The nutrients fall into different groups:

1. The macronutrients are the energy-giving nutrients: carbohydrates, fats and proteins. These are the nutrients we eat in larger amounts. They are the first thing you think about when worrying about energy intake. Obviously, with higher fueling demands then carbohydrates and fat intakes may need to be looked at. Protein, though containing calories, is also used for tissue repair and growth.
2. The second group is the micronutrients: the vitamins and minerals that are important in cellular function. These we eat in much smaller quantities but they are none the less essential for life. The biochemical machinery of the cells demands vitamins and minerals. A useful analogy is a car engine, if carbohydrate is the petrol and fats the oils, the protein makes the engine but all the other parts like spark plugs, timing mechanisms, controls, etc are made partially out of vitamins and minerals.
3. Fibres are compounds that are not readily absorbed by the body; they are important for gut health and, as such, to the health of the whole body. The gut is the place where all other foods are absorbed and also where there are a lot of interactions between our body and the environment. Poor gut health can hamper fueling and recovery, but also affect general health.
4. Phytochemicals are a very large group of different chemicals produced by plants. In the plant they may be involved in a range of secondary metabolic process, such as defense or pigmentation. Whilst not essential, they do help to boost our health in a variety of ways from being useful as antioxidants, aiding the immune system to affecting gene expression.

Of course, we don’t eat chemicals, we eat foods, and it is vital to understand what groups of foods supply which groups of nutrients.

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Fibre can be roughly defined as the indigestible part of plant based food. Measuring the amount of fibre in food has proved problematic, so as a result of these technical difficulties you will find reference to non starch polysaccharides (NSP) as well as dietary fibre in literature on the subject.

The differences is that dietary fibre includes NSP, but that NSP, as a defining category does not include all that is dietary fibre. Instead NSP is a method of measuring what in a food constitutes the indigestible portion. The reason for referring to NSP is that NSP is the main component in plant cell walls, and therefore is the largest single contributor to the ‘fibre’ content of a food, and can be relatively easily measured to give food scientists a reasonably accurate and reliable measurement tool.

When you look closely at fibre it is best thought of as a family; its members are complex carbohydrates, and not all of them are fibrous in structure. There are two main classes of fibre, soluble and insoluble.

Bonus effects
If there were not already enough benefits to convince you that a health fibre intake is a dietary priority then it is worth remembering that foods which pack the fibre also pack vitamins and minerals.

By eating a variety of fibre rich foods you will also be getting a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, as well as phytonutrients each with their own unique health benefits; like the cancer preventative effect of the pigment lycopene found in tomatoes, or the anti-inflammatory action of lutein found in spinach.

Don’t just think of eating fibre, but think of all that goes with it too.

Eating right for Fibre
Eating a healthy amount of fibre is not difficult, even if the average UK resident only eats half the recommended amount. Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day should be enough to ensure a healthy fibre intake (interestingly the average UK resident averages around half the five a day).

Moving from an average intake to the recommended intake needs to be done carefully taking a week or more to build up. If you don’t then you risk a dramatic decrease in transit time – otherwise known as diarrhoea.

Fibre and fluid
A healthy fluid intake, that is at least 1.5 litres a day, is always a good idea. When you eat a good fibre-full diet it is especially important. Dietary fibre acts much like a sponge, when you eat it the fibre tends to be dry, without fluid to lubricate it becomes a tough job to get it through to the other end.

To illustrate this, get a sponge and try and push it through the cardboard tube in the middle of a toilet roll – dry this is not easy, wet the sponge and it slides through. The same is true for your body, if you do not supply the fluid you need to help the passage then some will be pulled from other parts of your body – but essentially the fibre is going through dry.

Dry fibre passing through you is not healthy – it cannot perform its proper function without out adequate hydration. Like your brain, your gut performs best when well hydrated!

Fibre Damage
Fibre can be broken down manually, cooking and chewing has some effect breaking fibre up a little. However the effect is not so much that it causes concern day to day.

Blending, juicing and smoothie making do substantially alter the structure of the fibre component of fruits and vegetables. Mechanically breaking the structure to make a liquid out of fruit and vegetables effectively destroys a substantial part of the fibre content and this is why to date a juice or smoothie still only counts as one of your five a day.

Depending on what is removed when the drink is made you may find that the vitamin and mineral count has suffered along with the fibre content.

The post FIBRE FOODS appeared first on Performance Meals.

Fibre can be roughly defined as the indigestible part of plant based food. Measuring the amount of fibre in food has proved problematic, so as a result of these technical difficulties you will find reference to non starch polysaccharides (NSP) as well as dietary fibre in literature on the subject.

The differences is that dietary fibre includes NSP, but that NSP, as a defining category does not include all that is dietary fibre. Instead NSP is a method of measuring what in a food constitutes the indigestible portion. The reason for referring to NSP is that NSP is the main component in plant cell walls, and therefore is the largest single contributor to the ‘fibre’ content of a food, and can be relatively easily measured to give food scientists a reasonably accurate and reliable measurement tool.

When you look closely at fibre it is best thought of as a family; its members are complex carbohydrates, and not all of them are fibrous in structure. There are two main classes of fibre, soluble and insoluble.

Bonus effects
If there were not already enough benefits to convince you that a health fibre intake is a dietary priority then it is worth remembering that foods which pack the fibre also pack vitamins and minerals.

By eating a variety of fibre rich foods you will also be getting a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, as well as phytonutrients each with their own unique health benefits; like the cancer preventative effect of the pigment lycopene found in tomatoes, or the anti-inflammatory action of lutein found in spinach.

Don’t just think of eating fibre, but think of all that goes with it too.

Eating right for Fibre
Eating a healthy amount of fibre is not difficult, even if the average UK resident only eats half the recommended amount. Eating five portions of fruit and vegetables a day should be enough to ensure a healthy fibre intake (interestingly the average UK resident averages around half the five a day).

Moving from an average intake to the recommended intake needs to be done carefully taking a week or more to build up. If you don’t then you risk a dramatic decrease in transit time – otherwise known as diarrhoea.

Fibre and fluid
A healthy fluid intake, that is at least 1.5 litres a day, is always a good idea. When you eat a good fibre-full diet it is especially important. Dietary fibre acts much like a sponge, when you eat it the fibre tends to be dry, without fluid to lubricate it becomes a tough job to get it through to the other end.

To illustrate this, get a sponge and try and push it through the cardboard tube in the middle of a toilet roll – dry this is not easy, wet the sponge and it slides through. The same is true for your body, if you do not supply the fluid you need to help the passage then some will be pulled from other parts of your body – but essentially the fibre is going through dry.

Dry fibre passing through you is not healthy – it cannot perform its proper function without out adequate hydration. Like your brain, your gut performs best when well hydrated!

Fibre Damage
Fibre can be broken down manually, cooking and chewing has some effect breaking fibre up a little. However the effect is not so much that it causes concern day to day.

Blending, juicing and smoothie making do substantially alter the structure of the fibre component of fruits and vegetables. Mechanically breaking the structure to make a liquid out of fruit and vegetables effectively destroys a substantial part of the fibre content and this is why to date a juice or smoothie still only counts as one of your five a day.

Depending on what is removed when the drink is made you may find that the vitamin and mineral count has suffered along with the fibre content.

The post DIETARY FIBRE appeared first on Performance Meals.

To maintain a healthy gut we need to eat a recommended 25-30g of fibre a day. In surveys of the UK the average intake is between 12g and 15g, with similar results for the US.

The health benefits of fibre are still being investigated, but so far having a good fibrous diet has been linked to lower incidence of colon cancer and diverticular disease; as well as lowering cholesterol levels and the risk of heart disease, stroke and cardiovascular diseases.

For the athlete the health benefits long term are great, however, fibre has a more immediate benefit.

As mentioned before, fibre is essential for a healthy gastro-intestinal tract. If the gut does not work right then all the healthy eating in the world amounts to very little. A healthy gut maximises the absorption not only of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, but also the micronutrients (i.e. vitamins and minerals) that are essential to health.

Fibre also promotes the action of healthy bacteria as well as proper function. The benefit of this is that the body has a more active and effective immune system. With the prevalence of upper respiratory tract infections in many a hard training athlete, this is a welcome boost.

The post WHY EAT FIBRE? appeared first on Performance Meals.

However, as well as following healthy eating guidelines, you need to have other considerations. Therefore, if you’re adopting a diet the following points apply, and should be adapted to whether your goal is ‘fat loss’ or ‘muscle development’ or ‘sports performance’:

• Watch your fat intake and make sure you have a good intake of essential fat
• Drink plenty of water throughout the day
• Eat quality carbohydrates as appropriate, i.e. ensure you have adequate amounts and appropriate types for training and gains, or not too much if you are looking to lose fat
• Include plenty of fibrous foods in your diet
• Eat plenty of fruit and vegetables each day; at least five servings
• Eat a variety of different foods every day
• Eat plenty of good quality protein rich foods
• Split food up into regular portions throughout the day
• Supplements should only be used to supplement a good food intake
• Enjoy your food

Timing of meals is also important; spread the meals regularly through the day, and especially important is to eat good amounts of protein and carbohydrates after training.

Some protein and weight gain supplements can also be useful aids to packing on the bulk, but not in place of good wholesome food.

Enjoy your Food!
Too often dieters unnecessarily make their own diets boring and monotonous. You need to have variety; it is after all ‘the spice of life!’

Follow the simple guidelines in this and the other articles and incorporate Performance Meals, and you’ll find that, not only are you consuming a balanced, varied diet directly tailored to sports and fitness, but you’re enjoying your food and are able to stick to a suitable nutrition regimen without straying.

• We must emphasise that the most important factor for energy during a workout, actually lies in optimal nutrition after your previous workout.
• After exercise a good quality whey protein drink in water will get straight to the muscles.
• Follow this up shortly with rapidly absorbed carbohydrates, either from supplements or from appropriate food.
• This not only gives you good nutrition for growth but will also help re-fuel those worked muscles to help them recover ready for your next workout.
• Then within 90 mins, have a Performance Meal or similar.

What about cheat days?
Some keen trainers like to include so called ‘cheat’ days into their plans, where they can consume whatever they like and lots of it!

Obviously there’s more scope for ‘cheating’ when following a muscle building plan, as opposed to fat loss, and whilst this can give some psychological relief, and indeed add variety into your diet, ‘cheat’ days too regularly could be detrimental to progress.

For this reason we prefer the term ‘treat’ to ‘cheat’ and treat meals (as opposed to entire days) may be incorporated into your diet plan as often as once or twice per week on a bulk, though less frequently on a cut.

For treat meals you may like to simply go out for a meal.

What do I eat to gain quality weight?
The key to healthy quality weight gain is to eat big and eat consistently throughout the day following a structured meal plan.

Aim to eat six or seven meals/snacks per day. Include plenty of high protein food choices, like lean meat, chicken, fish, eggs and milk; high fibre complex carbohydrates like cereals, bread, pasta, rice and potatoes; and fruit and vegetables (don’t forget nuts and pulses are also good sources of protein).

What should I eat before and after workouts?
Obviously this depends on your goals.

Firstly let’s assume you want to build muscle. Energy levels to fuel training will depend on your entire diet and nutrition, although pre-workout nutrition can give you that edge.

• Have simple carbohydrates for short bursts of energy, but also fibrous slow released carbohydrates for more sustained energy to keep you training hard towards the end of your workout.
• Don’t eat just before a workout as this may bloat you and may actually stop your workout ‘buzz’. Energy drinks based on caffeine and other stimulants may also be useful, but don’t depend on them, and certainly don’t overuse them.
• When you have gained some good muscle, you may want to strip off the surrounding fat and go for the more aesthetically pleasing defined look.

The key to this lies both in good nutrition, as well as through appropriate cardio-vascular exercise.

Nutrition here should continue to be fairly high protein, but lower in carbohydrates. However, carbohydrates should not be excluded and should be small portions of slow-released carbohydrates structured though the day.

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By eating a variety of fibre rich foods you will also be getting a wide spectrum of vitamins, minerals, as well as phytonutrients each with their own unique health benefits; like the cancer preventative effect of the pigment lycopene found in tomatoes, or the anti-inflammatory action of lutein found in spinach.

Don’t just think of eating fibre, but think of all that goes with it too.

The post DIETARY FIBRE BONUS EFFECTS appeared first on Performance Meals.

Natural Sports Nutrition’s website discusses the main micronutrients, outlining the biological uses of micronutrients and good food sources. Always aim to get micronutrients into the body by eating a wide variety of foods. Supplements should only be used in cases of high requirements (e.g. excessive sweating) or clinical deficiency.

Other small molecules present in plants (phytonutrients) have purported health benefits e.g. the flavonoids may play a role in cancer prevention. However, research is still in its infancy in this area and phytonutrients will therefore not be discussed in detail here.
The essentiality of micronutrients must not be underestimated. Dietary sources should predominantly come from food that is minimally processed, with little reliance on supplements outside of the clinical setting.

Only a brief overview of the major micronutrients can be given on here but the importance of these substances is evident, albeit much misquoted in the media.

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Care must be taken to eat foods in as raw a state as possible, to obtain sufficient levels.

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Vitamin C is actively absorbed by the intestine and circulates to all cells, with excess being excreted by the kidney, in the urine. It is an antioxidant and plays roles in the synthesis of collagen (a structural protein in the skin, maintaining elasticity) and carnitine (the molecule responsible for transporting fat into the cellular organelle where it is oxidised). It may also play a role in the immune system, although the effects on reducing the length of or even preventing the common cold are still equivocal.

The deficiency disease scurvy is well characterised, with symptoms including poor wound healing and swollen gums, bone pain and weakness and haemorrhaging through the skin. This may result in chronic dietary insufficiency or in malabsorption syndromes and alcoholism. This can usually be treated by dietary manipulation and supplementation. Smokers and those under stress may be more at risk of vitamin C deficiency.

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Again, causes of deficiency may be dietary insufficiency, malabsorption and the use of certain drugs.

Vitamin B12 is found only in foods of animal origin i.e. meat and dairy products. Vegetarians and especially vegans should take a supplement to ensure adequate status.

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