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| The "ideal" food pyramid with regular exercise |
Carboydrates
Carbs are not really essential for your body to function, however it is your body's preferred source of fuel since it metabolizes as sugar. Your body looks to gain energy from carbohydrates first because they digest much easier and faster than other foods. This why most people eat carbs before they do a work out. When your body is in need of energy, it breaks down the carbohydrates in your intestines and metabolizes them as sugar which it immediately uses as energy. When there are no more carbs in your intestines, the body turns to its fat stores for energy. If your body does not need energy and there are a lot of carbohydrates in your intestines, they immediately get stored as fat.
A couple of servings of carbs such as breads a day is an ideal ration plus two to three servings of fruit given that you are doing plenty of activity to consume those carbohydrates. Very active adults who exercise morning and night can get away with eating a serving of carbohydrates with every meal. Some argue that it is necessary to do this. However, logic would tell you if you eat a higher portion of carbs and do not burn many calories during the day, especially eating at night when your body burns very few calories, you will store those carbs as fat. If you want to go into a fat burning phase, eat one portion of carbs a day plus a fruit, but it is not a good idea to do this for an extended period.
Alcoholic beverages may not seem like they should be considered a carbohydrate, however, alcohol when consumed is metabolized as sugar. Therefore, it will be treated as a carbohydrate. Since most people consume alcohol in the evening, those sugars are then stored as fat since there is little or no exercise taking place afterwards to burn up those sugars. So alcoholic beverages should be consumed in moderation if you want to maintain a healthy weight.
Examples of foods high in carbohydrates are breads, beans, fruit, candy, crackers, cookies, alcoholic drinks, etc.
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| Samples of foods high in carbohydrates |
Fats
Fats stored in the body are like maintenance men, they are used to maintain the body's cells. When your blood sugar gets low because there are no more carbohydrates in the intestines to digest, it turns to the body's fat stores. Therefore, if you eat a low amount of carbs, you will be forcing your body to burn fat. Care must be taken careful however, because you cannot cut fat out of your body all together. Just eat very small portions of the right kinds of fat in particular foods that contain unsaturated fats such as omega-3. Another good type of fat in the proper quantities is omega-6. When you eat more omega-6 fats than omega-3s however, this can cause problems such as blood clotting. Omega-3 helps negate these effects. Experts believe that a 4 to 1 ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fats are healthy. Another benefit of eating these fats are to help with joint pain. It also plays a vital role in holding the cell walls together. One serving of healthy fat with very little saturated fat per day is the ideal amount to consume.
Examples of foods containing healthy fats are different types of cold water fish: salmon, tuna, anchovies, mackerel, and herring. Other sources include walnuts and flax seed. However, fish is the doctor recommended source of fat which would include two servings per week. Another benefit of eating fish is that it is very high in protein.
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| Samples of foods high in fats |
Proteins
The body utilizes protein to build and repair cells. It is basically made of of amino acids which are essential. The body uses an enzyme in protein called ATP synthase to produce ATP in the body which is essential for life. It would cease to function without it. The immune system, liver, and other bodily functions begin to break down. People on a low protein diet or vegetarians, can be more susceptible to illness, allergies, etc.
People engaging in working out during strength training typically consume protein either shortly before a strength training workout or within an hour afterwards. This is so that the body is provided with large quantities of protein to repair and rebuild new muscle cells that are destroyed in the strain of exercise. When you "feel the burn" of your muscles and the soreness the following days, it is because you have destroyed the muscle tissue through strenuous exercise. The body then takes protein and rebuilds the muscle cells adding onto them making the muscle bigger and stronger than before. This is the basic science behind building muscle. Two to three servings of protein per day is the ideal amount to consume.
Protein is also used by the body as a energy source when both carbohydrates and fats are depleted. This only occurs in severe circumstances such as starvation.
Foods that are high in protein include but are not limited to: fish, beef, chicken, turkey, pork, eggs, soy, broccoli, whey, beans, protein powders, milk and other dairy products.
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| Samples of foods high in protein |
Vitamins and Minerals
These are not normally considered a food type or group because they are contained in most types of foods, however many vitamins and minerals are essential for vital body function. Without them or having a low amount of them, the body can suffer from all kinds of maladies such as poor digestion, lack of sleep, cramping of the muscles, immune deficiencies, etc.
Most of the time it is not possible to get all of the required vitamins and minerals for proper bodily function from a normal daily diet. This is especially true if you work out or engage in strenuous exercise every day. In order to do so, you would have to over eat. This is why it is a good idea to take a multi-vitamin of some sort every day. If you are working out doing extreme exercises daily, that may not be enough. The body is really stressed to the limit in strenuous exercise and the vitamin and mineral requirements to help repair the body are higher. Taking a pack of vitamins designed for the type of exercise one is engaged in is a good idea. Most of these vitamin packs also contain a large amount of B12 which helps convert your food into energy. These vitamin packs can be expensive. At the very least one should take a multi-vitamin that you can purchase at the local store. In addition to a multi-vitamin, some type of B complex may help your body recover more quickly.
When taking vitamins be careful however, that too much of one vitamin is not consumed. For example, if you do not work out for two or three days, don't take extra vitamins or packs designed for exercise or stress. Bad things can happen if you overdose. Taking a multi-vitamin plus a B complex may be a safer route than taking vitamin packs which usually contain larger doses of various vitamins like B12. When in doubt, ask your doctor!
Daily Activity Potential Vitamin Level Requirement
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Normal or no exercise Multi-vitamin
Moderate exercise (walking, fast walking) Multi-vitamin
High level exercise (jogging, aerobics) Multi-vitamin + B-complex
OR vitamin packs (for lean muscle)
Heavy exercise (weight lifting, running) Multi-vitamin + B-complex
OR vitamin packs (for muscle mass)
Foods that contain vitamins and minerals are all kinds including: vegetables, fruits, meats, multi-vitamins, etc.
Disclaimer: I am not a doctor or a medical professional. The information in this article was learned from other reputable resources. If you are in doubt, investigate on your own or consult a medical professional!
Resources: WebMD, Beachbody.com, eHow Health
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