Nutrition Part 1
Nutrition
Nutrition Tips and Recommendations
As a Personal Trainer, I find the biggest speed bump to achieving goals with any fitness program is nutrition. Nutrition is at least 70% of the equation with regards to achieving weight loss and lean mass gains. It doesn’t matter how much weight you push and how long you spend on the treadmill, elliptical, whatever, if you haven’t dialed in your nutrition you are going to hinder your success. Many people don’t know where to start and there’s so much information it can be overwhelming.
So I have stepped up to the challenge. To make nutrition simple and easy to remember, this will be the first in a 6 part series of posts to bring everyone up to speed with nutrition. I want to arm you with the necessary information, tips and recommendations to make the proper changes to your eating habits that will make a profound impact on your health and accelerate your fitness journey on the path to success.
Food is fuel
Choose high-octane fuel (nutrient dense vs. calorically dense).
There are 3 Macronutrients.
Protein
4 calories/gram
Carbohydrates
4 calories/gram
Lipids (fat)
9 calories/gram
Avoid alcohol.
Alcohol and Alcohol sugars are sneaky and can get you when you are not looking. They contain 7 calories/gram, almost as much as fat! Think twice before you drink your next alcoholic beverage; consider how it will affect your goals!
Try mineral water next time.
Mineral water can help replace the minerals used while working out
There are many Micronutrients
Although these don’t directly provide calories, a proper micronutrient balance can help to provide metabolic enhancements, make sure you eat foods high in micronutrients.
The concept of “bioindividuality”. An important concept.
No one diet is right for everyone
Eat like and adult, not a kid.
Scrap the bowl of cereal for breakfast, Eat eggs and toast for breakfast; maybe throw in a slice or two of bacon.
Scrap the PB&J sandwich and opt for a turkey or tuna fish sandwich instead.
Start cooking your food instead of buying premade processed junk.
Avoid Vegetable oils.
They may contain hidden trans fatty acids (BAD). Cook with coconut oils instead, dress your salads with equal parts olive oil, sesame oil, and coconut oil.
Avoid processed sugars.
Raw honey & raw maple are best; stevia is a viable option as well.
Perishable foods are best.
You’ve probably heard it before, here it is again, when grocery shopping, shop from the outer areas of the store, not the inside. You will find the fresh meat and seafood counter located here. Most stores produce sections are here as well. Dairy and eggs have a home here also. The inner areas of the Supermarkets are where you find all the processed foods, foods that have been pumped with preservatives to keep them on the shelves for way longer than they naturally should be.
Avoid Soy!
A vast majority of soy in America is farmed by Monsanto, which genetically modifies their soy to withstand constant Roundup spraying. If you must drink soy look for organic varieties, which are a bit better. There are also almond, and rice options available.
Fermented foods are amazing!
Get them into your diet. Period.
Eat many different vegetables prepared many different ways.
Preparing your foods through various cooking techniques (sautéing, steaming, roasting, etc.) will help to “unlock”, or make certain nutrients more available to be assimilated into your body.
Make your diet colorful
Start eating vibrant colored fruits, and veggies. Pick deep rich colored berries. Brighter fruits and veggies, and deep dark berries contain more beta-carotene, and anthocyanins, which are powerful antioxidants.
Quality meats are important
When choosing meat, purchase grass fed varieties. Animals are meant to graze on grass all day, not grain or corn. This principle applies to dairy as well, make it grass fed.
The Standard American Diet (SAD, and it truly is) is very calorically dense, and very nutrient deficient. We find that most overweight people are actually nutrient starved. Nutrition is the key to unlocking your potential, maintaining your health and increasing your longevity.
QUESTION?
What other helpful tips can you think of, help help you choose healthier eating habits?
Next post, we will be digging deeper into nutrition and discussing how you can estimate your daily caloric expenditure. This is going to help you dial in your diet by giving you a baseline from which you can build a diet, and establish healthier eating habits.
Written by,
Logan Randall
NASM Certified Personal Trainer-Auburn Courthouse Athletic Club
P90X Certified Personal Trainer
Lifestyle Consultant
