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HEALTH AND FITNESS: GETTING THE MOST FROM YOUR MACRO-NUTRIENTS
Katharine McCoy
March 22, 2009
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Depending upon when you were born or when you started paying attention you may have preconceived ideas about macro-nutrients. What are macro nutrients? They are the basic providers of energy for our bodies: fats, carbohydrates and proteins. Each of the nutrients does different things in our body but they are all interrelated. No matter what you have heard, our body needs each of these. Unfortunately for the last thirty years there has been a dietary war going on which can be summed up in the question: What is more evil a Steak, a bagel or whole milk? When I was a small kid my mom would go on crazy protein diets eating steak, eggs and bacon with a salad thrown in for good measure. She would lose a bunch of weight and tell me how much energy she had. But when I was a teen it was all about counting your fat grams. You could eat all of the jelly beans you wanted as long you never touch dairy or meat (except for an occasional grilled chicken breast.) Lots of my friends got really skinny on those diets as well. Then came “The Zone” where the rich and the famous had their perfectly 30/30/40/ (protein/fats/carbohydrates) delivered to their door. Then it all swung back to the no-carb fad.
In the cycling and training world all of these ideas, at least by some have been taken to extremes. Cycling is a sport which measures weight in ounces, not pounds. If people would pay so much money to cut a few ounces off of their bike, you can imagine what they will do to get a few pounds off of their body. But just as you can’t build a light bike that has no strength, taking too many pounds off of your body can leave you weaker and not stronger.
The question then becomes what is the best diet for a rider or even a recreational athlete? This is where people and the experts have often gotten into trouble. All bodies are not alike and all bodies should not be following the same diet, no matter how great a diet has been for Levi Leipheimer that doesn’t mean that it will be the best diet for you. Our brain structure, body composition, hormones, gender, workout routines and even personalities can affect what proportion of foods we should eat.
How can personalities affect what food you should eat? Different people can deal with different levels of deprivations. Some people almost get a high off of depriving there body of things. These are often the people who can become addicted to the power that they get from controlling their foods that it can become dangerous to their health. Others can become truly depressed and anxious if they are told that they can’t eat certain foods. This is especially true if they begin to avoid social functions because of fear of being surrounded by certain foods.
I would like to say that there has become some general consensus on which diets are the best, but it really isn’t true. Sure there is some consensus in that most now say that there are now good fats and bad fats and good carbs and bad carbs. But you can still find people on all extremes of this question selling their books and on infomercials. So how do you know what works for you? You see your body burns different calories based on different circumstances. At different levels of working out your body may burn more fat or more carbs. When these ratios change is different depending on your own unique system.
You have to figure it out on your own body. Unless you have access to blood tests and doctors who can run tests on you to tell you exactly what you burn when and what your body needs when. You will need to do some trail and error.
Many people may have already learned what extremes don’t work for them. They may have tried a high protein diet only to find that they felt anxious and low on energy, or they might have tried a high carbohydrate diet and discovered that they felt bloated and tired. Or you might have felt great on one of those diets but found that just couldn’t seem to keep it up. Your brain always seemed to be working against you making you spend too much time feeling deprived and frustrated.
Most people should start with a diet around the 30/30/40 diet. This diet is a balanced approach and because a variety of foods are available to your body it is one of the easiest to live with. It is based upon the idea that when carbohydrates are consumed with protein and fats they do not cause large swings in insulin which allows your body to use the energy rather than store it. This is what happens when simple carbohydrates are consumed on their own and high blood sugar which results in the release of insulin which helps to store sugar as body fat. Another plus side to this is that when you don’t experience sugar spikes you are better able to regulate hunger and the tendency to over eat. The hard part of this diet is that it is not as easy as simply saying that you aren’t going to touch carbohydrates or that you won’t eat any fat. In the 30/30/40 plan you actually have to do some calculations and that trip many people up. But don’t worry, if you aren’t the type to count calories, fat, carbohydrate and protein grams you can follow a simpler from of the diet. Try to make most meals a combination of the For instance for breakfast eggs, wheat toast a little real fruit preserves and a half-grapefruit. For lunch a turkey sandwich with some wheat bread and some olive spread and side of fruit salad. For dinner a salad with veggies, grilled salmon and some oil and vinegar salad dressing. Watch the portions of the salad dressing and you have a very healthy meal.
Another negative to the 30/30/40 diet is that for people who are working out to extremes they may need a great amount of carbohydrates, fats or protein depending up their own body and their level or working out. Also pre-ride and post-ride eating may have to be adapted. Most people need more carbohydrates for shorter more intense rides. And after a ride the muscles may need more carbohydrates immediately after the ride followed my more fats and carbohydrates later. The best way to do this is to see how you feel and adjust accordingly.
Some tips to remember:
- When it comes to choosing carbohydrates, proteins or fats think quality. There are nutrient dense carbohydrates such as fruits and vegetables, potatoes and fiber rich whole wheat breads and cereals. When it comes to fat think omega-3s, olive oil and nuts. Unless you are allergic or are sensitive to dairy products you probably don’t need to avoid them. In fact there are studies that show that diary fats may have unique benefits. Dairy products can also be a healthy way to get a good balance of carbohydrates, protein, fats and even good bacteria in one convent package such as in yogurt or a glass of milk.
- Be careful when any one food is demonized or said to be a cure-all. Although I do recommend staying away from chemical laden foods such as diet soda and heavily processed foods most foods can be eaten in moderation by most people. Some people do have more sensitive systems or actual allergies and diseases that keep them from eating even small amounts of certain foods, but unless you know you do don’t give up foods just because it seems the in thing to do. Just because something is gluten free doesn’t necessarily mean that it is better for you. No matter how big the gluten free section at the health food store is.
- Enjoy your food. People who enjoy treats in moderation and take the time to prepare foods they enjoy are more likely to eat healthier. Of course, we all need to eat on the go sometimes and eating fast food happens. Just make the best choice and move on. If you do decided that a more extreme diet such as no flour or being a vegetarian is best for you try not to let it keep you from spending time with people who may eat differently. Bring your own food and try not to make others feel bad for their choices. Good friends are more important for your health and quality of life than extreme food restrictions.
On an end note; I have a Grandmother who lived through World War II in Germany where variety of fruit and veggies were rare and who when she lived in America I always saw consuming butter laden pastries and drinking beer (not at the same time), she just had her one-hundredth birthday. It doesn’t mean that it is the healthiest diet in the world but I can’t say it slowed her down either. Just a few years ago she was still walking miles and even today I am not so sure that I want to go against her in an arm-wrestling contest. |
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