Monica Brant Food Talk

On Thursday, May 19th 2009, I looked at the nutrition of fitness model Jamie Eason, and yesterday I took a look at the nutrition of fitness model Marzia Prince. Today I will look at the nutrition advice of fitness model Monica Brant who has inspired fellow model Jamie Eason and perhaps can inspire you and me.

Here is some food talk from Monica Brant:

' My diet is approximately 80% free from junk foods in the off season-except maybe at Christmas. Before a competition-either on or off season-the stricter I am with my diet, the better I look.

My protein intake with every meal is between 25-45 grams, consisting of one of the following: lean, red meat, chicken, turkey (white meat is best), tuna canned in water, egg whites, tofu, whey protein, non-fat cottage cheese, and some fish: i.e., halibut, salmon & orange roughy.

I eat starchy carbohydrates-for example, rice, pasta, matzo bread, oatmeal, cream of wheat, crumpets and corn tortillas only until mid-afternoon. I try not to eat these things at night because I am more sedentary later in the evening. However, if I know I’m going to be up late, I’ll cut these carbs out after 6 pm, in order to have enough energy. Remember, carbs = energy! If you don’t use them readily, they turn to fat. Yuck!!

I eat fibrous carbohydrates such as broccoli, asparagus, green beans, celery, and spinach-three times a day during a competition cycle. So, pre-contest, I’m downing as much ‘green’ as I can. This food type replaces a lot of the starch that I cut out in order to get really lean. Keep in mind, however, I add a little more fat into my diet when I’m not eating as many complex carbs.

Regarding fat...normally I will eat Laura Scudder’s Natural Unmixed Peanut Butter, egg yolks, low-fat cheese, avocado, and mixed nuts. Three weeks before or out of my competitions I prefer to eat fat sources from flaxseed oil, olive oil or canola oil.

Along with limiting your starchy carb intake, be careful of your sugar intake! Your body ends up releasing a lot of insulin to combat the high blood sugar levels both carbs and sugar produces. In case you are unaware, sugar is considered a simple carb! When your blood sugar comes down finally, it crashes leaving you oftentimes totally drained. Whatever insulin is left over binds the remaining sugar and stores it as fat. This process can become a vicious cycle and, in the long run, can have disastrous effects on your health. I don’t recommend it; but I would say it is better to consume more fat rather than sugar products. If you are, however, eating sugar, keep your intake to a minimum in the afternoon and evening hours. If you absolutely can’t get by without it, take your fix after training or better yet in the morning.

Try to eat every 3 to 4.5 hrs. Many small meals are better than a few large ones. I use meal replacement drinks or bars at times when I just can’t get in a good meal. In general, you will need to cook and prepare more food ahead of time, but it will become a worthy practice netting your body great results. Just get into “the routine” or as Nike says, “Just do it!” Don’t forget to drink plenty of WATER!! '