Nutrition ........Non "processed" food ideas (Page 2)

Because people don't understand what carb loading is. They think a large pasta dinner the night before and boom, they're loaded.

True carb loading is a systemic depletion of carbs followed by less intense training and higher carb intake. The theory is that you will get an overabundance of glycogen stores. This is also accompanied by weight gain as you retain water as well.

IMHO, the shorter the distance the less effective carb loading is, as under normal circumstances you should have plenty of glycogen stores to see you through a 90-120 minute event.

And pasta is not an evil thing. Processed white flour pasta, maybe, but there are whole wheat, seminola and spinach pastas available.

The fruits and veggies with meat and sports drinks is right out of Paleo for Athletes, which is one of the worst nutrition books for athletes I've read in a while. Just convinces me that Friel should stop writing books.

John

I think that's really good advice- allows you to make healthier choices without really limiting your selection, and inables you to shop for food without necessarly having to hit up speciality makets.  I like eating whole healthful foods (though I'll admit, I've fallen off the wagon the past few weeks), but I don't like paying exorbitant prices either, being on a tight budget.  It's all the preservatives, excess sugar and sodium, hydroginated oils, corn syrup, red dye, etc... that's what shouldn't be in our system, and being smart about reading food lables can help with that.  Things like bread and pasta aren't necessary bad (but definetly stick with whole-wheat varities, and eat in moderation.) 

I'm fortunate that my husband is super into baking, so all of our bread is natural (and is usually made with at least 50% whole wheat flour), and I get fresh, organic eggs and produce from his mother.  One of my favorite easy week-night dinners is baked fish with brown or wild rice, and steamed veggies.  By changing up the seasonings, condiments (mango chutny, corn and blackbean salsa, non-fat sourcream with a little bit of lemon juice and zest...) and the veggies, you can add a surprising varity to a simple dish.  Another one of my favorite dishes to make is taking chicken breasts and maranading them in a plastic ziplock with diced tomates, garlic cilantro, lime juice, jalapenos and some salt and pepper.  Squish everything around in the bag, and let it maranate in the frige for at least 30 minutes.  It's really great grilled, and served with corn, black beans, or cilantro-lime rice (think of a slighly healther alternative to the rice served at Chipotle) 

John, I haven't read Paleo for Athletes, so I don't know what the supposed strengths or pitfalls of that kind of diet would be.  Could you expand a little bit on your statement?

I don't follow a paleo diet; I eat limited dairy and keep a decent amount of grain in my diet.  However, I just don't see any benefit to a processed starch like pasta.  Basically pure simple carb that is basically sugar and provides no real nutritional value that I know of.  When making the whole wheat or spinach pastas, are they able to retain the fiber and nutrients or do those get processed out? 

To some degree. 

Whole wheat pasta, brown rice, sweet potatoes, etc (see lower gi carbs) all have their place in peoples day to day diet.  Simple carbs can be utilized in the windows surrounding workouts effectively IMO.  The thing is people need to research, track, and tinker with their macros as well as nutrient sources to find what best works for them.  Terms like "eating clean" or "organic" or "non-processed" are great in theory but are nothing more than buzz words and their definitions change from one person's understanding to another's. 

Nutrients in the wheat/spinach ones are similar, and if you get a fortified they are the same (With the exception of the fiber content, but I eat enough fruit/veggies I don't worry too much about the fiber). I like them because they are convenient. They may not be the best out there, but if you eat them in sensible quantities, it's no worse than many other food choices. I work 40 hours a week and am training 17+, food prep time is often limited.

As far as Paleo for Athletes, it purports to follow the Paleo thought system, but allows for supplements, protein drinks and sports drinks at "key times" before, during and after workouts to hit the "windows" for nutritional efficacy.

The problem is, that the windows are so wide, that you are almost always eligible to be consuming a sports drink or other supplement drink, gels and other workout specific items, and it places more emphasis on supplementation than a sensible diet plan. Friel either can't communicate it very well or his grasp of physiological concepts isn't the best.

The best book I've read in recent years on the subject is Endurance Sports Nutrition by...Eberle?

Now, don't get me wrong, I still occasionally eat "wrong" (My favorite cheat is Kraft Mac'Cheese with shredded cheese added, and a pound of lean hamburger spiced and grilled, and crumbled into it), but just by being 85% diligent about my diet, I've dropped from 178 to 164 since Feb.

But, if you eat mostly sensibly and pay a little attention to it, there's no reason (And a lot of physiological reasons NOT) to be consuming 1000 cal protein styled drinks or other calorie bombs just to get all the cals you need. (And for the poster that mentioned his age, I'm 44 and hardly overly vigilant about my diet.)

John

Yes. A lot of the white flour, processed breads/pastas are not that great because of the glycemic index. A white flour based pasta that is boiled for 20 minutes has a GI in the 70's, while a wheat pasta will be in the 40's.

Also, the thicker the pasta, the lower the GI will be, even in the white flour based ones.

I also really like the taste of the spinach pastas, but I'm a spinach fan anyway. :D

John

I have heard this a lot but it doesn't always ring true in the grocery stores I frequent.

The bakery and bread products are all on the outside edge.
I go in the middle to find: nuts, (natural) peanut butter, frozen fruits/vegetables, beans/lentils, and the entire "natural foods" section is in the middle as well.

Exactly.  I believe the first time I heard this was on a reality show so take it for what it's worth.  Bacon is on the outside of the store as are hot dogs or brisket or any type of cheese that is more fatty than nutritious.  It's a generalization which can lead a good amount of people astray.

'preciate the love todds. The one thing that I cannot believe people still do is drink sodas. I used to down about 2 a day, and my body reflected it. Now, I scoff at people who still drink them and complain about how they can't seem to loose weight, and they eat "healthy".

Here is a link to the most informative video I have ever watched. It is about sugars and how the body metabolizes the different kinds of sugar (OMG there is more than one kind?!?!):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM&feature=player_embedded

Seriously, it is about an hour long, but you will probably re-evaluate what you eat and when. Life changing stuff here.

And....you have any studies to back up the claims that all dairy is bad for you?

John

The China study...yeah, ok, now I understand. Glad to see you keep an open mind.

John

Curious what you're seeing actually.

Where is my popcorn?
Wait, is that processed? Nevermind.

I agree... but those drinks are somewhat addictive, so don't scoff too heavily. I used to drink, no NEED, at least a can or 2 of diet Dr. Pepper a day. I tried for over a year to quit. When I finally got off of them, I felt better, lost a couple pounds, and stopped craving other sweets as much. I swear, even the diet drinks mess with your metabolism, and rot your tooth enamel!

I definitely recommend getting off the sodas to anyone!