TOPIC: Q&A VEGETARIANISM

We recently had a reader send us a message asking for information about vegetarian diets. She is in the transition phase and was looking for info about how to maintain her diet while making substitutions for meat and animal products. We sent her through some information that related to her specific circumstances and she was grateful for our help and knowledge! Here we’ll share with you some of our brief thoughts and comments on vegetarianism!

Some common complaints from new vegetarians are that they may feel tired or lethargic. This can be common if you are removing meat and/or animal products from your diet and not substituting them properly. When cutting out meat you are losing some extra protein from your diet, as well as some B group vitamins (namely B12), iron, zinc and calcium (from dairy if you choose to cut this out). Proteins, classified as a macronutrient, are needed for tissue repair and lean muscle maintenance. If you aren’t getting it from meats or poultry then you’ll need to substitute with dried beans, whole beans, lentils, peas, nuts, seeds, nut & seed butters (no added fat or oil), and some special fruits and veggies. If you still consume eggs then they are a great source of protein. Protein combining or complementation can come in handy too. The table on this page shows how it works and tries to explain it a little better: http://www.nutrition.org/asn-blog/2011/03/protein-complementation/.

Vitamin B12 is important as it is not found naturally in plants. It’s found in fortified foods and nutritional yeast (from health food shops) and eggs (if you still consume them). Iron is another important one, as a diet lacking in this may result in those tired feelings. It can be found in fortified breads and cereals, pumpkin seeds, beans, almonds, pistachios, chickpeas and mushrooms. It’s very easy to add these foods into your diet if you haven’t done so already. Iron absorption is heightened when you consume iron rich foods with vitamin C. Think orange juice, citrus fruits and bright veggies.

Overall try to include a variety of fresh foods daily to reduce any negative effects like tiredness. Keep your mind open to new foods when browsing the supermarket shelves, like trying out a new grain instead of a staple like rice (try Quinoa or Buckwheat), or trying out a new vegetable. If you’re trying to base your new diet around a guideline, why not stick to the Australian Dietary Guidelines for how many serves of each food group you should be having per day (included is vegetarian substitutes):http://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n55a_australian_dietary_guidelines_summary_130530.pdf.

In most cases it can be best to seek advice from a dietitian or nutritionist and have them organise a tailored meal plan for you to follow. They can work with you and your goals/needs to find out exactly what you need to be eating. Finding meal plans online might seem ideal, but they may not be targeted to your goals. For example, some meal plans may be targeted at weight loss instead of meat substitutions. A lot of information from health coaches online may not be reputable either. Information given from food websites may not be accurate as bias may be involved (they might just want you to purchase their products).

However, once you know what foods you should be choosing, there is a great assortment of vegetarian recipes online! Websites such as http://www.veg-soc.org/cms/html/ orhttp://www.vegetarianvictoria.org.au/ may help with basic vegetarian information plus links to some recipes also.

Thanks for reading!

Mission Nutrition

TOPIC: Q&A PEPTIDES

Hey guys, we have a question from Nick asking, “What are peptides exactly and what is their involvement with protein and protein synthesis/rates?”

This is a great question Nick as most people are confused by this term. Most of you have probably seen ‘peptides’ or ‘polypeptides’ advertised on protein powder supplements. Peptides are indeed just another term for a single amino acid such as tryptophan or arginine, etc. When 2 to 12 of these single amino acids are linked together to form a protein chain, they are referred to as oligopeptides. Twelve or more, and this is called a polypeptide.

When protein synthesis or the making of new protein occurs, peptides are arranged into different sequences to form a new protein strand. A protein strand can vary in size ranging from very few amino acids to thousands of these building blocks. Rates of protein synthesis are highly dependent on the hormone insulin, especially after exercise. If you are ingesting a peptide solution, protein synthesis may increase slightly as the amino acids are already in their simplest form. This is different to whey or casein protein solutions; where hydrolysation or breakdown of peptide bonds from large protein strands into simple peptides needs to occur first, before protein synthesis can occur.

This is a difficult process to explain but we hope it has helped you. Any questions or comments are welcomed!

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: COCONUT OIL, FRIEND OR FOE?

We’ve received a few questions about coconut oil, and we know this is a debatable topic, so today we’re sharing our opinion with you. We were asked “I am wondering what you guys have to say on the potential benefits/risks of coconut products?”.

So much literature and information exists on coconut oil, expressing the benefits and risks to us as a consumer. We feel that the evidence is somewhat inconclusive to give a definite answer regarding the safe use of coconut oil for everyday consumption. We are aware of it’s high saturated fat content in comparison to many other oils. Primarily, oils such as olive, corn, safflower, sunflower and soybean (used commonly in cooking and food dressings), contain unsaturated fatty acids and are healthier. Over time, diets rich in saturated fats raise the amount of low density lipoproteins (LDL’s) in the blood. These are transported to peripheral cells, and blood vessel walls. Long term and health wise, these are bad for us, possibly leading to an increased risk of atherosclerosis and associated cardiovascular disease. The National Heart Foundation suggests that saturated fatty acids should be limited in the diet, to between 8-10% of our total daily energy intake.

However, coconut oil is primarily made up of medium-chain triglycerides (MCT’s) that are commonly 6-12 carbons in length. These are absorbed and transported differently to long chain triglycerides. Coconut oil is digested and sent straight through the blood stream to the liver for processing, rather than travelling through the lymphatic system like most long-chain triglycerides. There has been recent belief that this different method of transportation may have benefits such as promoting weight loss or improving fat mobilisation. One theory is that because of this direct route to the liver within the body, these MCT’s have less chance to be oxidised and stored as fat in adipose tissue. The literature is still limited; however we believe coconut oil is still a saturated fat and caution should be taken due to its health degrading nature.

Some people believe coconut has further excellent benefits, such as improving immunity, helping digestion, acting as an antiseptic, and helping insulin sensitivity. Limited literature exists on these topics, and until further research is conducted, knowledge is limited. Coconut however, is good for use externally. Using it as a body oil, hair oil, or face oil can work wonders in some individuals. As with other oils that are recommended for skin use (jojoba, apricot kernel), coconut oil is just a different type that can be used. Coconut water can also be beneficial to your health. It is rich in electrolytes, and can help restore electrolyte balance in the body if you are dehydrated (i.e athletes or those with diarrhoea or vomiting).

While we agree that saturated fat in the diet should be limited, if you are choosing to have coconut oil in your diet and follow a healthy, balanced and low fat diet already, then you will be ok. Coconut oil may have some other benefits within the diet, as it is a fairly odourless and bland flavoured oil with high resistance to rancidity. Because of these characteristics, it can easily be incorporated into many foods or meals.

However, we recommend only really choosing coconut oils if you are limiting other saturated fats in the diet. Fats account for 37kJ per gram of food consumed, so consuming coconut oils and its products all the time may lead to a large total increase in daily kJ’s. Also, consuming large amounts of this oil and hoping for benefits is not recommended. Suggested benefits are best achieved if you follow a healthy diet and lifestyle that includes exercise. Lastly, when buying pre-packaged foods that contain coconut oil, perhaps be wary of what type of foods these are. It may be used in products that have higher saturated fat levels overall – something which should be avoided. Remember, this is just one opinion on coconut oil! Comments and questions are welcomed below.

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: Q&A SKIM MILK POWDER VS. WPC

Hey guys we got a question from one of our subscribers about protein quality. He asks, “I heard, the more expensive protein powder is, such as WPC, the higher the quality. Does this mean skim milk powder, since being a cheaper form of protein, is lower in quality?”

Hey there, we made a post earlier in the year about WPI vs WPC elaborating the differences and benefits between the two types. It may be interesting to check it out here: bit.ly/Zu8tZN afterwards. It’s true, WPC is a high quality protein resulting in its expensive pricing. It is high in quality for a number of reasons. WPC is partially hydrolysed meaning the long protein peptides have been broken down into smaller peptides during manufacturing, allowing for less digestion in the body and quicker absorption into the blood stream. The average content of protein per 100g is 80.5g. Lastly, WPC is a complete protein source meaning it contains all the essential amino acids.

So what do we know about skim milk powder (SMP)? We know that it is a complete source of protein with a protein digestibility-corrected amino acid score (PDCAAS) of 1.0. It is also energy dense and contains calcium and potassium. SMP however, has not been hydrolyzed or partially digested during manufacturing. The average content of protein per 100g is 35g.

So to answer your question, SMP is not lower in quality than WPC. They are both complete sources of protein. However, SMP is digested and absorbed slower than WPC. The protein content is also lower meaning u have to consume more SMP compared to WPC to get the same amount of protein. These are the main differences between the two powders. Therefore SMP can be an effective protein supplement when working with a budget. We hope you enjoyed the post 🙂

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: Q&A IRON SOURCES

Hey guys we got a question from Rachel. She asks:

“Hey guys I thought I might as well ask… I’ve recently had a blood test and i have iron deficiency and i just saw on your page the post about the recommended intake. I was just wondering what foods other than meat I can get the recommended intake of iron from?”

Hey Rachel! Iron is commonly highest in meat and animal products, usually red meat but also shellfish and poultry. These sources are absorbed much better in your body. If you cant up your intake of meats, you can get it from plant sources but you’ll need to include larger amounts in your diet to make sure you’re receiving enough. Plant sources aren’t absorbed as favourably. Spinach is most common, and it can be included in so many different meals, even breakfast smoothies. It’s great as a base for salads, cooked into omelettes, soups, lasagnas  anything really! Some lentils, white beans, chickpeas, mushrooms, green leafy vegetables, tofu and pumpkin seeds are also good sources. These can easily be added into lunches if your having a salad, or i like to put pumpkin seeds into my breakfast cereal. Also keep an eye out for iron enriched foods, usually breakfast cereals, breads and some rices have extra iron added.

Try to limit consuming calcium rich foods when your eating iron rich foods. i.e no milk or cheese with your leafy salads. This can sometimes result in the mineral calcium ‘fighting’ for a binding spot, and the iron may not be absorbed. Also, high amounts of coffee/caffeine can bind to iron in the small intestine, perhaps leading to an overall reduction in circulating iron. If you drink it, that’s another thing to have a think about, or at least reduce coffee intake when eating these iron rich foods! Same goes for fibre. really high fibre foods like some grains and seeds can bind to iron and reduce it’s absorption also, so that’s another thing to look into.

On the bright side, its important to consume Vitamin C rich foods with the iron foods! Citrus fruits, especially oranges or berries are really crucial to enhance the absorption of iron  I.e a breakfast smoothie with berries and spinach, or adding mandarin slices to a salad with chickpeas and pumpkin seeds. Those are just some ideas food wise, if you want anymore don’t hesitate to ask

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: DOES L-CARNITINE WORK?

Hey guys Asha posted us a question, “just wondering if L-carnitine has any significant affect with weight loss”?

Our Answer:

Hi Asha! There are many debates about the need for carnitine supplementation as an aid to weight loss. Back and forth views exist on the need for it during exercise, to burn fat and to supplement the diet. Carnitine acts as a fatty acid transporter in the body during beta-oxidation. It helps us shuttle along fats into our mitochondria (the energy compartment inside cells) where we can turn it into usable energy for daily activity or exercise. The theory goes that supplementing with carnitine to aid weight loss will help transport fat cells more rapidly and therefore, help to burn fat faster once inside the mitochondria.

However, carnitine is found naturally in the body and is made from the precursors: methionine, iron, vitamin C, and vitamin B6. As long as you have a diet rich in these nutrients (meats, citrus fruits, green leafy vegetables), the carnitine your body produces will do its correct job of acting as a fatty acid transporter without you needing extra supplementation. Therefore, as the majority of research suggests, considering it is not classified as an essential nutrient (due to its synthesis in the body), you shouldn’t need to supplement with it. Hope this helps!

 

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: Q&A GARCINIA CAMBOGIA WEIGHT LOSS SUPPLEMENT

Hey guys and girls if you haven’t already heard, Garcinia Cambogia weight loss extract has taken the market by storm. They have had countless media promotions including Men’s Health magazines and a segment on the Dr. Oz show. We have a question from Kiralee who asks what many do, “does it actually work”? Well today is a good day, as we love reviewing weight loss supplements and giving our final verdict.

Garcinia Cambogia is a plant which grows in the deep forests of Southeast Asia. The fruits of this plant are collected to make Garcinia Cambogia extract. This extract claims to be able to suppress appetite and decrease fat tissue without the need to exercise or diet. Vast amounts of research papers on this topic have been conducted in the last decade, so this product is not really that new. Research has found the active ingredient within the extract called Hydroxycitric acid has been shown to inhibit the making of new fat tissue in the body allow human beings to lose weight. Sounds pretty good right?

Unfortunately, when you crunch in the numbers, Garcinia Cambogia is just another fad diet supplement. After reviewing half-a-dozen of scientific studies we have concluded these studies did not find a significant amount of weight loss when taking Garcinia Cambogia compared to a placebo. However, a large amount of weight was LOST during the intake of this product, just nothing substantial when comparing to the placebo group. Therefore, this product is similar to any other weight loss supplement out there on the market and nothing special. We recommend that if you do decide to take this product, do not alter from your current diet or exercise routine. Claiming that you don’t have to exercise or follow a diet plan are the effective marketing techniques used by Dr oz and other media platforms to lure you to buy their products which don’t work. Don’t forget about a healthy diet as it has and always will be an effective weight loss and maintaining diet. If you have any questions, we will be happy to answer them in the comment section below 🙂

We hope you have enjoyed another review from Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: Q&A ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

Hey everyone, if you haven’t seen yet, we had a question from Herman on our wall. He writes, “Artificial sweeteners, yay or nay?” He was aware that artificial sweeteners pose risk towards health and has tried alternatives.

Our Answer:

Hi there! The consumption of these artificial sweeteners has been strongly associated with long-term bladder cancer. A study was conducted over a ten year period and found people who drank an artificially sweetened beverage were subject to 3.7 times the risk of developing bladder cancer compared to people who did not drink the beverage. The group which had the artifcially sweetened beverages were heavy users of the product; minimum exposure was twice a day. Equal is made up of aspartame, starch, silicon dioxide, dextrose (glucose basically), acesulfame potassium and maltodextrin. In the long run, it really isn’t beneficial for optimal health! We’re glad to hear you have tried substitutes, but sorry that honey hasn’t worked out for you. Have you heard of Stevia? It comes from a plant and has markedly less long term health consequences compared to generic artificial sweeteners like Equal etc.

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: Q&A SUGAR FREE SLURPEE, SAFE?

Hey everyone! We have a question from Richard. He writes, “Long time reader first time writer 🙂 I just had a slurpee that contained less than 1% sugar and it tasted just like any regular slurpee. I’m wondering how the slurpee gods managed to do that and what possible “extra ingredients” may be included that could be detrimental to my health”?

Our answer:

Hey Richard! Thanks for taking the time to ask this great question! Based on our graduate level knowledge and present scientific research, your beverage has at least one of the following artificial sweeteners; stevia, sucralose, aspartame, saccharin, cyclamate, maltitol, mannitol, xylitol, sorbital and the list goes on. Artificial sweeteners such as acesulfame K and neotame are used more commonly as an external additive and not one that is present in food and beverages. The consumption of these artificial sweeteners has been strongly associated with long-term bladder cancer. A study was conducted over a ten year period and found people who drank an artificially sweetened beverage was subject to 3.7 times the risk of developing bladder cancer compared to people who did not drink the beverage. The group which had the artifcially sweetened beverages were heavy users of the product; minimum of exposure was twice a day.

Some acute symptoms that you may feel from consuming these beverages include headaches, fatigue, spasms, anxiety attacks, memory loss, palpitations and many more. We don’t completely discourage consumption of artificially sweetened beverages as long it is in moderation. The important message is that you understand the potential it has to damage you’re health as a carcinogen long term. Thanks for asking Richard and we hope this helps you in your beverage choices from the Gods!

Mission Nutrition 🙂

TOPIC: Q&A PRE-WORKOUT

Hey everyone, we have a question from Matt. He writes, “Given the recent concern over ingredients in certain pre-workout products, what should I be looking for in a pre-workout to ensure that it will both increase my performance and do it safely”?

Our answer:

That’s a great and wise question Matt. As many of you may or may not know, the supplement industry is a global multi-billion dollar industry with supplements ranging from safe and beneficial to dangerous and dud. For those who purchase supplements on a monthly basis, you might be familiar with a product called Jack3d which was developed by USPlabs as a concentrated pre-workout supplement. It was recently stripped off the market as it contained an ingredient called 1,3 dimethylamylamine (DMAA). The Food and Drug Administration in the U.S issued warning notices for the safety of its use as reports of severe adverse effects and cause of death were arising. Although DMAA has been scientifically researched to show various gains in lean muscle development and can stimulate fat loss, we do not recommend this pre-workout concentrate as there are other substrates which have also been scientifically researched and can boost performance safely. These substrates include, creatine, caffeine, nitrates and beta-alanine which have all been proven in scientific-peer-reviewed journal articles to increase exercise performance in a safe manner. We will be covering all of these pre-workout substrates throughout the year but feel free to research on your own. I hope this answer has shed some light on some pre-workout substrates which can increase performance without burdening health. Happy reading everyone!!

Mission Nutrition 🙂