Nutrition4Muscle.com

When it comes to nutrition, not many foods are scrutinized as much as carbohydrates; from fad diets to the bodybuilding circuit, many people have varying ideas on what is really needed and what is beneficial to us in terms of health and what gets results when in the gym.

Over the coming weeks we’ll be looking at the importance of carbohydrates and the role they play in the functions of our body. We’ll also be looking at ways to increase the efficiency and usability, the best timing, and foods that will help give us the results we’re after – as well as ones to steer clear of.

In this first section, let’s clarify first what a carbohydrate is and the role it plays in the human body.

What are Carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are essentially strains of sugar molecules, and are made up of 3 things – Carbon, Hydrogen and Oxygen. These sugar molecules convert at differing rates depending on the source, but all break down at the end to Glucose providing your body with much needed energy. There are generally 2 accepted categories within these 1) Complex (Starches) and 2) Simple (Sugars) Carbohydrates, and although they both end up being  sugar, the complex usually takes longer to convert and therefore is known as a ‘slow release’ energy source. This may give you a few ideas as to when you need which carb option in regard to your training.

What does our Body use these for?

While there are many uses for carbohydrates and we’ll look at the roles in terms of general health, this site is about the benefits of foods for muscle strength and size, so as you read I encourage you to think about how this could work for you in your training.

Some of the roles these play in the body are:

• Provide energy in the form of Glucose to give stamina during physical activity, and not only transporting energy throughout the body but storing it in the form of Glycogen for later use (Ever get that 3pm yawning fit? This happens when your Glycogen reserves are depleted).
• They play a major role in the healthy function of the Immune System – it has been shown that glucose has a relative effect on the immune suppressing hormone (sometimes called the stress hormone) ‘cortisol’.  The higher the intake of glucose (within reason) the lower the production of cortisol and as a result, a stronger immune system.
• They are needed for successful coagulation (blood clotting), and if you get injured in any way you’ll know about this one.
• They are vital for growth and development. Tip: The word on the street is that if you want a killer pump in the gym, have a meal that’s high in both carbs and sodium a while before your workout, but be sure to balance yourself out by having post workout ‘cleansing’ foods that can rebuild strong muscle mass, and fresh veges high in proteins.

These are just some of the functions and benefits of carbohydrates in your diet. The main thing to note in all this from a training perspective is without carbs you’ll crash and burn. It’s vital to get good quality carbs in your system for health and well being.

Be sure to get the feed of this so you can check out the next section where we discover when to use carbs, and what are the best food options to get what we need!

- Glenn.

That title to most people may sound ridiculous, especially when everyone is pressured to cut out fats and get lean, but to cut out all fats from the diet is one of the most dangerous things we can do. Your cells require a certain level of fat to function properly, and did you know that your brain is made up of approximately 60% fat?
The good news is that there are different types, and of course it’s common knowledge that there are fats that don’t just make you feel sluggish, but are detrimental to your health. It is also commonly known that there are good fats as well, but what are they, what are the benefits, how much do we need, and what is the best source of these naturally available to us in everyday supermarkets?

Let’s look first at a common fat that is accepted by many as being the most beneficial source of ‘good’ fats in the diet, and i’m talking about Omega 3. There are so many supplements for this on the market that it can get a little daunting to say the least! Between Fish oil, Flax seed oil, cod liver oil, tablets, capsules, liquids – the list goes on… There are many questions that need to be asked here in regard to these -
How safe are these, What are the dangers of giving your body a concentrated dose in one hit, will your body recognize it and utilize it the way we intend, and can we really get what we need from a natural source instead? after all, people got enough of these oils in the past before this supplement boom ever reared it’s ugly head…

Let’s Clarify what those mean, nasty fats are!

Ok, just to get the record straight, we need to identify what fats you should stay away from, or at least know to cut down on. Just think ‘processed, animal, saturated’ – there, done. Processed fats are ones that have been cooked at high temperatures, and are unusable to your body and toxic, they also clog your system and cause things such as high blood pressure and poor circulation. Animal fats include things such as dairy (milk/ cheeses/ any form of butter). Anything that looks and smells good (joking!), anything deep fried and containing saturated fat.

What are the benefits of good fats in our diet?

The benefits are numerous as you’ll see, and don’t just think of this from a training perspective, but from a general health perspective. That’s what we train for anyway, right? These are only some of the benefits, i could be here all day otherwise!

• They increase the metabolic rate, raising energy levels and shortening recovery time (this one point alone should get you thinking)
• They help improve skin – many skin conditions could be eliminated just by getting enough good fats.
• Lower blood pressure, and are needed to move cholesterol.
• Stabilize your heart beat, increase mood and ease depression.
• protects DNA from damage, providing support for cardiovascular and immune system function.
• Help transport minerals through your body.

Is that enough reasons to get more of these good fats in your diet?

How much do we need?

I personally don’t worry myself with the exact milligrams needed, or any of the technical stuff (they always change anyway depending on who you speak to). As a good general rule, go for a ratio of 2:1 – Omega 3:Omega 6 as Omega 3 is needed more, but 6 is still a needed fat for good health, and can’t be produced naturally in the body so it must be from food. You’ll know what you need as well by how you feel, once you feel the effects of increasing your intake of natural fats you’ll know what feels right for you.

What Foods contain Omega 3 & 6?

Here’s the fun bit, where you’ll see there’s a whole range of natural sources we can get these fats from, and some that seem a little naughty, but are actually very good for you. Think about fats in their natural state and you can’t go far wrong.

• Seeds & Nuts – most seeds and nuts have a natural fat content, but good sources are Almonds, Hazelnuts, Walnuts. As an example, if you have a handful of walnuts mixed with flax seeds you’ll be close to getting the recommended intake of these fats.
• Avocado – One of the best foods on the planet, and high in natural fats
• Fish – most people will have heard this one, and the best are the fatty fish (obviously) like Salmon, sardines etc…
• Eggs – With any animal product try and go for free range, organic if you can – the more natural the animal lives, the better it is for you.
• Olive Oil – this sounds strange to a lot of people, but olive oil is a great source of good fats, so why not reward yourself with a good quality one.

As you can see there are plenty of benefits to these essential oils, and they are so easy to add into your diet that there’s no need to go with expensive supplements, but that choice is up to you.

If you need to learn more about getting lean through great nutrition and training, check out Burn the Fat, Feed the Muscle!