Understanding is often acted out before it can be articulated
#1) Use a subtractive approach to food & drink
#2) Eat smaller portions.
#3) Stay consistent.
Simple right! As the the industry goes there isn’t a lot of money in simple.
#1)The subtractive approach: We know a lot more what is bad to eat than was is good. Our knowledge grows by subtraction much more than by addition. Instead of agonizing about a particular food that you’re not quite sure is healthy just eliminate the foods that you know to be unhealthy.
General list of food, For Example: Dorito’s, Donuts, Sweet potato, Maple syrup flavored frozen waffles, Stevia, white rice, Cereal, Oatmeal(steel cut oats), Soda, Banana, Cheese burger (fast-food), Eggs, Soybean oil, Olive oil, steak.
If you had to group this list into two categories representing foods you are pretty sure are unhealthy and foods that seem “OK”. The list might look something like this:
Unhealthy foods: Dorito’s, Donuts, Maple syrup flavored waffles, Soda, Cheese Burger, Cereal and Soybean oil.
Foods you’re not sure about but might be OK: Sweet potato, Stevia, steak, White rice, Oatmeal(Steel cut oats), banana, Eggs, and Olive oil,.
You have to take away the central threat, the elephant in the room. The foods you know are doing you harm. Foods that are highly processed, High in sugar, and have hydrogenated oils to start with. I’m sure you could make an argument about some of the foods on the OK list but that’s not the point. You are trying to eliminate the obvious choice and than let portion control take care of the rest.
The intent is not to complicate but rather to simplify the approach and in doing so will help to avoid the weeds of confusion.
Choosing foods that have shown fitness over time for example: olive oil, rice, eggs, fruit and many more have been eaten for thousands of years. When it comes to the ingredient list Less-is-more.
#2) Smaller portions : The general recommendation for calories for an adult man 2,500(range from 2,000-3000) and woman 2,000(1,600-2,400). This range depends on the Day, Age, and Physical activity level. Counting calories and tracking Macronutrients( Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats) over a day can be very informative and helpful in creating a plan forward. As we look at losing weight or being the healthiest version of yourself the over arching theme will be to eat less. Often the easiest way to avoid feeling bloated or having digestive distress is to eat a smaller portion.
Its often hard approaching people on this topic because there are so many built in beliefs that have been perpetuated by the supplement and food industries. Remember the goal is to be healthy as we age with a focus on general fitness and functional movement patterns. Despite our genetic differences humans should be relatively lean, cardiovascularly healthy, and able to perform functional physical tasks. This does not require 2grams of protein per pound of bodyweight, milk to strengthen bones, or any other supplement that is deemed required to be your best. The Less-is-more mantra can be a guide in our culture of excess. 2 to 3 meals a day eaten close to a Time Restricted Window of 8 hours is a good place to start.
My rule of thumb for meal portion size is that you should be able to be active not long after you eat. If the meal size leaves you very full and unable to do anything physical you have probably over eaten. The general break down of Macronutrient ratios can be distributed in ranges 40-60% from carbs, 20-35% from fat, and 15-35% from protein. Of course there is a lot of variation to these numbers depending on what you’re doing each day. A good place to start would be eating just enough carbohydrates to sustain your activity level while the remaining calories from protein and fat will help with sustaining muscle and satiety.
No matter the combination, food comes down to what I enjoy eating and how I perform. My carbohydrate intake is directly proportional to the amount of cardiovascular activity I have in front of me and the number of workouts in the day. If the morning holds a run for example then my carbohydrate intake the day before will be slightly elevated to top of my muscle glycogen stores. If there is a second workout later in the day than my first meal of the day will contain more carbohydrates. Much of this is personal choice and is very dependent on what it is you do. Key word here is “you” which requires ownership and understanding instead of blindly following someone else’s words. You can achieve great results performance wise and aesthetically by following someone else’s plan but most of the time it’s not a one size fits all approach. By listening to your body and analyzing your performance, gut sensitivity, inflammation, recovery time, and overall feeling you can make the adjustments to personalize it.
Truth: There is no easy way. There is no short cut. There is no hack that beats consistency, and there isn’t one right way.
Staying Consistent: Humans can be impulsive creatures and when it comes to food that usually doesn’t end well for us. Consistency over time gets results, more consistent less time, less consistent more time. We have to become that which we seek to be. Developing the habits that become a lifestyle where time no longer plays a role in the proverbial end game of being healthy.
Some general thoughts on food:
Fasting: Intermittent Fasting: I have found this to be beneficial for me. Essentially this involves avoiding constant snacking and eating at night time and letting your body burn fat between meals which gives your gut time to rest. There are numerous benefits that I implore you to research. For me personally, increasing my fat intake helped me feel content through stretches of fasting. Over time your body adapts and eating less and less often becomes much easier.
Calories: If counting calories helps you then by all means continue. People are often consistent in what they eat over the course of a week wether good or bad which is why counting calories for 4-7 days can offer most of the insight one needs. Breaking your calorie count down into Macronutrients can help you establish deficiencies or excesses in contrast to your activity level. Also a calorie isn’t just a calorie, 1000 calories of cheesecake and 1000 calories of spinach are not equivalent. The micronutrient dense spinach would be superior choice in most cases.
Meat: This is a moving target. I have tried to reduce my meat consumption over that past several years. I look to have at least one meal a day without meat. So far I have felt little to no difference in how I feel and my physical performance has not suffered. I see both as a positive. I try to eat small portions and a variety of meat from different sources, beef, lamb, chicken, turkey, bison etc. I stay away from Deli meat.
Fruit : I take an every now and then type of approach. High on the list are blueberries, black berries, and raspberries. I see people eating bowls of fruit and referring to their meal as healthy. Well that depends, small portions of whole fruits provide, fiber, vitamins, antioxidants, and are all good things however too much (simple)sugar would be a disservice. Be weary of the local store that sells you that “healthy” acai fruit bowl which has 90g of sugar in it. Try to stay away from Juice and minimize going to smoothie places.
Fat: Yes please! The healthy kind of course. Fat can be tricky. Higher fat diets have to be balanced by low carbs. If you can’t lower your high carb and sugar intake, upping your fat consumption isn’t going to give you the results you want. Good fat helps with satiety and bridging the gap between that next meal. Add in: avocado, almond butter, walnuts, macadamia nuts, brazil nuts, eggs, olives, olive & avocado oil (others), ground flaxseed, salmon, tuna, dark chocolate, chia seeds for example. Limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats.
Dairy: For some cutting out dairy can have many digestive benefit. Some people react negatively(inflammation) after consuming lactose, casin, or whey. Dairy is nutrient dense and can be very delicious so take the time to determine your tolerance and make an informed decision.
Carbohydrates: This is where things get personal. Two individuals with the exact same physical and performance stats may consume different portions of nutrients. One person may consume 200g of carbs and another may consume 60g of carbs in a day. Factors to consider: genetics, how sedentary or active you are, how much you work out, what type of exercise, how long your work outs are ,and what time of the day you’re consuming carbs. Once your glycogen stores are full from glucose( Carbohydrates ) the remaining glucose will be stored as FAT. Basically, I tend to consume the minimum amount of carbohydrates needed for activity.
Eggs: Yes please! Eggs do have high levels of cholesterol (which is a moving target) which should not be ignored. They also provide vitamin A, B-2, selenium, B-12, omega-3, and folate. They are also a great source of protein and antioxidants.
Greens: Yes please! I usually opt for organic to decrease exposure to pesticides. I tend to eat romaine, spinach, Swiss chard, kale, broccolini, and of course lots of other vegetables.
Oils/ Fats: There are a lot of oils! Avoid: Soybean oil, Corn oil, Cottonseed oil, Canola oil, sunflower oil, Vegetable oils. I mostly use Olive oil, Avocado oil, and Ghee. There are many such as Coconut Oil, Walnut oil, Peanut oil, and many more to be researched and decided upon. We should try to limit our intake of Omega-6 fatty acids which is a type of polyunsaturated fat. In moderate doses can be good for the heart however in high doses Omega-6’s can have a negative effect and off set the balances between Omega-3s. The recommend ratio of Omega-6 to Omega-3 fatty acids in the diet is 4:1 or less. The Western diet has a ratio of between 10:1 and 50:1. Take away is: Less Omega-6 and more Omega-3. You don’t need a lot of oil to cook with, you actually don’t need any. I don’t use sprays either.
Keep in mind that my approach may not be right for your focus (Power-lifting, Bodybuilding, Crossfit, Runner, Tri-athlete, Climber, etc). You may need more calories, more protein, more carbs, or less of everything. I don’t jump into a specific diet camp, rather I tend to listen to my body, educate myself, and experiment. I encourage you to do further research on nutrition and read books that have conflicting views to have a well rounded perspective.
Truth: What you don’t eat is more important than what you do eat. Understanding what to eat with a subtractive approach I find to be the ideal way to look at nutrition. We know a lot more what is wrong than what is right with food. Our personal nutritional knowledge grows by subtraction more than by addition. We know that cake, soda, and french fries are bad for us, this knowledge for example has a concrete certainty to it( its robust ). On the flip side fish oil, pre-workouts, and probiotics are all things being studied by scientists/academics that have had mixed outcomes in studies. I would considered them to be fragile in their certainty. The point here is focus more of your energy on eliminating/subtracting what you know is bad and less energy on what is speculative. By taking away what’s bad the path will become more clear.
Out hiking in New Mexico, clearing the path for others.
