You cant work off a bad diet: Part 2
Sodium
According to the FDA, normal sodium intake should be less than 2,300 mg a day. An endurance athlete or manual labourer will need about 4,000 mg a day since they will sweat it off. So if our bodies need salt, why do we have to watch our intake? Well, if you are not sweating off what you don’t need (quantity higher than recommended 2,300 mg) then it builds up in your system. Too much sodium leads to high blood pressure, which leads to stroke, heart disease, enlarged heart, headaches, kidney stones, kidney disease, kidney failure, stomach cancer, autoimmune diseases and blindness. Too much sodium can also affect your appearance by causing your body to retain water, that leads to bloating, inflammation, puffiness and weight gain.
Despite what many people think, most dietary sodium (over 70%) comes from eating packaged and prepared foods—not from salt added to food when cooking or eating. https://tinyurl.com/ychzbc6c
To keep your sodium at the recommended level start by reading nutrition labels, prepare your own meals using herbs and spices, buy fresh or frozen veggies and if you must purchase canned then purchase no sodium. When eating out, reduce your portion sizes by splitting with a friend or ask the waiter to package half of it before it arrives at your table.
Sodium is sweated .. endurance athlete, work as a labourer,
Another reminder that YOU CANNOT WORK OFF A BAD DIET.
Sugar
What you eat signals hormones to store or burn fat, boost or crash metabolism, build or break down muscle and even regulates hunger to signal your body to stop eating. If your diet consists of lots of fast food and processed foods then you are also ingesting a lot of sugar. Sugar is stored as various fats, the kind of fats that YOU CAN NOT WORK OFF ON A BAD DIET and so is a key player in obesity,
For example, calories and nutrients in spinach are obviously not the same as the ones in a pint of ice cream. Spinach triggers a hormone called glucagon, insulin’s sister hormone that releases fat to burn for energy keeps blood sugar stable and helps keep you feeling full. So your food choice either triggers hormones to protect and help your body or signals your body to release a chain of bad reactions as in fat storage, spiking insulin levels or increasing risks for chronic diseases.
https://www.mensjournal.com/health-fitness/can-you-exercise-bad-diet/
Dietary guidelines suggest limiting calories from added sugar to less than 10% per day, less than that if you are active or trying to lose weight. It is always best to eat your calories, not drink them because you can easily over-consume when drinking, versus eating your calories. One 16-ounce can of soda contains 52 grams of sugar, which is more than 10% guideline on a 2,000-calorie a day diet. The sugar in beverages is linked to an increased amount of visceral fat, a type of belly fat associated with diabetes and heart disease.https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/too-much-sugar#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
Macronutrients: Carbs, Protein, Fat
You need three macronutrients to sustain life: carbs, protein and fat. And notice what is listed first CARBS. I did not say protein. Understanding your macronutrient ratio for the goal you are trying to reach is important for health, weight loss, weight management, and endurance training.
An endurance athlete such as a cyclist or marathoner needs on average 50-65% carbs, 20-30% fat, 15-25% protein ratio. A normal, healthy adult would need on average 40% carbs, 30% fat, 30% protein. If your goal is weight loss, adjust slightly, but do not remove or reduce carbs to the point where you do not have enough energy to work out. If you need medical advice you can locate a plant-based medical professional at https://www.plantbaseddoctors.org/
Carbs (whole food plant-based, not processed from a box) give you energy. So if you are following any of those animal-based, low carb diets, the foods will not provide you with sustainable energy. A diet rich in plants, legumes and grains is natural unprocessed sources of carbs, fat and protein to give you the energy to sustain a ride, a run or a workout.
We all know protein builds and repairs muscles, but it also helps you feel full and keep you mentally sharp. You want these sources to come from whole, natural foods such as legumes, green leafy vegetables or grains such as quinoa or oats where you will not encounter the saturated fat dilemma. Here is a fun fact:
Research has shown all plants contain protein and at least 14% of the total calories of every plant are protein. Broccoli contains more protein per calorie than steak and, per calorie, spinach is about equal to chicken and fish.
Eating plant-based, you may need to eat more than the animal-sourced protein to get the same amount of protein and to feel satiated. But come on, you ever hear someone complaining about having to eat more? I never have. On a plant-based diet, you will probably get tired of eating because you will still be full from your last plant-based meal before its time to eat again. As I mentioned earlier, all plant-based sources of food contain not only protein but plenty of healthy fibre, carbs, vitamins and minerals.
If you are eating animal-based proteins you must get your fibre and carbs from other sources because animal-based protein does not contain fibre or carbs. For those wondering, animal-based proteins do have 3 things in abundance:
saturated fat
cholesterol
Increase the risk of heart disease and diabetes
Trans Fat and Oils
Trans fats lead to obesity and increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and stroke, the leading killers of ALL adults. Just because a box or bottle says “no trans fat” does not necessarily mean “zero” trans fat. You can’t work off trans fat, so you have to stop eating them to see the weight loss.
Labels can sometimes be misleading, it may be labelled as “no trans fat”. But foods containing less than 0.5 grams of trans fats per serving are actually labelled as having 0 grams of trans fats. Oil sprays are labelled zero calories, zero cholesterol, no trans fat. If you use the recommended serving, ¼ of a second spray, then that statement is true. Can you count ¼ of a second when you spray?
Keep in mind, most trans fats are formed through a process that adds hydrogen to vegetable oil, which causes the oil to become solid at room temperature and helps extend shelf life (coconut oil, vegetable shortening). This is more widely known as partially hydrogenated oil. Some restaurants use partially hydrogenated oil in deep fryers so it doesn't have to be changed as often as other oils. Sounds delicious right? This is why you should avoid eating out (especially fast food restaurants) as much as possible. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/trans-fat-foods
Another problem with eating foods cooked and fried in oils (even so-called healthier oils) is that all the nutrients have been stripped and calories are pure fat. You are not eating avocados in avocado oil, just like you are not eating vegetables in vegetable oil.
Conclusion
This is why embracing a whole-food, plant-based lifestyle is the best option for health, weight loss and active lifestyles because YOU CANNOT WORK OFF A BAD DIET.
Key points :
Eliminate all animal products: meat, chicken, fish, dairy, and eggs
Go whole food plant-based and limit sugar, oil, salt and processed foods
Focus on legumes, grains, fruits and vegetables
A proper plant-based diet not only guarantees improved health and weight loss, it also affects your appearance, your mood, and sleep. If you change your perception of food, a lot of things are going to change for you. (to be continued)
Documentaries
Be sure to check out the following documentaries:
Gamechangers on Netflix
From the Ground Up on Amazon
That Sugar Film on Amazon