Healthy eating on the go

When a fitness or figure model, physique athlete or personal trainer stresses they eat frequently throughout the day they are not saying they eat “too much”. Eating small meals 6 – 7 times a day will increase your metabolism, so your body is constantly burning calories and receiving the nutrition it needs to maintain all bodily functions, including building and maintaining muscle. We provide you with diet and supplement strategies to keep you on track.

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Pimple problem

I have developed pimples on my cheek since I started using protein shakes. First I used USN diet fuel and then changed to GI Lean whey protein. My gym friend also has the exact same problem. I am using Zinc tablets and a multivitamin and mineral supplement, with cranberry from Vital in the mornings, and the GI Lean L-Glutamine tablets after a workout. At night I drink 1 tsp magnesium for my stomach and during the day I take 1 tsp of ground flaxseed. I also eat very healthily. Is it a hormonal problem? I am a serious ‘gymer’ and this sometimes worries me. What can I do to make this go away. I am 1.68m tall and weigh +/-60Kg.
Liza Serfontein via web

The Pro’s Respond

Hi Liza,
I don’t know of any physiological or biochemical way in which a pure protein powder (i.e. whey protein) can cause pimples. Understand that a good quality, pure protein powder simply supplies the very same amino acids you would get from eating a good quality whole protein food source, like lean chicken breast. In other words what I am saying is that you shouldn’t view whey protein, for example, any differently than you do a low fat, whole food protein. In fact none of the supplements you list should supply your body with anything foreign, or any nutrient that one wouldn’t typically find in a natural wholesome whole food diet.
The one concern I have is the fact that you mention you take “1 tsp magnesium for my stomach”. By magnesium I assume you are referring to milk of magnesia (magnesium hydroxide) used to neutralise excess acidity. If this is the case then I propose that your diet is not as healthy as you perceive it to be. A healthy diet would be one close to what our genome has evolved to over millions of years. Eating such a diet would ensure acid/alkali balance in the body is maintained and, as such, the many adverse health effects of excess acidity, including skin problems resulting from incorrect pH, would be prevented… as would the necessity to use antacids.
To discuss the appropriate dietary practices to maintain a healthy acid/alkali balance is beyond the scope of this Q&A. In this regard, if you are really serious about your health (including maintaining a healthy glowing skin), I suggest you go online to www.bodyguru.co.za or www.amazon.com and order Dr. Colgan’s Nutrition for Champions. It really is an excellent, easy read and contains an entire chapter on this very important aspect of optimising health and performance. If your skin problem still persists then I would advise seeing a dermatologist or even a endocrinologist, on recommendation from your GP.

Active nutrition

I recently started to work out, but I don’t know if my diet is sufficient. I do interval cardio training every morning and weight training on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. I take the following supplements: a fat burner, CLA, whey protein (after workout), chromium, antioxidants, calcium and multivitamins for active women. An example of my typical daily eating plan:
Breakfast: Two slices of toast, egg and fruit
Lunch: Chicken or fish, veggies or salad, rice/potato or sweet potato
Dinner: Something small like a chicken salad

I also include two snacks, which could be yoghurt with fruit, provitas with cheese, or nuts with fruit. I drink 1.5 – 2 litres of water a day, no coffee or juice. Recently someone told me that I drank too little water. How do I know if I am getting enough water? Could you please advise me where I can improve. Thanks!
Vivienne via info@fitnessmag.co.za

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My body fat is dropping but Im not losing weight

I am 24 years old. I exercise 4 times a week, 2 cardio sessions and the other 2 times with a personal trainer.  I have done this for the last 3 months. My body fat % has dropped, and I have lost centimetres, but I don’t loose weight. Why is that? Now the other thing, I’m on the Depot provera* injection, and I just can’t loose weight. Is that perhaps the problem?
Thanks for a great magazine; it really inspires me to exercise.
Regards
Louizan via info@fitnessmag.co.za

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