Tag: protein

Why Should You Drink Vive Shake? It’s CRAZY Good!

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

Six years ago when I decided to formulate a product like Vive!, I had many criteria that had to be met for the project to get beyond the discussion stage.  I was determined to develop a product that delivered what I believe are the most important key areas of nutrition required for vibrant health (Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, fiber, heart healthy fats, antioxidants, prebiotics and probiotics). It had to taste great and make great nutrition simple!

Vive is a whole foods nutritional drink mix containing a blend of raw organic vegetables and fruits blended with special herbs and spices, antioxidants and additional nutrients. This proprietary blend of super-foods and nutrients makes Vive the perfect choice to support a healthy and active lifestyle! Vive Shake is not only incredibly nutritious, but is delicious and simple to use.

My strict requirements included:

  • Vive had to be GMO free, Lactose Free and Gluten free
  • Vive had to have the highest quality ingredients available (many supplement manufacturers use inferior ingredients that are not absorbed very well, if at all)
  • Vive had to be whole food based
  • Vive had to fulfill a wide range of nutritional requirements. (Vitamins, minerals, enzymes, essential fatty acids, fiber, heart healthy fats, antioxidants, prebiotics and probiotics)
  • Vive had to have an almost perfect ratio of carbohydrates, fats and proteins (to make sure nutrients were absorbed quickly and the body could use them.)
  • Must be a low sugar product
  • Must have no preservatives, artificial ingredients or non nutritive ingredients
  • Must have a good source of healthy fibers
  • Must have high quality, absorbable protein  (our whey is GMO free, lactose free and a cross micro cold filtered concentrate)
  • Vive must be one product that meets most nutritional requirements for most people. (I was tired of having to take many different products to get the nutrition I needed)
  • It had to be in a delivery format that was easy and enjoyable. (I wanted to look forward to taking Vive so it had to taste good and be very simple to use.)
  • It had to be affordable. (There is a delicate balance of quality and nutritional goals and keeping a product affordable for everyone)

It took over 3 years and 3 versions formulating the perfect product.   Today, Vive is available in two delicious flavors that meet all of our goals and delivers  life changing nutritional benefits to our customers.

What really sets Vive! apart from the competition is our quality and special ingredients.

Many supplement manufacturers use cheaper and less absorbable ingredients. They do this because the high quality nutrients cost more. They worry about cost, we focus on results.

A few examples of our quality commitment:

  • Vitamin C-Most supplements give you only ascorbic acid, which can be synthetic Vitamin C. Vive provides Vitamin C from food (acerola cherries), insuring you get all of the additional antioxidants found combined with Vitamin C in its natural food form.  Studies show that natural Vitamin C from food provides up to 35% greater Vitamin C uptake into our bodies and because of the other naturally occurring nutrients that are pared in nature with Vitamin C, it provides greater overall health.
  • The Vitamin B12 we use in Vive is Methylcobalamin which is the form your body prefers for Vitamin B12. Most supplement manufacturers use a less absorbable version of B12, cyanocobalamine, which is poorly absorbed and made in a laboratory. The body has to convert cyanocobalamin into methylcobalamin? Methylcobalamin has a much more powerful effect on Central Nervous System Health, vision, sleep and heart health.
  • In Vive we give you all eight forms of Vitamin E. Most supplements only give you one form of synthetic Vitamin E. This is a big difference because studies show that taking the isolated synthetic version of Vitamin E can potentially cause heart problems. No studies show any adverse health issues with naturally occurring Vitamin E.
  • Vive provides multiple types of fibers to help create a health digestive system, Fiber is important for detoxing harmful chemicals, removing unhealthy fats, lowering cholesterol levels, slowing blood sugar intake and by providing prebiotics which are the food for probiotics. Oh, and fiber helps keep us regular which is very important!!

In Vive! we use a base of foods that are real super foods –  foods that are abundant with nutrition. Your body absorbs nutrition from food better than in an isolated or synthetic form.  These foods provide thousands of health promoting compounds and nutrients. They are rich in cell protecting antioxidants like Co-Q-10, alpha lipoic acid, Vitamin C, Vitamin E, Selenium, anthocyanins, carotenoids, flavonoids, and rich in enzyme compounds like gamma oryzanol (builds muscle), Super Oxide Dismutase (SOD) and glutathione peroxidase (GSH). SOD and GSH are the most powerful protectors inside each of your cells. They are the master antioxidant defenders in your cell and protect against premature aging!

The base of Vive is rice bran and germ. Rice bran is highly nutritious and confers many health benefits. According to studies rice bran helps reduce blood glucose levels in type 1 and type 2 diabetes and reduces serum cholesterol and triglyceride levels. Rice bran is rich in many antioxidants (over 120), B vitamins, minerals, heart healthy oils and fibers. Rice bran is one of the only foods to provide the complete spectrum of Vitamin E.

Vive’s secret power punch! To really give Vive that extra health punch, blood sugar support and weight loss potential, we added green coffee bean extract (which studies have shown to increase fat loss), banaba leaf extract (to support healthy blood sugar levels), and the herb coleus forskohlii (to support healthy fat loss without muscle loss and an increase in metabolism). Coleus forskolii also helps prevent cramping and may help reduce high blood pressure. Additionally, we added quercetin an antioxidant with many great health benefits. Many studies show Quercetin may protect the heart, fight cancer, reduce histamine levels created by allergens and stress, lower cholesterol .  Another powerful addition to Vive is Eleuthro, also know as Siberian Gensing. Eleuthro is an herb that can help the body fight infections, boost energy, improve type 2 diabetes (by improving insulin resistance and pancreatic islet cell function), protect the heart and is a powerful anti-inflammatory agent.

Vive can also be used in so many different nutritional roles. Vive is anti-inflammatory, is healthy for our digestive system, is great for building muscle, and improves sports performance and recovery. Vive is great for weight loss because it controls hunger and feeds the body very important nutrients needed to burn fat. Vive helps support healthy blood sugar levels and cholesterol levels. Vive is also great for children and parents with busy schedules that need their nutrition in a hurry.

In literally 1 minute you can mix Vive, then drink in all of your nutritional needs going to school or work. Now you can enjoy your day knowing that your body is well fed!

Vive It’s as easy as 1-2-3!  Shake It – Drink It – Live It!

Healthy Wishes

Wally Bishop C.N.C. I.N.H.C.

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Vive! Developer

viveshake

wellnesswithwally

@WallyBishopCNC

The contents of the email or written communication are not medical advice and should not be considered as such!  This blog is for informational purposes only. Please consult with your physician or health care provider if you have medical issues and before changing your diet or lifestyle or taking herbal or dietary supplements. Never start an exercise program with getting your doctors approval. Never quit taking medications unless advised to do so by your doctor.  Only your health care provider, personal physician, or pharmacist can provide you with advice on what is safe and effective for your unique needs.

Sources

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3638629/

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3847730/

http://www.dadamo.com/B2blogs/blogs/index.php/2004/02/07/cyanocobalamin-versus-methylcobalamin?blog=27

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11893482

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4435568/

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2012/9/quercetin-broad-spectrum-protection/page-01

 

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!™

Related articles

Weight Loss, Calorie and Energy Balance

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.5 Comments
Weight Loss Happens When You Consume Fewer Calories Than You Burn, However Not Too Many Fewer

Have you been on a quest to lose those extra pounds?  This information is critical if you want to have weight loss success. Success means losing the weight, building health and keeping the weight off.

I hated to make today’s blog so lengthy, however this information is vital for healthy, long-term weight loss.

I will be using the terms below in this blog, get familiar with them.

Glucose= carbohydrates converted into blood sugar

Glycogen=glucose that is stored in muscle cells and the liver for later energy needs

Triglycerides=excess glucose, dietary fats and unused proteins converted into body fat

BMR= basal metabolic rate

EER= estimated energy requirements

TER= total energy required

One principle many people overlook is their calories in/calories burned factor.  If you do not know how many calories you need to consume per day to maintain your weight or more importantly how many calories you should consume to lose weight, it would be like driving your car on a long trip to a place you have never been with your gas gauge and odometer broken.  The gas gauge represents your calories needed and the odometer represents how many calories you are burning.  Without these facts you are totally relying on luck and a guess to not end up stranded on the roadside. With your body it can mean unhealthy weight loss or even weight gain.

Calories are very important ( so are the type, another blog). They provide energy and valuable nutrients. Our bodies depend on nutrients to turn the fuel (food we eat) into energy. Carbohydrates, fats and to a lesser degree proteins are used as fuel. The body really loves carbohydrates and fat for fuel. Our brains will only use glucose or glycogen (glucose that is stored in the liver and muscle cells) for fuel. Most people will need about 100 grams of carbohydrate each day to meet the brains demands.  The blend of fuel type our cells use depends on the demands at that given moment.  Muscle cells will use primarily glucose and glycogen for anaerobic activity and primarily dietary and triglyceride fats for aerobic activity.  During both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism the muscle cells will always burn a ratio of all three fuel types.  The intensity of the physical activity dictates the ratio of  glucose, fat and protein. It is important to maintain a good dietary ratio between your carbohydrate, fat and protein intake for your particular lifestyle.  If you do not consume enough carbohydrate the body will burn the protein for brain fuel robbing your body of protein needed to make and repair tissues, enzymes, white blood cells, red blood cells, hormones, hair,  finger nails and antibodies.  If you continue to under consume carbohydrates the body will also break apart muscle and organs to convert the protein into glucose. This is highly inefficient and causes ketones ( COMPOUNDS THAT HARM THE BODY) to be released into the blood. The over consumption of protein is also harmful for the body.
 
How to determine your protein requirements.
It is really amazing how many articles I have read from bodybuilding sources that say a person should consume between 2 to 4 grams of protein for every kg of body weight, or that a person should consume 1 to 1 ½ grams of protein per pound of body weight. That would mean a 200-pound man would need to consume between 200 grams and 363 grams of protein daily. The DRI for protein intake under normal bodily demand would be .8 grams of protein for each kg of body weight. To figure your body weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2, that number is your weight converted from pounds to kilograms. For the obese the protein intake would be .8 grams for every kg of muscle mass.  For an athlete with heavy demands on muscle performance such as a body builder or an Olympic athlete the intake would be 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kg of body weight meaning that same 200 pound man would consume 145 grams of protein at the high-end. An endurance athlete such as those running marathons, iron man events and triathlons requires less because they are not placing as much stress on the major muscle groups. Their needs can be met in most cases with no more than 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kg of body weight. The average person who works out in the gym and is very active hiking and playing organized sports does not need this level of protein intake. For the complete truth on protein in our diet read the complete article “The Truth About Muscle Building and Protein Intake”.
 
So lets say you need to lose 30 pounds. Where do you start? I am going to assume you know that 1 pound of body weight represents 3500 calories.   If you want to lose 1 pound per week, then you would need to burn 3500 more calories than you consumed that week.  Are you still with me?  To know how many calories you body needs daily, we need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the amount of energy your body uses at rest.  We then apply the Harris Benedict equation to determine your estimated energy requirement (EER) based on the your daily activity level.  We then add the two together to get the estimated actual number of calories you burn per day. Thankfully there are calculators on the web that will estimate these numbers for you.  These are estimates.  I have found most of them to overstate the number of calories actually needed by approximately 10%.   I have two links for you at the end of this blog that will do the math for you.  I think you will find them helpful.
 
Now that you can determine the number of calories you need daily to meet your energy requirements, you need to be able to track the number of calories per day you are consuming. There are a number of web-sites that offer free food journals. For the first 90 to 120 days you should count your calories, fat grams, protein grams, sugar grams, sodium grams and fiber grams every day.
 
Studies have shown that people who use food journals on a daily basis lose weight and keep it off a higher percentage of the time.
 
You can load a tool bar calorie counter and online food journal at www.fatsecret.com it is very easy to use.  I really like it because  it is very convenient to access from my toolbar. It will also allow you to add custom foods to the data base. This means that if you like a certain food that is not in their database you can add it to the database for everyone to use as well.
 
I recommend, never losing more than two pounds per week unless under the supervision of an appropriate health professional.  Studies show that losing weight quicker than two pounds per week increases your chance of  is regaining the weight.  It also means you are consuming less nutrients that are present in those calories. This can cause bodily harm due to a lack of nutrients.
 
Guidelines
  • Shoot for consuming 500 calories less per day, try eating 250 calories less and exercising away 250 extra calories.
  • Eat 6 times per day (3 meals and 3 snacks) keeps hunger at bay and blood sugar balanced.
  • Eat breakfast (Renew is a great breakfast and snack)
  • Never consume less that 1200 calories per day unless under the supervision of a health professional.  This will put the body in starvation mode forcing your body to conserve energy and actually store extra fat. Not only will it stop the weight loss it can cause you to gain weight.  Let’s say your BMR is 1500 calories, then you will need to exercise the extra 200 calories so you do not drop your calories under 1200 but still bank those 500 calories per day towards your 1 pound per week of weight loss. I have many clients that ask for my help that are consuming 600 to 1000 calories per day and can’t seem to lose weight.  They just don’t understand that just like you have a household budget to maintain a certain lifestyle.  Your body also has a calorie budget to meet the demands you place on it.  If your income is reduced  by 30 percent, you must start to reduce your spending by 30%. Your body’s total energy requirements (TER) represent your household budget, Your income represents your calorie intake.  When consuming fewer calories than the body needs,  the body has no choice but to reduce its internal processes. Life support functions and processes are the priority. Extra energy and fat metabolism are reduced.  Like wise if your body gets accustomed to getting plenty of calories to meet its daily calorie budget it will begin to spend those extra calories towards energy for mental and physical activity, immune and hormonal processes, the repair and building of muscle and organs etc….  Like wise, if you believed your bank account had plenty of money, you are naturally going to spend more right? By meeting your BMR you body knows it can satisfy its basic needs and does not have to conserve energy or store fat for life support when the famine arrives. Your behavior of cutting calories too much makes your body think starvation is near. Feed your body a generous amount of nutrient dense foods and your body will be happy to spend extra calories in the form of stored fat.
  • Drink plenty of water,  fat metabolism is dependent on hydrolysis, which is the breaking down of fatty acids for use in the body.
  • Exercise often, if you are just starting, begin with walking. Start slow then when you are able include resistance training to build muscle and interval training to build a stronger lungs and heart. This increases fitness.
  • Make sure you are getting at least  30 or more grams of fiber per day.  Fiber is very filling, keeps our intestines clean and absorbs some fat. Refer to this list for high fiber foods.
  • Limit the intake of processed and refined foods, not only are they poor sources of nutrients they actually rob our bodies of nutrients
  • Eat highly nutritious foods,  check out www.whfoods.com
  • Cut your salt intake, it makes your body retain fluids
  • Eliminate foods with added sugars
  • Eliminate refined grains and flours, use only whole grains
  • Reduce your intake of saturated fats, they should provide no more than 10% of your daily calories
  • Use the tools below to determine your calorie needs

Advanced BMR/EER Calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Daily-Metabolism.xml

Simple BMR/EER calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Daily-Metabolism.xml

Body Analysis Calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Full-Body-Analysis.xml

Calories Burned by Activity Type

I hope you now understand how to determine your calorie needs and the way to monitor your calorie intake and the calories you burn daily.

Wally Bishop C.N.C.

WebND

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice. Never stop taking prescriptions or stop following the advice and directions of your doctor. Always seek the advice of your doctor when making diet or health related changes to your lifestyle particularly if you have health challenges.When beginning a diet or exercise routine always consult with your doctor first. The information contained in this document is not intended to be and should not be considered medical advice.

Related articles

The Truth About Muscle Building and Protein Intake

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.4 Comments
Building Muscles the Healthy Way

Are you trying to build a more muscular body? I bet you didn’t realize that not only does too much protein not build more muscle; it can cause health issues such as osteoporosis, constipation or diarrhea. Don’t miss understand this statement, adequate protein is critical for a healthy body and some people need more than others.

Many nutrients and compounds are needed to build muscles in our bodies. For the sake of article length, I will limit this discussion to protein intake.

Lets explore the metabolism of protein required for building muscles in the human body!

There seems to be a lot of confusion regarding the amount of protein needed to build muscle mass. What builds muscle? True muscle growth comes from two different biological effects of weight bearing exercise;

  • hyperplasia which is the increase in the number of muscle cells
  • hypertrophy which is the growth in size of the actual cell.

Both are the result of the stress load on muscle fibers from exercise or strenuous work, which initiates the uptake of amino acids in the form of proteins. Excess amino acids (building blocks used to make proteins) are burned as fuel or metabolized into fat. Your body never likes to use more than 10% of its energy needs from protein. Only so much muscle protein synthesis (MPS) can occur. You can’t force feed muscle cells. The first 3 hours after a workout is the time when the majority of MPS will take place.

It is really amazing how many articles I have read from bodybuilding sources that say a person should consume between 2 to 4 grams of protein for every kg of body weight, or that a person should consume 1 to 1 ½ grams of protein per pound of body weight. That would mean a 200-pound man would need to consume between 200 grams and 363 grams of protein daily. The DRI for protein intake under normal bodily demand would be .8 grams of protein for each kg of body weight. To figure your body weight in kilograms, divide your weight in pounds by 2.2, that number is your weight converted from pounds to kilograms. For the obese the protein intake would be .8 grams for every kg of muscle mass.  For an athlete with heavy demands on muscle performance such as a body builder or an Olympic athlete the intake would be 1.6 to 1.7 grams of protein per kg of body weight meaning that same 200 pound man would consume 145 grams of protein at the high-end. An endurance athlete such as those running marathons, iron man events and triathlons requires less because they are not placing as much stress on the major muscle groups. Their needs can be met in most cases with no more than 1.2 to 1.4 grams of protein per kg of body weight. The average person who works out in the gym and is very active hiking and playing organized sports does not need this level of protein intake.

Consuming high quality complex carbohydrates is equally important because it keeps the body from burning those ingested proteins for fuel allowing the body to use the proteins for MPS.

Protein synthesis is most effective when the body is fed adequate complex carbohydrates. This allows the body to use the protein for building muscles, hormones, enzymes and other protein compounds.  Without enough complex carbohydrate the body is forced to burn the protein for energy instead.  The body prefers carbohydrates as its major source of energy.  So make sure at least 50% of your calories are from complex carbohydrates. Weight lifting is an anaerobic action, which requires glucose (sugar) for fuel. Sugar is a form of carbohydrate.

Protein is used for many functions not only muscle growth. Protein is required to build and repair muscle cells, hormones, blood cells, enzymes, antibodies and antigens.

The excess intake of protein can cause serious health consequences. The consumption of a high protein diet typically means the person is also consuming excess saturated fats and cholesterol and less fiber. Excess fats and cholesterol increase LDL and total cholesterol levels increasing the risk for heart disease. Taking excess protein in supplements can also cause digestive issues such as constipation, diarrhea and cramping.  Protein metabolism requires a lot of water.  Thus excess protein intake may cause dehydration as well.

In addition, animal proteins, particularly from dairy, promote calcium loss and are a promote of osteoporosis.

“Women consuming greater amounts of calcium from dairy foods had significantly increased risks of hip fractures, while no increase in fracture risk was observed for the same levels of calcium from nondairy sources.”

12-year Harvard study of 78,000 women American Journal of Public Health 1997;87

“Consumption of dairy products, particularly at age 20 years, were associated with an increased risk of hip fractures…metabolism of dietary protein causes increased urinary excretion of calcium.”

American Journal of Epidemiology 1994;139

A high protein diet typically results in a lowered consumption of fiber, which is critical for colon health. There is no fiber in meat. As noted in Clinical Nutrition a Functional Approach pg. 27, adequate fiber intake is cardio-protective, glucose regulating and cancer protective. Fiber in a bottle is never an equal to fiber from vegetative foods. A recent Japanese study published in the Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention, 2002 concluded that as dietary animal protein, fats and oils increase, the incidence of colo-rectal cancer increases. However, colorectal cancer rates decrease as dietary plant protein increases.

As protein replaces vegetative foods the diet could be lacking vital macro and micronutrients such as vitamins, minerals, fiber and phytonutrients that are contained in plant foods and not found in animal foods.  A lack of nutrients over time can lead to health issues such as impaired immune function, digestive disorders, fatigue, hormonal imbalances and insulin resistance.

The metabolic synthesis of protein causes different acids to be formed. To neutralize the acids the body must release calcium from bone to bring the body’s pH back into balance. Over time a high intake of proteins can cause osteoporosis.  However, certain plant foods that also contain proteins such as grains, nuts and seeds and legumes contain higher levels of potassium which help decrease urinary calcium loss.

For people with decreased kidney function excess protein intake can lead to further impairment of kidney function and even promote kidney disease.

Summary

The very high intake of proteins as recommend by many body building and sports health publications and body building organizations is misleading and can cause bodily harm through the dissemination of incorrect dietary information regarding protein intake.

Excess protein, particularly from animals can increase the risk of bone loss, heart disease, obesity, impaired kidney function, cancers and even type II diabetes.  The absence of carbohydrate to provide for adequate glucose or glycogen synthesis to fuel the Krebs cycle, ETC and neurological functions will cause the body to use the protein for fuel thus reducing the amount of protein that can be used for bodily functions that require dietary protein. When protein intake replaces complex carbohydrates the diet can be denied important phytonutrients that promote health and may even lower the risk of certain diseases. Furthermore, protein does not increase muscle mass or strength. The stress load on muscles triggers the body to use amino acids provided by dietary proteins to form specific proteins for building and repairing muscle tissues, MPS.

Research published in The Journal Physiology 2001 states “Overfeeding protein does not increase the size of the lean body mass, and amino acids supplied in excess of the requirements of protein synthesis are simply oxidized (Motil et al. 1981; Price et al. 1994) and their carbon skeletons used for fuel or stored as fat. The rise in plasma urea observed in this study supports this interpretation.”

Some of these people will suffer from serious illness and disease from excessive protein intake. Sadly the illness or disease may be caused by their false belief that a high consumption of dietary protein is superior at building muscle mass and muscle strength compared to current DRI recommendations for protein intake.

Wally Bishop C.N.C., I.N.H.C.

Integrative Nutrition Health Coach

Vive Shake

WebND

wellnesswithwally

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.

Weight Loss Essentials- Understanding Your Energy Balance

Wallace Bishop I.N.H.C, C.N.C.14 Comments

Have you been on a quest to lose those extra pounds? It’s fairly easy to lose weight if you are 30 or more pounds over weight.  Its not as easy as the amount you want to lose becomes smaller.  Put this information in use today to start your journey to better health!

I hated to make today’s blog so lengthy, however this information is vital for healthy, long-term weight loss.

I will be using the terms below in this blog, get familiar with them.

Glucose= carbohydrates converted into blood sugar

Glycogen=glucose that is stored in muscle cells and the liver for later energy needs

Triglycerides=excess glucose, dietary fats and unused proteins converted into body fat

BMR= basal metabolic rate

EER= estimated energy requirements

TER= total energy required

One principle many people overlook is their calories in/calories burned factor.  If you do not know how many calories you need to consume per day to maintain your weight or more importantly how many calories you should consume to lose weight, it would be like driving your car on a long trip to a place you have never been with your gas gauge and odometer broken.  The gas gauge represents your calories needed and the odometer represents how many calories you are burning.  Without these facts you are totally relying on luck and a guess to not end up stranded on the roadside. With your body it can mean unhealthy weight loss or even weight gain.

Calories are very important ( so are the type, another blog). They provide energy and valuable nutrients. Our bodies depend on nutrients to turn the fuel (food we eat) into energy. Carbohydrates, fats and to a lesser degree proteins are used as fuel. The body really loves carbohydrates and fat for fuel. Our brains will only use glucose or glycogen (glucose that is stored in the liver and muscle cells) for fuel. Most people will need approximately 100 grams of carbohydrate each day to meet the brains demands.  The blend of fuel type our cells use depends on the demands at that given moment.  Muscle cells will use primarily glucose and glycogen for anaerobic activity and primarily dietary and triglyceride fats for aerobic activity.  During both aerobic and anaerobic metabolism the muscle cells will always burn a ratio of all three fuel types.  The intensity of the physical activity dictates the ratio of  glucose, fat and protein. It is important to maintain a good dietary ratio between your carbohydrate, fat and protein intake for your particular lifestyle.  If you do not consume enough carbohydrate the body will burn the protein for brain fuel robbing your body of protein needed to make and repair tissues, enzymes, white blood cells, red blood cells, hormones, hair,  finger nails and antibodies.  If you continue to under consume carbohydrates the body will also break apart muscle and organs to convert the protein into glucose. This is highly inefficient and causes ketones ( COMPOUNDS THAT HARM THE BODY)to be released into the blood. The over consumption of protein is also harmful for the body.
To determine your protein requirements refer to the previous document.
So lets say you need to lose 30 pounds. Where do you start? I am going to assume you know that 1 pound of body weight represents 3500 calories.   If you want to lose 1 pound per week, then you would need to burn 3500 more calories than you consumed that week.  Are you still with me?  To know how many calories you body needs daily, we need to calculate your basal metabolic rate (BMR), the amount of energy your body uses at rest.  We then apply the Harris Benedict equation to determine your estimated energy requirement (EER) based on the your daily activity level.  We then add the two together to get the estimated actual number of calories you burn per day. Thankfully there are calculators on the web that will estimate these numbers for you.  These are estimates.  I have found most of them to overstate the number of calories actually needed by approximately 10%.   I have two links for you at the end of this blog that will do the math for you.  I think you will find them helpful.
Now that you can determine the number of calories you need daily to meet your energy requirements, you need to be able to track the number of calories per day you are consuming. There are a number of web-sites that offer free food journals. For the first 90 to 120 days you should count your calories, fat grams, protein grams, sugar grams, sodium grams and fiber grams every day.
Studies have shown that people who use food journals on a daily basis lose weight and keep it off a higher percentage of the time.
You can load a tool bar calorie counter and online food journal at www.fatsecret.com it is very easy to use.  I really like it because  it is very convenient to access from my toolbar. It will also allow you to add custom foods to the data base. This means that if you like a certain food that is not in their database you can add it to the database for everyone to use as well.
I recommend, never losing more than two pounds per week unless under the supervision of an appropriate health professional.  Studies show that losing weight quicker than two pounds per week increases your chance of  is regaining the weight.  It also means you are consuming less nutrients that are present in those calories. This can cause bodily harm due to a lack of nutrients.
Guidelines
  • shoot for consuming 500 calories less per day, try eating 250 calories less and exercising away 250 extra calories.
  • never consume less that 1200 calories per day unless under the supervision of a health professional.  This will put the body in starvation mode forcing your body to conserve energy and actually store extra fat. Not only will it stop the weight loss it can cause you to gain weight.  Let’s say your BMR is 1500 calories, then you will need to exercise the extra 200 calories so you do not drop your calories under 1200 but still bank those 500 calories per day towards your 1 pound per week of weight loss. I have many clients that ask for my help that are consuming 600 to 1000 calories per day and can’t seem to lose weight.  They just don’t understand that just like you have a household budget to maintain a certain lifestyle.  Your body also has a calorie budget to meet the demands you place on it.  If your income is reduced  by 30 percent, you must start to reduce your spending by 30%. Your body’s total energy requirements (TER) represent your household budget, Your income represents your calorie intake.  When consuming fewer calories than the body needs,  the body has no choice but to reduce its internal processes. Life support functions and processes are the priority. Extra energy and fat metabolism are reduced.  Like wise if your body gets accustomed to getting plenty of calories to meet its daily calorie budget it will begin to spend those extra calories towards energy for mental and physical activity, immune and hormonal processes, the repair and building of muscle and organs etc….  Like wise, if you believed your bank account had plenty of money, you are naturally going to spend more right? By meeting your BMR you body knows it can satisfy its basic needs and does not have to conserve energy or store fat for life support when the famine arrives. Your behavior of cutting calories too much makes your body think starvation is near. Feed your body a generous amount of nutrient dense foods and your body will be happy to spend extra calories in the form of stored fat.
  • Drink plenty of water,  fat metabolism is dependent on hydrolysis, which is the breaking down of fatty acids for use in the body.
  • Exercise often, if you are just starting, begin with walking. Start slow then when you are able include resistance training to build muscle and interval training to build a stronger lungs and heart. This increases fitness.
  • make sure you are getting at least  30 or more grams of fiber per day.  Fiber is very filling, keeps our intestines clean and absorbs some fat. Refer to this list for high fiber foods.
  • limit the intake of processed and refined foods, not only are they poor sources of nutrients they actually rob our bodies of nutrients
  • eat highly nutritious foods,  check out www.whfoods.com
  • cut your salt intake, it makes your body retain fluids
  • eliminate foods with added sugars
  • eliminate refined grains and flours, use only whole grains
  • reduce your intake of saturated fats, they should provide no more than 10% of your daily calories
  • use the tools below to determine your calorie needs

Advanced BMR/EER Calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Daily-Metabolism.xml

Simple BMR/EER calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Daily-Metabolism.xml

Body Analysis Calculator

http://www.google.com/ig/adde?moduleurl=www.bizcalcs.com/GG/Full-Body-Analysis.xml

Calories Burned by Activity Type

I hope you now understand how to determine your calorie needs and the way to monitor your calorie intake and the calories you burn daily.

Wally’s Daily Dose

The information contained in this blog is not medical advice. Never stop taking prescriptions or stop following the advice and directions of your doctor. Always seek the advice of your doctor when making diet or health related changes to your lifestyle particularly if you have health challenges.When beginning a diet or exercise routine always consult with your doctor first. The information contained in this document is not intended to be and should not be considered medical advice.