Why is the right nutrition so important?

• Get results faster with minimal effort – lose fat and/or gain lean muscle mass
• Improve recovery after exercise – minimize muscle soreness, increase energy levels & minimize fatigue

9 Guidelines to Live By…

1) Manage your calories

The Golden Rule for For weight loss:

The most important factor is to burn more calories than you consume on a daily basis. To lose just 1 lb of fat per week, you need to burn an extra ~3,500 calories per week (or 500 calories per day). An average person burns ~ 300-500 calories per hour of moderate-intense exercise, so you can understand why getting 45-60 mins of vigorous exercise at least 4-6 times per week should be the goal.

2) Eat meals with the right balance of protein, carbs & fat equally throughout the day

What does this translate to for you? Here’s a rough guide of protein and carb requirements by body weight:

3) Make sure you are getting your minimum protein requirement

Make sure you get your daily requirement of quality lean protein of 0.5 to 0.8g per pound of body weight per day. Good sources include fish, chicken/turkey, grass fed lean red meat, legumes, egg whites, soy bean or tofu, and low fat Greek yogurt/cottage cheese.

4) Make sure you are consuming the right carbohydrates

All calories are not created equal. Pick good quality carbs when you eat that are high in dietary fiber and generally low in Glycemic Index (GI), i.e. <55 on the GI scale, especially if you might be diabetic, prone to diabetes, or are eating late in the day well after your workout. Good sources of fiber include beans, whole grains, nuts, seeds, berries, fresh corn, and cruciferous vegetables. If your goal is to lose fat, avoid soda, rice, bread, white potato, and processed sugar/flour products.

5) Eat fats that give something back

Some fat is essential for cellular repair, proper brain function, blood sugar regulation, and vitamin transport and absorption. In particular, you need adequate Omega3, e.g. those found in nuts, seeds, fish/fish oil, olive oil, and avocado. You need at least 1-3g/day of EPA/DHA which is found in Omega3. Avoid saturated fats, trans fats and excessive Omega6 fatty acids (e.g. animal fats, full-fat dairy foods, and hydrogenated fat-based margarine, shortening, and fast foods).

6) Eat moderate sized meals throughout the day (but stop at least 2-3 hours before going to bed)

Ideally within 60 minutes of waking, within 45 minutes of exercise, and generally every 3-4 hours within your calorie target (i.e. 5-6 smaller meals per day is better than 2-3 bigger meals).

In general, don’t skip meals! It could actually cause you to gain fat. When you do not eat for prolonged periods of time, your body may go into “starvation mode” and your metabolism slows to conserve energy (thereby burning fewer calories than normal). When you do finally eat, you might also have a tendency to overeat or consume bad carbs and your body tries to store more calories as fat during this starvation mode. 4

A great way to start your day would be with a Greek Yogurt Smoothie.

7) Stay Hydrated

Drink plenty of water or other non-caloric beverage as much as possible – avoid soda (even diet soda) if possible. You need at least 0.5-1 fl oz per pound of body weight per day.

• Drink an extra 2 cups of water per 1 hour of exercise. For intense exercises sessions, consider using a low calorie fluid with electrolytes (e.g. Natural Coconut Water, Vitamin Zero, etc.)
• For fat loss, drink an extra cup of water for every 25 pounds you carry above your ideal weight.

8) Eat a rainbow often (i.e. lots of fruit and vegetables)

…but preferably low GI fruit and vegetables (e.g. apples or berries instead of melons, and carrots or yams instead of potatoes.)

9) Make sure you take a good quality multivitamin supplement.

Vitamin deficiencies or excesses might be the cause of a number of undesirable effects including metabolic disorders, fatigue, irritability, depression, allergies, skin conditions, and so on. For details on specific additional supplements to take or avoid, check with your doctor or dietitian (e.g. your blood panel may indicate the need for additional specific supplements like calcium, Vitamin D, etc.)