Nutrition

SUMMARY OF ESSENTIAL MACRONUTRITION

The goal is always to lose body fat, not necessarily weight. In general, caloric intake should be ten to twelve calories per pound per day. This is, of course, adjusted dependent upon how much exercise and also the intensity of the exercise that one performs.

Always eat breakfast. It can be the largest meal of the day.

Eat every two to three hours (i.e., five to six times per day).

Never eat more than 500 calories in a meal. (Usually it should be 200-300 calories).

Eat only complex carbohydrates; see glycemic index. This would be in the moderate to low glycemic index range.

NO JUNK FOOD. (chips, cake, pie, pastries, soda, etc.).

Drink six 12 oz. glasses of water a day.

Take in no fruit juices.

Eat raw fruits and vegetables with some protein, if possible.

No carbohydrates after 5 P.M. or supper. Eat most carbohydrates of the day prior to lunch.

Make 30-40% of your calorie intake in protein.

Eat a protein bar or protein shake 2-3 hours after the last meal if no whole food is available.

Limit animal fat.

Eat organically grown vegetables.

Eat free range chicken, turkey, beef, bison and deep-water white fish.

Take in only small amounts of butter and no margarine.

Avoid simple (high glycemic index) carbohydrates. See glycemic index.

No added salt.

Avoid sugar.

Limit coffee to two cups a day (coffee increases cortisol, which increases visceral fat).

Avoid alcohol (alcohol is calorie dense and increases fat and increases estrogen in men).

  • One glass of red wine a day is permissible;
  • An occasional beer is permissible;

See “Summary of Essential Micronutrients” with documented thermogenic effects.

Consider the following individual supplements which have thermogenic effects:

  • 7 Keto DHEA;
  • Caffeine (prior to exercise);
  • Ginseng (especially Panax ginseng);
  • Conjugated linoleic acid (CLA);Chromium picolinate (sensitizes insulin receptors);
  • Irvingia gabonenses (sensitizes insulin receptors);
  • Hoodia Gordonii (appetite suppressant);
  • Omega-3 fatty acid (EPA/DHA);

Eat a high carbohydrate ‘cheat meal’ every 4th day to increase leptins. Exercise prior to this meal to deplete glycogen stores. Note: Leptins will decrease appetite, decrease cortisol, increase testosterone, increase thyroid hormone, increase growth hormone and IGF-1 as well as increase sympathetic tone.

Take in plenty of calcium. Take a supplement of calcium/magnesium, zinc and boron daily.

Get 7-8 hours of sleep at night. Note: It is common that obese and overweight people have obstructive sleep apnea and will need CPAP for sleep and thus, weight loss. It is hard to lose weight without adequate sleep.

Make sure T3 is optimal (3.4-4.2 mcg/dL).

Take in extra fiber daily (consider propolmannon, a Life Extension “Calorie Control Weight Management” formula). This binds the fat and inhibits amylase and increases insulin sensitivity.

Optimize sensitivity of insulin receptors thereby reducing insulin and subsequent synthesis of triglycerides, cholesterol and resultant accumulation of body fat.

a. Insulin sensitivity is improved by the following hormones:

  • Optimizing testosterone, DHEA, melatonin, Vitamin D3, T3 and growth hormones/IGF-1

b. Nutraceuticals that improve insulin sensitivity include:

  • Chromium picolinate
  • Alpha lipoic acid
  • L-carnitine
  • Biotin
  • Vanadium
  • Omega-3 fatty acid
  • Magnesium/calcium
  • Cinnamon
  • Green tea extract (EGCG)
  • Galega officinalis (a botanical root of metformin)
  • Vitamin E
  • Panax ginseng
  • Vitamin B1, B6, B12 folate
  • Silymarin
  • Banaba
  • Maitake
  • Gymnema Sylvestre
  • N-acetyl cysteine
  • Niacinamide

Eat no later than 1-2 hours before bedtime. Consider low-sugar yogurt or a protein shake.