12 Weeks To Your Future Physique: Nutrition

Costs Of Nutrition

Social Circumstances

This "cost" is the price paid when saying no to things in social situations. E.G, Saying yes to a piece of cake just to save offending the person offering it to you. You have to bestrong and well armed with your new found belief before you go into battle. Just because most of your friends and family have their personal nutritional habits (that you have probably previously followed), it doesn't mean you have to succumb or cave in under social pressure.

The transformation you are undertaking is for you and you only, so why should you change it for anyone else. Its not these people that have to go for a walk on the treadmill for an hour trying to burn off that "extra portion of pasta" or that "slice of cheesecake" they said that wouldn't effect you. Most people wouldn't change their gender or religious beliefs in a moment of weakness, so don't be deterred from your transformation beliefs either.

The Cost Of Healthy Living

I acknowledge the fact that it is a little more expensive to eat healthy than it is to eat fast cheap foods. But in the long run you'll be cutting down on trips to the doctor and hospitals for health related downfalls. Consider it a small payment towards your life insurance.

Healthy Eating Vs Healthy Fat Loss Eating

All too many of my clients presumed that there could possibly be something wrong with them, medically, due to their lack of weight loss even though they had been training for years and has always eaten a "healthy" diet. There have been absolutely hundreds of excuses ranging from "blame it on the thyroid" to "my mums side of the family is over-weight so it must be hereditary".

Healthy Diet Example

Here is an example of one of these healthy diets and I will briefly explain what is wrong with it.

Breakfast: Cornflakes With Fat Free Milk & 1 Glass Orange Juice

Cornflakes:

Cornflakes are high in a carbohydrate that is also very high on the glycemic index which means it converts to sugar very quickly this will eventually turn to fat if this sugar is not burned off by exercise. The faster the conversion to sugar, the harder it is to burn off.

Fat Free Milk:

You would think this would be good for you wouldn't you? Well, you're right, but for fat loss, I'm afraid not. Fat Free Milk contains sugar, yes you heard it right, sugar (lactose)! Every time you pour milk onto your already high glycemic cornflakes, you are making matters worse for yourself.

And you thought you were being good for not putting a sprinkle of sugar onto your breakfast, no need to, you already have it in the milk and cornflakes, sorry!

Orange Juice:

Orange Juice is a very concentrated form of fruit which has sugar, even if the carton or bottle states "No added sugar". Oranges and most fruit juices contain a sugar called "fructose", which is naturally occurring. You may hear some people say "it's OK because it's a totally natural sugar". It doesn't matter, if it has a calorific value it has to be burned off or it will ultimately be stored as fat. Would you like to burn off the fruit or your fat?

Morning Snack

Muesli Bar:

There may be sources of natural produce within this packet but most of the time there will be high s of added sugars and fructose corn syrup. These ingredients alone will cause a spike in blood sugar levels forcing them to spill from the blood stream into fat stores. Having no substantial of protein within this bar will only increase the speed of its absorption.

Lunch: Ham Sandwich (White Bread) & Sugar Free Diet Coke

White Bread:

The white bread has a high glycemic value of carbs thus turning to sugars.

Ham:

Ham can be high in fat and if bought from a sandwich bar or supermarket in thin sliced form, the chances of this being processed is high.

Fat, water and high s of salt are normally added to the processed form of meat, further decreasing its protein content and nutritional value.

Diet Coke:

Diet Coke is lower in calories than the normal conventional Coke it carries other sweeteners, which the body cannot recognize. The body recognizes sugar; it's just up to you to burn it off. The body doesn't know what a sweetener is and considers it a toxin, thus it cannot process it, therefore storing it around the fat cells and preventing stored fat from being transported into the blood stream to be burned off.

Banana:

Banana. This is high in "natural" sugar, approx 18 grams. Taken alone without protein increases the vulnerability of sugar spike and overload to the blood stream.

Roast Dinner: Chicken, Potatoes, Greens & Gravy

Potato:

A potato is very high in starch and also the highest complex carbohydrate on the glycemic index.

Gravy:

(powder gravy just adding boiling water) - not too bad however it is again starchy and has colorings the body does not recognize and therefore stores in the adipose (fatty) tissue as a toxin.

Apart from that and providing that the chicken comes from the leanest part of the chicken (the breast) and has no fatty skin on it, this is a reasonable dinner.

Healthy Fat Loss Diet

Here is an example of a healthy "fat loss" diet

High/Low Glycemic Foods

It's important to remember that because a food maybe low in carbohydrates this doesn't mean that it necessarily has a low glycemic index. The ingredients in the food dictate how it affects an individual's body. High glycemic foods can trigger unwanted insulin responses which result in an excess of insulin entering the blood stream which causes an increase in fat storage.

What Should I Be Eating That Has A Low G.I.?

• Switch from white bread to whole grain bread.
• Swap your cereals to oats and/or puffed brown rice cereals.
• Change to sweet potatoes, whole meal pasta and brown rice instead of white potatoes and white rice.
• Have balsamic vinegar or lemon juice instead of creamy dressings.
• Foods have a rating numbered after them, the higher their number the higher the glycemic index. It would be preferable to go for the lower number.
• By eating 5-6 snacks throughout the day within the day, or eating every three hours will increase energy levels, avoiding fatigue and help you to avoid the 4pm slouch and sugar crave.

The thought of 5-6 small meals per day may sound daunting at first but adhere to this and your body will eventually (probably within first 2-3 weeks) be telling you to eat within the 3 hour interval without you even having to think about it. Eating this way will eliminate any need to stuff your face silly when you do need something to eat.

When your body has to digest a large meal it will have to sap a lot of energy thus the couch potato is born and we know this can't be healthy. The digestive system isn't designed for an overload of foods and the body compensates by sapping your energy for digestion and the lack of energy for activity raises its ugly head. You can see how this easily turns into a vicious circle.

Keeping your blood sugar levels stable throughout the day by eating at regular intervals will help prevent your sugar level from crashing which normally gives birth to cravings. When a fasting of more than three or four hours is apparent, blood sugar level drops and the brain tells you to grab something sweet to bring the falling sugar levels back up as soon as possible.

I'm sure you know all too well how drastic the effect is of a low and craving sugar level can have on your mood, and by consuming that sugary substance an elevation in the mindset is established, but unfortunately an elevation in fat is the price to pay. It's best to avoid this repetitive cycle by eradicating these lengthy intervals. Your energy, sense of wellbeing, your body, and friends or work colleagues will appreciate it a lot more.

The Sugar Hazard

If you are like most people you will love sugar, whether it comes in the form of cake, honey, chocolate or fruit. You may be asking yourself "how on earth could I complete this challenge with the sugar cravings I endure everyday, even more so if I had to cut them out"! If I explain to you exactly why you crave sugar, what the hazards are to your health and how you can conquer your cravings, then this can only help you move forward and not pick up an excuse along the way to have that Snickers bar.

Sugar is full of empty calories that have no nutritional value for fat fighting individual. Once we consume these calories our bodies break the sugar down and convert it to glucose which is a primary source of energy that is stored in our muscles and liver. Unless you are extremely active or like a tri-athlete for example, you cannot expel the of sugar that is in most sweets, cakes and soft drinks (10 teaspoons of sugar in one can) in time to burn it off.

Instead, it solidifies at places like your butt, tummy, or the backs of your arms and any other places you carry the majority of your fat cells. Unfortunately it is very possible that sugar cravings have been past down through our family tree and is a make up in our structural genes. To give a better understanding here is a little history lesson.

A History Lesson

Thousands of years ago our ancestors had to endure years of famine. The body would store fat whenever possible to help us survive these famines and the cold. Back then, our body was designed to search out the highest calorie dense food to store as fat to be used at times of famine. Although our bodies are the same, our circumstances and surroundings have changed dramatically. Our bodies are still storing incase of famine, only now we are now surrounded by high calorie foods, and now no longer have to search and hunt for them... unless the Kit Kat is hidden under a Mars Bar.

We also like to binge on sweets when we are feeling down and depressed but this has less to do with the cave man era, but more to do with your parents giving you a sweet to keep you happy or quiet when you were young. Young children are bribed with sweets to stop crying, or if they hurt them selves, I am sure you have seen the power of an ice-cream when wanting to calm them down in an instant.

These are the same treats we hold on to as we get older and involuntary become parts of our life. When we feel tension, down or depressed we reward ourselves with sweet treats. This is especially so for women who tend to be more hormonally charged than men. Sugar releases a hormone in our bodies called serotonin; this has an uplifting affect on our mood. This is magnified during the monthly menstrual period as this is the time when this uplifting hormone is at its lowest.

Be sure to get your blood sugar tested by a G.P. because this could be a major contributing factor to a weight or health problem. You cant always tell whether you are suffering from low blood sugar levels (hypoglycemia). When you have this condition, after consuming sugar your blood sugar levels rise and then drops so low your body craves even more to pull these levels back up creating a viscous cycle which indirectly can also lead to adult onset diabetes (type 2). Now that I have explained a little about sugar and how it affects us, here are some simple steps to refer to, to help prevent cravings.

Eat Regularly To Maintain Consistent Sugar Levels

If you miss a meal or two your sugar level will drop and chances are your body will want a chocolate bar or something sweet to rapidly bring sugar levels back up. Protein helps prevent rapid changes in blood sugar.

Take Flaxseed Oil On A Daily Basis

If you are on a low sugar diet you are probably on a low fat diet as well. Your brain soaks in fat so when it is deprived it can begin to think irrationally by giving out one or more of these symptoms: irritability, broken sleep, tiredness and sugar cravings.

Eat Soluble Fiber

Regularly eat high fiber such as apples, veggies, oat bran and beans.

Water

Drink at least a gallon of water a day to keep you full between meals.

Clear All Chocolates And Temptations Out Of The Cupboards & House

When you are feeling vulnerable and could possibly give in to your cravings, the only answer is, if it's not there you can't eat it.

Can I Provide You With Another Deterrent To Eating Your Sweets?

Sugar sticks to your teeth to create cavities, so when you have created your fantastic new body, you will want to smile, so make sure it's a healthy one to match your new body.

Healthy Eating Vs Fructose

There are many products around us that say "low fat or fat free" but when you actually read the small print it isn't fat but an ingredient called fructose. This is a simple sugar found in fruits and a refined version is made from corn and in many processed foods. Fructose has been tested and found to raise blood levels of dangerous cholesterol and triglycerides (these are fats in the blood and body tissues). Fructose is converted to fat very easily in the body.

The human body can only tolerate so much sugar before normal processes start to breakdown. Glucose molecules will attach itself to proteins, proteins start to bond with each other in the cell membrane. This can cause skin wrinkling, hardening of the arteries, loss of nerve function, cloudy eye lenses and kidney problems.

As you can see these are all signs of ageing. Steering clear of these simple sugars and processed foods, premature ageing can be avoided. The best habit you can get into is to start reading labels and know what you're putting into your body.

Eat Good Fats To Lose Fat

Is this a joke - eat fat to lose fat? A school kid knows you have to cut out fat to lose fat. It's simple; if you want to lose fat, we have to reduce the of calories we take in. Isn't fat full of calories? This is correct but did you know you can eat up to 25% of your calorie intake through dietary fat and still lose body fat?

Insulin within our bodies promotes body fat storage, which is exactly what we want to avoid when we are trying to lose body fat. As mentioned earlier, the glycemic index tells us how quickly foods are converted to sugar within the body, the higher the glycemic index reading is, the faster the conversion to sugar.

White rice and bread give very high glycemic index readings, making these choices very bad for controlling blood sugar levels. Up to 25-30% of your daily calories that come from unsaturated fat will not promote any fat gain. Omega 3 and 6 fatty acids will actually bring down the glycemic index count of some complex carbohydrates.

The little warriors come in the form of unsaturated fats, like salmon or avocado. The omega 3 fatty acids also helps prevent arterial clogging from plaque and can help prevent people from having that all too serious heart attacks. Studies have proven that people who eat fish once a week were half as likely to die of a heart attack than those who eat it less than once a month, proving that certain fats are also good for you and beneficial for a longer lasting life.

Here is an example of Omega 3 content in three types of fish.

Protein Rich Nutrition

As we progress into our years our bodies tend to lose muscle. When muscle decreases this leads to lack of strength, which means we eventually find it more difficult to function, things that were once very easy are now quite a chore. Perhaps bending over to pick up something from the floor seems to take more effort than before.

By training our muscles we can build them to a state that is much easier for us to carry on with day to day activities. But simply lifting weights will not do the job. Remember, to look good on the outside means you must look after the inside; what you put inside shows from the outside.

Muscles can only help you if you help them. If you're training your muscles to develop nice and strong (this does not necessarily mean for bodybuilding) you must feed them to enhance their growth. The only way to feed your muscles is with protein.

Protein has a big job in the human body, it looks after growth, maintenance and repair of cells for example hair, nails, eyes, etc. It helps produce hemoglobin (this carries oxygen in the blood), protein helps produce antibodies to fight infection and disease, it also helps produce some enzymes and hormones in the body. A diet low in protein will in fact slow down the growth and repair processes as well as your metabolism. When you train your muscles, you are creating a certain of injury to your muscles.

They need nutrients to repair and grow stronger, so next time you train, the injury to your muscle will not be as bad and each time you train the weights will become easier, this is your body's way of telling you, "you're doing well - I'm doing well!" The more active you are or the heavier you train, will depend on how much protein you should be in taking to compensate to your muscles. Protein comes from various sources.

• Lean meat
• Poultry
• Fish
• Egg whites
• Protein powders
• Protein supplement bars

Anti-Oxidants Lead To a Youthful You

If you have followed a good diet and training regime for a certain of time you will know it is anti-fat. Recent studies have now proven that it is anti-aging as well. New research points out that practices followed by successful bodybuilders and athletes have an anti-aging effect by those who follow a certain nutritional lead.

Anti-oxidants are the nutrients found in sport supplementation and of course, food. These anti-oxidants protect us from free radicals. Just to help you understand what a free radical is if do not know already, it is a free radical that is missing a part of itself which makes it unstable.

To help stabilize itself, the free radical will then take another part from other molecules or gets rid of the unpaired one. The free radical then causes molecular damage by digging through the cell walls and invites all sorts of diseases, bacteria's and viruses to be absorbed by the body and provide irreversible harm to our tissues causing aging, cancer and also heart diseases.

Vitamins A, C, E, beta-carotene and certain minerals and enzymes are anti-oxidants that help neutralize or stop the free radicals (basically, poisons in the body) from multiplying.

Anti-oxidants have found, through research, to help protect the body from age-related diseases. The higher the level of vitamin A and E through daily food intake the healthier the individual. Vitamin A and E is found mostly in yellow and orange vegetables and also in whole grains. Vitamin E however, is much harder to obtain from our diets therefore daily supplements would be recommended.

When taking a closer look at your food intake, vitamins and minerals your body is lacking from your diet can be picked up through supplements and the particular antioxidants we've mentioned will help your body fight off any free radicals therefore keeping you in youthful health.

Permitted Foods

Supplementation

I am asked quite frequently asked if it essential to use supplements? It's not essential but I highly recommend you do. They should certainly not substitute a balanced nutrition plan but they should be included to make it easier for your body to get all of the nutrients it needs. There are many supplements on the market but I am only going recommend the basics essential to gain impressive results within these 12 weeks. If you haven't taken supplement before, here is what I recommend.

Multivitamin

Mass production of crops has left our soil depleted and the processing of many of these foods has left the essential vitamins and minerals stripped of many of the benefits that they can promote for the body. These vitamins and minerals are required to regulate the function of cells and conversion of food to energy.

Taking a multivitamin in the morning with breakfast will provide more vitality and assist with better recovery from strenuous exercise. It will also help the battle against free radicals that are becoming more apparent within the modern era of pollution, air-conditioning, and now a strenuous exercise program.

Protein Supplements

Protein supplements are extremely beneficial on this program considering you are required to consume five meals per day. Hardly any preparation is required and most brands contain the balance of ingredients of a balanced meal.

Ready-To-Drink:

Ready-To-Drinks (RTD) are an extremely convenient way of getting in a quick meal. They come in the form of cans of soft side drink cartons making them easy to carry anywhere anytime.

Protein Bars:

Protein bars can also fill the void of a meal whilst being a great alternative to a candy bar. Try to go for the lower sugar selection of protein bars, some can be high.

Meal Replacement Powders:

The other alternatives I recommend that you keep at home are meal replacement powders (MRP's) and a protein powder. The MRP is to be used as a complete meal; protein powder is a supplement recommended added with carbohydrates. Many of my clients like to mix in some chocolate powder with their oats in the morning to make a warm delicious chocolate breakfast or meal throughout the day.

Glutamine

I would add an ingredient called Glutamine to the supplement stack to assist with a successful transformation. Glutamine is a form of protein (Amino Acid) which is released from the muscle at times of strenuous exercise. Not only is this does it protect them muscle from breaking down, but it also has enhancing properties to the immune system making it a perfect supplement for someone going through physical challenge.

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