Nutrient Rich foods are in, for good!
The whole concept of Nutrient Rich, not only ushers in an actual
solution to personal and environmental health problems, it good for
business!
Nutrient Rich foods have opened us up to the new world of nutrient
rich nutrition; similar ideas to what we learned in the old story of
nutrition, but a very different premise… sustainability!
Information providers love talking about it as there is so much new
information to discover and contrast to the old, doctors love
recommending it because their patients actually get well, food
manufacturers want to produce “Nutrient Rich” foods (at least try to in
some cases) because the products work (not because you get addicted to
then (as in health food products that are really junk foods), produce
farmers are tickled pink (obviously), supplement makers couldn’t be
happier since food bars, dehydrated whole food meal replacements and
drinks that are truly natural are such a convenient way to take in
nutrients, and even nutritionists are loving it.
The RD is finally talking about and focusing on a true model for
nutrition, about what you want in your diet and why you want to eat better nutrient rich foods, and not what you want to eat less of - nutrient poor foods.
Even the Performance community is on board.
Here is an article today by the New York times called. The Claim: Candy Can Hinder Athletic Performance.
John Allen Mollenhauer: I would add, not just your athletic performance, but your personal and professional performance in general.
Lamar Odom, the star forward for the Los Angeles Lakers, is
known for his outsized love of candy, sometimes downing entire bags of
chocolate and jelly beans on game day.
Last week, a doctor and Lakers fan wrote an essay linking Odom’s
sweet tooth to his “erratic” and sometimes lethargic play. Odom
countered that if anything the excessive sugar helps his performance.
But what do studies have to say?
According to research, candy before exercise can enhance
performance, but only to a point. Studies have shown, for example, that
when athletes eat a 180-calorie candy bar and then ride a stationary
bike for an hour — sprinting for the final 15 minutes — they perform
better than on days when they drink only water beforehand. But on days
when the subjects eat a solid meal a few hours earlier and then have
sugar before riding, they do better than on just the sugar alone.
Candy can be as efficient as healthier options like fruit, and
because people typically secrete little insulin during exercise,
crashing is unlikely, said Nancy Clark, a sports nutritionist. But
candy lacks nutrients that are critical to things like bone strength
and post-exercise recovery.
For best results, pre-exercise meals should combine protein and easily digestible carbohydrates.
THE BOTTOM LINE
Sugar can work as quick fuel for exercise, but nutrient-rich foods are better.
From nutrientrich.com