, where does that leave a vegetarian (who doesn't eat eggs) then, in terms of fulfilling protein requirements?

[B.A.]

Originally Posted by GushK

disregarding supplements, where does that leave a vegetarian (who doesn't eat eggs) then, in terms of fulfilling protein requirements?

Are you a vegan (No eggs, milk or fish)?

You can still get all your amino acids, though this will require you to ingest a massive range of vegetables, nuts/ seeds and wholegrains to do this. It would save alot of hassle if you could eat a hard boiled egg or 2 a day, or a glass or 2 of milk.

- B.A.

[kronik]

Originally Posted by B.A.

Lol, 'fraid not What cereals do you eat anyway?

- B.A.

Weetabix, Special K, Crunchy Nut Cornflakes, Strawberry Alpen & Oatmeal.

I bet they're all bad besides Weetabix & Oatmeal.