Nutrition

What you do in the kitchen is just as important as what you do in the gym. To effectively achieve your fitness goals, proper nutrition is an absolute must!

I’m A Gay Man And I Eat Bread.

December 14, 2015 By

IMG_2101I’m a gay man, and I eat bread.

This isn’t a confession. This isn’t an admission of guilt. In fact, it’s quite the opposite. I eat bread. I eat carbs. And so can you.

Years ago, I was getting dinner with some gay friends. Something went wrong with our order and the kitchen brought us a complimentary bowl of lo mein noodles. The gaggle of gay men laughed nervously, as though a Trojan horse had somehow made its way into our company.

“No one is going to eat that,” they told the confused waiter.

But they were wrong. I ate it. Because it was lo mein, and lo mein is fucking good.

And the only thing better than lo mein, is free lo mein.

Of course, this story isn’t unique. It has unfolded, in one variation or another, countless times at the tables - and in the minds - of gay men everywhere.

We all know that foods like bread, pasta and noodles contain carbohydrates. It’s a commonly held belief that carbs make you fat, and that being fat is a terrible thing. Both of these assumptions are inaccurate.

As it turns out, we need carbohydrates for proper bodily functions. The USDA recommends that 45% - 65% of our calories come from carbohydrates because:

  • Carbs are the body’s main fuel source.
  • Carbs are needed for the central nervous system, the kidneys, the brain and muscles (including your heart) to function properly.
  • Carbs are important to intestinal health and waste elimination.

When you go to the gym, it’s carbohydrates that allow you to power through your workout and that fuel your results. When you’re studying for a test, it’s carbohydrates that help you focus. Without carbs, fatigue, constipation and even ketosis can result.

In other words, carbohydrates are really, really important. Carbs don’t make you fat; they make you healthy (especially when you opt for complex carbohydrates).

Liberate yourself from the prison of carb-free life. Eat bread. Have an occasional bowl of lo mein noddles. Be healthy. Most importantly, enjoy life.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: , , ,

Myth: Healthy Outside = Healthy Inside?

September 30, 2015 By

Hey Davey,

I’m an 18 year old guy and I eat pretty much whatever I want. My diet consists mostly of chips, pizza, soda and other crappy food. Even though I have such a bad diet, my body looks great. I have a six pack and look really athletic. Do I really need to change my diet if I already look good?

From,
Ben

sixpackHey Ben,

Congratulations! You are one of those people who is blessed with a high metabolism and good genetics.

But keep in mind, what’s happening on the outside is really only part of the equation. While many people eat smart and work out to look a certain way, the best benefits of a healthy lifestyle happen on the inside. And just because someone looks healthy on the outside doesn’t mean they are healthy on the inside.

Decades ago, autopsies for U.S. military personal killed in the Korean and Vietnam wars revealed that many of these bootcamp graduates had plaque and fatty deposits in their arteries. Despite looking healthy and fit on the outside, many of these young people were severely unhealthy on the inside. On the outside, you might see an athletic 20 year-old man. But on the inside, his arteries looked like those of an overweight, 50 year-old heart attack victim.

Yes, a healthy lifestyle of eating smarter and moving more will transform your body. But transforming your body is about more than just your outward appearance. It’s like the difference between getting a car wash or a tune-up. If you want your car to be in good working condition, you need to maintain what’s under the hood! The same goes for your body.

But fear not: Having a healthy lifestyle and improving your diet isn’t difficult. And though it might not include a whole lot of chips or soda, it will include plenty of delicious foods that will energize and invigorate your body! If you need help or guidance, download Davey Wavey’s Insanely Easy Guide to Eating Smarter. It will give you all the tools you need for a complete transformation.

I hope that helps!

Love,
Davey

Filed Under: Ask Davey, Nutrition Tagged With: , , , ,

Chipotle Is Full of Shit.

August 25, 2015 By

screen-shot-2015-05-08-at-3-49-09-pmLet’s be clear: I enjoy eating Chipotle burritos as much as anyone. Hell, I even spring for the added guacamole. But I think Chipotle needs to be called out on its recent pseudoscience shenanigans.

Most of these shenanigans revolve around genetically modified organisms, often called GMOs. GMOs are plants or animals that have undergone a process wherein scientists alter their genes with DNA from different species of living organisms, bacteria, or viruses to get desired traits.

In an announcement titled “G-M-Over It”, Chipotle announced that it was eliminating genetically modified ingredients because:

  1. Scientists are still studying the long term health impacts
  2. The cultivation of GMOs can hurt the environment
  3. Chipotle should be a place where people can eat food with non-GMO ingredients

It’s bullshit and here’s why.

If Chipotle is concerned about the scientifically-proven health impacts of it’s ingredients, look no further than sugar, simple carbohydrates or salt. Unlike GMOs, the science on these ingredients is very, very clear. From heart disease to reproductive issues to weight gain and obesity, these ingredients have very real and very negative consequences on overall health; when it comes to health, GMOs are the least of Chipotle’s concerns.

In terms of the environment, GMOs can have a negative impact in that they can result in herbicide-resistant superweeds. While this may be true, proponents of GMOs note that they’ve allowed farmers to grow more food with fewer resources. GMOs have resulted in drought and cold-resistant plants that have become essential for feeding the planet’s growing population.

Chipotle’s third and final reason to eliminate GMOs isn’t a reason at all. It’s just circular logic. Why should Chipotle eliminate GMO ingredients? Because Chipotle should be a place where people can eat food with non-GMO ingredients, of course. And in the effort to eliminate GMOs, Chipotle has failed. As Chipotle notes on their website, “Many of the beverages sold in our restaurants contain genetically modified ingredients, including those containing corn syrup, which is almost always made from GMO corn.” Oops. And then there’s the meat. Because it’s harder and more difficult to find meat raised from non-GMO feed, Chipotle isn’t doing it.

While it’s totally reasonable to have a discussion about GMOs and their place in our food supply, Chipotle’s recent announcement is nothing more than a distraction from the more obvious truth. And that is, of course, that Chipotle’s menu is mostly unhealthy and over portioned.

P.S. If you are actually interested in transforming the way you look and feel through the foods you eat, download Davey Wavey’s Insanely Easy Guide to Eating Smarter and get started today!

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: ,

Is YOUR Peanut Butter Healthy?

August 14, 2015 By

ec79dfe30810ce0709cdf9d93297473bPeanut butter.

I’m basically in a three-way relationship with it and my boyfriend. And, to be honest, I don’t know who pleases me more.

But enough about me. As it turns out, peanut butter - in its purest form - can be a smart part of any nutrition program. Beyond being rich in protein, healthy fats and other nutrients, peanut butter has been shown to suppress hunger, support heart health, lower the risk of colon cancer, memory loss and even type II diabetes.

Here’s the problem: The peanut butter in your cupboard probably isn’t peanut butter. It’s a weird combination of some nuts and a lot of nasty stuff cooked up by some conglomerate mega-corporation.

If you don’t believe me, go take a look for yourself. If your peanut butter is really peanut butter, there should be exactly one ingredient listed on the product packaging:

Peanuts.

Let’s contrast that to the ingredients in Jif Reduced Fat Creamy Peanut Butter Spread:

Peanuts, corn syrup solids, sugar, pea protein, salt, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, mono and diglycerides, molasses, magnesium oxide, niacinamide, ferric orthophosphate, zinc oxide, copper sulfate, folic acid, pyridoxine hydrochloride.

The reality is, most peanut butters sold today are full of other not-so-healthy ingredients, and are often loaded with sugar. It’s like the difference between eating fresh blueberries versus a jar of jelly. So do yourself a favor and get the good stuff. Read the label and shop smarter.

Besides, you deserve a peanut butter boyfriend that treats you right.

P.S. If you want to transform the way you look and feel through the foods you eat without dieting, download Davey Wavey’s Insanely Easy Guide to Eating Smarter.

Filed Under: Nutrition Tagged With: ,

Does The Color of Your Plate Affect How Much You Eat?

July 1, 2015 By

The-Delboeuf-illusion-Why-expanding-dinner-plates-are-expanding-our-waistlines_medium_vgaI don’t make this shit up.

Back in the 1800s, the Delboeuf illusion was discovered. When you look at concentric circles (i.e., a circle within a circle), the perceived size of the inner circle changes when the size of the outer circle is changed. If you apply the principle of this illusion to food, people tend to underestimate portions on bigger plates and overestimate portions on smaller plates. For this reason, you’ve probably heard people recommend smaller plates to help facilitate weight loss.

But it doesn’t end there.

sushi-food-sexyAs it turns out, color is important, too. A few years back, researchers expanded on this idea by exploring the impact of plate color. What they found was pretty amazing. When there was a high color contrast between plate color and food (for example, pasta with red sauce on a white plate), participants served themselves less. When there was a low color contrast between plate color and food (for example, pasta with Alfredo sauce on a white plate), participants served themselves 22% more.

Twenty-two percent is a staggering number, especially when you consider the repeated impact of meal after meal over time. It’s a lot of calories.

Being aware of the illusion should be enough to overcome it, right? No. Even after participants were made aware of the illusion, the outcomes were still the same. So rather than resisting the Delboeuf illusion, embrace it! If you want to eat less, use a small plate that differs in color from your food. If you want more veggies, serve those veggies on a green plate.

Of course, when it comes to diet and nutrition, plate size and color is just one variable of many. Download Davey Wavey’s Insanely Easy Guide to Eating Smarter for a simple, foolproof guide to transforming the way you look and feel through the foods you eat.

 

 

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