A Simple, Healthy Diet in 3 Easy Steps
Nutrition is arguably the source of the most confusion when it comes to your health & fitness.
Ask a vegetarian and meat will be the most unhealthy food and eating it will give you cancer yesterday.
Ask a paleo devotee and meat is the holy grail and eating a dusting of flour or grain of rice will leave you in the hospital crippled.
Ask a bodybuilder and you will find you must get rid of all fat and Arnold will sentence you to a life of egg whites and chicken breast.
Ask a low carb fanatic and they will inform you that a banana is the devil, but you can have all the bacon and butter your heart desires!
What is a non dietary cult member who wants to be healthy and vibrant to do!?
Like anything else, moderation and simplicity are key. Can it be as simple as eating whole foods in the proper portions 80-90% of the time?
Yes.
Yes, it can.
Don't worry about extremes. We believe the healthiest diet lies somewhere between what everyone argues about.
1. What to eat?
The healthiest diet is mainly plant based. Lots of veggies, moderate amounts of fruit, along with root veggies and rice to fuel and recover from activity. Once you have your fruits and veggies covered add a moderate amount of animal protein to round things out.
You will get "healthy fats" your body needs for proper hormone functioning from your high quality protein foods. Eat free range eggs, grass fed beef, wild caught seafood, and use some coconut oil to cook with.
Don't feel like you do not have options either, some great choices are:
Grass fed beef ( ground, sirloin, round, NY Strip, Filet, Flank)
Eggs
Chicken ( breast or thighs)
Turkey (breast or thighs)
Pork Tenderloin
Fish (Salmon, Tuna, Cod, Sardines, etc)
Protein Powder
Carbohydrates are not the enemy when you have an active lifestyle. Just don't get fooled into all the marketing and hype around packaged crap. Stick to real food sources like fruit, potatoes and rice.
Vegetables ( broccolli, cauliflower, spinach, kale, etc.)
Sweet potatoes
White, red, gold potatoes
Citrus fruit
Tropical fruit
Berries
Apples
Rice ( jasmine, basmati, sushi)
Don't feel like you have to eat boring food either. Get creative and try different recipes. Some great things to season your food with are these non calorie condiments:
salsa
salt & pepper
garlic & onion powder
soy sauce
hot sauce
coconut aminos
mustard
herbs & spices
lemon juice
2. How much to eat?
The amount of food you eat is largely dependent on your body weight, muscle to fat ratio, and activity levels.
A basic daily template that then can be tweaked depending on the above factors is:
Lean protein (beef, chicken, turkey, fish, eggs, protein powder)- 4-5 servings a day
Veggies ( broccoli, cauliflower, spinach, cucumbers, zucchini, etc.)- unlimited servings a day
Fruit (oranges, berries, grapefruit, apples, pineapple, etc.)- 2 servings a day
These foods will provide you with all the essential amino acids, fatty acids, vitamins & minerals your body needs.
Add in starchy carbs based on your activity level and body composition. These will range anywhere from 1 to 6 servings a day.
3. When To Eat
Ignore all the complicated meal frequency and timing rules and eat 3 meals a day. If you must snack then save your fruit servings for an in-between meal snack.
Simple.
The great thing about this approach is you are not eliminating any one nutrient completely. This helps limit cravings and helps keep hunger at bay.
Eat healthy 80-90% of the time and don't feel guilty for treating your self to high reward foods from time to time.
In fact, we strongly believe it is unhealthy to eat "clean" all the time.
Eat.
The.
Ice Cream.
Or cookies, or pizza, or whatever it is you love and enjoy the most!
Want help with your nutrition and a plan that will put you on track to your weight loss goals and provide abundant energy?
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