Nutrition

Protein (One gram of protein is 4 calories)

The popular rule for protein intake is 1 gram per 1 pound body weight per day.  For example, if you were a 150 pound male, you should be aiming for around 150 grams of protein a day.  This rule does not have to be followed, but at a minimum you should be taking at least 1 gram of protein per kilogram of body weight.   If you are in a low calorie diet, the amount of protein becomes very important in how much muscle you retain while you lose weight.  Personally, I find having more protein better to satisfy my hunger while I am losing weight, so I stick with the 1 gram of protein per 1 pound of body weight per day.




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Carbohydrates (One gram of a carbohydrate is 4 calories)

While one is on a mass gaining diet, carbohydrates play a huge role in your success.  Depending on the program you are on, the amount of carbohydrates you intake rests solely on your diet.  For those that are gaining muscle, it is suggested to take at least three to four times your body weight in carbohydrates per day.  For example, if you were a 150 pound male, you should be aiming for at LEAST 450 carbohydrates per day.




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Fats (One gram of fat is 9 calories)

Your body can get away with short periods of time where fat is consumed very little.  The misconception of today is that people think that foods which are high in fat will cause someone to gain fat.  This is ABSOLUTELY wrong; to gain fat is to have more calories coming in your body than calories being expended.  Fats are needed in one’s diet to maintain their healthy, sanity and satiety.  As a minimum, fat intake should be around 0.25-0.30 grams per pound.  So for the same 150 pound male, you should be taking around 35 to 45 grams of fat per day.





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Sodium

Unless you have hypertension or a family predisposition to hypertension, you do not need to worry about sodium intake at all.  The FDA recommends that for 2,000 calorie diet (per day); a person should intake around 2400mg of sodium.  Be aware that sodium does play a role in water retention as does carbohydrates.  Consuming very little sodium and consuming an abundant amount will cause massive water retention.  Remember, sodium is good in moderation as in a lot of other things in life.



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Potassium

Potassium plays a role in muscle contraction, if you frequently get cramps it could be possible that you have low levels of potassium in your body.  Potassium and sodium levels maintain the body's water levels.  Having a diet that is low in potassium but high in sodium may lead to high blood pressure.  The recommended daily potassium consumption is 4.7 grams per day.  Fortunately, potassium is found in many foods such as fruits, vegetables, milk and meats.





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Calcium

Your body throughout your life is constantly breaking down your bones and repairing them.  Without the proper amount of calcium, one will have very brittle or weak bones later in their life.  This is a condition known as osteoporosis.  It is recommended that the average aged person should have a dietary intake of around 1,300 mg of calcium per day.  For those who are lactose intolerant or cannot consume dairy for other various reasons, you can substitute calcium rich sources such as milk for calcium pills.





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Fiber

Eating too much fiber a day may cause cramps, gas or feeling bloated.  Eating too little fiber will cause a backup in your internal sewage pipes if you catch my drift.  The United States National Academy of Sciences suggests 20 to 35 grams of fiber per day.  There are two types of fiber, soluble fiber and insoluble fiber, both of which are good for you.  Soluble fiber helps lower cholesterol and blood glucose levels.  Insoluble fiber is the fiber that helps you when you need to take the browns to the super bowl.  A lot of foods have fiber but some main sources include oatmeal, whole grains, fruits and salad.




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Cholesterol

There are two types of cholesterol which are low density lipoproteins and high density lipoproteins.  Low density lipoproteins are considered to be the “bad” cholesterol because if there is too much LDL in the blood, it will be deposited to the walls of coronary arteries.  HDL is the “good” cholesterol because it carries cholesterol back from the blood to the liver, thus eliminating cholesterol from the body.  The recommended amount of total cholesterol per day is 200 mg per deciliter.  What that means is 200 mg of cholesterol per deciliter of blood.  To get this checked, you would have to go to your physician.  If you have high cholesterol, you could try to lower your cholesterol with vitamin E, garlic, soy protein, folic acid, vitamin B6 and vitamin B12.


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