5 Simple Nutrition Principles You Should Be Following

 

From low fat to low carb to vegan to raw to Paleo… proper nutrition has to be one of the most controversial topics in the health and fitness world today.  With so much conflicting information out there, it’s no wonder many of you are confused about how you should be eating.

Lucky for you, Girls Gone Strong is here to give you 5 simple nutrition principles you can that will help you reach your health and physique goals.

 

1. If it doesn’t spoil within 7-10 days, don’t eat it.

Real, wholesome food doesn’t have a long shelf life like a Twinkie or a granola bar might.  Choose foods as close to their original state as possible and you will see a huge difference in how you look and feel.

 

2. Eat protein, vegetables and fats with every meal.

Protein, vegetables, and fat are three things that really help you feel satiated and curb cravings, and yet many women don’t eat enough protein or fat.  I have noticed a lot of my female clients find themselves craving sugar and processed carbs, and once they begin eating enough fat, those cravings subside.

Good sources of protein include: grass-fed beef, chicken, fish, whole eggs, turkey, bison, and high quality protein powder.  Good sources of fat include: real butter, avocado, raw nuts and nut butters, whole eggs, coconut oil, macadamia nut oil, olive oil, and fat from grass-fed organic dairy products.

 

3. Eat when you are hungry and stop when you are 80% full.

For years, almost every fitness professional has been touting the 6-meal-a-day plan as the Holy Grail for physique transformation.  Heck, I know I preached that to my clients for a long time!

What we are realizing now is that there are a number of ways to structure/time your meals and still get great results, including eating 6 meals a day.  The best thing you can do is listen to your body, eat when you are hungry, and stop when you are full but not stuffed.

 

4. Follow an 80/20 rule for maintenance; follow a 90/10 rule for fast results.

The 80/20 or 90/10 rule comes from the idea that if you eat well 80 or 90% of the time, then you can indulge the rest of the time, and it won’t negatively affect your health or your body composition.

So if you eat 3 meals a day x 7 days a week, that’s 21 meals a week.  If you are simply looking to maintain, then 20% of those meals (or approximately 4 meals) could include something less than healthy.  If you are looking to make drastic changes to your body and your health, you can include something less than healthy with 2 meals each week.

Keep in mind that “including something less than healthy” does not mean “stuff your face until the button pops off your jeans,” (yes, we have all been there!)  It means having a small slice of cheesecake after an otherwise healthy meal, indulging in a couple of cocktails after work, or having a couple of small handfuls of M&M’s during your Monday morning meeting.  Pay attention to the changes in your body and adjust your indulgences accordingly to get your desired results.

 

5. Carbs are not the enemy, but choose them wisely.

It is very trendy and popular right now to completely eliminate carbs from your diet, and they are often labeled “bad” or “evil.”

A few weeks ago, I wrote a blog post showing that not all carbs are created equal, and I discussed the different categories of carbohydrates and how often we should be eating them.   In my experience, many people have poor insulin sensitivity and do not handle carbohydrates very well.  Because of this, I recommend my clients get most of their carbs from vegetables and lower sugar fruits like berries and grapefruit, and I recommend they save starchier carbs like sweet potatoes, red potatoes, rice, and butternut squash for the 2-3 hours after their weight training workouts.

 

There you have it!  No hype, no BS.  Just 5 simple nutrition principles that will help you look and feel your best.

 

P.S.  Speaking of good nutrition, everyone knows that eating well means you feeling good, and feeling good means you look good!  Be sure to show off your healthy-eating-hot-bod in some of our super cute GGS Apparel, which is on sale HERE from 11-26-12 at 8 am until  11-30-12 at 11:59 pm.  You get 15% off everything during this limited time offer, so don’t delay!