Okay folks, here it is! The obligatory New Year’s blog post about what YOU need to do to finally make the changes you want. For this entry I will be focusing on diet. I am on my own quest to finally have my dietary plan in good working order so I thought it appropriate to review the details here. What I am going to share with you is the TRUTH … the science and facts behind what I am writing are there. If you apply these things – you will see the changes you want! As we all know – it is about discipline and motivation, but using this information will help you make the changes you need. I am going to try and be as simple as possible because I think diet information often gets super convoluted. And since it is 2010 I thought it appropriate to also give you a list of 10! So without further adieu:
1. You must eat breakfast and it must be a combination of protein and carbohydrates. Ideally the amounts would be equal. Eggs, turkey sausage, protein powder in your pancakes/waffles (like I do) are just a few ideas. Watch your sugar intake with regards to juices, fruits, and other sugar in breakfast products … which leads me to …
2. Understand the glycemic index. If you eat too much sugar at one setting or eat foods that are highly processed carbohydrates (cereal would be an example) then your insulin will shoot out of your pancreas to “act” on that sugar to regulate it. Sugar and processed foods digest quickly so before the insulin has time to “act” on it, the food is digested. This leaves a lot of insulin floating in your blood with nothing to do. And so it stores itself as fat. Insulin is really good at that. Which is where you get that whole type-2 diabetic thing. (I may not have been all scientifically articulate here – but this is the gist)
3. Eat at least 5 small meals a day – sometimes even six. Small means no bigger than your hand. And at least your palm should be protein in most meals!
4. Base your diet around protein. Lean beef (don’t be afraid), Bison (again, don’t be afraid), chicken, tuna, salmon, eggs, and even nuts and beans are all protein sources. Shoot for more protein than anything else. It keeps you full and keeps your muscles “full”! Every cell in your body is protein. Protein is made of amino acids that help make your muscles. Muscle mass burns fat! Protein will help slow digestion of carbs when ingested together. Protein! Protein! Protein!
5. Try to limit your starchy and processed carbs to early in the day. If you must have anything like pasta or cereal – do it before 1 or 2. A whole grain bread on a sandwich might be okay if you stop there. Remember your portions!
6. Green is your friend! Broccoli, green leafy things, asparagus, etc. These are the best veggies to eat and you can eat all you want without hardly any consequence. But be careful what you dress them up with – or they quickly are negated! Best time to eat these is ALWAYS – but nighttime is a good time to put these in place of other carbs. Fyi – I hate this one and really have a hard time with it!
7. Don’t freak out about all fat. Some fat is good and essential. Fats in fish and nuts are great. A little olive oil is cool. Too much animal fat and things like butter … that is where you get into trouble.
8. IF you lift weights (which you should do at least 3 times a week) – an exception to the “quickly digesting carbohydrate avoidance rule” comes into play. After you have thoroughly worked your muscles – they can benefit from a moderate does of “sugar”. But you must combine this with a protein. This is where a meal replacement shake comes in real handy.
9. Try and get in the habit of consuming at least 1 meal replacement or protein shake a day. This can sometimes be a meal replacement bar. Again, good amount of protein … not too much sugar (less than 15 grams) and moderate fat in your post workout meal.
10. We (as a general population) don’t get enough protein, enough veggies, enough minerals, or enough water. Supplement. Invest in a good quality multi-vitamin (I really like liquid multivitamins), drink at least 8 to glasses of water a day, and focus on eating more protein than you are used to.
That’s it. Nothing earth shattering. If anything, it is a reminder for all of us. Hopefully this is simple and not too wordy. Of course feel free to contact me do discuss this further if you have any thoughts/questions. Print it out and put it somewhere as a reminder of what you need to focus on every day if that helps.
As always,
Thanks for reading,
Andy
