GET RIGHT FOR SUMMER
Nutrition Guide
(v. 1, 16APR09)
“Meat and veggies, seed and nuts, some fruit, little startch, no sugar.
Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.”
Nutrition is NOT about numbers or types of the three macronutrients (Carbohydrates aka CHO, Protein aka PRO, Fat). It is about the hormonal response they put the body through. This is important for those who want to eat for performance, those who want to gain weight, and especially for those who want to lose weight.
When you ingest CHO the body breaks it down into glucose (aka sugar)- the body produces the hormone insulin which tells the body and its cells to store energy in. Too much storage becomes extra fat on your body. You know what “The Itis” or “Food Coma” is? That's the body getting fat. Stop doing that if you want to be healthy. It's not hot and you're not going to slim down or shape up.
When you ingest PRO the body breaks it down and produces the hormone glucagon. Glucagon tells the body and its cells to release energy. This is a good thing. Most people need to get more protein in. For you number people you should have half of your body weight in pounds in grams of protein. (ie. John weights 180lbs. He should have 90g of protein thoughout the day.).
Here's a great way to remind yourself how you eat (other than the quote at the very top): Look at your hand. You have 5 fingers: eat 5 times a day. This means three meals and two snacks. Or four small meals and one snack. Or five meals. Imagine your fingers dissapear. Memorize the size of your palm. This is generally the same size of protein you should have per meal. (My hand is about 4-5 oz, so I try to eat that much PRO per meal). Look at the inside of your hand. Do you have calluses? If not, you don't work hard enough. Get some.
So you've put down your protein for you meal. How do you finish it out? If you're using a normal 8-10” plate, fill the rest out (if you want) with vegetables and/or fruit. You can even have a little bit of CHO if you choose to (you had better just worked out!). Finish it off with some sort of FAT content to help keep you satiated.
When looking at products, read the label. If you're a calorie counter, cool. But it's not important to everyone. QUALITY over QUANTITY. Read the nutritional data. In order of importance, read Carbohydrate content (stay low), Protein content (get high), Sugar content (stay really low) and finally Fat content (stay relatively low). Read the ingredients. The less, the better. The more REAL foods, the better. High fructose corn syrup? Don't eat it. Sugar content per serving should be less than 20 grams. Why is America the most obese country in the world? Because we depend on the startches that are marketed towards us and most don't know any better. YOU do now. Did you know that the original food pyramid was funded by the grain companies? Where do you usually find the food pyramid posted? Cereals, breads, fucking “health” bars. They want you to keep buying their products. Foods that rot are good. Watch this: http://foundationfitness.blogspot.com/2009/01/these-french-fries-dont-die.html
Remember: mother nature is on no one's payroll.
WARNING: Truth is ahead. You've been warned!
If you're “too busy” to watch what you're eating or prepare the proper foods for yourself, your priorities are fucked up. Don't expect to see any results because you want to keep your comfort foods. You know what's comforting about eating well? YOU DON'T HAVE TO WORRY ABOUT YOUR FUTURE HEALTH! Family history of diabetes? High blood pressure? High cholesterol? Heart attacks? I promise that with proper diet and exercise, these won't have to be a factor into your future. On a smaller scale, you won't be sick as much and you'll have more energy during the day. Who likes being energetic naturally? Who likes sleeping well and having a great day because you just feel good? I do. You should too.
The following is a list of foods to buy and eat. There are millions of different meal options you can come up with, and it's only six weeks. If you absolutely can't stick with anything after those six weeks, go back to the way you normally eat. I applaud your willingness to try, but I am so sorry that it didn't work out for you. I'll guarantee that if you eat more like that quote all the way at the top and become/stay active that you will have true health.
You can deal with it, I'm sure. On with the goodness!
MEAT
beef (Grass-fed if possible)
chicken (breasts, wings, thighs)
pork (chops, tenderloin)
turkey
eggs (my personal #1)
ground meats (beef, turkey)
sausage (italian, beef, chicken, pork)
fish
deli meats (fresh, roasted stuff, packaged)
VEGGIES
Obviously there are plenty of options, but here are my favorites:
asparagus
bell peppers
celery
cucumber
garlic
onion
spaghetti squash
spinach
sugar snap pea
sweet potato/yam (great for post-workout)
radish
romaine lettuce
tomato
SEED & NUTS – again, plenty of options. Go raw, the less processed, the better.
almond
brazil nuts
cashew
flax seed
macadamia
pecan
pine
pistachio
pumpkin seed
sunflower seed
walnut
peanuts
*peanuts are not nuts. They are legumes so they're starches! Stay away!
FRUIT
apple
avacado
banana
berries (acai, black, blue, boysen, currant, goose, ligon, rasp, straw, )
coconut
cherry
grape
grapefruit
kiwi
lemon
lime
melon
orange
peach
pineapple (and other tropical fruits)
pomegranate
pumpkin
STARTCH
quinoa
Irish steel-cut oatmeal
spelt
potato, sweet potato
corn tortilla
FATS/OTHER
yogurt (greek-style, plain)
fish oil supplements (fish oil in the warmer months, cod fish oil in the colder months)
avacado
butter (butter > margarine)
olive oil
nut butters (almond, peanut, cashew)
salsa
tomato sauces
cheese (cheddar, feta, provalone, swiss)
coconut oil
ice cream (go natural, like Bryers Vanilla)
STAY-AWAYS!/IFFY – high glycemic loads produce a high insulin response!
carrots, corn, bananas (good for post-workouts)
the majority of all startches: pasta, bread, cereals, “meal” bars, chips, crackers, etc.
SORRY! But if you want to have more energy and let your bodies systems run better so you can lose weight, build muscle, climb a tree, get right for summer, etc. then you have to cut down on these.
Anything that says “healthy” is probably not.
Expect future info on snacks, eating out, “fast food” options, dialing in exactly on how to lose weight, gain weight or eating for performance.
Monday, April 20, 2009
Monday, March 02, 2009
Friday, January 09, 2009
Mark Rippetoe on NPR
Original article here (courtesy CrossFit mainsite)
What Would Rob Do to Lose 10 Pounds in 2009?
What Would Rob Do to Lose 10 Pounds in 2009?
Up until my mid 20's, I was one of those lucky guys who could down a milkshake, burger, and fries and then laugh about how fast my metabolism could burn it away. I never quite made it to the Michael Phelps 10,000 calories a day plan, but I didn't really have to think too hard about staying in shape.
The pinnacle of my athletic experience came in 2003 when I ran the Rock and Roll Marathon in San Diego, California. Since then, it's been a slow slide down a few notches on my belt. It's not that I don't want to exercise; I just have a lot going on with my new daddy duties which makes it hard to figure out when to fit it in. Thankfully, my new pudge is nothing too alarming at this point. I haven't had to make any wardrobe changes yet, but I'd like to start this new year by trying to get into some better habits so I can hopefully reverse the trend.
Fortunately, my older brother, who is very into fitness and weight training, was able to point me in the right direction. He said the best person to talk to about getting in shape is Mark Rippetoe. Rippetoe has literally changed my brother's life. Big bro wound up canceling all of his muscle magazine subscriptions once he read about Rippetoe's training philosophy. I figure anyone that can do that is worth a call. Click above to hear my conversation with Rippetoe.
In my podcast next week I'll be talking over Rippetoe's tips with NPR's David Kestenbaum, but in the meantime if you have a comment on anything he said in the interview, feel free to post.
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