Local Market Vegetable Stand
Have you ever noticed that the top guy in any shooting discipline looks and seems to be relatively fit? The 2nd and 3rd place winners may or may not always be so, but the very top shooters cut a nice profile on the shooting range. I’ve noticed this phenomenon over the history of my competitive shooting years, as an action pistol shooter with a little bit of silhouette and high power shooting thrown in. Through those years, while participating in those shooting disciplines, I’ve noticed how, for the most part, in shape the top shooters looked. It does seem that being fit and in good health optimizes one’s shooting ability.
Recently, I’ve overcome some minor, though annoying, physical symptoms by adjusting what I ate. For many years, I’ve been bothered by heartburn, post nasal drip, frequent coughing, and slow weight gain, despite eating relatively healthy and living an active life which included going to the gym 4 or 5 times a week. So, one day I decided to stop eating anything with gluten. All of a sudden, in just three days, those symptoms cleared up, except the ability to control my weight. The next thing was to go for broke and see what would happen if I cut out grains all together. In three months after no grain intake of any kind, I found that I had lost 20 lbs., my bad cholesterol went down, my good cholesterol amazingly went up, and my low vitamin D levels went up, too. I then began to do some research, via the internet, on why the no-grain eating style positively affected my health. Though I’m not an MD or licensed nutritionist, I thought I’d like to share this info that has personally worked for me with friends and customers. Though I failed to consult with a professional myself, it is wise to check out things first with licensed pros, before embarking on a new eating or health regimen. Here is what worked for me, and my current understanding of why it worked:
1) All true grains are technically from the grass family, with the exception of quinoa, a seed more related to the beet and spinach family. There seems to be no real and/or trustworthy whole grains, unless you pull them off the plant and eat them out in the field. Cracking, cutting, and the flaking of grains for retail consumption, since we have no knowledge of the how those “whole grains” were processed, may alter their nutritional content and the way your body responds to them.
2) Carbohydrates (carbs) from processed grains (most “whole grains” are processed in some way) are metabolized more quickly than the carbs from fruits and vegetables.
3) Faster metabolizing leads to increased insulin levels and, for some, a craving for more carbs that is often the culprit in carb addiction.
4) When insulin levels are low, the body looks for other sources of fuel — the nutrients in the more slowly metabolizing protein, fruits and vegetables. In other words, higher insulin levels lead to less absorption of nutrients.
5) Therefore, when insulin levels are high, the body does not seek other food sources and those calories and carbs from other good food sources are metabolized to a lesser degree and end up stored on the body in terms of fat. So, I was not only absorbing less nutrients by eating grains, my body couldn’t properly metabolize my food intake and stored the remainder as fat.
6) Inadequate absorption of nutrients leads to a vicious circle of more hunger and unhealthy food intake, as the body strives for nourishment.
Therefore, maybe more of us should be eating organic, naturally processed (no hormones, antibiotics, or nitrates) protein, even fatty protein, and a good portion vegetables (be creative and have fun with your vegetable preparation) with every meal. Finish off every meal with fresh fruit. Include conservative portions of legumes in your meal plan, have nuts for snacks, and eat avocado everyday. Avocado contains several anti-inflammatory properties and facilitates the absorption of nutrients. Stay away from desserts, sugar, and artificial sweeteners. Fruits will soon satisfy your sweet tooth and be much better for you.
So, I am not consuming any kind of grain, as I get the carbs I need from a healthy portion of slower to metabolize fruits and vegetables. There is plenty of fiber in veggies, fruits, legumes and nuts, so I don’t believe I need the grains for fiber. I began eating this way and observed my weight go down, my overall health improve, and my mood and energy levels go up, too. Counting calories and points, etc., has never worked for me, because one day I’d just stop counting. It seems that as my body more efficiently learned to process and absorb nutrients, I naturally began eating less. This is an eating life style change that I seem to be embracing and not fighting, and one where I don’t have to starve myself in order to lose weight. However, after having said all this, I am aware that this “no grainer” concept may not work for everyone, as some seem to do well with other types of eating styles.
One last note is to remember to combine good eating with some sort of exercise 5 times a week. It’s best to find some physical activity or exercise regimen that you actually enjoy, so that your interest won’t wane, and it’s even better if you can find someone to exercise with. With my new good eating and an exercise routine that includes, weight lifting, swimming, pilates, speed walks and hiking, I am actually moving a little quicker at our action pistol matches and don’t seem to be getting as fatigued as I once did. I am 69 this year and if it’s not too late for me, it’s not too late for anyone to strive for better health. You’ll see the results in your shooting scores.
To all: Happy New Year, be safe, good shooting, and good health.
Richard
