About a month ago I said to a friend, “People do better with more information.” What I went on to discuss with her was the concept of motivation… How am I going to convince this client of mine, we can call her Debra, to do what I am asking? For Debra specifically, I explained why she had certain meals and snacks in her meal plan- she executed and had greater results. Debra was motivated by the why. One of the ‘why’ concepts that are often debated is the importance of nutrient timing.
Nutrient Timing and How it Matters
There is a large pool of clients that I work with who regularly eat healthy foods. We are not learning that an apple is healthier than Cheetos. In fact, one of the singular changes that we make together is when to eat those same healthy foods.
Part of the magic of an individualized meal plan is that it allows for each of our unique schedules which is significant. The right foods at the wrong time will sabotage your body composition goals.
Take a breath. Read that again.
Eating healthy foods at the wrong times of day WILL sabotage your effort to put on muscle, and/or get rid of body fat.
You may have noticed the impact of timing if you’ve ever had a food journal or kept a diary of what you eat and when. I read a lot of blogs, watch a lot of videos and listen to a lot of podcasts. I read this and I like it - so here it is again, “I didn't realize it, but my breakfast choices were impacting my whole day, leading to lots of snacking, as well as real peaks and valleys in my blood sugar."
How Does it Work?
Your body is made up of hormones. Hormones tell your brain and organs what to do and when to start or stop those actions. A dominant hormone in your body is insulin. You also have natural insulin rhythms. These rhythms are the reason you’re not hungry when you get out of bed, but also why you start to doze at 3 pm in the afternoon.
Insulin is an anabolic hormone, meaning that it builds both lean and fat mass. Its opposing hormone is glucagon. Glucagon is catabolic, meaning that it breaks down both lean and fat mass. When insulin is present, glucagon cannot be present. Therefore, if you want to break down fat in order to lean out, you need to focus on your insulin response to foods.
What stimulates the production of insulin? Insulin is stimulated by glucose, or sugars and carbohydrates. Do not fall into the trap of thinking that carbohydrates are now bad. They are not; we need carbohydrates for sustainability, energy, recovery, and strength just to name a few. What we need to do to reach our goals is manage when we have carbohydrates, what we eat with them, and what portion sizes we consume. Intentional nutrient timing can take advantage of insulin’s anabolic properties to help you while avoiding the same anabolic properties that don’t serve your goals. The long hours of not eating do not help balance your insulin levels therefore, one thing that I focus on with my clients is eating regularly throughout the day. In addition to affecting insulin, the timing of your food affects your ghrelin levels.
Okay, What is Ghrelin?
Ghrelin is the “hunger hormone” that tells your brain it needs food, which instigates an increase in appetite. Ghrelin is also guilty of increasing fat storage. If over the long-term you can achieve a lower level of ghrelin, chances of maintaining body composition and body weight are higher. Increasing muscle mass can lower overall ghrelin levels. Ghrelin is also highest right before a meal, so eating regularly (in appropriate amounts) can keep your ghrelin from rising too high, and therefore prevent the garbage-disposal-effect in your witching hours.
The things you did earlier in the day (like snoozing the alarm, running out the door to work, forgetting breakfast, grabbing a coffee in the breakroom mid-morning, and working through lunch) will steadily raise your ghrelin and can lead to overconsuming later in the day i.e., the “garbage-disposal-effect” where you grab anything in the pantry or the fridge and it doesn't matter what you eat, or how much- you still feel hungry. Next thing you know, you’ve eaten a bag of popcorn, a couple of handfuls of nuts, then 2 string cheese, an apple, then the dinner leftovers.
Okay, biochemistry aside- eating every few hours can terminate the binge-restrict cycle. The natural response to extended periods of fasting results in weight loss but also an increase in hunger, with subsequent overeating resulting in weight regain. This generally happens in 2 ways: daily (like I described above) or weekly, where we restrict the amount of food Monday through Friday and then overeat all weekend. We wake up Monday feeling awful and repeat the cycle.
Make it Happen-
Are you trying to lean out? Would you like improved muscle recovery and day-to-day energy? Is it time to reduce DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness)? Would you like to see more muscle growth or improved strength? Let’s talk nutrition after a workout- because this applies to you directly.
When- The old cliche rings true; the goal is about 15-60 minutes upon completion. So in reality, this means you come to the gym prepared with your snack or drink. It is in your bag to grab on your way out of the gym.
What- Let’s keep it simple- a carbohydrate and a protein, with fluid. This is easily executed with the classic idea of drinking a protein shake. Give it a try! Throw a shaker bottle in your gym bag that has a scoop of protein powder inside, and bring a carton of coconut water to mix with it.
Would you rather eat your post-workout? Try this:
Egg whites & Toast
Greek Yogurt and granola or Oats
Nonfat Cottage Cheese with Berries or Melon
Tuna fish with Crackers and pickles
Hummus with Veggies & Pita
Deli Sandwich
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