The diet (menu) plans from MyHealthandFitness let you eat the types of foods you enjoy. And, by understanding a little about nutrition and what to expect, you will be able to lose weight, firm up, and be healthy. Our goal is to help you do this.

Adhere to the following 10 steps to get started on a new and healthy lifestyle. In the beginning it may seem a little overwhelming, but its a matter of developing good eating habits that change the way you eat. Diets will not do this and is why all diets fail. Our method is scientifically proven and successful.

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Read our web site sections FAQ, Diet & Nutrition, and Health & Wellness. Also, explore the many health and fitness articles on our site. New ones are posted each day. This will help build a foundational knowledge of nutrition so that you are your own best expert. Remember that a program that works for someone else may not work for you.

Before you begin any diet or menu plan, make an appointment with your physician for a complete physical and obtain his or her approval. He or she will assess your current health and look for a variety of pre-existing or hereditary conditions. Some of these may include: heart, liver or kidney disease, diabetes, cholesterol, predisposition to gout, and others. However, many physicians will not measure blood glucose levels unless you request it so, you should ask for an EKG and a six hour glucose tolerance test with insulin measurements.

You should also ask for a complete blood panel that includes lipids (fats) and thyroid function. Doing this will preclude one from later blaming a diet for something you may already have. Conducting such tests after starting a diet is counter productive. The reason is because you want a base measurement of everything before you begin. For example, if you have high cholesterol, that is something you would like to know. Otherwise, once you begin a new nutritional regimen, there will likely be a change in this parameter. It would be wise to know if your new diet and menu plan(s) was a cause in its alteration. This is also true of other health problems such as those mentioned.

Next, with your physician’s approval, you may begin a new nutritional regimen.

Please visit our “Tools” section and measure yourself for BMI, body fat, ideal body weight, and calorie requirements. This will give you a good foundation of where you currently are based on the norm and how many calories you should eat each day. However, please remember that some persons may not fit the norm due to large muscle mass and other factors. Use these numbers only as a base guide tempered with reason. But, don’t make excuses. If you’re too lean or overweight, admit it to yourself. The more accurate and honest you are with this data, the quicker you’ll make improvements.

Try our sample menus first. They will give you an idea of what a good menu should be comprised of. They will also help you develop good habits by following a good nutritional regimen. Learn to count grams of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins in your diet. Remember that 1g or carbohydrate or protein is equal to 4 calories and 1g of fat is equal to 9 calories. Knowing these simple facts can help you learn to control your carbohydrate and fat intake. Pay particular attention to the information in the Burning Fat subcategory in our on this web site. However, don’t be a scale watcher or try to count every single calorie. Doing so will cause you to go nuts and is also counterproductive. Simply get a good idea of how many calories you need each day and a daily average of your intake. Time, moderation, and exercise will balance this so that your newly developed good habits will prevail.

In addition to a good nutritional plan, you should also seek information about, and put yourself on, a good nutritional supplement program. You can obtain the latest scientific information on both of these in our Supplements section and also, in our Online Store under supplements. Combining a good nutritional plan with the appropriate supplements and exercise will help you become the fittest and healthiest you can be.

Use Moderation: Eat only as much food as it takes to satisfy your daily caloric needs. If you feel that you may eat too much, drink 1-3, 8 ounce glasses of water before a major meal to get an ‘I’m full” signal to your brain. Remember that nutrition is long-term. If you eat a few extra calories today, but a few less tomorrow, everything will balance out. But, if you constantly eat too few calories, you’ll lose weight and if too many, you’ll gain weight. For example, eating an extra 100 calories per day for one year will cause a 10 pound weight gain.

Don’t let yourself get too hungry, but don’t stuff yourself either. Adhere to the snack schedule in the menus and try to fuel your body when it needs it. Create your own snacks, which could theoretically be any type of food (just avoid sugars excepts as treats for your hard work). For example, have a slice of roast beef, chicken, turkey breast, or a can of tuna mixed with mayonnaise; a granola bar, small fruit, or cup of yogurt. Its not a matter of being totally rigid, but of making good food choices that fit into your menu without exceeding the caloric intake and being flexible. If you find yourself in the predicament of going to a fast-food establishment, opt for grilled chicken, a salad, and a diet drink or glass of water in lieu of a combo-type meal that is very high in fat, carbohydrates, and calories. The primary emphasis would be to keep your carbohydrate intake in the form of simple or refined sugars low. Try to avoid candy, soda pop, donuts and similar products most of the time.

Combine your new nutritional plan with a good exercise regimen. Search our web site for information on all of this, particularly our “Workout” section. We can help you achieve your goals. The MyHealthandFitness system works and works very, very well. It is not always easy, nor is there a magic pill or elixir. You must desire to make a change. If you do, you will be rewarded with that which you seek. MyHealthandFitness is not into fads or quick weight loss, which is usually due to loss of water only; we are into proven results and in changing eating habits so that the rest of your life will be as healthy as possible. We are here to help on every step of your journey.

Finally, keep a journal from the very first day. Track your weight and progress. Write down your results and take pictures at the beginning and at least every 3-4 weeks to see how you change. The old adage of “A Picture is Worth a Thousand Words” is very true in this case. There is nothing better than a visual picture of where you were before and how far you’ve come. Now, reflect on your goal(s) and begin. Once you have tried some of our sample menus, you’re ready for the longer term diet plans and fitness and workout programs. If you need help or advice in any area, please contact us or one of our experts. We wish you the greatest success on your journey.

Carbonation
Carbonation from soda’s and other beverages does not appear to affect the stomachs emptying rate. Various studies have found no difference in the gastric emptying rates of water, carbonated water, or carbonated carbohydrate drinks. Carbonated colas that contain an average of 160 Calories per 12 ounces and a caffeine equivalent to four ounces of coffee, are a favorite drink of many athletes when they are not in the last few weeks before competition.

As sugar concentration increases, several risks arise. For speed athletes, some studies have shown a greater tendency for muscle pulls such as hamstring tears. Endurance type athletes have the risk of nausea and bloating. Most athletes and fit persons can tolerate a 7 to 10% concentration of glucose, but endurance athletes for long events can often tolerate solutions of up to 15% to 20% glucose. Further, the use of polymers will allow more carbohydrates to be ingested and absorbed while limiting somewhat the overall concentration of the solution.

A fluid replacement rate of 500 ml per hour are appropriate for most athletes, cyclists, and runners during prolonged exercise, but rates of up to 1 to 2 liters per hour have been reported in some events such as the Ironman Triathlon and the Tour de France. The risk with the larger volumes is hyponatremia. For example, beginning an event with 400 ml of an 18% glucose polymer solution in the stomach and drinking 100 ml each 10 minutes will deliver 108 grams of carbohydrate with 600 milliliter (cc) of fluid each hour.

Following a vigorous exercise, there is what exercise physiologist refer to as a “glycogen window.” Ingesting a carbohydrate supplement within 4 hours immediately following exercise will allow the ingested carbohydrate to be converted into muscle glycogen at about 3 times the normal rate (and “the earlier the better” as some data suggests a 50% fall in the conversion rate by 2 hours and a complete return to normal repletion rate by 4 hours).

The above vigorous activity refers to a long-term event such as running. If you are a speed athlete, the “glycogen window” is narrower and ingestion should occur within 1-2 hours after the event. One hour is likely optimal although no studies have pinpointed the exact time.

Muscle glycogen repletion after two hours of vigorous activity generally proceeds at a rate of 5% per hour. Although it may require up to 48 hours for complete muscle glycogen replacement, most replacement occurs during the first 24 hours (post event). This is important for long-distance running and cycling events. If you are an athlete who trains daily, or are performing in a multi-day event, you can use the “glycogen window” to your advantage to get a jump on the normal repletion process and minimize the chance of chronic glycogen depletion, as well as the fatigue that accompanies it.

There is evidence that muscle stiffness that occurs after vigorous exercise is related to muscle glycogen depletion. Consequently, rapid repletion may have an added benefit of minimizing this effect. As a note, many simple carbohydrate snacks such as chocolate chip cookies contain more than 30% fat. Consumption in large quantities may exceed your planned daily fat intake of a suggested 20-30% of daily Calories.

THE PERFECT DIET?
Is there a perfect diet for intense exercisers or athletes? Perhaps, but more importantly, there is significant research and supporting evidence, which show that adequate dietary carbohydrates are necessary for maximum performance. As a matter of fact, at least 10 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram (2.2 pounds) of body weight are required per day. However, it is the absolute amount of carbohydrates that appear to be important, not the percent of total daily Calories that are derived from carbohydrates.

For athletes who perform or compete in multi-day endurance events, there can be an advantage to several weeks of moderate fat intake. The amount of fat consumed should be equivalent to 30% of total daily Calories. However, since good nutrition is a long-term activity, there is no evidence that fat intake for only one day is beneficial in this area. Also, there can be long term health consequences if you consume too much fat each day, i.e., exceed more than 30% daily percentage of your diet.

And what about protein? There is absolutely no evidence that more than two grams per day of protein are beneficial to performance in any athletic activity, including bodybuilding.

In summary, the body’s normal liver and muscle glycogen will support the first 1-2 hours of exercise at 70% VO2 max. without need for supplementation. A good training program will normally postpone the onset of glycogen depletion and fatigue.

Also, ingesting carbohydrates during your event provides an additional source of glucose for energy that will postpone the time at which you may hit “the wall.” However, this is more important for activities longer than 2 hours duration. As a general rule, the body can utilize 60 grams of ingested carbohydrate per hour to supplement muscle glycogen stores. Also, the stomach can handle 1-2 quarts of fluid before nausea occurs.

This will give you some guidelines for developing your own program. Also, using solid food supplements is appropriate as long as enough fluids are consumed with them.

Carbohydrate loading is okay for long-term events like cycling and running, but not for activities such as football and other type team sports or sprinting type activities. When carb loading, eating a high carbohydrate diet for several days prior to the event will maximize internal glycogen stores and prolong the duration of activity until fatigue occurs. However, it will not increase the muscle’s maximum energy output during the event.

The principles of training nutrition and performance are similar to those for any athletic event longer in duration than two hours.

Question: Is elevated blood pressure a normal finding in obese children, and is intervention necessary before an exercise program is initiated?

Answer:

Some things that we see that is associated with unhealthy increases of weight in children is a group of associated risk factors that in later in life contributes to the development of coronary artery disease and other cardiovascular diseases. It is important to make certain that blood pressure readings are accurate. Thus, the blood pressure has to be measured on more than one occasion to ensure that the high blood pressure was not just because the child was nervous or simply a normal variation in blood. If the blood pressure of a child is substantially elevated then, a more complete workup is needed. This would include an evaluation of the child’s cardiovascular system and kidney function. Sometimes we see high blood pressure that is a result of kidney disease.

Once the appropriate tests have been done and it appears that high blood pressure is most likely associated with the obesity, the focus should be on treating the obesity. At this point, exercise testing would be a good idea to see what the blood pressure response is to exercise. For an obese child it would be important to perform what is called a sleep study. The reason that a sleep study is important is that many children with obesity, like many adults with obesity, have abnormal sleep patterns. These abnormal sleep patterns are known to contribute to high blood pressure. Once these tests are complete, focus on helping the child through a program of exercise and diet to try to lose weight.

It is unfair to assume that just because a child is overweight that he or she is not physically active. There are many heavy kids who are very physically active. This is important for two reasons. First, if a child is already getting a lot of exercise, it is going to be very difficult to get that child to do more physical activity. Second, if we want to make some attempt to prescribe for a child and his or her family an integrated program that includes changes in diet and changes in physical activity, we really need to know precisely how fit the child is.

Question: Is it safe to promote vegetarianism in children?

Answer:

A carefully constructed vegetarian diet in which the parent or guardian pays careful attention to supplying their children with appropriate nutrients can work well. The guidelines can be found with groups like the American Dietetic Association, which can really give children a very balanced, healthy vegetarian diet that can include all the necessary proteins for growth and development.

It is a mistake to think that you cannot get obese from a vegetarian diet. You can. It is like any diet. The diet has to be constructed for appropriate calories and the need to make sure it is well balanced in terms of the essential food groups and amino acids.

Question: Is it okay to encourage exercise in a child, or should it come naturally to them?

Answer:

The answer to this question is a struggle for many. There are many barriers in our society that keep children from natural physical activities. Some of these barriers are environmental. Some of them are psychological. For example, very few parents regardless of neighborhood, be it the richest or poorest, are secure about just letting their children go out in the neighborhood to play. As a consequence, children are either at home, if their parents are unavailable or they are at school, which is often inadequate. If parents have the means and the inclination, they get enrolled in organized sports. Too many children watch too much TV, an average of 40 hours per week. We live in a society where there are not enough playgrounds, not enough safe areas for natural play for children. These are some of the environmental barriers.

Coupled with this are psychological barriers. A study of middle school girls, in whom we know there is a marked reduction in physical fitness and physical activity, illustrates this fact well. While we are not completely sure why this is happening, it appears to be related to how kids perceive themselves, their body-image, what a girl should be doing at that age, which often does not include being active in sports and other similar factors. We need to encourage and provide opportunities for children to maintain a healthy level of physical activity.

Question: My nephew is eight, and he already weighs 105 pounds. He is tall for his age but has really put on weight in the past 6-8 months. My family is concerned. What can be done to help him, and what should my sister do to help the situation as it is her child?

Answer:

A sudden weight gain in a child can come about for a number of reasons. One of course is the possibility that there was some change in the child’s family situation: a trauma, a death, or a divorce. Children, like adults, can become depressed. With depression there can be sudden changes in eating habits in either weight gain or weight loss that appears to be sudden in nature. A pediatrician can best evaluate the sudden changes.

We need to find out why this is happening. Was he is a soccer league and now has stopped? Was he more active in team sports and now no longer interested or had a bad experience? Are his parents taking him to fast food places more frequently? These are the issues that the child and the family and the pediatrician need to investigate.

All this is important because we now know two very important facts: 1) The rate of childhood obesity is reaching epidemic proportions. Over the past 20 years, we have seen a steady increase in the weights of children of almost every age. 2) We know that there is a pretty good relationship, though not an absolute one, between body weight in childhood and body weight in adulthood.

Because obesity is associated with the great number of health problems later in life, it makes sense to try to address this problem earlier than we have been. However, at the same time, we must not make children fearful of eating. Like adults, wise food choices are a good idea. A major problem is the environment in which we live in which high fat foods and high sugar foods, especially beverages, are the mainstay of so many fast food restaurants, and these fast food restaurants play so important a role in the social life of our children. See our section on diet and nutrition.

Question: How should one encourage team sports to a kid who seems disinterested?

Answer:

This is a difficult question. We probably don’t need to specifically encourage team-sport participation as much as provide opportunities for children to be outdoors, i.e., away from television and computers. It’s interesting to not that when children are outside, they always seem to find a way to occupy their time by exploring, making up their own games, or joining other children in fun activities. As an example, on a study done on young girls, rather than seeing an improved fitness in girls in general, we have seen an attempt by schools to identify those girls that are talented athletes and to promote them. That is usually through team sports. At times this may be done often at the expense of teaching all children how to become fit and stay fit. For a child who says he or she doesn’t particularly like team sports, we need to explore this and try to find out why. The key is to offer to such a child alternatives focused on individual fitness programs, such as running, walking, learning how to do weight training if this is available, hiking if it can be done nearby, and other activities.

These are the kinds of individual efforts that some children find more enjoyable than the often stressful experience of participating in a team sport. There are many children who are not very good competitive athletes, but who may thoroughly enjoy being physically active. So the problem is, how do we design programs that reward physical activity and fitness for these without tying physical fitness to winning, which is all to often the goal of team sports.