|
Nutrition Myths
from
http://www.apexfitness.com/html/nutrition/faq/myths/
Is it true
that carbohydrates make a person fat?
If you eat more calories than you expend in energy, then
anything can be stored as fat - protein, fat or
carbohydrate.
Will eating fat make me fat?
As with the myth that carbohydrates make one fat, the answer
to this is the same. Calories ingested and absorbed above
expenditure contribute to increasing fat stores. However,
there is some evidence that would suggest it is easier to
get fat when consuming a high-fat diet. It seems the human
body has a difficult time regulating food intake on high-fat
diets, making it easier to accidentally eat excess calories.
Also, because fat provides a lot of calories for a small
volume (nine calories/g vs. four calories/g for protein and
carbs) one may have a harder time feeling satisfied with the
smaller food volume a high-fat diet would provide.
Will eating past 7 p.m.,
especially carbohydrates, result in weight gain?
The body does not have an enzyme with a watch that after 7
p.m. preferentially stores items, especially carbohydrate,
as fat. All of us have a certain number of calories we can
consume without gaining weight. If you happen to change your
daily schedule and end up eating a final meal or snack later
in the evening without changing your calories, you are in no
danger of accumulating weight as a result of that minor
alteration. Ideally, however, you would spread your allotted
number of calories throughout the day to prevent hunger and
prevent wild fluctuations in blood sugar levels, which can
sap your energy levels.
What is insulin's role in
storing fat?
Humans, as periodic eaters, need insulin to survive.
Following a meal, insulin is secreted, with its job being
the storage of energy (glucose, amino acids) in the liver,
muscle and adipose tissue (fat). We will always eat more at
a meal than can immediately be used for energy, making this
storage necessary. As the hours after a meal go by, this
stored energy is released to fuel the continuous needs and
activity of the body.
The predominant fuel source for the
human body during normal daily activities is fat. As insulin
levels diminish after a meal (within an hour), another
hormone, Glucagon, is secreted. It signals the body to begin
releasing stored energy (glycogen from the liver and fatty
acids from adipose tissue) into the blood stream to fuel the
body's energy needs, even though no new energy is coming in
(from food). The cycle is repeated with every meal.
Whether one increases or decreases
the size of their fat stores day to day depends upon the
relationship of calories consumed and absorbed versus energy
expended on metabolism and daily activity. If you were in a
caloric deficit at the end of the day, then more fat would
have come out for energy than went in for storage, so your
fat stores would be decreased. However, if you were in
caloric excess, then more would have gone in than went out,
so your fat stores would increase. As you can see, insulin
is only a mechanism for fat storage. It needs material to
work with to cause fat stores to increase and stay that way.
That material is the calories we eat.
Is it true that anyone
attempting to lose fat and/or gain LBM should eat a
high-protein diet?
No. Any amount exceeding 25% of total caloric intake would
be considered high. There is no advantage to high-protein
intake for the majority of fat loss subjects. It's all about
calories. There are disadvantages to excess protein intake
(see below). High-protein weight-loss diets are generally
low-calorie diets in disguise that eventually will not
satiate the user. This leads to uncontrollable eating
behavior and concurrent weight gain. Initial weight loss
from a high-protein diet is predominantly loss of body
fluids.
Does whey protein build more
muscle quicker than other complete proteins?
This is generally not true. The possible exception may be
the underfed and over-trained athlete. For well-fed
individuals, there is no nutritional advantage to whey
protein over other complete proteins, except that one can
consume less to meet protein requirements. No dietary
protein initiates hypertrophy; appropriate exercise does.
Do protein drinks build muscle?
No, appropriate exercise and adequate nutrition build
muscle.
Does eating fat causes weight
gain?
Excess calories make you fat, not fat. Currently, Americans
are consuming 300 calories per day more than 10 years ago
and are moving less. Portion sizes, calories, technology and
social habits have contributed the most to our country's
expanding waistline.
Should I try to cut all fat out
of my diet?.
No. Dietary fat calories should never dip below 10 percent
of total caloric intake. Dietary fat can add to palatability
and satiety. Dietary fat carries our necessary fat soluble
vitamins & essential fatty acids.
Is dietary fat bad for you?
Some fats are actually good for you, in moderation. Omega 3
& 6 fatty acids, found in some fish, can assist in lowering
cholesterol as well as other positive physiological and
psychological responses.
Are high-fat diets safe?
Diets high in saturated fats generally raise cholesterol
levels and leads to overeating. Total fat intake should not
exceed 30 percent of the total caloric intake.
Do high-fat diets assist in
weight loss?
Remember, you lose fat when you consume fewer calories than
you burn, regardless of whether they are fat, protein or
carbohydrate calories. However, diets that contain more than
30 percent fat generally slow metabolism and lead to
overeating. A very small portion of the population appears
to feel and function better on a higher-fat diet (above 25%)
while pursuing weight loss. This is due to bio-individuality
and the satiating power of fats for this group. Most people
would not benefit from a high-fat diet.
Do Medium Chain Triglycerides
(MCT) assist in fat or weight loss?
There is no benefit in consuming extra calories (each gram
of MCT yields 9 calories) during a fat and/or weight-loss
program. Therefore, the additional MCT calories would only
be used for energy in lieu of fat stores and consequently
slow fat loss.
Do Carbohydrates make you fat?
This is FALSE. Americans currently eat approximately 300
calories more per day than 10 years ago and move less -
thus, we are fatter. Calories and technology are the primary
reasons for our nation's expanding waistline. Excess
calories make you fat.
Do fruit or fructose make you
fat?
No. Excess calories make you fat. Fructose is the sweetener
of choice for fat loss because it does not elicit a strong
insulin response. It is expensive, so most companies do not
like to use it.
Does wheat make you fat?
No, but wheat may cause bloating in a small percentage of
people who are allergic to it. Wheat does not make anyone
fat, excess calories do.
When attempting to lose fat,
should I avoid fruit, wheat products and/or dairy products?
No. When reducing calories for continuous fat loss (i.e.,
fitness models or bodybuilders striving for very low body
fat levels) these foods (except wheat) may be eliminated as
competition nears. Fruit and dairy products lack the
substance or bulk of complex foods, so they don't contribute
to satiety when calories are extremely low. But calories are
calories.
I've heard that insulin
resistance causes weight gain, so a high-protein,
low-carbohydrate diet is recommended. Is this true?
This is false. Weight gain from high fat diets usually leads
to insulin resistance. Insulin resistance leads to other
health problems such as coronary artery disease.
The scientific recommendation for almost all
insulin-resistant individuals, genetic or acquired, is a
low-fat diet, moderate amounts of protein, high in complex
carbohydrates and exercise. Insulin resistant individuals
gain weight like anyone else - when they eat more calories
than they burn. Insulin resistance may depress satiety
signals, leading one to overeat.
Does pasta make you fat?
No. Pasta is a carbohydrate. Excess calories make one fat.
Is it true that eating
carbohydrates, or any food at night, causes weight gain?
No. If the daily caloric intake allows for fat loss or
maintenance and is spread throughout a 24-hour period you
will not gain weight. Excess calories make you fat.
Explain why switching from a
high-protein diet to a high-carbohydrate diet might cause
you to feel bloated initially.
Each part of stored glucose (as glycogen) contains 2.7 parts
water. With a high-protein diet, glycogen stores are
consistently low and therefore water content is low, which
decreases the cells' efficiency. The bloated feeling will
eventually normalize when the body recovers to a properly
hydrated state. The gain is water in the muscle cells
(good), not fat
|
