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What should we eat for proper nutrition, disease prevention, and to sustain a healthy weight? Many people try some outrageous approaches to lose weight when the safest most effective approach is actually quite simple. 70.7% of American adults (over age 20) are overweight or obese (according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention). Take some time to think about the "typical" American diet. Why do Americans suffer from heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes? When we conduct scientific research on what a population eats and the diseases we suffer from, it helps us make connections with the food we eat and certain diseases.

Knowing where to go to get credible science-based research in the area of nutrition and avoiding fad diets or exercise gimmicks is important to help focus your efforts on effective long-term, lifestyle strategies. Balancing good nutrition with physical activity is the key to long-term weight maintenance. Moderation is an important concept in this approach. Here are two excellent sources:

1) Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics

2) MyPlate

Dieting

Did you know fad diets fail 90% of the time? It's not that people don't lose weight rapidly it's that 90% of the time they gain it back. They often blame themselves for a lack of will power but what they don't understand is these diets are essentially low calorie diets in disguise (starvation diets) and set people up for only short-term success by being unrealistic, too restrictive, and not meant to be lifestyle changes. Many students really enjoy this video which describes the process of dieting, intuitive vs restrictive eating, and the set-point theory: TED Talk: Why Dieting Doesn't Usually Work

Weight Management

The most effective approach to long term weight loss and maintenance is:

1) Increase physical activity

Regular cardiovascular exercise is important but also try to move as much as possible throughout your day. What's the best exercise? Whatever one you like because you'll do it more often! Move your body the way you enjoy it and you are more likely to do it more often. It doesn't have to be extreme to be effective. One workout won't make you but it can definitely break you. Listen to your body. Create a consistent routine that works with your schedule.

2) Moderate reduction in calories

Most people go for an extreme reduction in calories through diets so they can see their results more rapidly but many times this backfires as their body thinks it's starving and slows its metabolism. Being restrictive is unsustainable and many times people end up gaining all the weight back once they start eating normal again. Severe restriction in calories can also lead to disordered eating. A more effective approach is to watch portion sizes, reduce added fats and sugars (processed foods), eat more real, whole foods (the ones that look the way they grew out of the ground(fruits and vegetables, nuts, beans, whole grains) and limit caloric beverages. These are all long term sustainable approaches so your results will be long term. Slow and steady wins the race. Think about moderation instead of being too restrictive.

3) Resistance/Weight Training

Whether you use your own body weight, hand held weights, TRX, bands, or kettlebells, etc... Finding a way to work muscular endurance or strength for all your muscles is great for long term weight maintenance. The more muscle mass you have the higher your metabolism.

Nutrition Basics

The Six Essential Nutrients

Macronutrients

Carbohydrates- (4 cal/gm, 40-65% of your diet) supply energy for body cells. Cells found in the brain and other parts of the nervous system rely solely on carbohydrate glucose for fuel. High intensity exercise relies primarily on energy from carbohydrates. Choose carbohydrates sources wisely to get more vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Reduce refined carbohydrates like processed foods, sweets, and sugary beverages and increase whole foods like whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes (beans).
Fats- (9 cal/gm, 20-35% of total diet) fat in your body is usable energy, it helps insulate your body (know any low body fat friends that are always cold?), and provides protection for internal organs. Fat in the diet helps you absorb fat soluble vitamins and adds flavor to the food you eat. Fats are the major source of fuel for your body when at rest or doing light activity.

Three types of fat:
Saturated fat - mostly found in animal sources like butter, eggs, meat, cheese/dairy, and certain vegetable sources (palm and coconut oils). The leading sources of saturated fat in the American diet are red meats, whole milk, cheese, hot dogs, and lunch meats. Although recent studies have challenged the long standing notion that saturated fat contributes to heart disease, experts still advocate restricting saturated fat and trans fat (described later) in the diet with associations to cholesterol levels and type 2 diabetes. Additionally, diets high in fatty red meat are associated with an increased risk of of certain cancers especially colon cancer. Although more research is needed, most experts are still recommending keeping this type of fat lower than the healthier unsaturated fat.

Unsaturated fat - Monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats typically come from plant sources and are liquid at room temperature. Olive, canola, safflower, and peanut oils. Also, nuts, seeds, and avocados. These sources are not linked to high cholesterol, heart disease, or type 2 diabetes.

Transfat (a.k.a. hydrogenated oils) - convert unsaturated into a solid fat for baking mixes, cookies, and many packaged foods (process called hydrogenation). In some studies, this type of fat raises LDL cholesterol (the bad cholesterol) and lowers the good cholesterol (HDL). These changes correlate to a greater risk for heart disease. Experts recommend keeping this fat intake to a minimum.

3. Proteins - (4 cal/gm, 10-35% of your diet) form important parts of the body's main structural components: muscles, bones, parts of blood, enzymes, some hormones and cell membranes. Proteins can also provide energy for the body when consumed. Proteins are made up of combinations of 20 different amino acids, nine of which are essential (cannot be made by the body so must be supplied through food).

Proteins are considered complete if they supply all the essential amino acids in adequate amounts, and incomplete if they do not.

Complete protein sources - animal-based proteins meat, fish, poultry, eggs, milk, cheese and one plant-based protein, soy.

Incomplete protein sources - plant-based proteins including nuts, legumes, grains. Combining different plant-based proteins together, such as rice and beans, make a complete protein.

Micronutrients

4. Vitamins - organic substances required in small amounts to regulate processes within cells and help chemical reactions take place. Vitamins provide no energy (calories) to the body, but they help release energy stored in the macronutrients. Humans need 13 vitamins. Four (A, D, E, K) are fat-soluble and nine (C, B-vitamin group thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, vitamin B-6, folate, vitamin B-12, biotin, pantothenic acid) are water soluble. Vitamin-rich sources of foods include fruits, vegetables, grains and processed foods that contain added vitamins.

5. Minerals - inorganic substances needed in relatively small amounts that help release energy, regulate body functions, and regulate body functions. Minerals provide no energy (calories). Of the 17 essential minerals, the major minerals calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, potassium and chloride are needed in amounts above 100 mg per day. Essential trace minerals (copper, fluoride, iodine, iron, selenium, zinc) are needed in minute amounts.

6. Water - The human body is 50-60% water. Humans can live only a few days without water, and in terms of weight it is the body's greatest nutritional need. Water is used to digest and absorb food and provides the medium for most chemical reactions in the body. It helps regulate body temperature and is part of fluids that transport substances around the body.

Other than drinking water, water-rich foods include liquids, fruits and vegetables. Men need about 3.7 total liters of water daily with 3 liters (13 cups) coming from beverages. Women need 2.7 liters of water each day with 2.2 liters (9 cups) coming from beverages. People who exercise vigorously or live in hot climates will need additional fluids to prevent dehydration.

**Information compiled and written by Andres Thomas & Venona Orr (SRJC KAD instructors)**