Where does the word 'often' came from?
Your high school phys-ed teacher was a bit off when he told you that a ‘calorie is a
calorie,’ and if you simply eat less than you expend (no matter what you eat) you will
lose weight. And if you eat more than you expend (eating whatever you want), you’ll
gain weight.
As you know, this formula will fail because 2000 calories from pastries, pre-packaged
macaroni and cheese, and fast food is completely different from 2000 calories of
natural fruit and vegetables, lean cuts of high quality protein and healthy fats.
In the book, “Nutrient Timing” by Drs. John Ivy and Robert Portman, the authors
refer to three critical times of the day in which nutrient timing takes on a greater
importance. These times are known as the Energy Phase, The Anabolic Phase, and The
Growth & Recovery Phase.
So what’s the big deal about when to eat? To fully understand nutrient timing it is
critical that you understand these two points:
1.
There are ‘windows of opportunity’ in the day when your body will be primed
for muscle gain but there are also ‘windows of in opportunity’ when your body is
primed for fat gain. Add in the wrong foods at the wrong times and you will
instantly sabotage your quest for a lean and ripped physique. Add the right foods
at the right times and you will give your body an enormous advantage over
others.
2.
Choose your foods wisely – some can be disastrous at certain times of the day
and some can be extremely powerful at other times of the day. For example,sugar should be avoided at almost all costs except prior to, during and after your
workout. Likewise, high fiber foods are excellent at all times of the day but will
be a hindrance during the post workout period. Certain proteins such as whey are
excellent during and immediately after a workout but not so beneficial at other
times of the day.