Top Ten Foods for Body Composition

From CharlesPoliquin.com

Nineteen years ago the magazine Muscle Media 2000 put out a list called the Top Ten Best Foods for Body Builders. One food on the list I’d suggest you stay away from entirely due to its toxicity, and at least three foods I’ve suggested you avoid in my blog if your goal is body composition.

Muscle Media does get it right in some cases: Four foods on the list I would recommend for anyone interested in building muscle, getting lean, or achieving optimal athletic performance. Let’s review the list, consider the author’s reason for applauding each food, and see how nearly 20 years of research changes things.

#1: Egg Whites
Whole eggs are on my list of best foods for fat loss because, as the Muscle Media author wrote, they are “made up of pure protein—protein that’s considered nearly perfect because of its sublime blend of amino acids.” Eggs also contain a nice dose of choline, which protects the liver from accumulating fat. Consuming more choline elevates levels of the energizing neurotransmitter acetylcholine, which can also increase growth hormone.

Incorrectly feared due to their cholesterol content, recent research shows eggs don’t elevate serum cholesterol. The author of the Muscle Media article had issue with the “fat-laden, cholesterol-rich yolk,” and cautioned readers to avoid it. In fact, the body uses the cholesterol to produce testosterone and other androgenic hormones, which support body composition.

Take Away: Eat whole eggs a few days a week for an excellent protein source and extra choline. Also, the fats in the yolks lower the glycemic response of the eggs, allowing for better glucose and insulin management. Avoid relying solely on eggs for your protein—eat a wide variety of animal proteins for best health, muscle development, and optimal body composition.

#2: Sweet Potatoes/Yams
There is nothing wrong with sweet potatoes and yams in general. The typical sweet potato contains a small amount of protein and fat, and about 24 grams of relatively slow-digesting carbohydrates. Eating them baked or steamed is not a bad idea, but consider that one sweet potato contains about 150 calories, and if you add butter, oil, or other ingredients to it, that number goes up. Get a better calorie bang for your buck from animal protein. Then, replace sweet potatoes with green vegetables, colored peppers, eggplant, mushrooms, hearts of palm, spaghetti squash, and water chestnuts for a vegetable that is better for body composition.

Take Away: Eat sweet potatoes for a flavorful sweet treat, or a refuel day. Unless you are ripped and need to put some muscle mass, don’t make them a staple in your diet and be sure to avoid eating them with added sugar or other such ingredients that you see around the holidays like marshmallows.

#3: Broccoli
I completely agree that broccoli and the related cruciferous vegetables are excellent body composition foods. They contain a compound that helps the body clear excess estrogen, and they provide a nice dose of fiber, a ton of antioxidants, and are very slowly digested.

The Muscle Media author likes broccoli for its cancer fighting properties and high nutritional value. He points out that the typical serving contains 155 percent of the RDA for vitamin C, roughly half the calcium of a cup of milk, and substantial quantities of folate, vitamin B6, manganese, potassium, and beta carotene.

Take Away: Eat broccoli regularly—but not chronically at every meal!—and round out your cruciferous veggie intake with cauliflower, bok choy, kale, collards, arugula, and radishes for optimal body composition.

#4: Tuna
The French nickname for tuna is “la poubelle de la mer,” which means “garbage can of the sea.” All tuna has toxic levels of mercury and should be completely avoided for health and body composition. Tuna does contain omega-3 fats and a lot of protein, but the toxicity level sends it straight to the list of worst foods for body composition and health.

It’s amusing that tuna—a “worst” food makes the MM2K “best” list, whereas cold water fish (herring, mackerel, orange roughy, salmon, and catfish), which is my number one best foods for fat loss, makes the MM2K “worst” list of foods for body builders! This highlights the need for specific, correct, research-based nutritional information for optimal body composition and health.

Take Away: Avoid tuna completely, but include small cold water fish in your diet for a nice dose of omega-3 fats. Opt for salmon, mackerel, white fish, sardines, mackerel, and anchovies, and round out omega-3 intake by taking DHA-rich fish oil.

#5: Oatmeal
If you are serious about body composition, eliminating all grains, including oats, is a good choice for two reasons. First, although oats do not contain gluten, they are often contaminated by gluten, making them allergenic for people with celiac disease or gluten sensitivity. Even if you are completely fine eating gluten, oats themselves can be inflammatory for some people.

Second, they are a grain and they elevate insulin much more than any protein, nut, or lower glycemic vegetable. Better body composition and blood sugar results will come from avoiding ALL GRAINS.

Third, of all foods, according to Dr. William Davis, oatmeal is the top acidifying food after wheat. Increasing acid load takes a toll on the human body. From osteopenia to muscle atrophy, acid load has been associated as being one of the culprits.

Take Away: Simply, oats and oatmeal just cause too many sensitivity and blood sugar issues to be on any list of “best” foods for body composition. In fact, no grain would be on my top ten list, however, if you choose to eat carbs, choose instead the seed quinoa because it contains a better amino acid profile. Besides quinoa is a seed, not a grain, and has been shown to raise IGF-1 levels.

#6: Bananas
The Muscle Media author likes bananas because they are convenient, available year-round, and nutritious—all good reasons, but not good enough for a list of “best” foods for body builders. There are so many BETTER fruits for body composition such as the antioxidant-rich array of berries (blueberry, strawberry, raspberry, blackberry), cherries, kiwis, and grapes. All of these fruits have been shown to blunt the insulin response of high-carb foods, and many of them have been called “anti-obesity” foods by food scientists.

In contrast, bananas have a moderately high fructose content (about 7 grams per banana), more calories, and higher glycemic index than berries and other “fat loss” fruits. Bananas have also been shown to increase serotonin, which makes it a terrible pre-workout food. Yet, many fitness/muscle building publications still put them in their pre-workout meals.

Take Away: If you love bananas, eat them occasionally post workout. Instead of relying on them as your “go-to” fat loss fruit, eat a wide variety of in-season fruits, with a focus on antioxidant-rich ones. The best time to take them is as a post-workout feed.

#7: Turkey Breast
The key when eating turkey, as the Muscle Media author points out, is that it needs to be high quality. Ground turkey may have organ meats, other meats, skin, and who knows what else in it. Plus, non-organic turkey will be pumped full of growth hormones, antibiotics, and other nasty things that you need to avoid.

Take Away: Include organic turkey in your diet in moderation. Vary your protein source regularly, opting for cold-water small fish and organic, pastured or wild meat. Avoid all non-organic meat.

#8: Whole Wheat Pasta
“Contrary to popular belief, pasta is not fattening. Fat Italian opera singers got that way because they heap mountains of cheese and fat-willed sauces on their pasta,” writes the Muscle Media author inanely. The idiocy of this statement aside, whole wheat pasta is a processed food that is made from a grain.

It is energy dense, elevates blood sugar, spikes insulin, and should be avoided if body composition is your goal. What very few people know is that pasta has a fake low glycemic index, when measured at the two hour mark. Pasta wrecks havoc on insulin levels 6.5 hours after its ingestion.

Take Away: There is no nutritional benefit from pasta that you couldn’t get from quality protein, “smart” fats, and produce. Avoid pasta and other grains if your goal is to get lean and build muscle.

#9: Carrots
Really, carrots? It’s fine to eat carrots occasionally, but they wouldn’t make my ten “best” list of foods for anything other than to turn you orange. The Muscle Media author likes carrots because they are sweet and have a lot of vitamin A and C, however, there are many more nutritious veggies than the carrot. See that list provided under the sweet potato entry for better veggie choices for body builders.

Take Away: Eating carrots in a salad or on occasion is fine, but don’t rely on them as your go to vegetable. Also, opt for whole carrots rather than diced, shaved, or juiced because this processing speeds digestion and raises the glycemic response to eating them. Raw carrots are relatively low-glycemic—the University of Sydney estimates they have a glycemic index of about 20, but cooking them raises that number to about 40.

#10: Legumes (lentils, peas, and beans)
Legumes are a great protein and fiber source, and best body composition results come from eating a wide variety daily. The Muscle Media author correctly points about that they make up the “absolute best source of plant protein” but he doesn’t like peanuts and chick peas due to their higher fat content.

Chick peas provide a minor amount of “good” fat, and supplementing the diet with chick peas has been shown to improve cholesterol level and glycemic control in one study. In another study of a population of Australians, eating chick peas daily was shown to blunt hunger. So, there’s nothing wrong with chick peas, and peanuts contain antioxidants such as resveratrol. Plus, studies show regularly eating peanuts along with other nuts can promote health and body composition.

Take Away: Eat a wide variety of beans, peas, and lentils regularly for a great protein source and nice dose of fiber. Opt for whole versions rather than processed or mashed for the best body composition results. It’s not that organic peanut butter or hummus are bad for you, they will simply require less energy to digest, and may contain added oils or other ingredients. Obviously, avoid eating any one type of legume daily because this can lead to food intolerances.

This Fitness Food Improves Post Exercise Recovery

Good post from Dr Mercola's website

A recent study looked at the role of protein in modulating post-exercise overnight recovery.

The researchers assessed the impact of protein ingestion immediately prior to sleep on digestion, absorption kinetics, and protein metabolism on 16 healthy young males.

The participants were asked to perform resistance exercises at 8pm in the evening. 

At 9pm, all participants ate a recovery meal consisting of 20 grams of protein and 60 grams of carbs.

Then, 30 minutes before they went to bed, half of them drank a high-protein beverage. According to the authorsⁱ:

"During sleep casein protein was effectively digested and absorbed resulting in a rapid rise in circulating amino acid levels which were sustained throughout the remainder of the night.

Protein ingestion prior to sleep increased whole-body protein synthesis rates and improved net protein balance...

This is the first study to show that protein ingested immediately prior to sleep is effectively digested and absorbed, thereby stimulating muscle protein synthesis and improving whole-body protein balance during post-exercise, overnight recovery."

What and When You Eat After Your Workout Matters

Your post-workout meal can influence the overall health effects exercise has on your body, so what to eat after your workout is an important consideration.

For example, previous research has shown that eating fewer carbohydrates after exercise can enhance your insulin sensitivity, compared to simply reducing calorie intakeⁱⁱ. As I've explained on countless occasions, optimizing your insulin sensitivity is key for maintaining good health.

Generally speaking, after exercise your body is nitrogen-poor and your muscles have been broken down. Providing your body with the correct nutrients after your workout is therefore crucial to stop the catabolic process in your muscle and shift the recycling process toward repair and growth. If you fail to feed your muscle at the right time after exercise, the catabolic process will go too far and can potentially damage your muscle. Amino acids from high quality animal proteins, along with carbohydrates from vegetables (not grains) are essential for this process.

Good sources of animal protein include:

• Whey protein (minimally processed, and derived from organic, grass-fed, non-hormonally treated cows)
• Humanely raised, free-range chicken
• Organic eggs from pastured hens
• Grass-fed beef

Beneficial sources of carbohydrates include:

• Virtually any vegetable (limiting carrots and beets, which are high in sugar)
• Dark green, leafy vegetables such as spinach, kale or Swiss chard
• Low fructose fruits like lemon, limes, passion fruit, apricots, plums, cantaloupe, and raspberries. Avoid high fructose fruits like apples, watermelons and pears

It's important to combine a quality protein with a veggie-type carb in every meal, no matter whether it's a resistance training day, an interval cardio day, or a non-workout day. However, after strength training (as opposed to cardio training), your body tends to need more rapidly absorbed nutrients and a higher glycemic (fast released, starchy) carbohydrate. Another slight difference between interval cardio and strength training days is the timing of your meal.

• After cardio, you want to wait 45-60 minutes, and then consume a high-quality protein (whole food) and vegetable-type carbohydrate. (An example would be a spinach salad and some chicken, or high quality whey protein like Miracle Whey).
• After a resistance workout (muscle-building day), the ideal time to consume your post-workout meal is 15-30 minutes after finishing your session, in order to help repair your damaged muscles.

Whey Protein - The IDEAL Fitness Food

The high protein drink half of the participants received in the featured study was based on casein, a milk protein. But whey protein, which is also derived from milk, is considered the gold standard of protein by many, and is one of the best types of foods you can consume before and after exercise. 

In a previous study, researchers set out to find which milk protein was the best for building up muscle protein. Three groups of older men were fed a meal-like amount of whey, casein, and casein hydrolysate proteins. Their protein ingestion was combined with an intravenous tracer, used to assess digestion and absorption kinetics, and to calculate their muscle synthesis rates.

According to the study, published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition last yearⁱⁱⁱ:

"Whey protein stimulates postprandial muscle protein accretion more effectively than do casein and casein hydrolysate in older men. This effect is attributed to a combination of whey's faster digestion and absorption kinetics and higher leucine content."

One of the reasons whey protein works so well is that it assimilates very quickly, so the protein will get to your muscles within 10-15 minutes of swallowing it, supplying them with the right food at the right time. Another study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercise showed the amino acids found in high quality whey protein also activate certain cellular mechanisms, including a mechanism called mTORC-1, which in turn promote muscle protein synthesis, boost thyroid, and also protect against declining testosterone levels after exercise^iv.

Whey protein earns its title as the perfect "fitness food" as it contains not only high quality protein, but also extremely high amounts of leucine, which is particularly important for muscle growth and repair.

Leucine - A Powerful Muscle Builder

Leucine is part of branched-chain amino acid that serves multiple functions in your body, one of which is signaling the mTOR (Mammalian Target of Rapamycin) mechanism, to increase protein synthesis and builds your muscle. However, according to fitness expert Ori Hofmekler, you need VERY HIGH amounts of leucine to reap the optimal effect - definitely far more than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) - because most of it gets used up as a building block rather than an anabolic agent.

The highest concentrations of leucine are found in dairy products; particularly whey protein.

Be aware that taking leucine as a free form amino acid supplement can be counterproductive and wrought with side effects. For example, intravenous administration of free form leucine has shown to cause severe hyperglycemic reactions and insulin resistance. Hence, to get the benefits without the side effects, make sure you get your leucine from food only.

The typical requirement for leucine is 1-3 grams daily. However, to optimize its anabolic pathway, you need as much as 8-16 grams of leucine daily. The following chart presents leucine content in common foods. As you will see, to obtain the minimum eight gram leucine requirement for anabolic purposes, you'd have to consume a pound and a half of chicken, for example, or about 16 eggs! Most would agree that's just not feasible. However, you only need three ounces of high-quality whey to reach the eight gram requirement, making it an obvious choice.

Leucine Content in food / per 100g

Whey Protein Concentrate	8.0g
Raw Cheddar Cheese	3.6g
Lean Beef	1.7g
Salmon	1.6g
Almonds	1.5g
Chicken	1.4g
Chick Peas	1.4g
Raw Eggs	1.0g
Egg Yolk	1.4g
Sheep Milk	0.6g
Pork	0.4g
Cow Milk	0.3g

Avoid Sugar Before, During and After Exercise!

Besides knowing which foods will help you optimize your exercise efforts, you also want to pay careful attention to what NOT to eat. To maximize the benefits of exercise, including weight loss benefits, you'll want to carefully avoid:

• Fruit juices
• Energy drinks
• Sports drinks
• Most energy bars
• Many "healthy" drinks like Vitamin Water

These, and virtually all other processed foods and beverages, contain high amounts of sugar, including fructose, which will effectively sabotage your efforts and nullify many of the benefits of exercise. Remember, 80 percent of the benefits you reap from a healthy lifestyle comes from you diet, and the remaining 20 percent from exercise. Exercise cannot counteract the harmful effects of a high-fructose diet.

Fructose fools your metabolism and essentially tricks your body into gaining weight by turning off your body's appetite-control system. It also rapidly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity ("beer belly"), decreased HDL, increased LDL, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure -- i.e., classic metabolic syndrome.

Additionally, consuming fructose, including that from fruit juices, within two hours of a high-intensity workout will decimate your natural human growth hormone (HGH) production - a MAJOR benefit of interval training.

You may be aware that one of my top recommended forms of exercise are high-intensity interval exercises, which are an integral part of my Peak Fitness program. Interval training effectively boosts your body's natural production of HGH, which is a vital hormone that is key for physical strength, health and longevity. However, as previously reported by HGH Magazine^v and fitness expert Phil Campbell^vi, author of Ready, Set, Go!, avoiding fructose is vital for making this type of exercise work.

Consuming fructose will increase production of the hormone somatostatin, a primary purpose of which is to inhibit the production of HGH. Hence:

"A high sugar meal after working out, or even a recovery drink (containing high sugar) after working out, will stop the benefits of exercise induced HGH. You can work out for hours, then eat a high sugar candy bar or have a high sugar energy drink, and this will shut down the synergistic benefits of HGH," HGH Magazine writes.

Granted, there is a small group of elite and highly competitive athletes for whom increasing growth hormone is not a primary goal. For these athletes, consuming some carbs, preferably dextrose-based, in the recovery period is probably a good idea to improve their recovery time and will help to maximize their athletic performance. Since they're competing, they're less likely to be concerned about long-term growth hormone levels. But for most others, increasing HGH through high intensity interval exercise is an important factor for optimizing health, so most of my readers will want to heed to the sugar and juice restriction.

Interestingly, it is virtually impossible to simultaneously optimize for longevity and fitness and/or fertility. If you are seeking to get pregnant or compete you will need slightly higher body fat stores to be in the optimal range. If you are not concerned about fertility or athletic performance, then lower carbs and lower percentage of body fat would be a more appropriate goal.

You also want to avoid sugar and grain carbs at least 90 minutes before going to bed in order to optimize night-time HGH production - a factor that the featured study does not address at all, but that is well worth taking into account. Part of the equation is that insulin and HGH are adversarial hormones - carbs will trigger insulin secretion, which basically nullifies HGH release.

Get Strong! Stay Strong!
Chris

Fill Your Pie Hole in the A.M.!

Everyone knows that breakfast is the most important meal of the day but how many of you 

actually eat it?  Breakfast literally means “break the fast”.   After going 6-8 hrs without food

the body is actually “starved” for nutrients. During sleep the body uses the available

nutrients for repair and recovery ( thats assuming it has quality nutrients in the first place).  So, when you wake up the tank is empty.  If you don’t refuel with a nutritious breakfast your body will rob your lean muscle stores to get what it needs to maintain itself.  Or has a poor supply of nutrients from eating crappy food.  This can lead to decreased strength and performance, in addition to mental and physical fatigue. It’s important that breakfast include protein, carbs, good fats and fiber.  Do your body good (it has to last a long time) and start the day off right!

Eat breakfast.  A good wholesome breakfast, not some processed garbage.

Get Strong! Stay Strong!

Chris