Nutrition – Page 5 – Beary Strong

Caffeine: Tea Or Coffee For You?

Caffeine: the delicious drug.

Let’s talk about the non-scientific stuff first. I love both, tea and coffee. I have a cup of tea (caffeine-free roiboos) every day in the morning followed by a cold brew done with 100% Robusta coffee bean Sumatra Ascogo roasted at one of Vienna’s best coffee roasters (Kafferösterei Alt Wien). Once a week we have also our Forza Napoli with a high percentage of Robusta at Nicholas Franze’s cafe. Matcha scores also high on our favorites (check out Cha No Ma for gorgeous matcha, if you are in Vienna). But is caffeine ok in a healthy lifestyle? And, most important, how much?

Protein: Surf’n’Turf Anyone?

Basic biochemistry and functions.

Everyone needs protein. Period. It is not just the big muscular gym guy, also you sitting in the chair diligently doing your job or you, running a half-marathon or you, playing football. Why? Because proteins are the brickstones of our body, they are the catalysators (= enzymes) of our metabolism and are also fuel. To say it in numbers: after water (70%), proteins (18%) are the second main component of human cells. That’s why it may be worth considering adding more protein to your daily food, especially if you are getting serious about living a more active and healthy lifestyle.

What Drives Obesity

Know the Whys to make better decisions.

Gaining fat is really simple: your energy intake is greater than your energy expenditure. You just eat too damn much! Gaining so much fat, that you are actually classified as overweight or even obese, however is a task that takes a lot of consistency and time (and avoiding to look into the mirror). As many drastic changes, this doesn’t happen overnight. But why do you do this to your body?

Fats: Because Nutbutter Is Happyness

Basic biochemistry and functions.

But wait, fat makes me fat, right?! Now you should already know the answer: it’s all about the calorie deficit at the end of the day and like carbs, fats are neither good nor bad. Nevertheless, fat is really energy dense: 10 gramms of fat (approx. a tea spoon) have huge 90 kcals. This means that, you should not indulge in those tasty “healthy” low-carb-paleo-keto-raw-gluten free-vegan nut bars if you are trying to lose body fat ;). So what’s the deal with fats, now? Let’s have a closer look through the biochemist’s goggles.

Carbohydrates: Candies, Noodles And All That Good Stuff

Is a carb really just a carb?

…or are they evil? Currently, it is a real hot topic, especially since many countries have introduced a sugary drink tax and low-carb and keto diet are becoming very popular among the broad public. Is it the right way to go in order to lose fat? Yes. And no.

Why You Get Fat

Metabolism in a nutshell.

As I already told you in my last post about macros, no matter if you are eating low carb, low fat or low-whatever, if you are in a calorie surplus, the body starts to store fat. Why? Let’s have a closer look at the picture below and follow the way of the macros:

Macronutrients. Macro- what?

Nutrition biochemistry in a nutshell.

Bodybuilder and biochemists are both somehow geeks, but you do not have to be one to understand the basics. The major building blocks of food, called the macronutrients (“macros” for the cool kids), are just three. Here is an overview of what they are, their energy content and where you can find them.