There's one in every crowd -- LOL
I'm finally getting some questions! -- Thank you !
I'm excited because I think questions are like water you sprinkle on a lawn --- its something to stimulate everybody's minds --------- we fertilize the lawn and eventually, - with proper care, - a little supplementation, and sprinkling -- we have a surface you could play the Super Bowl on if you had enough room !
We don't all have a super bowl level lawn, --but we can keep striving --- and when the water flows in, I'm going to spill forth -- not fertilizer -- but nourishment
--- nourishment for your brain, man
-------- One individual has been a student of healthy living as long as I've known him-- he works hard , and his street cred is legit-
-- anytime he reads one of these and sees something a bit different , he texts me ---
One day he asks ---
1) - "Do You consider most veggies a carb?" ---
My response was -- "Not really, - the obvious ones are taters and rice though, carrots and tomatoes even "
---- truth outside of text ------ yes, technically, --- most veggies are considered carbohydrates because they contain no fat and very little protein --- but my thoughts are that you cannot overlook fiber
-- some veggies also contain very little calories --- that's because they also contain very few carbs. A baked potato contains approx. 200 calories (this is before you add salt, butter, sour cream and bacon bits of course ) -- while a cup of lettuce has about 5 calories.
The amount of lettuce needed to equal a baked potato is approximately 40 times as much in volume -- that's enough to knock a dent in a 5 gallon bucket
Then what macronutrient group do the many varieties of lettuce and other veggies like it that have few calories fall under ? -- While technically listed as a carb, its more a fiber, which is an unspoken 4th macronutrient food group that is not listed
---- Its filler material
An apple contains 100 calories -- but if you juice an apple , the pulp left has only perhaps 20 calories --- the juice and water content is 80% of the apple! But ........... the pulp fills you up , adds FIBER, aids digestion and does other positive things outside of its energy count or macronutrient profile
We very mildly touched on negative calories , among other things. Pop culture and phrasing is big on buzzwords -- and the negative calorie thing had a little bit of traction -- kind of like the "fat furnace" amongst other buzzwords---
-- truth , --- yes - 5 calories of lettuce is still 5 calories of lettuce. IT doesn't necessarily provide any more heat energy than 5 calories of baked potato (which would be a solid spoonful ) ---
-- but also a truth - if you look at it from the beginning of the journey until the end of the journey , -- it sits in your stomach longer and is more difficult to process than the potato.
Bottom line , food consumption starts at our fingertips and fork tips and ends in a place of dark silence, surrounded by water --- (and sometimes not so silent) - and you do burn more calories going from start to finish with 5 calories of lettuce than you do 20 calories of potatoes
--- so much so that ketogenic diet plans consider things like lettuce and broccoli and quite a few others as being very low impact foods (Atkins being the most prolific of the ketogenic diet plans --- but bodybuilders have been going low carb for decades -- Ask Arnold and company)
-- the ketogenic process is a relatively narrow thing --you can throw it off with a poorly timed bagel or two and then you are back to square one ------- If you can eat 3 or 4 cups of them a day and not throw your keto process out of whack , then they are not much of a carb and ideally would fall much closer in line with my suggestion of a 4th macronutrient called fiber
Tomatoes? - that's a medium density carb, and one that should be monitored, but not taken off the list -- raw tomatoes can be consumed up to a cup a day without goofing yourself up --other forms of greens also can fall into line as a "medium carb" -- this would include Kale and cabbage , surprisingly enough -- both of which are more carby than any type of lettuce, even though they all look similar
Whole fruits, fruit juices, corn, potatoes , rice - these are all higher density carbs and are things that will cause a keto diet to death spiral
Now ---- its a darn good thing I am not fixated on a ketogenic death spiral, but truly --- if we were sitting around a campfire on the beach? --- MAn, we could go on and on about that until the sun comes up
But.......... I'm not advocating low carb , and am really not promoting any one single diet plan over another --- because this is a highly individual thing, but for most of us, it will take quite a bit of diet "clean up" before we can ascertain what our individual needs are, and it can be a slowly evolving thing as well, to the point that the way you are eating at age 55 may be different than it is at 35
--- also, even amongst bodybuilders, the ketogenic diets are generally regarded as "contest diets" , not something that is lived with day in/day out year after year. Perhaps 2 or 3 months out of a year depending on the needs , but when the contest is over , eating a more balanced , almost normal , diet resumes --- just more of it
2nd item of note concerned something I put in the column a couple of days ago when I attempted to outline a nutrition day that I strive for
Out of the blue , a text came in like a flaming arrow over the parapet walls -
2) Pudding is on a good food day list?
Let me ask you something --- how long do you think I'm advocating my approach?
This is not a crash diet ----- In my column, I actually said my dietary goals and calorie count was geared towards weight loss ---If I am following my program as I should, then I have engineered enough room for a treat to close out the day -------
--- the small influx of carbs helps me get to sleep , and tastes good
But my column/blog that day was about my "ideal" food day -- I don't eat pudding every day, but when I do, rest assured that it is better to have one pudding cup than it is to have 3 scoops of ice cream with some chocolate chips sprinkled on top
--- If you have established what you need in your macronutrient profile and you stay true to that during the day -- and your calorie count has been in your ideal range for the day, then yes, -- a simple snack pack is doing little to no harm
The amendment to this question was --
"But what about the sugar content and all that processed stuff in a mass produced thing of snack pack pudding?"
---
Reasonable question -------- and its a catch -22 . I even wrote about my little dog's reaction to processed cheese a few days ago
There is not much of a purer form of processing than condensing protein down , mixing it with coffee, mocha , chocolate or vanilla, -- and making a protein powder or drink out of it though
----- coffee mixed with hazelnut or any other artificial flavoring , is processing -- and many people quaff that down regularly at Starbucks
I'm not giving up protein powders and meal replacement powders because they are highly processed though. In fact, if you read into everything I'm saying, -- then I believe they are a highly valuable tool to get the calories you need in a day and keep your meal frequency at the level it should be to keep your metabolism stimulated
Sure, there are hundreds of ways to eat --- but not if your stuck in a car 10 hours a day -- or training 6 hours a day, like an athlete would be --- sometimes you just cant stomach a "real meal" ---- but your body has a way of turning against you --- if you just don't eat, your metabolism is repressed , and when that happens , you can give into temptation, which can come in many forms
early morning (or late night ) runs to IHOP, Waffle House , etc etc can be disastrous if your metabolism is already in a weakened state .
Sometimes temptation is as simple as those 2 packs of saltines you crumble into your soup at lunch --- seems innocent enough, but your scheduled 400 calorie meal now has 500 calories ---
I used this breakdown before when examining the effects of a cookie a day, but 100 extra calories every lunch for a whole year is 36,500 - divided by 3000 (calories to roughly build a pound) and you get 12.17 pounds a year that have to be managed
No thanks , you can keep the crackers
We all have foods that are "hot button" foods for us ---- stuff we don't need to eat daily, but should enjoy every couple of weeks for one meal
Its easier to pass on the sugary root beers, crackers, and other empty little carb sources when you know you are just a few days away from your "cheat meal"
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A Few more words about carbs
Carbs have been getting a negative rap the last few years ---- That's fine.
The Paleo diet is now where Atkins was 10 years ago -- maybe not as universally accepted by sedentary people, because it takes more discipline to follow than the old Atkins approach of just eating bacon and burger patties all day, but its massively popular now and the focal point at a lot of nutrition and fitness seminars
To put it simply, in Paleo, your just going to avoid grains, artificial foods and anything you're allergic to --- the literature goes deeper than that, but those are the nuts and bolts
Yes - over-consumption of carbs of all types beats the heck out of sedentary people , but the measured and proper application of this macro can give you an enhanced ability to recover and train more effectively
When you consume them in appropriate amounts and at the right time - insulin is released -- which can accelerate tissue healing
carbs also suppress our main hunger hormones
BAked potatoes and bagels are 2 examples of what could be called carb "Superfoods" -- but they are now seemingly shunned as performance food
----- potatoes and bagels are guilty by association, not by action ----- kind of like members of a criminal gang who stayed back at the supper club while their buddies went and robbed a bank
A baked potato is the perfect vessel to host massive amounts of fat in the form of butter and sour cream , while its friend the bagel is a splendid cream cheese transportation vehicle!
- with friends like those, who needs enemies?
Not to mention the average bagel is now as large as a hideaway spare tire for a car , - and if you order a loaded baked potato -- chances are it will be bigger than a small dog ---- In both cases , cutting your portion size in half would be ideal
Some of you will ultimately settle on diets that will not contain many carbs at all, while some may find they perform better on the old endurance athlete's standby of 60% carbs and 20% each of fat and protein
------ There is not a single perfect solution for everybody . The needs of a 50 year old mountain bike enthusiast are different from those of a 28 year old cross-fitter, - and the needs of a 40 year old guy who just wants to be "healthier" or trim up a bit are different too
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Closing thoughts
Have a Plan and Stay Informed
Don't get me wrong: Doing what is takes to succeed and win isn't a bad thing. The problem is that too few identify what it actually takes to succeed.
When implementing your exercise and diet strategies , blindly working hard is not the answer. Just because you work as hard as or harder than someone else doesn't mean it is more effective.
It's a lot like running a marathon. While a marathon is 26.2 miles, some people out there would run their sport's equivalent of 35 miles just to say they worked the hardest. To top it all off, most of them would be running in the wrong direction! They worked harder and still placed last.
Working hard for the hell of it won't cut it. Get a plan and then bust your ass! Your metabolism will thank you , and given enough time, I'm hoping the mirror will too.
Thanks to Joad for the 2 or 3 unassuming questions that inspired today's rant
Stay tuned -- next blog entry I have a couple more diet questions to get through -- its going to be a page burner, not to mention a question about the preferred diet plan of the Coal Miner's Daughter !
-- yes, we break down, The Dolly Parton Diet for one member of the readership
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---- Doug
_______________________________________________________________________________disclaimer: The information contained here is not intended to replace the medical advice of your physician and is not intended as medical advice. This newsletter/blog is a sharing of knowledge and information from the research and experience of the staff of Fitclaimspro.com and professional colleagues unless otherwise noted
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