Nutrition Notes: Week 9

Last week we discussed how Michael is still losing weight at a steady and consistent pace, and doing it without the help of a nasty four letter word... D I E T. I still nearly shudder at the mention of "dieting" when people tell me they are trying this to lose weight. Dieting generally means two things to me; deprivation, and...temporary. Neither benefit anyone in the end. Our bodies need adequate calories and a balance of all nutrients to function at their peak, and we want good nutritional changes to last for a lifetime. We truly believe that the changes Michael has been making will stick with him, allowing him to maintain a healthy way of eating for the long haul. One of the main reasons for his weight loss nutritionally, is that by changing many of his daily eating habits (more frequent and balanced meals with good portion control), which is almost equally important as his improvements in food choices (higher quality, healthy choices), he has trained his body to use food as the fuel and energy source it was meant to be. He can still enjoy the taste of healthy and nutritious foods (it doesn't happen immediately, but our palate does change), and even an occassional "cheat" meal, but ultimately he is teaching his mind and body to view food differently. In addition, the proper frequency and correct balance of nutrients allows his metabolism to skyrocket by normalizing hormones, and helping to improve or avoid insulin resistance. It also means he can get the most out of his workouts so they can be as effective as possible on their end.

One of the things we have helped Michael with in the beginning stages of changing his nutrition, is introducing and recommending a small amount of supplementation to his daily food intake. We focused on three areas; ensuring he is getting all of the vitamins and minerals he needs through a high quality multivitamin and mineral supplement that also includes probiotics; providing the proper ratio of quality carboydrates and protein intake for workout recovery through a post workout shake; and helping to keep his frequency up by providing him with another high quality and balanced option for his snacks in the form of a bar or shake mix. I'll discuss these items a little more next time and also explain how using nutritional supplements can and often should vary from person to person depening on their individuals needs and limitations. There are pros and cons and all supplements are definitely NOT created equal.