Friday 1 November 2013

THE SCIENCE OF FOOD

What is Food?

Humans require six essential nutrients to live: carbohydrates, proteins, fats, vitamins, minerals and water. Three of these essential nutrients are called “macronutrients”: carbohydrates, proteins and fat. We all require macronutrients in large quantities throughout the day. Macronutrients are our only sources of energy. To provide your body with sufficient energy you need to maintain a balanced diet, which means including foods from each of these three groups. The balance of these macronutrients controls the hormonal response that ultimately controls the shape of your body. Remember, macronutrients = energy for life.

The Simple Science of Protein

All proteins, whether they come from animal or plant sources, are composed of amino acids, and this is what your body will break them down into. Amino acids are basic biochemical building blocks, used to build and repair cells in your body. Some amino acids are naturally produced by your body. Others, called essential amino acids, can not be produced by your body but must instead come from external sources. The only way to get adequate amounts of essential amino acids is by eating quality protein at each meal. Active people need as much as 1 gram of protein per pound of lean body mass each day, increasing to as much as 1.5 grams for advanced and elite athletes.


PROTEIN = MAINTAINING A LEAN ATTRACTIVE BODY

The Simple Science of Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are primarily composed of starches (complex carbohydrates), sugars (simple carbohydrates) and fiber (cellulose) and mainly come from plants. Good examples include grains, fruits, vegetables, beans, rice and potatoes. Carbohydrates provide most of our energy. Carbohydrates are also the primary ingredient in junk food like ice cream, cookies, candies, soda pops, chocolate and chips. As you can see, carbohydrates are over-abundant in the North American diet.

Carbohydrate foods that are rich in fiber provide a multitude of vitamins and minerals, have minimal amounts of calories and are extremely filling. Foods rich in fiber curb cravings and reduce hunger, making them an ideal food for someone seeking to lose weight.

CARBOHYDRATES = ENERGY

The Simple Science of Fats

Along with protein, fats are essential to life. As well as being the most potent source of energy available, fats include essential fatty acids, nutrients that humans require that cannot be produced in the body but must come from external sources (like omega-3).

There are three types of fats: saturated fats, unsaturated fats, and trans-fats. Saturated fats typically come from animal sources and are less healthy. These are commonly called “bad fats”. Saturated fats are solid at room temperature (like butter or bacon fat). Unsaturated fats usually come from plant sources and are good for you, hence their common name “good fats”. They are liquid at room temperature. Olive oil is an example of a healthy, unsaturated fat.

GOOD FATS = GOOD ENERGY and BETTER HORMONES

Why do Diets Succeed?


Diets succeed when:

1. They are based on realistic, healthy philosophies.

2. They help set short- and long-term goals that are
realistic and achievable and provide fast visual, emotional
and physical results.

3. They are clearly laid out for you, with all the
groundwork, information and planning provided and
customized to you personally. This helps make it easy
to succeed!

4. They are not unreasonably restrictive in calories and
nutrients and are easy to adopt on a day-to-day basis.

5. They encourage involvement and support from
others. An empowering nutrition program includes the
support of your family, friends, and nutrition and fitness
professionals.

A successful diet provides a healthy, simple and
enjoyable experience. By providing you with all the
tools needed to succeed you are in control of your
success.

Why do Diets Fail?


Diets fail when:

1. They are too difficult to understand and follow.

2. They do not help set realistic goals that are achievable, sustainable and enjoyable.

3. They are too restrictive for an enjoyable lifestyle.

4. They are too expensive. Diets that rely on special meals and expensive supplements
are too hard to budget for.

5. They don’t allow the creation of simple, straightforward plans. Effectively planning your success means using the information in this book to develop your DREAM, set your GOALS, develop a PLAN and put in the EFFORT.

Minimal, Low, and No Calorie Diets

Reducing and restricting calories is not a problem, but taking this dietary approach too far results in unhealthy and ineffective weight loss programs. If a nutrition program fails to meet the minimum daily requirements to sustain life, then you can bet you will lose weight, and fast! Companies promoting these diets use the base fundamentals of The Zone, Atkins or Fat Loss diets and then reduce the amount of calories in their programs to the point that your body will essentially begin to metabolize its own lean body mass as well as fat. You are losing muscle along with the fat, and you are hurting your body in the process.

Restricting carbohydrates for short durations instead with micro-diets or one-day cleanses is safer and more effective.

The Reduced Carbohydrate Diet

The reduced carbohydrate diet category is very effective for immediate and consistent weight loss. Maintaining your current level of proteins and fats while reducing carbohydrate intake slightly will reduce the amount of fat stored in your body. This is a very simple philosophy to follow and will result in incredible and immediate visible results.

A reduced carbohydrate diet means just that: reducing your carbohydrates moderately and appropriately. This diet is a modified version of the balanced diet, based on a simple ratio of 40 percent protein, 30 percent carbohydrates and 30 percent healthy fats, instead of 40 percent carbohydrates, 30 percent protein and 30 percent fats. This ratio helps the active individual burn more calories through increased metabolism as a result of increased lean body mass (LBM = your natural proteins/muscle). Reducing carbohydrate consumption also reduces the insulin levels your body produces when you eat carbohydrates, while maintaining a healthy level of fats stimulates the production of natural hormones and good cholesterol while boosting energy.

THE WORLD’S MOST POPULAR DIETS

There are a lot of different types of diets out there. However, there is a balanced solution that will allow you to lose weight and maintain Your Best Body Ever. The solution is to follow a proven effective weight loss program that includes a combination of a balanced macronutrient ratio (protein to carbohydrate to fat) with aslightly restricted calorie intake while increasing your energy expenditure each day through increased activity. Of all the diets in the world, with all of their different marketing programs, there are only four basic diet philosophies:

  • The balanced diet (moderate proteins, carbohydrates and fats).
  • The reduced carbohydrate diet.
  • The zero-carbohydrate or high-protein/high-fat diet.
  • The minimal or low-calorie diet.

Let’s get into the meat and potatoes of the most popular diets. We will refer to the programs by their marketing names when possible, but we will also identify them as one of the four basic philosophies outlined above. 

ADONIS INDEX WORKOUT - BURN

ADONIS INDEX WORKOUT- BUILD & BURN Waist
to Height Ratio 48-51%
Lean Muscle Building, Growth, Definition

Cycle 1: Weeks 1-4 - Growth
Heavy weights, 60-120 seconds rest, 5-13 reps

Cycle 2: Weeks 5-8 - Lean Muscle
Medium weights, 60-90 seconds rest, 8-13 reps

Cycle 3: Weeks 9‐12 - Definition
Moderate weights, 60‐90 seconds rest, 8‐21 reps