Nutrition Fundamentals Manual

8/13/2019 Nutrition Fundamentals Manual

1/16


2/16

NutritionFundamentals

JOEL MARIONCISSN, NSCA-CPT

2007 Joel Marion Fit ness Solut ions, LLC


3/16

TABLE OF CONTENTS

QUALITY MACRONUTRIENT INTAKE 4

Fat 4Carbohydrate 6Protein 7

MAXI MAL CALORIES, OPTIMAL FAT BURNING 8The Deadly Combination 8Carbohydrate Timing 8Meal Frequency 9Putting it All Together 10

WORKOUT NUTRITI ON 11

FUNDAMENTAL NUTRITION TI PS 13

ABOUT THE AUTHOR 16


4/16

4

Nutrition, although often overlooked, is probably the most importantfactor when it comes to obtaining the body you want. You need to fuel yourbody with the right foods in the right amounts to achieve your goals; theressimply no way around it. That said, things arent as simple as just eat healthy,

either. In this manual well explore some of the fundamental elements of thingsyou can expect to see in your nutrition program.

QUALI TY MACRONUTRIENT I NTAKE

Protein, carbohydrate, and fat make up the three major or macro -nutrients, all of which play an important role in getting the most from yourefforts in the gym. But not all proteins, carbs, and fats are created equal. Letstake a minute and distinguish between those types of each you should beconsuming and those youll want to be wary of.

Fat

Dietary fat has gotten a bad rap over the years, but again not all fats arecreated equal. While some are indeed unhealthy, many are healthful and cancontribute immensely to your muscle building efforts. Lets take a look at fewdifferent types.

Trans-fat

The process of hydrogenation, in which hydrogen is bubbled throughnaturally occurring unsaturated fats for the purpose of increasing product shelflife, transforms these fragile fats into the man-made dietary demon known astrans-fatty acids or trans-fats. Because trans-fatty acids do not occur in nature(with rare exception), our bodies are not equipped with mechanisms to dealwith them once ingested. Even an extremely small intake of trans-fats has beenshown to result in negative health consequences, including heart disease,cancer, diabetes, immune dysfunction, and dementia. Needless to say, theseshould be avoided. To avoid trans-fats, take a look at the product label andavoid anything containing hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated oils on itslist of ingredients. Other sources of trans-fat include foods that have beendeep fried at high temperatures (i.e. fried chicken, French fries, etc).


5/16

5

Omega-3 Fatty Acids

Omega-3 fatty acids are polyunsaturated fats that are considered to be

essential (meaning, the body is unable to make them and they can only beobtained by dietary means). These fats possess a myriad of health benefits, butas a result of modern processing and agriculture, are scarce in the Americanfood supply. They are, however, abundant in cold water fish and marine oilsand can also be found in more moderate amounts in flax seeds and flaxseedproducts. To name just a few of the health benefits these wonder fatspossess: they have been shown to decrease the risk for developing heart diseaseand cancer, decrease blood cholesterol, improve cholesterol ratio, decreaseblood pressure, improve liver and kidney function, reduce joint pain, improve

vision, improve diabetic conditions, decrease occurrence and intensity ofmigraine headache, reduce stress, and increase metabolic rate.

One way to ensure you are getting enough Omega-3, especially if you arenot regularly consuming fish as a part of your diet, is to supplement with fish oilcapsules. Another important thing to note is that these fatty acids areextremely delicate and prone to rancidity; therefore, unless encapsulated, theyshould be refrigerated and stored in containers where their exposure to light isminimal.

Monounsaturated Fat

Monounsaturated fats are relatively stable, making them a good choicefor cooking at moderate temperatures. They have been shown to boostimmune function, support healthy hormone levels (which are extremelyimportant for optimal fat burning and muscle building), and decrease the riskfor developing cancer and heart disease. Additionally, olive oila great sourceof monounsaturated fatis rich in antioxidants, particularly Vitamin E, which

further fight disease and aging by attacking dangerous free radicals. Othergood sources of monounsaturates include: canola oil, almonds and almondbutter, avocado, hazelnuts, pecans, and Brazil nuts.


6/16

6

Saturated Fat and Animal Fat

Often we are advised to avoid red meat and other animal productsbecause of their saturated fat content. In fact, the terms saturated fat and

animal fat are used almost interchangeably by the media and many healthprofessionals today. While avoiding an excessive intake of saturated fats is agood idea in general, most anti-beef advocates fail to realize that more thanhalf of the fat in red meat is unsaturated. Furthermore, the most commonsaturate found in beef and dairy products is stearic acida saturate whoseconsumption has been shown to decrease plasma and liver cholesterol byreducing intestinal cholesterol absorption. Also, stearic acid intake helps toprevent arterial clotting and the formation of fatty deposits within the arteries,so dont let the hype deter you from sitting down every so often to enjoy a

tender, flavorful steak.

Carbohydrates

As was the case with fats, not all carbohydrates are created equal. Themain issue with carbohydrates is how fast a particular carb source is brokendown to its simplest form (sugar/glucose) and released into the bloodstream.For example, highly refined carbohydrates (such as white bread) and simplesugars are digested quickly and enter the blood at a relatively rapid rate, while

fiber-rich, unrefined sources tend to be digested more slowly and yield asteady, controlled release of sugar. Typically, a blood sugar spike yields a spikein the hormone insulin (insulin is a storage hormone released from thepancreas whose function is to clear sugar from the bloodstream), while a steadyrelease of sugar into the bloodstream yields a steady, controlled release ofinsulin. Chronic high levels of insulin (caused by regularly consuming highlyrefined carbs and simple sugars) can be detrimental both to your physique andoverall health. Spikes in insulin lead to more fat storage and less fat burning.Also, regular consumption of insulin spiking foods can lower your sensitivity to

insulin, a condition which can eventually result in type II diabetes. So, goodcarbs would be those that digest slowly and have a low insulin response andbad carbs are those that spike blood sugar and cause the pancreas to pour outmassive amounts of insulin. The one exception to this rule is during and afterweight training, which we will discuss later.


7/16

7

In order to determine if a carbohydrate digests quickly or slowly, we canuse something known as the glycemic index.

The Glycemic Index

The Glycemic index is a system in which foods are ranked according tohow fast they cause blood sugar to rise. With the GI system, all foods areassigned a numerical value that is representative of that foods effect on bloodsugar relative to the standardglucose (there is also a scale in which whitebread is the standard; however, it is not as common nor as useful since thereare numerous foods that digest more rapidly than white bread and thereforeend up having higher values than the standard). Because glucose is the simplestsugar and is the compound all carbs are converted to before being released into

the bloodstream, it makes for a pretty good standard. On the GI scale, glucoseis assigned the value of 100, and as stated previously, all other values arerelative to this figure. For example, oat bran has a GI of 50, meaning that oatbran is digested and released into the blood stream at 1/2 the rate of glucose.To give more meaning to these numbers, a GI of 55 or less is considered lowGIs between 55 and 70 are labeled as moderate and anything 70 or aboveconstitutes a high GI . As mentioned previously, we want to choose foods thatelicit a steady, controlled blood sugar response, so low to moderate GI foods arethe carbs of choice in most circumstances (again, the one exception being

during and after weight training).

Protein

Protein serves several functions within the body, the most commonlynoted of which is the maintenance and repair of various bodily tissues, includingmuscle tissue. Many people will argue that only a small amount of dietaryprotein is needed to carry out the aforementioned function; however, there areother reasons beyond tissue repair and maintenance to make protein a staple

macronutrient in any dietary regime. First, protein has the greatest thermiceffect of feeding (TEF). TEF is the amount of energy required to digest the foodwe eat; therefore, a protein-rich diet will actually allow you to burn morecalories through eating . Protein ingestion also stimulates the secretion of thehormone glucagon, a hormone with antagonistic properties to those of insulin.In other words, glucagon helps to minimize insulins negative effects on fatstorage, allowing you to eat more without additional fat gain. Furthermore,


8/16

8

glucagon also inhibits the activity of several other enzymes playing a role in fatstorage. Simply put, a diet rich in protein leads to less fat storage and greaterfat burning, which is why well be including protein with every meal in yourPremium Web-based nutrition program.

As with carbohydrates and fat, not all proteins are created equal. Proteinfrom meat, eggs, and dairy products (including milk protein powders such aswhey and casein) have a high biological value and are fully utilized within thebody. Other proteins such as vegetable, soy, and grain proteins are inferior andshould not constitute the majority of protein consumed in the diet.

MAXIMAL CALORIES, OPTIMAL FATBURNING

Now that we understand how to choose the right carbs, fats, andproteins, lets take a look at how to fuel our metabolisms by eating optimalamounts of each of these macronutrients, and most importantly, how to do sowhile still keeping our bodies in fat-burning mode.

Avoiding the Deadly Combination: Carbohydrates + Fat

We know that neither carbs nor fats are bad, but combining the twotogether poses a problem that is best avoided. When you consume largequantities of carbohydrate, insulin (a.k.a. the storage hormone) is released toaid in clearing excess sugar from the blood. Add fat to the mix and now youvegot lots of insulin (i.e. storage) and fat floating around in the blood at the sametime. Put em together and youve got fat storage. So carbs (especially white,simple carbs) + fat is a no-no that well do our best to steer clear of.

Because protein will be included with every meal, we are left with twopossible macronutrient combinations for each meal, protein and fat, which wellrefer to as P+F meals and protein and carbs, which well call P+C meals.


9/16


10/16

10

Lastly, frequent feedings provide a steady flow of nutrients to muscletissue over the course of each day. When eating one or two meals daily, muscletissue is starved for hours at a time; certainly not the ideal situation to support

your gym efforts. For these reasons, we will strive to consume six meals (oneevery few hours) each day.

Put t ing it All Together

Weve learned that carbohydrates are best eaten in the morning and aftertraining, and also that we should avoid consuming carbs and fats together insubstantial amounts. Additionally, weve discussed how frequent feedings canhelp us utilize, instead of store, more of the nutrients we ingest. Given this

information, we can create a basic template for P+F and P+C meals for our dailydiet on both training and non-training days. Heres what they look like:

Non-training Days

Meal 1: P+C (7 am)Meal 2: P+C (10 am)Meal 3: P+C (1 pm)Meal 4: P+F (4 pm)

Meal 5: P+F (7 pm)Meal 6: P+F (10 pm)

NOTE: All carbohydrates eaten on non-training days should be low to mediumglycemic.

Training Days (based on a 5pm workout)

Meal 1: P+C (7 am)

Meal 2: P+F (10 am)Meal 3: P+F (1 pm)Meal 4: P+C (5 pm)Meal 5: P+C (7 pm)Meal 6: P+F (10 pm)

NOTE: Carbohydrates in meals 4 and 5 should be higher glycemic.


11/16

11

*Times are for reference purposes only

On training days, well strive to consume all carbohydrates in the

morning and then again after training. On non-training days, carbohydrates willbe eaten exclusively in the morning.

WORKOUT NUTRITI ON

The nutrients you consume immediately pre and post weight training arewithout a doubt the most important food you ingest each day. The goal ofthese nutrients is to keep the body in an anabolic state throughout the length of

the workout and the time frame that follows thereafter. They specificallyfunction to:

1. Replenish glycogen and creatine energy stores2. Halt muscle tissue catabolism (breakdown)3. Initiate muscle protein synthesis (growth)

Ideally, these feedings should be in liquid form as research has shownthat we have a short window of opportunity to take advantage of in which

muscle tissue is very receptive to growth and repairwhole foods are simplydigested too slowly to be optimally effective during this time. Also, pre/postworkout nutrition is somewhat of an exact science; simply throwing down ameal replacement shake an hour after your workout may give you better resultsthan the average Joe who consumes nothing, but it certainly isn't going to allowyou to reap outstanding gains from your training. Over the years we have comea long way in our understanding of pre/post workout supplemental strategies;as more research is conducted and published, we learn more about how to takeadvantage of this potentially very anabolic time frame. While I'm sure there is

still more to be learned, here are the recommended ingredients for an optimalpre/post-workout beverage based on what we do know at this time:

1) Maltodextrin and/or Dextrose- These rapidly digested carbohydrates willquench the catabolic hormone cortisol, produce a dramatic insulin spikefor the purpose of shuttling nutrients into muscle tissue, and will beginto replenish muscle glycogen stores which have been somewhat depleted


12/16

12

during exercise.2) Whey Protein (preferably whey hydrolysate)- Intense training causes an

extreme amount of damage to muscle tissue at the cellular level, causingmuscle protein balance to slip into the negative range. This fast

digesting protein further spikes insulin, helps bump protein balance backup to positive values, and sparks protein synthesis (muscle growth).

3) Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs)- These essential amino acids alsoaid in the anabolic process of protein synthesis.

4) Creatine- Creatine supplementation has been shown over and over againto promote gains in strength and LBM while boosting recovery. Sincemuscle uptake of creatine is maximized when insulin is high, including itin this beverage only makes sense.

As for how much of each to include, use the below figures based on lean bodymass:

Maltodextrin and/or Dextrose: .6g/lb of LBMWhey Protein: .3g/lb of LBMBCAAs: 5gCreatine: 5g

For our 200 lb individual at 10% body fat, this equals:

Maltodextrin and/or Dextrose: 108gWhey Protein: 54gBCAAs: 5 gramsCreatine: 5 grams

Half of the beverage should be consumed immediately prior to weighttraining (or sipped during) and the other half immediately after. Thisrecommendation is based on the current research supporting the notion that

splitting your workout beverage into two separate shakes (again, consumedimmediately prior to or during your workout and consumed immediatelyfollowing your workout) yields the greatest benefit.

Now, you could purchase each of these ingredients separately, however,its a bit of a hassle not to mention the taste will leave much to be desired.Fortunately, there are a few great products that combine these ingredients in


13/16

13

similar ratios to those above while being both economical and great tasting.One is Aftershock by Myogenix, and is available in Orange, Tropical, and Berryflavors. Aftershock contains all of the ingredients and when purchased onlineruns somewhere around $30 for 15 servings. The other is Surge Recovery by

Biotest Laboratories, and is available in Original, Root Beer Float, Chocolate,Vanilla, and Raspberry flavors. The original flavor has a unique taste akin toangel food cake. Surge Recovery is similar in price for 16 servings, but does notinclude creatine within its ingredients; therefore, creatine would need to beadded, which can be easily done for about 20 cents or less per 5 gram servingby buying plain creatine monohydrate in bulk.

10 FUNDAMENTAL NUTRITION TIPS

1. Eat throughout the day

As mentioned in the Meal Frequency section, eating throughout the dayyields a plethora of benefits including a better utilization to storage ratio ofingested nutrients, greater thermic effect of feeding, and a more stable influx ofnutrients to support muscle tissue throughout the day. Instead of eating one ortwo large meals, strive to break up your total caloric intake over 5-6 smallermeals per day, making sure to fuel your body at least every few hours. Youll beless hungry, youll burn more calories, and ultimately youll look better becauseof it.

2. Eat protein wit h every meal

Protein is the macronutrient of choice when it comes to changes in bodycomposition. It possesses the highest thermic effect of feeding of all threemacronutrients and aids in the controlling of insulin and blood sugar levelsthrough the release of the hormone glucagon. Include it as part of each mealyou consume and your body will thank you because of it.

3. Avoid combining carbs and fats (in signif icant amounts)

Ah yes, back to the deadly combination. High blood levels of insulin andtriglyceride simultaneously is certainly a recipe for fat storage. So what are we


14/16

14

going to do about it? Well skip the combination in favor of protein + carb andprotein + fat meals. Now, thats not to say that P+C meals cant have a singlegram of fat or that P+F meals cant have any carbs whatsoeverheres the rule:keep the gram total for the minimized nutrient under 10 grams for that meal.

That means less than 10 grams of carbs for P+F meals and less than 10 gramsof fat for P+C meals.

4. Time your carb intake

Your body is most sensitive to soaking up carbohydrate at two differenttimes of day, one being immediately in the morning after an overnight fast andthe other being both during and immediately after weight training. These arethe times of day when insulin sensitivity is highest and muscle tissue is literally

craving carbohydrate, so it makes sense to eat your protein + carbohydratemeals at this time. The other times of day are when youll be eating yourprotein + fat meals, which brings us to our next tip.

5. Dont neglect the f at

Fat is a critically important nutrient to building a better body because ofits hormone optimizing effects. Simply put, if you want to build lean muscleyou have to make sure your natural anabolic, muscle-building hormones are

where they need to bea healthy fat intake keeps you covered in this regard.Strive to consume roughly 25-30% of your total calorie intake from fat to keepyour anabolic hormones in the optimal zone.

6. Come back t o eart h!

This is a simple tip that makes choosing the right foods a cinch and thepremise is this: the further a food is away from its earthly, natural state, theworse it is for you. Therefore, concentrate on consuming foods the way they

appear in nature. For example, a potato chip is quite a ways away from a potatoand a box of frosted flakes isnt quite the natural grains those flakes originatedfrom. Basically, do your best to steer clear of heavy processing and stick withmostly whole foods. And if it comes in a box, seriously think twice beforeeating it. I dont know about you, but I havent seen many boxes growing out ofthe ground lately.


15/16

15

7. Eat more veggies

This is a no-brainer and goes hand-in-hand with the previous tip.Vegetables, particularly green veggies, are full of vitamins, minerals, health

promoting phytochemicals, antioxidants, and fiber all while carrying very littlecaloric value. In fact, because of their fiber content and extremely high volumeto calorie ratio you can more or less eat green veggies in literally any quantityanytime you wanttheyre absolutely fantastic for curbing hunger andincreasing the satiety of any meal. Additionally, theyre also great as betweenmeal or late night snacks. Almost everyone can stand to eat more veggies, andtheres no reason not to when you realize their value when it comes to overallhealth, satiety, and dietary adherence.

8. I f it has calories, dont drink it

Want a quick and easy way to easily get rid of three to five hundredcalories each day? Simply ditch the calorie containing drinksand yes, thatmeans fruit juice, too. Now, if youre concerned about the nutritional value in aglass of orange juice, heres a simple way to get it, and m ore: eat an orange.The actual fruit is more satisfying, more nutritious, and contains loads of fiberthat you wont get by solely consuming the juice. The juice of any fruit on theother hand packs at least a whopping 100 calories (of pure sugar) in each small

8-ounce serving that does utterly nothing to satisfy your hunger. So, onceagain, if it has calories, skip it in lieu of something that doesnt, preferablywater.

9. Get your workout nutri t ion no mat ter what

This is hands down the most important feeding of the day. If you donothing else right on a particular day, at bare minimum make sure you get yourworkout nutrition. Without it, muscle tissue suffers to recover and its next to

impossible to see substantial results from your training. It really is that important. Bottom line: make sure to get your workout nutritionno matterwhat.


16/16

16

10. Embrace the value of strategic cheating

If you havent already downloaded my free report The Secret FatLoss Hormone , you can do so now by clicking here. Strategic cheating is

without a doubt the most powerful weapon you can have in your fat loss arsenalas it works with your body psychologically to increase dietary adherence and physiologically to avoid the adaptations of chronic calorie restriction, keepingfat burning at its peak week after week.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR Joel Marion CISSN, NSCA-CPT, and 2001 Body-for-Life Grand Champion

is the author of over one hundred fitness and nutrition articles for popularhealth and fitness magazines, both in print and on the Web. He serves as amember of the Mens Fitness Training Advisory Team and has appeared on CBS,NBC, Sirius Satellite Radio, and numerous other media outlets across the countryto discuss his breakthrough fat loss and muscle building methods.

In addition to his writing, Joel is a highly sought after lecturer and aconsultant to a wide variety of clients including doctors, lawyers, businessprofessionals, athletes, and models as well as the average Joe and Jane looking

to improve his or her appearance. Learn more at www.JoelMarion.net

DISCLAIMERThe information in this manual is strictly for information purposes only. It

is not intended for use as a substitute for consultation or advice given by aqualified medical practitioner, health practitioner, or fitness professional.Before beginning any exercise and diet program, you should consult a physician.All matters regarding your health require medical supervision.
http://www.joelmarion.net/http://www.joelmarion.net/

Documents

Nutrition Fundamentals Manual