Here at nutrientrich.com, we are incredibly fortunate to be able to have a voice on a philosophy for eating that not only promises health, peak performance and natural weight loss, but one that one that is so incredibly supported.
You can’t turn anywhere these days and not hear about the virtues and power of eating Nutrient Rich foods. Unlike 5 years ago when you were hearing about low carb foods everywhere you went, which passed as a fad, you can’t disprove this concept and it won’t pass as a fad.
Nutrient Rich foods are in, for good!
The whole concept of Nutrient Rich, not only ushers in an actual solution to personal and environmental health problems, it good for business!
Nutrient Rich foods have opened us up to the new world of nutrient rich nutrition; similar ideas to what we learned in the old story of nutrition, but a very different premise… sustainability!
Information providers love talking about it as there is so much new information to discover and contrast to the old, doctors love recommending it because their patients actually get well, food manufacturers want to produce “Nutrient Rich” foods (at least try to in some cases) because the products work (not because you get addicted to then (as in health food products that are really junk foods), produce farmers are tickled pink (obviously), supplement makers couldn’t be happier since food bars, dehydrated whole food meal replacements and drinks that are truly natural are such a convenient way to take in nutrients, and even nutritionists are loving it.
The RD is finally talking about and focusing on a true model for nutrition, about what you want in your diet and why you want to eat better nutrient rich foods, and not what you want to eat less of – nutrient poor foods.
Even the Performance community is on board.
Here is an article today by the New York times called. The Claim: Candy Can Hinder Athletic Performance.
John Allen Mollenhauer: I would add, not just your athletic performance, but your personal and professional performance in general.
Lamar Odom, the star forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, is known for his outsized love of candy, sometimes downing entire bags of chocolate and jelly beans on game day.
Last week, a doctor and Lakers fan wrote an essay linking Odom’s sweet tooth to his “erratic” and sometimes lethargic play. Odom countered that if anything the excessive sugar helps his performance.
But what do studies have to say?
According to research, candy before exercise can enhance performance, but only to a point. Studies have shown, for example, that when athletes eat a 180-calorie candy bar and then ride a stationary bike for an hour — sprinting for the final 15 minutes — they perform better than on days when they drink only water beforehand. But on days when the subjects eat a solid meal a few hours earlier and then have sugar before riding, they do better than on just the sugar alone.
Candy can be as efficient as healthier options like fruit, and because people typically secrete little insulin during exercise, crashing is unlikely, said Nancy Clark, a sports nutritionist. But candy lacks nutrients that are critical to things like bone strength and post-exercise recovery.
For best results, pre-exercise meals should combine protein and easily digestible carbohydrates.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Sugar can work as quick fuel for exercise, but nutrient-rich foods are better.