Power in Protein

I purposely saved protein as the last macronutrient to discuss.  People don't seem to have the same fear of protein as they do with fats or carbohydrates, and it is thought that in general, most Americans get plenty of protein.  My question to you is: are you selecting the appropriate sources?


While carbohydrate and fat are the main sources of fuel during a bout of exercise, protein still has many essential purposes.  It provides the building blocks for bones and muscles, creates enzymes responsible for producing energy and repairing muscle after exercise, and creates the transport systems for nutrients and oxygen within the body.


How much should I eat?
Just as we discussed with Carbohydrates, your protein consumption should be related to your body weight and activity level.  The current "recommended daily allowance" for protein for adults is 0.8 g/kg of body weight.  This equates to approximately 10-35% of one's caloric consumption.  However, in the research lab I work in, we encourage participants to eat 45% of their calories from protein.  This helps to build and maintain more muscle mass when combined with a resistance training program (additionally it has been proven more successful than higher carbohydrate amounts in our weight loss programs).  A more fitness-friendly suggestion is to consume one of the following:
- For more endurance based individuals: 1.2-1.4 g/kg of your body weight
- For those who focus on resistance training: 1.6-1.7 g/kg of your body weight


Here is my example: On average, I work out 1 hour a day, 5 days a week.  I perform moderate intensity resistance training and cardio.  I would probably start with 1.2-1.3 g/kg of protein in my daily diet, and then increase my protein intake if I didn't feel like I was consuming enough calories in a day (for instance, if I was losing weight when my goal was to increase muscle size). 


A review of the calculation:
1. Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms.
2.  Select your level of physical activity and the corresponding grams of protein you would like to start with.
3.  Multiply your weight in kg times the number of g/kg of protein for your activity level.  I suggest starting with the low to mid number in the range.
I suspect most of my readers will be in the 1.0-1.5 g/kg range.   

Here is my personal example:

125 lb / 2.2 = 57 kg

57 kg * 1.2 g/kg = 68.4 grams of carbohydrates/day

Now, if you do the math between my carbohydrates, protein, and fat examples - you'll realize that based on this calculation, I am still eating way less protein than carbohydrates, AND protein is definitely not 45% of my caloric intake.  But you will also see that it only adds up to about 1570 calories total.  This is where I would start adding more healthy protein (not carbohydrate or fat) to my diet to continue to increase the caloric intake to a comfortable level for me.


What kind should I eat?
You probably remember from early science classes that "amino acids are the building blocks of protein."  There are 20 amino acids (AAs), and our body can produce about half of them itself.  These are called nonessential AAs, because it is "not essential" that we obtain them from our diet.  The remaining AAs are "essential" for us to obtain in our diet because our body cannot produce them.  So when we discuss types of protein, we talk about complete sources that contain all of the essential AAs (typically animal proteins such as meat and dairy products), and incomplete sources that may be missing out on a few of those essential AAs (vegetable proteins such as grains, legumes, nuts and seeds).  A common suggestion is to pair two incomplete proteins within a meal (or throughout the day) to make sure you obtain all of the essential AAs.  Some examples include soybeans + rice, wheat bread + peanut butter, pinto beans + corn tortillas. 


Here is a chart from my textbook that shows you the amount of protein you can find in common foods (click on the chart and a larger version will open in a separate window):

In addition to making sure you are obtaining all of the essential amino acids, it is also important to opt for protein sources that are healthier for you - such as being lower in fat.  Here are a few pointers to keep in mind:
- Look for lean cuts of meat.  "Prime" and "Choice" are going to be good options.
- Prepare the meat in a way that limits added fat.  Opt for the grill where fat can drip off, instead of frying.
- Try to limit your consumption of red meat as well as deli meats (excess consumption can lead to colon cancer).  Buy deli meats that are non-cured and nitrate-free.


When should I eat them?
It is best to combine protein and carbohydrates during every meal and snack.  This will keep you feeling full longer and gives your body the nutrients it needs throughout the day as you go from task to task.  
Here are a few exercise-specific tips:
- Consume carbohydrate and protein in a 3:1 ratio after an exercise session to stimulate recovery of glycogen stores and maximize muscle synthesis.
- The aforementioned may also help to decrease muscle soreness.
- It may be best to consume smaller portions every 1-2 hours post-exercise to sustain the elevated synthesis rates.


And to end, here is an interesting tidbit for vegetarians:
This is news to me, so I am going to quote it straight out of my trusty textbook:  "Proteins derived from plant foods are approximately 85% digestible, those in a mixed diet of meat products and refined grains are approximately 95% digestible.  Based on these differences, it is recommended that people who eat no flesh or dairy products consume 10% more protein daily"


Textbook resources:
*Sport Nutrition for Health and Performance; 2nd Edition.  Manore, Meyer, & Thompson.


Have a HEALTHY day!
~Fit Britt

Fearful of Fats

We should all just avoid fats because eating fat will make us fat... right?  Well, not necessarily.  As we've discussed before, making sure we don't eat too many calories (and also burning excess calories through physical activity) is going to be key in not gaining fat... and for the record - eating too many carbohydrates or protein can also lead to fat gain.  So let's be a little more gentle with our fear and hatred of fats (of course we all love the taste!) and obtain a better understanding of why they NEED to be part of our diet, and which types are beneficial and which to avoid.

I didn't mention this last week when we discussed carbs, but fat and carbohydrate are actually the two types of fuel your body uses during exercise.  When you perform more sustained, endurance-type exercise, you will utilize more fat as your fuel source.  And believe it or not, fat is our primary source of fuel at rest as well (no need to feel guilty sitting around reading my blog... you are burning fat right now!  ).  There are also certain nutrients that we obtain from the fats in our diet: Vitamins A, D, E and K, as well as the essential fatty acids linoleic and alpha-linolenic acid (Omega-6 and -3 respectively).  These nutrients are needed for many metabolic processes and also to make various compounds within the body.  They make up the cell membranes, parts of the brain and spinal cord, keep skin and tissues pliable, protect the organs, and store energy.  All sorts of good and necessary things!

How much should I eat?
The major concern with fats is that they are more calorie dense than protein and carbs.  Both carbs and protein contain approximately 4 calories per gram.  Fat, on the other hand, packs 9 calories per gram!!  That means if you ate the same size morsel of fat as carbohydrate, the fat morsel would contain more than twice as many calories!
The general recommendation is for 20-35% of your caloric consumption to come from fat.  It is rare to come across a suggestion based on your body weight like we discuss for both carbohydrates and protein.  I would advise calculating your carbohydrate (see last week) and protein (see next week) based on your body weight and activity level, then divide that number by 0.75 to get an idea of your total caloric intake.  The 0.75 is accounting for 25% of your diet coming from fats.  Here is an example:
- If I calculated my carbohydrate and protein intake to be 1,500 calories a day,
- I would then calculate 1,500 / 0.75 = 2,000
- This means that I should start out by eating 2,000 calories a day, with 500 calories/day as my fat allotment.
- Notice I said "start out by eating..." unless you get your metabolism tested, this will be a bit of a guessing game getting you to the appropriate caloric intake.

What kind should I eat?
Once you have figured out your fat caloric allotment, I'm sorry to tell you, it is not a free for all.  Now we need to focus on the specific types of fat you should consume in your diet.  Words to look for on a food label:
GOOD FATS - Pick these!!  
- monounsaturated 
- polyunsaturated
Both of these can actually improve your cholesterol levels, potentially assist in regulating insulin levels, and decrease your risk of heart disease.  They are heart healthy!
BAD FATS - Try to avoid these!!
- saturated: comes primarily from animal products.  This should be less than 1/3 of your fat calories for the day... meaning if you are allotted 500 fat calories, less than 165 calories should be saturated fat (that's only 18.5 grams of fat!)
- trans: these fats have been processed to increase the shelf life.  They typically have negative effects on blood cholesterol levels.  Avoid these as much as possible.
- hydrogenated: Foods may say "trans-fat-free," but if you look at the list of ingredients and either "hydrogenated" or "partially hydrogenated" is listed, then there is some level of trans fat in that food.  Most likely < 0.5g per serving... but if you indulge in more than one serving, that number adds up!

What are good sources?
As I just learned in my textbook*; animal fats provide ~40-60% of their energy as saturated fats and 30-50% as unsaturated, whereas plants provide only 10-20% of their energy from saturated and the rest from unsaturated.  I am not saying that you should not eat meat - but certainly aim for leaner cuts of meat and discard all visible fat.  Additionally, try too cook it in a way that the fat will drip off (grilling) as opposed to  continue marinating around the meat (pan frying or baking).

Another good rule of thumb in selecting your fats: unsaturated fats are typically more liquid at room temperature (oils = unsaturated, butter and Crisco = saturated).  And since we are always hearing about getting in our Omega's, here is where you can get them:
Omega 6: vegetable oils (sunflower, safflower, corn, soy, peanut)
Omega 3: leafy green vegetables, soy products (including oil), seafood, canola oil

Finally, I will leave you with a list of good sources of healthy, obtained from another great resource**.  Try to obtain your "fat fuel" from these:
Foods low in saturated fat: popcorn, nonfat yogurt, skim milk, fig bars, graham crackers, roasted chicken breast, pancakes, 1% cottage cheese, 1% chocolate milk, dried beef
Foods high in monounsaturated fat: black olives, olive oil, almond oil, canola oil, dry almonds, avocados, peanut oil, dry roasted cashes, peanut butter, cooked beef, roasted lamb, roasted veal
Foods high in polyunsaturated fat: safflower oil, sunflower oil, corn oil, dry walnuts, sunflower seeds, margarine, corn oil, canola oil, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds, tofu

Textbook resources:
*Sport Nutrition for Health and Performance; 2nd Edition.  Manore, Meyer, & Thompson.
**Sports and Exercise Nutrition; 3rd Edition.  McArdle, Katch, & Katch

Caution with Carbs

Carbohydrates... friend or foe?  I imagine many of us have a love-hate relationship with them.  But what exactly comes to mind when you think of eating carbs?  Are you thinking pancakes, heaping plates of pasta, and pastries... or are you thinking fruits, vegetables and whole grains?  This could be the determining factor of your relationship with carbs and your success (or struggles) with weight management.

How much should I eat?
We've previously discussed that it can be kind of difficult to know how many calories you should be eating a day - without having specific metabolic testing done.  In addition, you may have heard me suggest that the recommended daily amount of carbohydrates should be 50-55% of your total caloric intake.  But if you don't know how many calories you should consume, then this percentage isn't very helpful.  Likewise, the truth is that the amount of carbohydrates you should consume is going to vary depending on your body size, health status, and also your level and type of physical activity (duration, intensity, frequency, etc).
Taking this information into consideration, let's calculate the following:
1. Take your weight in pounds and divide by 2.2 to get your weight in kilograms.
2.  Select your level of physical activity:
*recreationally active (exercise 30-60 minutes most days of the week / not training for an event): 3-5 g/kg.
*moderately active, but low endurance (such as football players, and other sports that do not require continuous activity for long periods of time without breaks): 5-7 g/kg.
*highly active, high endurance (training for a long distance event, frequently training for 2+ hours a day): 7-10 g/kg.
3.  Multiply your weight in kg times the number of g/kg of carbs for your activity level.  I suggest starting with the low to mid number in the range.
I imagine most of my readers will be in the 3-5 g/kg range.  I personally aim for 4 g/kg.

Here is my personal example:

125 lb / 2.2 = 57 kg

57 kg * 4 g/kg = 225 grams of carbohydrates/day

I have actually met with a nutritionist and was given this recommendation.  But it doesn't stop there.  We still need to look at the type and timing of the carbohydrates.

What kind should I eat?

We have all heard of simple and complex carbohydrates.  I have always used their name as an explanation for how your body breaks them down (simple are more easily digested, give you a quick sugar spike, and then leave you hungry/tired... complex take longer to digest, keep you full longer, and give you a steady level of energy).  But I have recently learned that this is not correct!  The name is merely describing the structure of each carb.  Complex carbs have a more "complex" chemical structure and tend to be less processed and higher in nutrients and fiber than simple carbohydrates.  So in the end, it is still a better idea to pick complex carbs such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains (bread, cereal, pasta) and legumes (beans, peas, lentils) over simple carbs such as sweetened cereals, breakfast bars, candy, soda and dessert.

There is another way we can categorize our carbs: by the glycemic index.  This categorizes foods as having a high glycemic response (quick rise in blood sugar and insulin), moderate, or low glycemic response (slow rise in blood sugar and insulin).  It is better to consume more foods that are low-moderate glycemic index in order to keep from having insulin spikes that could potentially lead to issues with insulin resistance.  Here is a GI index list of some common foods:

Additionally, CLICK HERE for a website where you can search any food item you would like, to see the glycemic index and also the grams of carbs per serving (click the tab on the left for GI database).   

Of course it can't really be this clear cut and easy.  As you start to mix carbohydrates together, or add protein and fat to the meal, that can alter the glycemic index of a food.  But this at least gives you a good idea of which foods to make "all the time foods" and which foods should only be "sometimes foods" (as explained to me by my darling niece and nephew).  And as we'll discuss below, there are certain times you might want to focus on lower GI foods and other times that high GI foods are beneficial.

When should I eat them?

It is a good idea to spread your nutrients out throughout the day.  Keep in mind that the main purpose of eating is to fuel your body.  If you consume too much at once, it may go to fat for storage.  If you don't consume enough - you may run out of energy.

As a general rule, try to consume about 20% of your carbohydrate grams at every meal, and 10-15% during three snacks spread throughout the day.  

For example, the suggestion I received for myself from the nutritionist was as follows:

Consume 225 g/kg of carbs per day

Aim for 45 g for each meal

Aim for 30 g for each snack

(3 meals + 3 snacks = 225 g)

This is a good way to ensure that your blood glucose and insulin will stay more stable throughout the day.

However we should also consider your carbohydrate intake in regards to your activity level.  Here are a few pointers:

* It is good to eat a pre-exercise meal or snack 1-3 hours before your exercise session to make sure you have energy.  Since we want to sustain energy, aim for low-moderate glycemic index foods here.

* If your exercise session lasts an hour or less, you don't need to be concerned with consuming carbohydrates during your workout.

* If your exercise session lasts well over an hour, you may want to consider some carbohydrate supplementation along the way - through sports drinks, sports beans, gel packs, etc.  This will help maintain your endurance for a longer duration.

* Since glucose is the primary source of fuel used during exercise, it is good to replenish after an exercise bout.  In fact, if you had a strenuous endurance session, it is very important that you aim to replenish your carbohydrates within 30 min - 2 hours after your exercise session, otherwise you may not actually be able to refill your glycogen stores as fully.  Since we are aiming for quick absorption here - high glycemic index foods are actually best.  Interestingly, fructose is digested slowest of all of the sugars, so it may not be best to use fruit or fruit juices for replenishment purposes.

This certainly is not an exact science.  It will be different for each individual, and your guidelines may need to be a little different each day - depending on your level of activity.  Use this information (and the information to follow on protein and fat in the weeks to come) as a guideline, and feel free to adjust your numbers up or down a little to meet your needs.

I'll end with a few more tidbits that I picked up from my meeting with the nutritionist:

1. Everyone should consume at least 1/2 cup of either nuts or beans every single day.

2. Better cereal choices include whole grain varieties like Total or Wheaties, and you can mix in your own fresh fruit.

3. From a sugar standpoint, she perfers "no sugar added" ice cream over frozen yogurt.  

We didn't discuss simple sugar too much in this post... and that is because those are not the types of carbohydrates we are aiming for.  When you are reading a nutrition label, look at how many grams of carbs are in a serving, and then look below to see the sugar content.  Try to aim for food choices that don't have all of their carbs coming from simple sugars.  If you stick with the whole grain variety, you'll be doing much better.  Save your simple sugars for the natural sugars in fruits and veggies.  And remember: items like pasta and rice should be a SIDE DISH, not your main entree.  A serving should be no larger than the size of your computer mouse (so cute and tiny, right?!).

I hope this will make you a little less fearful of carbohydrates, and help you gain confidence and responsibility in your food selection.  As mentioned, stay tuned for similar information on protein and fats!

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt

Healthy Alternatives

I feel like I am kind of cheating with my post today - because I am just posting something that I found in a textbook. This is actually from my professor's textbook which I have spent the month of June editing and creating multiple choice questions for, to be used for a certification exam. In fact it is due tomorrow, which is why I haven't had much time to post anything else this week!

For the month of July, Fit Britt will be focusing on the three main macronutrients: Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat (one each week). We will review details of the good and the bad varieties, why you need them, what quantities you should consume, what happens if you consume too much of that specific nutrient, etc. The last week in July we will be prepared for a "Food for Fuel Challenge." Using all of the information we collect throughout the month, we'll see if we can go a full week eating only the foods that our body thrives on for energy and metabolic processes.

So... let this be a little "appetizer." This is a pretty interesting chart to see how many calories are in certain foods, and in the right column you can get an idea of how much healthy / nutrient-dense food you could eat to fulfill the same number of calories. Pretty impressive!

High Energy-Dense Food Item	Calorie Amount	Low Energy-dense foods for similar calories
1 bottle (20 ounces) regular soft drink	250	1 bottle (20 oz) Diet Soft-drink + 1 medium apple + 1 oz string cheese + 2 square graham crackers
Starbucks Grande (16 ounces) café latte	260	10 oz brewed coffee + 6 oz steamed skim milk + 1 cup whole grain breakfast cereal (flakes) + ½ cup skim milk + 1 cup cantaloupe
1 slice Pizza Hut Pan pizza, pepperoni	400	2 slices thin-crust cheese pizza + large garden salad w/ 2 Tbsp light Ranch dressing
1 Blueberry Muffin from Coffee Shop	430	1 blueberry English muffin, toasted w/ 2 tsp butter & 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam + 2 oz grilled ham + 1 cup melon + 6 oz sugar-free vanilla yogurt
1 Chicken breast , fried (KFC)	440	1 grilled chicken breast (KFC) + 1 medium baked potato topped with fat-free sour cream & salsa + 1 cup steamed veggies + 1 small dinner roll with1 tsp butter
1 large glazed doughnut	302	1 English muffin w/ 1 Tbsp sugar-free jam + ½ cup egg substitute, scrambled w/ ¼ cup each: spinach, mushrooms, onions, salsa, & ½ oz cheese + ½ grapefruit
4-inch cinnamon-raisin bagel with 2 tablespoons cream cheese	450	2 slices cinnamon-raisin toast + 1 Tbsp reduced-fat cream cheese + 2 tsp jam + 1 cup sliced strawberries + 6 oz container light vanilla yogurt
1 snack bag (3 ounces) nacho-flavored tortilla chips	424	Nachos made with: 2 oz baked tortilla chips topped w/ ¼ cup salsa, ¼ cup fat-free black beans, ½ oz reduced-fat cheddar cheese, & 2 tbsp fat-free sour cream
2 cups chocolate ice cream	572	2 cup fat-free, sugar-free chocolate frozen yogurt + ½ cup blueberries + 2 tbsp non-fat whipped + 1 cup reduced-fat hot cocoa made with water
1 8 oz serving of vanilla yogurt	230	1 8 oz serving sugar-free vanilla yogurt + 2 cups strawberries + 2 reduced-fat fig bars
Garden salad + 2 tablespoons of ranch dressing	150	Garden salad w/ 2 Tbsp fat-free ranch dressing + 1½ cups fruit dipped 2 Tbsp sugar-free chocolate syrup
1 package of peanut butter crackers	247	1½ oz pretzels + 2 cups celery sticks & sliced pepper strips + ¼ cup hummus
1 small milkshake (10 ounces)	382	Root beer float with ½ cup frozen vanilla yogurt & Diet Root beer + 2 cups sliced mixed fruit topped with 2 Tbsp fat-free whipped topping + 3 vanilla wafer cookies
1 piece (1/8th of a 9” diameter) cherry pie	390	1 large apple sprinkled with sugar-alternative, cinnamon, “baked” in microwave and topped with ½ cup light vanilla yogurt + 1 oz animal crackers
1 Wendy’s Old Fashioned hamburger	270	1½ cups chicken, rice & vegetable soup + garden salad topped with 2 Tbsp fat-free Italian dressing + 2 oz grilled chicken + ½ oz crackers
1 small McDonald’s French fry	271	1 medium baked potato topped with salsa, broccoli + fat-free sour-cream + 2 Tbsp shredded cheese + 1 cup skim milk

Table taken from "Exercise and Sport Nutrition; Principles, Promises, Science, Recommendations" by Kreider, Leutholtz, Katch and Katch.

What healthy alternatives can you try today?

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt

Shaking Things Up

The lab I work in, the Exercise and Sport Nutrition lab, does a lot of research dealing with exercise and supplementation for weight loss, health improvements, and also athletic performance. For the majority of our studies, we encourage our participants to consume a high protein diet rather than a high carbohydrate diet. Not Atkins-style, just 45% calories from Protein, 30% from Carbohydrates and 25% from Fat. I try to follow this diet myself, and it doesn't take long before I become bored chicken breasts and beans. You soon realize, on a higher protein diet, that it is convenient to get some of your protein source from supplements and shakes.

While there are higher protein (and not as tasty) shakes out there that you might be more interested in if you are doing heavy weight lifting and muscle building, I have found a shake mix that I ABSOLUTELY look forward to having every day. It is called Vi-Shape by Visalus Sciences. (You can click the link to see the nutritional information). Not only does it have a decent amount of protein (especially if you mix it with milk) but it also contains a lot of vitamins and minerals. You may have heard of the Body by Vi challenge, where you use a shake as a meal replacement each day as part of a weight loss protocol. I personally like to use the same shakes as an afternoon snack, or after a workout. They are great whatever your goals are!

There is only one flavor of the mix, Sweet Cream, and it tastes like cake batter! Plus, there are tons of great recipes out there so you never have to drink the same shake twice! I like mixing in frozen fruit and/or sugar free chocolate pudding mix, yum! I always use skim milk to add more protein, but you could use water or soy milk. Check out a large list of possible recipes!
AND I treated myself to my new favorite item: The Magic Bullet. I bought it at Bed, Bath & Beyond for $40 (they were selling it for $10 off) PLUS a $10 mail-in rebate. Not a bad deal in the end. So far I have only used it for my Vi Shakes, but there are lots of great recipes for making salsas, guacamole, anything you want to blend or puree, and even frozen beverages!

I am not a consultant for Visalus, nor do I intend to become one. I purchase my shake mix through a friend (and got a discount for signing up for an auto-monthly ship that I can cancel at any time, even after one shipment). On the autoship it is $49 for a month supply. If you are local and want a taste I'd be happy to whip one up for you or give you a little bag of powder! If you think you might want to try it out, you can order your own bag here (and click "Join the Challenge)! If I refer 3 people, I get a month supply free... and you can too if you do the same!

Have a HEALTHY day!

~Fit Britt