Welcome to another episode of The Matter Over Mind Experience
I am your host, Master Trainer & Weight Management Expert, Narado Zeco Powell
This episode is Q & A 3
I will answer questions from listeners & followers who emailed or sent me a DM
If you have questions about health, fitness & fat-loss, feel free to email me @ narado@zecohealth.com or DM on my IG @zecohealth
Let’s begin
Questions:
- I am 18 & have been trying to build muscle & gain weight. My parents say I am skinny because of my age, but I will not accept that.
I eat a lot, but it still doesn’t work.
Someone in the gym asked this question
This is a good question, because when we talk about weight management, we mostly talk about weight loss, but some people struggle to gain weight as well
I will explain how I answered this question.
First, I explained that he needs to strength train at least 5 to 6 days per week & limit cardio
In addition, I explained that he wasn’t eating enough, primarily carbs and protein
I believe that most ppl with fast/healthy metabolism should eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight
In addition, carb cycling is beneficial
Eating carbs before a workout to power his muscles to improve strength & performance
A Whey protein shake post workout promotes recovery, muscle growth & can boost growth hormones.
In all cases a combination of proper diet and training is the key
This is a good start for most young people who struggle to gain weight
- I crave sugars, but I am trying to lose weight. I try low carb diets, but at night I get carb cravings. I also do martial arts 5 days per week and sometimes my energy drops
This was another question from someone in the gym
This is a big mistake many people make who try to lose weight
They try to combine high intensity training with a low carb diet
Biologically, this doesn’t work
Unless you are in a constant case of ketosis or keto adapted, your body will prefer to use carbs to fuel any workout that passes or stay over the anaerobic zone
Simply put, carbs are our body’s preferred fuel source
So, once your body uses up it’s stored glycogen, you will crave carbs & sugars
Now, I limit cardio & high intensity for most of my clients who are sugar burners, but in his case, his does martial arts as a sport
My recommendations are to :
- Carb cycle-
Eat carbs prior to training when his body can use it best
In fact, a healthy sport drink can be helpful, like Liquid-IV
- Eat complete meals-
Fats, protein & fiber with complex carb as desert
Listen to my short on nutrition to keep your blood sugar steady
Keeping your blood sugar steady will limit cravings, promote fat oxidation & boost growth hormones
- For us, in Seattle, our first over 70 degree day was June 20. Our first hot day (and only hot day) was June 27th. Yesterday it poured rain, but then in the afternoon it got warm which made the plants go crazy. Pollen dump. The plants have been sending out pollen like they have no other purpose (because they don’t, I get it) every second it’s sunny but since my allergies have flared up, my metabolism is at a standstill!!
No movement at all for more than 2 weeks. Ugh. Will this be my summer? I was making progress before it stopped raining. My “flex score” has gone down 19.7% in the last 3 weeks.
I used to struggle with pollen related allergies that caused asthma and now, it has been over three years that I am off all meds with no reactions. Just to give a little background.
Now, your immune system is your body’s main defense again pathogens & 75% of your immune system resides in your gut. So, we know that a healthy gut is vital to combat allergies.
The question is how do we strengthen our gut?
Well, just like everything else, it differs for each person & it may be best to work with a Gut Health Specialist, but generally speaking here are some things to consider:
1. Eliminate seed and inflammatory oils
2. Limit toxic exposure
3. Reduce stress
4. Improve sleep quality
5. Feed your good gut bacteria with oligosaccharides
These habits together can improve your microbiome
- Good morning everyone, I’m fairly new to Lumen. I’m just starting my second week. I’ve had a hard time eating my macros, because I’m very used to low carb but also fairly low fat diet. The last two days I’ve been able to increase my healthy fat intake by quite a bit, but then just had blood drawn yesterday, and both my LDL and triglycerides are borderline high. Could there possibly be any connection between an increase in healthy fats to these levels showing up in my blood?
It seems to come down to your gut enzymes. Our bodies use amylase to break down carbs and lipase to break down fats.
Now, since you have been on low carb and low fat for an extended period of time, your body has diminished both enzymes. This inhibits proper digestion, hence why you have high levels of triglycerides in your blood. (Undigested particles)
Healthy fats don’t raise LDL though, chronic inflammation & unhealthy fats tend to do so, but the lack of adequate enzymes is connected though.
Now, this should change as your metabolism becomes more flexible. A flexible metabolism occurs when your body creates the right balance of digestive enzymes. For most people this happens through introducing your body to these macros via diet.
In your particular case, especially since you are concerned, you may want to work with a registered nutritionist or licensed dietitian.
You may also want to consider taking digestive enzymes in the beginning of your journey and a nutrition professional can look at your #s and make that determination.
- I fast for 16 hrs from 8pm till noon, but need some coffee in the morning. Usually espresso, but I confess I need just a little something to take the bold edge off. 1/2 a Splenda and or splash of skim milk or unsweetened almond milk. Those total 15 calories or less but may be spiking my numbers up.
I constantly debate if it is best to try to fast through am or have a 200 calorie low carb & high protein breakfast. Thanks in advance for any feedback.
For men, fasting 14 to 16 hours daily is usually ideal. Break your fast with a high protein breakfast (breakfast being whenever you eat your first meal)
I also recommend eating some plants i.e green veggies, peppers or onions and scallions with breakfast ( improve gut health) . You can have some carbs with breakfast as well, but toward the end of your meal only.
BTW, you the Splenda and milk are breaking your fast.
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