Diet Fallacy #6: "Count Your Calorie Intake to Control Your Weight"
Ori Hofmekler |
Are You At Risk? You May Be Compromising Your Health
— If You Count Your Calories These Popular Ways
The Top Ten Diet Fallacies –
Separating the Facts from the Fantasy
By Ori Hofmekler, author of The Warrior Diet
Calorie counting has been widely regarded as a reliable method for weight management.
But is it really?
Some of the most established diets today — including Weight Watchers and the calorie-redistricting diet (CR) — use calorie counting as a principal way of controlling energy intake. Researchers and vets have also used it as a standard measurement for feeding.
Yet, in spite of its reputation and wide appeal, calorie counting fails to provide the long-term benefit of staying lean and healthy.
The reason:
Real life involves dynamic changes that aren’t included in the typical calculation of calorie counting. One cannot overlook the profound effects of life changes on our body.
The human body (like other animals), carries survival mechanisms which regulate utilization of fuel and generation of energy, in response to changes in environmental conditions. Our basal (basic) metabolic rate (BMR) fluctuates according to changes in physical activity, food availability and overall calorie intake.
For instance, low calorie intake generally promotes a BMR decline whereas high calorie intake generally promotes an overall increase in BMR. Since calorie counting is based on a fixed BMR (many health clubs provide machines that check BMR), it often fails to provide a real life measurement of energy balance (surplus or deficit of calories).
Athletes and bodybuilders who use calorie counting to improve body composition should be aware of the downside of this method.
All calories are not created equal:
The calories you stockpile from sugar cause more fat gain than the calories you absorb from grains or nuts.
The human body has adapted to utilize calories derived from certain food combinations better than calories derived from others.
Same calories that cause fat gain in one food combination can induce fat loss in another (see fallacy # 4).
Timing is another factor which is often overlooked by the avid calorie counter:
Same carb calories that could be very beneficial when consumed right after exercise, (increasing protein synthesis in the muscle) may be harmful if consumed before exercise (increasing cortisol levels — see fallacy #2).
Are You Dieting at the Expense of Your Sex Drive?
One of the most controversial diets today is the calorie restriction diet (CR). CR is based on the assumption that chronic calorie restriction increases life span. Many anti-aging advocates endorse this dietary approach because they are adamantly convinced that CR reduces the overall metabolic stress and thereby increases life span.
There are, however, a few concerns regarding CR:
1. CR can often lower the body temperature, which may be a sign of lower thyroid activity and a total metabolic decline.
2. CR can cause a substantial loss of libido. CR is often associated with declining sex hormone levels and an impaired ability to maintain vigor, potency or fertility.
3. CR compromises one’s ability to endure intense exercise and for that matter, build muscles.
Recent studies on intermittent fasting (one day fasting followed by one day overeating twice as many calories) at the Johns Hopkins University in Maryland, found that feeding cycles based on periodic fasting and overeating, provided superior benefits than CR.
According to Dr. Mark Mattson, professor of neuroscience and head of the research team at Johns Hopkins University, intermittent fasting increases mice resistance to degenerative diseases (Diabetes, Parkinson, Alzheimer and Strokes) while improving body composition (lean mass/fat) and increasing life span more than the calorie restricted mice. Note that the above studies were done on mice and rats. More studies are required to fully understand the effects of similar feeding cycles on humans.
The Hidden Costs of Calorie Restriction
Saying all that, calorie counting can still be used as an accurate way to evaluate food energy intake. If used correctly, calorie counting can help measure the effect of calorie intake on nutrient utilization.
Indeed, studies by the Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) have established that overall calorie intake positively affects protein utilization. High calorie intake (about 20% surplus) maximizes protein utilization and vice versa, low calorie intake decreases protein utilization. Active individuals should take advantage of this knowledge by incorporating specially designed high calorie meals, preferably at night (see fallacy # 1).
In conclusion:
Calorie counting can be used as a standard measurement of food energy intake. However, it should not be applied as a principle dietary approach to avoid consequent adverse metabolic set backs and impaired performance.
Ori Hofmekler is the author of The Warrior Diet and Maximum Muscle, Minimum Fat, published by Dragon Door Publication. For more information on the Warrior Diet Fat Loss Program and Controlled Fatigue Training (CFT), workshops and certification seminars log onto www.warriordiet.com or call 818-992-1994 (866)WAR-DIET. For personal and group training in L.A. call 818-992-1962.
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What's the Truth Behind the Hype?
The Top Ten
Diet Fallacies -
Separating the Facts from Fashion and Fantasy
How to Shrivel Your Muscles, Stunt Your Growth, Get Sick
Faster, Accelerate Aging, Deplete Your Sex Drive and Sap
Your Energy — By Not Eating Enough Carbs
Fashionable Diet Fallacy #5. CARBS are your enemy
We are currently scapegoating Carbs as the culprit for the
ongoing obesity epidemic — and for the diseases we associate with
obesity.
Fashionable diet gurus have us believing that carbs are not
essential nutrients and therefore should be severely restricted
or
even spared.
Low carb diet advocates argue that the hormone insulin promotes
fat gain and should therefore be tightly controlled by
chronically
restricting carbs. Given the current popularity of
low carb diets, it
seems as if carbs are indeed the enemy. But
are they?
Nothing could be further from the truth…
Let's examine the assumption that carbs are not essential
nutrients. This assumption literally fails to recognize the two
most critical biological functions of carbs (besides being a
fuel):
1) The activation of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP)
2) The
finalization of growth hormone (GH) and insulin like
growth factor
(IGF1) actions, as well as the enhancement of androgens actions.
The pentose phosphate pathway (PPP) is a critical process that is
responsible for the synthesis of DNA, RNA and all energy
molecules
including ATP and NADPH, needed for all metabolic
functions in
particular, recuperation (healing of tissues)
immunity and growth.
In addition, PPP is a precursor for another metabolic pathway -
the uronic acid pathway — responsible for steroid hormones
transport, production of proteoglycans (essential for connective
tissue and cellular signaling) synthesis of spingolipids (lipids
that are necessary for neural protection) and over all
detoxification. The pentose phosphate pathway, which occurs
mostly
in the liver, is derived from glucose (i.e. carb
metabolism).
Now, here is the problem...
In times of a desperate need for energy, such as during prolonged
starvation or due to chronic severe restriction of carbs, the PPP
would shut down its main function and instead switch into sheer
energy production. It is likely that energy demand is a top
priority for the body and therefore, in times of a desperate need
for energy, the body would suppress certain important metabolic
function (such as the PPP) to accelerate immediate energy
production. Note that 30% of glucose oxidation in the liver can
occur via the PPP.
One may argue that glucose can be synthesized from fat or
protein. Yes, but not enough!
Since the synthesis of glucose from fat or protein
(gluconeogensis) is actually a very limited metabolic process
that
occurs mostly in the liver, any severe restriction of carbs,
in
particular for active individuals, may adversely suppress the
PPP
critical functions; due to insufficient glucose supply during
an
increased energy demand.
The PPP actions also decrease with age, a fact that may
contribute to the decline in steroid hormone production and the
typical muscle waste associated with aging.
In other words, dietary carbs are essential for the full
activation of the PPP and its critical functions.
Severe chronic carb restriction (below 70g-100g for an active
individual) may lead to an adverse suppression of PPP, with an
overall decline in sex hormones, compromised immunity, impaired
growth and accelerated aging.
As noted, besides playing a vital role in the activation of the
PPP actions, dietary carbs also help finalize the actions of the
most anabolic agents including growth hormone, IGF1 and the sex
steroid hormones.
Studies at Stanford University in CA and Helsinki University in
Finland revealed that insulin is a potent promoter of IGF1 and
the
sex hormones action. Researchers found that insulin helps
finalize the
anabolic actions of GH, IGHF1 and androgens by down
regulating certain
proteins that suppress both IGF1 and androgens
action, in particular
in the muscle tissue, (i.e. IGHFBP-1 and
SHBP, respectively).
A recent study at the University of Texas, indeed, proved that
post exercise carb supplementation together with essential amino
acids profoundly stimulates net muscle protein synthesis.
Interestingly, simple carbs had a more profound effect on
enhancing anabolic actions after exercise than complex carbs.
Nonetheless, as a general rule, our body is better adapted to
utilize complex carbs than simple carbs. Again, it is when you
eat
that makes what you eat mattes.
In conclusion:
Dietary carbs biological functions go far beyond just sheer
energy production. Chronic carb restrictions may lead in the long
run to total metabolic decline with severe consequences for
survival (i.e. capacity to regenerate tissues and procreate.)
Ignorance, not Carbs, is our true enemy.
Warrior Diet Special Workshop
July 30th Weekend at the
Louisville athletic club, Louisville,
Kentucky
Train with SWAT
Take advantage of this rare opportunity to train
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Get Rid of Stubborn Fat
Learn the knowledge, and skill to get rid
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Learn how to methodically train your body to resist fatigue under
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Ori
Hofmekler is the author of The Warrior Diet and Maximum
Muscle,
Minimum Fat, published by Dragon Door Publication. For
more
information on the Warrior Diet Fat Loss Program and
Controlled
Fatigue Training (CFT) certification seminars log onto
www.warriordiet.com or call
818-992-1994 (866)WAR-DIET.
Exposed: The Top Ten Diet Fallacies -
And The Truth
to Set You Free
Diet Fallacy #4. FAT
makes you fat
Can Correct Use of "Primal Fat-Rich Foods" Be
The Secret to Higher Energy, Better Endurance and
— Most Surprisingly —
a Leaner, Stronger Body?
The claim "Fat is a fat is a fat … and therefore makes you fat",
isn't theoretically untrue, but nevertheless, in real life it is
wrong and literally misleading.
Fat isn't a fat isn't a fat, and can't be regarded as such.
Dietary fat consists of a huge variety of fat molecules divided
into groups and subgroups; each plays a different role in the
body.
Numerous studies demonstrated the critical functions of essential
fatty acids (EFAs), phospholipids and cholesterol compounds, in
regulating blood pressure, inflammation, lipid metabolism, stress
reaction, build up of cell membranes, nerves functions, immune
actions and steroid hormone production, respectively.
It's evidently clear that the role of dietary fat goes far beyond
just being a fuel for energy or storage.
The real
question is does dietary fat convert efficiently into energy?
And for that matter, is the human body primarily well adapted to
utilize fat as an immediate fuel for energy?
As you're about to read the answer isn't simple, but even so it
is yes and yes.
Studies at the department of clinical biochemistry and medicine,
Addenbrooke's hospital, Cambridge, UK, revealed that different
people respond differently to high fat intake. An excess fat
calorie was predominately stored in some individuals and in
contrast, it increased total energy expenditure and fat oxidation
with no fat gain, in others.
The question remains: why some individuals are more prone to gain
fat from fat calories than others?
There is substantial amount of evidence that certain variables
profoundly affect the capacity to utilize fat fuel.
These variables include gender, exercise intensity, source of
dietary fat and diet composition.
Recent studies at the University of Southern Denmark, Odense,
Denmark, discovered that women have higher levels of lipid
binding
proteins, with a higher capacity to utilize fat fuel in
the muscle
tissue, than men.
Interestingly, same studies found that men's capacity to utilize
fat in the muscles significantly increases with application of
intense exercise.
The effect of exercise intensity on fat burning was farther
investigated at the University of Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Studies revealed that fat serves as a most efficient fuel in the
form of intramuscular fat (IMT). IMT stores function as an
important and most effective substrate source of energy, in
particular during intense prolonged exercise.
As noted, it has been suggested that fat mobilization and
utilization seems to be also determined by other variables such
as
diet composition (ratio of fat/carbs), glycemic index, source
of
dietary fat as well as the frequency and intensity of
exercise.
According to the thrifty genes theory (Journal of Applied
Physiology 96:3-10, 2004) humans have primarily adapted to better
survive when following cycles of famine and feast (undereating
and
overeating); exercise and rest. It has also been suggested
that we
humans have adapted better to primal foods on the bottom
of the food
chain evolution (late Paleolithic period).
It has been suggested that following a lifestyle that mimics
primal feeding cycles and physical activity, would most likely
trigger genes (thrifty genes) that help us better survive; making
us more efficient in utilizing fat and carb fuel with an
increased
resistance to fatigue, stress and disease.
From that aspect, we humans generally do better on primal fat
rich foods (bottom of the food chain), such as nuts, seeds and
fertile eggs than later fatty foods (top of the food chain),
derived from farm animals or processing, i.e. lard, butter or
margarine, respectively.
Primal fat foods such as nuts and seeds are also good sources of
amino acids and fat-soluble vitamins. In their raw state, they
contain phytosterols (cholesterol- like plant compounds), which
predominately support the production of sex steroid hormones.
To take advantage of nuts and seeds, eat them alone or with
veggies and protein. Do not combine these fat foods with sugar or
grains. Nuts and seeds are naturally low glycemic. Generally our
body is better adapted to food with a low glycemic index. (Slow
releasing nutrients)
In summary, fat is primarily a superior fuel. Muscle is the
largest fat utilizing organ. Exercise intensity positively
affects
the body's capacity to utilize fat for energy. We humans
have adapted
to better survive on primal high fat foods that
belong to the bottom
of the food chain, such as nuts and seeds or
fertile eggs.
These primal high fat foods should maintain their natural low
glycemic character and therefore should not be combined with
later
high glycemic foods such as grains or sugar. Evidently, the
same fat
foods that may cause fat gain could instead convert to
energy and
promote fat burning if combined properly.
In conclusion, "fat makes you fat" is a fallacy that completely
disregards the complexity and critical functions of dietary fat.
If taken seriously, this fallacy often causes fat phobias,
typically leading to extreme low fat diets, with severe
consequences including malnutrition, chronic fatigue, eating
disorders, impotency, compromised immunity and fat gain.
Ori Hofmekler is the author of
The Warrior
Diet and
Maximum
Muscle, Minimum Fat, published by Dragon Door
Publication. For more information on the Warrior Diet Fat Loss Program and
Controlled Fatigue Training (CFT) certification seminars and
workshops log onto
www.warriordiet.com or call
818-992-1994 (866) WAR-DIET
Copyright ©2004 Ori Hofmekler All Rights
Reserved
Exposed: The Top Ten Diet Fallacies -
And The Truth
to Set You Free
Diet Fallacy #3. EATING LATE will
make you fat
It has been commonly assumed that night is
the worst time to eat. The logic: night is when the body typically slows
down and therefore is more prone to gain fat. Makes sense, but is it true?
There are no conclusive studies or any evidence to prove the
assumption that eating late meals causes fat gain more than eating early
meals.
Studies reveal that other variables such as the frequency
of meals, the glycemic index of food, calorie intake and hormonal balance
are the real “power brokers” in the body’s capacity to burn or gain fat.
Even so the notion that eating late causes fat gain is deep
rooted. The reason: for most people, who typically eat several meals
during the day, any additional meal including a late meal maybe “one too
many”. The result is an overwhelming overloading effect on the body often
involving fat gain. Does it mean that eating late is a bad idea? Quite the
opposite. If daily food intake is planned properly and the evening meal
turns to be the main meal, then eating late could be highly rewarding.
There is a substantial amount of evidence that we humans have
adapted well to nightly eating. We carry the same genes of our
hunter-gatherer ancestors, who were primarily busy gathering or hunting
during the daily hours and eating during the nightly hours, while at rest.
Indeed, our body is biologically preprogrammed to work around the
circadian clock (i.e. active during the day and relaxing at night). Our
inner clock is controlled by two antagonistic autonomic nervous systems:
the SNS, with its highly alert “fight or flight” state, responsible for
action and reaction to stress during the day, and the PSNS, responsible
for relaxation, digestion and sleep during the night. (
See Top Ten
Diet Fallacies, Fallacy # 1). For that matter our body
digests and utilizes nutrients better at night while at rest, than during
the highly stressful hours of the day.
Furthermore, night is the
time when growth hormone (GH) reaches a peak level. (Peak secretion during
non-REM, SWS deep sleep). GH is known to be a potent muscle and bone
builder and a fat burner. Late meals, if applied correctly could be most
anabolic.
Note that GH actions
can not be effectively
finalized without the interference of insulin. Late meals, may well take
advantage of max GH spike during the night, providing the nutrients
required for actually facilitating GH actions, thus promoting protein
synthesis in the muscle tissues and fat burning (in particular, abdominal
fat).
In conclusion, do not betray your biological destiny. Don’t
deny yourself from eating late meals. If you do, your body may come back
with a vengeance, to reclaim what was taken away from him, often inducing
chronic cravings for food at night, which may result in nocturnal
bingeing. Finally, late meals often have a relaxing effect on the body,
preparing you for sleep. If nothing else, late meals can help bring a
happy end for a tough day.
Exposed: The Top Ten Diet Fallacies -
And The Truth
to Set You Free
Diet Fallacy #2.
EATING BEFORE EXERCISING will provide your muscles
with instant energy
Many people assume that the human body operates like a machine and
therefore in order to work, it needs to be fueled liked a machine.
Eating before exercise seems to make sense. But does it really?
As you'll soon realize, the idea that pre-exercise meals provide
the
muscle with instant energy is literally wrong, often misleading
and counter
effective.
In order to provide the muscle with nutrients and energy, food must
be
first fully digested. During digestion food is broken down into
smaller
compounds, yielding molecules of amino acids, fatty acids
and glucose –
which are transferred to the body's tissues through
the circulatory system.
The digestion elimination process, that
occurs in the stomach, intestines,
liver and kidneys, respectively,
requires substantial amounts of energy.
During digestion, blood
flow shifts from the brain and muscles to the inside
organs
(responsible for digestion and elimination). That shift in the
blood flow profoundly affects the brain and muscle tissues, lowing
their
capacity to perform and resist fatigue.
The question remains: "What about meals that require almost no
digestion?" such as those made from fast assimilating nutrients.
(Note
that fat is a slow digested and assimilated nutrient compared
to protein and
carbs.)
Consuming a pre-exercise meal made from a blend of fast releasing
proteins and carbs (such as whey and sugar), looks initially quite
appealing. In theory such meals would nourish the muscle tissues
with
amino acids and glucose to inhibit muscle breakdown, while
providing instant
energy. It all makes sense, but even so, in real
life, things often work
differently than in theory.
Recent studies demonstrated that eating fast releasing foods before
or
during exercise could be counter effective, to say the least.
Investigators
in the school of sport and exercise science,
University of Birmingham,
Edgbastion, England found that ingestion
of carbs before exercise adversely
elevated plasma cortisol levels.
Interestingly enough, there was a
significant reduction in post
exercise cortisol when carbs were not
ingested before exercise.
Furthermore, there was a faster shift from carb to
fat fueling
during exercise, when a pre-exercise meal was not applied.
As for protein, what failed to reach mainstream nutrition knowledge
is
the already established fact that protein rich foods raise
cortisol levels
if applied incorrectly. Studies at the University
of Lubeck, in Germany,
found that oral administration of fast
releasing protein foods such as
hydrolyzed (pre-digested) proteins,
have an even more profound cortisol
elevating effect, compared to
whole protein foods.
Note that chronic elevated cortisol has been associated with muscle
wasting and fat gain (in particular abdominal fat.)
In summary, pre-exercise meals may rob the brain and muscle of
energy
(due to digestion). Eliminating the digestion effect of
pre-exercise meals
may only make things worse. Eating meals made
from fast releasing proteins
and cabs, before exercise, can cause a
profound cortisol elevating effect
during and after exercise. This
may severely compromise ones ability to
build muscle and burn fat.
In conclusion, DO NOT EAT before exercise, instead eat right after
exercise.
Ironically, the same meal that would be counter-effective before
exercise can be most effective and beneficial when applied after
exercise.
Numerous studies have demonstrated the critical positive effects of
post-exercise recovery meals on total muscle recuperation (i.e.
replenishment of energy reserves and increased protein synthesis).
Recent studies at the University of Texas Medical Branch, in
Galveston,
TX, revealed that applying fast releasing proteins and
carbs after exercise
had substantial anabolic effect on stimulating
net muscle protein synthesis,
even in cases of elevated cortisol.
Consequently, we are not preprogrammed to be fueled like machines.
Our
biological machine is based on survival mechanisms that when
triggered,
increase our capacity to utilize fuel, generate energy
and better survive.
We trigger these mechanisms, when we follow cycles that rotate
between
undereating while in an action followed by eating while in
rest.
For the human body, timing affects everything. "It is when you eat
that makes what you eat matter."
How to Apply Pre-Exercise Meals
You can successfully apply pre-exercise meals without the typical
adverse effects (increased metabolic stress and elevated cortisol)
by
incorporating the following tips:
Such meals should consist of small amount of protein or carbs
coming
from easy to digest, light fresh food sources such as
poached eggs yogurt or
whey protein (up to 20g) or low glycemic
fruits (apples, berries, and
papaya), one fruit or one bowl of
fruit per meal. (You should separate
between protein meals and
fruit meals.)
Pre-exercise protein meals should have a higher ratio of
protein/carbs
or fat than post-exercise recovery meals, to minimize
insulin spike and
reduce digestion time before exercise,
respectively.
Pre-exercise protein meals, to be fully digested, should be
consumed up
to a couple of hours before exercise. Nevertheless,
very small amount of
fruits (1/2 of a bowl) or up to 10g of whey
protein could be applied up to
one hour before exercise.
Note that the best time for energy loading isn't before exercise
but in
the first 30 minutes after exercise. Replenishment of energy
reserves in the
muscle reaches a peak potential via your
post-exercise recovery
meal.
Exposed: The Top Ten Diet Fallacies -
And The Truth
to Set You Free
Diet Fallacy #1. BREAKFAST is the
most important meal of the day
When you wake-up, your body is already in an intense detox mode,
clearing itself of endotoxins and digestive waste from the past
evening meal.
During the morning hours, when digestion is fully completed (while
you are on an empty stomach), a primal survival mechanism, known as
fight or flight reaction to stress, is triggered, maximizing your
body's capacity to generate energy, be alert, resist fatigue and
resist stress.
This highly geared survival mode is primarily dominated by part of
the autonomic nervous system known as the SNS (sympathetic nervous
system). At that state, the body is in its most energy-producing
phase and that's when most energy comes from fat burning. All that
happens when you do not eat the typical morning meal.
If however you follow what "normal guys" do and eat your morning
bagel and cereal and egg & bacon, you'll most likely shut down the
above energy producing system.
The SNS and its fight or flight mechanism will be substantially
suppressed. Instead, your morning meal will trigger an antagonistic
part of the automatic nervous system known as the PSNS (Para
sympathetic nervous system), which makes you sleepy, slow and less
resilient to fatigue and stress.
Instead of spending energy and burning fat, your body will be more
geared towards storing energy and gaining fat. Under this state,
detox would be inhibited. The overall metabolic stress would
increase with toxins accumulating in the liver, giving the body
another substantial reason to gain fat. (Fat tissues serve as a
biological storage for toxins)
The overall suppressing effects of morning meals, can lead to
energy crashes during the daily (working) hours, often with chronic
cravings for pick-up foods, sweets, coffee and tobacco. Eating at
the wrong time, would severely interrupt the body's ability to be
in tune with the circadian clock. The human body has never adapted
to such interruptions. We are primarily pre-programmed to rotate
between the two autonomic nervous system parts: the daily SNS and
the nightly PSNS.
The SNS regulates alertness and action during the day, while PSNS
regulates relaxation, digestion and sleep during the nightly hours.
Any interruption in this primal daily cycle, may lead into
sleepiness during the day followed by sleeping disorders at night.
Morning meals must be carefully designed not to suppress the SNS
and its highly energetic state. Minimizing morning food intake to
fruits, veggie soup or small amounts of fresh light protein foods,
such as poached or boiled eggs, plain yogurt, or white cheese, will
maintain the body in an undereating phase, while promoting the SNS
with its energy producing properties.
*Note: Athletes who exercise in the morning should turn breakfast
into a post-exercise recovery meal. Such meals should consist of
small amounts of fresh protein plus carbs such as yogurt and
banana, eggs plus a bowl of oatmeal, or cottage cheese with
berries.
An insulin spike is necessary for effectively finalizing the
anabolic actions of GH and IGF1 after exercise. Nonetheless, after
the initial recovery meal, it's highly recommended to maintain the
body in an undereating phase by minimizing daily carb intake in the
following meals. Applying small protein meals (minimum carbs) every
couple of hours will keep sustaining the SNS during the daily hours
while providing amino acids for protein synthesis in the muscle
tissues, promoting a long lasting anabolic effect after exercise.
In conclusion, breakfast isn't the most important meal of the day.
The most important meals are post-exercise recovery meals. Saying
that, for a WARRIOR every meal is a recovery meal helping to
recuperate from either nutritional stress (undereating) or physical
stress (exercise). It's when you eat that makes what you eat
matter.
Controlled fatigue
training
Increase your muscles'
capacity to utilize
oxygen and resist fatigue —
with special warm-up
exercises
One of the main problems that adversely affect athletes,
bodybuilders or individuals engaged in prolonged intense physical
stress, is a loss of stamina.
"Hitting the wall" often involves a feeling of light headed,
overall exhaustion and inability to sustain strength.
The core concept of controlled fatigue training is to gradually
train the body to resist fatigue and sustain strength during a
prolonged intense physical stress.
That way you can handle a higher volume of intense exercise and be
able to gain strength, speed, and velocity with an improved muscle/
fat composition.
Muscle capacity to utilize oxygen is a critical determinate in
one's ability to sustain strength and resist fatigue.
Maximum muscle oxidative capacity relates to the rate of blood
lactate removal after a 1 minute of all out test. Researchers at
the Institute De Biology, Montpellier, France stated that maximal
oxidative capacity is directly associated with the delay in the
fatigue of champion athletes or highly trained individuals.
Recent studies at the department of exercise and sports science,
Manchester Metropolitan University, Alsager, UK investigated the
effect of warm-up sprint intervals on maximum muscle oxidative
capacity (VO2 max).The British researchers speculated that the
metabolic acidosis resulting from sprint intervals would enhance
muscle perfusion and result in speeding oxygen uptake (VO2max)
during a following bout of intense exercise.
The studies' results showed that these intense pre-fatigue intense
exercises (but not moderate exercise) increased the amplitude to
which muscle VO2 can rise during a following bout of intense
exercise.
It is likely possible that super intense, pre-fatigue exercise such
as sprint intervals, triggers a survival mechanism (i.e. fight or
flight reaction to stress) that helps compensate for the sudden
brutal onset of intense physical stress by inducing an immediate
increase in muscle VO2 max with an improve capacity to utilize fuel
and resist fatigue and thereby be able to better survive in times
of high physical stress or danger.
Furthermore, to compensate for the wear and tear of muscle tissue,
the body induces a profound anabolic and insulin sensitizing
effect. Previous studies reveal that highly intense exercise has a
more profound anabolic effect than moderate exercise.
In fact, intense exercise, such as a high volume of resistance
training, increases testosterone levels with a superior affect on
increasing growth hormone and IGF-1 levels as well as on enhancing
insulin sensitivity compared to moderate aerobic exercise.
In conclusion, incorporating pre-fatigue intense exercise such as
sprint intervals together with a high volume of intense exercise
may be a most efficient training method to help maximize muscle
capacity to utilize oxygen and resist fatigue while boosting the
overall anabolic effect on the body.
Note that sprint intervals could possibly be substituted with other
intense warm-up exercise such as power biking (max level)
intervals, rope jumping, high jumps, or heavy bag punching (2min.,
30sec rest, x 3-5).
How to manipulate hunger and satiety
to promote fat burning and growth
Part II
Recap from Part 1:
All diets today are based on the assumption that food
restrictions
(either carbs, fats or calories) force the body to lose
fat.
However, in spite of cutting carbs, fat or calories,
statistically,
in the long run all diets fail. Furthermore, most dieters
suffer
from a fat gain rebound upon which they gain more fat than
they
initially lose.
It is commonly believed that fat loss success depends on
sheer
discipline. However, even highly motivated individuals, such
as
athletes and body builders, often reach a stagnation point upon
which
they can't lose fat or even stay lean. In fact, many
athletes, including
Olympic champions, gain fat when off season or
after retirement.
It is reasonable to conclude that neither food restrictions nor
sheer
discipline are good enough to grant effective long term fat
loss, not even
for champions.
The purpose of this article is to expose the real reason for the
failure
of diets, as well as offer practical advice on how to take
advantage of
hunger and satiety to maximize fat loss and promote
growth.
How to take advantage of hunger and satiety to promote fat burning
and
growth
As noted, we're all predestined to eat to survive. The way we eat
is
primarily controlled by survival instincts that interact with
external
environmental conditions. A nutritional stress, such as
lack of food, would
increase hungers' stimulating agents such as
neuropeptide Y, gelanin and the
stress hormone cortisol;
conversely, when a full meal is consumed, hunger
inhibitory agents
such as leptin and insulin normally signal the brain to
sense
satiety and reduce feeding.
Unfortunately, this primal feeding mechanism is more than
often
interrupted by poor eating habits. Most modern diets, which
are
based on many meals per day, disturb the body's ability to sense
real
hunger and satiety (such as when force feeding or disciplinary
feeding
instead of natural feeding). When unable to sense real
hunger or satiety, the
body loses it's capacity to instinctively
follow healthy feeding
cycles.
It's commonly assumed that eating many meals during the day is
most
beneficial. Nevertheless, frequent feeding is an issue that
raises
some serious concern. For instance, when eating under
constant
stress, such as during the daily (work)
hours, the body is often overwhelmed by the adverse affects of
the
stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol, a hunger inducing agent,
opposes
insulin and leptin's inhibitory signals in the brain,
thereby
causing chronic hunger that often leads into compulsive
bingeing
and fat gain. Many people today fail to reach satiety or
suffer
from chronic cravings due to eating under constant stress. In
order
to minimize the cortisol effect, it is highly recommended to
reduce
feeding or meal size during the most stressful hours of the
day,
and instead, have the main meal during time of relaxation, such as
in
the evening or after the work of the day (including workout) is
done.
As noted, eating too many meals during the day disturbs the
body's
capacity to sense real hunger and crave for the missing
nutrients.
The inability to replenish essential nutrients leads
into
nutritional deficiencies and lack of energy. Starving for energy
and
nourishment, the body desperately tries to compensate by
inducing cravings,
in particular for sweets, which further lead
into compulsive binge attacks on
"pick up foods" that often have
no nutritional value. That creates a vicious
cycle upon which the
body gets overfed and malnourished at the same
time.
On the other hand, by establishing a real sense of hunger,
via
undereating during the daily hours, one will be able to crave for
the
kind of food that the body needs for complete nourishment.
In order to take advantage of hunger and satiety agents, one needs
to be
acquainted with their respective functions. Besides
regulating the amount of
food eaten, energy expenditure and growth,
they also regulate specific
cravings. Neuropeptide Y induces
cravings for carbs, whereas galanin induces
cravings for fat. To
reach full satiety from food, one must incorporate both
carbs and
fat in the diet. Extreme restrictions of either carbs or fat
may
well lead into the inability to sense satiety and chronic cravings
for
the restricted foods. For instance, extreme low carb diets
(below 100g/day)
may lead into chronic cravings for carbs, in
particular sweets, due to
overstimulation of neuropeptide Y. Those
who follow low carb diets should
give themselves "carb breaks"
(carb loading) once or twice a week.
In any case, it is highly advisable not to eat carbs alone but
rather
combine them with fat. For that matter, snacks, bars and
treats that contain
both carbs and fat would most likely provide a
better sense of satiety than
snacks or candies, which are based on
carbs alone.
Both carbs and fat are necessary for the complete induction of
the
satiety hormones insulin and leptin. Insulin primarily signals
satiety
from carbs, whereas leptin signals satiety from fat. Both
satiety hormones
carry additional biological properties. Insulin is
an anabolic hormone that
inhibits fat burning, but has the capacity
to actually finalize GH and IGF1's
anabolic actions. Without
insulin interference, both GH and it's related
growth factors IGF's
would be ineffective.
Insulin and leptin somewhat polarize each other. While insulin
inhibits
fat breakdown, leptin actually promotes it.
In fact, by incorporating a few high fat days (low carbs) per
week,
leptin's effect would be maximized thus activating genes that
turn
fat storage cells into fat burning cells. Leptin's effect would
be
amplified the following day while undereating. Recent studies
revealed
that the combination of fat burning enzymes AMP kinases
(which are high
during undereating) together with leptin, maximize
overall bodyfat
breakdown.
Rotating between days of high fat (low carb) and high carb (low
fat) is
also most effective in forcing maximum adaptation to both
carb and fat
fuel.
Summary - Practical advice
* Undereat during the stressful hours of the day to
reduce the
cortisol effect while maximizing
the growth stimulating action of
hunger
neuropeptides
* Reduce the frequency or size of your meals
during the day to
regain a real sense of
hunger and thus the capacity to crave for
the
kind of food your body really needs
* Eat your main meal
towards the end of the day. That way you'll
be
able to turn the initial anabolic stimulation (of the
hunger
peptides) to actual growth actions
(during the night).
* Minimize your carb intake during the
day. Eat most of your
daily carbs at night.
That way you'll keep high insulin sensitivity
toward the end of the day while maximizing insulin's
anabolic
actions during the main
meal
* Meals or snacks that contain both carbs and fat
would provide a
better sense of satiety than
meals or treats based on carbs alone.
* Provide your body
with all essential nutrients (vitamins,
minerals, EFA's and amino acids), and in sufficient
amounts.
Deficiency of even one essential
nutrient, such as a B vitamin or
an amino
acid, may severely compromise the body's capacity
to
generate energy, repair tissues and
facilitate growth.
* Avoid chronic restrictions of carbs
or fat to prevent chronic
cravings, compulsive
bingeing and fat gain
* Rotate between days of high fat
(low carb) and days of high
carbs (low fat) to
maximize the body's adaptation to both carbs
and
fat fuel as well as maximizing the fat
burning actions of leptin
and the anabolic
actions of insulin, respectively.
Finally, it's all coming down to two simple
principles:
* Feel the hunger during the day
and
* Eat until your heart is content at night
Through trial and error you'll find what kind of feeding
cycles,
rotation and food work best for you.
The Final Hit on
Fat!
LIVE
SEMINARS
We are dedicated to help you
loose fat, in
particular, stubborn fat.
You can now attend a Warrior
Diet
Stubborn Fat Loss seminar
with Ori Hofmekler,
himself.
Don't miss this rare opportunity
for
Personal guidance from
Ori and his team of certified
Coaches.
Classes now enrolling for the
Los
Angeles and New York areas.
For more information or to
register:
Future seminars will also be held in other
locations
To register for a future seminar in your local area, click
here
How to manipulate hunger and satiety
to promote fat burning and growth
Part I
All diets today are based on the assumption that food restrictions
(either carbs, fats or calories) force the body to lose fat.
However, in
spite of cutting carbs, fat or calories, statistically,
in the long run all
diets fail. Furthermore, most dieters suffer
from a fat gain rebound upon
which they gain more fat than they
initially lose.
It is commonly believed that fat loss success depends on sheer
discipline. However, even highly motivated individuals, such as
athletes
and body builders, often reach a stagnation point upon
which they can't lose
fat or even stay lean. In fact, many
athletes, including Olympic champions,
gain fat when off season or
after retirement.
It is reasonable to conclude that neither food restrictions nor
sheer
discipline are good enough to grant effective long term fat
loss, not even
for champions.
The purpose of this article is to expose the real reason for the
failure of diets, as well as offer practical advice on how to take
advantage of hunger and satiety to maximize fat loss and promote
growth.
Chronic Cravings
Chronic cravings are highly associated with food restrictions.
Those
who follow extreme low carb or low fat diets know how hard it
is to overcome
the temptation to attack forbidden foods such as
pizza, potato chips,
cookies or chocolate. Dieters often find
themselves obsessively thinking
about food while unable to focus on
other things. Sooner or later, most
people reach a point when "all
hell breaks loose". It typically feels like a
volcanic eruption of
an inner urge to shove-in gargantuan amounts of food,
in particular
the kind that was initially restricted.
Binge attacks generally occur in times when the body's boundaries
are
loosened, such as late at night or also when exhausted from
mental or
emotional stress. Uncontrolled eating often involves
feelings of guilt and
failure. For bodybuilders, most devastating
is the realization that all the
hard work invested in leaning down
(i.e. dietary restrictions + exercise)
goes down the drain because
of the inability to cope with chronic
cravings.
To solve this problem one should avoid chronic food restrictions
such
as with extreme low carb, low fat or low calorie diets.
Nevertheless the
question remains: "How is it possible to lose fat
without restrictions of
food?" To answer this question one must
first understand what hunger and
satiety are, and how they affect
the capacity to burn fat, as well as
promote growth.
Hunger and Satiety
Hunger and satiety primarily regulate feeding cycles. Survival of
all
species on this planet depends on their capacity to maintain
optimum levels
of nutrient concentrations (homeostasis) in their
cells.
We're all pre-programmed to eat in order to survive. A lack of food
is
perceived by the body as a nutritional stress that needs to be
dealt with.
To compensate for a lack of food, the body induces
hunger for the missing
nutrients (whether it's carbs, fat or salt).
It also triggers a "fight or
flight" reaction which primarily helps
it to survive during stress, danger
and lack of food, by increasing
alertness and available energy via breakdown
of fat and glycogen
stores for fuelling.
On the other hand, when food intake satisfies the body's demand for
nutrients and calories, hunger dissipates and instead, a sense of
satiety and calmness takes over. When fully nourished, the body
replenishes energy reserves while mobilizing nutrients for repair
and
growth.
Saying all that, we still need to address the questions: "What went
wrong on our diet?" and "Why do people fail to balance their food
intake
instinctively via sensations of hunger and satiety?" The
answer is simple -
Humans are predestined to follow certain feeding
cycles. Unfortunately, most
people today do not follow their
biological destiny and that's why things go
wrong.
Human feeding cycles
It has been established by biologists and anthropologists that the
human race successfully survived all through evolution in virtue of
adaptation to natural feeding cycles that involved undereating
(when
food was scarce) and overeating (when food was abundant).
Indeed, studies that were conducted in the 1940s revealed that
certain
regions in the hypothalamus reduce feeding, whereas other
regions induce
overeating. That led to the hypothesis that we are
all pre-programmed to
follow certain feeding cycles that involve
periods of undereating and
periods of overeating, all of which are
regulated by hunger and satiety
related hormones and peptides.
Biological techniques reveal that a large number of neuropeptides
exert
either a stimulatory or an inhibitory effect - not just on
feeding, but also
on energy expenditure and growth.
For instance, certain hunger related neuropeptides, such as
neuropeptide Y and galanin, promote growth via stimulation of GH
secretion. Leptin, a satiety related hormone, promotes energy
expenditure and fat burning, whereas another satiety hormone, insulin,
inhibits fat burning but promotes growth. And then there is cortisol.
This stress hormone is actually a hunger inducer that promotes
muscle waste and fat gain. Nonetheless, there is an order to this madness.
How to take advantage of hunger and satiety hormones and peptides
- that's
next!
The Final Hit on
Fat!
LIVE
SEMINARS
We are dedicated to help you
loose fat, in
particular, stubborn fat.
You can now attend a Warrior
Diet
Stubborn Fat Loss seminar
with Ori Hofmekler,
himself.
Don't miss this rare opportunity
for
Personal guidance from
Ori and his team of certified
Coaches.
Classes now enrolling for the
Los
Angeles and New York areas.
For more information or to
register:
Future seminars will also be held in other
locations
To register for a future seminar in your local area, click
here
Critical Proteins PART I: How to Evaluate
Food Protein Quality in Real Life
It has long been suggested that proteins are different in their
ability
to promote growth. Most methods that measure protein quality
are related to
the efficacy with which food protein can satisfy
amino acid requirements.
However, as impressive as
protein-evaluating systems appear to be (with
numbers that suggest
higher or lower protein scores), they could at times be
quite
misleading. As you may soon realize, most current conventional
methods of protein evaluation, including the Biologi
