Having the same resolution over and over again to start living healthier is
frustrating. Is there a way to shift how
we eat so that at least that part of
the resolution doesn’t keep returning?
Yes: Instead of committing yourself to improving your nutrition monthly, quarterly, or annually,
look at how you like to eat (what you keep gravitating back to) and make a few
adjustments so that your body gets healthier without depriving yourself or
going through some sort of nutrition boot camp each year.
To minimize change in how you eat but get the biggest bang
for your buck (the best results) you need to target whatever one or two things are
holding your body back the most from improved health. It might be what you are eating, when you are
eating, or a lack of water. These are
the three Ws of nutrition: What, When, and Water. Here is a quick tour of the Ws to give you a
quick start to your personalized new nutrition program based on who you are,
your personal needs, and how you like to eat.
WHAT you eat: Have a
significant protein source in each meal if at all possible, meaning legumes
(beans or lentils), soy, or an animal source (diary, eggs, lean meats). By significant, I mean the volume of the palm
of your hand, plus or minus 50%. Have
vegetables in every meal when possible, not just for nutrients but also to slow
the digestion of any caloric carbohydrate you are eating. The advantage of vegetables slowing your
digestion is that calories entering the bloodstream slower give your lean
tissues more time to absorb those calories so that fewer go to body fat. How many higher-calorie carbohydrates you eat
should be dependent on how active you are.
Higher-calorie carbohydrates are starches (potato, yam, rice, corn,
grains such as wheat or oats), fruits, and the higher-calorie vegetables (carrots,
tomato, beets). Fruits and
higher-calorie veggies absolutely should be eaten in the first and last third
of your day to maintain a stable blood sugar to keep your mind and body
functioning well. A stable blood sugar
will also dramatically reduce potential binging at night that sabotages a whole
day of healthy eating. Lastly, do not
avoid fats, but do emphasize unsaturated i.e. mainly plant fats (vegetable oil,
olives, nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocado, soy, fatty fish). Since fats are high in calories, go with
thumb (Tbsp) volumes of fats instead of the palm volumes applied to protein and
carbohydrate. Use up to 2-3 fist volumes
of vegetables to slow down the entire meal, making even the unhealthiest meals
(e.g. pizza, pasta, burgers) healthier without having to give them up.
WHEN you eat: Eat
within a half hour of waking and within a half hour after exercise, including
carbohydrate at those two times because these are when you have the lowest
blood sugar. Don’t eat a substantial
dinner less than 2-3 hours before going to bed.
If your dinner has to be late, have a substantial snack at your ideal
dinner time, then have a smaller dinner later on so you aren’t bloated when you
go to bed.
WATER: One liter per
day for each 1000 Calories you eat. We
each have a general sense if we eat an average amount relative to others (probably
2000 Calories plus or minus 500), more than others (over roughly 2500 Calories)
or less than the average (1500 Calories).
Base your fluid intake on a rough guess.
At least half of your fluids need to be water, not anything else. Make sure this happens by drinking an equal
amount of water before your coffee, tea, or other fluid. Space your fluids out through your day just
like you do your calories.
As you read through this guide for a Healthy Start,
you will likely see one or two things that really stand out as things you do
the least. These are the one or two
things to focus on. Leave everything
else the same so you can have a nutrition program that moves you to greater
health while still allowing you to eat the way you want to eat and the way that
is best for you personally. Make this
the first day of the rest of your life, committed to doing it your way, with minimum changes for maximum effect. This is the sustainable you!
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