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Does body "adapt" to eating same foods every day?

AM07

Well-known member
I eat the same foods each day. It consists of chicken, fish, grilled chicken, focaccia bread, salads, 5 bean chili, bananas, various rice, almonds, and protein shakes.

Over winter break, my diet will mainly consist of salmon, grilled chicken, brown rice, almonds, bananas, protein shakes, beef and potatoes, and that's about it. I'll basically be eating the same thing each day over break, and once the Spring semester starts up, I'll resort back to eating what I posted in the first paragraph, every day.

My question is, like training, does the body adapt to the same foods eaten day in and day out?
 
Yes and no.

There's some research that suggests the body actually gets less efficient at absorbing nutrients if given the same foods every day. A good part of this may be due to changes in the balance of your intestinal flora and fauna.

Intestines seem to work best when they have a big array of beneficial bacteria, but supplying the same foods all the time may favor some versus others and upset the balance thus effecting nutrient absorbtion. There's also the very real problem of having the same foods fostering the growth of pathogenic bacteria and parasites..they depend on consistent input of certain foods so it's thought by some that the best defense is a constantly shifting diet where your macro sources are as different week to week as they possibly can be.

Charles Poliquin has written a few articles about this and he pays special attention to it when coaching client for maximum athletic perfomance.
 
bioman said:
Yes and no.

There's some research that suggests the body actually gets less efficient at absorbing nutrients if given the same foods every day. A good part of this may be due to changes in the balance of your intestinal flora and fauna.

Intestines seem to work best when they have a big array of beneficial bacteria, but supplying the same foods all the time may favor some versus others and upset the balance thus effecting nutrient absorbtion. There's also the very real problem of having the same foods fostering the growth of pathogenic bacteria and parasites..they depend on consistent input of certain foods so it's thought by some that the best defense is a constantly shifting diet where your macro sources are as different week to week as they possibly can be.

Charles Poliquin has written a few articles about this and he pays special attention to it when coaching client for maximum athletic perfomance.
Click to expand...

Hey, could you provide some links to these articles? I'm really interested in learning more about this. Thanks.
 
bioman said:
Yes and no.

There's some research that suggests the body actually gets less efficient at absorbing nutrients if given the same foods every day. A good part of this may be due to changes in the balance of your intestinal flora and fauna.

Intestines seem to work best when they have a big array of beneficial bacteria, but supplying the same foods all the time may favor some versus others and upset the balance thus effecting nutrient absorbtion. There's also the very real problem of having the same foods fostering the growth of pathogenic bacteria and parasites..they depend on consistent input of certain foods so it's thought by some that the best defense is a constantly shifting diet where your macro sources are as different week to week as they possibly can be.

Charles Poliquin has written a few articles about this and he pays special attention to it when coaching client for maximum athletic perfomance.
Click to expand...

Oh wow! how bad is this. I eat the same things everyday for literally YEARS. protein and oats, cottage cheese and wheat bread, natty pb and ground turkey with hot sauce and wheat bread (i found this brand called the baker and its so think and oaty, really good carbs). thats all I ever eat for like yeaaaaars.
 
Search the forum for Charles Poliquin..gotta be in here somewhere.

Honestly, I don't think it's the be-all, end-all of problems to have. Poliquin trains people to be super elite athletes so they need every single advantage they can get no matter how tiny. People like me..the non-competitive quasi-athlete, eating the same things everyday is way less of a concern than just getting enough calories and protein.

For those looking for that extra edge, careful attention to diet and alternating foods as often as possible may get them to that next higher level. For me, it would represent more of a distraction. At the very least, I take probiotics and this does help a little.
 
bioman said:
Search the forum for Charles Poliquin..gotta be in here somewhere.

Honestly, I don't think it's the be-all, end-all of problems to have. Poliquin trains people to be super elite athletes so they need every single advantage they can get no matter how tiny. People like me..the non-competitive quasi-athlete, eating the same things everyday is way less of a concern than just getting enough calories and protein.

For those looking for that extra edge, careful attention to diet and alternating foods as often as possible may get them to that next higher level. For me, it would represent more of a distraction. At the very least, I take probiotics and this does help a little.
Click to expand...
I'm pretty much a routine eater as well, so the probiotic thing has really got me intrigued, what kind of benefits have you noticed Bioman?
 
I love probiotics....my innards are much better now that I added them into the mix of supps I take everyday. I am still a milk drinker and will not give it up for no one...(until contest season rolls around). Probiotics and digestive enzymes make the world of difference when eating 600+ grams of protein a day. I even fill that my gains this year are far better than last years gains (offseason). Just my three cents. By the way UBI..that was funny...haha
 
Benefits are pretty much what Drum describes. I use IFlora brand and it has an immediate effect on my stools (which appear healthier), and overall energy levels. Priobiotics directly and indirectly affect a number of different things like B-12 production in the gut, protein absorption, keeping Candida yeast under control (my wife never has yeast infections any more), and just overall well-being in terms of not getting sick as often.

I tend to eat the same things all the time as well. when I neglect to take the probiotics, my stools get looser which is a likely indication of malabsorption/poor digestion.

Since BBing is a sport that revolves around diet and nutrient intake..more so than others at least..probiotics should be a staple for competitors IMO.
 
wow, this is the first time i read about pro-biotics on a bodybuilding site.i am aware of the benefits of them ,but as of now..unfortunantly, i don't use them.though i should,it definetly helps out in the digestion department as well as keeping things flowing smoothly.i have used activia for a bit and it has worked as well (a yogurt,with bifidis regularus)
another i'd reccomend would be a good protein digestant.

oh, back tot he thread.i eat mostly steaks,salads,steamed veggies,chicken,eggs,pork..the same foods day in and day out.the only problem i get into is if i don't drink enough water or if i don't get enough fats,other then not eating enough..i don't feel any different if i were to eat a bunch of different foods.if i am busy and lazy to cook,i could and have just eaten a few steaks,salad/veggies a day and be done with it.
not the best for bodybuilding but it provided enough nutrients to keep on at it.
 
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