My nutrition guide included 8 parts. Before I jump into them I have the subject establish their body type. There are always exceptions however the three main body types are: Ectomorph, mesmomorph and endomorph. This is important because each body type flourishes best under certain conditions. It is also important to remember that there is no “one size fits all” method for eating healthy, different things work for different people.* For example an endomorph has a lower metabolic capability therefore develop the best under higher fat and lower carbohydrate diets. This part of the process is extremely important because it helps the subject visualize a goal and a game plan to reach that goal. Recipes that I have provided like the hummus and whole-wheat pita with veggies would not be effective for an endomorph because the high amount of carbohydrates. Meanwhile an ectomorph would benefit from this post workout snack because their body type can burn carbohydrates more efficiently.
The first “guideline” is perhaps the most important because it makes the nutrition plan “yours.” I recommended that all my subjects choose two foods that they can always eat. These foods would ordinarily be deemed “cheat foods” or foods with little nutritional value. People chose foods such as fried chicken, ice cream and bacon (these were the most popular). As much as I wanted to say “avoid these high fat oily non nutrition foods, all the research and data I collected suggested otherwise. Before I explain you need to understand the two premises that diets derive from. Some diets tell you to eat a bunch of one type of food. Other diets tell you to completely cut out one type or grouping of food. For example the “Atkins diet” has you eliminate all carbohydrates. Well my nutrition guide is not a diet; in fact it’s just the opposite. By allowing my subjects to give themselves the satisfaction of their favorite two foods when they are given an opportunity keeps them happy and on track. When a cheat day or meal is incorporated into an eating plan you are less likely to binge eat junk food. Knowing that there is a dedicated time to eating unhealthy food settles the mind and will relieve the stress of knowing you’re on a strict diet. This is good because one of the main reasons people cheat in the first place is because of the stress of the diet they were on in the first place that probably told them they could never eat sugar again. Basically, the more you take something away the more you will crave it: A cheat meal is a reward*. A few kids I interviewed actually mentioned that their motivation for getting into the gym is knowing that afterwards they will be able to enjoy a small treat and big meal guilt free.
The second is related to vegetable intake constantly throughout the day. If you have a doctor or a mother you’ll know that you need to eat 5 vegetables a day and 5 fruits a day. But what you probably don’t know is why. Vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that are body needs to function properly, without them we can get sick or develop fatal bodily illnesses. Vegetables are filled with nutrients such as potassium, dietary fiber, folic acids, vitamin A and vitamin C. Consuming vegetables rich in potassium such as sweet potatoes, beans, tomato products, beet greens, lima beans, spinach and lentils can help stabilize blood pressure reducing the risk of having a heart attack. Foods like split peas, lima beans, artichokes, broccoli, brussels sprouts and avocado are all high in fiber. Dietary fiber does a number of helpful deeds for our body including: lower blood cholesterol levels, aids in the breakdown and management of sugar, and even helps us feel full so we do not over eat. * Fiber is also important because it helps us take regular bowel movements, which is a sign of good health*(insert signs of good health website). Folic acid can be found in dark green and leafy vegetables such as spinach. This is an important mineral to consume because it aids the synthesis of DNA, which controls cell function and heredity. It is especially important for pregnant women to prevent cervical cancer, if you were at all interested. And finally vitamin A helps keep your skin and eyes healthy by protecting against infections. Meanwhile vitamin C helps cuts and wounds heal and your gums healthy.
The third, fourth and fifth guidelines relate to out of the house eating (where most tend eat unhealthy). The third guideline advises that you get a buddy, a partner in crime. And stick with them especially when dinning out. This became the number one tip for achieving a healthier lifestyle in my big six because it was so popular with my subjects. It’s important to have a friend that keeps you in check and mildly competitive. When you are out with friends and everyone is eating crap agree with your partner “I won’t cheat if you won’t” The biggest reason we eat crap food is because its all around us and everyone eats it, having someone in the same boat as you helps infinite amounts. A study done at UMASS Dartmouth showed that subjects who had friends trying to loose weight with them lost more weight than those tackling the challenge alone. I needed to make these guides adaptable to the average persons lifestyle, and to do this I needed to face some unfortunate truths. People eat fast food. Fast food is convenient and cheap, and for a teenager who neglects health it’s perfect. The second part of guideline three provides the healthiest tactic if you absolutely must eat fast food. I recommend just ordering a burger and avoiding the fried stuff. Additionally savor every bite of that burger and never look back. Fried foods are submerged in fatty oily grease that will impede your cholesterol and blood sugar. French fries especially that are high in carbohydrates and starch will cause your blood sugar to shoot up. Your much better off eating a burger to at least get some nutritional benefit from the meat and hopefully the vegetables that are on it. The guilt free tactic is not a joke. It’s very important that a cheat meal does not beat your mind. An article in clean health.com discusses the psychological component of cheating on your meal plan. Thinking positively about a cheat meal and not stressing about it can actually restore some vitality and speed up your metabolism. Although the mysterys of the placebo effect have yet to be fully understood, you can apply this mechanism to your cheat meals. Use the placebo effect to your advantage and don’t fret over a cheat meal. If you get stressed you blood pressure goes up and you will release cortisol. A well know contributor to stomach fat (note I said contributor, cortisol is not the only thing that causes weight gain, it has simply been proven in the past to aid weight gain). So you see, avoid the fries and savor that burger! On the subject of cheat meals, a restaurant dessert menu is a common reason people give in to temptation. If you know you have eaten well that week, spoil yourself and order a dessert however if your on the edge follow my instructions. Hopefully the people at your table will all be wiling to split the largest dessert served, this is the healthiest and quite frankly most economical option. If this is the case and the table orders one or two desserts simply try a bite. What happens next is the most crucial part of this scenario. Unless it is absolutely incredible and from another universe “out of this world” amazing…it’s not worth the empty calories. The reality is that that first bite will taste just as good as the second, third, fourth and so on. Try your one piece and savor it. This principal can be applied at dinner parties when the tray of brownies comes out. Remember, what you eat in private you wear in public.
The fourth guideline is a simply manual. Learning to read a nutrition label can make all the difference when you don’t know which trail mix to buy at that gas station food mart. Many people make the mistake of just looking at the nutrition facts and claiming that because its low in calories it must be ok. This is why we’re fucked. The calories don’t matter: what makes up those calories does. For example your much better off consuming 400 calories of whole grains and veggies as apposed to 100 calories of a chocolate bar. Why? Because your body can put those 400 calories to good use in order to rebuild muscle fibers or fight a brewing cold. The 100 calories of oil and fat (if not burned soon) will simply be slopped on to your body as excess weight. Many people don’t know this but the order that the ingredients are in is based on the quantity of that item in the product. For example if the first ingredient is sugar, or a word you can’t pronounce, it probably does not belong in your body! The guide proceeds to highlight some “danger words” that are on nutrition labels which you should steer clear from. Some of these words include: High Fructose corn syrup ,Dye [Color, #], Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, Corn syrup, Monosodium Glutamate, Xanthan Gum. The other aspect of this tip is about not getting fooled. Companies often try and dress up the labels on their food products with “healthy” words in order to entice a consumer into thinking it’s the healthier better option. For example you may see “no trans fat” on a label. Although it may say this on the front, don’t hesitate to look at the nutritional facts. The FDA (food and drug administration) made it a law that if the product holds more than .5 grams of trans-fat per serving the company is required to indicate this somewhere on the label. What companies now do is toy with the serving size by making it smaller in order to reduce the amount of trans-fat per serving to sub .5 grams. Now, candy bars and other unhealthy products with trans-fat in them may say “no trans fat” on the package. So keep an eye out for that. The other major ploy companies use to dress up their products and make them look healthier is the name disguise. The most common example is “yeast extract.” This term is used instead of writing MSG (monosodium glutamate) and sodium nitrate, two ingredients that have been proven to cause cancer.* I really didn’t want to scare my subjects; I simply needed them to understand that products are not always what they seem.
In the book: Total Body Transformation Steven ilg (a well known health coach and fitness expert) proclaims that over eating is the one of the unhealthiest things you can do to your body. He explains that after a meal your stomach should be one third filled with food, one-third water and one third empty. Guideline 5 is precisely this: watch your portions. Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day is a much healthier option than two or three meals where you gorge your face. This eating strategy will help you maintain constant blood sugar levels (good for weight loss) and prevent crashes. Eating this way will make you feel more alert and energetic throughout the day as apposed to extreme highs and lows. Your metabolism will be continually running strong as well. By eating infrequently your metabolism stops for extended periods of time and this can cause it to slow down leading to weight gain. When I visited Barcelona, Spain last summer I noted how much smaller their portions were and how often the locals we stayed with ate. I also noticed the lack of obese people. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Most of the feedback I received from my subjects about this guideline was about how hard it was to limit their portion sizes. I feel that this is because we as Americans are so used to having portions that are way to big. Here’s my advice for cutting down your portion sizes: Drink more water, separate the need from the want and recognize satisfaction. Often times we think we are hungry when really we are thirsty. Why go choke down an entire meal when all you needed was a glass of water to satisfy you. Drinking water frequently also will take up space in your stomach, reducing your appetite and in turn help you eat better portions. Just like shopping it’s important to recognize what you need to eat and what you want to eat. Of course I want to eat the whole chicken and an entire potato salad however my nutritional requirement only calls for a chicken wing and one serving of the salad. Eat to meat long-term goals not short-term satisfaction. It is important to recognize when you have eaten enough so you can push away the plate in front of you and not over indulge. A trick I have developed is once I feel satisfied and still want to eat for no reason I fill up the rest of the space with water. Not only will this suppress the desire to eat more, but it will also aid the digestion process.*
Another common excuse I hear in regards to not being able to eat healthy is not having enough time to prepare a meal after hitting the gym. Guideline number 6 is about pre made food that nutritious and easy to prepare. Coming home from the gym starving to no food ready in the kitchen could lead to a poor decision like finishing an entire bag of potato chips. To avoid this simply prepare meals that can be microwave easily before you go and workout. I took the liberty of researching some easy muscle meals.
Guidelines seven and eight are individualized guidelines that people with different goals can follow. Guideline number seven is geared towards those trying to put on weight and gain mass. Meanwhile eight is for those looking to shred away some fat and cut down. A key point I made for putting on mass to consume a handful of almonds cashews and pistachios before you hit the hay every night. These nuts contain casein protein that thickens in your intestine and throughout the night release nutrients to your muscles. This will help you prevent muscular catabolism if you are to go hungry. For loosing weight my biggest advice was not to completely stop eating carbs, simply cut down on them. I recommended not going lower than 50 carbohydrates a day. This is against the “no-no diet” principles and avoiding the “yo-yo” effect. This effect occurs when you deprive your body from carbs for one day so your metabolism slows and when you crack and indulge, you will put more weight on
The first “guideline” is perhaps the most important because it makes the nutrition plan “yours.” I recommended that all my subjects choose two foods that they can always eat. These foods would ordinarily be deemed “cheat foods” or foods with little nutritional value. People chose foods such as fried chicken, ice cream and bacon (these were the most popular). As much as I wanted to say “avoid these high fat oily non nutrition foods, all the research and data I collected suggested otherwise. Before I explain you need to understand the two premises that diets derive from. Some diets tell you to eat a bunch of one type of food. Other diets tell you to completely cut out one type or grouping of food. For example the “Atkins diet” has you eliminate all carbohydrates. Well my nutrition guide is not a diet; in fact it’s just the opposite. By allowing my subjects to give themselves the satisfaction of their favorite two foods when they are given an opportunity keeps them happy and on track. When a cheat day or meal is incorporated into an eating plan you are less likely to binge eat junk food. Knowing that there is a dedicated time to eating unhealthy food settles the mind and will relieve the stress of knowing you’re on a strict diet. This is good because one of the main reasons people cheat in the first place is because of the stress of the diet they were on in the first place that probably told them they could never eat sugar again. Basically, the more you take something away the more you will crave it: A cheat meal is a reward*. A few kids I interviewed actually mentioned that their motivation for getting into the gym is knowing that afterwards they will be able to enjoy a small treat and big meal guilt free.
The second is related to vegetable intake constantly throughout the day. If you have a doctor or a mother you’ll know that you need to eat 5 vegetables a day and 5 fruits a day. But what you probably don’t know is why. Vegetables contain vitamins and minerals that are body needs to function properly, without them we can get sick or develop fatal bodily illnesses. Vegetables are filled with nutrients such as potassium, dietary fiber, folic acids, vitamin A and vitamin C. Consuming vegetables rich in potassium such as sweet potatoes, beans, tomato products, beet greens, lima beans, spinach and lentils can help stabilize blood pressure reducing the risk of having a heart attack. Foods like split peas, lima beans, artichokes, broccoli, brussels sprouts and avocado are all high in fiber. Dietary fiber does a number of helpful deeds for our body including: lower blood cholesterol levels, aids in the breakdown and management of sugar, and even helps us feel full so we do not over eat. * Fiber is also important because it helps us take regular bowel movements, which is a sign of good health*(insert signs of good health website). Folic acid can be found in dark green and leafy vegetables such as spinach. This is an important mineral to consume because it aids the synthesis of DNA, which controls cell function and heredity. It is especially important for pregnant women to prevent cervical cancer, if you were at all interested. And finally vitamin A helps keep your skin and eyes healthy by protecting against infections. Meanwhile vitamin C helps cuts and wounds heal and your gums healthy.
The third, fourth and fifth guidelines relate to out of the house eating (where most tend eat unhealthy). The third guideline advises that you get a buddy, a partner in crime. And stick with them especially when dinning out. This became the number one tip for achieving a healthier lifestyle in my big six because it was so popular with my subjects. It’s important to have a friend that keeps you in check and mildly competitive. When you are out with friends and everyone is eating crap agree with your partner “I won’t cheat if you won’t” The biggest reason we eat crap food is because its all around us and everyone eats it, having someone in the same boat as you helps infinite amounts. A study done at UMASS Dartmouth showed that subjects who had friends trying to loose weight with them lost more weight than those tackling the challenge alone. I needed to make these guides adaptable to the average persons lifestyle, and to do this I needed to face some unfortunate truths. People eat fast food. Fast food is convenient and cheap, and for a teenager who neglects health it’s perfect. The second part of guideline three provides the healthiest tactic if you absolutely must eat fast food. I recommend just ordering a burger and avoiding the fried stuff. Additionally savor every bite of that burger and never look back. Fried foods are submerged in fatty oily grease that will impede your cholesterol and blood sugar. French fries especially that are high in carbohydrates and starch will cause your blood sugar to shoot up. Your much better off eating a burger to at least get some nutritional benefit from the meat and hopefully the vegetables that are on it. The guilt free tactic is not a joke. It’s very important that a cheat meal does not beat your mind. An article in clean health.com discusses the psychological component of cheating on your meal plan. Thinking positively about a cheat meal and not stressing about it can actually restore some vitality and speed up your metabolism. Although the mysterys of the placebo effect have yet to be fully understood, you can apply this mechanism to your cheat meals. Use the placebo effect to your advantage and don’t fret over a cheat meal. If you get stressed you blood pressure goes up and you will release cortisol. A well know contributor to stomach fat (note I said contributor, cortisol is not the only thing that causes weight gain, it has simply been proven in the past to aid weight gain). So you see, avoid the fries and savor that burger! On the subject of cheat meals, a restaurant dessert menu is a common reason people give in to temptation. If you know you have eaten well that week, spoil yourself and order a dessert however if your on the edge follow my instructions. Hopefully the people at your table will all be wiling to split the largest dessert served, this is the healthiest and quite frankly most economical option. If this is the case and the table orders one or two desserts simply try a bite. What happens next is the most crucial part of this scenario. Unless it is absolutely incredible and from another universe “out of this world” amazing…it’s not worth the empty calories. The reality is that that first bite will taste just as good as the second, third, fourth and so on. Try your one piece and savor it. This principal can be applied at dinner parties when the tray of brownies comes out. Remember, what you eat in private you wear in public.
The fourth guideline is a simply manual. Learning to read a nutrition label can make all the difference when you don’t know which trail mix to buy at that gas station food mart. Many people make the mistake of just looking at the nutrition facts and claiming that because its low in calories it must be ok. This is why we’re fucked. The calories don’t matter: what makes up those calories does. For example your much better off consuming 400 calories of whole grains and veggies as apposed to 100 calories of a chocolate bar. Why? Because your body can put those 400 calories to good use in order to rebuild muscle fibers or fight a brewing cold. The 100 calories of oil and fat (if not burned soon) will simply be slopped on to your body as excess weight. Many people don’t know this but the order that the ingredients are in is based on the quantity of that item in the product. For example if the first ingredient is sugar, or a word you can’t pronounce, it probably does not belong in your body! The guide proceeds to highlight some “danger words” that are on nutrition labels which you should steer clear from. Some of these words include: High Fructose corn syrup ,Dye [Color, #], Partially hydrogenated soybean oil, Corn syrup, Monosodium Glutamate, Xanthan Gum. The other aspect of this tip is about not getting fooled. Companies often try and dress up the labels on their food products with “healthy” words in order to entice a consumer into thinking it’s the healthier better option. For example you may see “no trans fat” on a label. Although it may say this on the front, don’t hesitate to look at the nutritional facts. The FDA (food and drug administration) made it a law that if the product holds more than .5 grams of trans-fat per serving the company is required to indicate this somewhere on the label. What companies now do is toy with the serving size by making it smaller in order to reduce the amount of trans-fat per serving to sub .5 grams. Now, candy bars and other unhealthy products with trans-fat in them may say “no trans fat” on the package. So keep an eye out for that. The other major ploy companies use to dress up their products and make them look healthier is the name disguise. The most common example is “yeast extract.” This term is used instead of writing MSG (monosodium glutamate) and sodium nitrate, two ingredients that have been proven to cause cancer.* I really didn’t want to scare my subjects; I simply needed them to understand that products are not always what they seem.
In the book: Total Body Transformation Steven ilg (a well known health coach and fitness expert) proclaims that over eating is the one of the unhealthiest things you can do to your body. He explains that after a meal your stomach should be one third filled with food, one-third water and one third empty. Guideline 5 is precisely this: watch your portions. Eating smaller meals more frequently throughout the day is a much healthier option than two or three meals where you gorge your face. This eating strategy will help you maintain constant blood sugar levels (good for weight loss) and prevent crashes. Eating this way will make you feel more alert and energetic throughout the day as apposed to extreme highs and lows. Your metabolism will be continually running strong as well. By eating infrequently your metabolism stops for extended periods of time and this can cause it to slow down leading to weight gain. When I visited Barcelona, Spain last summer I noted how much smaller their portions were and how often the locals we stayed with ate. I also noticed the lack of obese people. Coincidence? I don’t think so. Most of the feedback I received from my subjects about this guideline was about how hard it was to limit their portion sizes. I feel that this is because we as Americans are so used to having portions that are way to big. Here’s my advice for cutting down your portion sizes: Drink more water, separate the need from the want and recognize satisfaction. Often times we think we are hungry when really we are thirsty. Why go choke down an entire meal when all you needed was a glass of water to satisfy you. Drinking water frequently also will take up space in your stomach, reducing your appetite and in turn help you eat better portions. Just like shopping it’s important to recognize what you need to eat and what you want to eat. Of course I want to eat the whole chicken and an entire potato salad however my nutritional requirement only calls for a chicken wing and one serving of the salad. Eat to meat long-term goals not short-term satisfaction. It is important to recognize when you have eaten enough so you can push away the plate in front of you and not over indulge. A trick I have developed is once I feel satisfied and still want to eat for no reason I fill up the rest of the space with water. Not only will this suppress the desire to eat more, but it will also aid the digestion process.*
Another common excuse I hear in regards to not being able to eat healthy is not having enough time to prepare a meal after hitting the gym. Guideline number 6 is about pre made food that nutritious and easy to prepare. Coming home from the gym starving to no food ready in the kitchen could lead to a poor decision like finishing an entire bag of potato chips. To avoid this simply prepare meals that can be microwave easily before you go and workout. I took the liberty of researching some easy muscle meals.
Guidelines seven and eight are individualized guidelines that people with different goals can follow. Guideline number seven is geared towards those trying to put on weight and gain mass. Meanwhile eight is for those looking to shred away some fat and cut down. A key point I made for putting on mass to consume a handful of almonds cashews and pistachios before you hit the hay every night. These nuts contain casein protein that thickens in your intestine and throughout the night release nutrients to your muscles. This will help you prevent muscular catabolism if you are to go hungry. For loosing weight my biggest advice was not to completely stop eating carbs, simply cut down on them. I recommended not going lower than 50 carbohydrates a day. This is against the “no-no diet” principles and avoiding the “yo-yo” effect. This effect occurs when you deprive your body from carbs for one day so your metabolism slows and when you crack and indulge, you will put more weight on
To view nutrition guide view "programs" tab