"How Dieting Makes the Lean Fatter" (Article Review)

In athletics, there is much focus on body fat percentage and weight. Whether it's to lose weight, gain weight or maintain weight everyone puts a lot of emphasis on these numbers, especially in the weight sensitive sports (wrestling, gymnastics, etc.). Many athletes restrict their diet to lose weight so they can possibly run faster, jump higher or push harder but do they really need to lose weight? Are they doing more harm than good? Are they losing the weight the right way?
A recent review published in Obesity Reviews found that lean people that restricted eating (dieting) to lose weight ended up not only gaining back the weight, but actually gaining more fat and weight compared to where they started. Interestingly, the leaner the person the more effect it had on fat and weight gain. Moreover, a single episode of dieting or more in adolescents increased the risk of becoming overweight by 3-5 times by the time they reached young adulthood when compared to non-dieters. So, if someone was dieting or "weight cycling", the leaner they were the more odds they had of gaining weight and possibly becoming overweight or obese. Gaining more fat and weight compared to what was initially lost is defined as "fat overshooting".

Taken from leanmansystem.com

The article notes that as the energy intake decreases (semi-starvation) and there is loss of fat mass (FM), there is also a loss of fat free mass (FFM = muscle, water and bone). When re-feeding occurs and weight is gained back, it takes more time to regain FFM compared to FM. This in turn causes what we call hyperphagia (abnormal increase in appetite to help reach previous levels of FFM). However, at that point FM is back to where it was before weight loss. By the time FFM is completely restored, FM has increased significantly. The leaner the individual is initially, the higher the fat overshooting will be (more FM). Higher FM is a result no one would want from "weight loss".

This article is a wake up call to those who are trying to lose weight when they shouldn't or to individuals that are over restricting their intake, especially if they are at a normal weight. Dieting or weight cycling can be detrimental not only to your body composition but also to your health. If weight loss is needed or if you are considering it, consult with a sports registered dietitian or a medical professional.


Dulloo AG, Jacquet J, Montani JP, Schutz Y. How dieting makes the lean fatter: from a perspective of human body composition autoregulation through adipostats and proteinstats awaiting discovery. Obes Rev. 2015 Feb;16 Suppl 1:25-35      

The Rutabaga

The majority of people have no idea what a rutabaga is. In fact, they may even have a hard time pronouncing it (pronounced root-a-bayga). A rutabaga is actually a cross bread between a turnip and a cabbage. It is a root vegetable that can be eaten raw or cooked. Originally, it was used to feed cattle, however, today it is used by many in salads, stews, pastries or just as a baked side dish. Rutabaga is in season from October to April but you can probably find it year round.

Nutritionally, rutabagas are high in fiber, have no fat or cholesterol, are low in calories, are an excellent source of vitamin C and are a good source of potassium, zinc and vitamin A which are all important for performance. Rutabagas taste slightly sweet and peppery. They can be stored for a long time in the fridge (about 2-3 weeks) or about 1 week in the pantry. They have a waxy exterior and that is mainly to keep the moisture. This exterior needs to be peeled off before eating. Many people will use rutabagas instead of potatoes since they contain more fiber and slightly less carbohydrates per serving. Meaning, you can mash it, bake it, boil it, stir-fry it and even fry it.

Here are some ideas of what to make with these lovely roots:

• Rutabaga mash 

  

  Pic from blog.freshharvestga.com

• Roasted rutabaga 
• This is a great recipe of rutabaga with carrots, lemon and honey but I would use more close to 2 Tbsp of olive oil or coconut oil vs 1/2 a stick of butter
• Rutabaga fries: Peel and cut about 1 lb of rutabagas in fries shape and spread on an oven tray. Season with a little olive oil, garlic powder, cumin, salt and pepper. Heat oven to 375 F. Bake for 30 minutes or until crisp to your liking
• Rutabaga stew to help you warm up on cold days
• Rutabaga soup - here is a collection of 5 different soups

As you can see it is very versatile and can be a part of your main entree or as a side dish. With so many health benefits and uses as well as the ease of buying it and its price, I highly suggest trying this great vegetable. 

NUMBERS

VOCABULARY

-Look at the video numbers 11-20

-Another video : numbers 20-100


-In this video you can learn abut ORDINAL NUMBERS 

And more ORDINAL NUMBERS :

GAMES 

CARDINAL NUMBERS  GAMES

If you click here  you can  practice numbers from 11-20

-Vocabulary, games.... about colours and numbers 

If you click here  you can learn and practice about numbers

 
- Count down ( drag the numbers when you hear the name)

-Number word search 

-Put it on the shelf

 

-Numbers 1-10 maze  

 
-Numbers 11-20 maze   




ORDINAL NUMBERS  GAMES

-Click the image and you can listen the ordinal numbers  by clicking on each one  

Now you can practice  the ordinal numbers  with this game

This game is  very  easy: just match the word  with the  correct number   

Where is Squigly? Click on the apple if you know  

SONGS

 
-Five big dump trucks 

 
-Number song 

 
-One, one, one

 

-One, two , three, four , five  

-Ten little indians  

CHANTS AND POEMS

-How many ?

-Five funny frogs

-Five little monkeys

-Number chant

-Ten small potatoes 

IN  BRITAIN 

How many children are there in your classroom?:

Paleo Diet for Athletes (Article Summary)

Not long ago I heard this great presentation from a fellow RD (Steve Hertzler PhD, RD) about the Paleo diet (caveman diet) for athletes. Since the Paleo diet has been such a popular topic in the past several years, I decided why not share the wealth of information with you. Here is a summary of his talk and article from SCAN's Pulse. He reviews and references The Paleo Diet for Athletes by Loren Cordain and Joe Freel as they paved the way for this diet in the past decade.

First lets try and define the paleo diet: It's typically defined as the diet that was available in the paleolithic era which was in the pre-agricultural period between 2.5 million to 10,000 years ago. However, different regions had different diets during those times which means there was no one paleolithic diet. Books on Paleo state that humans should not have dairy products nor grains/legumes, since they did not exist in that era, but have a diet rich with meat/fish, vegetables and fruits, low in starches and only natural sources of sugar. The theory is that our "human genome was developed based on this diet" and by sticking to it we decrease risk of multiple chronic diseases and improve human performance. However, some of the science shows otherwise; anthropologists have evidence that during that era there was more reliance on starches and tubers. Moreover, research shows that our guts have evolved and continue to evolve since 10,000 years ago allowing us to digest many foods not present during that era. Lastly, to replicate that exact diet is quite impossible since most of the foods we currently have (meats, produce, fats) are very different than what they had back then. 

Pros about the diet and book:  

• The diet promotes eating less refined carbohydrates and more fruits and vegetables
• Lean meats (including game) are recommended
• Adequate fish (containing omega 3) is highly encouraged
• Healthy fats are important
• Timing is important when it comes to performance
• For recovery, combination of carbs and protein is important post exercise

Cons about the diet and book:

• Elimination of several food groups (e.g. grain, dairy) leads to limited variety which in turn could cause defeciencies
• Interestingly, alcohol in moderation is permitted (I wonder what caveman drank alcohol?!)
• The book itself only addresses endurance athletes, not power nor strength athletes
• To date, there are not many studies on the Paleo diet in athletes. The studies that have been done were done on mainly obese and sick individuals (heart disease, diabetes) which have seen improvements in body composition and health markers (blood lipids, blood sugar). Athletes are very different than obese individuals
• In the book there are multiple exceptions to meet the high carbohydrate demands of the endurance athlete. If there are so many exceptions are they really eating Paleo?!
• "The diet is nutritionally inadequate, expensive and impractical". Studies show that the diet would lack calcium, Iron and fiber recommendations as well as cost 9.3% more annualy
• "Acid ash theory states that by eating a diet high in grains and dairy we produce a high acid load on the body and the body must remove calcium from the bone to buffer the load." The more the food is acidic the more we are supposed to see calcium in the urine. However, urine pH does not represent blood pH as it stays more or less the same. Moreover, there is no evidence indicating that high calcium levels in the urine mean that there is less calcium in the bone or a decrease in calcium balance
• Some of the research quoted by the authors for "avoiding certain foods such as potatoes, peanuts and canola oil are misinterpreted and taken out of context"
• The authors mention that the Paleo diet is the best. However, currently, the people that live the longest (to about 100 years of age) eat meat infrequently and their diet is based on grains or starch

In summary, the Paleo diet promotes certain healthy habits that are worth keeping such as limiting processed foods, eating fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and lean meats. However, by adding dairy, legumes and grains in your diet you can have a more complete varied and healthy nutrition plan to promote your activity.   

Fighting Inflammation, The Healthy Way

In sports nutrition we talk about inflammation a lot. In fact, even in the clinical setting, we talk about inflammation. We talk about it because it promotes negative outcomes. It's associated with cancer, diabetes, heart disease and other conditions as well as sports injury, becoming ill (e.g. flu) and lack of ability to recover optimally. Therefore, we put emphasis in our practice to educate athletes on how to fight inflammation. Its important to understand though, that inflammation is an important process for an athlete as it is naturally created due to activity. However, we want to fight it in a healthy manner. Research shows that fighting sports related inflammation with drugs such as Aleve, Ibuprofen or other anti-inflammatories, may prevent the natural healing process muscle and even increase inflammation.

Here are some things you can do to help fight inflammation the healthy way:

• Sleep well! For a college athlete recommendations are about 8-10 hours per day. If you did not meet this quota at night, consider taking a nap in the middle of the day. Lack of sleep prevents healing and promotes inflammation. 
• Avoid or limit alcohol. Alcohol promotes inflammation and also decreases deep sleep (as mentioned above, sleep is important).
• Avoid or limit fried fatty foods (pizza, fried chicken, fries, etc.) and concentrated sweets (Pop Tarts, soda, cookies, cake, milkshake, candy, etc.) as they promote inflammation.
• Hydrate. Mainly with water. Fluids are important to help deliver nutrients to different parts of the body, including nutrients to fight inflammation. Moreover, dehydration decreases your immune function, which could cause you to get ill (=inflammation).
• Eating plenty of fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are rich with antioxidants and phytochemicals that help fight inflammation. When you get injured, the first thing most people do is put ice. Think of fruits and vegetables as your ice inside the body. Very powerful anti-inflammatory.
• Omega 3's, the fat located mainly in fish (salmon, tuna, mackerel, etc.) as well as some nuts and seeds (flaxseeds, chia seeds, walnuts, etc.) are a great source of anti-inflammatories. It is recommended to have at least 8 oz of fish per week. In certain cases, a supplement could be considered (please consult with a medical professional before taking any supplement).
• Vitamin D aka the sun vitamin has been shown to be quite the immune booster. Vitamin D can be found in fortified products such as orange juice, dairy, soy foods as well as fish. Supplements can also be considered (please consult with a medical professional before taking any supplement).
• Vitamin C, Vitamin A and Zinc. These micro-nutrients have been shown to boost our immune system and help with healing. 
• Eating enough calories. Calories are a measurement of energy. If we do not eat enough calories, we will not have enough energy to fight inflammation or recover optimally from exercise.
• Keeping your stomach healthy. Positive bacteria is important to keep a healthy gut. A healthy gut can help maintain healthy immune function. By eating a balanced diet, containing pre and probiotics with a good variety of whole grains, dairy (yogurt), fruits, vegetables, legumes and lean meats, you can help sustain a healthy gut. 
• Rest. We all know the importance of recovery for performance. Overtraining and overreaching have a lot to do with chronic inflammation. Make sure you take rest seriously, as you would your training. 

This winter, "let food be thy medicine and medicine be thy food" to help you fight inflammation and keep a healthy immune system. Here is a great handout by NCAA Sport Science Institute of how to promote immune function.