ASHFI

U R What U Eat

YOU ARE WHAT YOU EAT

The goal is to create a diet that supports fat loss while aiding lean body mass development to optimize health.

1. Calories do count, but where they come from counts more. Your body is a chemistry lab not a bank account as evidenced by the 2 studies cited below: BM Wolfe Canadian Journal of Cardiology; Oct 95:127G-131G. When Wolfe took patients from a diet of 10% protein, 25% fat and 65% carbohydrate and changed them to a diet of 25% protein, 25% fat and 50% carbohydrates they lost weight and their blood lipid profiles improved considerably. Skov, AR, Toubro S. Ronn B, Holm L, Astrup A. Randomized trial on protein vs carbohydrate in ad libitum fat reduced diet for the treatment of obesity. Int J Obes Relat Disord 1999;23(5):528-36 Replacement of Carbohydrates with Protein Leads to Weight Loss: replace of some dietary carbohydrate by protein in an ad libitum fat-reduced diet, improves weight loss and increases the proportion of subjects achieving a clinically relevant weight loss.

2. Macronutrients and their physiological response
How to use protein, fats and carbohydrates in the diet to balance hormone response:
How much protein should you eat? What are the best types?
Protein should be eaten in small amounts throughout the day as your body can only assimilate a small amount at any one time. There is no storage place for excess protein so it is turned to sugar to be used as fuel (this is the least likely pathway), stored as glycogen or converted into fat. You should be eating 1- 1.75 grams of protein per kg of LEAN BODY MASS per day divided into 3-6 servings (depending on activity level). The best types are fish, organic eggs, whey protein, lean chicken, turkey and meats.
What is the role of fat? What types should you eat? Focus on monounsaturated and omega 3 fats including olives and olive oil, avocados, omega 3 eggs, cold water fish and raw nuts and seeds (excluding peanuts which are a legume). These fats help with cell membrane fluidity, increase satiation, help fat soluble vitamins absorb, aid with prostaglandin production, reduce the risk of heart disease and strokes and help with insulin sensitivity. They also can raise your BMR (basal metabolic rate) through thermogenesis. Be sure to include fat soluble antioxidants in your supplement regimen as the omega 3 fats oxidize easily which can increase the risk of heart disease and cancer.
Are carbohydrates the hero or the villain? What about the glycemic index?
How does fiber affect carbohydrate grams?
Focus on high fiber “Paleo” carbs like non-starchy vegetables for the majority of your carbohydrate intake. A small amount of fruit, especially berries, are a great source of fiber and antioxidants and therefore a healthy addition to your program if you are not seriously hyperinsulinemic. Fiber is not absorbed and therefore is deducted from the total carbohydrate count to give you the actual carbohydrate count of a food. You should eliminate all refined, low fiber and processed carbohydrates. They have little or no nutritional value and can cause an unwanted insulin response and the development of insulin resistance over time.

3. How Sweet it Is (NOT):
Insulin and sweet tastes: A 1998 Belgian study found that artificial sweeteners stimulated the pancreas to release insulin.Research has shown that insulin can be produced merely in response to the sight or smell of something sweet and that it starts being released prior to the first bite of food. The goal is to get over the sweet cravings which you can do by not eating sweet things and making sure you have optimal protein coupled with good fats in your diet. A teaspoon of glutamine powder is fantastic for calming sugar cravings. Every time you eat something sweet - even if it has no or low carbs, you reawaken your sweet tooth. Try substituting rich or savory tastes rather than sweet tastes for “treats”. If you must use a sugar substitute, try Stevia FOS or Xylitol.

3-BITE RULE
And if you must indulge, give yourself permission to have the very best but limit it to 3 POLITE bites. Remind yourself that you can have 3 more bites again tomorrow so you won’t feel the need to overeat. Most likely with this permission, you won’t even want more.