Nutrition labels have revolutionized the way we buy food — especially for people on special diets. Nutrition can affect more than just your weight. People who practice good nutrition, hygiene and exercise patterns develop a lifetime of habits that will keep them healthy for many years. Peanuts and peanut butter are whole foods that pack a lot of nutrition into just one serving. Peanuts and peanut butter are whole foods that contain a variety of vitamins and minerals, ample protein and beneficial unsaturated fats. Since they are a plant food, they naturally contain no cholesterol. Peanuts and peanut butter contain high quality plant protein. Protein is estimated based upon the amount of bound nitrogen in the sample. Total fat is estimated from the weight of all individual fatty acids plus the imputed weight of one unit of glycerol for each three fatty acids. When comparing peanuts to similar foods, peanuts have more protein than any other legume or nut. This is especially important for children, vegetarians and people eating more meatless meals. Carbohydrates in food help our bodies produce serotonin — a sleep-inducing hormone. This meal plan incorporates plenty of healthy carbohydrate-rich foods like fruit, pasta, potatoes, oatmeal and brown rice. Milk contains tryptophan, an amino acid that promotes sleep. This diet includes skim milk with meals and as a before-bed snack.
Carbohydrates are easy to digest and quickly absorbed. They can be found in sugar and sweets, honey, fruits and fruit juices. Daily values footnote is a reference tool, giving you basic guidelines on how much of each nutritional item you should eat daily. Grains based foods (pasta, bread, cereals) are very versatile and highly regarded by nutrition professionals because they are rich in nutrients. Whole grains are high in fibre and may help to lower blood cholesterol and maintain bowel regularity. They contain vitamin E and important trace materials like copper and zinc. For years, these foods were considered the ugly ducklings of nutrition. Thought to be fattening with little nutritional value, they were avoided in misguided attempts to control weight. Now scientific agreement among qualified nutrition experts points to increasing our consumption of grains based foods and reaping significant health benefits. Calories may be calculated using any one of several methods. The old-fashioned bomb calorimeter, one of the acceptable methods, is a poor model for the human body. Ideally, calories represent physiological energy — the energy value remaining after digestive and metabolic losses are deducted from the gross energy. This type of calculation is called the At water system for determining energy values.
Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) is an antioxidant. It is commonly found in fresh vegetables and fruit (peppers, tomatoes, citrus fruits). Severe lack of vitamin C can lead to scurvy. It helps to heal wounds, prevent cell damage, promote healthy gums and teeth, and strengthen the immune system. It also helps the body absorb iron. Women and men should consume at least 60 milligrams of vitamin C each day. Vitamin C deficiency causes a disease called scurvy, which is uncommon in the United States. Taking more than 2,000 milligrams a day may cause a flushed face, headache, increased urination, mild diarrhea, nausea and vomiting. People who smoke need to consume more vitamin C because smoking interferes with the body’s ability to use vitamins. Women who smoke should consume 110 milligrams per day of vitamin C, and men who smoke should consume 125 milligrams per day of vitamin C. Phytochemicals are natural substances in plants which may provide a wide range of health benefits such as reducing the risk of coronary heart disease. Peanuts contain resveratrol which is one of the many phytochemicals found in plant foods.
Good nutrition is more important than ever. Regulations requiring nutrition panels on food labels were implemented as part of a campaign to get people to eat less fat. Dietary fiber has been shown to reduce the risk of cancer, heart disease and mitigate the blood sugar fluctuations of diabetes. Nutrients are divided into two groups. “Good” nutrients consisted of: “vitamin, mineral, protein, total carbohydrate, dietary fiber, other carbohydrate, polyunsaturated or monounsaturated fat, or potassium” and must be present in at least 80% of the label value in every unit tested. Conversely, “bad” nutrients: calories, sugars, total fat, saturated fat, cholesterol, or sodium must be present in no more than 120% of the label value but may be less than the label value by a “reasonable” amount. Nutrition label legislation is to help consumers cut fat out of their diets, carbs are considered a valuable nutrient. Labels have serving sizes as required by law and indicate the number of servings contained in the package. However, selling underweight packages violates the oldest consumer protection laws. Many manufacturers deliberately overfill their packages to avoid the risk that their filling equipment may not be precise or that the product might dry out or otherwise not measure up. As a result, packages often contain more food than the nutrition label indicates.
Some subjects are too confusing and harder to understand, such as; Math, Chemistry, Biology, and in the case of bodybuilding, Nutrition. There is more to bodybuilding and building muscle than just lifting weights. A very important part of the process of gaining muscle, along with sufficient rest, is Bodybuilding Nutrition. Fortunately, to achieve your fitness and weight lifting goals, you do not need a degree in Nutrition. Instead, all you need is to have an open mind and willingness to learn as much as you can about it. Now, lets go ahead get started with the basics of bodybuilding nutrition.Most people use the terms Bodybuilding Nutrition and Supplements interchangeably. They assume that by using over-the-counter supplements their nutritional needs will be taken care of. Nothing is farther from the truth. There is a big difference between bodybuilding nutrition and supplements. In addition, supplements should be used very sparingly, if not at all. However the topic of supplement use is a totally different one all together.You may be wondering, if we are not going to talk about supplements, then, what this article is all about? Well, for those who are not familiar with what bodybuilding nutrition is all about, it consists of four basic components; Proteins, Carbohydrates, Fats and Water. Now, let’s go ahead and examine each of the components briefly.Proteins:Proteins and Amino Acids go hand in hand. Protein is made up of amino acids and amino acids are the building blocks of muscles. And they constantly build, repair and maintain your muscle tissues. So, in order to achieve your bodybuilding and fitness goals, you should be consuming sufficient amounts of protein a day, which is usually about 1-1.5 gram(s) of protein per pound of your body weight. You may be wondering, what kind of sources should I get my protein from? Well, you have a variety of sources to choose your proteins from like; beef, fish, poultry, eggs, turkey, tuna and soy protein.Carbohydrates:Carbohydrates are your body’s main source of energy and they also provide your brain with the energy it needs in the form of glucose. There are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Simple carbs are digested fast and most likely to be stored as fat. Whereas, complex carbs are digested over a period of time and contain a higher concentration of dietary fibers.Carbohydrates play a vital role in developing muscle mass. There are simple guidelines you should adhere by with carbs;1)Choose complex carbs over simple carbs; Complex carbs come from such sources as;potato, brown rice, oatmeal,etc. Complex carbs have a tendency to keep your blood sugar levels in check and since they burn slowly, they can act as a longer lasting energy source, especially for your workouts.2)Since your body uses carbohydrates for energy, then, it is only logical to consume some carbs before and after your workouts. A norm is usually an hour before and no later than 1/2 hour after your workouts.3)Did you know that even though fruits are a healthy choice, they are made up from simple sugar(carbs). If you did not know, simple sugar turn into fructose, then, stored in the body in the form of fat. So, for the purposes of building muscle, keep fruit consumption to a minimum.4)Do not consume carbohydrates by themselves, always have carbs with proteins. By doing so, will help you minimize the chance of carbs being stored as fat.Fats:All your cells have some fat in them. Just like your body needs carbohydrates and proteins, it also needs healthy fats to function on a daily basis. Aside from carbohydrates, your body utilizes fats as an energy source as well. And on a more scarier note, the excess fat which is not burned by your body will be stored as body fat.There are 3 types of fats;1)Saturated fats; which are often associated with heart disease and high cholesterol levels.2)Polyunsaturated fats; are fats that are found mostly in vegetable oils.3)Monounsaturated fats; which have a positive effect on cholesterol levels.Among some of the benefits of healthy fats are a young looking skin and hair and healthier joints. Remember your daily intake of healthy fats should not exceed 20% of your calorie intake.Water:It is widely known that our bodies are made up of 70% of water, and without it we simply cannot survive. Having said that, you do not want to start consuming excess water as well. A simple way of figuring out your daily water need is by multiplying your body weight by 0.66. The end result, then, would be the amount you need in ounces on a daily basis.In conclusion, here are 5 basic nutritional guidelines to follow which may be helpful in achieving your bodybuilding goals.1)Stay away from unhealthy fats and simple carbohydrates.2)Throughout the day eat smaller portions of food and eat frequently(4-5 times).3)It is OK to use protein shakes, especially after workouts and sometimes in between meals when you can not consume “hard food.”4)Drink plenty of water5)Get enough rest and sleep.There is no question that nutrition as a whole plays a very important part in building muscle and losing weight. And due to its “complexity” it is also one of the subjects that most people are shying away from, but, what they seem to be forgetting is that without proper nutrition all of their hard earned gains will ultimately come to a halt. In my opinion, the only remedy to this “problem” is through research and willingness to learn. Ask questions and exchange information about the basics of bodybuilding nutrition with your peers. In the end, there is no reason that you should not be improving, let alone regressing.
Jim Atilson is a long time fitness and bodybuilding enthusiast. If you want to learn more about basics of bodybuilding nutrition and read honest and complete reviews on building muscle naturally , visit his site at http://www.howtobuildmusclenaturally.com