Protein After 6:00?

Question from Court on MY FaceBook page (thanks Court):

"I have always heard not to eat anything after 6pm...until recently.  Now I'm told that you should eat some protein right before bed so your body doesn't break down muscle tissue while you sleep...What are your thoughts...?"

A: There is definitely something to be said about keeping "pro'd-up." Doing so helps regulate blood sugar, spare muscle and regulate appetite. It does a lot of other things too.

You are right.  Scientists and professionals are now saying you should have some protein on board at bedtime. More specifically they suggest casein (it digests more slowly). Having protein in your stomach while sleeping may help repair mechanisms in your body do their jobs more efficiently. This may help you become stronger, leaner and younger looking. It may also dramatically improve immune function.  We suggest 20-24 grams within 30 min of falling asleep.  That is, if your stomach can handle it.  For this reason we suggest VERY high quality protein.  We sell THIS.     

BTW - That whole "Eat after six and it sticks" thing is a myth UNLESS you are the type that eats a boat load of food after six.  If this is the case, you should apply its principles with haste.

Personalize your Diet

by Neil Anderson

We don't believe there is ONE eating program that works for everyone. Take Jared Fogle. He lost 245 lbs. eating nothing but fast food. Jared ate low fat Subway sandwiches and one bag (single serving size) of baked chips twice a day for almost a year. Many times the scientific and health care communities scoff at this type of dieting, but there is no disputing his results. The guy went from a self-proclaimed 400+ pound "schlub" to a 180 pound walker. He has kept it off for almost 10 years. He found what works for him and stuck with it. Total caloric intake for his diet was right around 1000 per day. When I interviewed Jared for my radio show, he told me that one rule was to “throw away all the rules.” I would say there were never wiser words spoken.

New Food Guide/Pyramid

The NEW, new food guide pyramid/plate (the old one(s) for reference).  Does anyone else get the feeling the USDA is just stabbing in the dark now?

Eat The Same Thing Daily

by Neil Anderson

When dieting, we suggest you eat the same thing every day.  The same breakfast.  The same lunch.  And the same dinner.  If you snack, it should be exact same snack(s). 

When it comes to successful weight loss, the devil is in the details.  It is always surprising to ask a client what they ate the day prior.  The longer you stand there and discuss, the more things they seem to be able come up with.  First you hear about (generally) healthy meals.  Then, 2 handfuls of M&Ms.  Then, a couple of spoonfuls of mac-n-cheese from the kid's lunch.  Then, a couple of tastes of dinner.  Oh, and then a bite or two of batter while you were making cookies for the neighbor who just had a baby.  Then, then, then and then...

All of this is very hard to keep track of.  And it ALL adds up.  This "system" of eating has sabotaged more weight loss intentions than any other culprit.  It is always better to eliminate the "and thens" altogether.  Eating the exact same things in the exact same portions eliminates the guesswork and self-sabotage.  It also makes it easier to make adjustments and fine tune results.

Staying Hydrated

by Neil Anderson

Fighting a little fatigue this week?  You may be somewhat dehydrated.  Physiologists will tell that before you ever notice the typical signs and symptoms of dehydration your performance may drop more than 40% of normal. 

F-0-R-T-Y

A 2% drop in normal blood volume due to dehydration can be responsible for your cramping, fatigue, sleepiness, grumpiness, dry mouth, headaches, dizziness, lack of coordination and even fainting.  This small percentage of change will make performing workouts - ROUGH.  It will also affect the outcome of the workout since dehydration makes it harder to recover. 

Dehydration isn't all about getting enough water.  There are 3 types of dehydration.  Hypotonic or hyponatremic is primarily a loss of electrolytes (sodium, potassium, magnesium, chloride, calcium, etc.).  Hypertonic or hypernatremic is primarily a loss of water volume.  Isotonic or isonatremic is an equal loss of both.  

Becoming re-hydrated once dehydration has set in can be quite a process. Your body absorbs water slowly through a process called osmosis. It takes time.  We are talking days here.  

To become re-hydrated and begin functioning at the highest levels again start drinking a lot of water immediately.  The general 8-10 cups per day is a silly guideline.  Don't follow it.  Instead, use urine color.  Drink enough water to make it pale, then keep it that way.  Now all you have to worry about is electrolyte balance.  Proper nutritional habits work best to ensure proper levels.  Fruits and vegetables , even canned or frozen are high in electrolytes, as is bread and milk. Gatorade works in a pinch (not big on all the sugar though). Tap water or spring water does not contain electrolytes.

This is one of those subjects where an ounce of prevention is truly worth a pound of cure.  Stay hydrated all of the time and experience maximum benefit from your workouts.