TeamFLEX Newsletter

Weight Loss Spotlight

Nutrition Basics

Weight Loss Nutrition Advice

You would think that we would actually know more about nutrition then we do since it is involving our own bodies and what is essential for us to stay alive and well. But sad to say, very little education in the subject is taught in our schools and in our homes. Knowledge is power and in this particular case the more you know the healthier you will be.

The three main nutrient groups are carbohydrates, fat and protein.

We need all three of those on a daily basis to stay alive. Once and for all, you cannot eliminate one of the three and still expect your body to function properly. Let's use the car as an example again.

A car needs oil, water and gas to run. If you don't have all three you won't get very far and exactly the same goes for the body.

As of May 1992, 22 minerals, 13 vitamins, 6 co-factors, 8 amino acids and 2 essential fatty acids are recognized as essential to the human system meaning without these nutrients we cannot function.

These nutrients must be provided to us by our diets. A properly balanced diet containing carbohydrates, protein and fat will ensure that.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates come in two different forms, simple and complex. The difference between them two, are the number of sugar molecules linked together in the carbohydrate. The complex carbohydrates are also divided into high fiber and low fiber carbohydrates. Complex carbohydrates are grains, potatoes, pasta, bread and pastries.

The healthiest form of sugar is found in the high-fiber carbohydrates in vegetables. Green vegetables are lower in sugar then colored ones such as carrots, corn and tomatoes. The complex carbohydrates are broken down to simple sugar in your body.

As you probably know we need carbohydrates for energy but there are also other functions in our body that are depending on our daily carbohydrate intake. Our brain needs carbohydrates broken down to glucose in our body so we can think and make conscious decisions. Fruits are an example of healthy simple carbohydrates. Complex high fiber carbohydrates that are good for us mainly come from vegetables.

While there are essential fatty acids and essential parts of protein (amino acids) there are no essential carbohydrates. However this doesn't mean that you can be without them. Many vegetarians consume an excess of simple sugars by eating too many carbohydrates in an attempt to make up for the calories they would get from protein in meat and fish. There are numerous health risks associated with the consumption of excess carbohydrates in your diet. A high-carbohydrate diet can cause your insulin receptors in your body to become insulin resistance, which might lead to chronic hypoglycemia. The majority of this sugar will be stored as fat resulting in obesity and all the risk factors involved with that condition.

Three quarters of the American population are eating too much cereal and grains for their metabolic system to handle. Add to this the typical junk food diet with bread, chips, crackers, candy-bars, pizza, cookies and you have an overload on your metabolism from carbohydrates. This type of diet is usually protein deficient as well.

Carbohydrates and fats-not proteins-are the main sources of energy used by the muscles. If you end up consuming more carbohydrates then you use you will end up adding pounds to your already existing body weight.

Protein

Protein is the food for the muscle. The protein doesn't give your muscles and your body energy but it feeds the muscle the nutrients it needs in order to stay intact and strong. The building blocks of protein are amino acids. There are twenty amino acids all together but only eight of them are essential to us, meaning our body cannot make them and they have to be provided by our diets. What food is protein? There are animal sources and plant sources of protein. The animal sources of protein are found in red meat, poultry, pork, shellfish, fish, egg whites and dairy products. Plant proteins are found in soy products, nuts and tofu. There are controversial research and information on whether both the plant and the animal derived proteins are complete proteins.

Exercising people, athletes and high active individuals require a higher intake of protein then a sedentary person. Every time you exercise your muscles the little fibers inside the muscle get broken down automatically and your body needs protein to repair them. 0.8 grams of protein per kilo of bodyweight is a good measurement for the average person. But for somebody who works out it needs to be a little higher, somewhere around 0.8-1.5 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight. There are good protein supplements on the market that provide your body with a quality amount of protein for your daily need.

Fat

Fat is important to our body as any of the other nutrients just not in the high amount that we usually consume it in. There are two different types of fat, saturated and unsaturated fat. The difference in their mechanical structure is the spaces between the carbon and the hydrogen atoms. The saturated fat has no empty spaces between the atoms varies unsaturated fat chains are missing some hydrogen atoms. Unsaturated fats link up with other substances in our bodies and are therefore much more biologically active. The saturated fat has no other purpose in our body then to be burned as energy and you know how high active you have to be in order for the body to use fat for energy. Needless to say, staying away from saturated fats is a good choice.

Some of the fats are essential to our very existence and our body makes most of them. However, there are two fats that our bodies cannot make and we have to provide in our diet. These two fats are linoleic acid and alpha-linoleic acid. Good sources of fat are fish, fish-oil, extra virgin olive oil, flax seed oil and some of the nuts.

Last but not least a good balanced diet should not contain more then 15%-20% fat if you are an active individual. If you are living a sedentary lifestyle the need for fat is lower then for somebody who is exercising on a weekly basis.