As a busy mom of 3 boys, a tri-athlete and a business owner of a demanding nutrition and strength training company, PhysioLife Studios, one of the questions my clients always ask me is, “How do you do it all? How do you have time to eat a balanced, clean diet and stay at a healthy weight with all that goes on in your life?”
What I tell them is…Nutrition is your first line of defense when it comes to good health. I have discovered from personal experience that if you follow the food pyramid, you will be heading in the wrong direction fast. I have always thought that a fat-free, sugar-free, high complex carbohydrate and low cholesterol diet was healthy for me, but in reality, I gained weight, craved sugar and carbs and was always hungry! This was when I began to research and experiment with other types of food and food combinations. What I found out was astonishing. To be healthy was actually pretty simple.
Follow these tips below and you will not only find yourself losing weight, but you will also have more energy, less illnesses, decreased inflammation and better athletic performances. This is my Back-to-Basics Nutrition Plan.
Tip 1 – If it can’t be plucked or picked, hunted, fished or if it didn’t have a mom, don’t eat it. It’s that simple. No processed foods, no additives and no artificial ingredients. It’s eating clean, organic foods in their truest, most natural form.
Tip 2 – Eat real foods every meal and snack. Eat more free-range, lean protein – fish, chicken, turkey, bison, eggs, etc. Make sure your plate is full of fresh/frozen organic vegetables. Make sure you add some healthy fats – cold-pressed olive oil, walnut oil, coconut oil or raw nuts/seeds. Finally add a small amount of healthy grains/carbohydrates if you desire – brown rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes or berries.
Tip 3 – If the food has more than 2 or 3 ingredients and your 7-year-old can’t pronounce the ingredients, don’t eat it.
Tip 4 – Always eat a protein with a carbohydrate. This will help stabilize your blood sugars and reduce insulin secretion, which leads to higher energy levels and more weight loss. Sample pairings include: apple with almond butter, tuna with crackers, hard-boiled egg and berries.
Tip 5 – Lunch should always be the largest meal of the day in order to prevent large meals at night. When your body is physically active during the daytime, you will be able to metabolize and breakdown food more efficiently. Food will take longer to digest at nighttime, especially if you are not physically active at night.
Tip 6 – Divide your body weight in half and drink that many ounces of pure water everyday. (Example: 150-pound person will need to drink 75 oz of water everyday)
Tip 7 – Plan ahead every night for the next day. After packing the kids lunches, it is your turn. Pack a cooler bag everyday with snacks and a lunch. This will prevent bad decisions during the day; you will feel great about what you eat. Some easy ideas – leftovers from dinner, hard boiled eggs, canned wild-caught tuna with hummus, raw nuts, etc.)
Tip 8 – Don’t use food or alcohol for rewards, fighting stress/ boredom or to unwind. Taking an Epson Salt bath, reading a good book or magazine or playing a game with your kids are great ways to prevent emotional eating. Journaling also helps to get through these times.
Tip 9 – Hit the sack a little earlier tonight! It’s necessary for the body to make repairs, heal and recover. Great things happen when you get needed rest. Studies have shown that people who sleep more have higher levels of appetite controlling hormones, which helps with weight loss.
Tip 10 – Incorporate strength training into your weekly schedule. A high-intensity strength-training program goes beyond building strong muscles. Here are some benefits I see in my clients.
- Increased Metabolic Efficiency – Strength training increases the body’s metabolic rate, causing the body to burn more calories throughout the day, which is known as “after burn.”
- Increasing and Restoring Bone Density – Inactivity and aging can lead to a decrease in bone density and brittleness. Studies have clearly proven that consistent strength training can increase bone density and prevent Osteoporosis.
- Increased Lean Muscle Mass and Muscle Strength, Power and Endurance – Everyone can benefit from being stronger, which makes activities of daily life easier.
- Injury Prevention – A wide variety of sports-related or life-related injuries can be prevented by strengthening muscles and joints.
- Improved Balance, Flexibility and Mobility – Stronger and more resilient muscles improves our balance, which means more comfortable living and fewer falls or accidents.
- Decreased Risk of Heart Disease – Participation in a consistent strength-training program has health benefits including; decreasing cholesterol and lowering your blood pressure.
- Aids Rehabilitation – One of the best ways to heal many types of injuries is to strengthen muscles surrounding the injured area. The stronger your muscles, the quicker the healing process.
- Enhanced Performance in Sports or Exercise – No matter what your favorite sport or physical activity, with the proper strength training program, your performance can be improved.
- Graceful ageing – Physical activity keeps us alive and vibrant. Strength training ensures we are strong enough to participate in everyday activities.
- Feeling Better and Looking Better – As painful as strength training can sometimes feel, there is nothing more satisfying than the feeling after a workout. Stronger muscles and joints can have a dramatic impact on posture and leaner toned muscles tend to make everyone feel better about their appearance. This all leads to improved self-esteem and increased self-confidence.
If this is your first try at eating this way, start slow – decrease the bad foods, while increasing the good. In no time, you will be eating clean and following a healthy lifestyle. Try it, it is empowering to know that you are in control of your food.
To your health and wellness,
Melissa Bowman, MS, RD