Marty's Fitness and Nutrition site |
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DIET AND NUTRITION Most people eventually figure out that you can't grow muscle (or lose body fat) on a diet of hot dogs, potato chips and soda! Food is essential for our survival and with today's age of choices and fast food we often seem to skimp on health and just get what's quick. This in my opinion is what's leading to a lot of health problems in America today. Before talking about any type of diet, lets see what constitutes a nutritious diet. Carbohydrates - Carbs provide the fuel to the body, ie they are one source of energy our body can utilize. Each gram of carbohydrates contains 4 calories. Protein - After water, protein is the most plentiful substance in our bodies. They are the building blocks of life and without protein we cannot create enzymes, antibodies, skin, hair, nails, muscle, brain, or organs. We require twenty-two different amino acids (building blocks of protein), of which eight are considered essential nutrients. Each gram of protein also contains 4 calories. Fat - Fat (lipids) is the most concentrated source of energy in our diet. It is found in vegetable seeds, beans, and nuts and in all animal products. Each gram of fat contains 9 calories. Our body needs fat to survive and the best sources include monounsaturated fat and essential fatty acids. Ok so enough with the definitions. But how much of these nutrients do we need? And what's with all these diets? Should we be following a high carb, low fat, high fat, high protein, liquid, Rosedale, Glycemic, Atkins, Zone, South Beach, Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers, Mediterranean, cabbage soup, XYZ diet? I have found that the best way to get the benefits of all three, without huge downsides or side effects is to follow a balanced approach. I have used the 40-30-30 formula, so that you get 40% of daily calories from carbs, 30% from protein, and 30% from fats. EXERCISE ROUTINE What types of exercises to do? How many reps? How often? How many sets? What weight? ... DIET & NUTRITION What to eat? How much to eat? High carbs or no carbs? Balanced or high protein? ... SUPPLEMENTS Is there a magic pill? What works? What's a scam? Are there any side effects? ... OTHER SITES The Internet is a great resource for all kinds of information ... Marty's Home |