Performance Nutrition 301. The 4-Day Rotation Diet: Carbohydrates
Meal Frequency
The entire purpose of this article, as well as the article on protein and the one on healthy fat, is to make you aware of the importance of proper blood sugar and insulin management. Now that you have had a re-education about what to eat; you need to put that knowledge into regular practice by eating every 2 - 3 hours, for several reasons:
• Eating regularly keeps blood sugar and insulin levels steady. You cannot make progress if your insulin is not regulated through out the day.
• Your body does not expend calories if it thinks that they are not plentiful. We go into a low-metabolic mode if we do not have a regular source of calories. It is a defensive mechanism for famine, and to get your metabolism into high gear, you need to feed regularly.
• When you eat regularly, you do not get as hungry! One of the primary causes of overeating is a low frequency of feeding. Eat before you get hungry, and you’ll never need to eat the house.
• Your body digests food more efficiently when the meals are small.
Make sure every meal that you design has a little bit of each type of food, and you’ll never design a poor meal. A general guideline follows:
• The protein source should be tie size of your palm;
• You should have at least one vegetable;
• Always add at least one source of healthy fat.
How Much Is Too Much – Portion Size and Portion Control
At least initially, do not count calories. When you switch from the typical American diet to a more Paleolithic type of eating – low carbohydrate, higher protein and higher fat, your blood sugar and insulin levels typically take a little while to sort itself out, and it is not uncommon to feel hungrier than normal.
While you adjust, which may take anywhere from a few weeks to a month, eat as much as you need to satisfy your hunger at each sitting. DO NOT skip a feeding time, even if you are not hungry. When it is time to eat and you are not hungry, just make the meal small. Provided you continue to send a message to the body that calories are plentiful, you will come to a balance pretty quickly. Keep eating, and soon you’ll see your energy and vitality up, and your body fat down.
Additonal Information
Carbohydrate:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carbohydrate
Simple Sugar:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Monosaccharide
Disaccharide:http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/Carbohydrates.html#disaccharides
Polysaccahride:http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/C/Carbohydrates.html#polysaccharides
ATP:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adenosine_triphosphate
Glycemic Index / Glycemic Load Table:http://www.mendosa.com/GI_GL_Carb_data.xls
Cruciferous vegetables:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cruciferous_vegetables
DIM:http://www.dimfaq.com/index.htm
Environmental / xenoestrogens: http://www.physiqology.com/articles/lean-legs-estrogen/1/
Biosignature Modulation:http://www.physiqology.com/pages/weight-loss/
Paleolithic diet:http://www.paleodiet.com/
Wholefoods:http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/
Trader Joe’s:http://www.traderjoes.com/
Organic:http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_food
