Eating Healthy - Are You Nuts?!



Once upon a time there was a bear and a bee who lived in a wood and were the best of friends.  All summer long the bee collected nectar from morning to night while the bear lay on his back basking in the long grass.  When winter came the bear realised he had nothing to eat and thought to himself "I hope that busy little bee will share some of his honey with me". But the bee was nowhere to be found - he had died of stress induced coronary disease. - Banksy 2005.

Healthy eating.....hmmmm a subject that is so easy to dismiss. In an age where our time is so precious to us all, grabbing a quick food fix is usually the easiest option in between training.  Burgers, fries, regular sandwiches, chocolate, crisps or whatever the choices are, they can all be classed as fast foods. These same fast foods are convenient and can be scoffed on the go, but how many of us REALLY take the time to read what's written on the labels?  I can guarantee that if we all did a little bit of research and looked into what we were eating, many of us would be frightened into changing our eating habits overnight.  We've all heard the stories about McD's (Supersize me), stories about additives etc.... If you are serious enough to really get into the whole diet thing, that's entirely up to you to do in your own time. This piece is here to highlight a few facts and to show that with a few little alterations to our eating patterns, we can still eat 'on the go' and do so in the knowledge that we are consuming what can be classed as power foods. After all the old saying of 'you are what you eat' is so true and with Parkour practitioners continually finding their path and taking their training more seriously by the day, surely covering all bases makes complete sense?

There is one culprit at large in the food circuit and it is called HFCS.  You see, in the 1970's most sweets were made with simple white sugar.  This was still shit for you but it was what it was....You sated your sweet tooth, your body absorbed the calories and you felt full quite quickly.  But soon after, food manufacturers discovered an easier and cheaper way to make fizzy drinks, cereals, yogurts and over 40,000 other manufactured foods taste sweeter. They developed HFCS which is derived from Corn (maize).  Today HFCS is used in a frightening amount of foods including ketchup, pasta, sauces and crackers and its screwing up our metabolic systems big time!!
Mechanically our systems work like this; when we eat any form of carbohydrate like bread or fruit, our bodies release insulin to regulate our body weight - pushing those carb calories into our muscles to be used as energy later on.  Then like a shut off system on a petrol pump, our appetites are suppressed.  The real problem is that fructose doesn't stimulate insulin anywhere near as much as regular sugar (sucrose) does, so our bodies don't register it in the same way.  This is why it's possible to consume a whole 2 litre bottle of coke in one sitting.  In the 70's this would have been almost impossible, but today, HFCS makes the same number of calories go down and amazingly still leaves us hungry for more. Our muscles still need energy so we crave more food.  The more food we eat with HFCS in, the more we go around in circles......Less energy, more flab. In order to wise up, we don't need to eliminate these foods totally, we just need to be more aware of them so that our diets don't depend on them.

Ok, factual spiel over, where the hell do we go from here?  "All this talk of dieting and reading labels is giving me a headache!! I'm happy with my Chicken nuggets and a 'healthy' salad".  If that's what you are thinking, fine.  You'll pay for it further on down the line.  For those interested in shaping up, there are simple power foods listed below that will make a huge difference, and won't have you going on a treasure hunt in order to find hidden between all the doughnuts and crisps in any supermarket.

If ever in doubt, refer to this line - ABS DIET POWER

A is for Almonds and other nuts.
B is for Beans.
S is for Spinach and other green vegetables.

D is for Dairy (Fat free or low fat milk or yogurt).
I is for instant and quick cooking oats (unsweetened, unflavoured).
E is for Eggs
T is for Turkey, other lean meats and fish.

P is for Peanut Butter.
O is for Olive Oil.
W is for Wholegrain cereal and bread.
E is for Extra protein (whey) powder.
R is for Raspberries and other berries.

What's so special about the foods listed?
Almonds and other nuts - Helps builds muscle and fights cravings. Contains protein, monounsaturated fats, vitamin E, fibre, magnesium, folic acid (peanuts), phosphorus.  Fights against obesity, heart disease, muscle loss, wrinkles, cancer, high blood pressure.  *Try to stay away from nuts that are salted or flavoured.
Beans - Helps build muscle, helps burn fat, regulates digestion. Contains fibre, protein, iron, folic acid. Fights against obesity, colon cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure. *Stay away from fried beans which are rich in saturated fats and baked beans because they are high in sugar.
Spinach - Neutralises free radicals which are molecules that accelerate the ageing process. Contains vitamins A,C and K; folic acid; minerals including calcium and magnesium; fibre; beta-carotene. Fights against cancer, heart disease, strokes, obesity, osteoporosis.

Dairy - Builds strong bones and fires up weight loss. Contains calcium, vitamins A and B12, riboflavin, phosphorus and potassium. Fights against osteoporosis, obesity, high blood pressure, cancer, *Stay clear of whole fat milk and frozen yogurt.
Instant and quick cooking oats - Boosts energy, reduces cholesterol, maintains blood sugar levels.  Contains complex carbohydrates and fibre. Fights against heart disease, diabetes, colon cancer, obesity.  *Stay away from cereals with added sugar and high fructose corn syrup.
Eggs - Builds muscle and burns fat.  Contains protein, vitamin B12, vitamin A.  Fights against obesity.
Turkey and other lean meats - Builds muscle and improves the immune system. Contains protein, iron, zinc, creatine (beef), omega-3 fatty acids (oily fish), vitamin B6 (chicken and fish) and B12, phosphorus, potassium.  Fights against obesity and various diseases.  Steer clear of sausages, streaky bacon, cured meats, ham, fatty cuts of steak like T-bone and Rib-eye.
Peanut Butter - Boosts testosterone, builds muscles, burns fat.  Contains protein, monounsaturated fat, vitamin E, niacin, magnesium. Fights against obesity, muscle loss, wrinkles, cardiovascular disease.  *Stay away from the mass-produced sugary and trans fatty peanut butters.
Olive Oil - Lowers cholesterol and boosts the immune system. Contains monounsaturated fat, vitamin E. Fights against obesity, cancer, heart disease, high blood pressure. *Stay away from vegetable and hydrogenated vegetable oils, trans fatty acids, margarine and reduced fat spreads.
Wholegrain cereal and Bread - Prevents your body from storing fat. Contains fibre, protein, thiamin, riboflavin, niacin, pyridoxine, vitamin E, magnesium, zinc, potassium, iron, calcium. Fights against obesity, cancer, high blood pressure, heart disease. *Stay clear of bakery products like white bread, bagels and doughnuts.  Also keep an eye out for breads labelled wheat rather than wholewheat.

Extra Protein (whey) Powder - Builds muscle and burns fat. Contains protein, cysteine, glutathione. Fights against obesity. *Stay away from soya protein.
Raspberries and other berries - Protects your heart, enhances eyesight, improves balance, coordination and short term memory. Also prevents cravings. Contains antioxidants, fibre, vitamin C, tannins (cranberries). Fights against heart disease, cancer, obesity. *Stay away from jams, most of which eliminate fibre and add sugar.

Over the next few weeks will come some easy to make recipes for power meals while on the go......

*To find out more about this subject in depth, check out 'The Abs diet - Eat right every time guide' by David Zinczenko

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