I want to thank everyone who attended my Nutrition 101 lecture last evening at Gold's Gym in West Des Moines. We had a tremendous response with 55 attendees present. I answered lots of great questions and hopefully inspired those in attendance to take their health seriously.

The lecture was intended to develop a structure for a nutritional plan. Without a basic knowledge of the macronutrients (proteins, fats, and carbohydrates), it is difficult to understand what to eat, when to eat, and why to eat a particular food.

The following is a basic review of the macronutrients:

Carbohydrates are classified according to how fast they are absorbed by the body. For instance, the higher the fiber content in a particular carbohydrate, the slower it will be absorbed. In contrast, sugar is absorbed VERY rapidly and spikes insulin rapidly. It is best to have "fast" acting (sugary)carbs before and after workouts and having slower acting carbs later in the day. As mentioned above, these carbs are higher in fiber. Examples include yams, brown rice, and rolled oats.

Proteins are made up of amino acids. Proteins are the building blocks of muscle. Muscle is the biggest fat burner in our body so it is in your best interest to feed the muscles appropriately and exercise them regularly. Quality proteins include: lean red meat, skinless chicken breasts, skinless turkey breasts, eggs, cottage cheese, and fish. Casein and whey protein powder supplements are also good choices of quality proteins. Whey protein immediately after workouts is preferred. Casein protein before bed is another good choice since it is slowly absorbed as you sleep.

Fats are either saturated or unsaturated. Unsaturated fats are further dividided into polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Saturated fats are usually acquired from animals in fatty red meats, fatty chicken and turkey. Monounsaturated fats are the "good" fats and include olive oil, flax oil, and certain nuts such as almonds and walnuts.

My next lecture will discuss nutrient timing. Stay tuned to the time and date. Until next time, train hard and eat smart!

Reminder:

Nutrition 101 Lecture
by Malea Jensen DO
Where:Gold's Gym in West Des Moines
When:Wednesday April 28th at 7 pm
Cost: $10 members of Gold's Gym, $15 for non-members
Register to Ronda Perry: rperry.goldsgym@gmail.com

Is everyone loving the change of season? I am! Today I put down my crabgrass and fertilizer. We are expecting rain tonight. A little water and good food go a long way to making a plush, green lawn.

I also had a fantastic workout over the noon hour. I did shoulders and a few sets of tris. After weights, I jumped on the recumbant bike for 30 min to burn some fat.

As most of you know, I am a strong believer in weight training. Not only does lifting weights make strong muscles and bones, but it is also the number one exercise for fat burning. Here are the reasons why:

1--Weight training increases your fat-burning hormones: testosterone, growth hormone and epinephrine; steady-state cardio does not.


2--Weight training builds muscle, and muscle stokes your metabolism. Steady-state cardio does not build muscle. That's very important! It's why inactive older people get fatter and fatter--they gradually lose muscle and their metabolisms slow to a crawl so they pack on bodyfat. They need to lift weights to reverse the process. Remember, build more muscle to burn more fat.


3--Weight training uses glycogen for energy. Glycogen is basically carbohydrates. Glycogen is stored in the muscle and in the liver. When we lift weights, our muscles use the glycogen for energy to get through the workout. Glycogen will then be depleted. So, if you have a lot of muscle, the carbs you eat will go to muscles and the liver to replenish them, rather than being shuttled to fat cells. People who don't weight train see most of the carbs they eat go directly to fat because they don't have a muscle-glycogen deficit.


4--Weight training creates muscle microtrauma (breakdown), which burns bodyfat during the repair process. If you get a little sore from a workout, that's not a bad thing--your body will work hard to repair it, and that takes excess energy, a lot of which comes directly from bodyfat.

5--Weight training removes sugar from your bloodstream, creating an ideal environment for fat burning. For example, when you lift weights, your muscles use the sugar from your blood stream and the stored glycogen from your muscles and liver to feed themselves during the workout. Then, when you are done lifting weights, you should do about 20-30 minutes of low-intensity cardio because with no sugar in your system, your body will tap into bodyfat instantly. It's the most efficient time to hit the treadmill.

That's the lesson for today boys and girls! Train hard and eat smart!

I wanted to introduce you to someone. His name is "Pain." He has two middle names, Emotional, and Physical, but no last name. I have known Pain for a long time now. He is very persistent. I have kicked him out of my life a number of times, but he keeps coming back for more. It seems that as Kryptonite is deadly to Superman, anti-inflammatories are a killer to Physical Pain, and happiness is a thorn in Emotional Pain's side.

Texas Tech university is planning to offer students interested in pursuing Family Medicine a shortened medical education in order to increase the number of primary care physicians.

Great idea Washington! Ha! BAD IDEA! Let me tell you why in a few points:

--Family medicine doctors need more time in training (i.e. 4 year residency and 4 years of med school), not less.

--This plan sounds like the "barefoot doctors" of China two decades ago. What will differentiate the 3 yr MD from the Doctor of NP? The simple solution to increasing the number of primary care doctors is PAY THEM ADEQUATELY.

--Less training and/or a less rigorous curriculum does not adequately prepare primary care physicians for what lies ahead, plus it would cast us in a far less favorable light. Many are completely unaware of the challenges of being a capable generalist. There is so much that needs to reside in our brains, and of course we have to be well aware of our limitations also.

--We already have short trained "doctors" without good fundamentals....they are called nurse practitioners and physicians assistants.

Let me know your thoughts.