The Science of Healthy Eating

By Nelson Vergelwww.TestosteroneWisdom.com
There is so much confusing andcontradictory information out there about healthy eating.  I will try to summarize what I have learnedas a bodybuilder who wants to stay healthy as I age.  The choices of foods that we can now can havea significant effect not only on our body shape and quality of life, butalso  mortality and on how well we age.
The components of whole food.
Foods are made up of many different components—some are "micro" or smallerquantity nutrients, like vitamins, and some are "macro" or larger quantitynutrients. The three macro groups that compose the majority of our diets arecarbohydrates, proteins, and fats. These three units are the basic materialsthat fuel our activities and metabolism and maintain body composition.Selecting the best sources and amounts of these three macronutrients may helpto minimize metabolic disorders (such as high cholesterol and blood sugar) andprevent loss of lean body mass and accumulation of body fat.
The best carbohydrates.
Carbohydrates provide our body's main source of quick energy. Aftercarbohydrates are digested and after some processing by the liver, they arereleased into the bloodstream as a sugar called glucose to be delivered to thecells.
Throughout the majority of the last million years of ourevolution, the human diet consisted of animal carcasses, some seeds, nuts, andfibrous vegetable and fruit carbohydrate sources that are generallynutrient-rich with lots of water, but are not calorie-dense like processedfoods of today. The majority of these carbohydrate sources are vegetables,leaves, roots, and fruits (all rich in fiber). Because vegetable fiber tends toslow down digestion, a majority of the carbohydrates in these foods areabsorbed relatively slowly, inducing less blood sugar (glucose) and insulinspikes than processed sweets that contain no fiber. Some people call these"slow carbs."
It was only after the advent of agriculture that human beings wereintroduced to higher intakes of grains as carbohydrate sources. Higher intakesof grains deliver lots of calories. Additionally, some grains deliver theirsugar energy relatively quickly, especially if the grain is milled (whichremoves the fiber that slows down sugar absorption), as are the grains inbreads and pasta. Unless you are very active and exercise enough to metabolizenutrients more rapidly, this quick glucose release into the bloodstream cancreate a dysfunctional hormonal environment that can ultimately promoteobesity, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. This hormonal shift also has aprofound effect on lean body mass and fat metabolism, and possibly immunefunction. The key hormone involved in this problem is called insulin, producedby an organ called the pancreas.
Insulin and insulin resistance.
The hormone insulin is produced by the pancreas to control blood sugar andstore it in muscles for later use as glycogen. Insulin's main job in the bodyis to promote the delivery of sugar energy as glucose to cells. When a smallamount of glucose is delivered into the bloodstream, a small amount of insulinis produced by the pancreas to accompany it. When there is a large amount ofglucose, the pancreas works to produce a large amount of insulin to facilitateits delivery so that cells can take in as much glucose as possible. Extraglucose that cannot be taken in by the cells circulates in the bloodstream andcan be toxic to brain cells, so under normal circumstances, most of it is soonconverted into triglycerides (fat) in the liver to be stored for later use. Butwe have to be careful with high blood levels of triglycerides, since they arewhat feed fat cells.
The correct amount of carbohydrate sources will provide enoughsugar to give a healthy amount of glucose to the cells, but not too much atonce. Thus, levels of glucose and insulin in the bloodstream are not unusuallyelevated for any long period of time. The pancreas works, but it is notoverworked trying to keep up with an unusual demand for insulin.  However, in the U.S., muchof the diet consists not only of large amounts of high-calorie carbohydratesources, but also of carbohydrates from sweets and sodas, which are veryconcentrated sources of sugar. The net effect that intake of thesecalorie-dense carbohydrate foods creates is a bloodstream that is occasionallyflooded with large amounts of glucose, a pancreas that is overworked, and largeamounts of insulin and triglycerides circulating in the bloodstream. Note thatexcess insulin causes increased production of cholesterol.
Over time, these occasional glucose, triglyceride, and insulinfloods can cause a decrease in the sensitivity of the cells' response toinsulin, which reduces the cells' ability to take in glucose. Insensitivity toinsulin is called insulin resistance, and it is a serious consideration in metabolicproblems. Some HIV medications can worsen insulin resistance, so we need to beaware of nutritional considerations that can help. Ways to decrease insulinresistance are to exercise, follow a proper diet, and taking medications thatimprove insulin response. For instance, several studies have found that peopleconsuming an overall high-quality diet, rich in fiber and adequate in energyand protein, were less likely to gain fat. This is why it is best to select themajority of your carbohydrate intake from fiber-rich, slow-releasingcarbohydrate sources that do not contain an excessive amount of calories. Andthese good carbs should be accompanied by good sources of protein and fats.
Combining carbohydrates with protein, fiber, and fat.Protein, fiber, or fat will slow the absorption into the blood of glucose fromcarbohydrates, which helps to reduce the rise in blood sugar and insulinspikes. So, mixing carbohydrates with protein, fiber, and good fats is one wayto reduce their problematic effect on blood sugar and insulin. Ensure thatevery meal and snack you consume has a mix of these three macronutrients. Butwhat are the best fats, protein, and high-fiber carbohydrates sources outthere?
Fats and oils.
There are a number of different kinds of fats. There is motor oil, there isbutter, and there are essential fatty acids. The most important oil to keep aHonda running right is not the kind with essential fatty acids (EFAs), but ifyou want to help your body stay healthy and your immune system operating at itsbest, you had better consider getting these EFAs on a daily basis. They arecalled "essential" because your body cannot manufacture them, and must obtainthem from an outside source, like food or supplements. These oils are necessaryfor every critical function in your metabolism, including building lean bodymass and fighting infections.
The main point is that since we need EFAs and other fats forhealth, we should be getting them in our diets from fresh, high-qualitysources. A proper diet reduces the amount of starchy carbohydrates whilemaintaining a certain amount of healthy fats so that there is a differentmacronutrient balance than the old high-carbohydrate, high-protein, low-fatdiets contained. This means striving to get fatty acids from several sources,the least of which are the saturated fats in butter or animal fat. Understandthat saturated fats are not the demons we have been led to believe. When werealize that we evolved getting a certain amount of saturated fat from foods inthe wild, it is only logical that they would have a place in a healthy diet.One recent study showed that dietary saturated fat and mono-unsaturated fatwere associated with healthy testosterone production in humans, while EFAs hadno effect. So it appears that we need a little saturated fat for optimalhormonal health. However, most people get far too much saturated fat, whichpromotes insulin resistance and metabolic problems, and not enough EFAs, whichare needed for healthy cells and immune function.
The other important kind of fat that we should consciously includein our daily diet is mono-unsaturated fat, which we get from foods like oliveoil. Recent data have shown that mono-unsaturated fats decrease the risk ofcertain cancers, and have an anti-inflammatory effect.
Fatty acid recommendations.
EFAs include the omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. Most people get an imbalanceof these two by consuming too small an amount of omega-3 fats, which haveanti-inflammatory properties, and relatively too large an amount of omega-6fats, which tend to promote inflammation when out of balance. To get moreomega-3s, eat more fish, including salmon, tuna, sardines, anchovies, mackerel,rainbow trout, and herring. Omega-6s are contained in common vegetable oils,like sunflower, safflower, and corn oils. Try to reduce your intake of these.
Oils and cooking.
Olive oil is one of the best oils to cook with. You can also cook withhigh-oleic sunflower oil, avocado, canola, macadamia, or any oil that is highin mono-unsaturated fatty acids.
Avoid cooking with oils made from corn and sesame. These oilscontain more omega-6 fats, and less mono-unsaturated fats, so they have ahigher potential for spoiling and turning to trans-fats, which are bad for theimmune system. Try to avoid any intake of these oils when they are notabsolutely fresh.
Also, choose oils that are minimally processed. Most of the clearoils in supermarkets are stripped of some of their natural components to makethem more suitable for sitting on store shelves for long periods of timewithout spoiling. Do not use these stripped oils. When you do cook, do notoverheat the oil so that it smokes, which causes the formation of carcinogensand destroys the beneficial fatty acids.
Avoid margarine, hydrogenated fats, or processed oils.
Do your best to avoid processed fats or oils, as they have negative effects oncellular health, overall metabolism, and your immune system. Look out for thewords hydrogenated and partially-hydrogenated. These kinds of manipulated fatsprobably do increase the risk of cancer and heart disease. They also weakenhealthy cellular immune metabolism. Lastly, they are also likely to promotehigh lipid levels and insulin resistance.
Protein, food for the immune system.
Dairy protein fractions, such as caseine (contained in milk curd) and whey, areat the top of the list of proteins that optimally feed lean body mass growth.In dairy products, the amino acid balances, insulin-raising potential, andoverall growth factor content add up to one thing: milk proteins were createdto make mammals grow bigger. While there is a lot of hoopla related to whichdairy protein fractions are best, there is more misinformation than reality inthis area. Those with lactose intolerance should be careful in their selectionof milk-based products. Aged cheeses and yogurt may be more tolerable for thosewho cannot digest lactose.
Egg protein.
Next on the list are egg proteins. The important thing to remember is thatwhole egg is probably somewhat better than egg white for lean body mass growthand overall health effect, because the yolk is a rich nutrient source, and itsprotein content complements the protein in the egg white. Together they are abetter source of protein.
Meat protein.
While real food like meat often seems to take a back seat to protein powdersbecause of a mindset created by slick advertising, professional athletes knowthe value of real food related to lean body mass growth. If you do not makereal food and meat fundamentals in your diet, you will not grow lean body masstissue as well. Fish, chicken, turkey, and beef are vitally important foods,not only because of their protein content, but because they contain numerousother nutritional components that are important for a healthy metabolism. Themessage is: eat real food, then supplement food with protein powder drinks ifyou need them.Lean red meat is a superior source for lean body mass growth andblood-building nutrients. These include creatine, carnitine, phenylalanine,conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), and heme- (blood) iron, the most absorbableform of iron. And meat, in general, is less likely to cause allergic reactionsthan eggs or dairy proteins, like casein and whey. The only caution about redmeat is that the high amount of saturated fat most commercial red meat containscould promote metabolic problems. So be moderate about including it in yourdiet and choose leaner meats if you do.
Important details on meat: cooking kills bacteria in meats. Stewedmeat is better for digestion (chicken soup, beef stew). Roasting is okay. Trynot to fry or barbecue with charcoal. Charred foods are associated withincreased risk of gastrointestinal system cancers. Any cooking of meat orvegetable protein that causes the formation of a hard outer skin renders the proteinthat becomes the skin to be much less digestible because it cross-links theprotein.
Vegetarian diets
It is very difficult to gain lean muscle weight on a vegetarian diet. In fact,it is almost impossible for most people, especially when they are fightinginfections that burn lean body.  
If you do choose a vegetarian diet, your best protein sources arebeans, seeds and nuts. Digestion of nuts and seeds will be improved by soakingthem overnight to reduce the enzymes they contain that inhibit digestion ofproteins. If you can eat them without digestive problems, many nuts and seedsare ideal foods because they contain protein, healthy fat, and complexcarbohydrates in a very good balance for overall health. They also make a greatsnack between meals. However, the amino acid balances in these proteins do notappear to be optimum for lean body mass growth for humans. 
Calcium and vitamin D—two important micronutrients
We know that calcium and vitamin D help to strengthen bone. Many of us chose totake calcium plus vitamin D supplements, but there are also foods that are richin these nutrients. Calcium-rich foods include milk, cheese, spinach, fortifiedorange juice (be careful with the sugar, though!), fish, eggs, and beans.Vitamin D-rich foods include milk, most fish, and eggs. However, most of us donot consume the 1000 mg and 2000 IU needed per day for calcium and vitamin D,respectively, and need to take over-the-counter supplements.
Miscellaneous nutrition tips·        For your food, shopmostly in the outer part of the grocery store where the fresh produce, meats,and milk products/eggs are. Avoid overly processed canned or packaged foods,except for frozen vegetables. Read the labels and avoid products with manypreservatives and additives. Trans-fats and hydrogenated oils, high fructosecorn syrup, and high sugar should be on your radar when reading labels. ·        Try to eat several smallerbalanced (protein + good carbs + good fats) meals or snacks instead of two tothree large ones. Smaller meals/snacks are more easily digestible, keep bloodsugar and insulin more constant through the day, and keep you from binge eatinglate at night.·        Eat more almonds,walnuts, pecans and pistachios (good cholesterol-lowering fats). Twice a day,snack on such nuts to get your good fats and fiber. If you wish, mix them withsome dried fruit. Research has shown that people who eat nuts tend to have lowerLDL cholesterol.·        Avoid junk and fastfood. The best way to do this is to have enough food at home and to bring lunchto work. Cook a lot of food on weekends and freeze meals in small containersyou can heat up later.·        Do not sabotage yourselfby bringing sweets and junk into your home. Watch your cravings at night, whenmost people find it the most difficult to avoid overdrinking alcohol or eatingice cream, cookies, and comfort foods.·        Eat a large breakfast, amoderate lunch, and a small dinner. Skipping breakfast makes you more prone toovercompensate by eating more calories late in the day. Your body has spentseveral hours without food and is starved for nutrients in the morning. Do notfeed it sugar and white flour products at this important time. Eggs, oatmeal(the type that has no added sugar, and you can add whey protein powder to it!),Greek-style yogurt with nuts and fiber supplements, low-fat cottage cheese withfruit, almond butter on multigrain (high-fiber) bread, and fruit are all goodchoices for breakfast.·        For lunch have some soupand a glass of water first and wait 10 minutes to trick your body into feelingfull faster. Grilled chicken with vegetables, tuna salad over greens and nuts,a Greek salad with sliced steak, and any Mediterranean food choices are good.·        For dinner, fillyourself with stir-fried (use olive oil!) vegetables and lean meats. Two hoursbefore bed, you can have half an almond butter sandwich or yogurt with fruit.You will not be hungry and desperate with this diet!·        Eat fruits andvegetables of all colors. Each has a different antioxidant profile. The producesection of the market is basically a fresh vitamin department and a medicinechest. Some foods like garlic, onions, and ginger have genuine therapeuticeffects. Eating the widest variety of fresh produce on a daily basis assuresyou of getting all the ingredients that nature provides that can help keep yourbody strong enough to handle bacteria and viruses so that you stay healthy.·        Avoid sodas, sweetdrinks, and fruit juices (fruit sounds healthy, but juice contains too muchsugar and no fiber to slow down its absorption into the blood).  Consuming sugar daily canaffect your metabolism, create insulin resistance, make you fat, and have allkinds of negative health consequences. The suggested pecking order ofcarbohydrate food sources that support your health without increasing insulinresistance follows. Best are vegetables in their many forms. Next are beans andpeas. These deliver more calories than vegetables, but the carbohydratesrelease much more slowly than grains. Next are whole grains, which arecalorie-dense but contain carbohydrates that, in general, release somewhatslowly. At the bottom, and the most likely to promote body fat problems, arecarbohydrates from milled grains, like wheat and corn. Whole grains aremarginally better than processed grains, but when they are milled into flourthe difference is not that great. The very worst carbohydrate sources aresweets, like candies, which can deliver as many as 2,000 calories per pound.Try to eat from the first group of slow-release carbohydrate sources most ofthe time, and if you are relatively healthy, you can have small amounts ofmilled wheat products or sweets once in awhile.·        Drink lots of water. Sixto eight glasses a day is a good goal. If you get thirsty, you are alreadydehydrated!·        Eat a high-protein,complex carbohydrate-rich meal after workouts. Examples: chicken salad withnuts, cottage cheese or yogurt and nuts/fruit, celery sticks and hummus(chickpea butter), etc.·        Manage your intake ofcaffeine (it reduces appetite but can increase anxiety). Do not have anycaffeine after 4 p.m., since it can impair your sleep.·        Minimize hidden sugarslike high fructose corn syrup. Read the labels of food you buy. Diet sodas tendto make your brain crave sweets in general, so they are not good substitutesfor sugary drinks. Water, water, water!·        If you do not consume atleast 20 grams of fiber a day, add to your intake supplements like Citrucell orBenefiber, purchased in any grocery store. Fiber improves insulin sensitivity,makes you feel full longer, keeps your gut healthy (friendly gut bacteria thatproduce vitamins love fiber), keeps you regular and reduces diarrhea,and can lower the chances of getting colon cancer. ·        Eating healthy is eatingsmart, and it does not mean that you should starve yourself. Hopefully, thisinformation has shed some light on healthy food sources and how they can affecthealth and the bodySo, take charge of your health and take care of your body.It is the only one you have.
HealthyEating Shopping List
1.Produce·        Spinach and other green leafyvegetables·        Broccoli and cabbage·        Green beans·        Avocados·        Raspberries and all berries. You canbuy frozen ones and add to whey protein shakes·        Whole fruits (remember no juices).·        Sweet potatoes, carrots·        Hummus·        Beans and other legumes (you can buycanned or frozen ones)2.Nuts, Grains, Oil·        Mix of almonds and other nuts·        Peanut, almond, and cashew butterswithout hydrogenated oil   (the   healthy  nut   butters   show   oil  and   butter separated since the lack of hydrogenated oils preventsemulsification)·        Pumpkin and sunflower seeds·        Wild rice (the darker the rice, thebetter)·        Whole grain breads and pasta·        High fiber crackers ·        Oatmeal (not the little packets; thoseare loaded with sugars)·        Olive oil3.Dairy·        Low fat milk, cheese·        Yogurt (Greek style, no sugar added)·        Eggs (free range or Omega 3 enrichedif possible)4.Meat·        Lean meats·        Salmon, sardines and tuna·        Occasional glass of red wine per day(optional)5.Supplements·        Whey protein (I like the Isopurebrand since it does not give me gut problems and it is very light)·        Vitamin D·        A multivitamin (Super Nutrition'sSuper Blend)·        Fish Oils NELSON VERGEL,  achemical engineer from Venezuela, created the Program for Wellness Restoration (PoWeR) andfounded the Body Positive Wellness Center in Houston. Nelson haslectured extensively around the country and overseas, and with his researchpartner, Michael Mooney, co-authored the book Built to Survive. In 2011,he wrote and published Testosterone: A Man's Guide—Practical Tips for BoostingPhysical, Mental and Sexual Vitality (available on amazon.com)