Curing the carb on a vegetarian diet

Adapting the Fast Track, No Backtracking and Keep on Tracking plans for vegetarians raises all sorts of issues. It certainly isn't impossible, but your level of choice will be somewhat restricted in the initial phases of the plan — especially if you are a bona fide vegetarian who doesn't eat fish or eggs, as well as meat. A balanced healthy diet is the ultimate aim of these plans.

Many people adopt a vegetarian diet for reasons of health rather than ethics, but unless you are careful about menu-planning, the average vegetarian diet isn't necessarily any healthier or less fattening than that of a non- vegetarian. There is often a tendency to combine too many complex carbohydrates with high levels of saturated fats — think pizza, jacket potato and cheese, fries with manufactured mayonnaise or sugar—ridden ketchup. In fact the chances are your diet could be less healthy. This is because vegetarians need to eat a variety of plant-based foods to provide all the essential amino acids that are readily available in animal protein. If just one of the essential amino acids is low or missing then protein synthesis will fall to a very low level or stop altogether.

Complimentary proteins

The key to ensuring that you recive the full compliment of essential amino acids on a vegetarian diet is to combine beans and grains. If you always choose a protein and a grain from the two lists below then your protein intake should be balanced.

The risks of a diet too low in protein

If you arenot careful then you may not have enough protein in your diet. Protein deficiencies in adults may result in lack of vigour and stamina, mental depression, weakness and poor resistance to infection. Antibodies will not function as well as they could — a condition that impairs the healing of wounds and recovery from disease. If you have been through a period of ill health then a higher intake of protein is vital in order to rebuild or replace tissues that are no longer functioning properly.

Good nutrition

In addition to making sure that you eat enough protein, a vegetarian diet may also be lacking in iron, zinc, calcium and vitamin B12 and D — all of which are normally found in animal products. However, these vitamins and minerals can all be found in alternative animal-free sources, and these foods should be staple foods on a vegetarian diet.

Low-carb plans for vegetarians

You may think that it is impossible to follow the Fast Track, No Backtracking and Keep on Tracking plans if you are vegetarian, but you would be wrong. If you want to create vegetarian versions of these plans then there are a number of simple rules that you will find it helpful to follow:

• Eradicate all processed and refined carbohydrates from your diet.
• Follow all the general guidelines for the individual diet plans, such as drinking lots of water and eating the bulk of your fruits and vegetables raw.
• Use the individual plans as a starting point and adapt the recipes to suit your diet.
• Use tofu, whey protein drinks, certain cheeses, eggs and nuts to provide adequate levels of protein and help you to balance your blood sugar levels.
• Always carry snacks such as nuts, protein drinks or hard-boiled eggs with you as it may sometimes be difficult to stick to your diet when you are eating out.
• Try to avoid situations where it would be very easy to break your resolve, such as when you are hungry and the only lunch option available is a sandwich.
• If a book exists called A million and one things to do with tofu — buy it.
  

• Make food as interesting as possible by experimenting with fresh herbs, spices and oils rich in omega-3 fatty acids such as flaxseed oil.
• Boost the nutritional value of your food by adding fresh sprouts, such as alfalfa, to your salads, soups and smoothies.
• If you start to feel tired and lacking in energy, add small amounts of brown rice or other wholegrains to your meals.

Essential fats

If you have been doggedly avoiding fat in an attempt to lose weight — this approach is WRONG. You need fats in your diet. Your brain consists mostly of fat, and your intelligence, heartbeat and muscular movements all depend on it. The only way in which your body can send electrical messages through living tissue is via your nerve cells and their connectors, which again are made of fat.

The fact is that some fats (known as lipids) are essential. They act as the second energy reserve behind glycogen, providing most of their energy at around 70 per cent of maximum heart rate. Endurance athletes utilize fat as an energy source more than other sports people and this is why they tend to be lean.

Fats are not just for energy, though. Their many other functions include insulating important organs, carrying fat-soluble vitamins and regulating hormone levels. If you're a female athlete and you experience a loss of your periods, this may be due to extremely low body fat, for this plays a vital role in the activation of the female hormone oestrogen.

Fats also contribute to health in many other ways — provided they are of the right kind. In an attempt to warn people about the risk of consuming toomuch fat, certain groups have created the impression that all fats are bad, but this simply is not true.

Are you eating the wrong fats?

Many people in the Western world are getting 45 per cent of their calorific intake from fats, but these are junk fats that the body cannot use, so these people are just as fat-deficient as those on extremely low-fat regimes.

THERE ARE TWO MAIN TYPES OF NATURAL FATS:

1. Saturated fats come primarily from animal sources such as meat and dairy products, and from coconut and palm-kernel oil; they are solid at room temperature. They provide the body with a stored form of energy in fat cells.

2. Unsaturated fats are found in vegetables, nuts, grains and seeds, and in fish and game; they are liquid at room temperature. They contain two fatty acids that are essential to life and, more importantly, that the body cannot produce itself. These are linoleic acid (omega-6) and linolenic acid (omega-3) From these two 'essential fatty acids' your body can make all the other fatty acids it needs.

Is it just a case of cutting out saturated fat?

Saturated fat gets a bad press, and a diet too heavy in it has been closely linked to cardiovascular disease. However, there is another fat with an equal capacity to harm: hydrogenated fat.

Hydrogenated fat is solid or semi-solid at room temperature (the best example being margarine). It is created when a liquid oil (such as corn oil) has hydrogen added to it, changing its chemical structure. This in turn can interfere with the metabolism of some essential fatty acids. Research has shown that the trans fats in hydrogenated fats can increase LDL (poor) cholesterol,decrease HDL (good) cholesterol and thus raise the risk of coronary heart disease. Hydrogenated fat is found in almost all processed foods, plus frozen convenience foods and deep-fried fast food. This is another good reason to say goodbye to junk food and hello to fresh produce.

If you usually ingest high amounts of processed fats and use commercially altered oils for cooking, then you are certainly not getting the balance of fats that your body needs.

Why don't food manufacturers use healthier oils?

Even though the food industry uses vegetable oils that contain a reasonable amount of omega-6 fatty acids, they avoid omega-3s because these are more susceptible to oxidization — in other words, they go rancid quickly and don't have a long shelf life.

Ironic, isn't it? Food manufacturers quite happily promote food under the guise of lowering cholesterol and reducing heart disease, but they are ignoring one of the fats essential to health. So unless you are eating high amounts of fish, fish oils, leafy vegetables, nuts, unrefined olive oil, tofu or flaxseed oil, your ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 fats is probably screwed up, and this in turn will be screwing up your health.

The current Western diet is much higher in omega-6 fatty acids than omega-3's. Remember those healthy Palaeolithic people we were discussing earlier? They were eating equal amounts of both.

How is this relevant to body weight?

If you are eating a diet with a good balance of omega-6 and omega-3 fatty acids, this will affect your body in beneficial fat-burning ways:

• Your metabolic rate will be increased, as will the metabolism of fats, so more stored fat will be burned for energy
• Your cells' sensitivity to insulin will be increased, so that it regulates blood- sugar levels more effectively
• The ratio of insulin to glucagons will improve, which will unlock the fat- storage banks and again allow fat to be burned as energy
• Natural appetite suppressants will kick in.

So if you want to improve your chances of losing weight, you need to up your intake of omega-3 and other healthy fats.

Essential fats Q&A

Q. How often should I eat oily fish per week if I want to consume enough omega-3 fatty acids?

A. You should aim to eat oily fish a minimum of 2-3 times per week, or ensure you use flaxseed oil regularly on salads to raise your levels. Try to eat fish from as safe a source as possible as many coldwater fish are contaminated with heavy metals and pesticides.

Q. How can I avoid hydrogenated fat?

A. Cut out processed food and only use cold-pressed un-refined oils such as olive oil, or coconut oil for cooking. Don't eat fast food that has been deep-fried and avoid butter type spreads. If you did this, then you should be able to avoid consuming dangerous trans fatty acids.

High-quality protein

Our bodies are composed mainly of protein, which (after water) is the most abundant substance in the body. It is the major constituent of our muscles, tissues, skin, hormones, enzymes, antibodies and blood. Even after childhood protein plays a vital role in maintaining and rebuilding our bodies as they cope with the wear and tear of daily life.

Proteins are broken down by the process of digestion into units called amino acids, and the body requires 22 amino acids to form human protein. All but nine can be produced in the body. These nine are known as 'essential amino acids' and have to be provided in the diet. Foods that contain all nine are termed 'complete proteins', and they include meat, fish, dairy and soya protein. Fruit, vegetables, grains and pulses are 'incomplete proteins' and have to be carefully combined to provide sufficient amino acids in the diet.

Protein is fundamental to rebalancing blood-sugar levels, because it encourages production of the hormone glucagon, which helps the body to release stored glycogen for energy and encourages the burning of fat. Glucagon also helps to balance excess insulin production.

What is Biological Value?

In order to be efficient, protein foods have to be of a high quality and have what is termed a high Biological Value (BV) — this indicates how much of theprotein is retained by the body. Eggs used to be classed as having the highest BY, but micro-filtered whey, whey-peptide blends and lactalbumin (whey- protein concentrate) are even higher. Micro-filtered whey protein used to be a useless by-product of cheese manufacturing. Now it is processed at very lowtemperatures and turned into a protein source with a very high BV that contains all essential and non-essential amino acids.

The only whey to go

To maintain a healthy immune system, blood, skin and muscles, you need to consume protein with a high By. Whey protein (which is derived from milk, see Q&A opposite) is an excellent supplement that has long been used by bodybuilders and athletes alike. It has many uses in a dietary regime:

¨ It encourages the formation of lean muscle mass

¨ It increases glutathione levels, which has great antioxidant and immune- boosting properties

¨ It helps to build healthy new collagen

¨ It provides an invaluable source of protein for vegetarians who are attempting to balance their diets

¨ It is a quick and easy way of having a high-protein meal or snack

¨ It can be incorporated into recipes as a replacement for carbohydrate ingredients.

There are a multitude of whey products on the market — some better than others. Many come in sweet flavours, which are great when making shakes and smoothies, but you need to source natural, unflavoured products if you want to incorporate whey-protein powder into savoury dishes such as soups. These are widely available through health-food stores and on the Web. Just make sure you don't confuse them with slimmer's meal-replacement powders, which are usually laden with carbohydrates.

The average serving of whey protein is a 25g (1 oz) scoop, but check on the label to see how much of that scoop comprises protein: the lower the protein content, the higher the carbohydrate content. And beware of `blends': these are likely to be bulked up with milk and soya derivatives. To get the best out of your whey products, go for the highest protein concentration possible.

Performance enhancement in perspective

There are countless nutritional products aimed at the sportsperson, which claim to have some performance-enhancing ability. These substances, called `ergogenic aids', theoretically improve performance to a point above that obtainable through a good training programme. Athletes are very susceptible to any claims for even the slightest improvement in performance, as fractions of a second could mean the difference between winning or losing.

Many ergogenic aids are basically expensive forms of proteins, minerals and vitamins. Their effectiveness is often unproven, based on folklore and reliant on the ignorance of the consumer (for example, substances such as Royal Jelly and wheat germ oil). On the other hand, some performance-enhancing principles are based on reputable scientific evidence that have been shown to improve performance in the laboratory (such as carbohydrate supercompensation - see overleaf).

However, it is interesting that even in cases where the supplement or _special diet has no physical basis, an athlete can sometimes gain purely psychological benefit from consuming something he or she believes in.

Proteins and amino acids

Although certain athletes may need an increased amount of protein, taking excessive amounts in the form of powdered or liquid supplements is unnecessary. Despite the claims of manufacturers, large quantities of protein will have no beneficial effects on muscle growth, strength or on performance. Any excess will simply be used as an energy source or stored as fat. In addition, kidney function may be hampered and dehydration caused as a result of taking in too much protein.

The supplements currently in vogue - especially among body builders and weight lifters - are amino acids, the 'building blocks' of proteins. The theory is that certain amino acids stimulate growth hormones. The increase however is slight and has no practical effect. Amino acids are not 'fat burners' or detoxifiers as has been claimed. Although tablets taken for this purpose are extremely expensive, the amount of amino acids in them is very small. In fact, a single egg contains far more than that found in seven or more amino acid tablets!

Vitamins and minerals

As mentioned earlier in this chapter, supplementing vitamins and minerals has no performance-enhancing properties in an athlete whose normal diet is not deficient. The effects of taking megadoses of certain vitamins may even impair performance.

Manufacturers and quasi-nutritionists have given certain substances vitamin status, although they are not scientifically classified as vitamins. For example, pangamic acid (otherwise known as vitamin B15) supposedly prevents various diseases, slows the ageing process and improves physical performance. None of these claims has been substantiated. Laetrile or vitamin B17 is a source of cyanide and has been banned. Other `pseudovitamins' are orotic acid (vitamin B13), bioflavenoids and vitamin B-T (or carnitine), all of which do not function as vitamins.

Carbohydrate loading

`Carbo-loading' is a phrase which has passed into common use. It has been proved scientifically that carbohydrate loading (otherwise known as carbohydrate supercompensation) is one of the practices which is effective in improving performance. It may be explained in the following way: Exercise which lasts for longer than 60-90 minutes is dependent on the amount of glucose available. Glycogen (glucose) stores in the muscle and liver are small, so enlarging them allows an athlete to continue exercising at a higher intensity for longer. A carbohydrate-loading programme increases the amount of muscle glycogen stored before you need to use it.

The best method of doing this is to gradually reduce the amount of training you do during the six days preceding an event and, during the final three days, eat a diet that is high in carbohydrate (500-600 grams per day). The extra glycogen stored in this way allows the athlete to continue exercising for longer.

Carbohydrates, fluids and sodium during exercise

It has been proved that supplying the body with carbohydrate during endurance-type exercise has a glycogen sparing effect which allows an athlete to exercise for longer. Many studies have been done in attempts to find a solution that will allow the maximum amount of water to be absorbed, while at the same time providing an optimal amount of carbohydrate. So far, it seems that a form of carbohydrate known as 'glucose polymers' has the best absorption rate. These are chains of glucose molecules linked together. A solution containing about 10 per cent carbohydrate in the form of glucose polymers supplies the most glucose to the body during exercise, and at the same time provides sufficient water replacement. (It is important to remember that a carbohydrate solution is only of benefit during prolonged exercise.)

Adding sodium to replacement fluids increases the concentration of the fluid. It was initially thought that this would hamper the absorption of the fluid, but the most recent findings suggest that the addition of a very small amount of salt (1-2 grams per litre) is in fact necessary for absorption.

Alcohol

Not surprisingly, it has been proved that alcohol has no beneficial effect on exercise. In reality alcohol is a depressant that slows reaction time, impairs muscle reflexes and disturbs coordination. In addition, it causes dehydration which interferes with fluid balance and has a negative effect on performance.

Caffeine

Some athletes use caffeine as a stimulant and to increase the amount of free fatty acids in the blood. Theoretically, more fat is then available to be used for energy, resulting in glycogen sparing (see above). However, an excessive amount of caffeine is necessary to produce this effect and, apart from the fact that a very high concentration of it in the urine can disqualify a competitive athlete, there are several other disadvantages to using caffeine in this way. The main one is that it has a diuretic effect, which results in increased fluid losses and a greater risk of dehydration. In addition, overconsumption of caffeine can result in headaches and nausea and it is therefore not advisable to use large doses of this stimulant in an attempt to enhance performance.

Other imposters

Royal jelly, wheat germ oil, ginseng, extracts of various herbs and numerous other products have all at one time or another been touted as performance-enhancers. The truth is, however, that the only possible effect most of these substances could have would be a psychological one.

Essential Nutrient Building Blocks of PROTEIN

Next to water, protein is the most plentiful substance in your body. It is primarily involved in the growth, repair and development of all body tissues. It is an essential nutrient that is made up of a long chain of amino acids, commonly known as the building blocks of protein. Protein is found in the outer and inner membranes of every living cell. Even our DNA is made up of nucleoproteins.


Your body needs approximately 50-60 g of protein every day, which you can get from animal sources (such as meat or dairy) and plant sources (such as tofu or nuts). If you do not get enough protein, your body will start to digest other proteins such as the protein in muscle. This is, however, rare in modern diets, as protein is consumed in fairly high amounts of around 120 g per day.

Your body requires 22 different amino acids to make the proteins it needs. Nine of these are considered essential, which means you need to obtain them from your diet, and the rest are non-essential, meaning your body can manufacture them itself from carbohydrates, fats and other amino acids.


The quality of protein

The quality of protein is measured by how well the human body can absorb it. Because animal products (like beef, pork, chicken, fish, cottage cheese and eggs) contain a similar amino acid formation as is present in the human body, they are absorbed more efficiently and therefore called a high-quality protein, or complete protein. However, some can be higher in saturated fat than plant proteins your protein intake by combining different incomplete, plant-based proteins. For example, legumes (beans) complement nuts and seeds, so a meal consisting of chilli beans plus a salad sprinkled with pumpkin seeds, or chilli beans with cheese sprinkled on top would both be excellent ways to combine incomplete proteins. A cup of yoghurt with chopped nuts sprinkled on top is a great example. Another is whole-grain rice and beans.

(The egg is considered a fantastic protein food because it provides the right amounts of all the essential amino acids and therefore is most useful to the human body.)

One of our favourite quick protein meals is a Protein Omelette. Also we have given you our Baked Salmon Loaf. A great snack for a busy day is a Fruit Smoothie - take it with you in a thermos. All these meals are quick to prepare - ideal for times when you are busy but want good healthy food.