NUTRITION

Finely tuned, a good diet will:

Why is nutrition important?

•increase energy, sense of well being, mental acuity

•Improve physical performance

•decrease fat and pack on muscle

•nudge every important quantifiable marker for health in the right direction

This recommendation is adequate to the task of preventing the scourges of diet-induced disease

more accurate and precise prescription is necessary to manage intake levels and optimize physical performance

RECOMMENDATION*Keep intake to levels that support exercise but not body fat

Biochemist, family history heart disease

Dr. Barry Sears

•Every time you eat macronutrients a hormonal response is generated which determines how much body fat you will storeHormones:

Insulin: promotes fat storage

Eicosanoids: “master switches”, control body functions including fat storage

Sears found this balance can be achieved using food

Balancing hormones:Helps prevent heart disease, cancer, arthritis, diabetesHelp us reach optimal physical, psych, mental performance

• a state of optimal health, physical performance and mental alertness

• tested on world class athletes, diabetics, individuals with heart disease and AIDS

• results showed that dietary technology is the most powerful means to help people achieve the Zone

Low-fat foods are often high in sugar You need to eat fat to lose fatFat helps us feel full longer and aids in nutrient absorption

Problems with high protein & low fat diets

High protein diets: promotes water loss vs. fat lossCause the body to use muscle mass to convert protein into CHO for energy

FAT is NOT the enemy

There’s an increasing awareness that excess carbohydrates play a dominant role in chronic diseases

The Zone Diet is not a “low-carb” diet (40%)

A closer look at carbohydrates

• The culprit in obesity and related diseases is no longer seen as dietary fat but excess consumption of carbohydrate—particularly refined or processed

• CHO stored as glycogen which feeds the brain. The brain can only access glycogen from the liver. Liver has limited capacity for storage. Excess CHO are converted to fat.

• Most Americans’ CHO consumption is 80-85%

rapid rise in blood sugar

The body’s response to:

pancreas releases high levels of insulin to lower blood sugar

Pancreas releases low level of insulin to deliver sugars to cells, brain, muscle to provide energy

Consume a meal high in carbohydrates

Consume ideal portion of CHO

Once the muscles, liver and brain have got enough glucose there is only one place for the left over to go….

Result is weight gain, lack of energy, high cholesterol, diabetes…..

FAT CELLS:

Elevated blood sugar = elevated insulin Insulin is a hormone that promotes fat

storage

High glycemic foods are typically starchy, sweet, or processed foods like bread, pasta, rice, potato, grains, and desserts

Glycemic index is a measure of the entry rate of CHO into the bloodstream

Low-glycemic foods have limited shelf life

GLYCEMIC INDEX

A BLOCK is a unit of measure used to simplify the process of making balanced meals.

7 grams of protein = 1 block of protein 9 grams of CHO = 1 block of CHO 1.5 grams of fat = 1 block of fat

Simplifying the Zone DietA certain amount of “blocks” per day is prescribed individually based on amount of lean mass and one’s activity level

*Every meal, every snack, should contain equivalent blocks of protein, carbohydrate, and fat.

A sample 4-block meal:4 oz. chicken breast1 artichoke1 cup of steamed vegetables w/ 1 1/3 TBS olive oil

1 apple

Example:

This meals contains 28 g of protein, 36 g of CHO and 12 g of fat.

It is simpler, though, to think of it as

4 blocks of protein4 blocks of carbohydrate

4 blocks of fat

BEWARE

KEYS to SUCCESS

Stay hydrated

PREPARE

The improved eating habits you acquire during the next 6 weeks should not end when the challenge does.

LAST WORDS…

Continue being aware of your diet and improving your nutrition to make changes that will last a LIFETIME.

It won’t be, (and shouldn’t) be easy.