Tuesday, July 14, 2009

Michael Thurmond Six Week Body Makeover - Food Composition

By Rico Kidd

When you diet, you learn that food isn't just food; it's a means to build muscle, give you energy and store fat. Learning how food reacts with your body will give you a better understanding how to lose weight. Reprogramming your body's metabolism is the goal of the Six Week Body Makeover. This article will review different types of food and how it reacts with your body.

Carbohydrates have been given a bad name from popular diets like the Atkins diet. Carbohydrates are not your enemy; over consumption of carbohydrates is your enemy. Carbohydrates are the means to give your body energy. Food breaks down to sugar in your body and fuels your muscles and brain. Fruits, vegetables and grains like rice and pasta are forms of carbohydrates. There are two types of carbohydrates; simple and complex. Simple or "fast" carbs are converted to sugar at a faster rate than complex carbs. Sweet foods like refined sugar, candy, honey or molasses and most sweet fruits are examples of simple carbs. Complex carbs are converted to simple sugars at a slower rate. Examples of complex carbs are potatoes, yams, rice and other whole grains.

Protein is the main building block for building and maintaining muscle tissue, hair and vital organs. Protein comes from animal sources such as meat, fish and poultry. There are non-animal sources of protein. You can consume soy, legumes, nuts and combinations of partial proteins to substitute for animal proteins. The easiest way to get protein is through animal sources. It is hard to get an adequate amount of protein from non-animal sources. Many people worry about the fat content in protein. This is why you should choose proteins that are low in fat. A great source of low-fat protein is egg whites, skinless turkey, skinless chicken breast and many types of fish.

You need to limit the amount of fat in your diet as this is not an essential building block for your body. Fat is used as reverse energy in times where food is limited. However, in our society food is not scarce and is easily attainable. Many people eat too much fat and gain weight. Fat takes a long time for your metabolism to break down and generally gets stored in your fat cells.

If you are not eating a variety of foods, it might be a good idea to supplement some foods with vitamins. However, on the Six Week Body Makeover, you shouldn't have to supplement your diet with vitamins as you will be getting all the nutrition you need from the meals that are planned according to your body type.

About the Author:

No comments: