Nutrition

[BoliverAllmon]

Ok, so I watched Super Size Me recently and it got me thinking. With all this talk about memorizing huge repertoires and playing up to peek performance I was wondering if diet played an important role in that. Would a healthy diet promote better brain functions and hence faster memorization and the ability to stay focused for longer periods of times? if so what is a good diet?

boliver

[da jake]

Brain work better with good food.

Consult food pyramid. Ugg.

[Siberian Husky]

they say seafood is the best brain food...high in protein low in fat..rich in amino acids..have salmon on a regular basis....and there is no "best diet"..or basic "good diet"..its really whats good for you..you know your body more than any personal trainer would..you know what foods do to you..and what you can handle..how much you eat..how fast you burn..etc etc..best thing to do is..grab a book..surf the web..educate yourself on the basics of nutrition and take it from there..tis better this way than just go on some diet or follow a trend


2 cents

[xvimbi]

Proper nutrition definitly helps.

The easiest and most straightforward diet (IMO):

1. eat whatever you like, but vary and include everything (vegetables, meat, fruits, etc.)
2. make sure your caloric intake is not higher than your caloric expenditure
3. eat several small portions throughout the day
4. take your time; share your meals with friends and family, i.e. have them in a social, relaxed setting rather than in the car while driving to school
5. exercise

I believe one can do and eat anything, as long as it is in moderation.

[xvimbi]

I forgot one very important thing: water

Drink plenty of water throughout the day. If the urine is perceptibly yellow, it's a sign of dehydration. Dehydration is probably the biggest cause of fatigue and headaches. Water also stimulates general metabolism.

[faulty_damper]

Protein in the morning is much better than too much carbohydrates in the morning.  Apparently carbohydrates causes your body to slow down including brain functions maybe because it is the easiest to digest...?

So, don't drink soft drinks or eat candy or any other foods significantly high in sugar, especially heavily processed ones.  And the added benefit is that is may reduce the occurence of acne.

[Siberian Husky]

wrong damper...carbs in the morning and protein at night..

carbs will act as your fuel throughout the day and proteins will do the repairing and maintenence at niht..of course it goes more in depth than this chemically..but this is a good gist to understand the theory better..although commercialism usually gets it wrong...their emphasis on "whole grain" in the morning stands firmly...the anti carb thing was a phase started by that atkins diet..now that people are having heart failure and cardiovascular problems because of the atkins..this trendy diet is startin to slow down..and thank god too cause it was rediculous..breads/grains/carbs are GOOOD people...they should make up a significant portion of our everyday nutrition...people dont understand that we need balance..instead of just avoiding this..and excessing in that...there is no such thing as a "good" or "bad" food..well of course theres man-made preservatives and hormone injected things etc etc..but generally speaking..what im trying to get at is anything in excess is bad..and anything avoided completely will just result ina  deficiency...too much milk is bad..too much chicken is bad..once can develope allergic reactions to these things if taken excessively to fill in "carb" spots in their diet...too much orangce juice can cause vitamin C toxication, the same thing with eating a bunch of carrots..and yes we too need some sugar in our diets..sugars are a good thing..people just dont understand the importance of thoroughly comprehending nutrition and its diversities to a mediocre yet exremely helpful degree...this is due to laziness..it takes a few minutes out of everyone's day to just take into concideration one's diet.. and educate ones self even if it is just a minor fact....

we humans are lazy..and our bad dieting habbits are by products of our lazyness and unsound judgement..especially when it comes to food...we over generalize because its easier this way to cope with nutritional developments..."carbs turn into fat when not put to use"..this is true..yet people misinterpret the word "fat" thanks to glamour magazines pop stars and overall society and culture..FAT..as UGLY as that word may SOUND!..is a beautiful thing..it insulates us..it provides us with energy to go about our day..it aids us in the most significant manner to maintain a healthy state of homeostasis...FAT..specicially speaking..is NOT what hangs on the side of your hips...yes
the bulge is a result of excessive fat deposits..but specifically speaking..FAT is a lipid structure of varied carbon chains..it should not be mistaken with one's overall body structure or appearance...



so people..seriously..excercise on a regular basis..a 15 minute walk a day atleast..and take 5 minutes of everyday to do a little reading..google "fats".."nutrition".."protein"..."metabolism".....this adds up to 20-30 minutes a day...seriously..thats it...a half hour out of the 24 you have available..most free time of this is done in front of the TV..or this forum...post less often or surf the web and read on bettering your lifestyle because this goes beyond just what you eat...sacrifice that rerun TV show and go out for a walk..take your dog..or yuor husband/wife...this will definately better your lifestyle and i guarantee it...right now it may seem tedious and redundant..but think of it this way..the small amount of time (30 minutes a day) you invest on bettering your lifestyle and health..you will win back with the extra years you have gained on yourlife..not only that..but peace of mind is a good bonus as well...take care of yourselves people...

Cheers
Luis

oh yeah..adopt a dog at your local animal shelter...increase the value of your happiness and the chances of his/her little life...

     

[6ft 4]

bit over the top me thinks

there really isn't that much evidence for all this "carbs bla bla bla protein bla bla bla" sure it sounds impressive.

and besides McDonalds is delicious every now and then.

i like xvimbi's advice

except i think "dehydration" is a bit of an exaggeration. Im sure that the refreshness/feeling better after a gulp of water is mostly psychosomatic(?) but its all good.

[xvimbi]

except i think "dehydration" is a bit of an exaggeration. Im sure that the refreshness/feeling better after a gulp of water is mostly psychosomatic(?) but its all good.

The benefits of drinking lots of water are usually ignored, yet this is one of the easiest nutritional habits one can acquire and actually maintain. Yellow urine = dehydration may sound exaggerated, but it is really not. This can easily be seen at high altitude; as a mountaineer, I can attest that it may already be too late, in terms of proper hydration status, when the urine is yellow. It is very difficult then to get back in proper shape and "survive" the trip. Of course, such a situation is of little consequence when in an office, but nevertheless, these seemingly lower levels of dehydration contribute to fatigue and the body generally feeling "not quite right". In the mountains, this could end deadly, because one's judgement is severely impaired (same with lack of oxygen). And so is one's judgement in an office: things take longer to accomplish, the mind starts to wander, one can't concentrate anymore. This is also not good for practicing the piano.

[piazzo23]

Eggs (albumina only).
Those aminoacids are the best absorbed by the organism. And are complete, that´s all the esencials (those the body can´t produce) are in there.

Don´t eat the yellow part (too much cholesterol). And when you eat them together, albumina doesn´t absorb the same.

[Siberian Husky]

over the top?..millions of people die of cardiovascular related issues each year due to poor diet and nutritional neglect...but you'll keep thinking this way till yourself or a loved one falls prey to the statistic..god forbid..thats the way the ball drops

[BoliverAllmon]

The benefits of drinking lots of water are usually ignored, yet this is one of the easiest nutritional habits one can acquire and actually maintain. Yellow urine = dehydration may sound exaggerated, but it is really not. This can easily be seen at high altitude; as a mountaineer, I can attest that it may already be too late, in terms of proper hydration status, when the urine is yellow. It is very difficult then to get back in proper shape and "survive" the trip. Of course, such a situation is of little consequence when in an office, but nevertheless, these seemingly lower levels of dehydration contribute to fatigue and the body generally feeling "not quite right". In the mountains, this could end deadly, because one's judgement is severely impaired (same with lack of oxygen). And so is one's judgement in an office: things take longer to accomplish, the mind starts to wander, one can't concentrate anymore. This is also not good for practicing the piano.

My mom is a nurse and she preaches hydration all the time. If my urine is bright yellow. drink more water. It should almost be clear. Also caffeine dehydrates you so for every cup of coffe I drink, I have to drink two cups of water to compensate. It does make a huge difference.

[cadenz]

the fact that many great musicians and composers over time have been too preoccupied to eat and treat themselves properly doesn't really seem to have an adverse effect on their contributions.

"super size me" is merely entertainment. its not educational. heres a quote from a website about the guy who did that film:

MTV viewers may remember Spurlock's short-lived show ''I Bet You Will,'' whose motto was ''stupidity pays.'' With cameras rolling, Spurlock paid a man to gulp down an entire 24-ounce jar of mayonnaise. He got a woman to shave her head, combine the hair with butter to form a giant hairball, and then eat it. Internet voyeurs could also see one guy chew on a piece of dog feces for Spurlock's ready cash. Not surprisingly, the show featured an ''Official Puke Bucket.''

i don't condone not eating enough or whatever, but i don't think nutrition should be a great concern of a musician. providing you're not replacing all your meals with piano practice and that you're not so fat you can't reach the piano, then you're fine

[Jacey1973]

Yuck i never eat MacDonalds.

I started making an effort back in February of this year to eat healthier and to get enough sleep (going to bed earlier getting up earlier therefore getting more done - mainly getting more practising done actually) leading up to my final recital and end of my degree which was in June.

Since then i've felt so much better - mainly having so much energy all the time.

Now i have:

Morning: 2/3 weetabix and dried fruit with skimmed milk for breakfast, and a low fat yoghurt/piece of fruit

Afternoon: piece of fruit/cup of tea

Dinner: Salad, baked potato, tuna

I also take a short walk everyday and get 8/9 hours of sleep at night.

The main thing i found was i don't get severe tiredness in the afternoons - enabling me to stay more focused/concentrating on my practise. By going to bed earlier i found i was able to be up early and begin practising by 9.30am. This enabled me to fit in at least 3 extra hours of practise a day. I also lost nearly 2 stones which was the best part.

[pianonut]

i am, right now, as we speak, eating collard greens raw.  i only do this when no one is around to say 'yuk.' 

i agree with jenni about those baked potatoes, too. 

how about pasta?  is it good to eat for breakfast?

[prometheus]

I don't eat meat.

[Siberian Husky]

i would say pasta would be a great breakfast start if you can stomach it..some people are just so conditioned to cereals and eggs...with breakfast..its hard to stomach certain foods for people..its kinda like throwing your stomach off..for years n years you'v done a cereal/flapjack/dairy/cheese rendition...it would be hard to for instance have a burrito for breakfast...actually..its hard for people to stomach a burrito at all...

i love my spicey foods..but the lords knows it dont love me

[raffyplayspiano]

living in a dorm, and having no kitchen but a mcdonalds literally across the street, i ended up eating mcds for lunch and dinner.  I was having 4 double cheeseburgers a day.  I was fine...the first week, come the second week, i really felt sick to my stomach.  That was the end of that...but there is always wendys.. 

raffy

[pianistimo]

raffy, seriously that what most people do.  then, when they are middle aged, they are fat.  start now, and decide that you want to be healthy.  get someone to take you to the store once a week.  purchase a little fridge or pack a cooler with ice.  put in your carrot stix and dark green lettuce - with sandwich stuff) it will be healthier and still save you money.  fruit is good for your sweet tooth, too.  many people, such as myself, when we went through college tried to sabotage our health with too much junk food and not enough brain food. often, what you make tastes better anyway.  save up for a friday night meal out once in while and instead of five hamburgers, eat one decent steak and potoatoe dinner.  how's that for advice?  one person i knew back in college would buy a dozen eggs,  hardboil them all and eat for a quick breakfast with a little salt.   

[raffyplayspiano]

its ok, the semester is over!  I am now back to eating healthy food.  it was only a two week thing really-i enjoy eating lots of different foods.  but thnks for the concern pianistimo!

raffy
 

[yamagal]

Chocolate helps me think better and play better, I highly recommend it.