By David C. Simmons III
Being a personal trainer does not make me a nutrionist. But I have
seen and heard of the effects of good and bad nutrition from my clients in regards
to their exercise programs.
The body requires fuel for any exercise. Good nutrition is essential to getting
the most out of just about any exercise program.
Living without food.
How long can we live without food ?
This link gives very interesting opinions and facts in a section of
the page called "factors affecting
how long you can live without food". If you look closely, you can see what food
does for us in just one day. Also, you can get a clue of why we don't need that much
food. This article gives info about
"Living without food and living without
water".
Is nothing sacred, this link says
even fasting can be dangerous.
Some reasons why people eat wrong.
Some of us are programmed to eat wrong. Others eat bad because of availability factors, poverty etc. There was a time when we prepared food. Now, its
much more
convenient to throw something in the
microwave (are microwaves bad for us ?). And of course there are things
like picnics, holidays, parties where some have been programmed or just look forward
to eating wrong. Of course we have to mention mental and/or emotional stress that
cause some to eat bad as
well.
Being programmed.
Just thinking that I am programmed to do anything
makes me a little angry. I don't like to think that I am blindly following something
or someone. I would rather think that I choose my food the way I need to.
I was talking to someone about personal training once
and the conversation turned to nutrition. I don't know why they kept giggling when
I suggested that they take a look at what they eat. "I do like my pastrami and cheese
sandwiches" they said. Its not that I have anything against this sandwich. It
was just how they said it, as if they where some how addicted to it. And what's worse,
like it was cute and funny to be that way. Perhaps they where addicted in some sort
of way. I don't blame them. But that's how much food can control US !.
I remember my parents use to tell me not to play with my food. I decided not to long ago, that I am
going one better, I am going to start telling my four grandkids "Don't play with
your food, it could kill ya !".
Even though we are more aware today about
preservatives and other garbage that gets added to natural food, many of us eat it anyway. Its not our fault though, some stuff is put in food so deep
we can't even see it until it produces a cancer cell. These two links show thoughts about the top 5 cancer causing foods:
1)
First opinion of the top 5 cancer causing foods.
2)
Next link of opinions
about the top 5 foods causing cancer.
On the other hand,
some say we can use food to fight cancer.
So, besides cancer, there are hundreds of problems caused by overeating
alone, let alone just eating bad food..
One of the subjects we will be researching in the future is how food
gets manipulated, passes inspection and put on our grocery shelves to be consumed.
I hear some of this is chilling.
Nutrition basics for exercisers.
I learned that some nutrients are substances found in food that provide the calories
that give our bodies energy. They also provide the material we need for the continual growth
and repair our bodies on a daily basis.
Protein, carbohydrates, fat, vitamins and water are the 6 major classes
of nutrients. Here are what they do:
a) Protein:
Builds and repairs body tissue. Is a major
component of enzymes, hormones and antibodies.
b) Carbohydrates:
Is a major source of energy and fiber.
c) Fat (Lipids) :
Stores energy (from excess Carbs, Proteins,
etc). Insulates and protect vital organs.
d) Vitamins:
Vitamins assist in various bodily processes and chemical
reactions. They act on food to help release energy.
e) Minerals:
Help enzymes to work and are a part of hormones.
They are also a part of bone. They also help nerve impulses.
f) Water:
60% or so of our body are made of water. Helps with
blood flow and chemical reactions in the body.
1 gram of Protein = 4 calories.
1 gram of Carbohydrates = 4 calories.
1 gram of Fat = 9 calories.
1 gram of alcohol = 7 calories.
Check out this list of nutrient information, its short and sweet !.
This one is more detailed and is a great link on how our bodies use the 6 basic
nutrients.
Here is a very interesting link on how digestion works and nutrients are
distributed.
 A good way to eat.
One way might be to consider what your resources are, what
your family is used to , and what foods you like, and list which of those
foods fit into the good nutrition categories and which do not. Then, decide how
often you will have the foods that you love that may not quite fit into a lifestyle of
the healthiest eating..
If your not eating well right now and intend to make changes in that area,
any way you decide to eat better, your probably going to have to make some
decisions that may not be easy at first. The good news is that you can get used
to eating better in a matter of weeks, and, you might feel better in the same amount
of time.
Here is a blog interaction from somebody who wants to eat better. It shows an example
of issues some people face when they want to change their eating.
There are many ways that people figure out how to change how they eat, here's
someone.
This link talks about ways to get kids to eat better
.
Issues with seniors and eating better.
There are several places that you can go to get information about how and
what to eat. I always suggest you start with the experts,
The USDA food guide pyramid. There is also the
Harvard school of public health's healthy eating pyramid.
How much should you eat ?
What I learned is that is that if you are a healthy adult of average size
and you are physically active:
1)
Protein - about 50 - 70 grams or 12 - 20% of your
caloric intake.
Protein comes
in the form of amino acids. Protein
is created from amino acids.There are 20 of them. The body makes 11 of them, these
11 are called "nonessential amino acids" and cannont come from food.
The other 9 are called "essential amino acids" and come from a variety of foods (ok, its Wikipedia).
Protein
gets created from amino acids through a process called
Protein Biosynthesis (this link explains what it is - I wanted to know, OK).
This link explains what each amino acid does.
2)
Carbohydrates - 125 grams, but optimally 350 to 400 grams or about 55 - 65% of your caloric intake.
Choose the good carbs.
3)
Fat - about 30 - 65 grams of fat or 25 - 30% of caloric intake.
Choose healthy fats.
You can check RDA
(Recommended dietary allowances for vitamins and minerals) to see just how much is good.
Remember, the RDA is just a ball park. You shouldn't take to much less or to much
more than what is suggested. More on
Vitamins and minerals
and
Water.
Nutritional Supplements.
Go figure, they have an
"Office of Dietary Supplements" , check it out !
Interesting links:
Some history on the FDA.
Table of Protein in Meat
More research on Nutrition will be available soon !
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