Going vegetarian for Athletes (and anyone)

Nowadays being a vegetarian or a vegan is pretty normal.  Lots of people are changing their diets to exclude meat and whether it is for health issues or ethical reasons it really doesn't matter - what does matter, is doing it properly so you will be healthy.

It is a decision that should not be taken lightly and needs careful consideration, especially if you are an athlete.  Good nutrition is vitally important to all humans, but if you are an athlete with a serious training schedule, nutrition is even more important.

So, first off ask yourself one basic but vitally important question:

Are you going vegan which means not eating ANY form of animal produce or vegetarian where milk, cheese, yogurt and eggs are still in your diet?

Lots of people who decide to give up animal produce believe that "going vegan or vegetarian" means just that... not eating animal products.  In part this is true, but making sure you have the right amounts and the right types of foods (proteins, carbohydrates, fats) is essential.  After all, Oreos are vegan - it doesn't mean they are good for you!

For athletes, carbohydrates are the quickest form of obtaining energy.  However, in most people carbs are the easiest way to put weight on.  Sports people need lots of energy for training so should consume carbs during and after exercise, and then for the rest of the day eat just protein, fruits and vegetables.

Optimal carb foods are; whole grain bread and whole grain pasta, wild rice, oats, quinoa, etc... NOT refined carbs such as white bread and white rice, white pasta, soft drinks, white flour, etc..

Protein is needed to carry out "repairs" in the body; small muscle tears that happen during intense exercise.  If you are still including eggs and dairy produce in your diet then these are high in protein, especially eggs which are considered the purest form of protein.

However, if you would prefer not to eat these then wonderful forms of vegetarian protein are:

Legumes: chick peas, lentils, mung beans, kidney beans, etc..
Soy products (tofu)
Quorn
Peanut Butter
Nuts and Seeds

So include these as much as possible in your diet to keep your body up to scratch.

Fat is the other form of energy for the body.  Healthy fats are vitally important to health so stock up on avocados, olives, olive oil, nuts and seeds - although high in protein these are also packed with healthy fats.  Avocados have had a lot of bad press as they were believed to be very fattening, this is simply not true, they are full of fiber and healthy fats and provide lots of energy.

Fruit and vegetables are the base to being vegetarian or vegan.  They are packed full of vitamins and minerals.  Eat as many vegetables as you like.  Fruit is packed with fiber and sugar (fructose), so consider these more carb based and always eat the whole fruit never as juice.  Juicing basically turns healthy fruits into sugar water.  The fiber has been stripped from the fruit when juiced, and it is this fiber that protects the body against the typical sugar spike which causes an energy drop shortly after.  The fiber slows the sugar release avoiding the spike.

Lots of vegetarians/vegans are deficient in the following vitamins and minerals:

Calcium
Riboflavin (Vitamin B2)
Zinc
Iron
Vitamin D
Vitamin B12

B Vitamins as a group are essential so regularly eating legumes and whole grains is a must.  Low fat dairy and eggs are good sources of this vitamin but if you are vegan then it would be a good idea to take a Vitamin B12 supplement.

Calcium is needed for healthy bones and can be found in fortified soy or rice milk, calcium-set tofu, collards, broccoli, kale, mustard greens, turnip greens, and dried figs.  Many healthcare professionals will tell you that milk produce is a good source of calcium (milk, yogurts and cheese), however this is not strictly true for a physiological reason.  When you consume milk produce, our bodies become very acidic, however the human body prefers to be alkaline.  So, when faced with a high level of acidity, the body leaches calcium from the bones to reduce the acid level.  Therefore, obtaining calcium from milk produce is extremely difficult.

Zinc can be found in: dark chocolate, watermelon, pumpkin and sesame seeds, peanut butter, spinach, mushrooms and wheatgerm.

Vitamin D is essential for healthy bones and a healthy immune system.  In order to make vitamin D we need regular sun exposure but this isn't always enough.  Getting Vitamin D from a vegan diet is very difficult so a supplement would be a good idea.  You can have your Vitamin D levels checked and ask your doctor for a supplement that's right for you.

Iron - this mineral carries oxygen in the blood to the muscles - so vitally important.  Vegetarians need to choose plant foods high in iron such as; legumes, dark green leafy vegetables like spinach and chard.  However, you must combine these with other foods high in Vitamin C: tomatoes, citrus fruits, melon, kiwi, bell peppers, broccoli which all help the body to assimilate the iron in the other foods.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

Fad diets... or not so fad...

As a Clinical Nutritionist, a lot of my time is spent reading about different fad diets.  It is amazing how much of my time goes on reading about diets such as:

The Cabbage Soup Diet
The Peach Diet
The Air Diet (yes, this really does exist and consists of not eating anything but air... I won't go into that one).
The Paleo Diet
Vegan
Vegetarian
5:2 or Fast Diet
Low Carb
High Carb
The Dukan Diet
The Atkins Diet
Gluten Free

And so the list goes on... and on...

The science behind some of them is actually good, for example the 5:2 or Fast Diet that I have written about before, is a great anti-aging diet that reduces the production of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), by reducing the production of this hormone your body is able to concentrate on repairing itself instead of concentrating on multiplying cells continuously.  You can read more about it here.

The thing is that a lot of the problem with fad diets (and where they get their bad name from) is that people don't understand what they are doing.  How many times have you noticed a colleague at work has lost weight and you ask them how.  The answer you get tends to be a very abbreviated account of the diet they are on...

"I'm on the Dukan Diet where you only eat meat on one day and vegetables with meat the next and you alternate days like this."

So off you go and start eating meat and meat and vegetables on alternate days and end up with a whole host of health problems.  Mainly because your colleague didn't go into detail about the need for fibre or when you can and should introduce fruit, or the need for exercise and drinking lots of water... I'm not endorsing the Dukan Diet here, but if people actually took the time to understand what they are embarking on and how to do it correctly then there might not be so many problems.

Even the Paleo Diet, which is getting back to basics and only eating natural unprocessed foods and avoiding modern foods such as bread, pasta, cereal and dairy produce, gets a bashing from the British Dietetic Association (BDA).  This Association warns that by avoiding all dairy produce could leave people with dangerously low levels of calcium and weaken their bones.  I beg to differ... but only if those on the Paleo Diet do it properly.  It is a known fact that milk produce does not provide calcium for bones because of one simple bodily mechanism.  When you consume milk produce it produces a acid state in the body... something the body hates, it much prefers to be alkaline, so the body leeches calcium from the bones to lower the level of acidity in the body.  So, if you want to make sure you have enough calcium while on the Paleo Diet then you need to make sure you are getting enough leafy green vegetables, broccoli, fruit, and raw almonds.  Mother nature provides us with everything we need and she certainly didn't expect us to be guzzling milk by the gallon after weaning.

I have never been a fan of restrictive dieting, where entire food groups are eliminated (except milk produce).  Going gluten free is not a good thing unless you have Celiac Disease.  Whole grain cereals proved lots of vitamins (especially from the B group), minerals and fibre.  So keep bread as whole grain as possible and eat in moderation, you really don't need carbs with every meal.  Any type of processed flour such as pasta, white bread, doughnuts, white rice, white flour has been stripped of any "good things" it may have had to start with.  Most of the vitamins are found in the husks, when wheat is refined the husks are eliminated and bang goes the goodness.  So if and when you have carbs make sure they are whole grain - and that means brown rice, brown pasta, etc...

There is also an extremely wide range of gluten free produce, which means Celiacs have a much easier time of things nowadays, but take a look at the ingredients on some of those gluten free products.  Gluten free CAKE is still CAKE with all the sugar and fat a normal cake would have!!!

Atkins has taken a beating over the years because it is high in saturated fat... but then recent studies have proved that saturated fat isn't a problem and the rise in heart disease is due to vegetable fats such as margarines high in trans fats.

Vegans and vegetarians are just as much at risk as those on the Paleo Diet...

"I don't eat animal produce... none at all."

Ok, I can understand and respect that, but are you getting all the proteins your body needs to repair itself?  Are your children vegans because that's what you believe is healthy?  Ok, no problem, but are
they getting all the protein they need to grow and develop?  There is BIG science behind different diets.  Removing animal products as a source of proteins means you have to replace them with something else.  Plant proteins exist and very good ones too; legumes (chick peas, peas, lentils), quinoa, nuts, Tempeh and Tofu, leafy greens, hemp, chia seeds, sesame, sunflower and poppy seeds.... and so the list goes on.  Being vegetarian or vegan means making sure you are getting everything your body needs.... Hey!  Oreo cookies are vegan but they sure as hell aren't healthy!!!

Restricting certain foods to certain times of day also promotes bingeing.  According to the BDA, Beyoncé is on the "vegan before 6" diet which means only vegan food before 6pm and then you can eat what you like after that... um... well... that would probably make me binge too.

So, think rationally.  As humans we are omnivores.  Our bodies were built to eat fruit, vegetables, nuts and meat (all kinds).  Now, I do respect those who choose a meat free existence as long as they get everything their bodies need, but if you eat sensibly, lots of vegetables, fruit and moderate amount of meat/ fish, etc.., keeping refined foods to a minimum, you really can't go wrong.

So, what ever diet you decide you want to tackle after Christmas... please, make sure you read up on it, that you investigate it fully and that you completely understand what you are doing and that you are covering all your bases.

I can help you improve your health.  If you would like to make an appointment with me either in person or via Skype, just send me an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com

The diet rules you DON'T need.

It seems that everyone has an opinion on dieting and what you SHOULD do.  Well, I have seen a lot during my years as a Nutritionist.  I have read loads of books on new diet fads that claim they will change your life as well as your body.  Most of them are very restrictive, cutting out whole foods groups and eliminating the enjoyment we all get from food.

All you really need to do is keep a level head and think about what your body actually needs: lots of fruit and vegetables, a little protein, and a few whole grains.  That is what our digestive system can cope with.  If you listen to your body, it will tell you when it is hungry, when it is thirsty and when it is full.

Here are the "rules" you need not obey:

1. Eat protein in every meal.  Protein is an essential building block for everything that grows and needs repair.  However, protein is not just found in animal meat, it is also in vegetables.  So, if you want to bulk up on muscle mass, go to the gym and eat your greens!
2. Milk is good for you.  You all know my opinion on milk - we don't need it!  We are told to drink milk for strong bones, whereas in reality, milk causes the body to become acidic and therefore leeches calcium from the bones to reduce the acidity.  Calcium can be found in many natural sources which are far more bioavailable such as raw almonds and green leafy vegetables and broccoli.
3. You need to eat 5 meals a day.  Not many of us have time to sit down to 5 meals a day.  Stick to breakfast, lunch and dinner and a healthy snack of fruit or a handful of nuts.  Lots of people I know can't eat first thing in the morning, don't worry, just make sure you have something to eat a couple of hours before lunch or you will overeat at lunchtime!
4. If you are trying to lose weight eat smaller portions.  Well this could well be a good idea if
   
   you are the "super size me" type.  But it all boils down to WHAT you are eating.  If you are eating fruit for breakfast - eat as much as you want!  Bulk up your meals with lots of healthy salads and vegetables - raw is better.  Vegetables provide large amounts of fibre which will fill you up for longer.  Also, eat mindfully and slowly, it takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to send a message to your brain that you are full, so eat slowly and give your body time to send the correct messages otherwise you will overeat.
5. Watch your calories.  Well as I have said in a previous post NOT all calories are the same and this is so true.  It all depends on what your calories are made up of - refined carbs and sugar are the biggest weight gainers by far just because of the way the body reacts to them, if not used immediately they are stored as fat.  Animal protein and animal fat are actually not as dangerous as assumed.  Healthy fats do not make you put on weight when included in a balanced diet and are also essential for the body.  So, animal protein a few times a week and healthy fats in nuts and butter actually do you good!
6. Healthy = vegan.  This depends on the vegan... good vegans that eat fresh foods such as fruit and vegetables, nuts and legumes are on to a good thing.  A plant based diet is beneficial to everyone and should be the base of everyone's diet.  However, there is no harm in adding in a little animal protein if you like it - personally, I love a steak every now and again.  Also, things like Oreos are vegan - yes - you hadn't thought of that one had you?  But they are packed full of sugar and additives and according to a recent report, are as addictive as cocaine!  So, if you want to be vegan go ahead... but do it properly.
7. Avocados and coconuts are fattening.  There is nothing fattening about these foods when eaten
   
   correctly.  They are packed full of healthy fats and fibre and make your skin and hair glow.  As you may have read in my post a couple of weeks back "Coconut Oil is good for EVERYTHING", and it really is, it is much better for cooking as it does not go rancid at high temperatures and you can even use it as moisturizer for skin and hair, deodorant and a whole host of other things - it's cheap too!
8. You must drink 8 glasses of water a day.  Water is essential for the body, it's also great for your skin, but really?  8 glasses a day?  Not 7 or 9?  Drink small amounts of water throughout the day and more if your body is telling you you are thirsty.  If you drink too much in one go the body can not take full advantage of it so sip continuously.
9. Cholesterol free labels must mean it's good for you.  Cholesterol - that problem number on your annual check-up.  Actually our bodies make cholesterol so I can't believe that something our own bodies produce is out to kill us!  Of course you have to differentiate between good and bad cholesterol.  Cholesterol is also obtained from animal fats - so if a packet of bread or a bottle of juice has "cholesterol free" stamped on it, it's pretty much a marketing ploy, these products shouldn't have animal fat in them to start of with.

The one golden rule to follow:

Eat fresh and natural and steer clear of processed and refined foods.

I wish you all happy holidays and an amazing and healthful New Year.  I will be back on the 9th of January with a new post.

Social Nutrition:

You can make an appointment to improve your health with Social Nutrition either in person (Madrid) or online (Skype).  Just send an email to lucycarr@socialnutrition.com