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This is the section where I get to stand on my soapbox and help you with your nutrition. Probably, just like you, when I grew up no one taught me how to fuel my body properly. I didn't know about the three macronutrients (fats, carbohydrates and proteins) and what each one did for my body. No problem, let's learn how to eat and understand nutrition. Let me warn you, it's not easy to change the bad eating habits that we have succumbed to for years. The good news is that the more you eat properly, the more you will discover how wonderful proper eating can be and how young you can feel.
In writing this section I wondered what type of people would be reading this. Would it be a fellow bodybuilder looking for correct nutritional advice for building muscle mass? Or would it be one of my friends looking to clean up their diet and lose their spare tire once and for all? Although both have different goals, they have many similarities. I decided to focus on these commonalities and add a side note at the end for those of you who are more interested in nutrition for building muscle. That being said, clean eating is for everyone, so let's start there.
First, let me tell you, I eat clean. It's how I stay lean and feel so youthful. Unless you are one of those rare genetically gifted people or a growing teenager with a metabolism like the energizer bunny eating clean is a must if you want to be lean and energetic. Eating clean means you generally stay away from all processed foods. Foods that are processed have lost many of the essential nutrients your body needs. There is also much added sodium and unhealthy fats, along with a multitude of chemicals. Another problem with eating processed foods, is you will remain hungry and will continue to eat to satisfy your hunger. This is a cause of weight gain and lack of energy.
Take a look at the ingredients label of any processed food - the chemicals and additives alone should make it obvious that this is not the way our bodies were meant to eat. Instead, you need to increase your consumption of natural, whole, unprocessed foods which will help your body meet its nutritional needs without extra calories from the junk added in processed foods. I think eating veggies (some specific vegetables need to be organic), fruits, eggs, raw nuts, free-range chicken and meats is the correct way to feed our bodies. Pizza and hamburgers washed down with Coke and fruit punch were not around a thousand years ago, and neither were the cancerous, degenerative diseases that the modern American diet brings to us. So, if it wasn't around a thousand years ago, I'm not eating it. I eat clean.
Secondly, eat five or six meals a day. This will keep your body's metabolism up and burning fat. Metabolism is the rate at which your body converts fuel (the food you eat) into energy. It's important to understand your metabolism. With a higher metabolism, your body will work more efficiently. You'll have more energy, feel younger, and you will lose weight naturally as your body burns fat cells. When you're overweight, your metabolism slows down. Muscle cells burn more calories (food) than fat cells. Fat cells need only one-eighth the amount of fuel that muscle cells require. You burn approximately forty additional calories a day for every pound of muscle that you can add to your body. Let me give you an example, if you add 10 pounds of muscle on your body, you will burn an additional 400 calories a day doing nothing different. Your body composition will be learner, toner, and unbelievably more energetic. I feel better now than when I was 18! Small, frequent, clean meals at regular intervals keep your metabolism burning throughout the day and even while you're sleeping.
Eating regularly not only feeds the body so it can burn fat but also keeps you from getting hungry and then binging. It also supplies your muscles the constant supply of nutrients needed to get bigger. It also prevents the body from going into starvation mode which is the body's way of protecting itself. In starvation mode your body will slow the metabolism down so much it will store everything that you eat as fat on your body. For my friends who only eat 2 meals a day and wonder why they put on a few inches, that is your answer.
To recap:
5 – 6 smaller, cleaner meals throughout the day . Each meal should contain some good protein and carbohydrates and good fats. That does not mean 5 – 6 giant food frenzies all-you-can-eat meals. When you overeat, even if the calories are coming from good food sources, you will store the calories as fat! For body builders, you will be eating substantially more protein with every meal and maybe as often as 7 times a day. For everyone else, I recommend at least 5 meals a day. This will keep your metabolism high.
Breakfast is the most important . I start every day with a high quality protein meal which also contains a good amount of complex carbs (oatmeal, for example, which contains good fiber, and releases energy slowly) and some Essential fatty acids. (See my “food suggestion“ section for a list of good fats as well as good carbs and proteins).
Avoid High Glycemic Carbohydrates . High glycemic carbohydrates (e.g., white rice, white potatoes, bread, white pasta, candy, soda, pastries, fruit juice and most processed foods) are converted to glucose too quickly. This spikes insulin levels (a hormone that allows cells to uptake glucose) and causes the excess calories to be easily stored as fat. Eating low glycemic carbohydrates will provide many benefits, such as reducing the risk of heart attacks, decrease stored body fat, and reducing the risk of cells becoming insulin resistant (type II diabetes). Low glycemic carbs are broken down gradually to help maintain an even blood-sugar level. Consume moderate amounts of low glycemic carbohydrates throughout the day. Once again, see my “food suggestions “section for a list.
Everyone needs protein primarily to repair and replace worn-out or dead cells and tissue that undergo constant breakdown from day-to-day living. Every cell needs protein to maintain its life. Our body is made of protein and the building blocks of protein are amino acids. When protein is eaten your digestive processes break it down into amino acids which pass into the blood and are carried throughout the body. Your cells then select the amino acids they need for the construction of new body tissue, antibodies, hormones, enzymes, and blood cells.
The type of protein you need to eat to do this work is a complete protein. Complete proteins that contain the eight essential amino acids come from meat, poultry, fish, eggs and dairy products. I know this can be hard to understand all at once, but the bottom line is that it is a must to eat quality proteins throughout the day to have a youthful body.
Don't be afraid of good fats! First of all, there are great differences in different kinds of fats. Healthy fats are essential to life. The fat you find in fish and vegetables, some raw nuts, avocados, and olive oil are examples of good fats! If your intake of these fats is too low, it will - among many other bad things - decrease your ability to burn fat! The body will start saving stored body fat instead of using it as energy. Furthermore, fat is necessary for many important functions in the body. It is also good for healthy-looking hair, skin, heart healthy, and healthy hormone production.
Animal fat, however, is something you should consume with great moderation. Not only does it have the potential to be stored as body fat, but it also contains so called bad cholesterol, which increases the risk of heart attack and cardiac diseases. Of course, meat, even pork chops, if you cut off the excessive fat around, can be eaten occasionally. Stuff like sausages and bacon should be avoided. Save them for your free meal if you must have these foods. Let me explain what I mean by free meal. A free meal is a “cheat” meal that you can have to reward yourself for all your hard work
you have done during the week. (Sunday night I have my one free meal with anything I want… did someone say cake!)
Speaking of cake, let me say that the body needs all kinds of nutritional elements - carbohydrates, proteins and good fats. But there is one thing the body doesn't need - SUGAR! Of course there is no great harm in eating a little sugar every once in a while. But if you are a great consumer of sugar, things like candy, sweets, sodas, juices, and pastries, you need to cut this out NOW.
Good healthy food habits start in the grocery store. What you have at home is what you eat. So it really is very simple: only buy good stuff! Start a new, good habit and always read the ingredients/nutritional labels. Learning to read labels is a must! You will be amazed at the really bad stuff many of the foods you eat contain (like trans fat and hydrogenated oils). Buy a lot of protein rich groceries, such as quality eggs, meat, chicken, fish, and maybe a small amount of dairy products, such as low-fat cottage cheese or yogurt. I personally stay clear of dairy products and I am a believer that most adults should do the same. However, for young adolescents this can be an exception; dairy for them can have more benefits than detriments.
Eating right is not that difficult, it just takes a bit of planning. Preparing your meals in advance allows you to weigh and measure your foods. Pack what you are consuming and avoid processed, high sugar, high fat foods that derail many good diets and the best intentions.
I try to learn tricks that make it easier for me to eat well. I hard-boil 3 dozen eggs once a week; they will last in the refrigerator for easy use. I bought a small refrigerator for my office to keep healthy foods easily available. I cook foods such as chicken, certain rice's, whole grain pastas, etc. ahead of time and put them in a Tupperware container and reheat in the microwave at my office. If I am going for a longer than normal car drive, I pack healthy snack foods like apples, pears, and raw nuts. A protein bar can be considered a meal in a pinch. I keep some in my glove box in case of emergencies. Sometimes I mix a protein shake and take it with me in a thermos or shaker bottle. I'll make sandwiches such as tuna, or chicken and bring them along wherever I go.
Using a food log helps remove uncertainties and allows you to objectively monitor how your body is reacting to a diet. A food log will also help you stay on track since many people often underestimate the effect of the small snacks, candies, and other items that pop into the diet each day. It will be a definitive way to identify potential deficiencies (in protein) or excesses (such as in fat or calories). Another benefit is accountability: the act of writing down what you eat seems to make people eat less. If you have to write it down, you will think twice about that second helping. See my “sample food log” to see what one should look like. You can print out a blank one for yourself under my “blank food log” section.
Here are a few more tips and the important recaps to help improve your diet.
• Remember to drink lots of water . Water cleans your body and removes a lot of bad stuff. It is good for the kidneys, has a positive affect on the fat burning process, etc. Very few people drink enough water. Many mistake dehydration as hunger and eat instead. I know you have heard this a dozen times, but I swear it is the truth - The next time you are hungry, drink some water first and see if it the hunger subsides. You also need water for those intense workout sessions. It's almost impossible to drink too much. Always bring a bottle to the gym. Keep a bottle on your desk at school or at work and in your car (away from direct sunlight).
• Do not think you are going to just “taste” something. Many times I will say to myself, "I'll just try a tiny piece of this cake…” then I wind up eating the entire thing. Once you taste something that is bad for you, you just want more of it. Trust me on this. Stay away from tasting foods you know you're not supposed to eat. Keep them out of the house.
• Cut sugar from your diet. This does not mean all sugar, but most sugar. Sodas and fruit juices do NOT have any fat whatsoever, but they are loaded with sugar. They will store as fat on your body just as easily as a candy bar.
• Do cardio. Keep cardio sessions from 30 to 40 minutes. Move your body. As we age we do not want to move as much, and eventually, we cannot move. I find I have more energy if I do cardio on days I do not lift.
• Limit high glycemic carbs. I stopped eating breads and processed cereals. This has cut flab from my lower stomach and love handles. Also limit your carbs before bed.
• Cut saturated fats from your diet. Saturated fats are very hard for your body to digest and are usually stored as fat because of this. Remember, cheese has a lot of saturated fat; I do not indulge in cheese, ever! You still need essential fatty acids. These can be found in flax seed, avocados, fish, raw nuts, and olive oil amongst others.
• Take a multi-vitamin.
• Alcohol is poison: Alcohol use increases the risks of liver damage, mouth, throat, esophagus and larynx cancer and heart disease. Don't drink.
• Strive to get 8 hours of sleep each night.
Side note to Bodybuilders
People involved in consistent, intense exercise require more protein intake and fibrous carbohydrates. Getting enough protein from your food is often a problem when you are working out. Make it a rule to always have something with good high protein in each meal. Quality proteins are something that had eyes or something that came from something that had eyes. For example eggs, chicken, beef, turkey, fish, or whey protein shakes. Protein is what the muscles are built of. Getting too much protein is hardly any risk at all. Eating fibrous carbohydrates with your protein meals will also increase the protein assimilation. Recommended daily protein intake when you are working out and trying to build is 1 - 2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight. This would mean a lot of pure meat or chicken every day!! This is the reason why buying a whey protein powder could be a good idea. It may seem expensive, but nothing compared to what it would cost if you were to get all your protein purely from meat or chicken.
Eat plenty of carbohydrates such as brown rice, yams, whole-wheat pasta, dark whole wheat bread, oatmeal, fruit, vegetables; Supplements should not normally replace real food, but should be taken in addition to real food. For example if you ate the typical 3 meals a day and then had a protein shake in between each meal this would be a great way to “supplement” your diet with extra protein. Increasing these items will help ward off hunger between meals, but also fuel muscle growth and will NOT spike your insulin levels (which can be detrimental to building lean muscle mass).
EAT BEFORE AND AFTER TRAINING!
Eating before training is necessary to get the energy and strength needed to do your workout. Be sure to eat something immediately after training as well. If you let too much time pass before you eat after your workout, your body will fall into a catabolic state. The body will be breaking down muscles instead of building them! A good idea is to at least bring a protein bar, or protein powder along with a piece of fruit to the gym and take as soon as your training is done. Then you can have a real meal when you get home. Preferably never more than one hour after your workout.
The best choice before training is slow complex carbs. After training, fast carbs can be a real benefit. To simplify this, I can say that eating slow carbs before training provides you with more sustained energy you are going to need for your workout. After a workout, fast carbs, like fruit or yogurt is a great addition to your protein. It will trigger insulin and push those amino acids derived from the protein right into your muscles.
Eat protein before bed. I usually have a protein shake before bed. This is important because you cannot eat while you sleep. This is when I prefer protein powder made from casine; this protein takes longer to digest than other proteins. Therefore, your body uses it longer while you are sleeping.
Year round, my diet is very similar. If I am looking to put on a little more mass during the winter months, I probably will increase my caloric intake by about 300 calories a day. This is an example of one day:
I eat one cheat meal on Sunday Night, NO LIMITS (which is my demon) of whatever foods I want (and for those who know me, CAKE !!) . .