Tag: Nutrient

Eating for Athletic Performance

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.Leave a comment

cyclistI had the opportunity to work at a cycling event recently. As many riders from the 80 mile mountainous ride were coming in, one serious cyclist came to our booth and said “I need calories, please anything”. Obviously, we hooked him up with a Vive!™ shake. He chugged it and then another half of one 10 minutes later. He explained that 15 miles back he had bonked (depleted glucose and glycogen stores causing extreme muscle weakness) coming up the last hill. Can bonking be prevented or delayed nutritionally? Yes absolutely!
Certainly training is essential for endurance particularly to push back the anaerobic threshold so you don’t bonk as easily, however the role of your nutritional intake is 3 to 4 times more important than any other part of your regimen. Many runners and cyclist will take glucose gels and electrolytes drinks during their event to replenish their lost blood sugar and electrolytes, which is necessary. Some will add supplements containing L-Tyrosine, L–arginine and Beta Alanine to aid performance and they can help. However, to turn glucose, fat and protein into readily available energy is a highly complex process that involves many metabolic actions requiring enzymes, and the cofactors and factors, vitamin and minerals. In the metabolic pathway many vitamins and minerals are necessary to convert the energy source (foods) into energy molecules such as Phosphocreatine, ADP and ATP. Additionally the antioxidants contained in vegetative foods is very important at protecting muscle cells from the heavy oxidative damaged caused by intense exercise. They help speed up recovery as well.

You cannot overcome a nutritionally poor diet with supplements. However you can supplement a nutritionally rich diet and increase performance potential. Refined and processed foods are nutrient thieves. They deplete your body of more nutrients than they provide.

Nutrients (factors and co-factors) and their effects on energy metabolism pathways.

Enzymes are required to make energy and cannot do their jobs without factors and cofactors! If you do not get the nutrients from your diet the body robs them from muscle and organs to produce the energy you demand.  Continued nutrient depletion leads to slower recover and less than optimal performance potential and eventually illness and disease.  Vive!™ provides an abundance of factors and co-factors!

Vitamins
Thiamine (B1)
B1 is an essential cofactor (required for enzymes to do their job) in the conversion of carbohydrates to energy. B1 is needed for normal muscle function.
Riboflavin (B2)
B2 is a cofactor and helps in the release of energy from fats and carbohydrates. B2 is part of the flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD) oxidation reaction in the cell to make energy. B2 is very important in the conversion of fat to energy.

Nician, Nicotinic acid, B3
B3 is a cofactor and is transformed into nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and NADP, which play a key role in cellular energy production.

Pantothenic acid (B5)
B5 plays an essential role in the Krebs cycle (one of three energy major energy pathways) as a component of coenzyme A (a critical enzyme needed to make energy).
Pyridoxine B6
B6 helps in the release of energy from carbohydrates fats and proteins. B6 is used as a cofactor mainly in protein and amino acid metabolism and is involved in over 100 enzymatic reactions.

Biotin (B7)
B7 is a cofactor involved in metabolism of fatty acids, amino acids and utilization of B vitamins.

Folic acid, Folate (B9)
Folates function as a family of cofactors required for methylation reactions. Folate is essential for metabolic pathways involving cell growth and replication.

Vitamin B12
B12 is essential for metabolism of fats and carbohydrates and the synthesis of proteins. B12 is required for folic acid metabolism.


Vitamin C
Vitamin C is essential for synthesis of carnitine (carnitine transports long-chain fatty acids into mitochondria). Vitamin C increases can triple the absorption of non-heme (iron from plants) iron and the synthesis of cortisol.

Minerals
Calcium
Calcium is essential for the contraction of muscles and activation of nerves. Calcium activates a series of reactions including fatty acid oxidation for use in the mitochondria.
Phosphorus
Phosphorus is a structural component of the nucleotide coenzymes creatine phosphate, nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) and adenosine triphosphate (ATP). All of which are required in the mitochondria for energy to be produced.
Magnesium
Magnesium is essential for the relaxation of muscles and nerves. Magnesium is used in over 300 enzyme reactions. Required by all enzymatic reactions involving the energy storage molecule ATP.
Trace minerals
Copper
Cooper is involved in the making of some enzymes. Copper is also involved in iron metabolism.
Chromium
Chromium promotes insulin action, thus promoting glucose (blood sugar) uptake by the cells.
Iron
Iron is essential in hemoglobin for transporting oxygen and for storing oxygen in the muscle and releasing it when needed during muscle contraction. Iron facilitates the transfer of electrons in the cell energy pathway and is important in ATP actions.
Manganese
Manganese is a cofactor of several enzymes involved in metabolism of carbohydrates and gluconeogenesis. Gluconeogenesis is the making of glucose from non-carbohydrate sources. It involves the tearing down of muscle to turn certain amino acids and glycerin into glucose. This begins when you bonk as glucose and glycogen stores are depleted. This is very hard on the body and you want to avoid it.
Zinc
Zinc is an essential part of more than 100 enzymes, some of which are involved in the cell energy pathway.
If you want to optimize your performance, beginning today you need to ensure you are adding a bounty of nutrients to your nutritional stores daily. Ideally, you should be eating a minimum of 7 servings of vegetables, 3 servings of fruits, beans, nuts, seeds, and limited whole grains. Vive!™ boost your performance potential by giving you a bounty of energy producing and recovery enabling nutrients!

Additionally, if you are meat eaters include free range lean meats, wild caught fish, free-range organic poultry and eggs. Anytime you can make your food selections organic, wild caught and free range you reduce the risk of contamination from pathogens and potentially increase your nutritional intake.

This website can give you a great list of which foods are the best sources for which nutrients.  http://www.whfoods.com/nutrientstoc.php
Eat great to perform great.
Healthy Wishes,
Wally Bishop C.N.C.
WebND

Developer of Vive!™

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To Juice or Blend (Smoothies)? Which is best?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.8 Comments
Mango Kiwi Smoothie, YUM!!

I am not going to get into the benefits of juicing or blending. I think most people know it provides incredible health benefits.I want to talk about which is better.

I am not talking about smoothies at a smoothie shop or juice you buy in a store. They are never as good as what you can make yourself. In fact some are bad for your health. Avoid smoothies from those chain smoothie shops. They can have a lot of added sugar and calories.

It’s amazing how passionate people are about this subject. You can’t go wrong with either juicing or blending. There have not been many studies done on this subject, however, there is much talk and debate regarding them. Both are really good for you, I just think one is a little better than the other. First lets define what juicing and blending are.

Juicing is a process in which a machine, either through centrifugal force, grinding or mastication extracts the liquid (juice) from the source. The juice will contain most nutrients however not all of them. Ardent juicers will claim it extracts all of the nutrients however that isn’t totally true. This process removes the insoluble fiber and part of the soluble fiber from the juice and fiber contains healthy colorful antioxidants.  According to studies, juicing delivers 80% to 90% of the antioxidant potential of the veggie or fruit. Blending provides close to 100%.

Antioxidants are activated and used as soon as air and liquid hit the flesh of the food. So it is best to consume the juice and blended foods within 10 to 15 minutes after juicing or blending.

There are some juicers that claim a vacuum extraction, however that is not going to totally stop the loss of antioxidants.

There is also some discussion that juicing gives the body more energy because the digestive system uses some of the energy of the blended foods. This is partially true, however the only nutrient that is quickly available for energy is sugar. Everything else other than sugar and very very small fat molecules are sent to the liver for processing. Remember, with blended foods the sugar absorption is slower, and steadier ( a good thing). The liver will turn the nutrients into a form the cells can use easily.  If the digestive system needs energy it is going to pull it from any source including juice. Even juice requires some form of digestion and manipulation by the digestive tract although a smaller  amount. As I have explained, the nutrients even in juice are not just absorbed into the blood stream (except sugar) and then to the cells. They must be properly packaged first.  The digestion process is very complex so I am being very general in what I am saying. I hope you get the picture.

Benefits of Juicing

  • Very fast delivery of nutrients to the blood stream.  Only a small amount of digestion is required
  • Gives the digestive system a break. Primarily the stomach, pancreas and colon.
  • Because of the lack of fiber, a lot of plant juice can be consumed. You can effectively drink more consuming more nutrients.
  • Helpful for people sensitive to fiber since there is no insoluble fiber content. Juice does have some soluble fiber but it a small amount.
  • Provide 80% to 90% of the nutritional value of the food being juiced.

Negatives

  • Allows very fast delivery of sugars to the blood stream.
  • Removes most of the fiber from the juice.
  • Not as filling and satisfying for most people.
  • More time consuming and more difficult to clean up.
  • Good juicers are expensive.

Blending or emulsifying

Blending is a process in which the whole foods are put in a machine with added liquid. The whole food is blended in the liquid to a smooth puree. You get everything the whole food has to offer, vitamin, minerals, enzymes, proteins, essential fatty acids, antioxidants and fiber.

Benefits

  • Fast delivery of nutrients to the blood stream.  Only a small amount of digestion is required
  • Gives the digestive system a break. Primarily the stomach and pancreas.
  • Because the food is blended it takes less space than if you were eating a meal. This allows for more nutrient intake a one time.
  • The natural fiber slows the release of sugars to the blood stream compared to juicing.
  • More nutrient availability due to the whole plant being consumed.
  • More nutrient potential because you are getting all that the food has to offer.
  • More filling due to the fiber. It is actually more like a meal.
  • Very fast to make a smoothie and clean up.
  • Blenders are less expensive than juicers.

Negatives

  • If someone is sensitive to fiber it could make a person uncomfortable and bloated and a little gassy.
  • You can’t consume as much liquid as you could from juicing.
  • Some blenders can create too much heat if you let them blend too long. The heat will kill the naturally occurring enzymes.

In the body, nutrients work together and support health through their interaction. Let’s look at a good example. When the pulpy white part of the orange is removed in the processing of orange juice, the flavonoids in the orange are lost in the process. This loss of flavonoids is one of the many reasons for eating the orange in its whole food form (even if you only end up eating a little bit of the white pulpy part). The skin on a apple contains other antioxidants that you are not going to get in the juice.  Skins of vegetables and fruits contain some of the highest concentrations of nutrients and juicing is not as efficient as the body at extracting those nutrients.

Juicers will disagree with me however, too me:

  • Blending is better because of the higher nutrient potential of antioxidants and macro and micro nutrients.
  • Blending is better because you are getting 100% of the plants goodness.
  • Blending is better because the absorption of blood sugar is slower.

Both are great for you and some people do both. Don’t get too caught up in the fuss just pick one or both and do it.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

Why Are Foods Different Colors, Is There a Benefit?

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.2 Comments
Every Food Color Has Different Antioxidants, Eat All the Colors!!

Why did God create our foods to have different colors?  Do you ever think, why are tomatoes red or yellow? Is there something about the color that makes the food special? Yes, the colors do mean something.

The different colors identify certain phytonutrients the vegetable or fruit may contain. Their role in plants is to protect plants from disease, injuries, insects, drought, excessive heat, ultraviolet rays, and poisons or pollutants in the air or soil. They form part of the plants immune system. When we eat the plant we get the protective benefits of the plant immune system, also. Scientists do not consider phytonutrients as essential for health although they do provide health building properties. Phytonutrients are essential for optimal health. This means you can live without them, however, your level of health and ability to resist illness or diseases is not at its highest.

Phyonutrients are a different class of nutrient. They are not vitamins, minerals, fats, proteins or carbohydrates. Although some Vitamins and Minerals do act as powerful antioxidants, phytonutrients are different and act as antioxidants, providing protection for our bodies in many ways. Antioxidants help prevent aging by protecting our bodies from free radicals. Free radicals damage cell structure and can even damage cellular DNA leading to mutations which may cause cancers and other diseases. If you are an athlete, sick or have a lot of stress in your life, you need greater quantities of antioxidants.

These colorful foods also provide a wide assortment of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fiber, protein, complex carbohydrates, antioxidants and fatty acids. Although low in calories they pack a real nutritional punch feeding your body healing and renewing nutrients. A carpenter can’t build a house without lumber and nails. You can’t build and support a healthy body without the bodies building materials, nutrients.  You can build a body out of junk food, however its going to be a junk body that most likely will suffer from many nagging ailments such as; chronic pains, aches, digestive problems, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, blood sugar imbalances, infections, hormonal imbalances, anxiety, depression, mental fog, low energy, fatigue, poor mood, poor memory and eventually disease.

What Antioxidants Are Which Color?

Red Fruits and Vegetables

Contain nutrients such as lycopene, ellagic acid, Quercetin, and Hesperidin, to name a few. These nutrients reduce the risk of prostate cancer, lower blood pressure, reduce tumor growth and LDL cholesterol levels, scavenge harmful free-radicals, and support joint tissue in arthritis cases.  I love tomatoes but I also love apples, cherries, strawberries, raspberries, red grapes, cranberries, pomegranates, red currents, red bell pepper and cayenne peppers.

Blue and purple fruits and vegetables

Contain nutrients which include lutein, zeaxanthin, resveratrol, vitamin C, fiber, flavonoids, ellagic acid, and quercetin. Similar to the previous nutrients, these nutrients support retinal health, lower LDL cholesterol, boost immune system activity, support healthy digestion, improve calcium and other mineral absorption, fight inflammation, reduce tumor growth, act as an anticarcinogens in the digestive tract, and limit the activity of cancer cells. Certainly blueberries are a favorite of many but also try, purple or black grapes, black berries, black currants, eggplant, purple cabbage, purple onions, purple carrots and purple asparagus.

Orange and Yellow fruits and vegetables

Contain beta-carotene, zeaxanthin, flavonoids, lycopene, potassium, and vitamin C. These nutrients reduce age-related macula degeneration and the risk of prostate cancer, lower LDL cholesterol and blood pressure, promote collagen formation and healthy joints, fight harmful free radicals, encourage alkaline balance, and work with magnesium and calcium to build healthy bones. Common orange and yellow foods are pumpkin, butternut squash, sweet potato, spaghetti squash, oranges, papaya, carrots (carrots can also be found in yellow, and purple) and salmon. Yes, wild caught salmon is rich in beta carotene, that’s why it is bright orange. Farm raised salmon is not nearly as rich in beta carotene and is not as healthy of a choice as wild caught.

Green vegetables and Fruit

Green vegetables contain chlorophyll, fiber, lutein, zeaxanthin, calcium, folate, vitamin C, calcium, and Beta-carotene. The nutrients found in these vegetables reduce cancer risks, lower blood pressure and LDL cholesterol levels, normalize digestion time, support retinal health and vision, fight harmful free-radicals, and boost immune system activity.  A few green foods you may recognize are avocado, broccoli, spinach, kale, chard, asparagas, cabbage, zucchini, cucumbers, kiwi, limes, romaine, endive, celery, collard greens and brussel sprouts.

White fruits and vegetables

Contain nutrients such as beta-glucans, EGCG, SDG, and lignans that provide powerful immune boosting activity. These nutrients also activate natural killer B and T cells, reduce the risk of colon, breast, and prostate cancers, and balance hormone levels, reducing the risk of hormone-related cancers. Think bananas, mushrooms, radishes, turnips, potatoes, onions, garlic, shallots, leeks  and cauliflower.

Brown foods such as chocolate (dark only is best), beans, nuts and seeds provide many different types of phytonutrients such as epicatechin, ellagic acid, isoflavones, resveratrol and many more. Pecans have the highest antioxidant rating of the nut and seed family. Raw cocao (chocolate) has the highest antioxidant rating of any food. Try dark chocolate that is 85% dark or higher, black beans, red beans, pinto beans, lentils, almonds, flax seed (must be ground), walnuts, pecans, peanuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.

Eat the rainbow everyday if possible. It’s easy if you make a salad. I have a salad almost every day and it is loaded with every color. Making the food rainbow a part of your daily life is going make you and your body happy and healthy!!

Children need 5 servings of fruits and vegetables every day, women need 7 and men need 9. Please eat your daily requirement of vegetables, fruits, beans, nuts and seeds.

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

Building Healthy Bodies!

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.

New Years Resolutions, Successful Weight Loss, Part 1

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.1 Comment

The Holiday Season between Thanksgiving and January 1st  is a dietary challenge for most  of us.  How did you do? Were you able to keep the pounds off or did you gain a few?  Now is the time to get in the right frame of mind to tackle your weight and health issues. This New Year,  can be the year you really improve your health and develop a lifestyle that will promote vibrant health forever!

If you are serious about taking the pounds off and keeping them off read on! Having lost over 200 pounds and kept it off, I guess you could say I know what I am talking about when it comes to weight loss.

Most people start with a great attitude and lots of enthusiasm. This last for about 3 months and before you realize it you are slowly sliding back to your old habits. I am sure that’s not what was intended however over 90% of those making dietary resolutions do not keep them through the year. They did not have a plan to carry them through. They lasted 3 months on desire alone and it takes much more than desire to have successful long-term weight loss. If desire is all that is required to lose weight, we would all be at a great weight and healthy.

If you really want to reach your goals you must be determined that nothing will get in your way.  Success in business or weight loss requires a plan or formula.  So what is required?

Resolution Tools

  • clear picture of the goal
  • path to reach the goal, a plan  (diet, exercise, detoxification, relaxation, education etc…)
  • strong determination ( you can’t let family, friends or circumstances sabotage you and rob you of your goal)
  • knowledge ( do you know how many calories you should consume, the right ration of carbohydrates, fat and protein in your daily diet, which foods increase metabolism, which foods promote health and which ones don’t etc…)  This is one of the areas most people get trapped by. There is an incredible amount of information in the internet. Much of it is wrong and even harmful in some cases.  Trust a dietary health professional to give you safe and effective advice.

Weight Loss Forever

The fact is, losing weight requires a change in the way we think, eat and the amount of activity we engage in. If you keep doing what you doing, you’ll keep getting what you’ve got. So change is necessary. There is no magic bullet or pill. Diets do not work. What we eat is vitally important to proper weight balance. If you want permanent change, a change in your lifestyle is what works.

Why Diets Do Not Work

In America when someone uses the term “diet” in the context of losing weight it usually means they are going to change what they are eating and maybe exercise a little for a temporary period until they have achieved their desired goal. Then what do they do?  They will return to their original eating and lifestyle habits. They have not established healthy lifestyle habits or fixed the problem that caused the weight gain to begin with. Yes they are going right back to the very same behavior that got them to that point of needing to lose weight to begin with. Hopefully you are getting the message. If you only want to lose a small amount of weight for a few months, OK diet. If you really want to lose weight and keep it off you must quit thinking a diet will do it. You will set yourself up for failure.

A Healthy Food Relationship

Our relationship with food can be out of balance or skewed. Most people look at foods as an enjoyable hobby, event or even a means of comfort when sad, frustrated or angry. Without understanding the mechanics that drive us to eat we fall into the traps of over consumption.

Hunger vs. Appetite

You must also learn to identify the difference between hunger ( a real physiological need) and appetite ( a false sense of hunger). Appetite is usually caused by eating at the same time everyday, during events such as when watching football, by social influence going out for beer and pizza with friends or a holiday party or event.  Dietary consumption driven by appetite will almost always cause weight gain.  Overeating when hungry will cause weight gain.

Calories In vs. Calories Out

You must understand your energy balance. This means you must know how many calories you need based on your activity and exercise levels. If you consume more calories than you burn per day you will gain weight. Every day you have a limit, think of it as a calorie budget. As long as you do not exceed the budget you will not gain weight. To lose weight you must consume fewer calories than you burn so your body must use stored energy in the form of fat to function. To lose one pound per week you must burn 500 more calories per day than you eat.  Never eat less than 1200 calories per day. This will slow down your metabolism drastically to the point that you will not lose weight. You may even gain weight. Your body thinks it is starving. Never lose more than 2 lbs. per week on a continuous basis.

Does Weight Loss Equate to Health

Weight Loss does not mean you are healthy. I had a client state, “When I get my excess weight of I will be healthy.”  I had to explain that just losing weight does not mean you are healthy.  The qualities of the foods you consume are much more important for your health than the weight loss. Losing weight without a proper diet will lead to future regain of the weight and other possible health conditions. There are plenty of people at the right weight for their height that are not healthy. For example, some people manage weight through the unhealthy practice or purging or bulimia where they purge the foods they eat and they over exercise. This can lead to a potential for very serious health consequences.  There are many people who may look healthy because they are at a normal weight however they could be eating a very poor diet of fast foods that are making their body’s nutrient bankrupt. Eventually nutrient bankruptcy of the body will lead to illness and possible disease. Weight lost achieved in a healthy way can give an excellent foundation for vibrant health providing a long quality life.

Nutrition

Our health is really dependent of the consumption of the building blocks of our bodies. Refined and processed foods are devoid of the nutrients required to keep us healthy. We need vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, enzymes, proteins, complex carbohydrates and fiber for vibrant health. Eating foods devoid of them will cause blood sugar imbalances which will cause cravings for carbohydrate rich foods.  In addition the lack of nutrients means you can’t turn the foods you eat into energy. To make energy from foods requires many nutrients and just taking a supplement or eating foods enriched or fortified with the nutrients they are missing is no replacement for nutrients from real foods.

Happy New Years

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

Nutritionist

WebND

The contents of this blog is not and should not be  considered medical advice. This blog is for informational purposes only. Always consult with your doctor before making any dietary or lifestyle changes. Always seek medical clearance before starting a new exercise routine. Never quit taking prescription medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.