+ Nutrition
and More*

By Kate Fisher

Kate Fischer, MS, RD, LD is the managing partner of Edge Performance Fitness, LLC, Portland, OR. She offers group fitness classes, and personal nutrition counseling.

503-265-8685
kate@edgeperformancefitness.com
www.edgeperformancefitness.com

*The information contained herein is not intended to diagnose or treat ANY medical condition. Always consult your physician before beginning any new exercise or treatment.

Energize Your Eating

Fall and winter are upon us, a time of transitional weather, traditions, gatherings, and the buzz of activity as we navigate through the holiday season. Throughout this busy time, how many times have you wished for just a little extra energy to get you through that next gathering or that next brunch? “Energy” is a concept with an assortment of meanings, both scientific and colloquial.

Science describes energy as the capacity to do work — we consume food providing a given amount of energy (termed calories). Our body breaks down food and releases energy used to carry out functions like muscles contracting, walking, running, snoring, sneezing, lungs inhaling and exhaling. Our body further releases energy in the form of heat after doing work.(1)

These scientific definitions, however, are not what we think about when we discuss “energy” in conversation. The energy we talk about is a feeling, an internal fuel gauge of ambitition or verve to function at any given time. The loose term “high energy” is like a full fuel tank, filled with a feeling like you have the ability to do anything. The concept of “low-energy” reflects a sort of lethargy, struggles to drag out of bed, sleepiness, and lack of motivation or desire.

Interestingly, these two concepts flow together. If you are consuming the right kinds of fuel in the right amounts, then the benefit is an improved “energy level,” greater ambition to complete our daily to-dos. This may be a direct reflection of the amount of calories consumed in relation to the demands on your body or a reflection of the types of foods and nutrients you choose, or even your eating patterns, such as time between meals.

Energy Level Challenges
Stacey Miller, Edge Fitness member, has lost more than 10 pounds and 9 inches since changing her eating and exercise habits. She describes the effects of healthy eating on her energy levels. “I started exercising regularly in February and thought I ate O.K. But I wasn’t getting the energy boost I had heard about. Turns out I wasn’t getting enough value from my food choices as I was limiting my calories. Since I’ve changed my eating habits, making more nutrient-dense choices, I’ve been able to keep my caloric intake the same while seeing a huge increase in my energy levels. I’m exercising more regularly, and enjoying the extra energy in other areas of my life as well!”

Energy levels can reflect a specific nutrient or nutrients, such as in the case of iron deficiency. Iron is found in hemoglobin, a protein in red blood cells, that transports oxygen from the lungs to other tissues like muscle. If iron is inadequate, individuals might feel fatigued, short of breath, and describe a sense of “low-energy.” Iron deficiency affected 12% of females aged 12 to 49 in 2000 (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention).

Iron deficiency can have a significant effect on “energy.” Debbie Mannix, who exercises almost daily, has struggled with iron deficiency in the past and describes the negative impact of deficiency, “I find that I can tell I am deficient simply by how I feel. I find that I lack energy to do most anything; I can’t seem to get enough sleep and my skin is pale. I can complete a workout but feel like I need to nap immediately afterward, and the remainder of my day will be about rest because I do not have the energy to go about my regular routine.”

Low energy or fatigue is a very widespread symptom of diseases or conditions. Diabetics, for example, may struggle with fatigue if their diabetes is poorly controlled. Insulin acts on cells to take up blood sugar (glucose), in order to be broken down for energy. Depending on the type of diabetes, there is either a lack of insulin or a resistance to insulin. Despite adequate intake of calories or nutrients, the body cannot process blood sugar properly and fatigue may result.

All of the above examples show that “energy” is both physical energy we get from food coupled with that energetic feeling or motivation. Your food choices play a key role in both supplying energy and nutrients necessary for our body’s function, as well as influencing how “energetic” you feel.

Energy Boosts
The following recommendations can provide an energy boost for you. Small changes in food choices and eating patterns can have a dramatic effect on your fuel gauge. Consider the following:

1 Eat consistent meals and/or snacks and avoid long gaps between meals. During the holidays, a tendency is to “save up” for key meals or treats. This plan can backfire — energy levels may wane while you wait, and often that wait can lead to over consumption when you finally eat.
• Instead, consume small meals and snacks throughout the day, keeping portions small. Choose a variety of lower calorie nutrient-rich foods like fruits and vegetables in combination with proteins and healthy fats for a satisfying snack. Avoid long gaps between meals to keep energy from swinging high to low.
• Examples of such combinations include: hummus and vegetables, fruit and low fat yogurt, celery sticks and peanut butter, whole grain toast with almond butter, hard-boiled egg and a piece of fruit, or a portion of nuts with fresh fruit.

2 Hydrate often. Often thirst can be mistaken for hunger and it can be very easy to overlook fluids during the busy days.
• Keep fluids close at hand, such as keeping a full water bottle at your desk or in the car when you travel.
• Keep low calorie fluids like hot tea, iced tea, lemon water, etc. on hand.
• Choose water-rich foods like fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables are 70% to 90% water (Mahan & Escott-Stump)1.

3 Choose nutrient-dense and high-fiber foods in place of empty calorie, nutrient-less options.
• Fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds are all perfect examples of nutrient-dense foods that provide longer lasting energy over nutrient-less foods and help you make the most of your calories.
• Nutrient-less foods include processed snacks like candy, soda, and sweetened coffee drinks that provide a lot of calories but can lead to energy spikes and subsequent crashes.