OnFitness Magazine - March/April 2022 - 28

CLEAN NUTRITION REPORT
WHY YOU NEED TO
TAPER YOUR DIET
AS YOU TRAIN
You start off on your new diet and
a goal of losing forty pounds. Your
exercise program is followed
religiously. The first twenty pounds
are finally gone and the next goal
is set, but something horrible
happens. You start to gain weight!
Various formulas allow
nutritionists and other specialists
to determine the optimal caloric
intake that's best for someone
based on their age, height, weight,
exercise experience, body mass
index, and current level of activity.
The need for caloric intake,
based on the hormonal and
digestive responses of the human
body, has to be recalculated, as
exercise stimulates this process
and accelerates it.
Typically, three things happen
to anyone attempting to lose
weight. First, levels of dietary
enzymes increase, and a hormonal
shift, due to the need to store fats
and water, occurs.
Your body increases the dietary
absorption of calories and this is
accelerated by improved protein
metabolism related to exercise and
results in a more complete
digestion of foods.
Second, there is the dreaded
hormonal response to exercise. As
stress levels rise, so does cortisol.
This hormone causes your body to
convert more food to storage fats
and it also increases the
intracellular fluids. That fluid in the
cells is heavy, but is necessary to
allow for heat dispersion and
higher metabolism.
This is also commonly known
as the runner's response. As
someone runs longer distances,
the body holds water like a camel.
If the diet isn't altered, the body
stores fuel for the run. Since we
burn fat during aerobic activities,
the body stores more fat.
If the athlete doesn't eat less
and cleaner (raw and leaner food
choices), the body will gain weight.
Simply be aware of this
common occurrence and adjust
your dietary intake appropriately.
Consider also that lifting weights
or doing sprints will result in the
muscles becoming more dense
and thus, heavier. Z
these man-made chemicals are
linked to numerous
neurological, digestive, and
autoimmune disorders.
Your body releases antiinflammatory
and proinflammatory
chemicals in
response to the foods you
digest. These chemicals, called
prostaglandins, maintain your
body's inflammation balance.
You control your body's
inflammation levels with the
foods you consume. The
correct balance of antiinflammatory
and proinflammatory
foods makes the
difference between health and
sickness.
Inflammation is a defense
mechanism your body uses to
fight invasion and injury.
Systemic inflammation can
involve every cell in your body
and negatively affect your
health. Imbalances in the diet
lead to an over-abundance of
pro-inflammatory chemicals.
The single most important
factor in controlling
inflammation is food intake.
your blood glucose and energy levels.
Nutrient-dense fruits and vegetables
provide you with ample quantities of
required vitamins and calories. In
comparison, empty calories from junk
food like cookies and chips contain little
nutritional value. Fruits and vegetables
supply nutrients, antioxidants, and
phytochemicals in natural quantities and
balances.
Digestion begins in your mouth with
the chewing and moistening of food. Saliva
and specific digestive enzymes are released
while chewing. Proper digestion requires
the breakdown and assimilation of food.
Chewing thoroughly and softening food
breaks it down into smaller particles and
makes the stomach's job easier.
Digestive enzymes released in the
mouth are protective and healing to your
gut. A major step in protecting your
digestive system is the chewing and
breaking down of food before it reaches
your stomach.
Eat foods the way nature intended.
Simple unprocessed foods contain
nutrients, vitamins, and minerals in the
delicate balance men have been consuming
for generations. Fruits, vegetables, and
game meats possess numerous dietary
benefits just discovered by nutritional
scientists, with more to come.
Processed foods contain unhealthy
additives for taste, coloring, storage,
transportation, and preservation purposes.
These chemical additives are new
additions to man's nutrition. The shortterm
and long-term negative effects of
Omega-3 fatty acids are converted into
anti-inflammatory prostaglandins. Oceancaught
mackerel, sardines, albacore tuna,
and salmon are high-quality sources of
omega-3s. Omega-6 fatty acids, found
predominately in pork and domestic beef,
are converted into pro-inflammatory
chemicals.
Scientists believe Stone Age man
consumed roughly equal amounts of
omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Modern
man consumes about twenty times as
much pro-inflammatory omega-6s as antiinflammatory
omega-3 fatty acids. Achieve
health, prevent disease, and grow by eating
more foods rich in omega-3 fatty acids and
fewer foods high in omega-6 fatty acids.
Unsaturated fats, or oils, should be
used while preparing meals. Choose
flaxseed oil, olive oil, or sunflower oil over
unhealthy saturated fats, or hard fats, such
as butter and margarine.
Over-abundance of saturated fats
slows down blood flow and leads to
cardiovascular disease. Foods high in
saturated fats are butter products and
domestic animal meats. Avoid
hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated
foods. The chemical hydrogenation process
turns unsaturated fats into harmful
saturated fats.
Use supplements in addition to proper
nutrition, not in place of it. Employ
supplements to achieve dietary
requirements and balances. Analyze
nutritional intake and utilize various
supplements to improve your nutrition by
filling in the necessary gaps. Z
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OnFitness Magazine - March/April 2022

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