April's Beach Volleyball Log

Better Volleyball Nutrition Practices: Understanding Protein, Pure and Simple

Understanding Protein, Pure and Simple
By Barry Lovelace

So how much do you think you know about protein? I think most people are extremely confused on this issue thanks to boatloads of misinformation out there from people trying to sell high protein diets and others trying to keep you eating unhealthy animal protein.

Let’s start with the basics. Protein by definition means primary substance. Protein is an important nutrient required for the building, maintenance and repair of tissues in the body. Amino acids, the component parts of protein, are the biochemical basis for life and are required by every cell in our bodies. It is not enough to know that protein is vital to the function of our bodies, we must also learn how much we need and from what sources it should come from. First, lets talk about how much protein the average person needs. The RDA for protein for an average person is .8 grams per kilogram of body weight. To figure this out for yourself, take your bodyweight in pounds and multiply that number by .36, the answer is your recommended protein intake. Many nutritionists believe that this formula is inflated and that 25-35 grams of protein a day is sufficient.

No matter which source you want to go by, you are probably taking in a lot more than the recommendation. The sad fact is that the average American consumes over 100 grams of protein a day! Eating too much protein puts much undo stress on your body. Too much protein puts a huge strain on your kidneys. The excess protein releases nitrogen into the blood and then the kidneys must work very hard to expel this waste through the urine.

Another downfall of eating too much protein is the calcium drain. It is a fact that if you take in too much protein, it will cause you to excrete calcium through your urine and this could lead to osteoporosis.

Now that we realize how much protein we need and have some reasons not to over do it, let’s discuss healthy, versus unhealthy sources. Unfortunately the reason that the average American takes in more than 100 grams of protein a day is because we, as a nation, rely heavily on animal products for our food sources. If you have some meat and/or cheese or eggs at each meal, which many people do, than you don’t even have to overeat to greatly overdo the protein. It is the ratio that is off. As most of us know, the majority of your diet should consist of carbohydrates, this is your body’s main energy source.

Animal proteins are the unhealthiest form of protein because of their high cholesterol levels, the workload they create on the digestive system and for many of them, their saturated fat. Beef, pork, cheese, eggs, etc. cannot be considered healthy forms of protein, they lead the way with high saturated fat content and high cholesterol. Healthier choices are turkey, chicken, low fat cheese, etc., because although you still get the cholesterol you don’t get as much unhealthy fat. The healthiest sources for protein are fish, legumes, broccoli, dark green leafy vegetables, egg whites, nuts and nut butters and low fat yogurt (preferably soy based).

Many people see protein (meat) as the ‘main course’ of meals in the United States. This has led us down the road we are now on with alarming incidents of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and obesity. Make good, healthy complex carbohydrates and vegetables the main source of your food intake to get your protein level down to where it should be. You will feel better, have more energy and be healthier for it.

Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized fitness professional specializing in the training of athletes. He is the creator of the HOT selling Volleyball Training program – Training For Volleyball

Nutrition Content for Volleyball Players - Trans Fats - Avoiding Trans Fats Made Easy

Trans Fats - Avoiding Trans Fats Made Easy
By Barry Lovelace

You can't pay attention to the news these days and not have heard about trans fats. Everyone is warning us of the danger they pose to our health and some lawmakers are trying to protect us from them by banning them in New York City restaurants, a move that is a terrifying example of government overstepping its boundaries, but I digress. It made me realize that this might be something worth writing about and trying to explain.

Trans fats have been around since the early 1900's. This type of fat starts out as hydrogenated oil. Hydrogenated oil is created when hydrogen molecules are added to unsaturated fats like vegetable oil. The oil is 'saturated' with hydrogen, thus hydrogenated oil is a saturated fat. The use of this oil has sky rocketed and is found in nearly all packaged food. Food containing hydrogenated oil is extremely shelf stable and has a more appealing texture than food without.

Anyway, without getting too scientific, when some hydrogen atoms move during the hydrogenation process this can cause them to be 'opposite' or 'trans' where they would normally be. The end product is partially hydrogenated vegetable oil or trans fat. What this means to you is that when you see partially hydrogenated vegetable oil on a label you are holding a product that contains trans fat.

Partially hydrogenated vegetable oil allows food manufacturers to turn liquid fat into solid fat, like margarine for example. The main source of trans fats in the American diet is processed food, which honestly I don't even like calling food. Processed food is so far removed from real food that it is scary and yet you see it in just about every shopping cart at the store. It has become so accepted and 'normal' that I don't think most people stop to think about what is really in this stuff. I think if you look at the ingredients on a food label and you see a long paragraph, it is safe to say that it is not a good choice.

Anyway, back to the trans fats, these fats do occur naturally in beef, pork and dairy products. Hopefully you have removed or limited these items from your diet anyway. Now that you know what it is and how it's made lets talk about why it is a problem.

Trans fats, like saturated fat raise the LDL cholesterol level in the blood. This increases the risk of coronary heart disease, which is the leading killer of people in America. Does this sound scary? It doesn't have to be. Like I said, these foods have been around a long time, they are nothing new. What has changed is that more and more people turn to processed foods than ever before.

Trans fats and saturated fats can be easily avoided. All it takes is for you to make better choices and eat real food versus packaged food. Many food manufacturers have improved their packaged foods by removing trans fat and adding whole grains. Often this is clearly marked on the front of the package so keep an eye out for it.

If you're not already doing so, it is a good idea to start reading labels. When buying a packaged food, choose one with the lowest amounts of trans fats, saturated fats and cholesterol. Once again, it all comes down to choice. So the next time you are out grocery shopping, make it a point to pay attention to your purchases and read those labels.

Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized fitness professional specializing in the training of athletes. He is the creator of the HOT selling Volleyball Training program – Training For Volleyball

Volleyball Nutrition Content: Sugar - The Truth

Sugar - The Truth!
By Barry Lovelace

Let's talk about the not-so-sweet truth about sugar and how it sabotages your health. First of all, did you know that the average American gets 20% of their calories from sugar? It is estimated that the average person eats a whopping 136 pounds of sugar a year! Unfortunately many young people eat an even greater amount. Sugar is an empty calorie food, meaning that you are taking in calories that have no nutritional value to fuel your body.

Have you ever noticed that once you have something sweet it leaves you wanting more and more? You've just hopped on the sugar treadmill. You get the sugar high and then crash, as your blood glucose levels swing wildly up and down. Sugar is the drug of choice for many people and it is not without consequences.

Refined sugar depletes your body of all the B vitamins; it also leaches calcium from your hair, bones, blood and teeth. If that is not enough, sugar also affects your body's digestion. Sugar ferments in your stomach. It stops the secretion of gastric juices and inhibits the stomachs ability to digest. Weight gain, mood swings and irritability are a few more side effects from consuming too much sugar. Sugar plays a major role in altering one's mood. Refined sugar has a chemical reaction on the brain, releasing serotonin, the 'feel good' hormone; this tricks the body into a temporary lift as well as causing a rise in blood glucose levels. This 'feel good' lift is then followed by the crash where you feel tired, irritable and even depressed. So what do you do about it?

Removing sugar, or at least reducing the amount, from your diet can and probably should be done in steps. First of all, make a decision to cut out all added sugar that you use from the sugar bowl. If this sounds impossible, please give it a chance. When you stop adding extra sugar to your foods you can actually taste the food your eating. Give your taste buds a week to adjust and I'll bet you will actually appreciate the flavors of your food more without the sugar. Another step to take is to read your labels.

Food manufacturers add high fructose corn syrup to most packaged foods. You can start by cutting out all foods with this dangerous ingredient. This may seem daunting but let's face it; real food does not come in a box anyway. Packaged and processed foods are rarely a wise choice for optimal nutrition. When you get a sugar craving try to satisfy it with a natural sugar source like fresh fruit or dried fruit.

You want to avoid the processed sugars that have become so common place in our society. They are white sugar, brown sugar, blackstrap molasses and corn syrup. There are better choices out there like maple syrup, honey, cane juice, rice syrup and sorghum molasses. Many people use artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar. I'm sorry to say that this is no better. Many artificial sweeteners have been proven to have negative side effects. Studies have also shown that eating an artificially sweetened item will still leave you wanting something sweet just as if you had eaten real sugar.

There is no reason to use artificial sweeteners. The right way to deal with our natural desire for sugars is to get them from whole foods, from starches, vegetables and fruits. So I would like to challenge you to reduce your sugar intake. Give it just one week and you will see that you can do it and that you will feel better and more balanced.

Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized fitness professional specializing in the training of athletes. He is the creator of the HOT selling Volleyball Training program – Training For Volleyball

Volleyball Nutrition: Carbs - What's The Deal?

Carbs - What's The Deal?
By Barry Lovelace

Welcome to my island. How many times in conversation have we all said, “Wow, I would love to go to that island” or “I would love to___________(fill in the blank). That would be a dream come true!”

Well, this is my island. This is one of ‘my things’ that I have dreamed about. Writing an article publicly promoting health and fitness and helping you to believe in YOU.

Who are YOU? Well, you are all of us. The one who is constantly trying on 5 different outfits before you find the ‘right’ one, the one who is looking for that pair of pants that is not too tight and does not make you look fat. This is how many of us spend a great amount of time. ‘Honey, do I look fat in this?’ ‘I knew I shouldn’t of put these in the dryer. They shrank!’ Sound familiar? Sometimes we even blame the mirror.

It’s a fact that the majority of people struggle with weight in one way or another at some point in their lives. Putting it on is easy enough, so why is it so tough to get rid of it? I think the problem lies in too much misinformation. There are so many different people telling us so many different things that are heads should be spinning! One of the biggies of course has been low carb dieting.

Over the last few years the high protein diets have finally taken a dive. We are waking up and finally realizing that these books are all about marketing and making lots of money and not about YOU. The marketing gurus for these companies tug at your emotions and tell you what you want to hear. They get you to believe that losing ten to fifteen pounds in a week or two is a great thing and of course, that it will be easy.

It’s all about the scale, right? Sadly, this is what we believe. We seldom think of our overall health when it comes to weight loss. We want to lose weight fast as long as we don’t have to work hard at it. This is not the way to achieve your goals of long lasting weight loss and optimal health. That is your goal, right?

Please remember these three words, ‘CARBS ARE GOOD’. Carbohydrates are your number one source of energy. Carbohydrates are not only needed for energy but for brain function and muscle building in the form of glycogen. What most people believe about carbs is that they make you fat. Carbs do not make you gain weight. Too many calories and not enough physical activity is what truly make us fat. Our body needs a healthy balance of carbs, protein and fat to function properly and get all the necessary nutrients.

I like to tell people to think of your body like it’s your car. You give your car gas, make sure it has oil and check the fluid levels to keep it running, to take care of it. Well, your body needs you to give it carbs, protein and fat. Withholding any one of these three things will keep your body from running efficiently and even worse cause serious damage over time. This is your body we are talking about, it’s important! It deserves more than a quick fix! Treat it right and it will carry through your life with boundless energy!

So, remember, it is not the carbs that cause weight gain. There is only one way to gain weight and that is to take in more energy (calories) than you use. That being said, there is only one way to lose weight and that is to use more energy (calories) than you take in. That is it folks, it’s not fancy or complicated. And somehow a multi billion-dollar industry has been born out of something so simple. Let’s stop this craziness and get real, the answer is right in front of you.

Barry Lovelace is an internationally recognized fitness professional specializing in the training of athletes. He is the creator of the HOT selling Volleyball Training program – Training For Volleyball

AVP Womens Pro Beach Volleyball Players featured in Fitness Magazine

Stay Balanced for Energy
Eating lots of fuel food like fruit and PB & J is essential so the girls have the stamina they need to win on the court. But they still indulge.
"I'll eat so many Sour Patch Kids at the movies that my tongue usually ends up numb!" -- Angie Akers, 30, Womens Pro Beach Volleyball Player
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