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Fuel: Fitness Meals In Minutes PT.2

By Jason Morgan

You Basically Need To Understand Three Things About Nutrition:

  1. The purpose for each of the three macronutrients: protein, carbohydrates, and fat.
  2. The proper ratio or percentages of protein, carbohydrates, and fat that your food should be divided into.
  3. The appropriate number of calories you should consume to meet your specific physique enhancement goals.

Good nutrition seems much easier when it is broken down into three simple aspects, doesn't it? What do the three macronutrients do for our bodies? What ratio of these calories should be allocated to protein, carbohydrates, and fat? How do I determine how many calories I should consume?

Those questions provide a wide range of answers that are not necessarily easy to find. But with patience, persistence, some experimentation, and a little guidance you eventually figure out what works best for your body. There are no magic numbers, solutions, or pills that I, nor anyone else, can give you to make the process effortless.

Protein

Protein is the most important nutrient you'll need in order to build muscle. Remember, muscle is protein. Protein is muscle. If you're protein intake is not high enough you'll have a very difficult time seeing results from your weight training. Plain and simple, you will not build be physique you want without a sufficient amount of protein.

Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are used in the body for energy. They give you the energy to train hard in the gym and to carry out every day activities. Your body needs carbohydrates are consistent basis throughout the day to feed every cell in the body. Carbohydrates are converted in the body to form glucose which is more commonly known as blood sugar. When carbohydrate stores in the body are depleted too far, the body will convert precious muscle protein into glucose instead of regular carbohydrates to give the body the energy it needs. You want to consume enough carbohydrates to prevent this from happening however, an excess carbohydrates will be converted into body fat. How can you avoid eating too many carbohydrates? There are many strategies that address this very question. Some believe you should limit your carbohydrate consumption after 6:00 or 7:00 PM, while others believe you should consume the majority of the carbohydrates early in the morning and immediately following your workouts. Personally, I believe that the amount or the time that you consume the carbohydrates is not nearly as important as the type of carbohydrates you consume. Each person's body processes foods differently. Some people are able to consume starchy carbohydrates such as potatoes and rice, with no adverse effects to their nutritional goals, while others can only take in carbohydrates in the form of fibrous vegetables like broccoli and asparagus.

How do you determine which carbohydrates are right for you? This is where some experimentation comes into play. I believe that you must consume both types of carbohydrates while monitoring the effects of each on your body. In my experience, I have eaten as little as two slices of 100% whole wheat bread at dinner for my carbohydrates source and have been as much as 4lbs. heavier the following morning. However, under the same training and environmental conditions, I can consume a 12" skillet full of vegetables and actually weigh less. I also believe that in order to assess how your body reacts to certain foods, you must detoxify your system. It is generally accepted that most adults in the United States above the age of 30 have anywhere between 8 and 20 pounds of undigested processed foods in their intestines. I'll explain the detoxification process in a future installment.

Fats

Fat has a vital purpose in your diet. Fat acts as a structural component for last cell membranes and supplies necessary chemical substrates for the production of hormones. Fat protects your vital organs and carries certain vitamins. Your body needs fat, said Dole tried to avoid it completely. Many experts feel that 20 to 30% of your daily caloric intake should come from fat.

There are two types of fat. Saturated fat, which is considered bad and unsaturated fat, which is considered to be the good fat. Some people add fats like olive oil and canola oil to their diets to make sure they meet their body's requirements. Flax Seed oil is another fat that has many beneficial properties.

What Is the "Right" Ratio of Macro Nutrients?

The experts in the health and fitness community often debate about to recommend a ratio of protein, carbohydrates, and fat. The amount you need is based on your body's ability to metabolize nutrients and what your ultimate fitness goals are. Again, some experimentation is needed on your part here. Don't lose your focus but trying to nail down an exact number! Overall, a slight swing in the percentages of macro nutrients is not really a big deal. If you're truly motivated and committed to reaching your physique goals, you'll have plenty of time to make adjustments if you pay attention to your body!

In my particular case, with my fitness goals in mind, I realize I must eat more protein that an average person. I must also consume enough carbohydrates to fuel my workouts and maintain my energy levels through the course of the day. In saying that, experimentation has proven that I cannot process starchy carbohydrates as well as I process green leafy or fibrous vegetables.

I also realize that due to my body type, I am prone to store fat therefore I must eat fewer calories from fat. My fat intake is generally limited to incidental fat in the chicken breast or other protein sources in my diet. With that being said, let's see if we can't come up with a couple of tasty treats as well!

Lemon Meringue Pie Smoothie

10 to 12oz. Crystal Light lemonade or one serving AST Creatine HSC, lemon flavor
Two scoops Whey Power (vanilla)
Pour everything into a blender.
Whip and enjoy!

Makes one serving.

Per serving: 266 calories, 50g protein, 10g carbohydrate, 2g fat. Add 34g carbohydrate and 136 calories if using AST Creatine HSC.

Muscleworx Potent Potion

1 cup grape juice
2 tbsp. lime juice
2 egg whites
1 very ripe banana
1 cup crushed ice
1 scoop Whey Protein (vanilla)
Pour everything into a blender.
Whip and enjoy!

Makes one serving.

Per serving: 241 calories, 33g of protein, 41g of carbohydrate, 1g of fat.

About the Author:

Jason Morgan is an ISSA Certified Fitness Trainer and owner of Muscleworx Personal Fitness Systems located in Carolina Beach, NC. He is a featured writer for Snows Cut Monthly and various fitness publications and web sites. His website is http://www.muscleworx.com