Category: Diets (Page 21 of 23)

Getting to the bottom of high protein intake

October 17, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

In the October issue of Men’s Health, the mag debunks five nutrition myths concerning (among other things) protein intake, potatoes and salt. Among the five, the most interesting was Myth #1: “High protein intake is harmful to your kidneys.”

The mag reads:

The origin: back in 1983, researchers first discovered that eating more protein increases your “glomerular filtration rate,” or GFR. Think of GFR as the amount of blood your kidneys are filtering per minute. From this finding many scientists made the leap that a higher FGR places your kidneys under greater stress.

What science really shows: Nearly 2 decades ago, Dutch researchers found that while a protein-rich meal did boost GFR, it didn’t have an adverse effect on overall kidney function. In fact, there’s zero published research showing that downing hefty amounts of protein – specifically, up to 1.27 grams per pound of body weight a day – damages healthy kidneys.

The bottom line: As a rule of thumb, shoot to eat your target body weight in grams of protein daily. For example, if you’re a chubby 200 pounds and want to be a lean 180, then have 180 grams of protein a day. Likewise if you’re a skinny 150 pounds but want o be a muscular 180.

Anyone who has gotten sound nutrition advice has heard the, “One to 1.5 gram(s) of protein to pound is optimal” speech. I think the bottom line section in the Men’s Health article hits the nail on the head. If you’re a hard gainer looking to be 180, then shoot for 180 grams of protein a day. If you want to drop a few pounds and be a lean 180, then shoot for the same grams-per-day average.

Diets, Magazine Hype, Nutrition, Protein, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

Make fruit interesting

June 26, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

By now, everyone knows the benefits of fruit, with vitamins; minerals and fiber are all reasons to down the colorful stuff daily. But even if we already know why fruit helps, are we eating enough of it daily in order to cash in on all the benefits? The daily recommendation is to eat at least two cups of fruit daily, but some people may be tired of just grabbing a piece of fruit from the bowl and need a shake up.

For you, here are 10 different and interesting ways to add fruit to your diet by MSN.com

? Grilled fruit slices.
? Peach honey spread.
? Lemon-lime fruit dip.
? Frozen fruity pops.
? Romaine and fresh strawberry salad.
? Blueberry-banana smoothie.
? Plum salsa.
? Broiled fruit kebabs.
? Berries a la mode.
? Mango salsa pizza.

To read the entire article along with the complete recipes, click here.

Diets, Food preparation, Foods products, Nutrition, Vitamins/Minerals, Xternal Fitness, Xternal Furci

Shake it up, Part II

June 20, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Just over a month ago I gave out a recipe for a healthy smoothie/shake that was packed with protein and good carbs to keep the hunger pangs away. Well, I’ve got another shake recipe – this one a little more out of the box – I drink on a regular basis that’s full of the same good carbs, but even more protein.

Once again, feel free to change the serving size as you wish:

– Blend three ice cubes
– 1 Banana
– 1 Cup of dried oatmeal
– 2 Tbsp. of peanut butter (lowest sugar content you can find)
– A dash of cinnamon
– A scoop of either chocolate or vanilla protein powder
– 1 Cup skim/low fat milk

Calories: 645
Protein: 46
Carbs: 76
Total Fat: 20 (mostly from the peanut butter)

Don’t put too much cinnamon in it or else it will taste a little bitter. You’ll mostly taste the banana and protein powder, which in my opinion at least, is damn good.

Diets, Food preparation, Nutrition, Protein

Shake it up

May 15, 2007 / Anthony Stalter

Whether its work, school or children, outside factors can get in the way of healthy eating. You hear that six meals a day is the optimal for a healthy body, but as the hours in a day tick by, sometimes you might feel it’s impossible to even sit down and eat three times a day. With that said, a blender can be just as valuable in your kitchen as the burners on your stove.

Don’t underestimate the power shakes and smoothies can have on your diet. For one, they’re obviously quicker to make than cooking an entire meal. Saving time is usually what most people strive for and blending up a smoothie can take less than three minutes. Another benefit of shakes and smoothies is the amount of power-packed food you can put in them. Healthy diary products such as milk and yogurt, protein powders, peanut butter, and healthy carbs like fruit and oatmeal are all items you can whip up into not only a tasty meal, but a healthy and quick one too. Finally, shakes and smoothies fill up your stomach so you feel full longer and have the energy to stave off hunger until your next meal.

Here’s a recipe for a healthy smoothie packed with good carbs and protein. Feel free to change the serving sizes as you wish:

– Blend three ice cubes
– 1 Cup Frozen Mixed Berries
– 1 Cup oatmeal (you don’t have to cook it)
– 1 Container of yogurt (get a yogurt low in sugar)
– 1 Cup milk
– Blend on high until all the ingredients are mixed

Feel free to add a scoop of whey protein to insure you’re getting enough daily protein for those working out.

Diets, Drinks, Food preparation, Foods products, Nutrition, Protein

The South Beach Diet. Thumbs Down

April 18, 2007 / Mike Furci

The South Beach Diet is nothing new.? It is another low carb diet wrapped up in a new package.? Some have called it a friendlier version of the very popular Atkins diet.? Dr. Agatston from the get go claims his South Beach Diet is not low carb, however, the usual carbohydrate foods like bread, fruit, fruit juice, rice, potatoes, pasta, sugar and snacks are excluded.? No matter how it is marketed, it is most certainly low carb.

Low carb diets have been all the rage for quite a while now.? Bodybuilders and fitness athletes have been using this strategy to keep lean and build muscle for decades.? The main reason low carb diets are still so popular, is simple; they work!

For those not familiar with how low carb diets work, it has to do with how our bodies ability to process them.? When food is ingested our bodies secrete insulin.? Insulin is a storage hormone.? To be more specific, its a fat storage hormone.? The higher your insulin levels are the higher the percentage of food will be stored as fat.? Moreover, the higher your insulin is the lower the amount of fat burned as fuel.? Hence, the biggest key to burning fat is to keep your insulin levels low, which is accomplished by consuming a diet of whole unprocessed food that is low in carbohydrates.? The South Beach diet helps one accomplish this, but this is where the benefits of this book end.

Like many doctors and other so-called experts they are taught what to think not how to think.? Dr. Agatson advocates a higher protein diet that is LOW in fat.? One is supposed to consume skim milk, lean meat, and urges the reader never to use animal fats.

Dr Agatson completely disregards the benefits of animal fats for the dangerous side effects of polyunsaturated fats.? For instance, he prohibits the use of butter and urges readers to use processed spreads.

The good Dr. claims you be hungry on the South Beach diet.? Anyone who follows this diet will find the opposite is true.? With a diet that is so low in fat, especially saturated fat, and carbohydrates there is nothing to satisfy your hunger.

Cutting out junk foods like sugar, and processed food in general is always a step in the right direction.? However, his advocating polyunsaturated fats over saturated fats make the South Beach diet one of the most dangerous diets out there.
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Book Reviews, Diets, Food preparation, Nutrition

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