Sufficient Calories

[smm7aa]

I am a college student exercising 1 hr a day along with many miles walking around campus. When I go raw I am constantly hungry, my hands and feet become extremely cold and blue. My whole life revolves around food and its preparation, leaving my studies and social life in shambles. How can I have filling meals that obey proper raw and food combining techniques. I don't want to have to eat 20 bananas everyday just to get enough energy. Are there easily sprouted, dense grains? PLEASE HELP.

[3LittleBirds]

You should check out our sister site, www.therawforum.com

What I'm trying is not going 100% raw all at once. I eat a raw breakfast and lunch and then a cooked dinner. Eventually I'll start eating raw dinners a few times a week. Do you eat raw nuts? I find them to be very satiating.

Also, I don't find food preparation to be time consuming. Focus on simple, whole foods and you won't need to do much at all.

[smm7aa]

But nuts are to be used sparingly. And how do you properly food combine them since you do not want to eat protein with fruit and protein with starch?

[3LittleBirds]

I honestly know next to nothing about food combining. You should ask at the raw forum, I'm sure they're more educated than me.

But I usually have nuts as a mid-afternoon snack to hold me over until dinner. You don't need many. 5-6 almonds will usually do it for me.

[smm7aa]

Alright, Thank you. Its just so frustrating because I have felt some benefits from this diet, but it is just not sustainable. I can't survive on 5 almonds a day.

[3LittleBirds]

I didn't mean to suggest that. I can tell you what I'm eating, but like I said, I'm not focusing on food combining.

Breakfast: green smoothie (banana, frozen berries, whatever fresh fruit I have around, greens)
Snack: apple
Lunch: Blended salad mixed with sprouts
Snack: nuts or larabar
Dinner: usually not raw right now

This usually keeps me feeling full and satisfied all day at work. I listen to my body, though. I keep raw snacks around and if I feel more hungry one day, then I will eat more. Other days I don't eat all the snacks because I'm not as hungry.

[innermusic]

Alright, Thank you. Its just so frustrating because I have felt some benefits from this diet, but it is just not sustainable. I can't survive on 5 almonds a day.

Assuming you are exercising 3-5x week, and are a healthy young adult in your 20s, you should aim for a benchmark of at least 15 calories per lb. of bodyweight as your daily energy intake.

BTW, it is difficult to maintain a raw food diet indefinitely, especially in a colder climate. Given the symptoms you describe above, I'd make some changes.

[smm7aa]

Innermusic thanks for your interest. I exercise on a daily basis of at least an hour of either running, rowing or weightlifting and walk a few miles around campus every day. Since you are a bodybuilder you would know how important recovery after exercise is to build and maintain muscle. Research indicates that protein consumed with carbohydrate in a 1:4 protein:carbohydrate ratio is optimal for replenishing glycogen stores and building muscle. Do you know of any raw food combinations that can satisfy this?? I am aware that wheat or quinoa has this macronutrient ratio. Fruits do not supply enough protein while protein sources do not supply enough carbohydrate and food combining states that one should never mix fruit with protein. Should I work out and chow down on a few cups of sprouted wheat?

[innermusic]

Research indicates that protein consumed with carbohydrate in a 1:4 protein:carbohydrate ratio is optimal for replenishing glycogen stores and building muscle.

No research that I know of states this, because it's not true. Even post-workout, you don't need that kind of ratio.

Muscle glycogen is replenished by glucose, which you get from starchy carbs (not fruit). Protein is stored by the body as muscle, if you overload the muscle with resistance exercise. But what protein the body cannot store as muscle it will also convert to glucose. As for protein sources, have a look at http://vegetarianbodybuilder.ipbhost.com/index.php?showtopic=1441&pid=13579&st=0&#entry13579 and you'll see what's what. Remember also that all protein is not created equal; all foods have different ratios of essential amino acids which make them more or less suitable as balanced protein sources.


I am aware that wheat or quinoa has this macronutrient ratio. Fruits do not supply enough protein while protein sources do not supply enough carbohydrate and food combining states that one should never mix fruit with protein. Should I work out and chow down on a few cups of sprouted wheat?

Contrary to popular belief, quinoa is a poor protein source, with only 14% of its total calories coming from protein. Fruits are all carbs. They are great for phytonutrients and certain vitamins, but they are not a great type of carb (mostly fructose). Post workout, the best thing to have is protein isolate with some dextrose.

[smm7aa]

1.
Carbohydrate Plus Protein Speeds Recovery
Research shows that combining protein with carbohydrate in the two hours after exercise nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. The optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio for this effect is 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein). Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.
One study found that athletes who refueled with carbohydrate and protein had 100 percent greater muscle glycogen stores than those who only ate carbohydrate. Insulin was also highest in those who consumed a carbohydrate and protein drink.
2.
Your liver, which is replenished by fructose, not glucose is necessary for keeping blood glucose in a functioning range. During workloads the liver is responsible for much of the glucose used as shown in this website http://www.medbio.info/Horn/Time%203-4/homeostasis_2.htm
3.
Quinoa is important in the vegetarian diet because it contains all essential amino acids thus a complete protein. Not because quinoa is 14% protein. Which by the way is around the amount necessary for an individual. Bodybuilders and endurance althetes need at most 20% of their calories from protein. Any excess protein consumption means that your body will convert protein to glucose, creating ammonia (toxic) which your body converts to urea, which you then pee out. Which confirms why high protein diets dehydrate the body.When you burn carbohydrates the waste products are water and CO2, NOT AMMONIA. Why not just consume more carbohydrates?

[innermusic]

1.
Carbohydrate Plus Protein Speeds Recovery
Research shows that combining protein with carbohydrate in the two hours after exercise nearly doubles the insulin response, which results in more stored glycogen. The optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio for this effect is 4:1 (four grams of carbohydrate for every one gram of protein). Eating more protein than that, however, has a negative impact because it slows rehydration and glycogen replenishment.
One study found that athletes who refueled with carbohydrate and protein had 100 percent greater muscle glycogen stores than those who only ate carbohydrate. Insulin was also highest in those who consumed a carbohydrate and protein drink.

I've read some of those studies. But I haven't seen the one you cite with the 4:1 ratio of carbs/protein. Can you post a link to that one? Personally I'd never take that much glucose post-workout, except for one very specific reason: if I had done a glycogen depletion and was beginning a carb-up with the express purpose of supercompenation of muscle glycogen stores. Otherwise, never.

Please post that link. I'm more than curious.


2.
Your liver, which is replenished by fructose, not glucose is necessary for keeping blood glucose in a functioning range. During workloads the liver is responsible for much of the glucose used as shown in this website http://www.medbio.info/Horn/Time%203-4/homeostasis_2.htm

True, of course. But it's much more unusual to deplete liver glycogen to the point that you'd have to worry about have fructose. It's the muscle glycogen that depletes during (high rep - high volume) resistance exercise.



3.
Quinoa is important in the vegetarian diet because it contains all essential amino acids thus a complete protein. Not because quinoa is 14% protein. Which by the way is around the amount necessary for an individual.

I don't know of ANY protein food which does not contain all EAAs. But some are short on one or two, which limits total protein availability from that food due to the "limiting amino acid effect". Quinoa may have a balanced EAA profile, but it still has a very small amount of total protein (14% of calories) so why bother? It's primarily a carb food. Better to maintain your in vivo AA pool during the day with a good balance of EAAs by combining foods with complementary EAA profiles... like grains and beans. So again, why quinoa?



Bodybuilders and endurance althetes need at most 20% of their calories from protein. Any excess protein consumption means that your body will convert protein to glucose, creating ammonia (toxic) which your body converts to urea, which you then pee out. Which confirms why high protein diets dehydrate the body.When you burn carbohydrates the waste products are water and CO2, NOT AMMONIA. Why not just consume more carbohydrates?

Excess protein is not a good thing. But many vegetarians seem to believe that low protein is OK, and that is not true either. Low protein results in a suppressed immune system, difficulty in healing and recovery, low hemoglobin, hormonal suppression... And by the way, athletes require more than 20% of their calories from protein, especially when resistance exercise is involved.

Finally, in answer to your question "why not eat more carbs", there are several reasons: 1. Diets high in carbs are linked to a myriad of diseases including CHD, high LDL, hypertension, and cancer. 2. High carb diets cause insulin resistance and diabetes. 3. Carbs cause poor body composition due to the hormonal responses which signal a storage of body fat. 4. Carbs make you hungry.

[EATTHERICH]

I'd recommend roughly working out your basal metabolic rate - Google it, there are calculators online (they're approximate though). This will give you a good idea of the number of calories you need to consume each day with regard to your age, height, weight and how active your lifestyle is. Even if you are sat in bed all day you are still burning x amount of calories. Make sure you're getting enough protein as well.

Good luck sorting this :)

[innermusic]

I'd recommend roughly working out your basal metabolic rate - Google it, there are calculators online (they're approximate though). This will give you a good idea of the number of calories you need to consume each day with regard to your age, height, weight and how active your lifestyle is. Even if you are sat in bed all day you are still burning x amount of calories. Make sure you're getting enough protein as well.

Good luck sorting this :)

The problem with the all the fancy formulae for computing BMR is the "activity factor" which can change the number dramatically. Better to just take a ballpark number and see how you do. For example, assuming you exercise 3-5x per week, start with 15 calories per lb. of bodyweight. (100 lb girl would eat 15x100=1500 calories). See if you gain or lose over the week and make a small adjustment until you have it exact - no gain/no loss. That's your maintenance calorie level.