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| Nutrition Basics |
There are 3 macronutrients that the human body needs in order to function properly.
A) Carbohydrates:
Carbohydrates are your body's main source of energy. Most people that are overweight and are on low fat/high carbohydrate diets got into that condition because they are eating too many carbohydrates. Too many carbohydrates cause a huge release of insulin. When there is too much insulin in the body, your body turns into a fat storing machine. Therefore, it is important that we eat no more carbohydrates than necessary and that we eat the right amount and types of carbohydrates. Now that we have talked about the importance of having just the right amount of carbohydrates, let's talk about which are the best sources of carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are divided into complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates. The complex carbohydrates give you sustained energy ("timed release") while the simple carbohydrates gives you immediate energy. It is recommended that you eat mainly complex (low glycemic) carbohydrates throughout the day except after the workout where your body needs simple (high glycemic) carbohydrates in order to replenish its glycogen levels immediately, something that will aid faster recuperation and rebuild of the muscle. Below is a Glycemic Index Food Chart for your ready reference. Low Glycemic Index food (less than 55) Foods with GI index between 55 and 70 are consider intermediate High Glycemic Index food GI (more than 70)
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Food List |
Rating |
Food Glycemic Index |
Bakery Products |
Croissant |
Medium |
67 |
Waffles |
High |
76 |
Doughnut |
High |
76 |
Beverages |
Soya milk |
Low |
30 |
Apple juice |
Low |
41 |
Carrot juice |
Low |
45 |
Pineapple juice |
Low |
46 |
Grapefruit juice |
Low |
48 |
Orange juice |
Low |
52 |
Biscuits |
Digestives |
Medium |
58 |
Wafer biscuits |
High |
77 |
Breads |
Multi grain bread |
Low |
48 |
Whole grain |
Low |
50 |
Pita bread, white |
Medium |
57 |
Pizza, cheese |
Medium |
60 |
Hamburger bun |
Medium |
61 |
Rye-flour bread |
Medium |
64 |
Whole meal bread |
Medium |
69 |
White bread |
High |
71 |
White rolls |
High |
73 |
Baguette |
High |
95 |
Breakfast Cereals |
All-Bran |
Low |
42 |
Porridge, non instant |
Low |
49 |
Oat bran |
Medium |
55 |
Muesli |
Medium |
56 |
Mini Wheats (wholemeal) |
Medium |
57 |
Shredded Wheat |
Medium |
69 |
Golden Grahams |
High |
71 |
Puffed wheat |
High |
74 |
Weetabix |
High |
77 |
Rice Krispies |
High |
82 |
Cornflakes |
High |
83 |
Cereal Grains |
Pearl barley |
Low |
25 |
Rye |
Low |
34 |
Wheat kernels |
Low |
41 |
Rice, instant |
Low |
46 |
Rice, parboiled |
Low |
48 |
Barley, cracked |
Low |
50 |
Rice, brown |
Medium |
55 |
Rice, wild |
Medium |
57 |
Rice, white |
Medium |
58 |
Barley, flakes |
Medium |
66 |
Taco Shell |
Medium |
68 |
Millet |
High |
71 |
Dairy Foods |
Yogurt low- fat (sweetened) |
Low |
14 |
Milk, chocolate |
Low |
24 |
Milk, whole |
Low |
27 |
Milk, Fat-free |
Low |
32 |
Milk ,skimmed |
Low |
32 |
Milk, semi-skimmed |
Low |
34 |
Ice-cream (low- fat) |
Low |
50 |
Ice-cream |
Medium |
61 |
Fruits |
Cherries |
Low |
22 |
Grapefruit |
Low |
25 |
Apricots (dried) |
Low |
31 |
Apples |
Low |
38 |
Pears |
Low |
38 |
Plums |
Low |
39 |
Peaches |
Low |
42 |
Oranges |
Low |
44 |
Grapes |
Low |
46 |
Kiwi fruit |
Low |
53 |
Bananas |
Low |
54 |
Fruit cocktail |
Medium |
55 |
Mangoes |
Medium |
56 |
Apricots |
Medium |
57 |
Apricots (tinned in syrup) |
Medium |
64 |
Raisins |
Medium |
64 |
Pineapple |
Medium |
66 |
Watermelon |
High |
72 |
Pasta |
Spaghetti, protein enriched |
Low |
27 |
Fettuccine |
Low |
32 |
Vermicelli |
Low |
35 |
Spaghetti, whole wheat |
Low |
37 |
Ravioli, meat filled |
Low |
39 |
Spaghetti, white |
Low |
41 |
Macaroni |
Low |
45 |
Spaghetti, durum wheat |
Medium |
55 |
Macaroni cheese |
Medium |
64 |
Rice pasta, brown |
High |
92 |
Root Crop |
Carrots, cooked |
Low |
39 |
Yam |
Low |
51 |
Sweet potato |
Low |
54 |
Potato, boiled |
Medium |
56 |
Potato, new |
Medium |
57 |
Potato, tinned |
Medium |
61 |
Beetroot |
Medium |
64 |
Potato, steamed |
Medium |
65 |
Potato, mashed |
Medium |
70 |
Chips |
High |
75 |
Potato, micro waved |
High |
82 |
Potato, instant |
High |
83 |
Potato, baked |
High |
85 |
Snack Food and Sweets |
Peanuts |
Low |
15 |
M&Ms (peanut) |
Low |
32 |
Snickers bar |
Low |
40 |
Chocolate bar; 30g |
Low |
49 |
Jams and marmalades |
Low |
49 |
Popcorn |
Medium |
55 |
Mars bar |
Medium |
64 |
Table sugar (sucrose) |
Medium |
65 |
Corn chips |
High |
74 |
Pretzels |
High |
81 |
Dates |
High |
103 |
Soups |
Tomato soup, tinned |
Low |
38 |
Lentil soup, tinned |
Low |
44 |
Black bean soup, tinned |
Medium |
64 |
Green pea soup, tinned |
Medium |
66 |
Vegetable and Beans |
Asparagus |
Low |
15 |
Broccoli |
Low |
15 |
Cauliflower |
Low |
15 |
Celery |
Low |
15 |
Cucumber |
Low |
15 |
Eggplant |
Low |
15 |
Green beans |
Low |
15 |
Lettuce, all varieties |
Low |
15 |
Low-fat yogurt, artificially sweetened |
Low |
15 |
Peppers, all varieties |
Low |
15 |
Snow peas |
Low |
15 |
Spinach |
Low |
15 |
Tomatoes |
Low |
15 |
Zucchini |
Low |
15 |
Soya beans, boiled |
Low |
16 |
Peas, dried |
Low |
22 |
Kidney beans, boiled |
Low |
29 |
Lentils green, boiled |
Low |
29 |
Chickpeas |
Low |
33 |
Black-eyed beans |
Low |
41 |
Chickpeas, tinned |
Low |
42 |
Baked beans, tinned |
Low |
48 |
Kidney beans, tinned |
Low |
52 |
Lentils green, tinned |
Low |
52 |
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B) Protein
Every tissue in your body is made up from protein (i.e., muscle, hair, skin, and nails). Proteins are the building blocks of muscle tissue. Without it, building muscle and burning fat efficiently would be impossible. Its importance is paramount. Protein also helps increase your metabolism every time you eat it by 20%! It also makes the carbohydrates timed release, so you get sustained energy throughout the day.
Everybody that is involved in a weight-training program should consume between 1 and 1.5 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass. That means, a person who weighs 150 lbs. and has 15% body fat, should consume at least ~130 grams of protein (150 less 15% X 1) through the day divided almost proportionately between the 4-6 meals.
Good examples of protein are listed below (A portion is the roughly the size of your open palm).
Fish & Seafood
Seafood is one of the best sources of protein because it's usually low in fat. Fish such as salmon is a little higher in fat but it is the heart-healthy kind: omega-3 fatty acids.
White-Meat Poultry
Stick to the white meat of poultry for excellent, lean protein. Dark meat is higher in fat. The skin is loaded with saturated fat, so remove skin before cooking.
Milk, Cheese Yogurt
Not only are dairy foods excellent sources of protein but they also contain valuable calcium. Choose skim or low fat dairy to keep bones and teeth strong, prevent osteoporosis and enhance weight loss.
Eggs
Eggs are one of the least expensive forms of protein. The American Heart Association says normal healthy adults can safely enjoy an egg a day.
Beans
One-half cup of beans contains as much protein as 3 ounces of broiled steak. Plus, these nutritious nuggets are loaded with fiber to keep you feeling full for hours.
Pork Tenderloin
This great and versatile white meat is 31% leaner than 20 years ago.
Soy
Twenty-five grams of soy protein daily can help lower cholesterol and reduce the risk of heart disease. Combine soy protein foods like tofu with a healthy low fat diet.
Lean Beef
Lean beef has only one more gram of saturated fat than a skinless chicken breast. Lean beef is also an excellent source of zinc, iron and vitamin B12.
Protein on the Go
Grab a meal replacement drink, cereal bar or energy bar, check the label to be sure the product contains at least 20 grams of protein, and is low in sugar and fat. |
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C) Fats
All the cells in the body have some fat in them. Hormones are manufactured from fats. Also fats lubricate your joints. So if you eliminate the fat from your diet, then your hormonal production will go down and a whole array of chemical reactions will be interrupted. Your body will then start accumulating more body fat than usual so that it has enough fat to keep on functioning. Since testosterone production is halted, so is muscle building. Therefore, in order to have an efficient metabolism we need fat. There are three types of fats: Saturated, polyunsaturated, and monounsaturated.
a) Saturated Fats: Saturated fats are associated with heart disease and high cholesterol levels. They are found to a large extent in products of animal origin. However, some vegetable fats are altered in a way that increases the amount of saturated fats in them by a chemical process known as hydrogenation. Hydrogenated vegetable oils are generally found in packaged foods. In addition, coconut oil, palm oil, and palm kernel oil, which are also frequently used in packaged foods and non-dairy creamers are also highly saturated.
b) Polyunsaturated Fats: Fats that do not have an effect in cholesterol levels. Most of the fats in vegetable oils, such as corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, and sunflower oil are polyunsaturated.
c) Monounsaturated Fats: Fats that have a positive effect on the good cholesterol levels. These fats are usually high on the essential fatty acids and may have antioxidant properties. Sources of these fats are Fish Oils, Virgin Olive Oil, Canola Oil, and Flaxseed Oil. We like to refer to these types of fats as good fats. Twenty percent of your calories should come from good fats. Any less than 20% and your hormonal production will go down. Any more than 20% and you start accumulating plenty of fat. Good sources of fat are canola oil (1 tablespoon), natural peanut butter (2 tablespoons), olive oil (1 tablespoon), flaxseed oil (1 tablespoon), and fish oils (1 tablespoon). Each serving size contains approximately 14 grams of fat. |
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D) Water
Water is by far the most abundant substance in our body. Without water, an organism would not survive very long. |
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