Robert Murray ATC/L, CSCS, LMT,
American College of Sports Medicine
- Nutrition and Exercise Certified
Nutrition counseling is scientifically based on each client's individual body
composition of lean muscle mass/body fat, activity, and wellness/fitness
goal.
Based on one's lean mass, base metabolism and activity, I can safely estimate the correct amount of protein, healthy fat, and carbohydrates needed for each meal. This strategy combined with safely prescribed cardiorespiratory exercise is guaranteed to give a predictable result.
Supplements are recommended to compliment a full and healthy lifestyle and diet.
See Nutrition News to view more information about discoveries and foodstuffs.
PROTEIN: Protein is a broad term to describe what our bodies recognize as amino acids. Amino acids are the "Building Blocks" of the body. Besides building cells and repairing tissue, they form antibodies to combat invading bacteria & viruses; they are part of the enzyme & hormonal system; they build nucleoproteins (RNA & DNA); they carry oxygen throughout the body and participate in muscle activity. When protein is broken down by digestion the result is 22 known amino acids. Eight are essential (cannot be manufactured by the body) the rest are non-essential (can be manufactured by the body with proper nutrition). Protein moves through the body in blood for approximately 4-6 hours before it is filtered by the kidney or stored as fat.
FAT: Fat is an umbrella term that describes what our bodies recognize as free fatty acid (FFA). To many people, fat has negative health connotations. But as nutritionists know, fat is an essential nutrient. Like carbohydrates and protein, dietary fat is an important source of energy for the body. Fat is the most concentrated source of energy in the diet, providing nine calories per gram compared with four calories per gram from either carbohydrates or protein. Fat is a particularly important source of calories for infants and young children; fifty percent of the calories in human breast milk come from fat, while only nine percent of breast milk contains protein!
Dietary fat supplies essential fatty acids, such as linoleic and linolenic acids, which, once again, are especially important to children for proper growth. Fat also is required for maintaining healthy skin, regulating cholesterol metabolism and as a precursor of prostaglandins, hormone-like substances that regulate many body processes. Dietary fat is needed to carry fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K and to aid in their absorption from the intestine. The body uses whatever fat it needs for energy, and the rest is stored in various fatty tissues. Some fat is found in blood plasma and other body cells, but the largest amount is stored in the body's adipose (fat) cells. These fat deposits not only store energy, but also are important in insulating the body and supporting and cushioning organs.
Other types of fats have been manufactured in the last century to preserve the longevity of the foods they are used in while also decreasing the "dangers" of saturated fats. Trans fats as they are known seem to have a negative effect on the body. They are called hydrogenated fats. Many health experts and I feel that because the body in its infinite knowledge knows good foods from bad foods, does not know how to process this new man-made fat (labeled as fractionated or hydrogenated oil). The FDA has recently regulated manufacturers to start label the amounts of trans fats used in their products. The other fats found in food are only labeled if the companies volunteer this expense.
CARBOHYDRATE: From January/February 1995 Food Insight
In addition to being convenient and jam-packed with vitamins, minerals and fiber, these foods are generally low in dietary fat and are good sources of complex carbohydrates. Current dietary guidelines recommend obtaining 55 to 60 percent of energy from carbohydrates, especially complex carbohydrates. I generally break from this philosophy unless my clients are active in exercise more than 1 hour to 1 1/2 hours per day.
But how do these guidelines translate into daily food choices? What are the specific benefits of whole-grain foods in the healthful eating equation? Carbohydrates are an important energy source, fueling the central nervous system and muscles during physical activity. Supplying four calories per gram, carbohydrates also help the body efficiently use vitamins, minerals, amino acids and other essential nutrients.
Scientists classify carbohydrates into two categories: simple and complex. Sugars are called simple carbohydrates because they consist of one or two sugars units. Sugars occur naturally in fruits, vegetables, milk and other foods, as well as in a refined state, such as table sugar or sucrose. The body cannot distinguish between naturally-occurring and added sugars and digests both in exactly the same manner.
Complex carbohydrates, found in grain foods, fruits and vegetables, get their name from their complex chain-like structure of many sugars units. Included in this category are starches and dietary fiber. During digestion, starch is typically broken down into sugars and used by the body for energy.
Here is where I disagree with many people. I believe starches are, in fact, disguised simple carbohydrates and not as they say "complex." The body contains enzymes that can "snip" certain complex carbohydrates at designated points along their biochemical chain, essentially neutralizing their long chemical structure into that of tens, hundreds, or thousands of simple sugars that are absorbed very quickly, identical to simple sugars from that point on.
FIBER: (a carbohydrate)
Studies conflict; but many nutritionists and health practitioners believe that high-fiber diets can reduce the risks of heart disease and certain types of cancer. Soluble fiber in cereals, oatmeal, beans and other foods has been found to lower blood cholesterol. Insoluble fiber in cauliflower, cabbage and other vegetables, fruits, and nuts helps move foods through the stomach and intestine, thereby decreasing the risk of cancers of the colon and rectum.
"Whole-grain breads and cereals, dry beans and peas, fruits and vegetables are generally low in fat, contain little or no cholesterol and are rich in fiber, which facilitates proper bowel function and can reduce symptoms of chronic constipation, diverticular disease and hemorrhoids," said Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., in a recent article in Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition. Slavin, a professor in the University of Minnesota's Department of Food Science and Nutrition, noted that whole-grain foods contain many different mixtures of carbohydrates and large molecules present in all plant foods. Thus, their exact physiologic role in disease prevention/ health promotion is not yet well understood.
Despite the clear benefits of a fiber-rich diet, most Americans fall far short of optimal intakes. According to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey for 1989-1991, the mean daily intake of dietary fiber was 17 grams for males and 13 grams for females; the National Cancer Institute recommends an intake of 20 to 35 grams per day.
Do sugars cause hyperactivity?
In the 1970s, anecdotal reports suggested sugars cause hyperactivity in children. Research, however, failed to confirm this theory. Hyperactivity was not seen in children after consistent high intakes or single large doses of sugars.
In a recent study, researchers examined the effect of eating sucrose (table sugar) on the behavior of children aged 6 to 10 years. (2) The children were chosen for the study because their parents believed the children reacted negatively to sucrose. Preschool children were also studied. They are often considered sensitive to some foods. The researchers found no differences in the behavior of the children when they ate higher-than-normal amounts of sucrose compared to when they ate diets low in sucrose.
Actually, this and other research suggests sugars tend to calm both children and adults. This effect could go unnoticed due to other influences. For instance, the excitement of a birthday party or Halloween could override the calming effect of sugars.
This is intuitive to most people. For adults, what are our comfort foods? Rich and sweet tasting food stuffs! These sweet food stuffs causes an increase of the endogenous hormones in our brain, chiefly serotonin. This gives an emotional feeling of comfort and general sanguinity. There are large amounts of research that indicate that chocolate fulfills our need for comfort by satisfying the subconscious desire to increase certain hormones as well as subvert our "sweet tooth."
Sugars Used in Foods
Different sugars perform different functions in foods, but they are used in the same way by the body. These sugars often appear on food label ingredient lists.