The Role of Nutrition Part I

I really want to make something clear to everyone; any exercise  program will produce some sort of result if there is effort placed  behind the program. Yes, some workouts are better than others  and I don’t think anyone has the “perfect” exercise program.  Trainers will agree and disagree about fitness training  philosophies but everyone agrees that nutrition is a key factor to  the success of any fitness program.

People make nutrition much more complicated than it needs to be.  What to eat?  How much to eat?  When to eat?  Do I need  supplements? Should I take vitamins? How do I make smart food choices? OK, let’s go through each of these and let’s see if we can’t make them very simple answers without having to open up a text book or pull-up some type of calorie counting system.

What to eat?  Well you know you need carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water in your daily diet.  The key here is to select the right kinds of these food groups.  Here is some examples of some great food choices:

Carbohydrates: Potatoes, Yams, Brown Rice, Pasta, Oatmeal, Barley, Whole-grain breads and pitas, Oranges, Apples, Berries.

Proteins: Turkey breast, Chicken, Fish (salmon, tuna, swordfish, orange roughy, etc), Lean ground beef, Buffalo, Venison, eggs, cottage Cheese, Low-fat cheeses, Crab, Lobster, Shrimp.

Fats:  With a well balanced diet; usually your fat intake is taken care of through the balance of carbohydrates and proteins.

Water: I recommend a gallon a day. I also believe in water that has gone through a water system to remove all the chlorine that is in treated tap water. It is just not a chemical that I think people should consume into their bodies. I put a water system in our house and although it was a little expensive; I do not think you can put a price tag on removing that chemical from your water source.

How much to eat?  This can get very technical depending on what expert you talk to , but we are going to keep it very simple.  Stick your arms out straight and look at the back of your hands, now make a fist with both hands.  Think of your left hand as your carbohydrate and your right hand as your protein.  These are your portion sizes “for you”.  If you are still hungry between your portion meals eat as many “raw” fruits and veggies as you like.  I never put a limit on fruits and veggies as long as they are raw and as often as you can make them organic.  If you can, lean a little more towards raw veggies; they do not contain as much natural sugar as fruits.

When to eat?  You have always heard your mother tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and guess what…mom knows best!  Always start off your day with a big healthy breakfast.  Then you should eat your portion meals every 2.5-4 hours after that throughout the entire day.  This will equal about 5-7 portion sized meals.  This may sound like a lot at first but your body will become a calorie burning machine and you will be able to use the nutrients much more efficiently than eating 3 big meals a day.  Also note that it is very important to eat 20-50 minutes directly after your workouts.  This is a golden opportunity for your body to maximize the nutrition uptake and start the recovery process from your workout.

Do I need supplements? Should I take vitamins? How do I make smart food choices?
Watch for Part II, as I will give you my opinions. At this time, I want to point out that I am by no means a certified nutritionist. Everything in these posts, I base off my experience and my personal opinion. I recommend that people seek out the advice of a certified nutritionist if you want a very detailed and tailor made program for yourself.

Train with a purpose,
Jerry