Tag: nutrition

the fats you need and don’t need

“Most often, you’ll want to see between 25% and 33% of your daily calories come from fats… which if we’re sticking with the average 2000 kCal’s per day is around 50g total. Suddenly, that tablespoon of peanut butter just became more decadent.”

Hey all,

Since I’ve talked protein & carbs periodically over the past while, I might as well round this out a bit.

*** Dietary fats are essential to give your body energy and to support cell function. They also help protect your organs and help keep your body warm. Fats help your body absorb some nutrients and produce important hormones, too. ***

Now, as much as fats are a fuel source, fats are not the body’s preferred fuel source. That title is reserved for carbohydrates – which can be problematic for people opting to go on a ketogenic diet for an extended period of time. Issues with not being able to stay awake, or having brain fog are of definite concern, so if you’re ‘on the keto’ and experiencing this, I’d advocate trying something else.

A common misconception is that ‘fats make you fat’ which is woefully untrue even though 1 gram of fat = 9 calories so you are bound to find that something low in fat, like pineapple, is going to be much more plentiful and functional within your (average) 2000 kCal’s per day than something with a lot of fat, such as peanut butter. By comparison, a 25g tablespoon of peanut butter will net you roughly 150 kcals, compared to 300g of pineapple which will also net you 150 kcals – which is enough to fill a soup bowl. So with a bunch of fat in your diet, you’ll find it pretty hard to stay within the average 2000 kCal’s per day.

However, super low fat intake has it’s downsides as well – including dry & flaky skin, sensitivity to sunburn, moodiness. Most often, you’ll want to see between 25% and 33% of your daily calories come from fats… which if we’re sticking with the average 2000 kCal’s per day is around 50g total. Suddenly, that tablespoon of peanut butter just became more decadent.

This brings us to the Omega 3 Fatty Acids. They are an integral part of cell membranes throughout the body and affect the function of the cell receptors in these membranes. They provide the starting point for making hormones that regulate blood clotting, contraction and relaxation of artery walls, and inflammation. Obviously, these are essential, and not all fats are created equal, that is to say, not all fats are Omega 3’s.

Fat sources for Omegas include nuts, seeds, and avocados, and as much as I wouldn’t personally advocate the consumption of fish (for both ethical reason and for the high levels of mercury and microplastics we’ve put in the ocean) or eggs (for ethics as well, and the extremely high cholesterol content has caused researchers to compare it to smoking cigarettes) you CAN get Omega-3’s this way. Of the top 12 foods to get your Omega-3’s from, the top 8 are fish sources, followed by ground flax seeds, chia seeds, walnuts, and soybeans.

I will say that between the Fats, Proteins, and Carbohydrates, you can lead a healthy life by implementing a good cross section of all the plant foods you can get. Generally… everything else falls into place.

Training this week has been bittersweet. I’m fairly sure I just had what was my last bicycle commute of the year. The +2 celcius mornings I can ultimately contend with, but with the leaves falling and turning into a slick, frosty pulp makes my personal safety a little uncertain, and banging-up my precious guitar fingers just isn’t an option for me.

Lu and I are formulating our plan to move indoors, including mapping out an ideal swimming and cross-training schedule between endurance sessions. I’ll make that all available before too long, for those of you following along at home. For the time being I’m increasing my frequency of going to the gym in the mornings – something I didn’t do for the first half of the week, but I did have some time-sensitive things to tend following the long weekend.

Over the past while, I’ve had several – a dozen or so – people reach out with stories about how they’ve felt inspired by this blog. Without patting myself on the back (since I didn’t do that – they did!) I hope they see fit to be open about their experiences and inspire people around them.

enough protein

“A couple weeks back I recently posted a blog about protein sources in relation to joint inflammation and capped it off with a statement about getting enough protein, and what that means…”

A couple weeks back I recently posted a blog about protein sources in relation to joint inflammation and capped it off with a statement about getting enough protein, and what that means. What you don’t know about me is that I’m good (enough) with math, especially if that math is going to make my workouts more effective and my life more comfortable. Consider this an entry-level guide, and feel free to reach out through the website for clarification, questions, or anything I’ve missed. Hey! you can straight up correct me if you like…

What protein does: The body uses it to repair muscle and bone, and to make enzymes & hormones. Important stuff.

The Bare Minimum:
Let’s start here. A sedentary person (no discernable physical activity) is still going to need the minimal healthy amount of protein, and it’s not an impossible target. As a general rule, 0.35g for every pound your body weighs.
(body weight) x 0.35g = protein intake

Body Builders & Power Lifters:
These folks reside on the other end of the spectrum from sedentary people. Quite often you’ll see recommendations for 1.0g per pound of bodyweight in your google searches – this advice is often specific to people looking to build a lot of muscle.
(body weight) x 1.0g = protein intake

The Rest Of Us:
Then there’s; what I assume, is you & me. Personally, I shoot for 0.55g per pound of body weight, which puts me just under 100g of protein per day. The reason you might think that is a low number is because I have a total calorie threshold, and because I need to prioritize simple carbohydrates because carbohydrates are the body’s preferred fuel source and I burn a lot of fuel on long runs.
(body weight) x 0.65g = protein intake
You might be aiming to build muscle, but not bodybuilder muscle. Try 0.75b/lb or 0.70b/lb. Your body is going to take a bit of time to adjust to increases, so a gradual build is ideal.

*** Note that increases in protein; even incremental small ones, can cause gas. There’s an adjustment period and no, you won’t always smell like that.

Calorie Deficit:
That calorie threshold I just mentioned is a slight deficit, because I am aiming to burn a bit more belly fat as I progress, here. Calories (kCal) are a unit of measurement for energy in food. My body requires a certain amount of calories in order to function the way I expect it to, and I intentionally eat a little bit less than that so that I can use up some of the stored energy I’ve got – fat cells are that storage.

If you’re new to this idea, there’s a method of determining what a suitable deficit is in order to burn fat. I’ve found the Macro Calculator at HealthyEater.com very helpful over the past few years – I recommend reading the calculation breakdown at the bottom of the page. I also recommend cronometer.com as they’ve developed a great database and user friendly app that takes a lot of the guess work out – it works both on a smart phone and a traditional computer. The free version does plenty!

Solving the puzzle:
There’s a couple important pieces of info to remember here.
#1: The only way to be sure of what you’re eating is to measure it. People will tell you that you’re nuts (trust me) but if you’re going to track macronutrients, and say that you ate 50g of walnuts or half cup of blueberries, you’re going to need to make sure that’s true. Get a kitchen scale and some measuring cups, and don’t worry about the people who question it. ‘Plateauing’ is when you stop seeing results, but 9 times out of 10, it’s happening because of food that’s being eaten without being accounted for.
#2: If you’re trying to burn fat and keep the muscle you currently have, you’re going to need to so some thorough (but not super-intense) resistance training (weight lifting). You need to tell you muscles “I still need you” because when your body starts utilizing the reserves, it’s going to burn anything not being used – including muscle.

In the coming weeks, I’ll be sure to touch on fats & carbohydrates as well as some essential vitamins and minerals. Don’t worry though, there’s still bound to be some of the psychological self-reflection you’ve come to know & love as we work through!

Training this week has been intense. We’re now 3 weeks out from race day, and at the height of our training program here in the next week or so. It’s at this point that I start wanting to build the program that will see us through to the fall. My low & slow runs are essentially twice a week now, on Sunday & Thursday… which means Thursday morning I’ll be jogging all the way to work and expecting to be able to navigate the work day after that. Wish me luck!

A while back I posted about post-event fatigue and although I do aim to take a couple rest days after the Edmonton half-marathon, I don’t aim to stay in the ‘funk’ that often sets in after that. That means having a plan and a goal, so I’m sure I’ll be posting about that as it comes together.

We have a long term goal that will take our focus – it’s happening 12 months from now though, so we’re going to need a few things to carry us through and hold our pattern of progression through till then, because although I haven’t posted what that long term goal is, I assure you it’s a lofty one. What I will say is that we’re building a team, and trying to hand-pick those folks based on a few common traits.

inflammation and running

“Certainly fueling the body to recover more efficiently should also be part of ‘staying out of our own way’ and fortunately enough there are a great number of fruits and vegetables that are synonymous with recovery.”

I’m a runner; and if you knew me 5 years ago when I could barely run to the end of the block without hacking and wheezing, then you understand why to this day it’s a bit shocking to hear my own voice refer to me as such.

The benefits running has brought into my life are numerous, and in conversation, I’ve observed a great number of people have talked about the toll running takes on their knees and ankles. This (and I’ll preface this by stating that I am well aware of the role my perception plays in this statement, AND I know that ever situation is neutral until it’s viewed through the lens of personal opinion), is heartbreaking.

Not to discount the notion that; yes, running is classified as a ‘high impact‘ activity. I’ve been an obese runner in my brief history in the sport, and I am well aware of the perils of repetitive motion injuries – but what if the repetitive motion that was really inhibiting someone’s ability to run or take part in games that involve running had more to do with recovery than it did with motion. We all know that rest is an important part of fitness, and that the body’s ability to recover involves ‘staying out of our own way’ to a certain degree.

What about nutrition, though?

Certainly fueling the body to recover more efficiently should also be part of ‘staying out of our own way’ and fortunately enough there are a great number of fruits and vegetables that are synonymous with recovery. Vitamin D, C, B12, B6 A, E, Magnesium, Zinc, Potassium (to name a few) are all readily available in a number of plant foods, along with the required fiber and carbohydrates that are the body’s preferred fuel source – but what if would happen if someone was overdoing it on protein?

Save for some of the side effects that any heavy lifter can tell you about, namely repugnant flatulence, I’ll try to get a little more specific – so please forgive the science talk as I try to break this down into everyday English, but: protein the the umbrella term we’ve given to the 9 essential amino acids that the human body doesn’t produce (there are another 11 that we do produce, and thus are ‘non-essential’). Now, amino acids are ACIDS, and acid is synonymous with inflammation, and that is true of plant-based sources, as well. The fundamental differences include the presence of fiber in plant-based protein sources allows for better digestion and utilization, and plant sources are lower in branch-chain amino acids which are harder to break down. Animal protein sources are also further up the food chain, meaning that consuming them means consuming the often questionable means by which the animals were raised (i.e. hormones, antibiotics, et al.)

Digestive function is something I know a little less about, but it’s true – a sudden increase in protein makes for a sudden increase in gas, and it doesn’t matter whether it’s a plant or animal source.

Now, I’m not here to make you go vegan, as much as I’d love to see that happen. The merits of this are felt in people who subscribe to a number of diets that are more plant-centric than meat-centric including the Mediterranean diet, vegetarian diet, pescatarian diet, and other ways of eating that make plant-based sources the main event. If this has piqued your curiosity, but has not satisfied it, I’ve included a very informative and scientifically backed video:

‘Enough protein’ is an ongoing conversation between vegans and non-vegans that I don’t feel compelled to get into since this blog post is already long enough by my standards, but I’m sure I can touch on that in the future. Sufficed to say that “getting enough protein” is a priority, to be certain… but what is “enough protein” exactly? Maybe I’ll dig in on that in an upcoming post.

Training this week has seen it’s upticks in challenge, physically. The last few Thursdays, specifically, have incorporated more speed in the focus, which is a departure from the loads of ZONE 2 training I’ve been doing, and continue to do. I feel truly blessed to be able to participate in this sport and in my environment though. This is a true measure of prosperity and I aim to take in every ounce of it that I can in the moment – in real time.

Beyond that is some scheduling conflict and recovery time that needed to be addressed, so I’ve shuffled the training days a little bit. We’re spreading the long runs further apart and moving the shorter & faster runs as well, partly in an effort to keep things flowing optimally, and since my girlfriend does most of the running with me AND works evenings, we’re keeping that in mind.

Race day is getting closer and I am getting excited for my first real solo athlete event ever.