You Are What You Eat...
Protein
Protein helps to maintain and replace
the tissues in your body. Protein is essential in the development of
muscle tissue.
Vegetable sources of protein, such as beans, nuts, and whole grains,
are excellent choices, and they offer healthy fibre, vitamins and
minerals. The best animal protein choices are fish and poultry. If you
are partial to red meat, stick with the leanest cuts, choose moderate
portion sizes, and make it only an occasional part of your diet.
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates provide the body with
fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function.
The best sources of carbohydrates—whole grains, vegetables, fruits and
beans—promote good health by delivering vitamins, minerals, fibre, and
a host of important phytonutrients. Note that easily digested refined
carbohydrates from white bread, white rice and other refined grains,
pastries, sugared sodas, and other highly processed foods may
contribute to weight gain, interfere with weight loss, and promote
diabetes and heart disease.
Understanding Fats and Cholesterol
Not all fat is bad. Fats are an essential part of healthy eating so
it’s good for you to eat a certain amount of the healthier fats.
Healthier Fats
Healthier fats include monounsaturated
fats and polyunsaturated fats - omega-3 and omega-6. These fats reduce
the 'bad' LDL cholesterol in your blood and increase the 'good' HDL
cholesterol. This helps to lower your risk of getting heart disease.
A healthy balanced diet should include the healthier monounsaturated
and polyunsaturated fats. However, it’s not always easy to know where
to find them or how to use them in meals. Below is a guide to using
healthier fats in your meals and snacks.
• Monounsaturated fat is found in foods such as avocados, almonds,
cashews, peanuts and cooking oils made from plants or seeds such as
sunflower, canola, soybean, olive, sesame and peanut oils.
• Polyunsaturated fat (omega-6) is found in foods such as fish, tahini
(sesame seed spread), margarine, linseed (flaxseed), sunflower and
safflower oil, pine nuts and brazil nuts.
• Polyunsaturated fat (omega-3s) is found in oily fish such as tuna,
salmon, sardines and blue mackerel as well as walnuts.
Unhealthy Fats
Unhealthy fats include saturated fats
and trans fats. Too much saturated and trans fat contributes to the
build up of fatty material, called plaque, on the inside of your blood
vessels and is a major cause of heart disease. These fats can increase
LDL cholesterol in our blood that leads to the plaque. Lowering
saturated fat in the diet will help to lower LDL cholesterol.
Sugar
1 teaspoon of sugar equals
approximately 4 grams.
Table sugar (sucrose) is a disaccharide, containing both Glucose and
Fructose. The body stores glucose as glycogen in the liver and in your
muscles to use for energy. Essentially your body is a glucose
processing factory.
If you consume
more sugar than needed for daily energy requirements, the fructose
content gets stored as
fat. The fat tends to store in the lower abdominal area.
The US National Heart Foundation recommends a maximum of just 8
teaspoons of sugar per day for males and 9 for females.
Some foods that are high in sugar:
- Most breakfast cereals
- Yoghurt
- Fruit Juices
- Low fat foods tend to have a higher sugar content.
- Soft Drinks/Sports Drinks
- Cakes and Sweets
Note that sugar is in almost everything, so start reading food
labels, and avoid any foods which are ‘low-fat’ or high in sugar!
Water
Did you know that water makes up about
two-thirds of our body weight? Most of the chemical reactions that
happen in our cells need water. We also need water for our blood to be
able to carry nutrients around the body.
So it makes sense to choose mainly water to drink. When the weather is
warm or we are exercising, our bodies need more than usual.
Healthy heart tip: one of the first signs of dehydration
is feeling thirsty. If you think you might not be getting enough
fluids, other common signs of dehydration include headaches, confusion
and irritability and lack of concentration. Carrying water with you to
drink when you are out and about can help avoid dehydration, especially
on warmer days.
If you don’t keep your fluid levels up, one of the first side effects
you’ll feel is tiredness. This is because the first effects of
dehydration is reduced blood flow. A lack of water may also trick you
into feeling hungry.
By drinking regularly during exercise, athletes can prevent declines in
concentration and skill level, improve perceived exertion, prevent
excessive elevations in heart rate and body temperature and improve
performance - good justification for every athlete and coach to make
fluid replacement a key priority during training and competition.
Snacking
A nibble between meals can get you
through the day – as long as you choose wisely.
Snacking keeps the metabolism working and is important for weight loss
and maintaining a healthy body.
Fruit is always a great choice or a handful of nuts is a good option.
Rest
Remember to take time to recover
between hard training sessions (i.e. an easy walk or yoga class). A
couple of recovery days a week will help give muscles and bones a
chance to regenerate and reduce any inflammation.
Recovery encompasses a complex range of processes that include;
• refueling the muscle and liver glycogen (carbohydrate) stores
• replacing the fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat
• manufacturing new muscle protein, red blood cells and other cellular
components as part of the repair and adaptation process
• allowing the immune system to handle the damage and challenges
caused by the exercise
References:
Harvard School of Public Health - Protein
Harvard School of Public Health - Carbohydrates
Heart Foundation - Fats
and Cholesterol
Heart Foundation - Healthy
Fats
Heart
Foundation - Water
Australian Institute of Sport - Fluid - who needs it?
Australian Institute of Sport - Recovery Nutrition
Diet Vs Cardio Vs Wt Training:
All of these factors contribute to body
composition. Finding the right combination can be tricky and what works
for one person, may not necessarily work for another. Having the DEXA
scan will help determine if the program you’re on is working for you or
if it may need some adjusting. Every body is different so don’t be discouraged. Combining your efforts with the help of a qualified
instructor, whether it be a PT, Nutritionist or Exercise Physiologist,
may help understand what is working for you and what efforts can be
made to help you reach your target.
