“Don’t bother just to be better than your contemporaries or predecessors. Try to be better than yourself.”
-William Faulkner
Page 102 of 119
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.
It’s not who you are that holds you back, it’s who you think you’re not.? ~Author Unknown
A friend of mine in college gave me this recipe for protein pancakes and it?s fantastic:
-?1 Scoop of Protein Powder
– 1 Cup of Oatmeal
– 1 Banana
– 2 Tbsp. of All-Natural Peanut Butter
– 1 Egg
– ? Cup of Fat Free Milk
– Splenda
– Cinnamon
All you have to do is throw the powder, oatmeal, peanut butter, egg and milk into a blender and mix it on slow. That becomes the ?batter?. After that, heat up a small frying pan, spray it so the batter doesn?t stick and then throw the batter in the pan and cook. The batter should cook to the point where you can flip it over and do the other side. Watch yourself though, because it cooks quickly and you?ll burn one of the sides if you?re not careful.
Once it?s done cooking, slice up a banana and put it on top of the pancake. Mix a little bit of the Splenda and cinnamon together and sprinkle that on top for a little taste. You can also put on some sugar free syrup, but don?t go nuts with it because while it?s not supposed to have any sugar, it?s likely still loaded with preservatives.??
There was an interesting question asked in the “Malegrams” section of the August 2007 issue of Men’s Health:
Q: How long can I go without lifting weights before my muscles disappear?
Answer (provided by trainer Mike Mejia): Contrary to popular belief, your muscles don’t turn to mush as soon as you stop lifting. In fact, a recent study of recreational weight lifters found that 6 weeks of inactivity resulted in only a slight decrease in power (10) percent after 2 weeks) and virtually no drop-off in size or strength. You could go the whole summer without pumping iron – as long as you’re keeping fit with activities such as swimming or tennis. These sports help retain muscle mass and offer the perfect physical and mental break from the tedium of the gym. Come fall, you can return to the gum refreshed and ready to take your workouts to the next level.
Interesting. Obviously if your goal is to put on a ton of size, you don’t want to go an entire summer without so much as looking at a weight. But those who get sick of the rigors of a gym routine can find solace – at least from Mr. Mejia and his research – that if you partake in sports and other physical activities, you won’t resemble Calista Flockhart by August.
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