Carbo Loading, Exercise and Low Carb Diets – Part 1
I’m a member of a local running group, and “carbo loading” is encouraged in the week leading up to a race. I find this 
amazing, since I thought that went out in the 80’s! However, it is still alive and well in various endurance sports groups.
The fact is that the fuel you want to use during endurance exercise is fat, not sugar. “Carbo loading” simply ensures that you have full glycogen stores, which means using sugar for fuel. The more efficient you are at fat burning, the longer you will be able to go. Stu Mittleman (Slow Burn), one of the great distance runners of all time, eats a diet of 40-30-30 (carbs-protein-fat) most of the time, but when he is training for an event, he increases his fat intake to about 50%- not the carbs!
So I would say (and the science would agree) that there is no point in carbo loading before an event, unless you want to store some extra fat (don’t laugh, it’s probably a good idea for English Channel swimmers!)
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15 – Healthy self-assertiveness and dealing with negativity
(duration 17:48)
Kevin’s fast food nation experiences while driving to San Fran…
http://healthymindfitbody.com/2009/12/24/fast-food-nation/
Discussion of recent comments on our last podcast…
http://healthymindfitbody.com/2009/12/18/14-living-low-carb-with-guest-amy-dungan/
Thanks again, Angie, for your valuable input about healthy eating challenges in relation to others!
The “tall poppy syndrome” definitely needs to be countered
Self-assertiveness and courage can enable emotional understanding and empathy with others
The topic of eating is pretty much unavoidable
Individuation and self-esteem can help you deal with those in your social circles
How you treat your body is how you treat your emotions (and vice versa)
The first step to recovery is self-acceptance
bumper music “All In My Head” (Remix) – http://www.kosheen.com
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Fast Food Nation
Today, I drove from my home in San Diego, CA to my parents’ home in the SF Bay Area. It’s about an 8 hour drive (well with L.A. traffic it took me almost 9!), and I like to make my stops brief.
On road trips I always bring plenty of snacks. Today I munched on cashews and a Mojo Bar (lower carb cliff bar). But, snacking for me is not enough, and within 8 hours I need a substantial meal. Today I pulled off the highway in the middle of nowhere to gas up and get lunch. My options were:
Pizza Hut
Popeyes Chicken
Subway
Wendy’s
Taco Bell
McDonald’s
In N Out Burger
(Yes it was a major truck stop in podunk, CA!)
While I was leaning towards going to In N Out and ordering a burger “protein style” (meaning, no bun), I was concerned about the wait. So I opted for Subway (I ended up waiting 20 minutes in line anyway!). I ordered the Subway Melt, and the bread options were limited so I ordered it on Flat Bread (which is just as high in carbohydrates as my other options). I’m not crazy about Subway because: 1) even with peeling off some of the bread, it’s still a lot of carbs, 2) the meat they use is processed and has nasty nitrates and phosphates as preservatives, and 3) it’s very average-tasting.
Here’s the calorie breakdown of the Subway Melt:
Total Fat: 12g
Total Carb: 48g
Total Protein: 28g
Total Sodium: 1620mg
Wow. Well, if you take out let’s say 1/4 of the bread, as I did today, it’s still a little carb-heavy but not too bad. But that 1620mg of sodium is shocking to me. No wonder I was so thirsty after eating that sandwich!
I guess I’m still searching for something healthy in the fast food nation of truck stops!
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New Coconut Oil Discovery: Tasty, Healthy, and Affordable
I was in need of some coconut oil the other day and went to my local Henry’s market, which specializes in hard-to-find 
health food items. I noticed they had Nature’s Way Pure Extra Virgin Coconut Oil on sale for $8.99 for 16 oz. Not knowing what the taste would be like, I rolled the dice and tried this new brand.
I dug right in and tried some plain when I left the store. It smelled and tasted like pure coconut! Mind-blowingly good and tasted like I was eating a dessert of some kind.
It says on the label that it contains “62% MCTs”, which is the content of medium-chain fatty acids. MCTs are what make coconut oil special. This is one of the good saturated fats that we have discussed on Healthy Mind Fit Body podcast. These fats have been shown to help to lower the risk of both atherosclerosis and heart disease, as well as improve the immune system.
You can use coconut oil for cooking, adding to dressings or smoothies, or eating straight. The label on the jar also says you can use coconut oil for skin care and hair care!
I found several places you can order it online for less than $8.00, including this one.
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14 – Living Low Carb with Guest Amy Dungan
(duration 22:18)
Amy Dungan joined us from http://healthylowcarbliving.com
The insulin factor in fat gain and fat storage is often overlooked
To prevent “yo-yo” dieting, it’s important make permanent changes to your eating lifestyle
Explore important facts and common myths
http://healthylowcarbliving.com/myths/
Given that our culture is inundated with carbs, a “low-carb” diet is actually just lower carbs
Low fat/high carb diets foster hunger pains and more carb cravings
There is no real need to eat a certain amount of carbs, but your body will definitely malfunction without fat and protein
Aside from the insulin factor, gluconeogenesis explains a lot about the metabolic advantage from a low-carb diet
Make sure to eat quality foods; they may be more expensive, but you’ll save physically and medically in the long run!
Focus on measuring your bodyfat percentage on occasion, rather than stepping on the weight scale every day!
Per unit volume, muscle is more dense than fat and weighs more
You can be motived while you lose weight by keeping your vision of your future self in mind (generating a new self-image and self-concept), as well as by getting positive feedback from people in your social circle
Our culture of eating not-so-good foods can pose challenges to not succumb to negative peer pressure
Eating a lower carb diet will boost your immune system–and improve your blood readings–by reducing your insulin secretion
Very educational documentary film about food and eating:
http://fathead-movie.com/
The medical establishment and nutrition industry can only deny the errors of their ways for so long…
Lots of articles by Amy can be read at
http://www.examiner.com/x-659-St-Louis-LowCarb-Examiner
And follower her on twitter:
http://twitter.com/AmyDungan/
bumper music “All In My Head” (Remix) – http://www.kosheen.com
Feel free to rate and/or review our show on iTunes!
http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewPodcast?id=332309038
Also, please sign up – upper right corner of http://healthymindfitbody.com – to get the free bonus audio on the 3 Pillars Of Achieving Your Perfect Weight Using The Mind/Body Connection, as well as the newsletter
And please comment with your current weight loss or fitness challenges!
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