Consuming the right foods will boost you metabolism

The main nutrients

There are five main groups of nutrients: Protein, carbohydrates, fats, minerals and vitamins. None of them can function properly without water.

Protein:
Protein is needed to repair damaged muscle cells and is instrumental in tissue growth. There are 22 amino acids in the protein in human muscle tissue, eight of which cannot be synthesized in the body. These eight amino acids are termed essential and must be provided from your diet. Vegetable proteins lack either one or more essential amino acids, or have very low levels so that you must combine your vegetable protein sources carefully to maximize their yield. You should eat at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight daily. The best sources of protein are fish, chicken, lean meats, turkey, nonfat milk, egg whites, nuts, soy and whey products and various vegetables.

Carbohydrates:
You'll need to consume plenty of carbohydrates to supply energy for your workouts. There are three types of carbohydrate food. The first is refined carbohydrates, mostly sugar and chemical additives-junk food. Eating more than one junk-food item per day is excessive. Simple carbohydrates (mainly fruits) come next. They're excellent for giving the body energy. The fructose is readily converted into glucose. The third type, the "large" complexed slow-burning carbohydrate, is found in vegetables, grains, legumes, seeds and nuts. They will give you a steady flow of energy for your workouts. Eat at least two grams of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight daily. Some good sources of carbohydrates are whole-wheat pasta, whole-wheat breads, noodles, fruits, vegetables, legumes, seeds, nuts and low-fat dairy products.

Fat:
Certain fats are vital for the function of the human body. Fats serve as carriers of fat-soluble vitamins in your blood, as body insulators and protectors of vital organs and also provide energy for basal metabolism and sustained activity. Specific fatty acids are essential components of our cells. Most foods contain the fats necessary to the human body. Good sources are dairy products, plant and fish oils, cheeses and yogurt.

Vitamins and Minerals:
Vitamins and minerals are necessary micro-nutrients in almost every energy and digestive reaction in human metabolism. They are vital for fighting off desease and maintaining good health. Fruits and vegetables are excellent sources of vitamins and minerals.

Water:
Since the human body is close to 80% water, it's necessary to provide your body with an adequate supply of water daily. Drink at least 2 liters of water every day.

Eating to lose weight

The first nutritional demand of your body is energy. Without adequate energy, your body will convert muscle protein into energy to feed your brain, nervous system and red blood cells. These particular tissues do not possess the metabolic machinery to burn fat. They only burn carbohydrate. When your intake of carbohydrate falls below these tissues demand, the body begins to convert tissue protein into carbohydrate to meet their need. The net result is a loss of muscle tissue. Yes, the scale may say you have lost "weight", but you have lost the very tissue that burns fat. Muscle tissue burns 70% of the fat in your body; so losing muscle sacrifices your ability to burn body fat. In fact, the "weight" you lose on a diet can represent up to 10 to 20% of those pounds in muscle loss. This poor dieter will not only regain this weight, but instead of muscle tissue it will be body fat. All because they have compromised their ability to burn body fat. Aging also causes muscle loss. So does inactivity. Have you heard of the saying "Use it or lose it"? Inactivity leads to muscle loss and muscle loss causes a lowered capacity to burn fat, so you wear more of it. The bottom line is this: At any time, or for whatever reason, you lose your muscle; you lose your capacity to burn fat. Diets, aging and inactivity all lead to a decreased amount of muscle weight and an increased amount of fat tissue. Never fear. You can, at any time in your life, rebuild your muscle and teach it to burn fat.

Here is an example menu

• Breakfast - ²/3 cup oatmeal (dry weight) with ¼ cup strawberries, 3 egg whites,
  1 Multi-Vitamin/Mineral pack
• Mid-morning - 3 oz. grilled chicken breast (precooked weight), ½ cup cooked rice,
  ½ cup steamed broccoli
• Lunch - 3 oz. grilled chicken breast (precooked weight), ½ cup cooked rice,
  1 cup steamed mixed vegetables
• Mid-afternoon - 3 oz. grilled chicken breast (precooked weight), ½ cup cooked rice,
  1 cup steamed mixed vegetables
• Dinner - 8 oz. flavored nonfat yogurt, 2 rice cakes, 1 small apple
• Evening Snack - 1 protein shake before bed

Tips on reducing fat consumption

Read the labels on foods and look for items labeled "lowfat" or "nonfat." Remember that foods labeled "no" or "low cholesterol" may still be high in total fat content.

Reduce the amount of fat added to foods, including butter, margarine, sour cream, salad dressing, gravy and other high-fat add-ons. Rely on the herbs and spices for flavor.

Use fat-free cooking methods such as baking, broiling, steaming, boiling or microwaving foods instead of cooking them in oil or fat. Trim all visible fat from meat and remove skin from chicken before cooking, then cook on a rack to allow additional fat to drip off. Use non-stick pans with little or no fat to cook and bake.

Be careful at fast-food restaurants. Look for meat, poultry or fish that has not been fried and skip any fatty mayonnaise-based sauces. Instead of French fries or onion rings, order a salad, if possible. But watch out: salads can be deceptively high in fat and calories.

Eating to build muscle

First of all try to Include as much variety in your diet as you possibly can. It's recommended you consume five to six medium size meals during the day rather than two or three big ones. Try to Include a large amount of high quality protein in your diet and cut out as much animal fat as possible. Also, the lighter you cook your foods, the more nutrients will be retained. It's also key to consume lots of natural carbs found in grains, breads, fruits and veggies. Multivitamin-multimineral supplements are also very important as they contain digestive enzymes (this will aid in protein synthesis). Avoid junk food and empty calories (sugar). Try to stay away from soda and beer as they are packed with empty calories. Whatever you do don't miss meals! Missing meals puts your body in a fat-storing mode. Don't add extra sodium (salt) to your food. Avoid excessive alcohol. Recent studies confirm that a glass of red wine a day is good for you because of the flavanoids, but avoid drinking excessively!

Here is an example menu

• Breakfast - 5 egg whites, 1 whole egg, 2½ oz. oatmeal (dry weight) with low-fat milk,
  1 banana, 1 Multi-Vitamin/Mineral pack
• Mid-morning - 1 Meal-replacement shake
• Lunch - 5 oz. grilled chicken breast (precooked weight), 2 cups cooked rice,
  1 cup steamed mixed vegetables, 1 glass low-fat milk
• Mid-afternoon - 5 oz. grilled chicken breast (precooked weight), 2 cups cooked rice,
  1 cup steamed mixed vegetables, 1 glass low-fat milk
• Dinner - 5 oz. grilled turkey breast (precooked weight), 1½ cups cooked rice,
  1 cup steamed mixed vegetables, 1 apple
• Evening Snack - 1 Meal-replacement shake before bed

Preworkout and postworkout nutrition tips

Consume whole-food meals or meal-replacement shakes 60-90 minutes before training. The meal's carbohydrate (complex carbs) to protein ratio should be approximately 1:1 and the caloric content shouldn't be more than 250-350 calories.

Example meal: ¾ cup oatmeal and 4 oz. nonfat cottage cheese or any meal-replacement powder that falls within the 1:1 carbohydrate to protein ratio.

After completing your workout, consume about 50 grams of simple carbohydrates and 20 grams of whey protein powder. Simple carbohydrates should be in the form of fruit. The carbohydrate to protein ratio should be approximately 2:1. This is also the best time to take supplements like creatine and glutamine.