Today, I won't go too deep into specific nutrient intake but will discuss more timing. I generally like to eat 4-5 meals each day. Now don't get excited... I'm not talking meals as most are accustomed to gorging on! I am a big fan of eating REAL FOOD and find supplements to be rather destructive to the body because they are processed MAN MADE CHEMICALS and not natural food. I'm not going to lie and tell you I don't use supplements, but will say I use them sparingly and only when I need them for convenience due to my schedule.
A typical day for me would look like this... Totally honest nutrient intake from the other day. I was going to pick a "good" day but figured I'd show a "typical" day for me. It's not ideal but just an idea what and when I eat.
Meal One: 5:30am Dunkin Donuts - Big and Toasted with no meat (2 or 3 eggs and cheese on Texas style toast) and a large iced decaf mocha black.
Meal Two: 9am 2-3 bananas or other fruit
Meal Three: Around noon I usually go home grab a preplanned meal from the fridge like veggie chili, vegetables and hummus, a sub loaded with veggies or a salad with chickpeas or cottage cheese for added protein.
Meal Four: Around 4pm I'm usually driving back to the gym after taking an afternoon nap, I either grab a salad, egg and cheese on english muffin and large decaf iced mocha black etc.
Meal Five: Post workout around 7:30pm This meal is most important in the timing. This is where I'll have 6 egg whites and 2 yolks with a piece of whole wheat toast. If I workout earlier in the day, my post workout meal will consist of higher calorie foods such as a veggie bowl from Chipotle. I tend to eat fewer calories as the day progresses to allow my metabolic rate to naturally decline in the evening so I can sleep.
The "WHEN" part of the equation is just as important as "WHAT" as it helps to keep blood sugar level as well as help the digestion system from being overburdened. I always try to combine protein with a carb and fiber. The carbs helps break down the protein, and the protein and fiber help slow the rapid digestion of the carbs prevent spikes in blood sugar.
When I'm trying to lose body fat I will usually do cardio first thing in the morning before I eat (known as fasted cardio). Again, there are arguments for and against fasted cardio, but in my personal experience, whether scientific or psychological, it works for me. When I'm bulking up and trying to put on weight, I drop the fasted cardio. I simply manipulate my caloric intake or in other words, how much I eat at each meal depending on whether I'm looking to gain or lose weight. The frequency of meals and specific foods I eat generally remain the same year round. The only thing I need to manipulate is amount of food and type of workout I perform to reach my weight loss or weight gain goals.
I usually recommend my clients use an app like My Fitness Pal or Lose it which are both free and user friendly. I believe it's important to have an idea how many calories you consume. My saying... "If you bite it, you write it!" Many people underestimate or forget to count the hand full of M&Ms so an app will help keep you honest.
To determine HOW MUCH you should eat according to your goals, you can check out my blog DETERMINING YOUR BASAL METABOLIC RATE http://optimumfitness1.weebly.com/blog/determining-basal-metabolic-rate-q-a
DIGESTION AND ABSORPTION
Digestion and absorption play a huge role in nutrient delivery and fat storage.
DIGESTION is simply breaking larger pieces of food into smaller more easily absorbed pieces. Digestion actually starts in our mouths with chewing and enzymes in our saliva breaking down the food we eat. It is further broken down in the chemical pool in our stomachs which contain a bunch of acids and digestive gases which again, for the sake of simplicity of the article I won't go into.
ABSORPTION is the process of nutrients being ushered into the blood stream to be carried to organs, muscles etc. This takes place primarily in the small intestine. It is here that macronutrients (fats, carbs, protein, fiber, water) as well as micronutrients (vitamins and minerals) are utilized for body functions such as rebuilding muscle, replenishing blood glucose and glycogen stored in muscles and the liver. This all correlates with the rate of gastric emptying or time it takes for the foods we eat to be digested and released into the blood. Meals higher in protein, fiber and fat are harder to break down and take longer to digest. This can help keep you feeling full longer. Carbohydrates and liquids tend to digest faster, leaving the stomach faster.
DIGESTIVE ENZYMES in the body help breakdown foods we consume. They are affected by exercise. Have you ever eaten a big meal and felt bloated, went for a walk and felt better? This is because exercise triggers enzymes such as glycogen synthase and phoshorylase which convert glucose or blood sugar to glycogen which is stored in the muscles and liver for future use. You may have heard of the "Window Of Opportunity" many fitness experts and bodybuilder religiously follow. This theory is based on the fact that approximately 45-60 minutes post exercise, our body which is low on blood glucose and muscle glycogen will seek to replenish these stores. The enzymes activated during exercise generally will remain active for approximately 45-60 minutes depending on the person, duration and intensity of activity. This is when many athletes will turn to a shake containing a protein and carbohydrate mix for faster digestion and absorption. This is referred to as the "anabolic window."Your body is more likely to utilize calories consumed more effectively rather than store them as fat.
Timing of meals is often overlooked. Many people who experience weight loss frustrations may simply need to look at the timing of their meals. If they skip breakfast and are ravenous hungry in the evening and consume the bulk of their calories then, can experience fat storage for many of the reasons mentioned earlier. This includes less activity in the evening which activates digestive enzymes, slower metabolic rate in the evening as the body prepares to rest for the night and glucose/insulin levels spiking and dropping.