Negative Calorie Foods

DECIDE WHAT YOU WANT, DECIDE WHAT YOU ARE WILLING TO EXCHANGE FOR IT. ESTABLISH YOUR PRIORITIES AND GO TO WORK!

H.L. Hunt

What Are Negative Calorie Foods?

Healthy eating is an important factor in weight control and overall health. Many of the foods we eat are high in fat and provide us with more empty calories than nutritional value. As a result, people often experience an increase in weight and health problems such as high cholesterol. Negative calorie foods can help fill you up without adding to your caloric intake, which makes them good choices for the dieter's menu.

Definition

1.    Negative calorie foods aren't completely void of calories. Negative calorie foods are foods that use more calories to digest than the foods themselves contain. The body has to work harder to process these foods; therefore, they are natural fat burners.

Significance

2.    Negative calorie foods are high in water content, which is one reason the caloric intake is low.

Fruits

3.    Fruits are a type of nature's negative calorie foods. Negative calorie fruits include watermelon, grapefruit, strawberries, peaches, tangerines, plums and apricots, cranberries, among others.

Vegetables

4.    Your mother always said you should eat your vegetables, and now you have another reason they should be included in your meals. Negative calorie vegetables include broccoli, cabbage, asparagus, lettuce, spinach, radishes, carrots, celery, cauliflower, cucumbers, tomatoes, turnips, beets and more.

Balance

5.    Whether you want to lose weight or just eat healthier, adding more negative calorie foods to your daily meals can be a positive way to start. It is important to eat balanced meals even if you are dieting; otherwise, your health may suffer. Be sure to include healthy sources of protein in your diet.

Eliminate Excess Calories

6.    A good way to start changing your dietary habits is to replace high calorie foods like a piece of chocolate cake for dessert with a healthy negative calorie food such as a bowl of strawberries without the whipped cream. Before you know it, you will be eating healthier and losing weight without ever feeling like you've been dieting.

WHOEVER WANTS TO REACH A DISTANT GOAL MUST TAKE MANY SMALL STEPS!

Helmut Schmidt

Portion Control

The greatest discovery of my generation is that human beings can alter their lives by altering their attitudes of mind.
~William James

6 Tips for Portion Control

In the world of nutrition news, there was a recent study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine that took a look at cookbook recipes over the last several decades (with emphasis on recipes in The Joy of Cooking). This study found that calorie counts per serving have gone up dramatically as authors have increased portion sizes to conform to new cultural norms. Where the 1936 edition of the kitchen classic averaged 268 calories per serving, the 2006 edition averaged 384 calories. The study theorized that lower costs of food and larger plate sizes are part of the reason for the increase, but nutritionist Marion Nestle says that mainly it's just a reflection of people becoming accustomed to eating more and more overall. What can we do to monitor and control portion sizes? Here are some ideas . . .

1. Downsize your plate. One issue the study pointed out is that the average plate size has grown over the years, and the amount of food served on those plates has kept pace with that increase. Instead of breaking out the big dinner plate, try eating your dinner off a salad or dessert plate. The smaller plate will make the amount of food look larger by proportion, a visual cue that will trick your brain into thinking you're eating more. Plus you can trade in your big dinner fork for a more petite salad fork, which will also help to slow down any shoveling behavior you might be tempted to engage in at the dinner table.
2. Divide and conquer. When you're cooking more than one serving of something, immediately store the prospective leftovers in single-serving containers. By putting out the entire dish, you run the risk of not having any leftovers at the end of the meal. Depending on what the meal is, I divide my food onto two plates—one for that meal and one for lunch the next day. And as a side benefit, this can help you tighten your wallet while you tighten your waistline.
3. Count it down. If you eat your reasonably-sized portion of food in the dining room/living room/den/bedroom/bathroom, etc., and leave the leftovers in the kitchen, it will make this next step a lot easier. Here's the scenario: You've finished your first portion, and yet you still want more. This is far from atypical, especially if the big plate of leftovers is sitting in front of you, tempting you, calling to you—maybe just a half a spoonful or maybe just a pick at the serving platter with your fork (just the good parts, of course). That couldn't possibly have more calories, right? Wrong. The calories from the food you sneak in after you finish eating are as potent as the calories from the food you're served. The good news is that if you can hold off, you won't be hungry for long.
   
   After you have a decent-sized portion of food, it takes your brain about 20 minutes to get the message from your stomach that you're full. So try this: Before you reach for seconds, glance at the clock on the wall or your wristwatch. Spend the next 20 minutes chatting with your dining companions, or if you're eating alone, check out the newspaper, read a magazine article, or play along with a round of Jeopardy on TV. Then, after 20 minutes, see if you're still starving for another bowl full of whatever. Chances are that your cravings will have disappeared. If they haven't, maybe you do still need a little more food to achieve satiety. Review what you ate before, and if the calorie count seems low, treat yourself to a little extra. Or, if the calorie count seems about right or high for a regular meal and you're still hungry, fill up on some low-cal veggies or have a big glass of water. Sometimes it's easy to confuse thirst for hunger.
4. Embrace your inner child. And we don't mean have candy for dinner . . . When you're on the road or out at a restaurant, don't be ashamed to look at the kids' menu. As the adult menu has been supersized to gluttonous proportions, the children's menu often has the most nutritious options. Check out Debbie Siebers' portion-control tips below, and you'll see that oftentimes the amount of food in a kids' meal is just the right amount for an adult watching his or her figure. Not to mention, if you play your cards right, there could be a free toy in it for you. Out of the mouths of babes . . .
5. Sharing is good. And while we're getting lessons from the small set, how about sharing? If you're a foodie like me, the hardest part about eating out is passing up all the goodies you want to try on the menu. Instead of ordering too much for yourself, strategize with your fellow diners about how you can maximize the variety of the food instead of the quantity. Most restaurants will be more than happy to provide you with extra small plates so you can split dishes. And make sure you actually split them!
   
   Don't dine out with your friend who survives on a nibble here or there and split two dishes; you'll end up eating 80 percent of the food on the table while he or she makes do with a couple of forkfuls. In case you ever wondered how Top Chef host Padma Lakshmi keeps her model physique while judging up to 12 meals a week, the secret is that she doesn't eat everything. Also, when you're figuring out how to eat family-style, make sure that at least one of the dishes is a healthy salad, a non-cream-based soup, or a vegetable dish. That way you and your family can get full without getting fat.
6. Learn your weights and measurements. Read labels, and as important as the calorie, carb, protein, and fat numbers is the serving size. This is where the corporate food interests get you a lot of the time, by adjusting the serving size downward to make the nutritional numbers look a little better. As anyone who's recently spent a Saturday night alone with the TV can tell you, the estimate of four servings in a pint of Ben and Jerry's or Häagen-Dazs is wildly optimistic. Whereas the label would indicate a 300-calorie serving, keep in mind that the entire container has 1,200 calories. And since most of the containers taper downward, eating what appears to be half of the container can actually amount to two-thirds.
   
   It's definitely too much of a hassle to weigh and measure everything you put in your body every day. Even the most anal-retentive people among us don't have the time to be hauling out the scale and measuring cups for every meal. But it's worth it to at least familiarize yourself with a few standard weights and measures. Try learning what an ounce, a gram, a tablespoon, etc., look like. That way you can at least eyeball how much you're eating. I've yet to meet the person who can make a typical bag of potato chips last for twelve servings.

Handy Portion Control Guide

To achieve weight loss—and maintain that healthy weight once you've achieved it—it's crucial to really understand what a portion is. Here's what may prove to be an indispensible tip: Use your hand as a guideline for portion sizes. (If your hands happen to be extra-large or extra-small for your size, adjust accordingly.)

Palm = Proteins: Make protein portions the size of your palm. Protein is found in animal products, like fish, meats, and cottage cheese. Some veggie protein sources include legumes (beans, etc.), tofu, tempeh, and wheat glutens.

Thumb = Fats: Fats are important, but they're also very dense, so match fat portions to the size of your thumb. Good fat sources are avocados, olive oil, nuts, and seeds.

Fist = Fruits, Grains, etc.: Your bread, fruit, cereal, rice, and grain portions should be about equal to the size of your closed fist. Remember that it's always preferable to consume whole grains.

Hand = Veggies: Open your hand and spread your fingers as wide as you can. That's a good vegetable portion. Raw vegetables are loaded with fiber and nutrients, and they contain very few calories.

• 1 teaspoon (5 ml)
• about the size of the top half of your thumb
• 1 ounce (28 g)
• approximately inch cube of cheese
• volume of four stacked dice
• slice of cheese is about the size of a 3 1/2 inch computer disk
• chunk of cheese is about as thick as 2 dominoes
• 1 handful (palm) of nuts
• 2 ounces (57 g)
• 1 small chicken leg or thigh
• 1/2 cup of cottage cheese or tuna
• 3 ounces (85 g)
• serving of meat is about the size of a deck of playing cards (3 exchanges)
• 1/2 of whole chicken breast
• 1 medium pork chop
• 1 small hamburger
• unbreaded fish fillet
• 1/2 cup (118 ml)
• fruit or vegetables can fit in the palm of your hand
• about the volume of a tennis ball
• 1 cup (236 ml)
• about the size of a woman's fist
• breakfast cereal goes halfway up the side of a standard cereal bowl
• broccoli is about the size of a light bulb
• 1 medium apple = A tennis ball

As we express our gratitude, we must never forget that the highest appreciation is not to utter words, but to live by them.~John F. Kennedy

Sleep

To dream anything that you want to dream. That is the beauty of the human mind. To do anything that you want to do. That is the strength of the human will. To trust yourself to test your limits. That is the courage to succeed!
Bernard Edmond

How Much Sleep Do I Need?

Let’s face it.. sleep is necessary for life!
Better yet, sleep has an increased rate of anabolism (the synthesis of cell structures), and a decreased rate of catabolism (the breakdown of cell structures).
What this means to you is more muscle.
Have you heard the term, “You don’t grow in the gym, you grow out of the gym.” Well sleep is part of that. It’s not just recovery but it’s when your muscles repair themselves.

Stages of Sleep

Currently, scientists divide sleep into two general types: REM (Rapid Eye Movement) and NREM (non-REM).
And within those types, there are 5 defined stages of sleep referred to as Stages 1 thru 5.
Did you know that Non-REM (Stage 1-4 sleep) accounts for 75-80% of total sleep time? it’s also in those stages that your body repairs itself and it’s when the real growth occurs.

Optimal Sleep Amounts

An American study linked life spans with sleep amount and found that those who sleep 4 to 7 hours live the longest, with those sleeping less than 4 or more than 9 hours living shorter lives. The National Sleep Foundation however maintains that 8 hours of sleep is optimal, claiming improved performance in tests, reduced risk of accidents and a better immune system. It is important to mention this does not apply to children and adolescents, particularly children who require as much as 13 hours a night.

Importance of Optimal Sleep

First, some theories of sleep describe sleep as a dynamic time of healing and growth for organisms. For example, during stages 3 and 4, or slow-wave sleep, growth hormone levels increase, and changes in immune function occur.
Non-REM sleep may be an anabolic state marked by physiological processes of growth and rejuvenation of the organism’s immune, nervous, muscular, and skeletal systems.
But what happens if you don’t get enough sleep?

Lack of Sleep

This is a list of potential problems associated with a lack of sleep or sleep deprivation.

• Irritability
• Hernia
• Nausea
• Decreased ability for the immune system to fight off sickness
• Weight gain
• Increased blood pressure
• Aching muscles
• Faster aging
• Dizziness
• Slowed reaction time (Editors note: Not good for short sprinters!)

For all those reasons, you can see that getting enough sleep is EXTREMELY important to your goals of muscle building and fat loss. A lack of sleep can really put a lid on your progress.
Short bouts of sleep deprivation probably won’t stifle your gains but long term sleep problems can certainly curtail your progress.
While there is not single number that works for every single person, generally 4-7 hours should be enough for most people under most conditions to build muscle and burn fat.
It’s true that some people need more and some people need less.

Sleep Tips for Getting the Rest You Need

Here’s just a few tips for healthy and restful sleep:

• Sleep only when sleepy – There’s no reason to go to sleep or attempt to sleep if you aren’t tired.
• If you cannot fall asleep within 20 minutes, get up until you are tired and try again. Don’t lie awake for hours.
• Nap no more than 20 minutes and certainly not too late in the day as it will interfere with going to sleep later.
• Get up and go to bed at the same time every day. This includes weekends. Establish a sleep routine and stick with it.
• Refrain from exercising 4 hours before your regular bedtime. You can do morning workouts and late afternoon but if you workout too close to bed time, you’ve essentially just woken yourself up. It will be harder to go to sleep quickly if you’ve just got your blood flowing.
• Develop sleep rituals. Many parents try and calm their children down 20 minutes or more before bed. This establishes a relaxation time frame before sleeping. Whatever you can do to relax before going to bed.
• Only use your bed for sleeping.
• Stay away from stimulates 4-6 hours before bed. That includes alcohol, nicotine and caffeine.
• Have a light snack before bed.
• Take a hot bath 90 minutes before bed. Some studies have shown that a drop in body temperature will leave you feeling sleepy. The bath will warm you up and getting out will cool you down. That drop can leave you feeling ready to sleep and it’s a relaxing ritual as well before heading off to bed. A hot/warm shower will also do the trick.
• Ensure your bed and bedroom are quiet and comfortable. This means the place where you sleep is conducive to sleeping.

One sleep “secret” action you can take within 45 seconds of opening your eyes in the morning, to instantly raise your energy is to use sunlight to set your biological clock. When light hits your skin, it starts to destroy melatonin. The faster you can get rid of melatonin, the less groggy you will feel upon waking. The first 15 seconds you can either open up a window and get some sunlight or you can look near a bright light if it’s too dark outside. This will help to wake you up quickly and get rid of that groggy feeling you sometimes can feel.
Needless to say…
Sleep is extremely important to getting the most of our your fitness program. There’s several benefits to sleep beyond the simple fact it’s required for life. There’s long term effects of sleep deprivation that will interfere with your goals.
Clearly when you sleep, your body is growing and repairing form the workout you did to stimulate muscle growth. This means it is critical to your overall progress.

THIS IS REALLY INTERESTING; DO IT YOU WILL MARVEL AT THE CHALLENGE; NO TRICKS

give this a try – very interesting! (gives ‘new meaning’ to an old term that some people used to use, when they say “I never forget a face”. Add your score to subject line

This test will determine if you're getting enough sleep (or if your mind has really lost it)!

The test consists of three parts:
You'll be shown 12 photos in the first part,
You'll be shown another 12 photos in the second part,
You'll be shown 48 photos in the third part and asked if you saw them in the first part,

the second part - or never saw them at all...

When you have finished the third part, your results will be given to you.
Click here to begin.

WHATEVER YOU CAN DO OR DREAM YOU CAN, BEGIN IT. BOLDNESS HAS GENIUS, POWER, AND MAGIC IN IT.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe

fats

THE STARTING POINT OF ALL ACHIEVEMENT IS DESIRE. KEEP THIS CONSTANTLY IN MIND. WEAK DESIRE BRING WEAK RESULTS!

Napoleon Hill

Understanding your dietary fats and oils is very essential.
Are all fats bad? How much fat should you eat? What are essential fatty acids? How to choose the best cooking oil?
Before answering all these questions, let us know the importance of fats in our diet.
So, Why do you need fats in your diet?
Fats and oils supply essential fatty acids for a healthy skin and regulating body functions. Fat is part of every cell membrane in the body. It helps to transport nutrients and metabolites across cell membranes.
Your body uses fat to make a variety of other building blocks needed for everything from hormones to immune function. Fats contain fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E and K, which are essential for your body.
We all use fat for cooking as fats and oils make the food tasty, they give a smooth and creamy texture to food and contain compounds that impart flavor and smell.
Your body needs fat
* to provide back-up energy
* to provide insulation under the skin for extreme weather conditions (too cold)
* to protect organs and bones from shock and provides support for organs.
What happens when we don't have enough fat in our diet?
Dry, scaly skin, hair loss, low body weight, cold intolerance, poor growth in children, lower resistance to infection, to name a few.
What happens if we consume too much of fats?
Too much fats will lead to obesity and will result in major diseases like coronary heart problem, diabetes, arthritis, blood pressure and stroke, to name a few.
The total intake of fats and oils, should comprise of not more than 30% of the total food intake in a day. Even that 30% should constitute of good fats (monounsaturated and polyunsaturated), rather than saturated and trans fats. It is very essential to choose the type of fat you eat, wisely.

1 gram of fat = 9 calories

Fats or Essential Fatty Acids

---

Fats are made up of fatty acids. The essential fatty acids can be broken down into two main categories. Namely, saturated and unsaturated fatty acids. There are two kinds of unsaturated fatty acids - monounsaturated fatty acids and polyunsaturated fatty acids. The latter can be further divided into omega-6 and omega-3. Then there are trans fats.

So let us make an effort to know a little bit about all these fatty acids or fats and oils, where are they derived from, which ones are good, which ones are bad and why.

Saturated Fats

---

What are saturated fats? What foods provide saturated fats? Are saturated fats good or bad and why?
Saturated fats are fats rich in saturated fatty acids. They tend to be solid at room temperature. In terms of fat chemistry, all fatty acids are made up of carbon (C), Hydrogen (H) and Oxygen (O2). So a fat is said to be saturated when it's molecules hold maximum amount of hydrogen.
Foods that contain saturated fats
The majority come from animal sources, including meat and dairy products. Examples are fatty beef, lamb, pork, poultry with skin, lard and cream, butter, cheese and other dairy products made from whole milk. Palm oil and coconut oil are also high in saturated fats.
How does saturated fats affect the health?
Eating foods that contain saturated fats raises the level of cholesterol in your blood. High levels of blood cholesterol increase your risk of heart disease and stroke. Be aware, too, that many foods high in saturated fats are also high in cholesterol – which raises your blood cholesterol even higher.
So, how much of saturated fats can I have in a day?
It is better to keep the consumption of saturated fats to less than 7% of your total calories. For example if you need 2000 calories a day, only 140 of them should come from saturated fats. Hence, it is a good idea to replace foods high in saturated fats with foods high in unsaturated fats like monounsaturated and/or polyunsaturated fats.

Monounsaturated fats

---

What is monounsaturated fat? Are they good or bad? Where are they derived from? How do they affect your health?
Monounsaturated fat are liquid at room temperature. Chemically, their molecule holds less amount of hydrogen as compared to saturated fats. They are considered to be probably the healthiest type of general fat.
Sources of monounsaturated fat
The principal sources are olive oil, rapeseed oil, and foods such as avocados, nuts (such as almonds, hazelnuts, brazil nuts, cashew nuts) and seeds such as sesame seeds and pumpkin seeds.
Monounsaturated oils are good for cooking. Refined olive oil, especially is considered the best for cooking as it has a high oxidation threshold i.e. it remains stable at higher temperatures and does not easily become hydrogenated or saturated. Although, extra virgin olive oil has a low smoke point and should not be heated beyond 180°C. The high consumption of olive oil in Mediterranean countries is considered to be one of the reasons why these countries have lower levels of heart disease.
Health benefits of monounsaturated fat
Monounsaturated fat is believed to lower cholesterol and may help in reducing heart disease. It provides essential fatty acids for healthy skin and the development of body cells. It is also believed to offer protection against certain cancers (like breast cancer and colon cancer). Monounsaturated fats are typically high in Vitamin E, the anti-oxidant vitamin which is required by the body.

Polyunsaturated fats

---

What are polyunsaturated fats? Are they good fat or bad fat? And why?
Polyunsaturated fats are typically liquid at room temperature and when chilled. Unlike the saturated fats and the monounsaturated fats, which the body can make it's own from carbohydrates and proteins, polyunsaturated fats cannot be produced by the body and therefore they need to be supplied by foods that contain them. Polyunsaturated fats – like all fats – contain nine calories per gram. All fats are equally high in calories.
Health benefits of polyunsaturated fats
Polyunsaturated fats can have a beneficial effect on your health when consumed in moderation. Polyunsaturated fats can help reduce the cholesterol levels in your blood and lower your risk of heart disease.
The two main families of polyunsaturated fats are Omega-6 fatty acids and Omega-3 fatty acids.
Omega-6 Fatty acids are needed by our body cells as part of the make-up and to produce a hormone like substance called 'eicosanoids', which helps to control a wide range of functions including blood flow and inflammation.
Primary sources
Good sources of omega-6 fatty acids are sunflower oil, safflower oil, or a handful of almonds or walnuts.
Caution - Very high intakes of omega-6 are bad as it produces free radicals.
Omega-3 fatty acids are needed by the body as structural components of the brain and retina of the eye, during early development. They reduce inflammation and tendency of blood to clot. They may be helpful in treatment of heart disease and arthritis.
Primary sources
Main food sources are fish like salmon, mackerel, herring and sardines. Also, oil as soya bean oil, rapeseed oil, linseed and walnuts.

Trans fats

---

What are Trans fats? why are trans fats harmful?
Trans fats are also known as hydrogenated fats. They are made by adding hydrogen to liquid vegetable oil under pressure. This results in a stiffer fat, a fat which is hard at room temperature. For example, vanaspati or hard margarine. They are industrially hardened and mostly used in commercially prepared foods to preserve the flavor and increase the shelf life of these foods. All the trans fats are essentially artificial, although there are some 'trans fats' found naturally in foods of animal origin (beef, mutton and dairy products).
Harmful effects of trans fats on health
They harm by increasing the cholesterol levels in the blood. They also increase other harmful fats in the blood. They reduce the HDL (high density lipoproteins), also know as the "good cholesterol" and increase the LDL (low density lipoproteins), also know as the "bad cholesterol". That means trans fats cause double harm by raising the harmful lipids and bringing down the good lipids. They block the arteries and prevent blood from flowing through them. Trans fats are also very harmful to the children. It has been shown that children as young as 8 years, have high cholesterol and early stages of clogged arteries.
Foods you should avoid in order to avoid consumption of trans fats
Biscuits, breads, confectioneries, fried food items (crisps and namkeens), fried sweets, many cakes, pies and pastries, ready to eat meals, fast foods, junk foods, microwave meals and snacks and much of the street, restaurant and hotel food.

How to choose a good cooking oil

---

Which the best cooking oil? What is good for cooking - butter or oil?

Based on the effects of saturated, unsaturated and trans fats on the body, it will be safe to say that cooking in oil is definitely better than cooking in butter. The cooking oil should have higher amount of monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats and with minimal or no saturated fats and trans fats.
Having said that, there is no difference between monounsaturated, polyunsaturated fat and saturated fat, in terms of calorific value. All fats and oils are high in calories. Hence, even oils classified as healthy, should be used sparingly.
Let's have a look at the table below, containing commonly used fats and oils.

By looking at this table we can categorize some fats and oils as good and some as bad.
Good Cooking fats and oils
*Olive oil
*Sunflower oil
*Peanut oil
*Rapeseed oil (canola oil)
*safflower oil
*corn oil
Bad Cooking fats and oils
*Vegetable shortening (vanaspati ghee)
*Hard margarine
*Butter or lard
*Palm oil
*Coconut oil

Ways to cut down on bad fats and oils intake to improve your health

---

Remember to use fats and oils sparingly. Try and substitute the saturated fats for the unsaturated ones. Make changes to your fat intake today, to enjoy a good healthy tomorrow.

Here are some preventive measures you can take to avoid consumption of saturated fats and trans fats.
* Use cooking styles that add little or no fat to food. Grilling, steaming, stewing is better than frying.
* Go easy on the bakery products. Read the food labels.
* Try spreading a thin layer of butter on toast, instead of a thick layer.
* Use vegetable oils, instead of butter or lard or dalda for cooking.
* In using cooking oils, choose olive oil and sunflower oil for cooking.
* Avoid Coconut oil and palm oil, as they are high in saturated fat, even though they are vegetable oils.
* Try to eat nuts and oily fish, instead of other meats, at least three days a week.
* When consuming lamb, beef and pork, go for lean cuts.
* Eat the chicken without the skin.
* Substitute whole milk for skimmed milk or even soya milk.
* Use reduced-fat or no-fat salad dressings with salads, for dips or as a marinade.
* Try to replace some of the meat you eat with beans or legumes.
* Try to cook simple, healthy food at home and eat out only occasionally.

American Dietary Guidelines (2005)

• A high fat intake (greater than 35% of calories)
• associated with higher saturated fat intake
• keep saturated fat below 10% of calories
• more difficult to avoid consuming excessive calories
• Low fat intake (less than 20% of calories)
• increased risk of inadequate intakes of vitamin E and essential fatty acids
• may contribute to unfavorable changes in HDL and triglycerides

Weight Management

• Dietary fats are stored and mobilized easily
• It takes more energy for the body to convert carbohydrates or protein to body fat than it does to convert dietary fat to body fat
• Typically, less calories are consumed when eating a low fat diet (Lissner 1987, Thomas 1992).
• A reduction in dietary fat without a reduction in total calories or an increase of physical activity only produces small if any changes in body fat mass (Leibel 1992).

NOTHING CAN STOP THE MEN WITH THE RIGHT MENTAL ATTITUDE FROM ACHIEVING HIS GOAL; NOTHING ON EARTH CAN HELP THE MAN WITH THE WRONG ATTITUDE.

Thomas Jefferson

Protein

Open your mind to solutions. Make a decision. Get into action.
Barb Rogers

Proteins are macromolecules. They are constructed from one or more unbranched chains of amino acids; that is, they are polymers. A typical protein contains 200–300 amino acids but some are much smaller (the smallest are often called peptides) and some much larger (the largest to date is titin a protein found in skeletal and cardiac muscle; one version contains 34,350 amino acids in a single chain!).

Every function in the living cell depends on proteins.

• Motion and locomotion of cells and organisms depends on contractile proteins. [Examples: Muscles]
• The catalysis of all biochemical reactions is done by enzymes, which contain protein.
• The structure of cells, and the extracellular matrix in which they are embedded, is largely made of protein. [Examples: Collagens] (Plants and many microbes depend more on carbohydrates, e.g., cellulose, for support, but these are synthesized by enzymes.)
• The transport of materials in body fluids depends of proteins. [blood]
• The receptors for hormones and other signaling molecules are proteins.
• Proteins are an essential nutrient for heterotrophs.
• The transcription factors that turn genes on and off to guide the differentiation of the cell and its later responsiveness to signals reaching it are proteins.
• and many more — proteins are truly the physical basis of life.

Different Kinds of Protein

Protein from animal sources, such as meat and milk, is called complete, because it contains all nine of the essential amino acids. Most vegetable protein is considered incomplete because it lacks one or more of the essential amino acids. This can be a concern for someone who doesn't eat meat or milk products. But people who eat a vegetarian diet can still get all their essential amino acids by eating a wide variety of protein-rich vegetable foods.

For instance, you can't get all the amino acids you need from peanuts alone, but if you have peanut butter on whole-grain bread you're set. Likewise, red beans won't give you everything you need, but red beans and rice will do the trick. The good news is that you don't have to eat all the essential amino acids in every meal. As long as you have a variety of protein sources throughout the day, your body will grab what it needs from each meal.

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

Utilization

• Protein is used for building, maintaining and repairing muscle, skin, blood, and other tissues
• energy takes priority over tissue building
• Very little protein is used as fuel when caloric supply is adequate
• The best fuel choices are carbohydrates and fats
• If carbohydrates are not adequate, protein can convert to carbohydrates via gluconeogenesis
• Nitrogen excretion does not rise following physical activity when carbohydrates are adequate.
• Protein contains nitrogen

Best Sources

• Eggs, milk, fish, and meat
• Certain vegetable proteins can be eaten together or with animal proteins to compliment proteins for proper amino-acid ratios
• Beans
• High in lysine, low in methionine
• Soybean are the exception
• Grains
• High in methionine, low in lysine

Requirements

• Average consumption for U.S. is 100 grams/day
• Protein requirements
• 10% to 20% of the diet should be protein for sedentary individuals
• 40 grams/day for females
• 55-70 grams/day or 0.8 grams/kg body weight for males
• Recommended protein intake for athletes or physically active people (Paul 1989)
• Protein and carbohydrate requirements increases
• more calories
• ratio of protein to carbohydrates does not change
• 20% of the total calories (some diets are as high as 40%)
• Increases during an increase or change of training
• Surprisingly protein requirements for endurance athletes are greater than weight trained athletes
• Protein requirements increase when calories are insufficient

How to Calculate Your Protein Needs:

1. Weight in pounds
2. Weight in lbs x 0.8-2.0 gm/lbs = protein gm.

Use a lower number if you are in good health and are sedentary (i.e., 0.8). Use a higher number (between 1 and 2.0) if you are involved in consistent and intense weight or endurance training.

Calculating Protein as a Percentage of Total Calories

Another way to calculate how much protein you need is by using daily calorie intake and the percentage of calories that will come from protein. To do this, you'll need to know how many calories your body needs each day.

After you've figured out your maintenance calories, next figure out what percentage of your diet will come from protein. The percentage you choose will be based on your goals, fitness level, age, body type and metabolic rate. Most experts recommend that your protein intake be somewhere between 15 and 30%. When you've determined your desired percentage of protein, multiply that percentage by the total number of calories for the day.

1. Choose a calorie factor that describes your activity level:

                                      Men             Women

Very Sedentary              15                   13

Sedentary                       16                   14

Moderatly Active            17                   15

Active                             18                   16

Super Active                   19                    17

2. Determine your total daily calorie need:

____________lbs.      X         _________________    =   ____________

desired weight                         cal. factor                            cal./day

3. Then multiply .2 (20% of calories as protein) to determine how many grams of
protein you need each day:

______________   X  0.2 (percentage)  =   ____________________

cal./day                                                        grams of protein

4. And last, decide how you want to split up this total daily protein for different meals during the day.

Breakfast     AM Snack    Lunch    PM snack    Dinner    Eve Snack

___grams  ___garms   ____grams  ___grams  ___grams  ___grams

No matter what your calculations are, remember that there are no magic foods or supplements that can replace the right training and the right diet. The foundation of any program, whether your goal is to lose weight or gain muscle, is a combination of strength training and a healthy diet that includes carbs, with a balance of protein and fat.

It is clear that athletes need to consume more protein than the current USRDA for 0.8 g/kg/day in order to maintain nitrogen balance. Conversely, since the requirements of carbohydrates, and overall calories also increase with physical activity, the recommended proportion of calories from protein does not change significantly. With a calorie sufficient diet, protein requirement values needed to maintain positive nitrogen balance of both weight trained and endurance trained athletes constitutes intakes of 12% to 20% of total daily calories.

The brave man is not he who does not feel afraid, but he who conquers that fear.Nelson Mandela

Protein