Nutrition Made Simple
When we consume food we are ‘informing’ the different chemicals, hormones and processes in our body what to do:
Do this . Don’t do that . Lift that . Run this fast . Sleep now .Wake up now
Freak out now . Relax now . Eat more . Eat less . Grow . Don’t grow
and so on…
Our responsibility, becomes giving our body the right information, at the right time, for the right job.
Especially, for busy, working adults, it’s critical that we are sending information that promotes energy throughout the day.
In the same way we manage our work, scheduling and lifestyle, we need to apply this concept to our eating.
So we need to ask the question …
What information are you giving your body?
Are you sending information to your body that prioritizes recovery, energy and health for the rest of your life?
Or, are you sending junk information that makes you lethargic, sleepy and doesn’t promote adequate health and vitality?
Calories
From a body composition perspective, our ratio of calories (energy in) to movement (energy out) is the main determinant in either fat loss or muscle gain.
The term calorie deficit refers to consuming less calories than is needed to sustain your current weight.
The term calorie surplus refers to consuming more calories than is needed to sustain your current weight.
What To Eat
In order to send the right information to our bodies, we want to consume a diet that is full of real food.
As a general rule, you want to consume food that is as minimally processed as possible.
This means that we should be getting our energy (macronutrients) from unprocessed foods and dishes that are also rich in micronutrients.
For busy, working adults it is very important to ensure you are nourishing yourself with nutrient dense food.
Non-Nutrient Dense Food
Make sure to allow yourself freedom in your food selection. if low nutrient food is all you have access to at a given time, then enjoy it and move on.
This article is not saying “don’t” eat certain foods, it’s simply providing examples of the most nutritious way to eat throughout the week, if you are a Busy adult.
if your circumstances don’t give you access to high nutrient based food at a given time, then that is perfectly okay. just do your best.
If take-away is all you have access to for lunch then enjoy it and use the healthy plate formula for the following meals.
Try and limit processed foods directly before sleep, as they can limit recovery and disrupt sleep.
Summary
These principles include:
– Eating real, unprocessed food
– Prioritizing protein at every meal
– Eating your protein needs in grams
– Critically evaluating which nutrients are in the food you consume
– Planning and purposefully constructing a diet that fills you with adequate energy and nutrients
I hope you have found this guidebook useful and that it has helped you in your performance journey.
If you are in need of more accountability to reach you goals, click the link below to schedule a Free Intro and chat with a coach today!
-James
Nutrition Made Simple
