Divide and conquer



Divide and conquer

People with CPT II deficiency should get about 70-75% of their calories from carbohydrates, says Valerie A. Cwik, M.D., Assistant Professor of Neurology at the University of Arizona.

“The body does not maintain large stores of glucose and glycogen,” says Dr. Cwik. “Therefore they need to be ingested frequently.”

Beyond high carbohydrates, she recommends 10-15% of calories in fat and 15% in protein. She also suggests dividing the traditional 3 large meals into 6 smaller portions.

If you eat 2,000 calories a day:

70% = 350 grams of carbohydrates a day

15% = 75 grams of protein a day

15% = 33 grams of fat a day

Remember:

1 gram of carbohydrates = 4 calories

1 gram of protein = 4 calories

1 gram fat = 9 calories

Related link:
What's missing from your meals?

Sports Illustrated quiz that is fun and informative.

For tips on how to cut the fat in your diet, visit Hey, cut it out and Oil change.

For tips on adding carbohydrates to your diet, visit Going with the grain, Sound bites and Sweet talk.

Compared to the typical American diet, the typical Mediterranean diet is lower in saturated fat (animal fats found in meats, whole milk and cheese), higher in monounsaturated fat from olive oil and puts more emphasis on vegetables, fruits and legumes.