ByShereen Jegtvig,

What Is Nutrient Density

How do you decide which foods you want to eat? Flavor? Texture? Convenience? Comfort? Many people choose the foods they eat based on immediate gratification, without much thought about the long-term effects of their selections. That often results in choosing foods that taste good, but are not good for you.

What about the nutritional value of the foods you eat? When you choose your foods, be sure to consider the nutrient density of the foods. Nutrient density refers to the amount of nutrients for the given volume of food. Nutrient-dense foods have lots of nutrients, generally with fewer calories. All those superfoods you’ve heard about are nutrient dense foods. Energy-dense foods have more calories for the volume of food and generally fewer nutrients.

How Nutrient Density Works

You are hungry and it is a few hours until dinner so you decide you want a snack. You can choose either an apple or a glazed donut. They are roughly the same size and either food works as a quick snack so you can get back to work. Which one do you choose?

Hopefully you chose the apple. Why? The apple has around 80 calories and lots of vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals that will keep you healthy. The fiber and water in the apple will fill your stomach and keep you satisfied until dinner.

The donut has calories. Lots of calories. In fact, the donut has more than 200 calories but it doesn’t have many nutrients. There is only about one gram of fiber so it won’t keep you feeling full either, so eating that glazed donut will frequently lead to eating a second one. The donut also has lots of unhealthy saturated fat and plenty of sugar. Sure it tastes good, but your body might pay quite a price for the immediate gratification.

You can also compare nutrient density using the amount of calories in the food rather than volume or portion size. Let’s compare a cup of carrot slices to four saltine crackers. Both snacks have about 50 calories, but the carrots have many more nutrients for the same number of calories. The carrots are nutrient dense; the crackers are energy dense. This is important for people on weight-loss diets. Foods that are low in calories, but high in fiber and other vitamins, will keep you satisfied and healthy while you lose weight.

Nutrient-Dense Superfoods

You can probably already see from the examples that brightly colored fruits and vegetables are big winners in nutrient density. That’s one reason why so many fruits and vegetables qualify as superfoods, or foods that are rich in nutrients and other compounds that have healthy benefits such as fiber, phytochemicals and essential fatty acids. The superfood fruits and vegetables include carrots, tomatoes, broccoli, kale, spinach, berries, apples, cherries, pomegranate and oranges.

Other nutrient-dense superfoods include salmon, tuna, trout, low-fat dairy products, oatmeal and whole grains, soy, dry beans sand even some fortified foods. On the other hand, energy-dense, nutrient-poor foods include things that are high in sugar and fat such as refined white breads, pasta, pastries, processed lunch meats and cheeses, ice cream, candy, soda, potato chips and corn chips. In other words, junk food.

Choosing nutrient-dense superfoods at the grocery store is pretty easy if you stay along the edges of the store, where the produce, fresh lean meats, low-fat dairy and fresh bakery goods are found. These fresh foods may be more expensive than the energy-dense packaged foods, but you buy more nutrition for that price. Of course, most shoppers choose some packaged foods for convenience, but you can still make smart choices with those products — just read the labels.

You can easily find the Nutrition Facts labels on the backs or sides of the packages. Look at the serving sizes, note the number of calories per serving and look at the amount of fiber, vitamins, calcium and iron. The packaged food that has the better combination of lower calories, higher nutrients and less sodium is the winner.

Nutrient-Dense Meals

You can prepare nutrient-dense meals by choosing nutrient-dense superfoods and ingredients for your dishes. A nutrient-dense meal should have one serving of a healthy protein source such as legumes, fish, poultry or low-fat meat. One serving is typically about the size of a pack of playing cards. The rest of the meal should be made up of healthy side dishes. Vegetables are always good, even with a little bit of cheese or sauce. Whole-grain pastas, brown rice and wild rice are good choices as well. A green salad with lots of vegetables can make a nice nutrient-dense superfoods side dish or can be a great meal on its own. Clear soups with lots of vegetables are nutrient-dense compared to cream soups which have more calories and are more energy dense.

Would I Ever Choose Foods That Are Energy-Dense?

People who are underweight need some energy-dense foods to make sure they are getting enough calories to gain weight. Healthy energy dense foods include peanut butter, dried fruits, starchy vegetables and cheese.

Why Should I Think About Nutrient Density?

Eating nutrient-dense food will ensure you are getting all the nutrition you need. A nutrient-dense diet won’t leave you feeling hungry so maintaining your weight is much easier. Choosing nutrient dense foods can become second nature. Once you understand which foods are more nutrient dense, the rest is easy. Just remember that the foods you eat can affect your health in a big way. To be healthy or unhealthy? The choice is yours.

_Sources:

_{Darmon N, Darmon, M, Maillot M, Drewnowski A. “A nutrient density standard for vegetables and fruits: nutrients per calorie and nutrients per unit cost.” J Am Diet Assoc. 2005 Dec;105(12):1881-7.}

_{Ledikwe JH, Blanck HM, Khan LK, Serdula MK, Seymour JD, Tohill BC, Rolls BJ. “Low-energy-density diets are associated with high diet quality in adults in the United States.” J Am Diet Assoc. 2006 Aug;106(8):1172-80.}

_{Drewnowski A. “Concept of a nutritious food: toward a nutrient density score.” Am J Clin Nutr. 2005 Oct;82(4):721-32.}

Scientists have argued about the optimal daily protein requirement for more than 100 years. The problem is complicated because athletes consume different amounts and types of proteins, ingest protein at different times of the day (i.e., mealtime or after exercise), and eat it with other nutrients.

A research review by Tom Ziegenfuss concluded that the optimal protein should contain all nine of the essential amino acids (not made by the body). Casein is an excellent food source because it is absorbed more slowly than soy or whey protein and promotes more protein synthesis in muscle. Whey protein (10 grams) consumed after exercise also triggers protein synthesis. Anabolic signaling from protein intake is more effective in younger people.

Athletes who want to maximize gains in muscle mass and strength should never train on an empty stomach and should consume a protein supplement shortly after exercise. The amino acid leucine is the most important food trigger for promoting protein synthesis. New advances in biochemistry have increased our knowledge of protein metabolism and muscle hypertrophy. (Strength Conditioning Journal, 32: 65-70, 2010)

A 6-pack is the hallmark of having a ripped body. No fitness or figure competitor would be caught without one. However, for those of us who didn’t win the genetic lotto when it comes to flat abs, achieving a 6-pack isn’t as simple as doing ab exercises and watching what you eat.

Instead, you need to hunker down and tweak your diet to perfection. Try these 10 strategies and soon you’ll want bathing suit season to be a year-round event.

Whey Less 

Whey helps build muscle tissue, that’s old news. But, did you know that its rich leucine content also means it stimulates fatty acid oxidation (leucine also upregulates muscle protein synthesis while decreasing muscle protein breakdown). A 2006 study showed that adding 60 grams of whey protein/day, in comparison to 60 grams of soy protein or 60 grams of carbohydrate, led to significant decreases in body fat and weight after 6 months.

Whey protein has also been shown to increase satiety. Increase satiety and theoretically you should eat less later! You’ll be less hungry at least. Whether or not you eat is up to you.

Bone Up On Dairy 

Aside from the obvious bone-building and blood pressure lowering benefits of dairy, researchers at the University of Tennessee stumbled on a potential connection between calcium and weight several years ago. Dairy companies became giddy about this research and started putting “weight management” claims on yogurt products and in milk commercials.

While some subsequent studies showed that calcium may help with weight management, others revealed that consuming calcium had no effect on weight.

Clinical trial data may be mixed in part due to the study length or the fact that supplemental calcium, versus dairy products, was used in the some of the studies. Why does the source matter? Because dairy products also contain vitamin D.

Some Studies Showed That Calcium
May Help With Weight Management.

One 24-week weight loss study in obese adults showed that body weightloss was 26% greater in the high calcium group (1,200-1,300 mg calcium/day through diet and supplementation) but an astounding 70% greater in the high dairy group (1,200-1,300 mg calcium/day obtained solely through dairy foods).

Fat loss was also significant in both groups though much greater in the group obtaining calcium through dairy products, 38% and 64% respectively from each group. In this study, dairy was superior over supplemental calcium.

Vitamin D is inextricably linked to calcium because it promotes calcium absorption. In addition to the importance of vitamin D in maintaining normal blood calcium levels, lab research shows that calcium and vitamin D may work together to regulate fat metabolism in fat cells by suppressing fat synthesis and sparking fat oxidation (burning). In addition, low circulating levels of vitamin D have been linked to excess adipose (fat) tissue.

Eat Large Quantities Of Food 

Remember the book Eat More, Weigh Less? There was some truth to the title. For several years now, Penn State University researcher Dr. Barbara Rolls, has been studying how the volume of food in a meal affects our satiety and therefore the number of calories we ingest. A concept she has termed Volumetrics.  

How does Volumetrics work? Rolls tells us that we should focus on the energy density of foods and consume foods with low energy density, those that are low in calories but fill us up based on their total volume. Low energy density foods include broth-based soups, non-starchy vegetables, many fruits (not dried ones though), and whipped shakes. 

Eat Often 

This should be a no brainer but some people literally have to set their Blackberry to beep when it is time to eat. When we eat we burn calories (thermogenic effect of eating) and we end up less hungry later. Skip meals and you are setting the stage to overeat at your next meal. So, do what it takes to remember to eat often.

Drink Green Tea 

Green tea extract when combined with caffeine, increases energy expenditure (calories burned). Studies have also shown that habitual green tea consumers are better able to maintain their weight.

Researchers have theorized that weight maintenance is easier due to increased thermogenesis and fat oxidation. Tea has a multitude of other benefits as well so you can’t go wrong with adding tea to your diet. If you prefer, try an energy drink with green tea extract and caffeine.

Ban Trans 

Yes, there are foods that still contain trans fats. Even at very low levels of consumption, 1-3% of total energy intake, trans fats increase your risk for coronary heart disease. 
 
Trans Fats Increase Your
Risk For Coronary Heart Disease.

In addition to all of the nasty things trans fats do to increase your risk for killing your heart, trans fats are associated with increased abdominal fat deposition. So, read labels. If the product says “partially hydrogenated oil,” throw it out. Your heart, gut and the rest of your body will thank you.

Eat Fatty Fish 

Omega 3’s are tied to a healthy heart, healthy skin, decreased depression and a variety of other benefits. They also reduce adipose tissue, most especially in the abdominal area. Studies have revealed that omega 3s upregulate the expression of genes that lead to fatty acid oxidation and decrease the development of obesity.

So load up on salmon, mackerel, herring, halibut, sardines and tuna steak. If you hate fish, take fish oil supplements (enteric coated ones unless you like fish burps).

Be Wary Of Sugar Free Products 

How many people do you know who chew packs of sugar free gum or candies so they won’t eat? Sounds like a good idea, especially the sugar free kind. The thing is, many sugar free gums and candies have sugar alcohols in them which can cause bloating and abdominal discomfort.

In large quantities, they can also cause a laxative effect in some people. Many sugar alcohols are known by their “-ol” ending: mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol, lactitol, maltitol. Mannitol is the worst offender when it comes to gas and bloating.

Don’t Be So Sweet 

It should be obvious by now that sweet, sugary foods like a Cinnabon aren’t exactly going to get you to look like a cover model. However, if you still crave sweet foods, you may want to take a look at your intake of artificial sweeteners. You know, the stuff in the blue, yellow and pink packets (I’m waiting for them to come out with something in a pleasant green packet). 
 .
Sugary Foods Aren’t Going To
Help You Get That Six-Pack.

Most sweeteners contain few, if any calories, and they won’t spike your insulin the way sugar does. But, they may increase your desire for sweet foods. Let’s face it, you get used to eating sweet stuff and you may crave sweeter stuff. And, there is no convincing evidence that adding these to our diet has helped us take the weight off or maintain our weight.

Quit Boozing 

If you are going to drink alcohol, at least drink wine and get a few antioxidants. But seriously, cut the alcohol.

Do you know anyone who has ripped abs and still drinks on a regular basis (and yes, weekly counts as regularly!)? No, you don’t, unless they are a genetic freak of nature. And, if you were a genetic freak of nature with naturally rock-hard abs, you probably wouldn’t be reading this article

Exercise has been shown time and again to reduce body fat, tone and strengthen muscles, tighten skin, and increase energy and function. The best of newly developed modern aesthetic products cannot even come close to claiming this much.

On top of this, exercise has been proven to make other notable changes. Even with individuals not following the new sedentary lifestyle, the changes in gene expression of every cell amount to an increasing rate of physical deterioration beginning in the 30s and accelerating as time passes (Finch).

Though these changes are to some degree an unavoidable part of life, adhering to an exercise plan aids in maintaining youthful muscle mass, stronger bones, and a more efficient cardiovascular system.

Ana Navarro and her colleagues observed this in their research, stating, “It is apparent that moderate exercise at middle age in mammals may increase life span, likely by… preventing the… age-associated decline of physiological functions” (R511). By adhering to a consistent exercise regimen, even beginning in middle age, youthful body function is regained and/or maintained, and ultimately lifespan is increased. 

The Best Modern Aesthetic Products Cannot Even
Come Close To The Benefits Of Exercise.

Exercise Effects On Happiness

In addition to the substantial physical benefits of exercise, there are positive changes it induces elsewhere as well. Recent studies have shown what any fitness enthusiast takes for granted, but which may surprise less active individuals: exercise improves quality of life, and generates happiness.

After even a very brief session of exercise the brain releases hormones called endorphins, elevating mood and improving neural connections. Endorphins are opiate molecules produced by the pituitary glad which create a feeling of well-being similar to that of plant-based opiates (Ernst et al. 88).

In addition to this free and perfectly healthy high, exercise causes a number of other, more long term changes to occur within the brain and central nervous system. It has been shown in studies to increase mental performance, particularly in older individuals.

In their joint study “Fitness Effects on the Cognitive Function of Older Adults: A Meta-Analytical Study,” researchers of psychology at Beckman Institute, Stanley Colcombe, and Arthur Kramer examined the effects exercise had on the cognitive performance of sedentary elderly individuals.

They stated: “We examined whether aerobic fitness training can have a robust and beneficial influence on the cognition of sedentary older adults… the answer provided by the present analysis is an unequivocal yes” (Colcome and Kramer 128).

The two men compared performance on mental tasks of many individuals before and after implementing an aerobic exercise routine and found that “Fitness training increased [mental] performance… regardless of the type of cognitive task, the training method, or participants’ characteristics”(128).

This illustrates in real life exercise’s impact on the brain: the reduction of loss of brain cell mass associated with age, and the improvement of existing neural connections, amounting to a younger, faster brain.

After A Session Of Exercise The Brain Releases Endorphins,
Elevating Mood And Improving Neural Connections.

Exercise Effects On Stress

Aside from these alterations within the brain and body, exercise has a vast number of less tangible but equally important affects as well. Stress is said by many to accelerate aging and irritate many health conditions, and while exercise does not eliminate stress altogether, it provides a reliable outlet for venting frustrations and returning to a more calm and healthy mindset.

In addition to this, exercising regularly improves mood and promotes happiness. Kerry Stewart and his colleagues from the Department of Cardiology at Johns Hopkins University comment on this in their study “Are Fitness, Activity, and Fatness Associated With Health-related Quality of Life and Mood in Older Persons,” stating:

Among both genders, individuals with greater fitness and less fatness reported lower levels of anger, depression, and total mood disturbance, as well as less bodily pain, more vitality, fewer problems with daily physical activities resulting from health limitations, and fewer limitations of social activities resulting from emotional or health problems (119).

By serving as an outlet for stress, sharpening mental focus, releasing mind soothing endorphins, and providing individuals with goals to achieve and a routine to follow, exercise goes beyond producing positive physical changes in the body to improve quality of life and elevating mood.

This is also illustrated in the article “Long-Term Impact of Preventive Proactivity on Quality of Life of the Old-Old” by Eva Kahana and her colleagues in the field of Sociology and aging at several major universities, in which they state “physical exercise was associated with greater self-reported meaning in life… and goals in life” (Kahana, et al 391).

Clearly regular exercise goes above and beyond improving physical appearance, bodily function, and increasing lifespan. It also undeniably elevates mood and makes that increased lifespan more worth living.

Exercise Provides A Reliable Outlet For Venting Frustrations
And Returning To A Calm And Healthy Mindset.

Exercise And A Healthy Lifestyle

While regular physical activity is clearly the best way to achieve all these benefits of health and happiness, it is even more successful and enjoyable when implemented in conjunction with a healthy lifestyle. Exercise unmistakably makes the body function better at just about everything, but as it does this it also places greater demand on some areas.

Without the aid of a healthy lifestyle, exercise is more difficult, less enjoyable, and yields slower results. In this situation it is understandably much more likely to be discontinued, and studies have shown that beginning exercisers who avoid making lifestyle changes have a much lower rate of adherence and consistency to exercise routines than those who embrace healthier alternatives to their habits (Bryant and Green 374). Therefore, in order to fully reap the many benefits of exercise, a healthy lifestyle is essential.

By Paige Waehner,

If you want to lose fat or change your body, one of the most important things you can do is lift weights. Diet and cardio are equally important, but when it comes to changing how your body looks, weight training wins hands down. If you’ve hesitated to start a strength training program, it may motivate you to know that lifting weights can:

·                        Help raise your metabolism. Muscle burns more calories than fat, so the more muscle you have, the more calories you’ll burn all day long.

·                        Strengthen bones, especially important for women

·                        Make you stronger and increase muscular endurance

·                        Help you avoid injuries

·                        Increase your confidence and self-esteem

·                        Improve coordination and balance

Getting started with strength training can be confusing–what exercises should you do? How many sets and reps? How much weight? The routine you choose will be based on your fitness goals as well as the equipment you have available and the time you have for workouts.

The Basics

If you’re setting up your own program, you’ll need to know some basic strength training principles. These principles will teach you how to make sure you’re using enough weight, determine your sets and reps and insure you’re always progressing in your workouts.

1.               Overload: To build muscle, you need to use more resistance than your muscles are used to. This is important because the more you do, the more your body is capable of doing, so you should increase your workload to avoid plateaus. In plain language, this means you should be lifting enough weight that you can ONLY complete the desired number of reps. You should be able to finish your last rep with difficulty but also with good form.

2.               Progression. To avoid plateaus (or adaptation), you need to increase your intensity regularly. You can do this by increasing the amount of weight lifted, changing your sets/reps, changing the exercises and changing the type of resistance. You can make these changes on a weekly or monthly basis.

3.               Specificity. This principle means you should train for your goal. That means, if you want to increase your strength, your program should be designed around that goal (e.g., train with heavier weights closer to your 1 RM (1 rep max)). To lose weight, choose a variety of rep ranges to target different muscle fibers.

4.               Rest and Recovery. Rest days are just as important as workout days. It is during these rest periods that your muscles grow and change, so make sure you’re not working the same muscle groups 2 days in a row.

Before you get started on setting up your routine, keep a few key points in mind:

1.               Always warm up before you start lifting weights. This helps get your muscles warm and prevent injury. You can warm up with light cardio or by doing a light set of each exercise before going to heavier weights.

2.               Lift and lower your weights slowly. Don’t use momentum to lift the weight. If you have to swing to get the weight up, chances are you’re using too much weight.

3.               Breathe. Don’t hold your breath and make sure you’re using full range of motion throughout the movement.

4.               Stand up straight. Pay attention to your posture and engage your abs in every movement you’re doing to keep your balance and protect your spine.

According to the NAAFA website, “Founded in 1969, the National Association to Advance Fat Acceptance (NAAFA) is a non-profit civil rights organization dedicated to ending size discrimination in all of its forms. NAAFA’s goal is to help build a society in which people of every size are accepted with dignity and equality in all aspects of life. NAAFA will pursue this goal through advocacy, public education, and support.”

Did you get that? A civil rights organization? You gotta be f’in kidding me. Anyhow, I’ll not go into a lecture on why NAAFA masquerading around as a civil rights organization is like Fidel Castrol saying he’s a free-market capitalist. There are so many reasons to not be fat besides the fact that it irks the sh#$ outta me when I’m flying across the country, seated next to someone with the girth of an overfed Russian maid.

For instance, we know that testosterone is present in plasma (blood) as free or unbound testosterone, albumin-bound and sex hormone-binding globulin [SHBG]-bound. In lean men, about 2 percent of testosterone is unbound, 44 percent is bound to SHBG and 50 percent is bound to albumin and other proteins. The free T and the albumin-bound fraction are the biologically-active testosterone fractions.

Being a fat man, especially if you carry it underneath your belt buckle, is associated with lower total testosterone [TT], free testosterone [FT] and sex hormone-binding globulin [SHBG], and a greater decline in TT and FT with increasing age, compared with lean men. Also, obese men have reduced sperm concentration and total sperm count, compared to lean men.3 In fact, 40 percent of obese non-diabetic and 50 percent of obese diabetic men above the age of 45 years have subnormal FT concentrations.

Thus, being a fat little househusband is probably the condition most frequently associated with abnormally low FT concentration in males.4 So if you’re all about ‘Fat Acceptance,’ then by golly, you are also all about having low testosterone levels. And that, my friend, is just not a good thing. Wake up and get your fat butt on the treadmill.

. Mah PM, Wittert GA. Obesity and testicular function. Mol Cell Endocrinol, 316:180-6.