Sugar and Maximum Performance

My last couple of posts have had something to do with sugar. If you read one of my first blog posts, (To Much Good) I recently took sugar out of my diet. I would love to admit to you that I'm perfect--especially when it comes to what I eat; however, that would be a scandalous falsehood. This weekend I partook of some delicious sugary goodness (also known as ice cream). It tasted really good going down but then I had a gut ache and a head ache the rest of the day! I think the combination of dairy and sugar, two things I haven't eaten in awhile were a bad combination. I wasn't quite sure how my body would handle the overload of sugar but it has prompted me to look into it this more and share my findings.

The first area I want to look into is muscle performance. As I mentioned before I am training for Olympic lifting competitions and my training consists of heavy lifting twice a week. In the weeks following the removal of sugar from my diet I started to see myself performing on a higher level. I would PR (get a personal record) in multiple lifts almost every workout. Last week I PR'd in every lift! I haven't seen a week like that since my first couple weeks of training (granted, I'm still only 5 months in).

No, this isn't me but she kinda looks like me!

Within our muscles we have cells called mitochondria. These are like the Energizer Bunny within our cells and produce energy to allow movement. For our mitochondrial cells to function and produce energy our body must breakdown 6-carbon glucose molecules (remember glucose is a form of sugar). When are body finished the process of breaking down these 6-carbon glucose molecules we are left with 2-carbon acetate (essentially vinegar)--this is a byproduct of the energy cycle. Here is the interesting part, acetates, are the building blocks for cholesterol.

Here is where we run into trouble. When our bodies produce acetates faster then our bodies can burn them they "join" and make excess cholesterol and saturated fat--making your red blood cells sticky, sluggish and inefficient. These fatty acids deposit around your organs and in your skin folds (technically known as your subcutaneous tissue).  It also clogs your vascular system which prohibits blood transportation of oxygen and nutrients to your body.

Unfortunately, that isn't the only bad news when it comes to sugar. After that delicious taste of sugary goodness is turned to fat, these fat deposits have separation anxiety and wont be leaving you without a fight.

Our brain is an important factor in this sugar equation. To achieve maximum performance and basic human survival depends upon our brain getting specific nutrients such as glucose (a form of sugar), glutamic acid (a non-essential amino acid), or ketones (the result of body fat being broken down and used for energy).

Our bodies where build with a fight or flight mechanism. When your brain is not getting the nutrients it needs--in this case glucose your body will take it from two of your tissue stores: amino acids found in lean muscle mass, or from your adrenal glands which start a conversion process which turns liver and/or muscle glyogen (stored carbohydrates) stores into glucose.

A diet that is high in refined carbohydrates and sugar triggers an abnormal pancreatic insulin response to balance your blood sugar (your body produces excess insulin--see my post To Much Good for a breakdown of insulin resistance). Over time this will cause your pancreas and adrenal glands to "burn out" and lose the ability to work properly. The failure of these two endocrine systems to work properly is directly related to adult-onset type II diabetes, chronic fatigue, cardiovascular complications and hypoglycemia (low blood sugar).

Refined carbohydrates and sugars lack vitamins and minerals which forces your body to draw nutrients from your bodies micronutrient stores to get proper nourishment. Over time these micronutrients stores in your body will become depleted if they are not refilled. This hinders the metabolization of fatty acid and cholesterol. Over time this leads to higher blood serum triglycerides, cholesterol and promotes obesity.

So, to put a nice little bow on our conclusion. If you are looking to be able to perform athletically at a higher level or just have more energy for every day life, monitoring your sugar intake, as well as refined carbohydrates is key.  Too much sugar will prohibit your mitochondrial function, slow down your bodies ability to get nutrients where needed, increase your cholesterol and promote obesity.

I like to think of my body as a machine. When well oiled and detailed it works with the most efficiency and effectiveness. However, when you let plaque an debris get into your machine it will not work how it was intended to. The same goes with our bodies.

That was my attempt at using a mechanical analogy when I am extremely unfamiliar with how those things work... but I think it makes sense.

I hope you were able to learn a little something from this post! I am currently sitting here really wanting to eat some chocolate... But I don't think I should after writing this.... :)

Until next time,
Hope
xoxo

References:
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2000/01/09/killer-sugar-suicide-with-a-spoon-sugar-dangers.aspx

The Many Names Of Sugar

Oh, the many names of sugar.... it's a bummer that food has gotten complicated to the point where we have over 50 names for different types of sugar. Welcome to the world of Genetically Modified Foods (GMO). I want to help you learn how to look at your labels and identify sugar and also teach you some of the different effects sweeteners have on your body this week. 

Here is my Top Ten list of "sugars" to look for on food labels:

1. Any type of FRUCTOSE (high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose, etc.)
2. Any type of SYRUP (corn syrup, malt syrup, sugar syrup, corn syrup solids, etc.) 
3. Dextrose
4. Sucrose
5. Glucose
6. Lactose
7. Maltose
8. Fruit juice concentrates
9. Cane crystals
10. Evaporated cane juice

In one of last weeks posts, Drinking Fat Is Gross, I talked about how your body digests fructose. Check out that post for more info on fructose.

As you start to look for these names on labels you will be shocked by how many foods have sugar in them. One of the reasons processed or (GMO) foods are so addicting is because they have hidden sugars in them and your body doesn't get the nutrients it needs.

This week keep a lookout for these ten different names for sugar and remember, ingredients are listed in order of quantity. If one of these names are second or third on an ingredient list, watch out!

Hope
xoxo

Drinking Fat Is Gross

Over that last couple of weeks I have been trying my best to drink a ton of water--at least half my body weight in ounces if not more. As I've been working to stay hydrated I have found myself becoming more aware of what people are drinking and I am somewhat astonished. I knew that the average American was typically dehydrated and drank 21% of their calories; however, I was shocked by the amount of sugar and sweeteners I saw people drinking. (Ref 1)

Have you ever looked at the ingredients in the beverages you are drinking? I would strongly suggest that you not only start reading the labels, but also educating yourself on what at the different/weird sounding names mean. My natural reaction is that if I can't pronounce it and have never heard of it... I probably shouldn't be putting it in my body. Remember, just because the label is saying it's "healthy" does not make it true. Let's take a look at Vitamin Water for instance.

I apologize that you cannot read the picture of the label. If you want to see a larger version, Google, "vitamin water label" and it will be one of the first ones that come up under images. 

First, I would like to point out that Vitamin Water is owned by Coco-Cola. Let's take a look at the ingredients in Vitamin Water--ingredients are listed in order of quantity, so with Vitamin Water we know that "water" is the first ingredient. The second ingredient is crystalline fructose. Many people might look at this ingredient and not have a second thought but when I see the word "fructose" I automatically think SUGAR. Also, fructose is the #1 source of calories consumed in the U.S.

Let's have a quick educational lesson on crystalline fructose. Fructose is a sweetener derived from corn. Another, more commonly known form is high fructose corn syrup. Consumption of fructose has been linked to increase risk of heart disease and diabetes. You might be thinking, "Why is fructose bad? Isn't it in fruit?" The answer is yes, natural fructose originates from fruits and vegetables; however, if you were consuming fruits and vegetables you would be getting about 15 grams per day, versus 73 grams per day which is the average amount an adolescent get's from sweetened drinks. (Ref 2) Also, the fructose found in fruits and vegetables is natural in comparison to the genetically modified fructose found in processed foods.

High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Crystalline fructose contains 99% fructose, making it a more damaging sweetener than HFCS. 100% of fructose is metabolized (digested) by your liver, whereas only 20% of glucose (another form of sugar) is metabolized by your liver. When you consume fructose, the energy produced by it is not used up by the cells in your body as is glucose. Rather, it is converted into Free Fatty Acids, VLDL (the damaging form of cholesterol), and triglycerides which get stored as fat.  These fatty acids that are produced and stored in your liver and muscles. This is a huge cause of insulin resistance (see my post on this), fatty liver disease and type II diabetes. One last note on fructose. When your body metabolized 120 calories of glucose your body only stores 1 calorie as fat where the same amount of calories in the form of fructose stores 40 calories as fat. With that being said--drinking fructose is like drinking fat--gross! (Ref 2)

So back to "Vitamin Water." I have to give it to Coco-Cola, it was an excellent marketing scheme. However, I think that after what we just learned, we can all conclude that Vitamin Water is doing more harm than good for your health. Like I said in my post on vitamins, if sugar is one of the first ingredients it shouldn't be considered a "vitamin." I also wanted to note that one bottle of Vitamin Water has 2.5 servings in it. This means I am getting 2.5 times all the ingredients on the label--tricky! 

This is just one of many different drinks that might seem like a good way to hydrate but is actually making you fat. I personally have concluded that nothing beats water when it comes to hydrating. I am hoping to do a post on sugar and how to identify it on food labels soon. So stay tuned!

FACTS:

• The average American consumes an average of 60 pounds of high fructose corn syrup a year. (Ref 4)
• A survey by the National Health and Nutrition Examination found, more than 2/3's reported drinking enough soda and/or sweet drinks to provide them with a greater proportion of daily calories than any other food. (Ref 3)

References:
(1) http://www.cpc.unc.edu/projects/beverage/beverage_home.html
(2) http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2010/01/02/HighFructose-Corn-Syrup-Alters-Human-Metabolism.aspx
(3) http://nutrition.tufts.edu/news/notes/2005-05.html

(4)http://www.solarnavigator.net/solar_cola/cola_images/sweetener_use_per_capita_food_consumption_USDA.jpg

Vitamins Part 2

Today I am going to wrap up our two part discussion on vitamins! Our last two questions are on quality and return on investment.

• How do I know if they are quality vitamins?

This is an excellent question.  As some of you may know, the FDA (Federal Drug Administration) does not regulate vitamins. This means that I could buys some different ingredients, mix them together, put them in a capsule, slap a label with whatever ingredients I think will sell on it... and whalllaaa!!! I can sell my supplement. Isn't that a scary thought? Yes, I am being a little dramatic but you get the point.

The good news is that there are companies that do third-party testing of vitamins and they can become GMP Certified. This means that they have been tested in human clinical trials to be safe, and have guaranteed potency and purity.

So when you are looking to buy supplements look for this certification! It is worth the extra money you might have to spend. All the supplements I take and sell are GMP Certified and I would have it no other way.

Let me quickly address my Flinstone vitamin remark from yesterday. Let's take a look at the image below of a Flinstone vitamin label.

The first ingredient listed is Sucrose. For kicks I Googled "Sucrose" and this is what came up--I literally copy and pasted...

Table sugar
Chemical Compound

Sucrose is the organic compound commonly known as table sugar and sometimes called saccharose. A white, odorless, crystalline powder with a sweet taste, it is best known for its nutritional role. Wikipedia

Or...

Noun
A compound, C12H22O11, that is the chief component of cane or beet sugar.
Synonyms
saccharose

Must I say more? If a "vitamins" first ingredient is sugar.... I don't think it should be considered a "vitamin."

Okay, last but definitely not least....

• Is taking vitamins worth the cost?

I hear a lot of people talk about vitamins being too expensive, but lets be honest, we have money for what's important. For girls this might be spending $200+ to get their hair done every two months, buying a new pair of shoes, or getting their nails done. For guys this could be getting that car that is nicer than actually necessary, playing a round of golf, or buying that extra round of drink for your buddies. Whatever it is, if it's important to you, you have money for it. 

You might ask, "What is my return on investment in regard to vitamins?" The answer is a 17:1 return. According to the 2008 Copenhagen Consensus, for every dollar spent on vitamins,  seventeen future dollars are saved on healthcare--this could be hospital bills, increased productivity, etc. WHAT A GREAT RETURN! If I knew that if we could put $1 in the stock market at get $17 back.... heck, wouldn't we all start investing?

Take your Vitamins

I hope this answers some of your questions in regard to vitamins. I know everyone has their own opinions and these are mine based on what I have learned and studied. :)

Hope
xoxo

Vitamins--Yes? No? Maybe? Part 1

Hello! It has been a crazy couple of days for me. I am an Aunt! My nephew, Isaiah Tyler was born yesterday. Needless to say I am extremely excited and so thankful that he and his mamma are healthy! Hopefully life with slow down a bit and I can get back to my daily blogging. :) With that being said here is a post on vitamins.

I get a lot of questions about vitamins. In the next two days I will be addressing the four most common questions I get. Do I really need to take them? Can't I just eat good food and get my vitamins? How do I know what to take? How do I know if they are quality vitamins? Lastly, is it worth the cost?

And my favorite

"I do take my vitamins! Flinstone vitamins!"

• Do I really need to take vitamins?

The answer is YES! The reason being, food is too weak to re-pleat your depleted cells. Only 7% of crops of in the U.S. are grown in soil that is considered prime. For soil to be considered prime it has to have a specified level of 30 different nutrients in the soil. When soil is used farmers are only required to put 3 of these ingredients back into the soil, leaving it nutrient deficient, as well as the plants grown in it. (Ref 1)

With that being said, it is essential to take your vitamins for your body to reproduce and fix damaged cells within your body, among other things. 

• How do I know what to take?

This question is a little more difficult to answer because everyone's body and needs are different. For instance, an athlete is going to need different support than a pregnant mother or your grandmother.  However, there are 3 basic supplements that EVERYONE should be taking to maintain their health.

1. Multivitamin
2. Vitamin D
3. Plant Nutrients

It is safe to assume most people are deficient/need these vitamins added to their regular diet--along with healthy eating habits. I would also like to add that most people in the U.S. would greatly benefit from taking Omega-3's, also known as fish oils. The proper ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3's in the body should be 3:2, unfortunately most American's are at a 15:1 or even 20:1 ratio, leaving their bodies prone to inflammation  among other things. (Ref 2)

Tomorrow I will answer the last two questions, so stay tuned! :)

Hope

xoxo

P.S. I just had to add this...

References:
(1) http://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/aer823/aer823c.pdf
(2) http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/druginfo/natural/patient-fishoil.html

Step On It

I'm standing in the bathroom brushing my teeth, and I catch a glimpse of the scale sitting there in the corner. I know I need to step on it.... but, I think back to that delicious bowl of home made popcorn I ate yesterday... or that second portion of potatoes I ate two nights ago. The battle in my mind continues... step on the scale... but I don't want to step on the scale... Or, if I'm going to be truthful with myself, I don't want to see the number on the scale. If I see the number in the scale I'll have to admit it myself that I haven't been making healthy choices and I've been over eating....

I don't know about you, but this is a conversation I have with myself on a frequent basis. It's the times that I know I haven't been eating right that I avoid the scale. If I've had a good day of eating and exercise I'm all about jumping on the scale because I know what I'll see. However, I think the most important time to step on the scale is when you feel like you've been failing.

I've heard a lot of different opinions about the scale--how you should use it, how you shouldn't. Some say you should just take measurements of yourself, or go by how you're close fit. Other's argue that you shouldn't be using a scale if you are weight training because muscle weights more than fat so the scale wont be give an accurate reading of your progress. I believe all of these are good arguments, but here is my thought on the use of the scale. I once heard of a guy who stepped on the scale every morning. If he was a pound heavier he ate less that day and didn't have that piece of dessert with dinner. If he was a pound lighter, he had that piece of dessert at dinner (healthy dessert of course ;)).

It is important we have a healthy relationship with the scale. We shouldn't avoid it. We might surprise ourselves and it might not be as bad as I thought it was! On the other hand, it might be shocking reality of where we are headed with our health.

Fun Facts:

• To lose one pound of fat you need to consume 500 less calories than you burn for one week (good calories of course).

Let's stop avoiding the scale and start keeping ourselves accountable!

Calorie Restriction

Today I want to talk about calorie restriction. As I ponder how to approach this topic I feel as if I am walking on egg shells. I feel I need to differentiate between calorie restriction and anorexia before I continue. When I say “calorie restriction” I am referring to eating and drinking the proper amount of calories/food needed for your body’s systems to function properly. In other words--refraining from overeating. I am not referring to starving yourself, nor am I encouraging that in any way.

With my disclaimer out of the way I now want to talk about calorie restriction, and how it benefits your health in multiple ways. Calorie restriction has been scientifically proven to:

• Increase longevity
• Decrease chronic diseases: cardiovascular, diabetes, cancer and neurologic disorders
• Maintains: muscle mass, energy efficiency and brain function

 

The good news is it’s never too late to start implementing calorie restriction. Studies have shown that even when started later in life, calorie restriction reduces cellular senescence—or cell aging (Ref 1). A study done by the University of Alabama Birmingham found that by restricting consumption of calories and glucose (sugar) you can extend the life of your healthy cells and accelerate the death of precancerous cells in your body. (Ref 2) It has also been found that calorie restriction also helps slow the aging and the deterioration of your immune system! (Ref 3)

Unfortunately, the fountain of youth was never found. The good news is that you can take action in your diet and lifestyle that will not only increase your days with family and friends but will also improve your quality of life. Ordering a salad when you are out with your friends vs. a cheeseburger and fries or deciding to pass on that second helping are just small ways you can start implementing calorie restriction into your diet. It’s never too late to change and it only takes one decision at a time to start improving your health.

Hope

xoxo

References:

(1)    http://www.lef.org/newsletter/2010/0720

(2)    http://www.physorg.com/news180298600.html

(3)    Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Dec 19;103(51):19448-53. Epub 2006 Dec 11.  PMID: 17159149