Diet, Exercise and Weight loss - help!

Hi Winston,

Thanks for your input... I haven't read all of it but for sure I'll have a read tomorrow. As for professional advice, I haven't got any :(. I just decided to reduce after my annual check-up... I have high blood pressure, cholesterol, uric acid and fatty liver :(. I only read from the internet but I realised that 1200 is too low and others have confirmed it. Previously, I gorge on sweets and meat... they were a bit lean but the potions were huge.

I'll see my doctor again in 2 weeks to have another check-up but I'll ask his advice regarding my diet this time.


Please please please (from a personal trainer) get some assistance from your Dr. They should be able to refer you to the correct allied health professionals to get you started on your journey in a safe, healthy, way. This also means if at some point you waiver in your motivation to keep going - you've got a support network to assist you.
Ask if he can put you on a plan to the various health professionals - there's now several programs/ways that medicare may be able to cover most of the costs for you if it's started by a Dr.
 
Hi Bon, here's generally what I eat almost everyday... give or take 100 calories. Sometimes I add a cup of rice during dinner.

breakfast:
a bowl of oatmeal with 1/2 tbsp sugar + skim milk

snack:
a slice of bread with flora-pro-active (need to bring down cholesterol level)
1 carrot

lunch:
1 banana/apple
1/2 cup of tuna or chicken breast

snack:
a slice of bread with flora-pro-active (need to bring down cholesterol level)
1 carrot
1 tub (175 ml) diet yoghurt

dinner:
1 cup veggies (greens, etc)
1/2 cup fish or chicken breast
1 fruit


Ahhh! No wonder, you are way under your caloric needs and you are eating high carbs (some bad ones), with low protein/fats (good ones)


I would suggest something more like:

Breakfast:

Eggs on a slice of grain bread + fruit - berries (find them in the frozen section at supermarkets) & natrual organic low fat yogurt with a dash of honey, or a banana.

One carrot? Watch you don't overdo the veggies man! You should not limit veggies in your intake at all, eat as many veggies as you want, whenever you want! Calories are next to nothing and I guarantee you that you would be hard pressed to eat 2-300 calories of veggies a day :)

Handful of nuts + fruit - go to the shop and buy watermelon, rockmelon, apples, pears, grapes, kiwi fruit + whatever else you like/can afford and cut it up into a big fruit salad.

Can of tuna/pink salmon (higher content of omegas, the good fats, more bang for your buck, only 2-3x a week to limit the risk of lead poisoning, otherwise tuna/chicken/lean beef instead) + fruit/salad.

Wrap with chicken, avocado, baby spinach, tomato, onion, cucumber, capscium, whatever.

steak/chicken with veggies/salad.
 
I am by no means an expert on nutrition or diets but have found that the only way I can lose fat is to cut out carbs almost completely especially sugars. Like others have said your diet is quite high in sugar

Basically I don't eat bread, cereal or grains, fruit apart from berries in moderation, starchy veggies eg pumpkin, potatoes and root veggies apart from carrots in moderation, corn, peas or any sweeter veggie, rice, legumes such as lentils, beans etc.

Doesn't seem like it leaves me much option but I eat plenty of lean meat, fish and chicken (no deli meats due to nitrites and sodium), seafood, green leafy veggies, almonds in moderation, less sweet veggies inc tomatoes, avocadoes, low fat cheese, eggs and heaps of other low carb foods and basically the weight dropped off and no more sugar cravings, headaches, mood swings, 3.00pm slumps etc. I have heaps more energy and don't feel lethargic or fuzzy at all.

Now to break the caffiene and alcohol addictions :eek:
 
Nice diet Bon... but I wouldn't say it's very different :confused:

I have heaps more energy and don't feel lethargic or fuzzy at all.

Now to break the caffiene and alcohol addictions :eek:

I think if you break your addictions, you'll start to feel quite lethargic, fuzzy, moody, and maybe even replace the coffee and alcohol with junk food :eek:
 
Hi DWV, I work in the field and am interested in what professional advice you have sought to date. I'd also be interested in where the 2500-3000 Cal intake and 1200 recommendation came from. I'd also be interested to know if anyone has worked out your average daily energy expenditure.

Some points.

Protein
While it is true for many people who have struggled with weight, that higher portions of protein help them feel satiated for longer, higher protein invariably means more animal sourced food (flesh, dairy, eggs).

Unfortunately, this type of food has a strong positive correlation with cardiovascular disease. Even if you go for lean cuts, the latest scientifically based recommendation is that anything over 300g a week of red meat significantly increases risk of c-v disease and certain cancers.

Carbs
Atkins and segments of the bodybuilding and fitness industry have extreme views about carbs. I have had many clients put on next to no carbs by personal trainers and body builders, only to have dramatic loss of energy within 4-8 weeks. Much of the wt loss benefit of extremely low carbs is that this depletes the body's glycogen stores. And glycogen stores bond to 3-4 times their weight in water, ergo a v. low carb diet will make you lose weight in the early stages, but much of it is water, not fat.

Nevertheless, it is true most of us eat too many carbs....and really I should be saying starchy carbs (grain based stuff like pasta, rice, bread). carbs include fruits (simple carbs) and vegetables (fibrous carbs) and these are the best diet food. So it is a good thing to cut back on your rice intake, but not to exclude it altogether.

Why do we overeat starch? they are a substrate for serotonin, a neurotransmitter in the brain. low levels make us feel depressed/unhappy. a hit of starch makes us feel better for a bit. but big hits of starch can also crash our blood sugar and have us craving more 1-2 hours later.

Fibrous Carbs
Perhaps the most important principle of safe and comfortable weight loss is to increase your intake of veges and salad, (and water). These have much more bulk per Calorie, and lead to a sense of fullness before you overeat. Further, they trickle feed glucose to the blood stream over 2-4 hours, thus avoiding sugar swings which trigger appetite. Apart from that, vege have essential vitamins, minerals, and anti-oxidants that cannot be attained elsewhere.

Simple Carbs
Many advocate not eating fruit on a diet, but unless you are pre-diabetic whole fruit (not juice) is fine. Some fruits have much higher sugar content, and these are better avoided. Berries and melons generally have less sugar per gram, whereas bananas have amongst the highest sugar content.

Low Carb Diet Success
The success of these diets is often attributable to factors not openly acknowledged by their proponents.
Firstly, decreasing starch is a good thing but that doesn't mean dropping it to extremes is a better thing.
Secondly, the satiation and stable blood sugar one feels on low carb diets is often more a result of upping one's intake of fibrous carbohydrates, increased water, and increased activity levels......success is not necessarily due primarily to the larger serve of protein and fat.

Exercise
You will struggle to burn off Calories by exercise alone. Your diet will be responsible for 80-90% of your weight loss success. For each cup of cooked rice you eat, you will have to walk very fast for 40 minutes, which will be about 4km.

Energy Dense Nutrient Poor Foods
This table shows how there's no place for convenience foods when trying to lose weight.
You really do have to go back to the foods your grandparents ate, but less of them if you aren't doing the same degree of manual work they probably did.

Hours+of+Walking.jpg


Energy Intake/Expenditure
Finally, it helps heaps to know how many Calories you burn. The pic below is of a spreadsheet I use to measure this for athletes. Am happy to share it with you if you PM me.


CalsRequired.jpg



Finally, I'd recommend you read the diet program of one the world's foremost authorities on diet and health, Dean Ornish, in a book called The Spectrum

Hi Winston,

I've read your post and this is what I've learnt (with some questions from #4)

1. Too much animal protein can lead to CV disease (which I have family history of). Limit to 300g a week.
2. Limit starchy carbs (bread, rice, pasta) and eat more of fibrous carbs (veggies). I'm asian so i cannot completely remove rice but will limit the portion to maybe 1/2 cup a day or every other day... eventually just eating it once a week.
3. Simple carbs (fruits) are ok but beware of sugar content (e.g eat berries and melons rather than bananas).
4. Basically eat more of the veggies and some fruits, limit starchy carbs, limit animal protein but eat more of other source of proteins (could you suggest any other? I can only think of soy and legumes).
5. Diet Coke - it has 0 calories - so does it mean it's "good" to take (aside from the other bad stuff in it of course!)?
6. What do you think about a "cheat" day once a week? I mean, I will not gorge but say I'll eat a mars bar or a piece of chocolate or a slice of pizza?
7. Basal metabolic rate - is it the amount of calories burnt with day-to-day regular activities (sleeping, watching tv, sitting in the office, etc)?

I'll PM you later.

Thanks again Winston!
 
Hi Mark,

Thanks for the link! I'll have a read later. You're right, I have to be smarter in what I give my body but I also have to have to will and patience to do it! The guy in the picture really looks good at 72!

http://www.bodyweightculture.com/

Stop wasting time and money at the gym. Also, forget all the high carb/low carb/Atkins/lemon juice/blah blah blah diet nonsense. Eat sensibly. Use common sense when doing the grocery shopping.

Losing weight and getting healthy is not rocket science. Be smart about what you put in your body. Also, be patient about losing the gut. It's going to take a while.

Also, have a read of this guys' blog. The free stuff is good, but you have to pay to get the really good stuff. I haven't paid for content yet, but what he says makes sense.

Have a look at this guy - he's 72.

9kbbr9.jpg


Have a read of this. Some fairly simple, yet common sense tips.

http://www.arthurdevany.com/categories/20091025?
 
Hi Bon,

What foods in particular are high in bad carbs? I know bread and rice are high... what else?

I've a history of CV disease and right now I have highblood pressure (medicated) and now beginning to have high cholesterol levels (6.8) so I cannot take too much animal protien... what other source of protein would you suggest?


Ahhh! No wonder, you are way under your caloric needs and you are eating high carbs (some bad ones), with low protein/fats (good ones)


I would suggest something more like:

Breakfast:

Eggs on a slice of grain bread + fruit - berries (find them in the frozen section at supermarkets) & natrual organic low fat yogurt with a dash of honey, or a banana.

One carrot? Watch you don't overdo the veggies man! You should not limit veggies in your intake at all, eat as many veggies as you want, whenever you want! Calories are next to nothing and I guarantee you that you would be hard pressed to eat 2-300 calories of veggies a day :)

Handful of nuts + fruit - go to the shop and buy watermelon, rockmelon, apples, pears, grapes, kiwi fruit + whatever else you like/can afford and cut it up into a big fruit salad.

Can of tuna/pink salmon (higher content of omegas, the good fats, more bang for your buck, only 2-3x a week to limit the risk of lead poisoning, otherwise tuna/chicken/lean beef instead) + fruit/salad.

Wrap with chicken, avocado, baby spinach, tomato, onion, cucumber, capscium, whatever.

steak/chicken with veggies/salad.
 
Haven't had the time to read to whole thread, so apologies if some of this has already been covered. Here are some basic tips to aid in weight loss.

The most important thing is a good meal plan. Work out your base metabolic rate, ie. how many calories you burn at rest every day (many calculators to help you on this site) properly, don't pluck a number out of thin air like "yeah I want to cut down to 2000 calories a day."

Say your BSR works out to 2500 calories a day, then aim to consume that amount if your doing cardio activities on that day, or if you're having a rest day - consume a couple hundred calories less than 2500. Don't go severe and starve yourself, it won't help long term.

Also work out the breakdown of the nutrients you need, ie. what % if your daily caloric intake should be Protein, Carbs and Fats. Also remember to add in extra good fats such as Flaxseed Oil which can aid in fat loss (and is yummy too! :rolleyes:). Try to limit carbs later in the day.

Next break down your meals into smaller more frequent servings. Aim to have 6 meals per day instead of 3, even if that means adding in a protein shake if you can't be bothered eating that often. You need to keep your metabolism active and digesting, not a series of start-stops throughout the day when the body goes into and out of starvation mode.

Eat something first thing when you get up, even if it's just a protein shake - before you do your cardio. Starvation leads to muscle loss, not fat loss.

Weight training is an important part of weight loss, not only because it will increase your relative muscle mass, but it will also keep burning more calories throughout the day than a cardio session will. Perhaps say 3 weight sessions per week to start with and your usual cardio. Don't waste your time though, push yourself with weights (not saying break yourself), otherwise it's just a cardio workout.

Check out some of the fitness sites around the place such as I mentioned above, there are many different articles written by experienced trainers, dieticians and athletes, and there are also good forums to ask questions on for refining advice.
 
Hi DWV,

wow just read your health results.

OK, it is imperative you get some diet guidelines from your doctor and preferably see a dietitian to have a diet plan made. Why so?

1. family history of CV disease and hypertension.
I take it you have been overweight for some time. With this history, if you lose weight too rapidly or do too intense exercise, you will be prone to arrhythmias (disorders of heart rhythm). These can predispose you to heart attacks or strokes. Why do they happen? if you have a lot of fat within the heart muscle, conduction of electrical signal around the heart can become uncoordinated - different parts of the heart fire at inappropriate times.
Therefore, it is smarter to go onto a more measured Calorie deficit (0.5-0.75kg) and not compete in high intensity cardio exercise or heavy weights routines, at least for the first 2 months.

2. fatty liver disease.
It is probable that you have associated bile duct fatty deposits and poor processing of bile. If you try to lose weight too quickly, you are at risk of Cholelithiasis (gall stones).

3. gout
If you try to lose weight too quickly or do too intense exercise, you are at high risk of triggering a gout attack or accelerating the formation of kidney stones. It is imperative you adopt a moderate Calorie deficit, only do moderate exercise, and drink lots of water - 2.5litres and maybe more depending on your body size.

Diet and exercise for your system is best done moderately.
If you have all that stuff going on, you are very likely to damage your joint cartiliage and capsules, and ligaments if you do exercise of too long duration or too high intensity.

I could guide you on a Calorie controlled diet appropriate for Asians as I often see them in clinic in Brisbane. However, I think with the concomitant morbidities you have mentioned, you really should spend the money seeing a dietitian recommended by your GP. You want to let the GP know you are going on a diet as he may decide to put you on medication during the diet to reduce complications from gout, gall stones, or arrhythmias. Dietitians aren't expensive. ~$120-150 initial consult and 60-70 for follow ups. Usually 3-4 visits should set you straight. You might also ask around for an Asian one, as they may be more skilled in designing a culture specific program.


Regarding diet coke, dietitians prefer you don't drink it, but eat a piece of fruit instead if your sugar is jumpy. One of the guys above talked about 6 meals a day, and that is generally recommended to keep your sugar stable. However, if you feel you need a sugary drink, diet coke is better than normal coke but you don't want to take more than 1L a day. Some people in the USA drink diet drinks rather than water, which is just dumb.

basal metabolic rate is the energy you burn if you stay in bed all day. you need to add energty expenditure for metabolizing food into energy, and add exercise/work to this to get total energy expenditure.

cheat days would be better left out for the first 6 weeks. Initially, you may find it hard to regulate the amount of food you are eating. It will be better to stick fairly tightly to a set diet so your dietitian can fine tune a diet that creates a desired Calorie deficit. Too high a deficit will predispose you to the above health complications and too low a deficit will de-motivate you due to slow wt loss.

If you want any more advice I suggest you ask me privately. But I also strongly follow through with your GP and a dietitian. If your doctor suggests you go on a meal replacement type diet, I suggest you not take that advice until you have seen a dietitian to confirm.

Cheers
WW
 
Hi WW,

Ok, got the message - slowly but surely and ask for professional help so as not to further damage my body.

Thanks again for all the help. I'll PM you again soon!

Hi DWV,

wow just read your health results.

OK, it is imperative you get some diet guidelines from your doctor and preferably see a dietitian to have a diet plan made. Why so?

1. family history of CV disease and hypertension.
I take it you have been overweight for some time. With this history, if you lose weight too rapidly or do too intense exercise, you will be prone to arrhythmias (disorders of heart rhythm). These can predispose you to heart attacks or strokes. Why do they happen? if you have a lot of fat within the heart muscle, conduction of electrical signal around the heart can become uncoordinated - different parts of the heart fire at inappropriate times.
Therefore, it is smarter to go onto a more measured Calorie deficit (0.5-0.75kg) and not compete in high intensity cardio exercise or heavy weights routines, at least for the first 2 months.

2. fatty liver disease.
It is probable that you have associated bile duct fatty deposits and poor processing of bile. If you try to lose weight too quickly, you are at risk of Cholelithiasis (gall stones).

3. gout
If you try to lose weight too quickly or do too intense exercise, you are at high risk of triggering a gout attack or accelerating the formation of kidney stones. It is imperative you adopt a moderate Calorie deficit, only do moderate exercise, and drink lots of water - 2.5litres and maybe more depending on your body size.

Diet and exercise for your system is best done moderately.
If you have all that stuff going on, you are very likely to damage your joint cartiliage and capsules, and ligaments if you do exercise of too long duration or too high intensity.

I could guide you on a Calorie controlled diet appropriate for Asians as I often see them in clinic in Brisbane. However, I think with the concomitant morbidities you have mentioned, you really should spend the money seeing a dietitian recommended by your GP. You want to let the GP know you are going on a diet as he may decide to put you on medication during the diet to reduce complications from gout, gall stones, or arrhythmias. Dietitians aren't expensive. ~$120-150 initial consult and 60-70 for follow ups. Usually 3-4 visits should set you straight. You might also ask around for an Asian one, as they may be more skilled in designing a culture specific program.


Regarding diet coke, dietitians prefer you don't drink it, but eat a piece of fruit instead if your sugar is jumpy. One of the guys above talked about 6 meals a day, and that is generally recommended to keep your sugar stable. However, if you feel you need a sugary drink, diet coke is better than normal coke but you don't want to take more than 1L a day. Some people in the USA drink diet drinks rather than water, which is just dumb.

basal metabolic rate is the energy you burn if you stay in bed all day. you need to add energty expenditure for metabolizing food into energy, and add exercise/work to this to get total energy expenditure.

cheat days would be better left out for the first 6 weeks. Initially, you may find it hard to regulate the amount of food you are eating. It will be better to stick fairly tightly to a set diet so your dietitian can fine tune a diet that creates a desired Calorie deficit. Too high a deficit will predispose you to the above health complications and too low a deficit will de-motivate you due to slow wt loss.

If you want any more advice I suggest you ask me privately. But I also strongly follow through with your GP and a dietitian. If your doctor suggests you go on a meal replacement type diet, I suggest you not take that advice until you have seen a dietitian to confirm.

Cheers
WW
 
Hi Steve,

Thanks for the tips and the link! I will have to re-think my diet and exercise and ask for some professional help.

Haven't had the time to read to whole thread, so apologies if some of this has already been covered. Here are some basic tips to aid in weight loss.

The most important thing is a good meal plan. Work out your base metabolic rate, ie. how many calories you burn at rest every day (many calculators to help you on this site) properly, don't pluck a number out of thin air like "yeah I want to cut down to 2000 calories a day."

Say your BSR works out to 2500 calories a day, then aim to consume that amount if your doing cardio activities on that day, or if you're having a rest day - consume a couple hundred calories less than 2500. Don't go severe and starve yourself, it won't help long term.

Also work out the breakdown of the nutrients you need, ie. what % if your daily caloric intake should be Protein, Carbs and Fats. Also remember to add in extra good fats such as Flaxseed Oil which can aid in fat loss (and is yummy too! :rolleyes:). Try to limit carbs later in the day.

Next break down your meals into smaller more frequent servings. Aim to have 6 meals per day instead of 3, even if that means adding in a protein shake if you can't be bothered eating that often. You need to keep your metabolism active and digesting, not a series of start-stops throughout the day when the body goes into and out of starvation mode.

Eat something first thing when you get up, even if it's just a protein shake - before you do your cardio. Starvation leads to muscle loss, not fat loss.

Weight training is an important part of weight loss, not only because it will increase your relative muscle mass, but it will also keep burning more calories throughout the day than a cardio session will. Perhaps say 3 weight sessions per week to start with and your usual cardio. Don't waste your time though, push yourself with weights (not saying break yourself), otherwise it's just a cardio workout.

Check out some of the fitness sites around the place such as I mentioned above, there are many different articles written by experienced trainers, dieticians and athletes, and there are also good forums to ask questions on for refining advice.
 
Winston,

heard some where that the sweetener aspartane? used in diet coke etc. can actually lead to an increased risk of diabetes. The mature age one not the children's one. Is this true?

Slim:)
 
Winston,

heard some where that the sweetener aspartane? used in diet coke etc. can actually lead to an increased risk of diabetes. The mature age one not the children's one. Is this true?

Slim:)

Slim, I am not up on the literature re the strength of chronic use and diabetes risk.

But I liaise with dietitians in the AIS and Qld Academy of Sport, and diet drinks are not recommended for elite athletes because they drop blood sugar significantly 30-120 minutes after ingestion. There's also inhibitory effects on leptin production and the renin angiotensin aldsoterone chemical cascade (RAAS system). These effects, apart from effecting the cardiovascular system, are counterproductive in controlling appetite.
 
Sugar is magic stuff. Best fix there is for a sugar crash - when you go all shakey and in that state you can't do anything useful like think, or drive, be civil or stay vertical. I *cannot* skip meals or snacks, and I've pretty much always been like this, despite dire warnings of metabolism slowdown coming from people when I turned 25 ... 30 ... now its 35.

Says me having a large bowl of spag bog for morning tea at 11am because apparently breakfast today was just Too Small ... oh well, should hold me till 2pm lunch ...

*sigh*
 
Hi Winston. Whilst we are on this subject, I wonder what your thoughts are on "sports" drinks, eg Gatorade and the like.

I have an 18 year old (normal build, rather lean but not skinny) who trains for football (soccer) for 90 minutes twice a week plus the 90 minute game when the season kicks off. He is also playing netball socially once a week. He drinks a lot of water whilst training and playing. Does he need to replenish salts and whatever else these drinks are meant to replenish with this amount of physical activity?

My 14 year old has decided not to play football this season, but being a skinny build, when he was playing (training twice a week and one game) wanted a "sports" drink after the game, and after playing futsal for 40 minutes. Would he need a "sports" drink, or is it just that they are sucked him by the advertising, into thinking they need these drinks?

I believe these drinks have the same sugar (9 teaspoons per bottle?) as Coke.

P.S. I don't know how you stuff all this knowledge into one small head :D, but I'm glad you are here to answer these things.
 
Hi Wylie

re electrolyte drinks, the sugar ladened ones are recommended by sports scientists for sustained cardiovascular exercise greater than 1 hour (running, cycling, skiing, soccer, footy, aerobic training etc).

However, the 1 hour recommendation is for a moderate climate, and sub tropical climates can probably reduce that to 40-45 mins.

The recent adverts on tv pushing powerade have an interactive electrolyte replacement webpage.
I haven't used it for a while and can't remember if it accommodates kids.

However, don't feel you have to go and buy these drinks at $3 a pop.

Consider the following:
- make sure your kids get a good mix of fruit and vege, especially in season fruits. These will have higher potassium in summer. 5 cups of vege/salad and 2 cups or pieces of fruit should be sufficient if they are over 10 and doing up to 1.5 hours of cardio 5 days a week.

- make sure they drink 1/2 to 1.5 litres of fluid in the 30 minutes prior to sport. commencing sport dehydrated sets people up for muscle and ligament strains/sprains and accelerated joint wear. In fact, some AFL and rugby league teams have recently been giving their players saline injections at half time to keep their fluids up. the kids should get used to observing the color of their urine. If it is darker than chardonnay, then they can have more fluid. obviously they don't want to be taking all the fluid 5-10 minutes before sport because they'll probably get the urge to pee. Different kids will have different tolerances to that.

Swimming is a special case. swimmers don't sweat as much because their bodies are kept cooler.....further, if they drink as much as for land sport, they'd get earlier urges to pee because the pool water presses on their muscles and forces plasma back into the blood stream. The kidneys then think there's too much fluid volume and let it go through to the bladder. So less fluid for swimmers.

- the kids need to ideally drink something every 20 mins of sustained sport, dependinng on how humid it is.

- they also need to have around a litre in the 90 minutes after finishing >45 mins of sport, depending on heat.

- they shoudl also have some protein and carb food within 15 minutes of finishing. a small muesli bar woudl be fine.

- ok, you don't need powerade etc. You can make your own with cordial or combo fruit juice/water and a special salt available from woolies etc (saxa lite 50% reduced sodium mixture). I've got a spreadsheet here with the right portions and can PM those to you.
The salt is not pure NaCl, it is a combo of that and potassium chloride, which is what is used in the drinks.

- The glucose is put in the drinks for two reasons - as a form of readily available carbohydrate to inhibit breakdown of protein for energy substrate, and to help the small intestine absorb more of the salt. Without glucose, very little of the salt would enter the blood stream.

The AIS had some info re recommended electrolyte intake on their website 4 months ago, but it was quite ambiguous. I brought this to the attention of their dietitian, and he acknowledged the uselessness of the info, and said it would be updated quickly. I haven't been back to check since. Usually though, the AIS website is the best source for sports info.

Finally, for kids carrying fat, I wouldn't recommend commercial electrolyte solutions. too much sugar. They'd be better off on a home made prep with less imho. However, coca cola being what they are, they are constantly putting out more varieties of powerade to appeal to all. Gatorade is much the same. Stick with a home made product imho.
 
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A friend of mine died from a heart attack a few years ago. He was in mid 40s, very lean, fit, supposedly healthy. He had been exercising immediately prior to his death. But he drank alot of sports drinks, and one of the theories around his death was that his electrolytes were out of balance from too much long term consumption.

On the other side of the equation, I nearly killed myself one time doing a walk through the Olgas. Kept drinking more and more water thinking I was dehydrated, when in fact I needed salt/ electrolytes. I came pretty close to collapse.

My concern with these types of sports drinks is that alot of people are just drinking them all day whether they are exercising or not.

For general day to day use, water is best.

Pen
 
Slim, I am not up on the literature re the strength of chronic use and diabetes risk.

But I liaise with dietitians in the AIS and Qld Academy of Sport, and diet drinks are not recommended for elite athletes because they drop blood sugar significantly 30-120 minutes after ingestion. There's also inhibitory effects on leptin production and the renin angiotensin aldsoterone chemical cascade (RAAS system). These effects, apart from effecting the cardiovascular system, are counterproductive in controlling appetite.

I think they also make you thirstier.

I think the theory in terms of diabetes is that they taste sweet, so your body responds to them as if they were sugar, and produces more insulin. This would explain the drop in blood sugar in healthy people.
In pre-type 2 diabetes, the body is becoming resistant to insulin, so your cells don't allow the insulin to help glucose get into the cells. This causes an increase in blood sugars, and therefore your insulin production responds by increasing, and it becomes a vicious cycle.
I'm not an expert though! This is just what I've read, because I have problems with my insulin levels.

Pen
 
Thanks Winston. Once again, an answer packed full of information... thank you. But I have a few queries, if you don't mind.

re electrolyte drinks, the sugar ladened ones are recommended by sports scientists for sustained cardiovascular exercise greater than 1 hour (running, cycling, skiing, soccer, footy, aerobic training etc).

Do the sports scientists not think the sugar content is a bad thing or are they paid by the electrolyte drink companies? Or is the sugar content acceptable because of the good that the rest of the ingredients give? I'm confused.


The recent adverts on tv pushing powerade have an interactive electrolyte replacement webpage.
I haven't used it for a while and can't remember if it accommodates kids.

I had a look and I can chose weight and height, so I will punch in the correct numbers when the kids are home, but just guessing weight and height, it recommended 2.67 drinks for my 18 year old for 90 minutes on a hot day of football. That is a LOT of sugar.

- the kids need to ideally drink something every 20 mins of sustained sport, dependinng on how humid it is.

Unfortunately, football is 45 minute halfs, but they hit the water bottle in the break, and after. I will try to ensure the older boy drinks more before he plays. Some players cramp up and perhaps they need more water (or salts) before the game.

- they also need to have around a litre in the 90 minutes after finishing >45 mins of sport, depending on heat.

- they shoudl also have some protein and carb food within 15 minutes of finishing. a small muesli bar woudl be fine.

I will show him this post. He is a sensible young man and very passionate about his football, so anything that helps him, he will take on board.

- ok, you don't need powerade etc. You can make your own with cordial or combo fruit juice/water and a special salt available from woolies etc (saxa lite 50% reduced sodium mixture). I've got a spreadsheet here with the right portions and can PM those to you.

I would appreciate that, thank you.

The salt is not pure NaCl, it is a combo of that and potassium chloride, which is what is used in the drinks.

- The glucose is put in the drinks for two reasons - as a form of readily available carbohydrate to inhibit breakdown of protein for energy substrate, and to help the small intestine absorb more of the salt. Without glucose, very little of the salt would enter the blood stream.

If I make my own, say using fruit based cordial as a base, (I can get 90% fruit juice cordial - but isn't that a lot of sugar too?), do I need to add glucose? Do his friends who only drink say water NEED salt and glucose? Would his body tell him he needs salt and glucose by cramping? Or could he go a season without those sports drinks, bought OR home made?

I think we average consumers (at least my youngest boy does) get brainwashed that exercise requires these types of drinks. Neither of these boys is overweight, but I don't want them to load up on sugary drinks unnecessarily. I have enough trouble getting them to eat healthily and we have our "slack, couldn't be bothered making too much effort" dinners, so I don't want to compound things by adding sugary drinks and rubbish. The 18 year old is quite a lolly addict, and I think sugar addiction is something he needs to fight. Both boys LOVE soft drink. I don't buy it for home except maybe an "occasion" but they are now old enough to buy their own soft drinks if they are out with mates.

I have thought about having a "no softdrink March" and bribe them with something they want (money) to see if I can break this habit.
 
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