Choosing the Proper foods for you- Jim Stoppani PhD
See what Jim Stoppani has to say about what foods you should be consuming and the benefits that each provide
I am a big believer in the power of
supplements for helping to build muscle, drop body fat, increase strength and
performance, boost energy and enhance your overall health.
But supplements only
work well when your diet is complete with proper whole-food choices, such as
lean proteins from poultry, fish, beef, eggs and dairy, whole grains,
vegetables and fruit. In addition to macronutrients like protein, carbs and
fats,as well as micronutrients like vitamins and minerals, many foods also
contain significant amounts of other micronutrients that are often sold in
supplemental form. Here’s 10 such foods you should consider adding to your
daily diet. These power foods will help you better achieve your goals.
AVOCADO
Avocadoes not only provide healthy
monounsaturated fats, but they have multiple benefits for fat loss. Avocadoes
have the ability to enhance the production of thyroid hormones. This helps you
to maintain your metabolic rate, which can be critical when you’re trying to
drop calories. Avocado also contains a sugar called mannoheptulose. Although
it’s a sugar, it actually has been shown to inhibit insulin secretion, which
helps to prevent fat storage.
Recommendation:
Shoot for 1/2 to 1 full avocado per day for a healthy food choice that will
help you drop body fat. (Don’t forget to cut calories from simple and starchy
carbs to stay in a calorie deficit when trying to strip off body fat.)
BEER
Beer may not seem like much of a power
food, but it can actually boost your health and actually aid fat loss, as well
as help prevent cancer and heart disease. Research has found that 1 or 2 drinks
of alcohol per day raise leptin levels, which helps to control hunger and keep
metabolism up. A component of the hops — known as isohumulones — decreases body
fat and helps prevent inflammation, which can aid muscle and joint recovery. New
research suggests even more benefits to drinking beer. In a recent study
published in the Journal of the Science of Food and Agriculture, scientists
measured silicon levels in a variety of beers. They found that most beer
varieties are rich sources of silicon, likely as a result of both the hops and
the grain that was used in brewing (with barley-based beers being significantly
higher in silicon). Silicon is a mineral that’s important to bone and joint
health, making beer a potential player in keeping your body healthy enough to
keep lifting for a long time. Another benefit of beer comes with grilling
meats. Research shows that meats marinated in beer-based marinade actually from
90% less heterocyclic amines (HCAs), which are carcinogenic chemicals that form
when the amino acids and creatine in meats react at high cooking temperatures,
such as during
Recommendation:
Try to keep your beer drinking to a few per week. Drinking no more than one or
two at a time is best. Dark beer is best as research has significantly more
antioxidants than lighter beers.
BEETS
Beets are a good source of betaine,
also known as trimethylglycine. This nutrient not only enhances liver and joint
repair, but also has been shown in clinical research to increase muscle
strength and power. Beets have recently been found to increase the diameter of
blood vessels by boosting nitric oxide (NO) levels. That’s because beets
provide a rich source of nitrates. Nitrates are nitrogen-containing compounds
that contribute to the production of NO. Nitrate in beets is converted by
bacteria living on the tongue into the chemical nitrite. After nitrite is digested
it becomes NO. This molecule relaxes the muscles in blood vessels, widening
them, which allows more blood to flow through them. This greater blood flow
means that muscles get more blood along with more nutrients like amino acids
and glucose, as well as oxygen, which can enhance energy and aid recovery.
Recommendation:
Try adding some beetroot juice to your preworkout protein shakes. Each cup
provides about 100 calories, 24 g of carbs, 2 grams of protein and no fat.
BLUEBERRIES
Blueberries pack a mighty antioxidant
wallop; research from Tufts University shows that the blueberry ranked the
highest of the 60 fruits and vegetables analyzed in the ability to destroy free
radicals. The reason blueberries are superior is because they have the highest
anthocyanidin content of all fruits, giving blueberries their dark color. These
powerful antioxidant phytochemicals not only zap free radicals but they also
act like smart pills for your brain. Blueberries have been shown to enhance
memory, help rejuvenate brain cells, and prevent dementia. In a new study
published in the journal Molecular Nutrition & Food Research, scientists
took muscle tissue that had suffered oxidative stress (similar to what happens
to muscles during workouts) and added various fruit extracts. They found that the
blueberry extract worked the best to alleviate damage to the muscle tissue.
Recommendation:
A cup of blueberries has about 150 mg of anthocyanidins, 80 calories, and 20
grams of total carbs. Eat blueberries about 1-2 hours before workouts, but not
with whey, casein or milk and dairy products (which have been shown to blunt
the uptake of the fruit’s antioxidants), for better energy during the workout
and better muscle recovery when the workout is over.
BROCCOLI
Broccoli is known for it’s ability to
fight cancer. That’s thanks to a little chemical called sulforaphane. This is
an antioxidant that forms from the inactive compound glucoraphanin when you
chew your broccoli. But broccoli also contains a phytochemical known as indole-3-carbinol (I3C), that gets converted in
the body to 3,3'-diindolylmethane (DIM). DIM
reduces the strength of estrogens by converting them to weaker varieties in the
liver. This diminishes estrogen’s effects on fat gain and water retention, and
strengthens testosterone’s anabolic effects.
Recommendation:
Shoot for about 1 cup or more of raw or steamed broccoli per day to deliver
over 100 mg of I3C, 1200 – 4000 mcg of sulforaphane, more than 80 mg of vitamin
C and over 40 mg of calcium.
CHERRIES
Cherries have been used to fight
inflammatory conditions, arthritis and gout for example, for many years. The
inflammation-fighting ingredients in cherries are antioxidant phytochemicals
called anthocyanins. Inflammation can be a problem after workouts because it can
actually work against the process of muscle recovery. Research shows that
cherry juice can dampen delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) and expedite
muscle recovery following intense weight lifting. Use whole cherries or cherry
juice to help reduce inflammation and promote muscle recovery following
workouts.
Recommendation:
One to two cups of whole cherries are a good energy source before workouts and
two to three ounces of concentrated cherry juice is a good carb source after
workouts. Supplements that also blunt DOMS and enhance recovery include
protease enzymes.
CHILI
PEPPERS
The hot part in hot peppers such as
chili peppers is a plant chemical called capsaicin. Research studies show that
it enhances the amount of calories burned, as well as fat burning and can
decrease appetite when eaten prior to meals. The hotter the pepper, the higher
the capsaicin levels.
Recommendation:
Add
about one-quarter teaspoon of ground chili peppers, red peppers or cayenne
peppers to one or two meals each day or try eating the whole pepper if you can
stand the heat.
CHOCOLATE
Chocolate offers numerous health benefits due to the fact that cocoa is rich in antioxidants and components that could benefit cardiovascular health. Numerous research studies show that cocoa, much like beets, boosts nitric oxide (NO) levels. But chocolate does so thanks to a flavanol called epicathecin.
Recommendation:
Add
about 400–500 mg cocoa extract, 1/4 cup cocoa powder or 1 packet of hot cocoa
mix (choose a sugarfree variety) to your pre-workout shake 30 to 45 minutes
before your workouts. Or if you have chocolate as a treat, look for dark
chocolates with at least 60% cacao.
COFFEE
Coffee contains the central nervous
stimulant, caffeine, which is the primary reason most people drink it. But
coffee also offers numerous health benefits. Recent research shows that
moderate coffee drinking (about 3 cups a day) may decrease the risk of
diabetes, liver disease, and even gallstones. And I bet you did not know that
it’s a source of antioxidants. In fact, one study reported that many Americans
get about 1300 mg of antioxidants per day from coffee. The caffeine in coffee
can also help you use more fat for energy when you exercise and research shows
that it helps to blunt muscle pain during exercise, allowing you to train
harder for longer. One study even found that caffeine helped to boost muscle
strength.
Recommendation:
A
regular (8 oz.) cup of brewed coffee has about 100-200 mg of caffeine, and
about 250-500 mg of antioxidants, depending on the bean and the roasting time.
Go with about 1-4 cups per day.
GARLIC
Garlic, a cousin to the onion, is rich
in allicin, diallyl disulphide, diallyl trisulfide and other sulfur-containing
compounds that provide the numerous health benefits that garlic imparts, such
as fighting cancer, heart disease, and even the common cold. Less known by the
mass media is garlic’s ability to stimulate testosterone production and inhibit
cortisol production. Before workouts garlic can help to boost testosterone when
you need it most and blunt the cortisol response that normally accompanies
exercise and limits testosterone’s anabolic effects. But that’s not all. Garlic
can also help to increase fat burning and even enhance muscle recovery.
Recommendation:
Try a few cloves (raw) of garlic each day added to meals or eaten plain.
JimStoppani.com
