The New Rules: Spend Time on Your Nutrition

Step Two: Eat your way to your goals

You can make yourself dizzy trying to keep up with the changes in workouts.  HIIT, HR, P90, Insanity, Circuit Training, which one should I do???? Just the same, sometimes you feel like you have to have a PHD in nutrition to know what the right diet is!!! Paleo, Plant-Based, Atkins, No Carb, Slow Carb, All Carb... Ugh!

I'm gonna give you the secret right here. Ready? Lower the shades. Make sure no one is around. Lean in close.  You ready?....

There is no secret!  Isn't that great.  The truth of the matter is, just pay attention to what you eat.  If you feel like dog doodoo after eating cheese, don't eat it. If sugar makes you crash, don't do it. If you feel great after a juicy steak, or a fresh acai bowl by all means, eat it! Your epigenetics will have a big influence on what you can and should eat. Intro to epigenetics here. 

We're all smart enough at this point to know what not to eat. You can't start your day with coffee and donuts, go out for a fast-food lunch, and finish with pizza and beer for dinner, and then expect to be healthy and fit and full of energy. We have to fill our bodies with nutrients, vitamins and minerals, and proteins, and high quality H2O! For actionable tips on how to get back on track go back and read our article here.


Here are FIVE action steps to improve your nutrition right now.

Step 1: Prioritize Water

Water is necessary for every cellular function in the body. We've heard before that we need eight 8 oz. glasses of water per day.  That number doesn't account for differences in our different sizes.  What we recommend instead is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day.  For better results, and so you're not up peeing all night, get 20% in before 10 am.

Step 2: Eat the Rainbow

There are many different vitamins and minerals, and in varying amounts, in each fruit and vegetable. You can't get everything you need from just one. Dark green leafy veggies contain fiber, folate, and carotenoids- to name a few. Berries tend to be high in antioxidants. Asparagus, broccoli, and brussel sprouts are a few of the high sulfur vegetables. And if you eat an array of fruits, you'll likely start completing your necessary B vitamin needs. Did you know that plants have an inherent self defense mechanism? If an animal, humans included. eats too much of one plant, it can make the animal sick, stopping the animal from returning to the plant.  These highlights are just a few of reasons why you should opt for a variety of plants and vegetables each day.

Step 3: Level up your Protein

We all understand that if you're exercising consistently, you'll need to replenish your protein. But how much do you need? Women should shoot for at least .5 grams per pound of body weight and men should aim for .75.  Those numbers increase if you're training to grow muscle (hypertrophy). To give you an idea, a 130 lb. woman should consume about 65 grams of protein.  That can be achieved via, 2 eggs at breakfast, a can of tuna at lunch, and a chicken breast for dinner. A 200 lb man trying to get 150 grams of protein will need to consume 4 eggs, 2 cans of tuna, and 2 chicken breasts.

Step 4: Start with the end in Mind

When you're planning your day, start with the end and work backwards. This allows you to space your meals 2-4 hours apart.  If dinner is at 7, snack at 4, lunch at 12:30 and breakfast at 9, checks the box. It's helpful too to know what the end of the day looks like as you fill in the gaps throughout the day with extra veggies, or protein and healthy fats.  Third, you benefit by having a plan that doesn't derail when you make choices based on immediate desires. Same goes for planning your week.  You know your schedule, and you can choose when to fill in the cheat meals.

Step 5: Slow Down, Be balanced not restrictive

Currently, more than in recent years, we have time on our side. We aren't over-scheduled, out late for practice or concerts or movies. We can't go to crowded restaurants. We are putting food on the literal table and eating there. So slow down. Enjoy each bite. And while you're at it, make sure the food you eat is enjoyable. Food is one of the pleasures in life. We can and should occasionally indulge in tasty food. We should balance our macros with a decent level of healthy carbs- think whole grains and fruit and veggies. Eat your proteins and healthy fats too- think nuts and nut butters, avacados and oils such as coconut, olive, flax seed and grape seed. It's ok to have a 40/30/30 split of carbohydrates/protein/fats. And, if you want to know with some certainty, track it using one of the many free and easy tracking apps or websites. We like MyFitnessPal.

You're ready! Get out there. Adapt to what's availble. Use some creativity. Try some new recipes, and enjoy your food.

Want a personalized nutrition plan? Book an appointment with an e3 nutrition coach!