I'm in little rock! Got in last night. The airline travel was poor as usual but I had a bag full of homemade protein bars, beef jerky, and mixed nuts. I'm off to get some breakfast but will see if I can post some updates from JP's computer at the gym.
-Mike
Tomorrow morning I'm off to Little Rock (AR) for the JP Fitness Summit. Hopefully I'll be doing some blogging from the event (that would make this blog very cutting edge). When I get back I promise to update more regularly.
On a different note the Lift Strong eManual has been on sale for 1 week and almost 10,000 dollars has been raised for cancer research. If you haven't ordered a copy head over to www.LiftStrong.com
-Mike
Quick entry...hopefully I'll be back later today as I have something interesting to write about.
I just sat down to read a journal article on binge eating and how it effects food intake patterns. The paper starts with this sentence:
"Children who report episodes of binge eating gain more weight than do children not reporting binge eating."
Not to be rude but....duh! Talk about stating the obvious!
Anyway...the much awaited project Lift Strong has been released. All proceeds go to charity. Check it out at LiftStrong.com
Here are a couple free resources that have come into to my attention over the past couple weeks. You don't even need to give out your email address so they are really FREE - Just download
The Cut Diet 2 Right Click and Download
Gourmet Desserts - click the link scroll to the bottom and download.
Precision Nutrition Strategies click the link scroll to the bottom and download.
Have a great weekend.
I first saw this video as an undergraduate and was very happy to see it on youtube (thanks Dr. Eades for pointing me to it). It is a human depiction of protein synthesis. My favorite parts are the high energy bond breaking. The tRNA and GTP chats are awesome! Enjoy! Oh yeah. You can skip though the lecture part if you want.
Here is a question that was posted in the comments section of my previous entry on beef
Q: This is interesting info, but I'm a little confused. What would you recommend that the package should read when buying meat in a supermarket? Anything with a "select" label?
Do you have to pay attention to the cut of meat or just the grade?
Also, how much red meat do you think is an acceptable part of a healthy diet?
A: I do recommend that you purchase SELECT grade beef whenever possible but this can be a problem as depending on where you shop SELECT is hard to find. In fact the supermarket where I shop every week, Wegmans, only carries CHOICE. They actually boast with signs and labels saying that they only carry best beef grade - CHOICE. Best for who? If you were going to go for taste then PRIME would be the best as it is the fattiest and if you were going to go for lean protein then SELECT would be the optimal choice.
It is important to pay attention to both the cut and grade. I am far from a beef expert. After my meeting with the beef guy my beef I.Q. increased about 300%. but Top Round, Eye of Round, and Bottom Round are all good lean choices. Most of the time you can just look at the beef. I always aim to select the cuts with less marbling (or visible fat within the meat)to reduce the fat content (I'm not anti-fat but with red meat it can add up quick!).
How much red meat to include in your diet isn't a predetermined number. You shouldn't restrict your consumption of lean red meat but for variety sake (taste and fatty acids) I wouldn't eat meat exclusively. I normally have red meat at least 4 times a week. It really depends what is on sale at the market that week.
I love beef! There is no way getting around it, red meat rules! However, picking the right cuts of meat can be a little confusing. Chicken is easy - boneless skinless chicken breast and the occasional whole chicken or split chicken breast. but did you know that there are 27 cuts of beef that have fat contents ranging between that found in chicken thighs and chicken breasts?
All this beef talk comes from a meeting I had today with a gentlemen that works in the meat lab here at PSU (cool title huh?). Here are some take home points.
*Red meat comes in grades from fattest to leanest. Prime, Choice, Select, Standard. Standard is so lean (and "gross" according to my meat guy) that you will never find it in a retail setting. Most stores stock Prime and Choice. Select maybe hard to find.
*Bottom Round, Top Round, and Eye of Round are all essentially of the same leanness and can be cooked in similar manners.
*Of those three cuts top round has the potential to have more marbling (read "fat") so just make sure to look at the meat before you buy it.
*Shoulder cuts are good for crockpot cooking as the meat will fall apart.
That's all I have for today. Quick and Practical!
-Mike
I just had a very interesting conversation with a group of my fellow nutrition graduate students. A friend of mine was leafing though a nutrition magazine that I get and was surprised to see a recommended intake of 0.5g protein/lb bodyweight.
Grad 1: "Isn't that a little excessive"
I chuckle..
Me: "You don't want to know how much I eat then"
Grad 1:"How much do you eat?"
Me:"Anywhere from 1.25-1.5g/lb."
Grad 1:"What! That's a lot of protein. How can you eat that much? Do you eat 6 times a day?"
I chuckle again..
Me:"Yes"
Grad 2:"You don't need that much. You only need .8g/kg"
oh god...here we go
Me:"No...I only need .8g/kg to survive. But is that optimal? No. I use extra protein calories to displace carbohydrate calories as they are less insulinogenic (amongst other things) this allow for a more favorable body composition."
Grad 1 & 2 "hmmmm"
Grad 3:"But that is bad for your kidneys."
Ding Ding Ding...It was only a matter of time until that came up.
Grad 1: "That's actually not true." - I knew I liked this guy.
Me:"Exactly. That has never been show to be true. It IS true in renal patients."
Grad 3:"Well, I would like to see some longer term studies first."
oh lord....
Grad 2:"Well what would you estimate your macronutrient breakdown to be?"
Me: "I don't have to estimate. It is 40/30/30 on workout days and 30/40/30 on nonworkout days."
Shock spreads throughout the room that I know that off the top of my head.
Grad 3:"Why do you change you intake on different days?"
Me:"The short answer is I replace the calories that I would normally consume during my workout with protein and some calories from vegetables on nonworkout days."
Grad 3:"Well, why are you consuming the below the required 45% of calories from carbohydrates? You need at least 125g of carbohydrates to for your body to function properly."
Me:"That isn't true either. You don't need any carbohydrates to function. Your body works just great on 20grams a day. You might be tired for the first two days until your body adjusts but then you'll be all set."
This conversation when on some more but you get my point...
The 300 Workout is the hottest video in the fitness industry right now. It is pretty interesting. Definitely worth watching.
Often times people experience what I call the "flip of the switch". This is the sudden enlightenment that occurs one day when you realize that you diet is full of garbage, you're 30lbs heavier then you were 10 years ago (that 3lb per year weight gain doesn't seem like a lot but it adds up), and your health is gradually going down the drain. Usually when people flip the switch they become very motivated. This can result in a total dietary turn around in the course of 24 hours.
Another senario might be you've been on vacation for a week, ate a lot of garbage, and now it is time to return to your clean eating (See Nutritionists Gone Wild).
Unfortunately, this can be a huge shock to your system. The best way to easy yourself into or back into eating good clean foods is to give your body a little digestive support. I recommend you do this through the use of probiotics and ginger tea. I have written extensively about probiotics previously and I find that ginger tea can be best used following a meal to also aid in digestion.
So don't let the initial pains of good eatin' send you back to the Big Macs and treat your GI track well as it was once said "I'd take a good set of bowels over brains anyday" (or something like that).
I'm back in the swing of things after my ice cream cake eating escapades in Hawaii. I was just made aware that a scientific article I co-authored with my doctoral mentor Dr. Penny Kris-Etherton has been published in the new Journal of Clinical Lipidology. I know you're probably thinking clinical lipidology...yawn. But this article is actually very practical as it has to do with lifestyle interventions to increase HDL-C a.k.a. the good cholesterol. Unfortunately, I don't currently have access to check out the published pdf but here's the abstract and link. Enjoy!!
Volume 1, Issue 1, Pages 65-73 (March 2007)
Effects of lifestyle interventions on high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels
Michael A. Roussell BS, Penny Kris-Etherton, PhD
This review summarizes intervention studies that evaluated the effects of lifestyle behaviors on high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C) levels. Current diet and lifestyle recommendations beneficially affect HDL-C. Individual lifestyle interventions that increase HDL-C include: a healthful diet that is low (7–10% of calories) in saturated fat and sufficient in unsaturated fat (15–20% of calories), regular physical activity, attaining a healthy weight, with moderate alcohol consumption, and cessation of cigarette smoking. Combining a healthy diet with weight loss and physical activity can increase HDL-C 10% to 13%. When combined with interventions that beneficially affect other cardiovascular disease risk factors, this increase in HDL-C is expected to contribute to a overall reduction in cardiovascular disease risk.
Just a little favor to all you avid Street Smart Nutrition readers. If you have a blog or a website it would be greatly appreciated if you would put a link on your site to this blog. We are getting more and more new visitors everyday and your links can help increase that.
Thanks so much,
Mike
P.S. Are you coming to the JP Fitness Summit??
Americans are all about convenience.
*TiVo let's you watch TV when ever you want.
*Cell Phones allow you to talk to anyone when ever you want.
*The internet allows you to find out any information you desire at the click of a button.
*Heck, I know researchers that will only use a scientific journal article if they can get it online because the library is too far away.
We, as Americans, really excel at convenience when it comes to food. But food is interesting because convenience can come at an immediate price or a delayed price. Most people pay the delayed price without even realizing what they are doing.
Let me explain...today I found myself on the other side of campus, without any food, and it was meal time. I headed over to the school Creamery (not for ice cream) as they have a small place that sells food. I was hungry and had a couple options.
Whole grain turkey sandwich or Chips
Choosing the chips would be result in paying a delayed price for convenience as they were very inexpensive but eating them would 1. Make me feel crappy in about 10 minutes. 2. Contribute to clogging my arteries 3. Be essentially wasting calories. I guess #1 is an immediate price but 2 and 3 can be very detrimental if repeated over the long term.
The whole grain turkey sandwich was a better long term option but it was also almost 5 bucks (what a rip off!) With the turkey sandwich I would pay the initial high financial price of convenience but over the long term would not suffer the consequences of potato chip consumption.
Do you see how everything has a price? I actually didn't chose either option and instead got some mixed nuts and a little locally made beef jerky.
Many people complain about how eating healthy is expensive but will go out and by a crappy lunch everyday. Yes, if you want convenience then eating healthy is expensive over the short term. However, if you want convenience and you don't want to pay a financial price (initially) then you will most likely pay with your health in the long term.
The answer to this problem is easy. Plan, Cook, and Prepare you meals ahead of time. Healthy food, bought in bulk, and prepared ahead of time are in fact not that expensive over the short term or long term.
Think about your nutrition? What price are you paying?
This past weekend was the Arnold Classic, one of the biggest events in the bodybuilding /Fitness Industry. Victor Martinez was the winner of the Men's IFBB Event but I think the most incredible part of the show was Warren Branch. The lats and legs on this guy are incredible and a little freakish. Take a look at the picture...
Seriously...the lower lat, inner, and outer thighs on this guy are incredible. The best part is the Warren isn't into traditional "hypertrophy" training. He trains with Johnny Jackson (bodybuilder/powerlifter) and they lift heavy and hard. Granted I'm sure that many of you will say..."But he's on steroids". True. But that doesn't take away from all the hard work he puts in to look the way he does.
How's your training? Have you been stuck lifting weights for 12-15 reps for what seems like forever?? If so consider dropping your reps down to 3-6 range and be prepared for magic!! Plus, lifting heavy stuff is fun.
Have a great day.
-MR
Just wanted to remind and encourage everyone to attend the JP Fitness Summit, it is going to be a killer event. I'm mentioned before that I'll be speaking there along with Alwyn Cosgrove, Chad Waterbury, Charles Staley, and several more all-stars.
The topic of my talk will be nutrient timing and I'll be discussing the following:
*Why you probably should have carbs in the morning.
*The workout nutrition shake that was shown to pack on 10 pounds of muscle while allowing users to simultanously drop body fat.
*Do carbs during your workout prevent fat loss?
*How to use different proteins throughout the day for maximal benefit.
*and a whole lot more!!!!
I hope to see you there. I'll also be releasing the new Your Naked Nutrition Guide at the Summit. This won't be available to anyone else until several weeks after the event.
In preparation for the launch of the new Your Naked Nutrition Manual - www.NakedNutritionGuide.com has been launched. Check it out and let me know what you think.
-Mike
As I've mentioned previously over the past several months I have diligently been working on the Your Naked Nutrition Guide - A results driven all encompassing manual for nutritional success. I have also included in this a couple chapters at the beginning on mindset, planning, and goal setting. In this section I pose the question
"What are the negatives of achieving your goal?"
Have you ever thought of this? Over the past couple months I've dropped a bunch of extra weight. Living the life of a graduate student had been taking its toll on my physique (I know excuses, excuses). As a result a good bunch of my clothes don't fit. My pants sag off my waist, I need new belts, and my button down shirts need to be tapered...this isn't something that most people consider.
What about birthdays? It seems like we are always having mini birthday parties in the lab. This means cake. It is awkward refusing birthday cake at a party, standing there drinking water while everyone else enjoys the fluffy sugar laced baked goods. It makes you sort of an outcast...have you considered having to deal with these social situations?
What about drinking? An all to common occurrence is getting a drink on Friday after work. What will you do in these situations? Say no and not attend? Does that make you antisocial? Will you go but not drink and just have a diet coke instead? That's fine but be prepared to be on the receiving end of some ribbings from your buddies.
Most of the time we talk about food and training....but learning to deal with social pressures and stick to your plan regardless of the birthday parties, happy hours, and telling the waitress exactly how you what your food prepared ("Hold the fries, double the steamed vegetables, and I'll have the dressing on the side.") is extremely important. This can be the hardest part for many people.
So don't forget to look at the whole picture. What is it really going to cost to reach your goals?
The world of "protein bars" is probably the most misleading and ingenious marketing idea ever. Most of the bars are loaded with sugar and low quality protein but since they are protein bars and not candy bars companies mark them up 100-200%. Plus they usually taste like garbage.
I was at the super market yesterday and found myself very hungry (it is never good to go to the market hungry). I went over to where they sell the protein bars and was extremely disappointed. Of course there were not Metabolic Drive bars (my first choice) but they didn't have any Greens+ bars either.
Here's what I did find...I won't mention the company name because it is too embarassing. The bar contained 360 calories. The first ingredient was a protein blend but the next three ingredients were corn syrup, brown rice syrup, and high fructose corn syrup. The bar had 51 grams of carbs, 25 of which came from sugar. Oh yeah it also contained partially hydrogenated soybean oil. Total crap.
The moral of the story is that it is extrememly important to read the labels before you purchase "health food" items.
