quinta-feira, 27 de agosto de 2015

Carbohydrates and Your Diet



Proper nutrition means meeting your daily calorie needs and providing your body with nutrients needed to stay healthy and active. That may sound simple, but nutrition can be a confusing maze of scientific jargon and theory. To help you better understand the link between eating and good health, let take a closer look at one of the key building blocks of good nutrition—carbohydrates.


Carbohydrate Basics


There’s a shroud of mystery attached to carbohydrates and how food is converted to energy. And lately, some diets have even given carbohydrates a bad name. Here are just a few facts about carbohydrates that may clear things up.

Complex carbohydrates are best: Carbohydrates are an important part of a healthy diet and provide the body with the fuel it needs for physical activity and for proper organ function.

There are two types of carbohydrates—complex and simple. Complex carbohydrates come naturally from fruits, vegetables, legumes (beans, lentils, peas) and whole grains. Simple carbohydrates come from sugars, which are typically processed and contain no significant nutrients.

Carbohydrates are the best form of energy: The energy from food comes in three forms: carbohydrates, protein, and fat. Some of these fuels are stored in your body so that muscles and organs can use them as an immediate source of energy. Out of these three fuels, carbohydrates are the most important, yet least abundant nutrient for daily energy needs. Carbohydrates are the primary energy source for most activity and are burned more efficiently than protein or fat. For example, research has shown that the energy from carbohydrates can be released up to three times as fast as the energy from fat.

There are other important functions and facts you should know about carbohydrates:
  • Carbohydrates are the most effective fuel for a healthy brain and nervous system.
  • Low carbohydrate stores may diminish your concentration.
  • Adequate amounts of carbohydrates help spare protein reserves needed for muscle growth, maintenance and repair.
  • Carbohydrates help the body burn fat more efficiently than protein.
  • Many foods high in complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables) are also high in dietary fiber for better digestion, and prevention of certain types of cancer.
Carbohydrate Stores are limited: The primary function of carbohydrates is to provide energy, but the body can only store a limited amount of carbohydrate (about half a day’s supply of energy). For this reason, it is best not to limit or eliminate all carbohydrates as some popular diets lead us to believe. Eating some complex carbohydrates throughout the day will provide you with an adequate amount of energy for day to day needs.


Carbohydrates in Your Diet


You’ve probably heard of “carbo-loading,” but that’s a term used for endurance athletes that pile on carbohydrates to have enough energy and fuel for long events. For the average person, it’s simple to include complex carbohydrates in your diet.

  • According to the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the average person’s diet should be comprised of 45 to 65 percent of daily caloric intake from carbohydrates.
  • For example, a moderately active adult who needs 2,000 calories per day to sustain their body weight should eat nearly 900-1300 calories from carbohydrates (or 225-325 grams of carbohydrates) per day.
  • Choose healthy complex carbohydrates like brown rice, whole grain pastas, breads, and cereals, fruits, vegetables and legumes. Eating these foods is an excellent way to ensure adequate carbohydrate stores in the body for daily needs.


Note: please consult with your medical professional for heart disease screening and a registered dietician for specific dietary recommendations.


Coach Cathfit

sexta-feira, 21 de agosto de 2015

The Importance Of Protein In Your Diet


Why should you care about making sure you get enough protein? Here are four good reasons:
It is a component of every cell in your body. In fact, hair and nails are mostly made of protein.
Your body uses it to build and repair tissue.
You need it to make enzymes, hormones, and other body chemicals.

It is an important building block of bones, muscles, cartilage, skin, and blood.
Like carbohydrates and fat, protein is a "macronutrient,” meaning that you need relatively large amounts of it to stay healthy. (Vitamins and minerals, which you only need in small quantities, are called "micronutrients.")
Unlike carbohydrates and fat, your body does not store protein, so it has no reservoir to draw from when you’re running low.  Protein bars and shakes are a great way to supplement your diet to ensure you’re getting the right amount of protein.



Benefits of a Protein-Enriched Diet

Consuming high-protein foods has many benefits, including:

Speeding recovery after exercise

Reducing muscle loss

Building lean muscle

Helping you maintain a healthy weight
Curbing hunger

Different Forms of Protein

Protein comes from a variety of sources, including meat, milk, fish, soy, and eggs, as well beans, legumes, and nut butters. When proteins are digested, they leave behind amino acids, which the human body needs to break down food.   
Whey, a high quality protein source naturally found in milk, is a complete protein and contains all of the amino acids your body needs.  In general, proteins derived from animal sources (i.e. milk, eggs & meat) are complete, but your body’s ability to use the protein varies.

Coach Cathfit

sábado, 15 de agosto de 2015

Post Workouts Drinks

Banana Cream Pie Smoothie 

 A inserir a imagem...  

Ingredients: 


 cup sliced riped banana (about 1 large)
cup vanilla low-fat yogurt
1/2 cup 1% low-fat milk
tablespoons whole wheat graham cracker crumbs (about 1/2 cookie sheet)
tablespoon nonfat dry milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
ice cubes (about 1/4 cup)
Graham cracker crumbs  

Preparation 


 Arrange banana slices in a single layer on a baking sheetand freeze until firm (about 1 hour).Place frozen banana and remaining ingredients in a blenderProcess until smoothSprinkle with graham cracker crumbs. Serve immediately. 

The Green Banana Muscle 

A inserir a imagem...  

Ingredients: 

cup unsweetened almond milk 
cup baby spinach 
1½ frozen bananas 
tbsp almond butter 
tbsp (1 scoopprotein powder 
cup ice 

Preparation: 

  Add ingredients into a blender and blend until smooth. 
  
Mocha Protein Shake

 A inserir a imagem...  

Ingredients: 


 1/2 cup nonfat milktablespoon Jell-O Sugar-Free Butterscotch Pudding
scoops Chocolate Protein
1/2 cup concentrated cold brew coffee (do not water it down), or really strong coffee, chilled
cup ice Instant coffee powder (optional)
Chocolate shavings (optional)  

Preparation: 


 In a blendermix the milk and pudding powder until it thickensabout 2 minutes. Add coffee,protein powder and ice; blend until smooth. Top with chocolate shavings and instant coffee powder for some extra crunch. 

 White Chocolate Raspberry Protein 

A inserir a imagem...  

Ingredients: 


 cup unsweetened coconut milk (from a carton)
3/4 cup frozen raspberries
scoops Vanilla Protein
tablespoon chia seeds
tablespoon white chocolate chips
tablespoons water  

Preparation: 

 In a blendermix all ingredients until smooth.
Coach Cathfit