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Nutrition Guidelines
>> Importance of Proper Fluid Intake
>> Metabolic Adaptation
Water is essential for weight loss! Drinking water before meals results in lower food intake and quicker feelings of fullness. Water can even assist in increasing calorie burn—particularly cold water! Last but not least replacing all forms of caloric beverages such as juice, soda, and alcohol will by itself put many people into weight loss because these beverages typically make up 300 – 600 calories per day by themselves! So consider only drinking water and other beverages with zero calories—it is better for you!
Metabolic Adaptation is a fancy term describing the process where your body adjusts your level of caloric expenditure (how much energy you use!) based on your food intake. For example if you put anyone on a very low calorie diet (under 1,000 calories per day) they will initially decrease bodyfat because of the calorie deficit. BUT, within a short period of time, 2 – 3 months maximum, all fat/weight loss will stop because the body ALWAYS reduces calorie output as fat stores drop! So all diets become less effective over time if that is all you do! This is in contrast to exercise which initially produces results slowly but becomes MORE effective over time because as your fitness level improves you can do more work and burn more calories during and after exercise!
>> Managing Food Intake All processes in the body depend on cellular energy derived from food and beverage intake. A calorie is a measure of the energy contained in food or beverage. Fat is merely stored energy, and the ability to store fat was vital for survival for hundreds of thousands of years of human history.
Macronutrients refers to the percentage of calories you eat from Protein, Carbohydrate, and Fats. All calorie intake comes from these three types of foods/beverages (along with alcohol if you drink!).
•C alories in (energy in) > calories out (energy used) you increase fat mass. •C alories in < calories out you decrease fat mass. •C alories in = calories out your fat mass stays the same. To lose 1lbs of body fat you must create a deficit of 3,500 calories by decreasing intake, increasing activity, or a little of both.
>> Macronutrient Intake
”Track the nutritional facts, portion sizes and your food intake on handy free mobile app for your phone. “
There are NO exceptions to the energy balance equation. Many people, including some very bright people, believe there are exceptions, but the reality is most people have no idea how many calories they burn or eat. Studies consistently show that people underestimate their intake of food and overestimate their activity level by 20–50%! So it is essential that you have some way to track your food intake, and the great news is there are many ways to do this starting with learning portion sizes. This includes many excellent free apps.
Protein is the building block of all tissues including bone, muscle, tendons, ligaments, organs, etc. Protein is also used to form enzymes, and enzymes are necessary for functions from digesting food to preventing oxidation. Many of the most important anti-oxidant complexes in the body have an amino acid base. Amino acids come from protein. Therefore, low protein diets are not the way to go, and you should not eat less than the optimal amount of protein because it can negatively influence your health and cause you to lose lean mass rather than fat. Each gram of protein has 4 calories. Concentrated sources of protein include all meats, fish, poultry, eggs, soy, nuts, and beans. Adequate protein intake is essential to satiety (feeling satisfied and NOT hungry all the time!) Choose lower fat versions of protein and trim excess fat to reduce calorie intake from protein foods. In addition avoid frying and stick with broiling, baking or roasting. A general rule of thumb is that you should choose lean sources of protein including meats, fish, or poultry and a good serving size is about the size of a deck of cards. See the chart below for excellent sources of protein along with typical serving sizes.
Ounce Equivalent of Protein Foods Table
Common Portions
1 ounce cooked lean beef, pork or ham
Small Steak= 3.5–4 ounces
1 ounce cooked chicken or turkey without skin, 1 sandwich slice of turkey
1 small chicken breast half= 3 ounces
1 ounce cooked fish or shell fish
1 can tuna water drained= 3–4 ounces 1 small trout= 3 ounces
1 Egg
2 Egg Whites= 2 ounces 3 Egg Yolks= 1 ounce
1/2 ounce of nuts (12 almonds, 24 pistachios, 7 walnut halves)
1 ounce of nuts or seeds = 2 ounces
1/2 ounce of seeds (pumpkin, sunflower, or squash seeds, hulled, roasted) 1 Tablespooon of peanut butter or almond butter
1/4 cup of cooked beans (black, kidney, pinto, or white) 1/4 cup of cooked peas (chickpeas, cowpeas, lentils, or split peas) 1/4 cup of baked beans, refried beans 1/4 cup (about 2 ounces) of tofu
1 cup split pea soup= 2 ounces 1 cup lentil soup= 2 ounces 1 cup bean soup= 2 ounces 1 soy or bean burger patty = 2 ounces
1/4 cup roasted soybeans 1 Falafal patty (2 1/4, 4 oz) 2 Tablespoons Hummus
NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
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>> Carbohydrates
Item
Calories
Fat (g)
Total Carb (g)
Fiber (g)
Net Carbs (g)
Protein (g)
1 Sugars
Asparagus - cup
46
2
6
4
2
5
2 Starches – starch is nothing more than multiple units of sugar hooked together and all starch ultimately is converted to glucose (sugar) in the body!
Beans - .25 cup
55
0
10
3
7
4
Grn Beans - cup
34
5
8
4
4
2
Banana Medium
110
0
30
3
27
1
Blueberries .25 cup
21
0
5
1
4
0
Brussel Sprouts 1 cup
38
0
8
3
5
3
Cabbage 4oz
23
0
5
2
3
1
Raw Carrots – 2oz
20
0
6
2
4
0
Cauliflower cooked 1 cup
28
0
6
2
4
2
Celery 1 cup
36
0
7
4
3
2
Cucumber 10oz
29
0
6
2
4
1
Eggplant raw 6oz
33
0
8
5
3
1
Garlic 6 cloves
24
0
6
0
6
0
Kale raw 2oz
28
0
6
1
5
2
Lettuce 3 cups
24
0
6
3
3
0
Mushroom 6oz
37
1
6
2
4
5
Onions .5 cup
33
0
5
2
3
0
Bell Pepper raw 4oz
23
0
5
2
3
0
Potato cooked .5 cup
95
4
13
2
11
1
Raspberries .5 cup
32
0
7
4
3
1
White Rice cooked .25 cup
51
0
11
0
11
1
Shallots 2 tbsp
14
0
4
0
4
0
Spinach raw 6oz
38
1
6
2
4
1
Strawberry.5cup
23
0
6
2
4
0
Carbohydrates come in three forms:
3 Fiber – fiber is NOT digestible for humans but is essential for good health and in particular digestive health. So fiber essentially has ZERO calories but increases feelings of fullness and Satiety. Carbohydrates should make up the bulk of the actual food you eat but choosing the right types of carbohydrates is essential for health and weight loss. You want to choose high fiber, nutrient dense forms of carbohydrates. So for example strawberries are a better choice than bananas because strawberries have a much higher fiber content (and correspondingly lower amounts of sugar and starch!). In addition they are chock full of highly beneficial phytochemicals (plant chemicals). In general colored fruits and vegetables have higher levels of these beneficial plant chemicals. Another example is broccoli versus potatoes. While potatoes are certainly not unhealthy broccoli is much higher in fiber and much lower in sugar and starch than potatoes and is packed with beneficial phytochemicals. This chart provides excellent examples of carbohydrate sources that are higher in fiber. Net carbs refers to the following: Total Carbohydrate – Fiber = net carbs which is another way of saying starch and sugar content. Each gram of carbohydrate has 4 calories, but keep in mind that fiber calories do NOT count because humans cannot digest and absorb fiber!
”The first step in good nutrition is becoming aware of what you are consuming and beginning to understand serving and portion sizes as they relate to calories.“
NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
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>> Fats Although much maligned fats are not in and of themselves bad! Fat is a required nutrient and in fact it is so important that your body will make it even if you eat none of it. That being said there are essential fatty acids that your body requires for optimal health that cannot be made from non-fat food. Fat is a highly concentrated source of energy with 9 calories per gram which is over twice that of carbohydrate and protein! So the key is that a little fat goes a long way!
>> Label Reading Learning to read food labels is essential to choosing the right foods! Here is a sample food label for a potato:
Many foods that are high in protein including meats, fish, poultry, eggs, cheeses, and nuts contain higher levels of fat so if you eat these foods you will automatically get all the fat you need (and more!) so adding extra fat in the form of butter, margarine, sauces, oils, creams and cheeses can really rack up the calories quickly so it is very important to watch your fat intake to decrease levels of bodyfat.
”Understanding food labels – especially serving sizes – helps you make better decisions on what you buy and consume. “
>>” Putting It All Together!
>> Balanced Food Intake It is very important to eat balanced meals and snacks meaning each meal and snack should contain protein, carbohydrate and fat. So while an apple is certainly a healthy low calorie food choice eating one by itself is not a balanced snack! A better choice might be an apple and a handful of roasted nuts (no fat added!) because the nuts provide fat and protein to balance out the carbohydrate of the apple which contains virtually no protein or fats! This will lead to higher levels of satiety and make the snack stick with you longer.
>> Meal Frequency In general more frequent meals—3 per day with 2 snacks are recommended so that you are eating BEFORE you are highly hunger. High hunger levels encourage bad food choices so eat BEFORE you are hungry and plan your meals and shop ahead of time!
The first step in good nutrition is becoming aware of what you are consuming and beginning to understand serving and portion sizes as they relate to calories. The first thing to note is “Serving Size” because in many instances a container can contain 8 or more servings even in a small container such as a can of nuts which have high fat levels! The rest of the label information refers to amounts per serving—not per container! So in this case the potato by itself has no fat. Next look at total carb and subtract fiber (26 – 3 = 23 grams). Sugar content is relevant, but keep in mind that ALL non-fiber carbohydrate always ends up as sugar in the body so the only free ride is fiber! Protein content is also listed and relevant but remember the idea of balanced eating and look at the overall protein, fat, and carbohydrate content of each meal or snack—not just of one food in a meal!
At the same time try to balance meals and snacks by insuring each one has some protein, some carbohydrate and a small amount of fat! Also focus on adequate hydration and avoid juices, sodas, beer, wine and other alcohol. Try and stick with water and other non-caloric beverages, and for many people this by itself can generate considerable fat loss by combining this with regular exercise. Focus on eating BEFORE you are hungry—eating every 4 hours—either a balanced meal or snack to control hunger. Consider using a free app to help you track your food and beverage intake, show you standard portion sizes, and provide a food and beverage guide so you learn more about the foods and beverages you are consuming and can make better meal choices.
NUTRITIONAL GUIDELINES
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