1)   Eat 25% Less  Every Meal

2)   H2O – Keep Hydrated

3)   Eat Breakfast

4)   Calories Distribution- Eat For the Next 3 Hrs.

5)   Eat 5-6 Times / Day

6)   Evening Cut Off

7)   Healthy Food Choices

8)   Supplement Your Diet

Healthy  Eating  Guidelines

1)    Eat 25% Less Every Meal
Weight loss is only achieved by eating less calories than one is expending everyday, ideally utilizing stored fat!

Counting calories is difficult and proportion dependent, making the process less than exact and somewhat frustrating.

Changing your behavioral eating habits is difficult and will take effort, knowledge and practice.

Eating smaller proportions at every meal while changing little else will result in less calories consumed

If one’s weight is constant, this would equate to a calorie balance.

2)    H20 – Keep Hydrated
Best Reason to keep hydrated

Greater cellular metabolic efficiency

Body Temperature Regulation

Efficient O2 and nutrient transit to brain and muscle

Increased energy via glucose to cellular glycogen conversion

Water makes up 70-75% of your total body weight.

Blood is 90% water

Dehydration - - unfavorable physical state

greater clotting potential (lungs / brain / circulatory system)

more concentrated, thicker, slower moving blood

reduced O2 and nutrient delivery to brain and muscle

reduced metabolic waste (pyruvic / lactic acid) conversion / removal

reduction in recovery from workouts,

reduced body temperature regulation

reduced digestive system efficiency

reduced joint lubrication

reduction in fat based fueling of muscles à liver body fat metabolism

reduction in energy storage (glycogen) within cell

When lacking adequate H20, the body stores blood glucose as fat in liver
reduced physical performance with even the earliest dehydrated state.

When you become thirsty, your body is already in an early dehydrated state.

Hydrate 20-30 minutes prior to an athletic event, and during the event if its duration is greater than 20 minutes.

Water will help satiate you hunger.

3)  Eat Breakfast
"Break the Fast”:  

While sleeping, your body’s metabolic rate slows dramatically and goes into a temporary fasting state. The best way to break this fast is to eat food when you awake in the morning. The food in your stomach fires up one’s base metabolic rate back to normal and thus, more calories are burned, sooner!

4)  Calories Distribution- Eat for the next 3 Hours
Manage your macro-nutrient intake (carbohydrates, proteins, fats). With each snack or meal, consider what your activity will be for the next 3 hours and eat the appropriate macro-nutrient mix to provide your body with the best possible fuel.  The average macro-nutrient ratio for a normal individual is approximately 40/30/30, however, this ratio should be adjusted to one’s predominate daily activity.

5)     Eat 5-6 Times / Day
If you regularly skip a meal and deprive your body of the nutrition it craves, your system will think it is going to be without the nutritional sustenance it needs and will enter into a famine state.  This state will preserve calories (especially fat) at all costs for the use of your fundament, life critical systems (internal organ function) later on. Depriving yourself of food only confuses your system, significantly slowing your metabolic rate and its ability to burn calories, which is not the optimal way to lose weight.  By eating enough calories to get one through to the next meal, the need to store fat is greatly reduced and fat will be mobilized as an energy source.

Generally, eating fruits and vegetables as snacks works well as these foodstuffs satiate well and are nutritionally sound.  If you covet sweets (i.e. chocolate) treat yourself to some as a reward for an accomplishment, manage the craving and break the everyday sugar habit.

6)     Evening Cut Off (for weight loss)
Eat no food 2-3 hours prior to going to bed. It is ok to feel slightly hungry as you retire for the evening. If you have an empty feeling, drink some water!  When you awake in the morning your hungry will remind you to eat some breakfast.

7)    Healthy Food Choices
Consider the choices and choose for health and satiety (fullness).

Consider: eating an apple (orange, pear, etc.) as a snack as it tastes great, is more filling than most junk food, has no fat and likely less calories, is a great source of low glycemic carbs (which won’t spike blood sugar level causing an insulin release) and is loaded with fiber to aid in digestion Awesome choice!

8)     Supplement Your Diet
Multi-Vitamins are a must, usually best when taken twice a day (morning & night).  Antioxidants are also a good idea (mid day).   Vitamins and minerals support the metabolic, endocrine and most hormonal functions.  Other supplements can be included into one’s diet to help attain individual objectives.

Key Nutritional Facts

Macro Nutrients = Carbohydrates, Proteins, Fats

Fat
An essential macro nutrient

The most highly concentrated source of energy with each gram having 9 calories, making it a excellent secondary source of energy during exercise

Fat acts as the storage area for consumed excess calories (all types)

Important in maintaining healthy skin, hair, and tissue resilency.

Provides essential fatty acids (those not manufactured by the body), aiding in many bodily functions, including:  regulation of BP and the utilization of fat soluble vitamins (A, D, E & K).

Help regulate cholesterol in the blood.

Unsaturated = Usually originate from plant sources:  olive, peanut and avocado oils (monounsaturated) and corn, sesame and safflower oils (polyunsaturated).

Every gram of stored body fat is composed of 3500 calories

Saturated (generally unhealthy) = animal sources (meat, milk, butter), palm & coconut oil

Cholesterol
Is manufactured by the body to assist in cell membrane and nerve fiber construction.  Also helps build some hormones.  Animal products are a high source of consumed cholesterol.

Is linked with fats in one’s diet.

High Density Lipoproteins (HDL):  Known as the “Good” cholesterol because it attaches to excess cholesterol deposits and take them to the liver for re-manufacturing or excretion. 

Low Density Lipoproteins (LDL) is needed for cell building, however, excess often attach to artery walls creating a plaque buildup and sometimes a blockage (atherosclerosis) of the artery thus is often referred to as the “Bad” cholesterol. 

Carbohydrates:
Immediate source of energy: 

Pre and Post Workout

Complex & Low Glycemic Carbs preferred at they are less likely to create a high blood sugar condition and insulin release

Your brain and muscles look first for carbohydrates for energy as this macro-nutrient is quickly and easily broken down to blood glucose making it readily available for the body to utilize. 

Proteins:
The body’s building blocks

Muscle - Every gram of skeletal body muscle is built with 2500 calories.

1 lb. of Fat = 3500 calories.  To lose one pound of fat, one needs to burn 3500 calories more than you eat. 

1 lb. of muscle 2500 calories.  To gain one pound of muscle, one needs to eat an excess of 2500 calories.

Fiber:  Insoluble and Soluble
There are two forms of fiber. Both types of fiber help maintain your health. You can find both types of fiber in a variety of foods.

Insoluble fiber provides bulk to stool and found in whole grains, such as brown rice, whole-wheat bread, and whole-grain cereals.

Soluble fiber slows glucose absorption in the bloodstream and can help lower cholesterol levels, thus protecting the heart.  It is found in oatmeal, beans, and certain fruits