" You can't out-train a bad diet"
The fact that people are realising this is like music to my ears! I love food and I finally feel like I have a healthy relationship with it. I am no longer on a diet and eating healthy food has now become second nature to me.
I like to think of myself as a clean eating coach. I am not a dietician. I am not a nutritionist. But I know what works to get people lean, fit, healthy and happy. I know what foods people need to eat, in what quantities and at what times of the day. I know what people need to consume to help them reach their goals.
So here are my top six rules that I live by...
Rule No. 1 :: I will eat protein with each and every meal
Every minute of every day, even when you sleep, your body is breaking down and building protein. Building muscle doesn't just come from lifting weights at the gym. Eating protein triggers muscle growth and every time you eat 10-15grams of protein you trigger what is called protein synthesis.
A good guide on how much protein to eat per day should be based on your weight . For every 1kg you weigh you should consume 2grams of protein. Bare in mind that 100grams of meat isn't 100grams of protein. As a rough guide 100grams of meat is made up of approximately 20grams of protein. So if you weigh 60kgs you should consume 120 grams of protein per day which would work out to be 600 grams of meat a day. You should be eating five small meals per day so each of those meals should contain 120 grams of meat.
Rule No. 2 :: I will eat a breakfast fit for a champion
If I asked you what the world's worst breakfast was what would you say? The answer to this questions is...no breakfast at all!
When you wake in the morning your body is fuel-deprived. You haven't eaten for say nine hours, your insulin levels have dropped, your protein stores are empty and your muscles are desperate for nutrition. Skipping breakfast will result in the slowing of your metabolism, the starving of your muscles and you will inevitably eat far more later in the day.
The best breakfast to have is one with a good source of protein (egg whites), low GI carbohydrates (oats) and healthy fats (egg yolk).
Rule No. 3 :: Food & Exercise - eat before and after
When you eat protein before and after weight training you blunt the effects of Cortisol which is the stress hormone that tells our body's to store fat. By eating before and after training, not only will you body burn more fat during your session, it will continue to burn fat for up to 24 hours after you've finished.
You will also have more energy and reduce muscle soreness as eating before and after your work-out can inhibit muscle breakdown and reduce inflammation. Your body will break down muscle during and after your session to use for fuel and it will re-build these muscles with the food you consume.
Try to eat a good snack containing both protein and carbs about 30 minutes before your work-out and then a protein rich meal immediately after you finish.
Rule No. 4 :: Eat from the land
If it grows on, or is a plant, then eat it!! And eat it a lot!! Our body needs nutrient rich food and there is no better way of consuming this than by eating fruit and vegetables....with every meal!!
Fruit, veg and nuts are also packed full of Omega-3 which helps improve protein metabolism which means more of the delicious protein you are eating is synthesised in your muscles.
Ensure you are eating a good serving of fruit and veg at each meal and try to eat them first as the fibre content will lower the glycaemic load of the rest of your meal. This will eliminate the swings in blood sugar that leads to hunger strikes!
Rule No. 5 :: I will love salad
Salads are packed full of nutrients that promote fat loss! Folate which is a B-vitamin found in leafy greens is the best way to determine how healthy your diet is. Folate deficiency is linked to an increased risk of stroke, heart disease, Alzheimer's, cancer and depression. The best way to consume folate is as part of a salad...think kale and silverbeet. You probably wouldn't eat a bowl of these on their own but mix them with other salady goodness and there is a huge amount of Folate that your body will love.
Try making your own dressing from balsamic vinegar and safflower oil. This oil is high in linoleic acid which prevents your body from storing fat.
Other great sources of Folate include broccoli, brussel sprouts, lentils, beans, peas so try to include a good portion of Folate rich food in to each meal.
Rule No. 6 :: 90/10 rule
If you make good, healthy choices 90% of the time you will be lean, fit and healthy. This is my guarantee! Train hard, eat well and you are allowed to enjoy the finer things in life!
{the world's best pizza...Hugos chocolate pizza}
I hope these tips help in someway. If you would be interested in sitting down for a chat about nutrition please do drop me an email here.
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