Easy Nutrition
This is a great time to open the conversation about nutrition. The New Year is off and running. Some people have started accomplishing their resolutions and goals while others never set them and are continuing on their paths of awesomeness. Things are pretty good so far this year. But the motivation of the new year can also open the door to ideas and images that might not be in line with what we really want. And yes I mean diets. Peoples success stories and ideas of what makes them feel amazing is going to change from person to person. I love these conversations, as long as I don’t get too heated. Diets are a hot topic and probably always will be. And I’ve got my own opinions and believe it or not, I try my hardest to not to be too biased.
Where do we even start? Every diet, every success story, they all follow a different narrative, a different model. And once you open yourself up to asking questions, you are more likely to be bombarded with sales pitches than information. The quick fixes, the eliminations, the processed packaged foods. Diets seem to be behind every smiling face on our Facebook feed. So instead of listing out all that is wrong. I want to put this on the table Nutrition - Solid, Patient, Feel Good, Live Life, nutrition.
The difference, from my perspective, is a diet is short term and short lived. You will probably get results but the sacrifices you give are likely not going to lead you down a path to long term outcomes. The restrictions and constraints will limit most of what you eat and when you eat. Now nutrition, from my viewpoint, is a lifestyle. It will shape the way you use food for both enjoyment and fuel. The results you gain may take time and they are not guaranteed to be in the weight on the scale. They might show up in how your clothes fit, how you feel about yourself, your sleep quality, strength gains and also your stress levels. Nutrition can adapt and change for your social situations and your lifestyle changes.
There are three main components of nutrition; protein, carbohydrates and fat. All three are important for our bodies to function. The simplest way to explain it, and by no means a full rounded view of these macronutrients: Protein = building and maintaining muscle. Carbohydrates = Energy. Fat = brain function. Now to restate, that is only a small piece of what each of these nutrients does for us. It is just my way of keeping it simple and giving people a good way to see food as positive additives to our bodies.
Every meal should have each of these macronutrients. For my athletes, I suggest getting 20 grams of protein at every meal, or four times a day. This is a starting point for more advanced athletes and a goal for newer athletes. Carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation, but they are undeserving and a main source of energy for all my athletes. The difference is less in the type of food and more in the quantity of carbohydrates eaten. Make sure you know what a serving size is and keep your portions to one serving at every meal. Fat does not make you fat, so enjoy your fat and just like carbohydrates know what a serving size is a stick with one or two servings at every meal, be careful with cheese, fatty meats, and other ways fat can sneak into other foods.
Each meal, each plate, should have your protein, your carbohydrates, and then a ton of vegetables. Every meal should have at least 2 servings of veggies. That might seem like a lot, but when you think about all the vitamins and minerals you get, it doesn’t seem like enough. They are great for healthier hair, stronger nails, less acne, better digestion. They help keep us regular and sometimes they make us a little gassy. Fruits are equally as good and should be eaten daily. They carry many vitamins and minerals that keep our immune systems strong and our bodies able to recover. I suggest 1-2 servings a day for maximum benefits.
That is a pretty well rounded, food based guide to nutrition. The last component is the liquids we drink. I suggest at least 70 ounces of water every day. Water is best drank earlier in the day, as those late night glasses of water can keep the bladder needing to empty during our much needed of rest. Water helps clean out our organs and helps our bodies digest and utilize all the foods we are enjoying. Herbal tea is a great hydrater but coffee is not. Coffee has a little bit of a diuretic effect, which makes us pee more than we use. I love my coffee and enjoy my cup or two or three, just know that it is not part of your hydration game. Alcohol is also a topic of discussion and here is my quick tangent. Alcohol has calories, even when it isn’t mixed with anything. Some drinks can have upwards of 500 plus calories and some can have as little as 90 calories. But it’s not just the calories in the beverage, alcohol can hinder our motivation to make eat better and soon the plate of nachos sounds like a great idea for an appetizer to the bacon cheese burger we weren’t planning on eating. My advice, eat before you drink and keep your intake to a place that keeps you in control. But that’s probably good advice regardless of nutrition.
There you have it. My quick and dirty view of nutrition. Eat real food, enjoy your meals. If you have a shitty day and eat horribly, get right back on track the next meal or the next day. One bad day will not ruin all your progress. Look at food as something to power your inner athlete and make you as strong and bad ass as you are. And remember, progress can be slow. Making small changes isn’t going to give over night results. It may take weeks or months to start seeing the changes that you were hoping and expecting to see. But you are giving your body the fuel it needs and still enjoying life while you do it.
Where do we even start? Every diet, every success story, they all follow a different narrative, a different model. And once you open yourself up to asking questions, you are more likely to be bombarded with sales pitches than information. The quick fixes, the eliminations, the processed packaged foods. Diets seem to be behind every smiling face on our Facebook feed. So instead of listing out all that is wrong. I want to put this on the table Nutrition - Solid, Patient, Feel Good, Live Life, nutrition.
The difference, from my perspective, is a diet is short term and short lived. You will probably get results but the sacrifices you give are likely not going to lead you down a path to long term outcomes. The restrictions and constraints will limit most of what you eat and when you eat. Now nutrition, from my viewpoint, is a lifestyle. It will shape the way you use food for both enjoyment and fuel. The results you gain may take time and they are not guaranteed to be in the weight on the scale. They might show up in how your clothes fit, how you feel about yourself, your sleep quality, strength gains and also your stress levels. Nutrition can adapt and change for your social situations and your lifestyle changes.
There are three main components of nutrition; protein, carbohydrates and fat. All three are important for our bodies to function. The simplest way to explain it, and by no means a full rounded view of these macronutrients: Protein = building and maintaining muscle. Carbohydrates = Energy. Fat = brain function. Now to restate, that is only a small piece of what each of these nutrients does for us. It is just my way of keeping it simple and giving people a good way to see food as positive additives to our bodies.
Every meal should have each of these macronutrients. For my athletes, I suggest getting 20 grams of protein at every meal, or four times a day. This is a starting point for more advanced athletes and a goal for newer athletes. Carbohydrates have gotten a bad reputation, but they are undeserving and a main source of energy for all my athletes. The difference is less in the type of food and more in the quantity of carbohydrates eaten. Make sure you know what a serving size is and keep your portions to one serving at every meal. Fat does not make you fat, so enjoy your fat and just like carbohydrates know what a serving size is a stick with one or two servings at every meal, be careful with cheese, fatty meats, and other ways fat can sneak into other foods.
Each meal, each plate, should have your protein, your carbohydrates, and then a ton of vegetables. Every meal should have at least 2 servings of veggies. That might seem like a lot, but when you think about all the vitamins and minerals you get, it doesn’t seem like enough. They are great for healthier hair, stronger nails, less acne, better digestion. They help keep us regular and sometimes they make us a little gassy. Fruits are equally as good and should be eaten daily. They carry many vitamins and minerals that keep our immune systems strong and our bodies able to recover. I suggest 1-2 servings a day for maximum benefits.
That is a pretty well rounded, food based guide to nutrition. The last component is the liquids we drink. I suggest at least 70 ounces of water every day. Water is best drank earlier in the day, as those late night glasses of water can keep the bladder needing to empty during our much needed of rest. Water helps clean out our organs and helps our bodies digest and utilize all the foods we are enjoying. Herbal tea is a great hydrater but coffee is not. Coffee has a little bit of a diuretic effect, which makes us pee more than we use. I love my coffee and enjoy my cup or two or three, just know that it is not part of your hydration game. Alcohol is also a topic of discussion and here is my quick tangent. Alcohol has calories, even when it isn’t mixed with anything. Some drinks can have upwards of 500 plus calories and some can have as little as 90 calories. But it’s not just the calories in the beverage, alcohol can hinder our motivation to make eat better and soon the plate of nachos sounds like a great idea for an appetizer to the bacon cheese burger we weren’t planning on eating. My advice, eat before you drink and keep your intake to a place that keeps you in control. But that’s probably good advice regardless of nutrition.
There you have it. My quick and dirty view of nutrition. Eat real food, enjoy your meals. If you have a shitty day and eat horribly, get right back on track the next meal or the next day. One bad day will not ruin all your progress. Look at food as something to power your inner athlete and make you as strong and bad ass as you are. And remember, progress can be slow. Making small changes isn’t going to give over night results. It may take weeks or months to start seeing the changes that you were hoping and expecting to see. But you are giving your body the fuel it needs and still enjoying life while you do it.