Are ALL Carbs & fats unhealthy?

Reading the news can sometimes be misleading, especially when the information is provided by doctors. I have come across THIS article here, and I cannot help but be shocked by what's mentioned in the paragraph that reads:

Dr Miqdady said parents needed to make their children aware of what was healthy by acting as a positive role model. "Parents themselves should eat healthily and lead by example, eating from all food groups, having more fruits and vegetables and dairy products on a regular basis, and less unhealthy food such as fats and carbohydrates, so children will learn how to make choices,"

Generalizing by saying fats and carbs are unhealthy is really misleading information to the readers as some might drop consuming such foods all together. When the fact is, YES there are unhealthy carbs and fats, however there are HEALTHY carbs and fats.

Simple vs. Complex Carbohydrates 101:

Simple carbs: are those quickly converted to glucose in the body and cause an quick insulin spike and cause you to crash. Those are the kind of carbs that you should be avoiding as they contribute to obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.

Here's a list:

• Corn syrup (mostly found in packaged and processed food)
• Soda (coke...etc.)
• Fruit juice (you better off eating it than drinking it)
• Cake
• Pasta/rice made with white flour (lots of fiber and essential minerals lost during processing)

Complex carbs: are the healthy ones which are digested more slowly, stabilizing your blood sugar, rich in fiber, keep you full longer, and have long-lasting energy.

Here's a list:

• Oats
• Wild & whole grain rice.
• Multi-grain bread
• Legumes
• Wholewheat pasta (yes you can find them in jam3iya, i.e. Co-Op, too!)
• Veggies (Broccoli...etc)

How much carbs you should eat per gram depends on many factors: a) level of activity, b) goal, i.e. fat loss or muscle gain, c) female vs. male, but an average breakdown of calories is usually 50% carbs, 30% protein, & 20% fats.


Talking about fats, there are also healthy and unhealthy fats; those are broken down into four components, and they are:

Bad Fats

• Saturated fats: are the kind that clog your arteries and raise LDL (BAD cholesterol). Usually found in butter, red meats, full-fat dairy products. It's recommended you do not consume more than 20g of those.

• Trans fat: are the REALLY bad fats, which are "man made" and can usually be found in "packaged food." If you read the word hydrogenated oils in any food AVOID IT IMMEDIATELY. Your body cannot break it down and process these kind of fats. They can be found in a lot of "snack bars" and microwave popcorn packets. You should be consuming 0g of these kind of fats. More here on FDA WEBSITE.

Good Fats

• Monounsaturated fats: Lowers the bad LDL cholesterol and increases the GOOD type of cholesterol, HDL. They are found in nuts, like peanuts. As well as olive oil, canola, and avocado. These kind of fats actually AID in body fat and weight loss.

• Polyunsaturated fats: Also lower LDL cholesterol, and are usually found in seafood, like salmon and sunflower oil to name a few. Omega-3 belongs to this group of fats.

Bottom line of this post is that, there are unhealthy and healthy foods when it comes to carbs and fats. Educated doctors should NOT make such a comment for the public to read as it's misleading and isn't painting the whole picture of the food groups mentioned.

Here I go again, 999-Fitness for the rescue!

Yours truly,

GymFreak @ 999Fitness

Correction: I was approchaed by the doctor quoted above who kindly requested I clarify what he meant in his quote. Given the nature of how media works, not everything turns out as it should. So he clarified what he meant, and agreed there are necessary carbs and healthy fats humans needs.

He said:

"I did not say all CHO or fats are good or bad, agree with you that some are good other are not. And I did not suggest to the people not to eat CHO/Fat. I said eat from all food groups. Moreover, usually I dedicate part of my lectures (to the public as well as the professionals ) trying to change this bad rap about fat, actually fats are ESSENTIAL for survival and for the normal development of the brain in growing children,"

Deadlifts and I

*Note: This is a personal post, and not related to my usual posts on tips. Achievement is the key word here. 

A lot of men and women assume that I am physically big because I lift heavy weights, but they don't realize that lifting heavy for women would probably will never yield to bulging muscles as for those that bodybuilders have ( that require specified training, diet, dedication, genetics and in extreme cases steroids.)

I probably have achieved my personal best today, which was completely unexpected, while performing my favorite exercise, the deadlift. I have written on why I love the Deadlift, where I go into detail about its benefits and what muscle group it works.

However, today, with a push of a friend, also my soon-to-be personal trainer, I lifted 72.5kgs ~ 159lbs. This would be 10kgs more than the weight I lifted last week! I honestly thought I'd be lifting this amount by June, and would probably reach about 100kgs by December, 2011. My goals have changed and I want to double today's lift by December. I already lift more than my bodyweight as is. Soon it will be 2x my body weight.

I was really proven wrong with my previous misconception on how much I can lift, and I am glad to have been so. Why? Because it amazes me how strong our bodies are, while we hardly ever give it credit for. Our bodies are like a tool, that we either use it for us or against us. It's your body - and you should know what works for you and what doesn't. Know how to push it to the limits - but not to the point of breaking down.

Deadlifts give me this sense of confidence, more than any exercise I have ever done. A lot of people think lifting weights of the floor is easy, it really isn't. It will have you winded in no time & gasping for air like anything, but again it's one exercise that will tell you how strong your whole body is, from legs, to core, to back and arms.

I ain't quitting this baby, here! Imma master the mother of all lifts!

FYI: According to strength standards by exrx, I am currently between an intermediate-advanced level with the deadlifts and it's all done in less than 2 years! Only if I could say the same about, ehm, my squats and presses. *covers face*

After seeing such progress in the past year and four months, I am really considering Olympic/powerlifting more seriously in the sense of including other exercises such as clean & jerk, Snatch...etc. It gives my life...focus. Hell, maybe one day join the olympics, for fun, and break stereotypes! But it has to be female-only event, ha!

I am interested in hearing about other females in the Middle East who are interested in heavy weight lifting, bodybuilding or power/Olympic lifting. Share your stories! Lets fight this misconception of lifting heavy weights = big muscles already! Not that I'd mind a bit of big muscles ;). 

Yours truly,
GymFreak @ 999Fitness.

Portion sizes and Obesity

It is no surprise that obesity rates are increasing all over the world because most of the time we are away from home, eating from fast-food joints. However, that is definitely not the only reason weight gain is a result of such consumption - but it's the oversized portions served. 

In this article you'll get tips and tricks on how to control your portion sizes. Before I move on, it's important to note that a portion size is simply how much you should be eating per meal of that particular food group to get adequate nutrition as well as calories.

All you need to learn is how to assess a type food with its portion size based on your palm, finger, and everyday objects and you'll be good to go eating exactly how much you need to do PER MEAL. Those food include; carbs, protein, veggies, fruits, and healthy fats.

Use the following as a guide to determine your portions:  

I am sure that some of you are now shocked to know you have been eating 4x more than you should, despite thinking you're eating the right amount.

You see, fast food joints want you to think you're getting more value with less money if you pay an extra dirham. Eeee. Wrong. Not only you're spending an extra dirham, you're adding more calories, even more so contributing to your weight gain. In other words, the bigger the meal, the more calories in that meal.

Some examples of oversized portion meals with calorie Gamboo3as (inside joke):

• If you cannot control your portion size, always go for the "kids menu." I am 21, & I do it.  McDonalds Happy Meals can go up to 700 calories - no joke.
  
• In some restaurants (i.e. T.G. I. Fridays), they make indicate you could either oder a full plate vs. 1/2 portion. That half portion actually serves two. So get a smaller plate & share.
  

I just wanted to note that portion sizes are different than serving sizes, which is also another important factor. Serving size is simply how much of that food can be served on a number of occasions. In other words, how many times you should eat fruits, veggies, carbs and protein and the portion served during the day.

Personally, I always try my best to stick to portion sizes to make sure I am not consuming a lot of calories. When I eat (which I do from time to time), from fast food joints I always go for smaller burgers which are 300-400 calories. Also ask to have veggies instead of fries (and most res. won't mind replacing those evil-yummy-things-i-haven't-had-in-ages).

I hope this post was informative and now you can start controlling how much you eat despite where you go and what plate size you've been provided by any restaurant.

And to leave you with one of my quotes...1AED may give you extra cheese, but it also adds 100 more calories to your meal.

Yours truly,
Gym-Freak @ 999-fitness. 


Were you aware of portion sizes? Do you control how much you eat? Share with us!