As a fitness professional, I
receive questions about vitamins all the time. Questions like…What kinds
should I take? How much? Should I take a multi or just a couple of the
important individual vitamins like vitamin C, vitamin E, or folic acid?
Will they help me lose weight or build muscle?
So with all the talk and hype
about vitamin and mineral supplements…..Are they really necessary for
optimal health? After all, every single news report or health
publication swears that a daily vitamin pill is absolutely essential to
your health.
Well, the answer is a definitive….. NO! (but there's a stipulation)
That is, you don't need a daily
vitamin pill if you’re currently eating a perfectly balanced healthy
diet.... and we all know that most people DON'T eat a perfectly balanced
healthy diet.
Let's clarify… a vitamin and
mineral supplement might be somewhat beneficial to you if you have a
poor diet. However, if you’re really serious about getting lean and
truly healthy for good, why would your diet be poor? And to complicate
matters even more, many vitamin and mineral supplements are made with
synthetic forms of vitamins that aren't readily absorbed, or could
actually be detrimental. In fact, I've seen
some studies which indicate that artificial vitamin pills can have some
negative effects on health as we'll explore below.
Let’s take a step back and think about this for a second...
Did humans thrive for tens of thousands of years to be the amazing
creatures we are today by popping an artificially created vitamin pill?
Of course not! Out of tens of thousands, and even hundreds of
thousands of years of human existence, vitamin pills have only been
around for a couple of decades, yet the population is in worse health
than ever before. Sure, maybe the human race is not in its worst health
from a contagious disease perspective, but we definitely are from a
degenerative disease perspective.
Now I admit that we do live longer
these days compared to historically, but that is only because medical
advances keep us alive longer even though we are (generally) in
horrendous shape physically. People might live longer now, but they’re
simply living longer while being overweight, crippled with degenerated
joints, plagued with heart disease and cancers, and on and on. You get
the point.
So let us get right to some answers as to why I contend that vitamin and mineral supplements are sometimes more dangerous to health than beneficial, and if you eat in the absolute best way, are not necessary.
First and foremost, a healthy balanced diet consisting of a large variety of natural unprocessed foods -- from healthy meats raised in the correct way, raw grass-fed dairy (not pasteurized or homogenized commercial dairy), whole eggs,
fruits, vegetables, a small amount of whole grains or sprouted grains,
nuts, seeds, legumes, etc. -- provides a rich array of vitamins,
minerals, and all of the other nutrients we need to thrive in perfect
health.
The problem is that many people
don’t choose a healthy balanced diet full of variety and high quality
foods. They claim they are too busy, or it’s too inconvenient. Well, I
hope that you take your body and the health of you and your family more
seriously than these people that apparently don’t care about the
physical being that they are walking around in day in and day out.
Another
problem with attempting to obtain your vitamins and minerals from a
pill instead of natural foods is that your body does not absorb and
utilize the nutrients from a pill as efficiently as those obtained from
natural food. Whole foods naturally contain vitamins and minerals in natural combinations that are best assimilated and utlized by the body.
On the other hand, many vitamin and
mineral supplements contain lots of vitamins (sometimes synthetic
versions) and minerals that can interfere with each other.
For example, zinc and copper taken at the same time interfere with each
others absorption. Also, high doses of Vitamin E can interfere with
absorption of beta carotene (a vitamin A precursor) and other fat
soluble vitamins. Many other combinations interfere with each other as
well.
Another problem with vitamin pills is possible excess
consumption of fat soluble vitamins (vitamins A, D, E, and K). Keep in
mind though that MOST of the population is deficient in vitamin D (due
to lack of sun exposure, etc), so it's rare to overdose on that from a
pill or food. Fat soluble vitamins accumulate in fatty tissue in our
bodies, and therefore it is easier to overdose on these compared with
water soluble vitamins (vitamin C and the various B vitamins). Excess
fat soluble vitamin accumulation can cause various toxic effects within
the body. It is much harder to take in excess quantities of fat soluble
vitamins through natural foods.
For example, you would have to consume exorbitant quantities of liver and other organ meats to
take in too much Vitamin A and D. It would be rare for someone to
overeat on foods such as that. Also, it would be hard to over-consume a
plant-based precursor to Vitamin A (beta carotene), found in sweet
potatoes, carrots, etc., because your body simply would shut down the
conversion to Vitamin A once it has obtained what it needs.
There
are even some instances where mega-doses of water soluble vitamins can
be toxic. Mega doses of some B vitamins can potentially cause nausea,
vomiting, diarrhea, and even liver damage in excessively high doses.
However, in most instances, you simply excrete excess water soluble
vitamins in your urine. That is why many times, your urine will be a
deep yellow color a couple of hours after taking a vitamin that has high
doses of vitamins B and C. So, when you take a vitamin pill, most of
the water soluble vitamins are simply flushed down the toilet.
Another
problem with vitamin pills is that they often use synthetic versions of
vitamins that can actually be unhealthy. For example, the forms of
vitamin E that are found in pills can be either d-alpha tocopherol (a
natural version) and dl-alpha tocopherol (a synthetic version). First of
all, the bioavailability of synthetic vitamin E is much lower than
natural vitamin E. In addition, I’ve seen many studies and articles that
indicated that there could be potential health dangers with taking
synthetic vitamin E.
Once again, we get back to the fact that natural is always better than something that has been heavily modified by man.
The
bottom line is that as long as you eat a balanced diet full of a good
variety of fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds, small amounts of whole
grains or sprouted grains, legumes, healthy meats, grass-fed dairy,
free-range eggs, etc., you will obtain all the nutrients your body needs
to operate efficiently without the need for a man-made vitamin and
mineral pill.
jueves, 12 de septiembre de 2013
martes, 3 de septiembre de 2013
Post Workout Nutrition - Secrets for a Harder, Leaner Body
Sculpt a Better Body with Proper Post-Workout Nutrition
Ideas for healthy post-workout shakes to help build muscle and enhance fat loss
As you’ve probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very well be your most important meal of the day.
The reason is that when you’re finished with an intense workout, you’re entering a catabolic state where your muscle glycogen is depleted and increased cortisol levels are beginning to excessively break down muscle tissue. These conditions are not good and the only way to reverse this catabolic state (and promote an anabolic state) is to consume a quickly digestible post-workout meal (can be a shake or smoothie) as soon as you can after training.
The goal is to choose a meal with easily digestible quick carbs to replenish muscle glycogen as well as quickly digestible protein to provide the amino acids needed to jump start muscular repair. The surge of carbohydrates and amino acids from this quickly digested meal promotes an insulin spike from the pancreas, which shuttles nutrients into the muscle cells.
The post-workout meal should generally contain between 300-500 calories to get the best response. For example, a 120-lb female may only need a 300-calorie meal, whereas a 200-lb male may need a 500-calorie post-workout meal. Your post-workout meal should also contain anywhere from a 2:1 ratio of carbs:protein to a 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein. While most of your other daily meals should contain a source of healthy fats, keep the fat content of your post-workout meal to a bare minimum, since fat slows the absorption of the meal, which is the opposite of what you want after a workout.
When choosing what to make for your post-workout meal, the first thing to realize is that you DON’T need any of these expensive post-workout supplement formulations that all of the fancy ads you see everywhere will tell you that you absolutely NEED! I tend to prefer to make my own post-workout shakes from natural ingredients instead of using a commercial mixture, since many of them are low quality.
However, one that I've found that I particularly like (and from a brand that I trust) is at this page: http://natural.getprograde.com/workout -- they have just the right ratio of carbs to protein and use quality ingredients.
For the shakes that I make myself, here are some things to keep in mind if you try it...
A good source of quickly digestible natural carbs such as frozen bananas, pineapples, honey, or organic maple syrup are perfect to elicit an insulin response that will promote muscle glycogen replenishment and a general anabolic (muscle building) effect. The more you can assist the muscle repair process, the more you increase your metabolic rate and can help your fat loss as well.
The best source of quickly digestible protein is a quality non-denatured whey protein and/or some fat-free or low-fat yogurt. Here are a couple ideas for delicious post-workout smoothies that will kick start your recovery process:
Chocolate Banana – blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup milk (I prefer raw grass-fed milk for max health benefits), one and a half frozen bananas, 2 tbsp organic maple syrup, and 30 grams chocolate whey protein powder – 38 g prot, 72 g carb, 1.5 g fat, 450 calories.
Pineapple Vanilla - blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, one cup frozen pineapples, 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw), and 30 grams vanilla whey protein powder – 35 g prot, 71 g carb, 1 g fat, 430 calories.
When choosing a good whey protein, it's important to note that the quality vastly differs between brands and types. Most whey proteins are produced under high heat processes that destroy some of the fragile nutritional components of the whey. The best whey that I've found is this great new grass-fed RAW whey protein...since this is from grass-fed cows, it also has higher levels of muscle-building and fat-burning CLA (conjugated linoleic acid).
When looking to lose body fat, keep in mind that post-workout meals should have the opposite characteristics of all of your other meals throughout each day. While post-workout meals should have quick high glycemic index carbs and quickly digested proteins, all of your other meals throughout the day should be comprised of low glycemic index, slowly digested carbs and slow release proteins.
These are powerful strategies towards developing a lean muscular body with a low body fat percentage. Another great thing about post-workout meals is that you can satisfy even the worst sweet tooth, since this is the one time of the day where you can get away with eating extra sugars without adding to your gut. Instead, it all goes straight to the muscles! But ONLY if your workout was super-high intensity and involved resistance training for large portions of the body. If all you did was some low intensity cardio, forget about doing this type of post-workout shake.
Ideas for healthy post-workout shakes to help build muscle and enhance fat loss
As you’ve probably heard before, your post-workout meal may very well be your most important meal of the day.
The reason is that when you’re finished with an intense workout, you’re entering a catabolic state where your muscle glycogen is depleted and increased cortisol levels are beginning to excessively break down muscle tissue. These conditions are not good and the only way to reverse this catabolic state (and promote an anabolic state) is to consume a quickly digestible post-workout meal (can be a shake or smoothie) as soon as you can after training.
The goal is to choose a meal with easily digestible quick carbs to replenish muscle glycogen as well as quickly digestible protein to provide the amino acids needed to jump start muscular repair. The surge of carbohydrates and amino acids from this quickly digested meal promotes an insulin spike from the pancreas, which shuttles nutrients into the muscle cells.
The post-workout meal should generally contain between 300-500 calories to get the best response. For example, a 120-lb female may only need a 300-calorie meal, whereas a 200-lb male may need a 500-calorie post-workout meal. Your post-workout meal should also contain anywhere from a 2:1 ratio of carbs:protein to a 4:1 ratio of carbs:protein. While most of your other daily meals should contain a source of healthy fats, keep the fat content of your post-workout meal to a bare minimum, since fat slows the absorption of the meal, which is the opposite of what you want after a workout.
When choosing what to make for your post-workout meal, the first thing to realize is that you DON’T need any of these expensive post-workout supplement formulations that all of the fancy ads you see everywhere will tell you that you absolutely NEED! I tend to prefer to make my own post-workout shakes from natural ingredients instead of using a commercial mixture, since many of them are low quality.
However, one that I've found that I particularly like (and from a brand that I trust) is at this page: http://natural.getprograde.com/workout -- they have just the right ratio of carbs to protein and use quality ingredients.
For the shakes that I make myself, here are some things to keep in mind if you try it...
A good source of quickly digestible natural carbs such as frozen bananas, pineapples, honey, or organic maple syrup are perfect to elicit an insulin response that will promote muscle glycogen replenishment and a general anabolic (muscle building) effect. The more you can assist the muscle repair process, the more you increase your metabolic rate and can help your fat loss as well.
The best source of quickly digestible protein is a quality non-denatured whey protein and/or some fat-free or low-fat yogurt. Here are a couple ideas for delicious post-workout smoothies that will kick start your recovery process:
Chocolate Banana – blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup milk (I prefer raw grass-fed milk for max health benefits), one and a half frozen bananas, 2 tbsp organic maple syrup, and 30 grams chocolate whey protein powder – 38 g prot, 72 g carb, 1.5 g fat, 450 calories.
Pineapple Vanilla - blend together 1 cup water, ½ cup vanilla yogurt, one cup frozen pineapples, 2 tbsp honey (preferably raw), and 30 grams vanilla whey protein powder – 35 g prot, 71 g carb, 1 g fat, 430 calories.
When choosing a good whey protein, it's important to note that the quality vastly differs between brands and types. Most whey proteins are produced under high heat processes that destroy some of the fragile nutritional components of the whey. The best whey that I've found is this great new grass-fed RAW whey protein...since this is from grass-fed cows, it also has higher levels of muscle-building and fat-burning CLA (conjugated linoleic acid).
When looking to lose body fat, keep in mind that post-workout meals should have the opposite characteristics of all of your other meals throughout each day. While post-workout meals should have quick high glycemic index carbs and quickly digested proteins, all of your other meals throughout the day should be comprised of low glycemic index, slowly digested carbs and slow release proteins.
These are powerful strategies towards developing a lean muscular body with a low body fat percentage. Another great thing about post-workout meals is that you can satisfy even the worst sweet tooth, since this is the one time of the day where you can get away with eating extra sugars without adding to your gut. Instead, it all goes straight to the muscles! But ONLY if your workout was super-high intensity and involved resistance training for large portions of the body. If all you did was some low intensity cardio, forget about doing this type of post-workout shake.
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