third Journal Part 3

What to Eat

          What do we need to eat? What kind of diet do we need to follow? I want you to know right from the beginning - I don’t agree with the "eating too much or too little" theory. My theory is this: what you eat and when you eat is more important than how much you eat. You should eat as much as you are comfortable with. And if you regularly follow the exercises I showed you above, your body will rule the amounts of food you eat.

          In our case, the main goal is to force your body to grow taller, which mostly depends on the level of growth hormone in your body. As I mentioned before, there are three ways to increase growth hormone level:

1)      Through physical activities and the right diet,

2)      Growth hormone - releasing products

3)      By injections of manmade growth hormone.

          You already know that I prefer not to go with the last two choices. The natural way may not work as fast, but it is the only safe way to increase you height!

          Before I describe what to eat, I want you to understand the process of growth hormone release. I want you to feel confident about what you are doing.

After every meat our bodies go through a three - stage cycle:

1)      In the first hour after eating, our blood sugar rises and insulin (a hormone responsible for the metabolism of sugar) is released, which supports the storage of excess carbohydrates and fat.

2)      After the second hour, release of growth hormone begins and the level or insulin and blood sugar starts to fall. Growth hormone acts to build up muscle and bone protein, with the help of insulin.

3)      Four or more hours after eating, the growth hormone concentrations are still at a high level, while insulin almost disappears. At this stage, growth hormone is braking down the body's fat, using it as a fuel to create energy.

         If the growth hormone level remains low, insulin is free to turn almost every calorie into fat for later use. That is why we are gaining fat! If the insulin level remains low, growth hormone can melt away fat (our energy storage). Insulin and growth hormone are our friends, and the balance between them is very important.

         So how can we keep this balance? Simple! Just keep doing the exercises I showed you in this book and you will not only get taller, you will also become much healthier in every way, and you will see how the shape of your body gets closer and closer to perfection.

         These are the elements you will need to include in your diet in order to maintain the right growth hormone level and to structure and lengthen your bones:

Proteins

         Proteins are the foundation of all life. They manage very important activities of the body such as carrying oxygen in the blood, maintaining water and acid base balance, and maintaining growth of cells and tissue. About one-half of your dry body made of protein (about 80% of our full body is water). And you have about 0.5 to 1 gram of protein per kilogram of your body weight if you are just starting to exercise, and you should have up to 2 grams per kilogram of body weight after 2 - 3 months of continuous exercise.

         The best sources of protein are chicken, fish, lean meat, egg whites, and soy products.

         One of the most effective proteins is soy protein. The best sources of soy protein are soy milk, soy nuts, and soy flour. Egg whites is pure protein. A mixture of egg whites from hard - boiled eggs and mayonnaise with a little salt is good to eat 3 - 4 times a week. Another recipe is the protein shake: mix 2 - 5 boiled egg whites, 1 - 2 bananas, 3 - 6 strawberries, 1 teaspoon of vanilla in blender at high speed. You can add soy protein or milk or even vegetables. Try different proportions to match your taste. Drink this shake once or twice a day between meals or after exercise, and a smaller shake right before you go to bed. Protein should account for 25% to 30% of your diet.

Carbohydrates

          Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for human activities, and are found in almost all the foods we eat.

What is the Glycemic Index?

          The glycemic index (CI) measures how fast carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream and how long it takes to rise your blood sugar level. Typically, this absorption will take place over a two to three hour period, depending on the person and the food being consumed. The glycemic index is a scale, meaning that a standard food is chosen and that food is equal to 100. Foods are then assigned relative to the value of the standard food. Normally white bread is considered the standard food.

          The scale below is a basic part of the growth hormone diet because when we eat food with a high glycemic index, blood sugar is raised which, in turn, raises the level of insulin in the blood. As mentioned previously, high insulin does not let the growth hormone work efficiently.

The Glycemic Values for Various Foods with White Bread as the Standard Food.

         You need to eat more carbohydrate foods with a low glycemic index.

         Consider foods with a value of 85 and under for your diet. I’m not saying you should never eat food with a higher level of glycemic. Athletes, for example, need to eat foods with high glycemic carbohydrates during the 2 - 3 days before serious competitions in order to maximize energy output. The reason for this is that they need fuel for these extreme physical activities. So, sometimes, in stressful situations you may go with a little higher value. But in most cases, try to stay on the low end of the glycemic index. This will help your body to increase the release of growth hormone.

Carbohydrates should be about 50 - 65% of your daily consumption.

Fats

          Fats are very important components of our body. They are the main element in which energy is stored. Providing insulation from hot and cold, they serve as “shock absorbers” for our organs.

          Eating foods that are low in fat will allow the body to continue releasing growth hormone. Fats should not constitute more than 30% of your daily diet.

Water

          Water is the basic nutrient in our body, and is involved in almost every biological process. Water regulates body temperature, moisturizes skin, maintains muscle strength, and lubricates all joints.

          80% of our body is made up of water and we depend on it. We can not survive even a few days with out water

          You should drink at least 1.5 liters of water every day. It is very important not to let your body dehydrate.

          One glass or plain water with l tablespoon of honey is the first thing you should have in the morning after you wake-up. Drink 1/2 the glass of water, eat honey, and then finish your water. This “morning start” will not only wake you up and give you enough energy for morning exercises, it will also add a few years to your life. If you do not like it in the beginning, try it again. You may find that it grows on you! Drink it every morning for years to come and you will feel much healthier just because of this. Your life will definitely be sweeter!

          I do not recommend drinking water during exercise. I do recommend, however, to finish 1 glass of plain water 5 - 10 minutes after exercise (after your heartbeat has slowed down to a normal pace).

Calcium Good for bones and more

Why is calcium so important?

          You need your bones to grow and you want them to be strong in order to support the height you will gain in this program, for years and years to come. Calcium is what will make it happen.

          Calcium is the most abundant mineral in the body and is found mostly in your bones, where it gives them strength. The body does not produce calcium, which means that you must get it from your daily diet. That's why a diet rich in calcium is so important, particularly when bones are growing and developing. Even after full bone development, you still need an adequate calcium intake throughout your life to keep your bones strong and healthy.

          Apart from giving strength to your bones, calcium is necessary for many body functions. Practically every cell in your body, including those in your heart, nerves and muscles, relies on calcium.

          In order for your body to function properly, the level of calcium in the blood must stay relatively constant. For this to happen, you need to consume enough calcium throughout the day. Otherwise, your blood will “steal” calcium from your bones to maintain the level it requires. Think of your bones as a “bank”. If your diet is low in calcium, your blood “withdraws” the calcium it needs from your bones. When your diet is rich in calcium, you make “deposits” in your calcium “bank”. Over time, if your withdraws exceed your deposits, your bones can begin to weaken and become more susceptible to breaking.

          Smoking, alcohol, and caffeine have a negative impact on bone health, especially if your calcium intake is low.

          Provided you consume enough calcium, your bones will continue to grow denser until around the age of 30. After that, calcium remains a priority, because you need to maintain your bone mass to minimize gradual loss associated with aging. As you get older, you tend to shrink (especially women). This tendency can be prevented through sufficient calcium intake.

          Your bones need regular physical activity to maintain their strength. Exercise helps your body store calcium in the bones, so that the calcium you get from your diet is used more efficiently.

Daily calcium requirements:

Calcium Content in All Food Products

*        =          Source or calcium.

**      =          Good source or calcium.

***    =          Excellent source of calcium.

Calcium Content of Milk Products

Calcium content of some combination foods made with milk products:

Calcium content of other common foods

MILK - 250 ml                   = 315mg calcium

FIRM CHEESE - 50g     = 350mg calcium

YOUGURT - 175 ml   = 275mg calcium

(  )          Calcium from these foods is known to be absorbed less efficiently by the body.

See how milk products compare to these foods.

How to Calculate a Serving

          Eating milk products is your best guarantee of getting the calcium you need every day, along with other important nutrients. How many milk products you should eat depends on where you are in your life cycle.

Children aged 4 - 9 years 2 - 3 servings/day

Youth aged 10 - 16 years 3 - 4 servings/day

Adults aged 17 and older          2 - 4 servings/day

What is a Serving?

          One serving of milk products contains at least 275 mg of calcium. Not all milk products contain the same amount of calcium. That is why a normal helping of some milk products might give you only ¼, 1/3 or ½ serving as shown below:

1 serving = 250 ml (1 cup) milk

                    50 g (1” x 1” x 3”) firm cheese

                    2 slices processed cheese

                    175 g (¾ cup) yogurt

                    45 ml (3 Tbsp.) Parmesan cheese

½ serving = 175 ml (¾ cup) ice cream.

                     125 ml (½ cup) frozen yogurt or ice milk

1/3 serving = 60 ml (¼ cup) ricotta cheese

¼ serving = 125 ml (½ cup) Cottage cheese

          There are a lot or good things to say about calcium, but calcium is not so powerful without its “partner” - vitamin D, which enables calcium to build strong bones. Foods rich in vitamin D are fatty fish; milk fortified with vitamin D, and fortified breakfast cereals. Vitamin D can be also manufactured by our bodies from sunlight. The amount of sun exposure needed to produce vitamin D varies with an individual's skin color and age.

          Typically, from 10 minutes to 1½ hours is needed for the body to produce enough vitamin D to reach the fill potential of this “teamwork”. This is one of the reasons why some young people increase their height incredibly during summer time. I want to warn you, however, it can be very dangerous to expose yourself to the sun for long periods of time, because you may get sunburn, heat stroke or worse.

          So keep in mind - a game of volleyball on the beach may help your bones to grow!

Phosphorous

          Phosphorous is the second most abundant mineral in your body after calcium. 85% of it is found combined with the calcium in your bones and teeth in a compound known as calcium phosphate, the source of bone strength. Phosphorous is also necessary for growth because it is part of DNA and RNA, which carry the instructions for new cell formation. Because it works in conjunction with calcium, it is best to get amounts that balance with your calcium requirements. Recommended intakes of phosphorous are the same as for calcium so that a one - to - one ratio is maintained.

          Phosphorous is easy to get because it is present in most foods. It is especially abundant in milk, meat, fish, grains and green vegetables. The real problem is an excess of phosphorous. Too much phosphorous interferes with your body’s ability to use calcium and iron. Most soft drinks are loaded with phosphorous, so it could be a real problem if you drink a lot of soda. When you drink a lot of soda, you get an excess of phosphorous which can block calcium formation in the bones. Milk and plain water should be your most common drinks.

          Since meat is so rich in phosphorous, eating too much meat can also block calcium formation. If you are a vegetarian, you will do fine on a diet low in dairy products since you may get calcium from plants without the interference of phosphorous from meat or poultry.

Fasting

          The idea of fasting is to allow the insides of your body to take a bath, cleansing itself from all its toxins. This will help to significantly increase growth hormone level. One day of fasting every other week can really make a difference, but before you do this I would recommend that you ask your physician if fasting is safe for your health. Some health problems might not allow you to fast.

          For most people, not eating for 24 hours is not an easy task, especially in the beginning. You should prepare yourself for two days before fasting by switching to a light diet. Salads, juices and cooked vegetables should be your preference on these days. Meat, fish, dairy products, and breads should be avoided. As you get closer to the fasting day, you should eat less and less, so that you keep yourself a little hungry.

          For fasting, you should choose a day when you are not so busy. During fasting you can drink a lot or water, and at times when you usually have breakfast, lunch and diner, you can drink vegetable or fruit juices.

Schedule your meals

          4 - 5 hours is the time needed for insulin to disappear from your bloodstream so that growth hormone can work on building your tissue. This is the period of time that you should wait between meals. Proteins, which are absorbed slowly, should keep you from becoming hungry. Your last meal should be 3 - 4 hours before you go to sleep. Small amounts or protein shake are allowed right before your bedtime.

Sleep

          Bedtime is the time when we grow the most, and the amount of growth each night depends on how you prepare your body during the day. Have you ever checked your height before you go to sleep and then again right after you woke up the next morning? If not, try it. You will see that in the morning you will be taller than in the evening. You might be amazed when you see the difference. Some people have a ¼”, some a 2” difference, and some have even more. The reason for this miracle is simple: during the day, when we are in vertical positions, our bones and joints are compressing because of the earth’s gravitation. So, in effect, we are growing down until we go to bed. While we sleep (I hope you sleep horizontally) the earth's gravitation does not affect us. Our bones and joints will then decompress and the body will become longer.

          If during the day you do the exercises I showed you in this course, then your bones will not be as compressed as they would have been without an exercise routine.

          So, how does it work? During the night growth hormones are more active than in the day, allowing the body to grow faster after your bones are completely decompressed. If your bones are very compressed, a lot of time will be required for them to decompress and less time will be left for your body to grow.

          To maximize your night growth time you need to perform the exercises I showed you (especially the jumping and bar exercises). You should also sleep on a firm orthopedic mattress with a small pillow or better yet, with no pillow. You should make sure to get enough sleep every night in order to maximize this decompression effect. Optimally, you should sleep 8 - 10 hours every day.

          One more thing - right before you go to sleep, hang on the chin-up bar for as long as you can.

          Well, are you ready to start? If so, the first thing you can do is to measure your height on the wall, doorframe, or any other vertical object that you are not planning to remove or paint in the next few years. You can ask your parents or your friends to hold any object that has a 90 - degree angle (it can be a book) on top of your head, while you are standing straight against this vertical object. Mark your height in pen with a small line and write the date of measurement under this line. This should be the only measurement that you will take during the first year, Don’t check your results during this year. Just set a goal for yourself - how many inches (or centimeters) you want to gain, and do everything you can to accomplish this goal. Say to yourself - “I can do it”, and you will.

The real power is in your mind, not your body!