Student's Questions

I had my students from my classes at the university write down some questions they had regarding diet and nutrition. The next few posts will be responses to those questions.

As I've stated before, I'm not a registered dietitian, doctor, ect. but I will answer the questions as best I can and refer you to secondary sources that are based on the latest peer-reviewed scientific literature. I hope this provides a springboard for discussion and food for thought (no pun intended) amongst yourselves. This is a lot of information, so try to not get overwhelmed. This is to show you that this is just the tip of the iceberg on nutrition education and there is so much to learn.

(a reminder to my students, to get the 10 pts. for the assignment, you need to read as well as comment, please sign your name at the end of your comment)

1. What are the roles of protein, fat, and carbohydrates in the diet? What should be the percentage of calories from protein, fat, and carbohydrates?

Click here for a quick lesson on the basics of nutrition. 80-10-10 is optimal. 80% carbohydrates (starches, not refined carbohydrates like white sugar, white flour), 10% protein, 10% fat. For some, especially if you are a healthy weight, you may afford to up your percentage of fat to 15%. The American Heart Association recommends no more than 30% (which I personally think is too high, but there you have it).

Click here to read about why other percentages (the Atkins, 40-50-10, 40% protein, 50% fat, and 10% carbohydrates for example) aren't as beneficial in terms of meeting daily requirements and preventing against cancer and disease.

2. How can we find out the proper amount of calories we should have according to weight, age....?

Check out http://www.halls.md/body-mass-index/av.htm.

3. How do you know if you need supplements?

Ideally you are reaching your daily requirements for vitamins and nutrients through the whole foods. We do live in a world however, where much of the food we consume is overly processed and refined, depleting our foods of their inherent nutrients. That said, isolated vitamins in the form of pills are no guarantee to good health (T.C. Campbell makes an excellent case for this in his book The China Study). You cannot eat a cheeseburger, pop a multi-vitamin and expect the negative affects of that cheeseburger (cholesterol, fat, sodium, and lack of fiber) to be erased.
Supplements are not the answer to good health. That said, there may be some benefits to taking a good multi-vitamin, but know that this is no replacement for good dietary and lifestyle choices. Additionally, most Americans do not suffer from vitamin deficiencies (such as rickets or scurvy) but from nutrient excesses (excess of macro nutrients such as fat and protein which contribute towards a number of illnesses such as obesity, heart disease, ect.).

Your money is best spent first at the grocery store on quality, fresh produce and foods and then if you feel so inclined, do some research and spend wisely on the supplements you feel are beneficial. Personally, I take a B-12 supplement (because I am vegan) along with other things such as spirulina and barley grass (green juice powders). There is a case to be made for vitamin-D, particularly if you do not go out in the sun frequently.

Another thing to remember is that these supplement companies are out to make money, so be wary and cautious of exorbitant or unrealistic claims: there is no magic pill. True health comes from a variety of good lifestyle and dietary choices.

4. How did you lose your weight after you had your kids?

Exercise 5-6 days a week for at least an hour in addition to eating a low-fat whole foods diet. I was consistent and worked hard.

5. What should a person's weight be according to their height?

This is referred to as BMI. You can calculate your BMI here.

6. How much hard cardio do I need a week to help me lose weight faster?

For weight loss it is recommended that you need to do cardiovascular exercise for 60 minutes a day, 5-6 days of the week. For maintenance it is less, however I recommend that everyone, no matter their status get moving for at least an hour a day. Good choices to burn calories and fat include: running, bicycling, swimming, walking. A good rule of thumb is on average, you burn approximately 100 calories per mile you run or walk. Weight lifting, Pilates, and yoga are good forms of exercise but do not qualify as aerobic. I recommend including these as part of your workout regimen. This constitutes more of a well-rounded cross-training focus. Remember, it is also important to change your diet, which includes your caloric intake. You must burn more calories than you consume to lose weight. Avoid skipping meals or severe calorie restriction (below 1200 calories). Slow and steady weight loss is best.