Keys to Make you Look & Feel Good
by A.J. Nunez
5 rules of performance nutrition
Always eat at least 5 times a day.
Depending on the severity of your daily work routine, you need more or less carbohydrates.
Plan daily meals depending on what you plan on doing after eating.
Alternate periods of positive calorie balance and negative calorie balance.
Supplementing the diet with vitamins and minerals is important since its almost impossible to get all of the necessary nutrients from food alone.
Carbs
Simple carbs don't contain enough essential nutrients. Foods with simple carbs are sweets and fat or unhealthy foods. Complex carbs give you the energy needed for your day and are healthier. These are found in vegetables, whole meal bread and cereals.
The glycemic index is a system that ranks food on a scale from 1 to 100 based on their effect on blood-sugar levels. You want to eat foods that are low in GI.
Proteins
Amino acids are essential for growth and recovery. Valine, isoleucine and leucine are important for strength training. Whey protein is fast acting and casein protein is slow acting. Catabolism is when the metabolic process breaks down and anabolic is when the metabolic process builds up. Protein should be consumed before/after workouts.
Fats
The body needs fat since it's a major source of energy and helps to absorb certain vitamins and nutrients. UNSATURATED fats are good for you and can help lower cholesterol. This is responsible for a wide range of functions in the body, but too much cholesterol can be deadly. MCTs increase metabolism, decrease food consumption and reduce fat stores.