Hello Everyone,
As some of you may know, for the past two years, I have been a contributing writer for the Richmond Review, I have a column titled, "Healthy Habit". Here is a sneak peek:
For the last three weeks 12 people and myself have signed up for a 10-week “Body Transformation Challenge,” with the talented trainers at New Wave Athletics.
Despite being of a slim build my body fat percentage is slightly out of range for my age. This will be my third time taking part in a challenge.
While I am well trained to tailor diet/nutrition when chronic health concerns are involved, there is quite another science to nutrition when taking a fairly healthy person, enhancing physical strength and preventing future illness.
This brings me to the fascinating learning experience of body transformation—the goal is to increase lean muscle mass and decrease millimetres of fat surrounding the body. Lean muscle weighs more than fat; therefore, reducing scale weight is not what will win the competition. Lean muscle mass is analogous to the furnace of the body—when it is increased, the resting metabolic rate is increased and we burn more calories throughout the day. With calorie restrictive diets, lean muscle mass is the first to decrease, not body fat. This scenario will result in quick fat storage—“yo-yo dieting.”
You can have a look at the full article on the Richmond Review website here. You can also check it out in the Jan 30th, 2010 edition of the Richmond Reviewpage and flip to page 20. After reading this article, some may be wondering what do I eat. This is no different than how I usually eat, however the portions are controlled the snacks are like clockwork and the complex carbohydrates are high in the morning and less towards dinner. The key is planning ahead and preparation!
A Typical Day in Dr. Neetu's Diet during the "10 Week Body Transformation Challenge"
7:30-8am: 1 cup steel cut oats topped with 1 tbsp of cooked berries; 1/4-1/2 of a banana; 1 tbsp ground raw unsalted pumpkin seeds; 1 tbsp ground raw unsalted sunflower seeds; unsweetened almond nut milk. 1 cup of tea with 1/2 tsp honey. Note: no sugar; no dairy; and oats were soaked over night in order to sprout. Berry compote recipe: 1 cup mixed berries cook on med heat until mashed, 1 tbsp maple syrup, 1 tbsp balsamic vinegar. Cool and store in the refrigerator. Add to granola/oatmeal/yogurt to maintain a sugar free breakfast
11am: 1 pear + 10 raw unsalted almonds
1pm: 2 ryvita crackers with goat cheese and guacamole (home made) topped with two poached eggs + small green salad
4pm: 2 cubes of "Elevate Me Bar" – found at Save-On; London Drugs
7pm: 1 small package of smoked salmon (about 2-3ounces) wrapped in Vietnamese Rice Paper wraps + lettuce + avacado + red peppers. Makes two Wraps (home made). Steamed broccoli.
