Weight Loss, The Pshycological Difference
We all see them. The people on TV, in Womans Day, and plastered over the spam we get. The happy people. Those people who lost 5000kg in 2 weeks, you know the ones.
It is great they exist, they give us a goal! Goal setting is important. We all want to be like them, this is good. For losing weight without a goal is near on impossible.
Losing weight should be a long-term goal. The idea is that we should use losing weight as a means to stay health, happy, and energetic. Fad diets and pills will help us lose weight, but a) you will not be happy, b) it will not be healthy for your body.
You fuse it into your brain, remember it, print it and hang it over your wall. Weight loss is a long term, life changing, and forever thing. It should not happen in a few weeks!
The Basics Number 1 - Diet
Changing your diet is the fundamental reason for losing weight (and keeping it off). And no, I don't mean diet's (e.g. atkins, grapefruit, lock your cupboard door diets
).
To put it in laymans terms, weight loss is using more calories (energy) per day than you put in (through eating drinking etc...).
Now, for the average person (with an average metabolism), this will be 15 times their body weight in calories. This is for weight loss.
Now how do we go about this (in regards to diet?). Through moderation. Eating healthily. Here are some tips on eating health like:
- Do not eat McDonalds (or KFC, or Hungry Jacks, or Pizza Hut, or Red Rooster, etc...)
- Eat 5 to 6 square healthy meals per day. By this I mean, salad, vegies, fruit etc... keep in mind your calory count when choosing these meals.
- Do not eat general junk food (in too large quanities). This includes ice cream, buiscuts, and donuts, etc...
- Treat yourself once a week. Do not go overboard but have a bowl of ice cream.
- Do not eat large quantities of fat or carbohydrates immediated (within a few hours) of going to bed. Unused carbos and (obviosuly) fat will simply turn to fat when not used.
The key is to remember that just because you open a packet of buscuits it does not mean you have to eat them all. But rather, set yourself a goal, to eat them over a perios of, say, a week, evenly spread out.
The Basics Number 2 - Exercise
Before I start, you should remember to see a doctor before starting any exercise routine that may adversly affect your health.
Remember what I mentioned before? Weight loss comes about when you 'use' more calories than you 'take in'. Now, you can lose calories a few ways
- Toilet (d'uh)
- Your body preserving itself. Your body will use energy (usually fat) every second of every minute of every day. The amount it uses depends. But in general per kg, your body will use perhaps 5 times more energy (or 5 times more fat) from muscle, than from fat.
- Exercise!
Exercise for loss of weight does not need to be stellar. You don't need to be become the next Pittman (Go aussie go
), but rather take it easy. Exercise at least once per day, this should be at least an hour, and can be anything from walking calmly to swimming or riding. But it does not need to be rigerous.
Exercise will help you 1000's of times ocer when it comes to losing weight. Just try not to walk past too many fast food shops (or leave your wallet at home).
Oh, and on the happiness note
Exercise gives you a natural high, it has been scientifically proven!!! (Ok, that sounded like a SPAM message, but it really is true). And thats what life is about! Losing weight or not, being happy!
The Basics Number 3 - Buddies/Friends
Whoever said going it alone was tough, they were'nt kidding. In my personal experience having a goals is one thing, have both yourself and others going for that same (or similar) goal is next as important. Who else is going to throw that big chocoloate cake in the bin just as your about to eat it
(I'll get them back for that one day).
Not only that, but exercising is just so much more fun with more than one person. Walking can become boring after a while. Swimming as well. Having friends their to coax you into swimming 50 laps you will have to thank later when you reach your ideal weight~!
Basics Number 4 - Water
Don't skimp on it.
I have a personal choice that I am never to be seen without a water bottle (usually a left over 'mt franklin' or similar).
Water will help you in a variety of ways.
- Will help flush your system. And keep it healthy, this includes keeping you regular.
- Water will keep you hydrated when you exercise.
- I personally find I feel tired when I don't drink plenty!
- Water is generally just good for you! (proper water, none of that expensive 'sports water'). Cleans the liver and just keeps ya healthy!
Not So Basics Number 5 - Gym
As I mentioned a little earlier, muscle burns more calories than does fat (this is while standing/sitting still), you can't get better lipo than that
Note that this isn't for everyone, but there really are lots of great threads in this forum when it comes to this, just look around.
Losing Weight Myths and Truths
Ahum... Myths. You know, those things we hear on the TV, that our utopian lead minds believe. Don't.
Ab crunchers, rollers, machines, destroyers. Sure you'll have stronger abs (don't we all want them), but you wont lose fat just above them. Which leads onto my next point
You cannot spot reduce. For the ladies this generally means around the glutes (ass) and the thighs, for the fellas, the chest and gut.
Weight loss by the body is on a most important to least important basis. When you lose weight, it will come from the most dangerous places to store fat first, and then onto the last (usually the place we wont it from first!).
It really cannot be mentioned enough, losing weight is a long term thing, weight loss of more than 1 kg a week is too much, heck, in some cases 1 kg is 1 1/2 weeks is probably too much.
The findamental thing is, it doesn't matter how fast you lose, just that you DO lose it. Through management of how much you eat, what you eat, how often you eat, how ofter you exercise etc... You can control and manage your weight loss over any period of time you want.
The inital scare
I have had a few friends fall for this one. When you start exercising, if you do not generally exercise, you will gain 1 or 2 kg of weight when you start. What is this? Water! Your body will takek on a little more water to keep itself hydrated during exercise. This scares some people into giving up almost strait away! Dont worry, this weight is normal will not affect any attempt to lose weight.
Here is some extra info:
1. What are carbohydrates, fats and protein broken down into when digested?
Carbohydrates:
When carbohydrates are digested, they are broken down into glucose molecules (essentially sugar) so that they can be used as energy by the body. Carbohydrates are a primary energy source. If the glucose that is broken down is not required it is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. However, any unused carbohydrates for that period of time or throughout the day generally become stored as fat.
Fats:
When a fat is digested, it is broken into triglycerides. Triglycerides are then stored in the muscle, or adipose tissue. Free fatty acids are moved in the blood sites where they are needed most. Excess fats will obviously be stored as fat.
Protein:
When you eat a protein source and it is digested, it is broken down into a substance called amino acids. There are 2 types of amino acids; Essential amino acids (those which cannot be produced by the body) and Non-essential amino acids (which can be produced by other amino acids in the body). Excess protein is stored as fat, if not used.
2. In your own words, explain how carbohydrates can be classified.
Carbohydrates, according to me, can be classified as a fuel. Considering it is the primary source of fuel (or most readily available for the body to use) it is the reason why it can be seen as a fuel.
These carbohydrates can be placed into 2 categories; simple & complex.
Simple carbohydrates (such as sugars, honey, sweet pastries) are the type of carbohydrate that release energy quickly. The disadvantage of this, is that not only do these simple carbohydrates generally have no nutritional value, but the energy boost is only short lived leaving one flat and possibly feeling fatigued.
The other group of carbohydrates are those which are known to be complex. These, unlike simple carbohydrates, release energy slowly over a longer period of time. The complex carbohydrate group can be further broken down. Taking a white piece of bread, and a whole meal piece for example. Both are complex carbohydrates, yet the whole meal bread is more nutritionally complete (including more nutrients especially fibre) than the white bread.
3. In your own words, explain how fats can be classified.
Fats are a valuable source of energy for the body, producing twice as much calories per gram than both carbohydrates and protein (9 calories vs. 4 calories). This can be quite detrimental to health, though, if fats are eaten out of proportion (especially those of the wrong type). Major sources of fats in a typical Australian diet come from Oils, Margarines, Meats, Dairy products, Nuts, Seafood and Poultry. Good fats are important in ones diet, as they play vital roles in the body (ie; containing essential vitamins A, E, D and K, producing cell membranes, skin hormones and lowering cholesterol levels. Fats also protect the immune system, and reduce the risk of heart disease) This does not mean go out and grab 3 large Big-Mac meals because theyre dripping with fat first we need to look at the different types. Theres always a catch.
Fats can be classified as Saturated and Unsaturated. Saturated fats are the type of fat we must keep to a minimum in our diet. They are a major cause of health problems if had in a large quantity. Saturated fats are found predominantly in animal products, such as cheese, milk and meats. The reason for their unhealthy nature is due to the fact that they contain a substance called cholesterol. Lots of cholesterol will result in the narrowing of blood vessels causing cardio vascular problems. The two types of cholesterol found in our body are HDLs and LDLs, the former being the good cholesterol and the latter being the bad.
Unsaturated fats can further be broken down into 2 categories. Mono-unsaturated and Poly-unsaturated.
Poly-unsaturated fats are found predominantly in vegetable oils. They contain essential fatty acids (EFAs) that the body cannot produce. A fat in this same category is known as Omega 3. This is predominantly found in the fat of fish and fish oils, which aids in suppressing blood clotting and inflammatory reactions It is the only fat that has these positive effects.
Mono-unsaturated fats are those found in olive and canola oil, as well as certain fruits and nuts.
Both of these fats in the right quantity are good for our body. They can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering the LDL levels of cholesterol in our body.
There is a third type of fat known as Trans-Fats. This fat tends to be man-made, as its contained more in processed foods. It turns vegetable oil into a solid fat, can affect cellular function and increases LDL. This is another fat that must be kept to a minimum in ones diet.
4. Why is fiber beneficial to health and explain what could happen if a person is deficient in fiber.
Fiber plays a vital role in ones life. Dietary fibers are those which cannot be broken down in the small intestine. Predominantly found in carbohydrate loaded foods such as cereals, breads, fruits and vegetables. They have the ability to slow the release of sugar from the blood ensuring a sustained release of energy in the body. Fiber also has the ability to give a person the full feeling which may aid with weight control as he or she will be less prone to continually eat and pick at foods.
People deficient in fiber are more prone to bowel cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and constipation (as fiber helps regulate bowel movements when bacteria in the large intestine are digesting dietary fiber, fatty acids are produced which nourish the bowel wall which helps control the muscular movement of the bowel).
Like fats, fiber can be broken down into two smaller components; Soluble and Insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol, predominantly found in foods such as oats and fruit. It has the ability of slowing digestion in the small intestine and great for slowing glucose into the blood.
Insoluble fiber is that which is found predominantly in bran and beans. It is good as a water retention agent which increases bulk and elimates wastes from the body.
5. Explain why we eat certain foods when on a lower calorie eating plan, and not others?
Generally when on a lower calorie eating plan, the person involved is trying to decrease their weight. This, in effect, will restrict what they eat and in what quantity. A person on a lower calorie eating plan would be keeping their fat intake to a minimal, as fat produces twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein. The lower the fat intake, the less overall calories consumed for that day.
Carbohydrates on a lower calorie eating plan, would be eaten predominantly in the first half of the day as they are a primary source of fuel. Un-used CHO throughout the day will be stored as fat, hence why theyre eaten to a lesser extent in the latter half or quarter of the day
6. Make up a list of foods that you consider to be healthy and suit a client trying to lose weight.
Carbs:
Wholemeal Spaghetti
Rye or Wholemeal Bread
Borlotti Beans
Vegetables (fibrous green and leafy are fantastic) ie: Broccoli
Fruits (apples, bananas, pears
Proteins:
Chicken Breast
Eggs
Steak
Low fat milk & yoghurt
Cottage cheese
Fish & Tuna
Fats:
Virgin Olive Oil
Nuts (almonds)
Fruits
Note* Fats can generally be kept low. Sticking to those predominantly found in foods such as fish and other dairy/meat products is sufficient.
7. Explain the idea of GI index and its effect on weight, diabetes and health?
GI (Glycemic Index) is a way of categorizing carbohydrate foods with regard to the blood glucose response that they give. GI compares the blood glucose levels and the rate of carbohydrate digestion into the system. High GI foods are those which are digested rapidly, hence causing a rapid release of energy. Foods high in GI are useful for replenishment of muscle glycogen stores (generally after an intense and strenuous period of physical activity).
On the contrary, low GI foods are those which take a longer time to digest, hence providing a more sustained release of energy, which will prevent an insulin surge. Low GI foods make fantastic pre-event meals as they release energy and slowly into circulation.
High GI foods can be classes as those with a GI rating greater than 70 (ie Glucose and Baked Potatoe) as opposed to low GI foods with a rating of less than 50 (ie: porridge and apples).
The GIs effect on weight and health is due to a number of reasons. Low GI foods are a better choice for those wanting to maintain health and weight. The reason is that low GI foods are more slowly digested and cause a slower rise in blood sugar than high GI foods. So the theory goes that this leads to a greater level of satiety (in other words you feel satisfied more easily) and therefore you eat less. Lower GI foods (such as veges) tend to be more nutritionally complete) as opposed to high GI foods such as biscuits and white rice.
As for diabetes and GI: In healthy people, the hormone insulin enables glucose and other nutrients to be transported from the blood stream into the muscles and tissues. In people with diabetes, insufficient levels of insulin or ineffective insulin action causes raised blood glucose levels and adverse effect in most tissues. Diabetes can lead to problems with eye sight, kidney function, nerves and circulation.
You may see where Im heading already. There were studies done on high GI and low GI foods on diabetics. No rocket science is required to realize a lower GI food will aid in the ability to control blood sugar levels as opposed to high GI. A quote from a study: All the studies conducted to date show that individuals with diabetes using a low GI diet have better controlled blood glucose levels. The clinical trial involving children with type 1 diabetes showed that those on the low GI diet had superior quality of life and in general enjoyed better interaction with family members and peers.
8. Why might continually high insulin levels be a health problem?
High levels of insulin cause several problems: one of them is high blood pressure. One of the roles of insulin is to assist the storing of excess nutrients. Insulin plays a role in storing magnesium. But if your cells become resistant to insulin, you can't store magnesium so you lose it through urination. Intra-cellular magnesium relaxes muscles. What happens when you can't store magnesium because the cell is resistant? You lose magnesium and your blood vessels constrict. This causes an increase in blood pressure.
Insulin also causes the retention of sodium, which causes fluid retention, hence causing high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.
Osteoporosis is another potential problem resulting from insulin resistance. Insulin is a master hormone which controls many anabolic hormones such as growth hormone, testosterone, and progesterone. In insulin resistance, the anabolic process is reduced. Bone is built upon the command of such hormones. When these hormones are reduced, the amount of bone building is reduced, and the amount of calcium excreted is increased.
So as you can see, high insulin levels over an extended period of time can be extremely detrimental to ones health.
9. Explain the idea of metabolic rate and what components instructors can change.
The idea of Metabolic rate (also known as BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate) is the speed at which the body uses energy for your basic everyday functions such as breathing and keeping your heart functioning.
Calculating the BMR is simple. Take 1kg of body weight which burns 1 calorie an hour. So for a 77kg male, he burns 77 calories per hour or 1848 per day. Obviously the rate at which this occur will change with the individual, there are factors such as:
Muscle tissue: An increase of 1.4kg of muscle tissue will consume more than 100 calories per day. 1.4kg of fat on the contrary uses only 6 calories per day.
Your BMR is faster during winter (or a colder climate)
BMR decreases with age, approximately 2% per decade.
Instructors can suggest an increase in exercise to speed the clients basal metabolic rate, as exercise both increase BMR during and after a workout.
As stated above, an increase in muscle mass will enhance the BMR. Resistance training is a vital part in increasing muscle mass and therefore BMR. An instructor can suggest working on compound movements such as the squat and bench press which work major muscles, and will burn more calories than working smaller muscle groups.
10. Define nutrient density and energy density.
Nutrient density relates to the amount of nutrients per gram in a food source. Well take a portion of broccoli for example; they are extremely high in nutrient density per gram, and moderate on energy density.
Taking a chocolate for comparisons sake, a chocolate bar is extremely high per gram in energy density, but extremely low per gram with regard to nutrient density.
So for the same sized portion of food, the energy density of a chocolate bar is going to be greater than that of broccoli, yet the broccoli will be far more nutrient dense than the chocolate bar.
We all see them. The people on TV, in Womans Day, and plastered over the spam we get. The happy people. Those people who lost 5000kg in 2 weeks, you know the ones.
It is great they exist, they give us a goal! Goal setting is important. We all want to be like them, this is good. For losing weight without a goal is near on impossible.
Losing weight should be a long-term goal. The idea is that we should use losing weight as a means to stay health, happy, and energetic. Fad diets and pills will help us lose weight, but a) you will not be happy, b) it will not be healthy for your body.
You fuse it into your brain, remember it, print it and hang it over your wall. Weight loss is a long term, life changing, and forever thing. It should not happen in a few weeks!
The Basics Number 1 - Diet
Changing your diet is the fundamental reason for losing weight (and keeping it off). And no, I don't mean diet's (e.g. atkins, grapefruit, lock your cupboard door diets
).To put it in laymans terms, weight loss is using more calories (energy) per day than you put in (through eating drinking etc...).
Now, for the average person (with an average metabolism), this will be 15 times their body weight in calories. This is for weight loss.
Now how do we go about this (in regards to diet?). Through moderation. Eating healthily. Here are some tips on eating health like:
- Do not eat McDonalds (or KFC, or Hungry Jacks, or Pizza Hut, or Red Rooster, etc...)
- Eat 5 to 6 square healthy meals per day. By this I mean, salad, vegies, fruit etc... keep in mind your calory count when choosing these meals.
- Do not eat general junk food (in too large quanities). This includes ice cream, buiscuts, and donuts, etc...
- Treat yourself once a week. Do not go overboard but have a bowl of ice cream.
- Do not eat large quantities of fat or carbohydrates immediated (within a few hours) of going to bed. Unused carbos and (obviosuly) fat will simply turn to fat when not used.
The key is to remember that just because you open a packet of buscuits it does not mean you have to eat them all. But rather, set yourself a goal, to eat them over a perios of, say, a week, evenly spread out.
The Basics Number 2 - Exercise
Before I start, you should remember to see a doctor before starting any exercise routine that may adversly affect your health.
Remember what I mentioned before? Weight loss comes about when you 'use' more calories than you 'take in'. Now, you can lose calories a few ways
- Toilet (d'uh)
- Your body preserving itself. Your body will use energy (usually fat) every second of every minute of every day. The amount it uses depends. But in general per kg, your body will use perhaps 5 times more energy (or 5 times more fat) from muscle, than from fat.
- Exercise!
Exercise for loss of weight does not need to be stellar. You don't need to be become the next Pittman (Go aussie go
Exercise will help you 1000's of times ocer when it comes to losing weight. Just try not to walk past too many fast food shops (or leave your wallet at home).
Oh, and on the happiness note
The Basics Number 3 - Buddies/Friends
Whoever said going it alone was tough, they were'nt kidding. In my personal experience having a goals is one thing, have both yourself and others going for that same (or similar) goal is next as important. Who else is going to throw that big chocoloate cake in the bin just as your about to eat it
Not only that, but exercising is just so much more fun with more than one person. Walking can become boring after a while. Swimming as well. Having friends their to coax you into swimming 50 laps you will have to thank later when you reach your ideal weight~!
Basics Number 4 - Water
Don't skimp on it.
I have a personal choice that I am never to be seen without a water bottle (usually a left over 'mt franklin' or similar).
Water will help you in a variety of ways.
- Will help flush your system. And keep it healthy, this includes keeping you regular.
- Water will keep you hydrated when you exercise.
- I personally find I feel tired when I don't drink plenty!
- Water is generally just good for you! (proper water, none of that expensive 'sports water'). Cleans the liver and just keeps ya healthy!
Not So Basics Number 5 - Gym
As I mentioned a little earlier, muscle burns more calories than does fat (this is while standing/sitting still), you can't get better lipo than that
Note that this isn't for everyone, but there really are lots of great threads in this forum when it comes to this, just look around.
Losing Weight Myths and Truths
Ahum... Myths. You know, those things we hear on the TV, that our utopian lead minds believe. Don't.
Ab crunchers, rollers, machines, destroyers. Sure you'll have stronger abs (don't we all want them), but you wont lose fat just above them. Which leads onto my next point
You cannot spot reduce. For the ladies this generally means around the glutes (ass) and the thighs, for the fellas, the chest and gut.
Weight loss by the body is on a most important to least important basis. When you lose weight, it will come from the most dangerous places to store fat first, and then onto the last (usually the place we wont it from first!).
It really cannot be mentioned enough, losing weight is a long term thing, weight loss of more than 1 kg a week is too much, heck, in some cases 1 kg is 1 1/2 weeks is probably too much.
The findamental thing is, it doesn't matter how fast you lose, just that you DO lose it. Through management of how much you eat, what you eat, how often you eat, how ofter you exercise etc... You can control and manage your weight loss over any period of time you want.
The inital scare
I have had a few friends fall for this one. When you start exercising, if you do not generally exercise, you will gain 1 or 2 kg of weight when you start. What is this? Water! Your body will takek on a little more water to keep itself hydrated during exercise. This scares some people into giving up almost strait away! Dont worry, this weight is normal will not affect any attempt to lose weight.
Here is some extra info:
1. What are carbohydrates, fats and protein broken down into when digested?
Carbohydrates:
When carbohydrates are digested, they are broken down into glucose molecules (essentially sugar) so that they can be used as energy by the body. Carbohydrates are a primary energy source. If the glucose that is broken down is not required it is stored in the muscles and liver as glycogen. However, any unused carbohydrates for that period of time or throughout the day generally become stored as fat.
Fats:
When a fat is digested, it is broken into triglycerides. Triglycerides are then stored in the muscle, or adipose tissue. Free fatty acids are moved in the blood sites where they are needed most. Excess fats will obviously be stored as fat.
Protein:
When you eat a protein source and it is digested, it is broken down into a substance called amino acids. There are 2 types of amino acids; Essential amino acids (those which cannot be produced by the body) and Non-essential amino acids (which can be produced by other amino acids in the body). Excess protein is stored as fat, if not used.
2. In your own words, explain how carbohydrates can be classified.
Carbohydrates, according to me, can be classified as a fuel. Considering it is the primary source of fuel (or most readily available for the body to use) it is the reason why it can be seen as a fuel.
These carbohydrates can be placed into 2 categories; simple & complex.
Simple carbohydrates (such as sugars, honey, sweet pastries) are the type of carbohydrate that release energy quickly. The disadvantage of this, is that not only do these simple carbohydrates generally have no nutritional value, but the energy boost is only short lived leaving one flat and possibly feeling fatigued.
The other group of carbohydrates are those which are known to be complex. These, unlike simple carbohydrates, release energy slowly over a longer period of time. The complex carbohydrate group can be further broken down. Taking a white piece of bread, and a whole meal piece for example. Both are complex carbohydrates, yet the whole meal bread is more nutritionally complete (including more nutrients especially fibre) than the white bread.
3. In your own words, explain how fats can be classified.
Fats are a valuable source of energy for the body, producing twice as much calories per gram than both carbohydrates and protein (9 calories vs. 4 calories). This can be quite detrimental to health, though, if fats are eaten out of proportion (especially those of the wrong type). Major sources of fats in a typical Australian diet come from Oils, Margarines, Meats, Dairy products, Nuts, Seafood and Poultry. Good fats are important in ones diet, as they play vital roles in the body (ie; containing essential vitamins A, E, D and K, producing cell membranes, skin hormones and lowering cholesterol levels. Fats also protect the immune system, and reduce the risk of heart disease) This does not mean go out and grab 3 large Big-Mac meals because theyre dripping with fat first we need to look at the different types. Theres always a catch.
Fats can be classified as Saturated and Unsaturated. Saturated fats are the type of fat we must keep to a minimum in our diet. They are a major cause of health problems if had in a large quantity. Saturated fats are found predominantly in animal products, such as cheese, milk and meats. The reason for their unhealthy nature is due to the fact that they contain a substance called cholesterol. Lots of cholesterol will result in the narrowing of blood vessels causing cardio vascular problems. The two types of cholesterol found in our body are HDLs and LDLs, the former being the good cholesterol and the latter being the bad.
Unsaturated fats can further be broken down into 2 categories. Mono-unsaturated and Poly-unsaturated.
Poly-unsaturated fats are found predominantly in vegetable oils. They contain essential fatty acids (EFAs) that the body cannot produce. A fat in this same category is known as Omega 3. This is predominantly found in the fat of fish and fish oils, which aids in suppressing blood clotting and inflammatory reactions It is the only fat that has these positive effects.
Mono-unsaturated fats are those found in olive and canola oil, as well as certain fruits and nuts.
Both of these fats in the right quantity are good for our body. They can help reduce the risk of heart disease by lowering the LDL levels of cholesterol in our body.
There is a third type of fat known as Trans-Fats. This fat tends to be man-made, as its contained more in processed foods. It turns vegetable oil into a solid fat, can affect cellular function and increases LDL. This is another fat that must be kept to a minimum in ones diet.
4. Why is fiber beneficial to health and explain what could happen if a person is deficient in fiber.
Fiber plays a vital role in ones life. Dietary fibers are those which cannot be broken down in the small intestine. Predominantly found in carbohydrate loaded foods such as cereals, breads, fruits and vegetables. They have the ability to slow the release of sugar from the blood ensuring a sustained release of energy in the body. Fiber also has the ability to give a person the full feeling which may aid with weight control as he or she will be less prone to continually eat and pick at foods.
People deficient in fiber are more prone to bowel cancer, diabetes, heart disease, obesity and constipation (as fiber helps regulate bowel movements when bacteria in the large intestine are digesting dietary fiber, fatty acids are produced which nourish the bowel wall which helps control the muscular movement of the bowel).
Like fats, fiber can be broken down into two smaller components; Soluble and Insoluble fiber.
Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol, predominantly found in foods such as oats and fruit. It has the ability of slowing digestion in the small intestine and great for slowing glucose into the blood.
Insoluble fiber is that which is found predominantly in bran and beans. It is good as a water retention agent which increases bulk and elimates wastes from the body.
5. Explain why we eat certain foods when on a lower calorie eating plan, and not others?
Generally when on a lower calorie eating plan, the person involved is trying to decrease their weight. This, in effect, will restrict what they eat and in what quantity. A person on a lower calorie eating plan would be keeping their fat intake to a minimal, as fat produces twice as many calories as carbohydrates and protein. The lower the fat intake, the less overall calories consumed for that day.
Carbohydrates on a lower calorie eating plan, would be eaten predominantly in the first half of the day as they are a primary source of fuel. Un-used CHO throughout the day will be stored as fat, hence why theyre eaten to a lesser extent in the latter half or quarter of the day
6. Make up a list of foods that you consider to be healthy and suit a client trying to lose weight.
Carbs:
Wholemeal Spaghetti
Rye or Wholemeal Bread
Borlotti Beans
Vegetables (fibrous green and leafy are fantastic) ie: Broccoli
Fruits (apples, bananas, pears
Proteins:
Chicken Breast
Eggs
Steak
Low fat milk & yoghurt
Cottage cheese
Fish & Tuna
Fats:
Virgin Olive Oil
Nuts (almonds)
Fruits
Note* Fats can generally be kept low. Sticking to those predominantly found in foods such as fish and other dairy/meat products is sufficient.
7. Explain the idea of GI index and its effect on weight, diabetes and health?
GI (Glycemic Index) is a way of categorizing carbohydrate foods with regard to the blood glucose response that they give. GI compares the blood glucose levels and the rate of carbohydrate digestion into the system. High GI foods are those which are digested rapidly, hence causing a rapid release of energy. Foods high in GI are useful for replenishment of muscle glycogen stores (generally after an intense and strenuous period of physical activity).
On the contrary, low GI foods are those which take a longer time to digest, hence providing a more sustained release of energy, which will prevent an insulin surge. Low GI foods make fantastic pre-event meals as they release energy and slowly into circulation.
High GI foods can be classes as those with a GI rating greater than 70 (ie Glucose and Baked Potatoe) as opposed to low GI foods with a rating of less than 50 (ie: porridge and apples).
The GIs effect on weight and health is due to a number of reasons. Low GI foods are a better choice for those wanting to maintain health and weight. The reason is that low GI foods are more slowly digested and cause a slower rise in blood sugar than high GI foods. So the theory goes that this leads to a greater level of satiety (in other words you feel satisfied more easily) and therefore you eat less. Lower GI foods (such as veges) tend to be more nutritionally complete) as opposed to high GI foods such as biscuits and white rice.
As for diabetes and GI: In healthy people, the hormone insulin enables glucose and other nutrients to be transported from the blood stream into the muscles and tissues. In people with diabetes, insufficient levels of insulin or ineffective insulin action causes raised blood glucose levels and adverse effect in most tissues. Diabetes can lead to problems with eye sight, kidney function, nerves and circulation.
You may see where Im heading already. There were studies done on high GI and low GI foods on diabetics. No rocket science is required to realize a lower GI food will aid in the ability to control blood sugar levels as opposed to high GI. A quote from a study: All the studies conducted to date show that individuals with diabetes using a low GI diet have better controlled blood glucose levels. The clinical trial involving children with type 1 diabetes showed that those on the low GI diet had superior quality of life and in general enjoyed better interaction with family members and peers.
8. Why might continually high insulin levels be a health problem?
High levels of insulin cause several problems: one of them is high blood pressure. One of the roles of insulin is to assist the storing of excess nutrients. Insulin plays a role in storing magnesium. But if your cells become resistant to insulin, you can't store magnesium so you lose it through urination. Intra-cellular magnesium relaxes muscles. What happens when you can't store magnesium because the cell is resistant? You lose magnesium and your blood vessels constrict. This causes an increase in blood pressure.
Insulin also causes the retention of sodium, which causes fluid retention, hence causing high blood pressure and congestive heart failure.
Osteoporosis is another potential problem resulting from insulin resistance. Insulin is a master hormone which controls many anabolic hormones such as growth hormone, testosterone, and progesterone. In insulin resistance, the anabolic process is reduced. Bone is built upon the command of such hormones. When these hormones are reduced, the amount of bone building is reduced, and the amount of calcium excreted is increased.
So as you can see, high insulin levels over an extended period of time can be extremely detrimental to ones health.
9. Explain the idea of metabolic rate and what components instructors can change.
The idea of Metabolic rate (also known as BMR or Basal Metabolic Rate) is the speed at which the body uses energy for your basic everyday functions such as breathing and keeping your heart functioning.
Calculating the BMR is simple. Take 1kg of body weight which burns 1 calorie an hour. So for a 77kg male, he burns 77 calories per hour or 1848 per day. Obviously the rate at which this occur will change with the individual, there are factors such as:
Muscle tissue: An increase of 1.4kg of muscle tissue will consume more than 100 calories per day. 1.4kg of fat on the contrary uses only 6 calories per day.
Your BMR is faster during winter (or a colder climate)
BMR decreases with age, approximately 2% per decade.
Instructors can suggest an increase in exercise to speed the clients basal metabolic rate, as exercise both increase BMR during and after a workout.
As stated above, an increase in muscle mass will enhance the BMR. Resistance training is a vital part in increasing muscle mass and therefore BMR. An instructor can suggest working on compound movements such as the squat and bench press which work major muscles, and will burn more calories than working smaller muscle groups.
10. Define nutrient density and energy density.
Nutrient density relates to the amount of nutrients per gram in a food source. Well take a portion of broccoli for example; they are extremely high in nutrient density per gram, and moderate on energy density.
Taking a chocolate for comparisons sake, a chocolate bar is extremely high per gram in energy density, but extremely low per gram with regard to nutrient density.
So for the same sized portion of food, the energy density of a chocolate bar is going to be greater than that of broccoli, yet the broccoli will be far more nutrient dense than the chocolate bar.
