Thank you for all your questions this week! I've picked three to answer via the blog that I believe will help the most, and I'll answer the rest via direct email!
How can I turn body-fat into muscle?
This is a popular question, and I'm often asked as a PT. Body-fat does not turn into muscle. They a two completely separate components within the body. Muscle is attached directly to the skeleton and is used for bio-mechanical movement. Body-fat is an energy store within the body, under the skin, but on-top of the muscle, so we can't 'turn body-fat into muscle'.
What we can do, is decrease our body-fat levels through nutrition and movement, and increase our muscle mass by using strength training days to have the same effect. We build the base of muscle underneath the body-fat, and reduce body-fat levels to reveal the muscle … we peel back the curtain!
Which fruit is best?
Although fruit is high in carbohydrate, its also rich in nutrients. As I always say, we need to chase nutrient density NOT calories. Having said that, there are some fruits I would avoid if trying to balance blood sugar levels, the three biggest to avoid would be bananas, oranges, and pears. However, if the body has a demand for these carbs (energy) then we can use them post-workout to replenish carb levels … remember the body MUST have a demand for the carbs … or they're stored as body-fat!
The fruits I would choose to snack on throughout the day would be different forms of berries. Blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, and in a smaller amount strawberries. They have lower levels of carbs and provide a larger amount of nutrient density, more antioxidants … and give us more 'bang for our buck'.
I'm not hungry when I wake up, should I eat?
I'm a big fan of eating the right stuff when you're hungry. It embodies the message 'listen to your body'. We have always been told breakfast is the most important meal of the day, normally fuelled by break-fast companies and sponsors wanting to sell their products. If you wake up and you're not hungry, listen to your body. Overnight your body will have dropped into 'fat-burn' mode, basically on a mini-fast. Your body is still in this state, so I would make the most of it! However, if you're feeling hungry … nourish your body with nutrient dense foods. Follow this rule, and your hunger will naturally regulate. Remember … appetite and cravings are different to hunger! True 'hunger' is a message from the body ... tune into it and listen to it!
That's all for this week's questions!
Please keep sending these in and I'll pick three for next week's Q and A! Or if you'd rather me answer them in private, I'll do that too!
Stay healthy, stay safe!
Joe
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