Ok, so what I’m about to tell you could quite possibly change your life forever. If you’re already training with Studioz, you will know that, from Day 1, I really impress on you how critical your nutrition is in meeting your ultimate goal. I break through all the “crap” and give you practical suggestions to revolutionise your eating plan once and for all.
I talk to clients, almost on a daily basis, that really struggle with their eating plans. They’re confused about what to eat, they don’t understand the importance of the nutritional label on food products, they eat irregular meals or skip meals, only eat two or three meals per day, don’t drink enough water, eat too much junk food and they just don’t know what to eat anymore.
Then throw into the mix the various types of diet plans out there such as Jenny Craig, Weight Watchers and even Tony Fergusson’s meal replacement shakes. You may lose a little weight, but then it all goes back on when you stop. Why? Usually because you haven’t learnt how to prepare your meals yourself or learn what is healthy and what is not. You don’t know how to combine your protein, fats and carbohydrates or know the importance of timing your meals throughout the day.
So let’s get to it – what’s the secret to eating healthy?
Eat five to six meals a day
For people struggling with their weight, this one can be difficult to understand. Very often I hear people say, ”but I only eat once or twice a day and I still put on weight”, and “why can’t I just stop eating, won’t that work?” Your body’s metabolism is altered by the number of meals you eat per day. For instance, just by taking the number of calories you eat per day across, say, three meals and then dividing those same number of calories into five or six meals (about three hours apart), this simple act will increase your metabolic rate and burn more calories than if you ate fewer meals.
Eat smaller meals
If you’re going to eat more often, then you need to eat smaller meals. You’ve probably heard it referred to as “grazing” throughout the day. This means eating smaller balanced meals more often, as opposed to larger meals less frequently.
Eat well-balanced meals
Each meal needs to have a good balance of protein, carbohydrate and fat to ensure your body remains energised for the entire day.
Eat clean and natural foods
Ok, so this one tip here is gold ,but is really just common sense. The more manufactured something is, the less goodness your body will get out of it. You want to stick to lean cuts of meat, whole grains, plenty of fruits and vegetables and lots of clean fresh water. You don’t need to over-complicate it – just stick to this simple formula. Always go with low-fat alternatives and don’t cover your meats or vegetables with lots of condiments, use in moderation or replace with natural herbs and dressings.
Have a rest day
This is a really important rule that I have lived by for the past 15+ years. I think it’s critical to have a rest, or cheat, day once per week. This means you have a day of the week that you can eat pretty much whatever it is you feel like eating. Then the next day, you get right back on track. It’s important because you still get to eat those foods you may be struggling to avoid, but also prevents regular binge eating of bad food choices. This really does work, but still requires discipline.
Don’t dismiss the use of supplements
You may think that, if you eat as well as I’ve outlined, then why do you need to take any kinds of supplements? Eating well goes a large way to meeting your needs, but nutritional supplements should be thought of as being similar to ‘health insurance’ that provides a wide range of nutritional support for most normally healthy individuals. Refer to this supplement article.