Part 1
Everywhere you look it’s the best supplements to get ripped or the best foods to maximize muscle gains – it seems that eating to improve health and performance at the same time is either not important, not possible or just too boring to talk about of that.
Don’t become another victim of eating for looks and performance alone. Eating the right foods for the right reasons is very important, and staying healthy is definitely one of those reasons. Remember, if you’re not healthy, all that you’re working on and all the training you’ve done means nothing.
Let me explain.
Exercise will make a big difference in the quality of your life, however exercise, like supplementation, is not meant to make up for neglect and abuse in other areas of your life. A weight-loss pill won’t make up for stuffing yourself at Golden Arches and Chucky Cheese every day of the week, and exercise won’t make up for faulty nutrition practices either.
There is an old Arabic proverb that has the number 1 followed by a series or zeros, like this 1,000,000,000,000, etc. Zeros represent all things in life like money, houses, clothes, your profession, friends, vacations, cars, ad infinitum. The one that represents your health.
The lesson learned is, what value does the one followed by all the zeros represent once you remove the one? Zero, zip, nothing, nothing. Without your health, your strength, your muscles, a set of six pack abs will be worthless.
Dr. Mary McCreery, Consultant Clinical Nutritionist for both the Irish Olympic team and the Irish rugby team writes:
“A well-balanced diet is one that provides the body with enough energy and all the necessary nutrients in the correct amounts to prevent illness and disease.”
Many people mistakenly follow dangerous nutritional habits, such as eating twice the amount of protein they really need, or overemphasizing one macronutrient over another, usually high-protein foods like meats. Others eat unhealthy sources of macronutrient-rich foods, such as fat- and cholesterol-laden cuts of red meat for protein instead of leaner cuts, or highly refined carbohydrates, such as white flour. Some barely eat vegetables because “there’s no room left” once they eat the other foods on their plate. And most have no idea how much fiber they should be consuming in a day, let alone make the effort to consume that much.
The thing to keep in mind is that all the muscles in the world are useless if just one of your organs fails. Keep this in mind and make sure you eat in a way that ensures you are a whole strong man or woman, not just someone who has a piece of the puzzle.
Time to eat!
Keep your macronutrient intake at healthy levels. Strength trainers need between 0.7 grams and a maximum of 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight to support muscle growth. Numerous studies have not shown any benefit from consuming more than that amount.
Also, focus on getting 35 grams of fiber spread over your meals for the day. Eating whole fruits and vegetables will help you achieve this goal. Using a supplement like ground flaxseed is also a great way to increase your fiber intake.
© 2008 Raymond Toulany
