Posts Tagged ‘meal planning’

Ryan Flint, Lifelong Fitness Certified Personal Trainer and Sports Nutritionist

 I know there seems to be an on-going debate out there these days with health professionals, nutritionists, and the media giving different opinions about whether organic food is worth the slightly higher prices.

But there are a few VERY important aspects of organic food that I rarely see anybody out there talking about.

First, as you know, the main aspect that most people talk about in the organic vs conventional food debate is simply whether the food in question was grown with pesticides, herbicides, or chemical fertilizers, and whether that food contains pesticide/herbicide residues on the actual food when you eat it.

And that IS important… I mean, I know I don’t want to be ingesting pesticide residues that are potentially carginogenic or even estrogenic and can possibly increase belly fat (due to the xenoestrogens)… and I’m sure you don’t either!

But there’s another another MAJOR aspect of organic vs conventional food that most people are overlooking, and that is:

The impacts of conventional farm chemicals on the SOIL, and how that affects the nutritional composition (quantities of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants in the food)

The harsh chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and herbicides used in conventional farming can destroy a large part of the microbial activity in the soils (bacteria and fungi) that help to make soil minerals more available to the plants roots.  Conventional farming degrades this aspect of the soil which results in lower micro-nutrient levels in the plants that you eat.

In organic farming, these harsh chemicals are not used, and the soil is healthier and more biologically active (fungi and bacteria aid the plant roots with uptake of minerals and nutrients), and the plants roots can therefore obtain more nutrition which produces foods with higher micro-nutrient levels.

Also, it’s quite possible that the heavy use of chemical fertilizers, which make crops grow much faster than normal, leads to a shallower root system, that inherently absorbs less micro-nutrients from the soil column compared to organically raised plants that are forced to have deeper, more extensive root systems to obtain all of the nutrients the plant needs.

I think it’s quite easy to see why organic foods can have superior nutrition levels and more vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants than conventional foods.

But beware of conflicting “reports” out there on this topic.  Although there is much data on the superior nutrition levels of organic foods, you may also find some data that contradicts these findings in particular studies.

The reason that this happens is that science isn’t perfect, and someone may measure the nutrition levels of a certain type of conventional tomato, for example, compared against a different type of organic tomato, grown in a vastly different geographic area in vastly different soils and climate.  There are dozens, or even hundreds of complications with these types of studies, which is why you can’t always make direct comparisons.

 However, I think with the evidence we talked about in terms of soil quality, nutrient uptake, and also just the pure fact that we don’t want carcinogenic and estrogenic chemicals in our food, it makes it worth it to try to buy organic as much as possible.

Sometimes Local may be MORE important than “Organic”

Here’s another vitally important thing to keep in mind… 

If your choices at the grocery store for the organic food come from half way around the globe (such as organic produce from Chile or New Zealand when you live in North America), then you might want to consider favoring local produce even if it’s not labeled “organic”.

For one reason, many local farm stands may actually have organic produce but simply aren’t legally allowed to label their food “organic” if they haven’t acquired whatever necessary licenses they need for that.  If you ask the farmers, many times you may find out that the local farm produce is in fact organic, or at least close to organic (meaning they use very minimal chemicals compared to a large industrial farm).

Also, local produce that is picked at it’s peak of ripeness, and on your plate in a matter of hours or days, will usually have much higher nutrition levels compared to “organic” produce that was picked halfway around the world well before it was ripe and traveled weeks to make it to your grocery store.

The one caveat to this is frozen produce… sometimes fruits and veggies are picked at their peak of ripeness and frozen rather quickly, even if they were picked halfway around the world.  In this case, organic frozen fruits and vegetables can sometimes be just as nutritious as local produce (although they may carry a bigger petroleum burden than local produce)

So, if I were to give my overall recommendations to save yourself from the inherent health dangers of pesticides and herbicides, while also eating food that contains the highest levels of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, it is this:

1. choose organic over conventional most of the time, when it’s available

2. choose local foods over organic if the organic food came from very long distances away (although frozen organic fruits and vegetables can be just as nutritious as local)

3. Don’t forget that choosing organic also helps to protect the environment from chemical fertilizer and pesticide pollution that can harm ecosystems and your own drinking water supply.

4. Don’t fall for “organic junk foods” — I’ve been seeing this trend lately — Just because crackers, cookies, cakes, and corn chips may be labeled “organic”, doesn’t mean they are healthy… junk food is still junk food!  And these are still overly processed foods that can make you fat!

Remember that forcing change for responsible agriculture starts with your choices as a consumer.  The more we demand responsibly grown and raised foods by choosing those foods in our shopping carts, the more that producers and suppliers will respond to that demand.

Remember that there is a difference between a snack and a meal.  A meal is fully BALANCED meaning that it contains all three macro-nutrient ratio’s (Carbs, protein, fat) in the correct ratio.  For example putting together a snack would mean nothing more than slamming a few crackers and calling it good, whereas if you want to make it a meal you would have to put some protein in there as well such as a protein shake, yogurt, cottage cheese…you get the point.  You may be asking yourself, “well what about the fat?”  Remember a simple little saying, “the fat will follow”.  What this means is that if you are actively trying to get a low glycemic carbohydrate and a quality low-fat protein, then you DON’T have to worry about adding the fat in…it will naturally occur in about a 20% ratio if you are choosing healthy choices.

 Below are some simple suggestions to spark your mind.  Following the food list, you will find suggestions for quick, balanced, on the run suggestions.

Quick-On-The-Go-Meals

The only thing that you may need with these meals is a mini cooler with ice or a micro-wave oven.  These meals are designed to be quick and easy and worker friendly.

          1- Sandwiches:  Just remember to limit the condiments, dressing and cheese.  These items add fat calories galore!  Egg salad sandwiches work great as well!  Just remember to limit the egg yolks in the mixture and you should be great! 

2-Whole Grain pasta’s:  You may be saying “what, pasta?  That is not quick!”  Hear me out…This can actually be one of the quickest ways to have a pre-made meal.  All you do if make a big serving of whole grain pasta that will last for 2-4 servings and pre-dress it with a healthy sauce (low sugar/fat) and then you have a quick meal ready to be eating at any time.  The only drawback to this is that you may need  microwave to warm it up.

3-Protein Bars balanced with fiber:  It is not enough to just have a protein bar and call it good.  You need to balance that bar with adequate fiber.  So be sure to take along a baggie of pre-cut veggies and fruit to go along with your bar and you will be set for the next three hours. 

4-RTD’s (Ready-To-Drink Meals):  These have become popular in the last decade due to their extreme convenience.  To give you an example of what I am talking about just think of EAS’s Myo-Plex Shakes.  They are pre-packaged shakes that need to be refrigerated and that is just about it.  Just as the protein bars you need to balance this meal with a serving of veggies and/or a serving of fruit.

5-Left-Overs:  This is something that can make your life a whole lot more enjoyable!  If you have more of a formal dinner with healthy recipes (such as in this book) you can intentionally make more servings and package up the rest for later…all you need is a microwave!

6-Pre-made protein shakes:  This is an economical choice because all you have to do is buy a big 5lb jug of Whey Protein and then make 5-6 pre-made shakes and keep them in your fridge.

7-Whole Grain Crackers and a Protein source:  Triscuits, wheat thins, or any other low-sugar/fat cracker combined with a protein source such as tuna fish, yogurt, cottage cheese, lean deli-meat, or any other protein source such as a pre-made shake.

8-Salads:  If you can grab an extra ten minutes the night before and prepare a salad, they make great convienance meals.  You may need a fridge or you can keep it in your cooler if you are on the road.  Just be sure to spice up your salad with adequate protein such as shredded chicken or turkey to keep the protein high.

9-Whole Grain Cereals:  Yes you can have breakfast for your meals if you need to!  Just be sure that it is whole grain and low-sugar/fat…sound familiar?

 Well there you have it my friends!  Some of the fastest meals available for all of you busy people out there!  Remember life is good and I will see you next week!

One of the top reasons that clients fail to make a permanent lifestyle change is that they fail to prepare.  What do I mean by that?  Well, think for a moment about your fast paced lilfestyle.  You barely have enough time to eat a protein bar as it is!  The key here is to re-prioritize and make a DAILY habit of preparing your meals.  If you can accomplish this simple task it will drastically reduce impulse food buys such as fast foods, highly processed (convienant) foods, and other fast but unhealthy foods that seem to invade our lives.

Pre-Preparation

Step #1:  Get to the grocery store! 

You can’t prepare a darn thing without first having the right foods in place.  In this book you are going to find multiple recipes and meal plans that call for healthy foods so get started by getting to the store!

Steps #2: Plan a daily time for food preparation. 

This means taking at least 10 minutes and allotting it towards making your meals for the next day.

Step #3: Taylor your approach to your situation. 

If you are a business man or woman your needs will vary drastically from that of a stay-at-home mom.  If you are the later you will more likely have the option of preparing more complete mini-meals such as a pasta and chicken dish.  If you are the former you will be lucky to get in a protein drink and some whole grain crackers…but in either case you need to be prepared.  These mini meals need not be big or time consuming…actually they should be quite the opposite.  Balanced, small and quick should be your motto if you are in a hurry.  If not take some more time to make a balanced mini meal that you can sit down and enjoy.  Remember you are never too busy to fuel the machine that is allowing you to work in the first place.

Step #4:  Schedule your Eating Schedule!

  This is where you actually sit down and write out the times you are going to eat.  Yes I am serious.  Take out your planner, I-Phone, or whatever and schedule in the times that you plan on eating.  Remember that you should be eating every two to three hours.  This little activity is very vital from the onset of your program because it will teach you to eat frequently.  Frequent eating is crucial to a high performing metabolism.

Next week I will go over the actual steps that you should take in preparing a meal.  Please stay tuned and remember that life is good!

The following is a list that you can use as a nutritional checklist.  If you can answer yes to these questions you will find yourself on the fast track to success.  If you find yourself at a plateau, oftentimes you will find yourself negligent in one or more of these areas.  These principles are based on long term lifestyle change and I promise you that if you apply them and are able to answer “yes” to all of these on a CONSISTENT basis, you WILL succeed!  Best of Luck!

1- Am I within my calorie range on a daily basis?

This is extremely important.  Most people get frustrated because they fail to lose/gain/maintain weight even when they are making healthy choices.  The problem is that the body can get quite particular and even 300-500 calories in either direction can make all of the difference.  Log on to www .fitday.com to enter your calories and find out if you are indeed within your range.

2-Am I eating 5-6 SMALLER meals spaced out every 2-3 hours?

Remember that the reason behind this one is to activate your metabolism and supercharge it!  You can eat the same amount of calories but only in 3 square meals and you will NOT lose the weight that you would with 5-6 smaller meals spaced out every 2-3 hours.  Why?  Because your blood sugar levels stay much more steady when eating the smaller more frequent meals.  Never neglect this principle.

3-Are my Macronutrients (Carbs, Pro, Fat) in Balance?

Remember that the body prefers a balance of these sources.  You should be around 50% Carbohydrate, 30% Protein, and 20% Fat, unless otherwise directed by your trainer.  This pertains to each individual meal and to your total daily intake.

4-Am I Consuming Moderate to Low Glycemic Carbohydrates?

This is by far the most overlooked nutritional aspect that can have a huge impact.  Please refer to the book, The New Glucose Revolution, The Complete Authoritative Guide to the Glycemic Index for further insights and understanding on this topic.  It is essential to gain a complete and thorough understanding on this topic so that you can reap the benefits of eating moderate to low glycemic carbohydrates.

5- Am I consuming adequate Fruits and Vegetables on a Daily basis?

The body demands nutrients, fiber, antioxidants that are found in fruits and vegetables.  Don’t like veggies?  Get over it and get used to them because they are the life blood of good nutrition and you cannot consider yourself truly healthy until you are getting at least 3 servings (3-5) of veggies a day and 2 servings (2-4) of fruit.

6- Am I eating Breakfast?

This is an absolute must!  I know that many of you struggle with this one…if you do start small and work up to a moderate meal.  This sets your body’s metabolism into motion for the day and ensures that you keep your blood sugar levels in check.

7-Is my sugar/treat intake low?

Nobody is telling you that you can never have a treat, but if you do so earlier in the day and make sure that you keep your portion size small.  Your total daily sugar intake should never be more than 10% and lower is much better.  Sugar is a death nail when it comes to weight loss.

8-Is my fat intake low? 

Remember that you should never be over 20% in the fat category and of that 20%, no more than 10% (and much lower if possible) should come from saturated (animal) fat.

In my next post I will do a Non-Nutritional checklist that will work hand in hand with this one.

Life is good!

Today I want to continue speaking about the power of the glycemic index in helping you to change not only your physical body but also the more important things like energy level, better mood,  and increased concentration and focus.  Is there any of you that would not like to enhance these facets of life?  Please refer to the first edition to this article for the nuts and bolts concerning the glycemic index.

Sometimes we think of calories as calories as calories…with absolutely no differentiati0n.  The fact of the matter is that calories can have a drastically different affect on the body depending where they come from.  Lets say that you are a fitness enthusiast (as you all should be) and you are planning on going on a long 5 mile hike tomorrow.  What kind of carbohydrate should you consume…high, medium, or low glycemic?  I want to give you some example scenarios to help illustrate the point.

If you were indeed going hiking you would want to start loading up on some low glycemic high energy yielding carbohydrates such as whole grain pasta’s, sweet potatoes, or beans and legumes.  Ideally you would want to consume these carbohydrates about 1.5 to 2 hours before your hike (or whatever athletic, or recreational event you are planning to endeavor in).   The reason for this is that these sources of foods are very low glycemic which means that they break down SLOWLY into your blood stream and provide you with a slow but steady source of calories (energy) for the task at hand.  If you were to eat a high glycemic carbohydrate instead and then go hiking you would hit the wall faster because the food would be rapidly digested, your blood sugar would rise, give you an abrupt source of energy but then you would end up crashing as your blood sugar came back down.

Now lets say that you are in the same scenario with hiking but the only difference is that you have neglected to eat prior to your hike and now you need to get some quick calories in you to get on with your upcoming hike.  You only have half an hour before your hike so now you would want to consume something with a moderate glycemic index such as whole wheat bread or corn.  You can also consume some low glycemic carbohydrates first such as those listed previously to ensure that you have an “energy cusion”.  What I mean by this is that once you burn off the moderate index carbs you still have the lower glycemic carbs to fall back on because they will be breaking down to blood sugar at a slower rate than the moderate ones.  Think of it like a birthday cake…you have the initial layer of frosting (your higher medium carbs) followed by the cake itself (the lower glycemic carbs).  The frosting is what is going to get you the initial energy boost, and the cake itself will provide the lasting energy because there is more substance and bulk, just like you would get from a lower glycemic carb.  Obviously this is not true in real life, but I hope the visual helps.

OK, that is all well and good, but what about it you just want to lose weight!  If that is the case then you should be trying to get the lowest glycemic carbs possible at all times because it ensures that you will keep your blood sugar levels low which means less insulin spikes which means less fat-storage!  It’s that simple!  The bottom line is that you want the carbohydrate to break down as slow as possibleso that you can use that calories that it yields.  This also ensures that your body uses the available calories instead of storing them.

So go and make the resolution to strategically isolate which carbs you will and will not have.  The New Glucose Revolution is a great book series to get you started in this endeavor.

1. Severely restrict their caloric intake.  A starvation diet (i.e., reducing your caloric intake to less than 50% of what your body requires) presents a number of problems to people who are trying to lose weight.  First and Foremost it doesn’t work.  Any weight that may have been lost is subsequently regained because most individuals cannot maintain such a restrictive eating plan over the long haul.
2. Have an unduly NARROW perspective of the problem at hand. Too many people view losing weight as simply a matter of cutting back on what they eat.  In reality, it’s an issue of basic physics—balancing energy in with energy out.  As such, if you really want to lose weight (and keep it off), you need to increase your level of physical activity and eat in moderation.
3. Ignore the need to maintain their level of lean body mass.  A common tendency among individuals who exercise is to focus their activity efforts solely on aerobic exercise.  In the process, they lose muscle mass, which is replaced by fat when they inevitably regain whatever weight they lost.  In turn, their metabolic rate as well as the number of calories that they need to maintain their current weight, is diminished.  This adjustment creates a cycle that is counterproductive to sustained weight loss.
4. Misinterpret what some food labels are actually telling them.  It is extremely important for individuals who want to control their weight to be aware of the fact that labels that state that a particular foodstuff is either “no fat” or “no sugar” does not mean “no calories”.
5. Try to lose too much weight too rapidly.  Research shows that a weight-reduction program that involves a slow and steady loss (i.e, approximately 1 lb or less per week for women and 2 lbs or less per week for men) has the best chance for success, particularly when it is combined with an effort to change any inappropriate lifestyle habits.
6. Believe that spot reduction is possible.  The concept of spot reducing is a complete myth.  No exercise will eliminate fat from a specific area of the body, just as no change in your level of caloric intake will guarantee that the fat will melt away in the area of the body you most want to address.  As a rule, the pattern in which you lose body fat is genetically predetermined.
7. Mistake water lost through sweating for actual fat and weight loss.  Your body has millions of sweat glands hat cover your skin, excreting water and electrolytes.  When you exercise, the amount of water (sweat) that is perspired increases in an effort by your body to help keep you cool and regulate your body temperature.  The water you lose for perspiring can mislead you into believing that you’ve lost more fat and body weight than you may have actually lost.  Such water weight is replaced when you subsequently consume fluids.
8. Buy into the “magic beans” theory.  Selling supplements and related pills, powders, and potions that purportedly will somehow facilitate a person’s efforts to lose weight is a multi-billion dollar-a-year industry.  Other than being a waste of money and a purveyor of false hope for individuals who are looking for an easy and quick-fix approach to losing weight, such items also can have negative health consequences.
9. Follow unproven and spurious dieting advice.  The number of unsound diets that target unsuspecting individuals with undocumented claims and unhealthy practices seems to grow exponentially every year.  Truth be known, these diets share at least two traits—they don’t work, and they may actually be harmful (physically and financially) to a person who tries them.
10. Consider a surgical solution to their “weight” problem.  Some individuals consider a surgical option for losing weight.  In this regard, two procedures tend to receive the most attention—liposuction and gastric bypass surgery.  Although guidelines vary, gastric bypass surgery is generally reserved for severely obese individuals.

So there you have it!  When you are setting your goals with your trainer, please keep in mind these myths that pervade the public in general.  I would ask you to pay particular attention to #1, 2 3, 5, and 9.  I would say that 90% of our clients have had or still have some of these flawed beliefs.  Please know that we care for you and hope greatly for your success.  Please allow us to work within our professional realm to help you get the results you have always dreamed of.  Remember life is good when you are physically active! 

Please talk to your trainer about re-committing to your New-Year’s resolutions and we will be happy to help you.

Some of the following is taken from “The New Glucose Revolution The Authoritative  Guide to the Glycemic Index pg XVI.

Myth #1:  Starchy foods are fattening and should be avoided.  Foods like bread and pasta are always cited.

Reality:  Most starchy foods are bulky and nutritious.  This means that they fill you up and keep you satisfied.  Did you know that the term “starch” only means stored carbohydrate?  Just like we store carbohydrate in our muscles for energy, so do veggies!  Just be sure that you check the glycemic index of the food that you are selecting and pay particular attention to your serving size.

Myth #2: Sugar causes diabetes.

Reality:  Today, an absolute agreement exists among reasearchers specializing in diabetes that sugar in food does not cause diabetes.  Type 1 diabetes (formerly known as insulin-dependent or juvenile diabetes) is an autoimmune condition triggered by unknown environmental factors.  Type 2 diabetes is largely inherited, BUT lifestyle factors such as lack of exercise or being overweight increase the risk of developing it.  Foods that are high on the glycemic index may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, but sugar has a more moderate effect than may starches, especially refined and highly processed ones.

Myth#3: All starches are slowly digested in the intestine.

Reality:  Nope!  Most starch, especially that in refined-grain products, is digested very quickly causing a faster and more severe increase in blood glucose.  Again, be sure that you are picky at to what types of starches you are consuming.  Low glycemic starches such as a sweet potato is much more nutritious than a plain white baking potato.  The more natural the starch is (i.e. not processed or refined) the lower it will be on the index.

Myth#4: Hunger pangs are inevitable if you want to lose weight.

Reality:  High carbohydrate foods, especially those with a low GI such as rolled oats, or whole grain pasta, can keep you feeling full, often until you’re ready to eat your next meal.

Myth #5:  Foods high in fat are more filling.

Reality:  Studies show that high-fat foods are among the least filling.  That’s why it is so easy to passively overcome high-fat foods like steak or potato chips.

Myth #6:  Diets high in sugar are less nutritious.

Reality:  Studies have shown that diets high in sugar (from GOOD sources such as fruits, and dairy products) often have higher levels of micro-nutrients, including calcium riboflavin, and vitamin C, than low-sugar diets.  Just remember GOOD sources, not refined sources such as pastries.

Myth #7:  Sugar goes hand in hand with dietary fat.

Reality:  Yes, many foods high in fat are also high is sugar-think chocolate, full-fat ice cream, cakes, cookies, and pastries.  But most high-sugar diets are actually low in fat, and vise versa.  The reason:  most sources of fat in our diet are not sweetened (e.g. potato chips, French fries, steak.

So there you have it my Lifelong Fitness friends!  Remember this is all found in lifestyle change…this is not just a simple diet.   Good Luck!