Ask the Nutritionist

Dear Nutritionist,
I am a student of FSU and a member of the FSU Flying High Circus. I am 20 years old, 5'4'', and I weigh 140 pounds. For the acts I want to do in circus, I need to weigh around 110 pounds, and also have good muscle mass, because there are physical requirements we have to meet to be able to be in certain acts. My question for you is: What is the best diet to be on in order to burn fat most efficiently, but also build muscle? I have one year from today to reach my goal.

Also, do you know of anyone I can contact to advise me of how to build good muscle tone for the requirements I need to meet?

Answer: These are the kinds of questions I like! However, before I respond I just want you to know that I can only provide you with general information since I cannot complete a formal nutrition assessment with you via e-mail.

Ideally, a weight range appropriate for your height would be between 120 – 132 pounds. Your weight right now is healthy for your height as reflected in a body mass index (BMI) measure of 24. However, a weight of 110 pounds would place you at the low end of a normal weight for your height with a BMI 19. When you try to achieve a weight that is too low by eating too few calories to match your activity level then you can run into problems such as low energy, lack of menstrual cycle, nutritional deficiencies, sluggish metabolism (i.e. NO weight loss), risk of bone fracture, etc.

I am assuming your work with the circus is quite physically demanding and you likely burn quite a bit of calories and build muscle by training and practicing your routines. So, you will need to eat adequate calories to maintaining your muscle tone and strength.

In order to lose weight, if that is what your body wants to do, you will need to maintain a physical activity level of 60 min, 5 times/wk of cardiovascular activity (at a moderate intensity level), 3 days/wk of strength training (alternate muscle groups), eat regularly during the day when you get hungry (eating every 2-4hrs is normal) and your food choices need to be balanced diet which means you need to include all of the food groups.

Remember, muscle is more dense than fat so you may weigh more on the scale, but you are actually very fit. Muscle is also more metabolically active than fat which means you need muscle to burn fat. So, just by virtue of eating and exercising regularly you will burn fat and maintain muscle.

Hope this information helps. I encourage you to schedule a nutrition appointment with me so I can provide you with more specific information on your nutrition needs. Nutrition counseling sessions are free! All you have to do is call 644-8871 to schedule an appointment.

Question: I have been trying to find answers to these questions but it I can't find any reliable sources. If you have any answers that would be great and if not, if you could point me in the right direction, that would be most helpful. Are there any dangers associated with drinking distilled water? Does one get all of the minerals that are not found in distilled water in the food they eat? Does distilled water pull calcium and other minerals out of your body faster than regular water and if so, is this dangerous? Thanks for your help!

Answer: You have posed an interesting, but important question. Bottled and tap water usually has other components in it such as trace amounts of calcium, potassium, sodium, fluoride, chloride, and iron. Distilled water on the other hand has undergone a process of distillation in which these components are removed so essentially what you are left with is pure water.

Distilled water will not harm you, nor will it pull minerals out of the body. You can obtain what you need in terms of adequate nutrients, vitamins, and minerals from eating a well balanced, varied, and moderate diet. If you are interested, I would encourage you to locate a Registered Dietitian in your area to help you determine your specific nutrient needs. You can locate a dietitian by going to www.eatright.org.

Question: I am a collegiate baseball player, I am 5ft 6in tall and weigh about 157lbs. I am looking to gain a little weight and strength, along with size. Our strength coaches here have us working out hard 4 times a week M,T,Th,F. I have just purchased a new supplement called N-Large 2 a Mass gainer Whey Protein. On the directions it says "Mix 4 scoops with 12-16oz of water or milk. Best when used between meals and immediately after an intense exercise.You may vary the number of scoops you use according to how many calories you wish to consume." My question to you is how should I take this supplement for the optimum results out of this protein supplement? I have heard from some of my friends to take one scoop before a workout then 2 scoops after the workout and one scoop before bed. From another friend he told me that on lift days to consume 4 scoops throughout the day with 1 before bed and on non-lift days to consume 2 during the day with one before bed. I am just confused on how to use this supplement for the best results, and would like a profession input. I hope you give me you opinion on how to see the best results.

Answer: Dear baseball player. I really can't answer your question about how best to use this product and I don't know how much protein is in it. For future reference, supplement companies can make whatever claims they want without actually having to prove effectiveness. Additionally, I can only give you general information about your protein needs as I am not able to get a complete nutrition history from you. Your current weight is ideal for your height yet in order to gain further weight and muscle mass you will need to eat more total calories not just increase your protein intake. Your body will use the protein it needs to rebuild and repair muscle and tissue - any additional protein you take in will not be stored as muscle it will just be excreted in your urine. All you need in a day of protein is 84-98 gms (1.2-1.4gms/kg body weight). So, if you are eating more protein than this in the form of meat and the supplement you are using then you are likely taking in too much protein. Do you all have a health center and a nutritionist at your school? If so, I would encourage you to make an appointment to see that person for further specifics.

Question: Is a Registered Dietitian the same as a Nutritionist?

Answer: A Registered Dietitian is an expert in food and nutrition. These individuals have received a degree in Food and Nutrition and have completed at least 900 hours of practical experience in various aspects of dietetics such as hospital, community, food service, sports nutrition, and renal and diabetes care. Once they have completed the internship, they can sit for a national exam to obtain the distinction of Registered Dietitian by the Commission on Dietetic Registration (CDR). Furthermore, to maintain this credential, dietitians must complete continuing education credits in order to stay current in their knowledge and skills. Registered Dietitians, by virtue of their experience, merely complete an application process to receive licensure.

Like a dietitian, a licensed nutritionist (LD/N) may or may not be an RD, yet must also complete an internship and take an exam to receive their credentials as well as remain current in their knowledge as an RD would. In Florida, dietitians and nutritionists must be licensed in order to provide nutrition assessment and counseling. This is done in an effort to protect the citizen from receiving potentially harmful, erroneous information regarding nutrition from someone who calls themselves a ‘nutritionist’ yet has no formal training or experience and is not licensed to practice.

Licensed and registered dietitians are often referred to as “nutritionists” so, to be sure, look for the credentials “RD” and “LD/N” behind the individual’s name or simply ask them about their credentials.

To obtain counsel from a Registered and Licensed Dietitian (RD, LD/N), you may contact the Thagard nutritionists at 644-8871 to schedule an appointment. This service is free for all FSU students.

Question: I feel very tired, sluggish, and have no energy, can't concentrate or think clearly. However, if I eat foods that seem to stimulate digestion (like apples), I feel great! It is as if my energy depends directly on my digestion. Would you recommend supplementing enzymes into my diet to stimulate my digestion?

Answer: Your energy level is related to many things such as adequate overall nutrition, sleep, and exercise patterns. It is likely that you feel better after eating an apple because you are getting carbohydrates which give you energy. My question for you: Are you eating regularly? You should honor your hunger and eat a balance of nutrients (carbohydrate, protein, and healthy fat) every 2 – 4hrs. Eating regularly provides you energy and stimulates digestion. Inadequate nutrition often leads to the symptoms you describe. Unless otherwise specified by your doctor, you do not need supplemental digestive enzymes. If you had a disease such as Cystic Fibrosis or Pancreatic Insufficiency (conditions in which digestive enzymes are indicated), for example, then it is likely your body is efficient in producing the necessary enzymes needed to break down your food.

Question: How does candy affect school performance?

Answer: Candy in moderation is not likely to affect school performance. A moderate intake 'sweet treats' is approximately 1-2 servings/day and is okay. The following are examples of a serving size: a snack size candy bar; 1 medium cookie; ½ cup ice cream, sorbet, or pudding; 1 TBSP of sugar, honey, syrup, or jelly. My question for you: Is candy is your primary source of nutrition? If so, then you are only getting sugar and your body could become deficiency in key nutrients, vitamins and minerals necessary for good health. An inadequate intake of a balance of nutrients such as carbohydrate, protein, and healthy fats may affect your school performance.

Question: If two hypothetical people with exactly the same metabolism and activity level, that is, people who burn the same amount of calories, were to consume the same amount of calories, though one from a balanced diet and one from chocolate bars, they would both have the same weight result, a gain, loss or nothing, though perhaps different body compositions. How correct am I?

Answer: Wow, what an intricate question! Let's see, hypothetically, no two people are exactly the same with regards to the rate at with they burn calories (AKA metabolic rate). We would have to do a controlled study to determine the effect of two different yet same calorie diets, balanced diet vs candy bar diet, on the weight and body composition of the two different people. We would have to take several baseline body composition measurements, have the diet continue for a set amount of time, and then retake the measurements. Moreover, to get a statistically valid, reliable, and reproducible, scientifically sound result we would need more people, or sample size.

To answer your question hypothetically, I would guess the person who ate the balanced diet would obtain all the essential macronutrients, vitamins, and minerals that he/she needed and hence have more energy and be healthier than the one who just ate candy bars. Candy bars, as you know, would definitely not provide a balance of nutrients that would allow the body to work optimally. I am guessing that this person would suffer from fatigue, maybe headaches, irritability, etc. Also, I would surmise that despite the same amount of calories these two people would be getting, the candy bar diet would lack adequate protein and hence this person muscle may be broken down to some degree in order to provide essential amino acids to support primary functions of the body. This would in turn cause this person to have more percentage of fat to muscle mass than the balanced diet person.

So, to really answer your questions adequately, we would have to do a formal study because humans do not respond in the exact same way.