FREE Nutrition FAQ: Questions and Answers (Nutrition Q&A)

This subject is always a challenge for most people trying to get into shape. A nutritious diet is the most important component to your fitness program. Without good eating habits, your exercise will not be enough to create the body you want. The purpose of this section is to help you incorporate balanced, healthy eating into your current lifestyle. Below are some common questions.

A: You should try to eat 5-6 times a day. Eating frequently will help stabilize your insulin and blood sugar levels. Consistently giving the body the fuel it needs will help speed up your metabolic rate and also set up your body to use fat for fuel.

When you go for long periods of time without food, your body thinks it is starving. When this happens, your body metabolism comes to a screeching halt, your insulin and blood sugar levels become imbalanced and, worst off all, your body protects itself by eating away at your precious muscle tissue and stores unwanted body fat in its place. Eating small frequent meals every 2-3 hours will help keep your body efficiently fueled and avoids this from occuring.
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A: It is always smart to try to eat whole natural foods, instead of processed, man-made foods.

Your carbohydrates should usually be high in fiber and starches, such as fruits, vegetables, pastas, cereals, rice, beans, and whole wheat breads.

Your proteins should consist of chicken, fish, turkey and other lean meats, as well as cheese, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, dried nuts and yogurt. Soy products and protein shakes are also good sources of protein.

Fats should be polyunsaturated such as soybean, safflower, or cottonseed oils, and monounsaturated such as fish oils, canola oils, olive oils and flaxseed oils.
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A: You should always have balanced meals. This means your macronutrients (carbohydrates, proteins, fats) should always be present in every meal that you consume. Generally, you should be eating 50% carbohydrates, 30% protein, and 20% fat. There are many different ratios, just make sure they are balanced.

When you combine your macronutrients, your body works together as a whole. Proteins provide amino acids that build and repair the muscle tissue of the body. Carbohydrates produce insulin which helps transport your amino acids to your muscle cells. They also assist in building your glycogen (stored carbohydrates) which contribute to strong muscles and is the primary fuel for productive exercise. Fat helps hormone production, and also aids with the absorption of fat soluble vitamins.

If you were to eat only one macronutrient and leave the others out, you would be causing major problems for your body. Here are some listed below.

• Lack of energy - Your body needs carbohydrates for your nervous system to function properly. Only eating protein will cause your workouts to suffer because your glycogen (stored carbohydrates) will never be efficiently replenished.

• Dehydration - When you only consume protein or large amounts of it, your body uses a lot of water to help digest it. Seventy percent of all metabolic activity takes place in water. Without water, toxins start to build inside your body and your immune system has to work harder. This leaves you more susceptible to sickness or disease.

• Amino acid deficiencies - When you only eat protein, your body will start to break down your muscles or amino acids for energy production. It needs carbs to fuel your body initially to avoid this from happening.

• Fast blood absorption - Carbohydrates need protein and fat for slow digestion and also to help sustain your energy levels. Doing without, will cause you to constantly be hungry and irritable, since your body will be digesting your food too quickly.

• Insulin imbalance - Only eating carbs causes you to produce huge amounts of insulin. The more insulin you have in your bloodstream, the more likely you are to store calories as fat. Additionally, insulin contributes to cravings and overeating, since your blood sugar levels plummet. This end result leaves you hungry and often times ravenous.

• Amino acid deficiencies - You need protein for proper amino acid recovery. Only eating carbs will slow your metabolism because you will be cannibalizing your muscles and destroying your immune system.

• Obesity - Fat is obviously the main cause for obesity. Obesity contributes to heart disease, increased body fat, increased blood pressure and cholesterol, increased triglyceride levels, diabetes, cancer and many other negative problems that will cause harm to your body.

A: This is different for everyone. Genetics, age, gender, and activity level usually play a big role in your portion control or caloric consumption. For example, a 220 lb male may need 500 calories per meal whereas a 120 lb female only needs 250 calories at a time. You should always give your body the fuel it needs at that present moment. If you eat way above your normal caloric intake, or in other words, overeat, your body will usually store these calories as fat.

When you overeat, your body cannot absorb all the available nutrients. It can only burn so many calories at one time. For example, when you run for an hour you burn approximately 600 calories. When you eat a fast food meal you are likely to consume about 1000-1500 calories at one time while also being sedentary. Obviously, most of these calories will be stored as fat because it is way above the normal amount your body needs. You need to eat according to your activity levels. Your largest meal should be when you are most active. The smallest meal should be when you are sitting or not doing as much activity. Your metabolism works at 75% efficiency from 6am-6pm, whereas it operates at 25% efficiency level from 6pm-6am.
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A: They will only make you fat, if you are eating the wrong kind or too many. The kind I'm talking about are simple carbohydrates. Simple carbohydrates cause you to be fat because they are digested in your blood stream too quickly. They cause your blood sugar levels to quickly rise then fall. They also wreak considerable havoc on your insulin levels. When your body secretes too much insulin, your body generally stores calories as fat.

As mentioned earlier, it is also important to know that if you only eat carbohydrates or too many at one time, your body will store fat, because your blood absorption will be too fast. If you combine protein, carbohydrates and fats, your blood absorption will be much slower because it takes a longer time to digest as opposed to just breaking down carbohydrates. This is called food combining. It keeps your body at a fat burning state, along with giving you lasting energy.
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A: Simple carbohydrates or simple sugars are single molecule stranded foods that give your body quick energy but only for a short period of time and usually are responsible for cravings and weight gain. These foods are refined, unnatural sugars or "junk food" such as cookies, cakes, candy, sodas, doughnuts, brownies, pastries, presweetened cereals & yogurts, potato chips, salty snacks, etc.

The only time you can get away with eating these foods without storing them as fat is after a workout or early in the morning. After you workout, your body acts like a sponge, it needs carbohydrates! Simple carbs replenish your glycogen stores quickly and will not be stored as fat. If you consume these foods in the morning and you are active throughout the day, you will most likely burn them off.

Complex carbohydrates are double molecule stranded foods that give your body sustained energy, helping you burn fat effectively and neutralize your cravings so you do not overeat. These foods are fruits, vegetables, pastas, cereals, grains, rice, beans, and whole wheat breads. These foods are high in fiber and starch. To get good results with exercise and help maintain a healthy lifestyle, you should eat complex carbohydrates as much as possible.
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A: It is recommended that you consume 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of your body weight. If you are not as active, you may not need as much. Your local nutritionist or dietician will be able to help you with this.
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A: It is recommended that you limit fat below 60 grams per day or 20% of your total calories. Your local nutritionist or dietician will be able to help you with this.
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A: There really is no good amount you should consume. Alcohol acts like a toxin to your body. It has no nutritional value whatsoever, meaning most of its calories are empty and do not contribute to growth. Alcohol contributes to weight gain, dehydration, liver damage, and other metabolism deficiencies that cause bodily harm. A couple drinks per week may be acceptable. But, if you are really trying to lose weight and get good results with your exercise and eating, a couple of drinks may not be a good idea.
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A: Yes. It is ok to eat at night. Your body burns calories 24 hours a day. But, you always want to make sure you are matching your eating to your activity levels. Usually, late at night is when you are more sedentary then other parts of the day, and your metabolism operates at a slower efficiency. Just make sure you are not overeating.
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A:Your body loses about 8 glasses of water a day or about 64 ounces. Depending on your activity level, you should try to consume 8-12 glasses of water a day. Just because you are not thirsty, doesn't mean your body isn't on its way to being dehydrated. Your body is composed of 70 percent water. All of your metabolic processes are associated with it.

Consumption of water helps muscle strength and growth, energy, joint lubrication, body temperature regulation, digestion, mineral balance, and proper hydration. It also takes away your hunger pains and helps your fat burning.
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A: Generally, to avoid breaking down muscle tissue and improper glycogen replenishment you should not wait longer than an hour.
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A: You should try to eat 1-2 hours prior to working out. You should be eating the correct portions of proteins, complex carbohydrates, and good fats.
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• Eating the correct food amounts.
• Eating the correct food combinations.
• Eating at the correct times of day.
• Eating the correct types of food.
• Drinking enough water.
• Getting enough rest and recovery.

A:This is probably because you did not consume enough calories when you had your previous meal. Remember, you should try to space out your meals equally, taking into consideration your activity levels. Your largest meal should be followed by the time of the day you are most active. You should eat your smallest meal at the time of day when you are most sedentary. This takes practice and dedication. If you are properly nourishing your body every 2-3 hours, and you are not feeling hungry soon after your meals, then you are eating correctly.
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A:Although your body is designed to digest regular food, protein shakes are a good alternative for getting the vitamins and nutrients your body needs. Protein shakes are also a convenient way for people to eat their meals consistently without having to prepare 5-6 regular whole food meals a day. It all depends on what you prefer.
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A: You are probably eating too many simple sugars, not eating frequently, or you are not drinking enough water. Simple sugars contribute to your body's production of insulin. The more insulin you have in your bloodstream, the more likely you are to have cravings.

Not eating frequently also contributes to cravings. Remember, you must spread your food portions correctly throughout the day. This helps you control your blood sugar levels and keeps you from overeating.

Additionally, not drinking enough water may also lead you to be hungry all the time. You should try to drink 8 ounces of water with every meal and also drink water when you are not eating.
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A: When you eat 5-6 nutritious meals a day and drink plenty of water, you will be eating to burn fat. These 5-6 meals should consist of complex carbohydrates that are high in fiber and starches, such as fruits, vegetables, pastas, cereals, rice, beans, and whole wheat breads. Your proteins should consist of chicken, fish, turkey, other lean meats, cheese, cottage cheese, milk, eggs, yogurt, soy products and protein shakes. Fats should be polyunsaturated such as soybean, safflower, or cottonseed, and monounsaturated such as fish oils, canola oils, olive oils and flaxseed oils.
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A: No. Some people believe fruit is high in sugar, and is responsible for weight gain. These sugars however are natural and are not the same as refined man-made sugars. Fruits are diluted in water, and are also high in fiber. This helps put spikes in your glucose (blood sugar) and also helps control blood absorption. Fruits are complex carbohydrates that are essential for your body to receive all the vitamins and nutrients it needs.
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Q: I'm really busy with my job. Is it possible to eat 3 times a day and still get into shape?

A: Unfortunately, the answer is no. Usually, this is the typical situation for the working professional. Eating only 3 times a day usually means a small breakfast (if any), a large lunch, and an especially large dinner. Eating this way over a continued period of time sets up your body for fat storage, a slow metabolism, and temptation to overeat. All of which spells disaster for someone attempting to get into shape.

Remember, your body doesn't know if you are in a meeting, or if you don't have time to eat lunch. All it knows is that if you don't feed it. It will find something to feed itself, and that something is your muscle tissue. It will also store fat to protect itself because it's reserving whatever fuel it can get its hands on because it thinks there is a famine taking place. Eating frequently or every 2-3 hours is a hard task to master, but if you stay disciplined, you can do it.
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A: This is because you have trained your body metabolism to function this way over a continued period of time. Remember, your body consistently needs fuel throughout the day. This is especially important in the morning.

When you sleep for 7-9 hours, your body is in essence fasting. When you wake up, it desperately needs fuel. If you wait until lunch to feed it again, this will mean you will have went 12-14 hours without food! You will end up eating a huge lunch and a huge dinner. That's not a good way to get into shape or live a healthy lifestyle. You must start to train your body to eat breakfast consistently.
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A: If you eat unhealthy once a week, it is acceptable. You cannot get fat in just one day. Just make sure you get back on track.
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* This information was designed to set helpful guidelines with healthy eating. It does not prescribe anything. If you need guidance with nutrition, feel free to send our Dietician- Rebecca Mohning an email. We are affiliated with her through Diet-to-Go meal services.