In terms of carbohydrates, we want to be consuming mostly whole food sources, such as fruits vegetables, and starchy carbohydrates like rice and\u00a0oats<\/a>. From a purely energy perspective, it really doesn\u2019t matter where we get our carbs from, but we should also consider health and satiety (feelings of fullness). The foods outlined above are going to help promote healthier fat loss or muscle gain, as well as help to keep the body feeling full. However, more simple \u2018sugars\u2019 like glucose or other\u00a0carbohydrate powders<\/a>\u00a0are available, but these should be used in appropriate amounts and at times that are going to be of benefit to fuelling your body, boosting performance and restocking glycogen after exercise. There is still some debate surrounding fat intake and whether saturated fats (those found in meat and dairy) are as bad for you as was first thought, especially in the context of a generally healthy diet2<\/sup>. \u00a0The occasional portion of dairy, fatty meat or\u00a0coconut oil<\/a>\u00a0can be included as a proportion of our fat intake without concern, especially as a part of a balanced diet. However, our two essential fatty acids omega-6 and omega-3 are unsaturated fats. If we eat plenty of whole grains, lean meats,\u00a0nuts and seeds<\/a>\u00a0then our omega-6 will be taken care of.\u00a0Omega-3<\/a>, in its most useful form is found in fish, but if you don\u2019t eat fish regularly then supplementing with 2-3g of fish oil should cover your daily requirements for health3<\/sup>. To play it \u2018safe\u2019, if using added fats in your diet, then stick to things like unsaturated vegetable oils and\u00a0nut butters<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Now let\u2019s move on to meal frequency. Studies have shown that the size of meal influences the \u2018Thermic Effect of Food\u2019 (TEF), which is the energy used to digest a meal. This means, unlike popular consensus, that eating small regular meals does not increase metabolism. Several smaller meals each with a smaller TEF, will have roughly the same impact as bigger meals with higher TEF, eaten less frequently. In fact, several studies have shown no difference in terms of weight loss or muscle gain between, 3, 4 and 5 meals per day4<\/sup>.<\/p>\n However, for some people, meal frequency might be important. The problem with many of the studies that have assessed meal frequency is that they tend to be low in protein. From a theoretical perspective, this could have a big impact because we know that eating a good amount of a quality protein, around 20-30g, stimulates muscle protein synthesis (MPS)5<\/sup>. MPS is important as it influences the creation of new muscle tissue and is an energy demanding process, so might influence muscle gain and fat loss.<\/p>\n As elevations in MPS only last for 4-6 hours5<\/sup>, then making sure we distribute our protein intake evenly throughout the day MIGHT have some added benefit, but at present it is hard to know the real-world impact that eating every 4 hours, eating say meals a day, would have compared to 3 or 4 meal. In any case, it is still sensible to split your required protein intake evenly at each meal, no matter what your preferred eating patterns are, to make sure MPS is stimulated as frequently and we consume a large amount of protein before bed to keep us fuelled with amino acids overnight.\u00a0Casein<\/a>\u00a0is a perfect supplement for this due to its slow digestion rates providing a steady supply of amino acids for several hours, thus keeping the body in a more anabolic state.<\/p>\n For weight loss, instead of worrying about meal frequency and meal timing, the main thing is ensuring you eat in patterns you can stick to. For example, if you don\u2019t like breakfast and prefer eating meals later in the day, if you\u2019re eating enough protein in your diet, muscle loss is unlikely to occur to any measurable amount. However, if you train fasted it is probably wise to make sure you eat some form of protein \u2013 either prior to or immediately after exercise, to help protect muscle tissue. It is important to note that it is somewhat of a myth that not eating breakfast is going to negatively impact on metabolism and that by eating breakfast it going to speed up.<\/p>\n For people serious about building muscle, I would suggest eating some form of protein at breakfast is a good idea. After fasting all night, our body is in a catabolic state, including a small amount of breakdown in muscle to provide amino acids, so feeding the body protein first thing will promote the uptake of amino acids into muscle and act so support muscle growth.<\/p>\n![\"Active](\"https:\/\/www.bulk.com\/ie\/the-core-ie\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/8\/2017\/12\/BulkPowders_Aug17-2-127-003.png\")
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