Nutrition Tips

Nutrition Tips

You’ve got a goal, you’ve been exercising, but the scale won’t budge — well, not like you’d hoped.  Check out these nutrition tips that could help you break through your plateau!

Did you know that 80% of your results are derived from what you put into your mouth?  It took me a long time to truly realize just how important nutrition is.  In order to reach the goal you desire, you’ve got to take control of what you eat.

Below I’m sharing a few tips that help me stay on track and keep me focused on my goal.  

DRINK YOUR WATER:

How much you ask?  Between 2-3 liters each day, depending on your how active you’ve been is a good amount.  It is VERY important to drink your water as it is the main component of digestion.  It is a universal solvent, meaning it can dissolve everything we eat, so it can then be made available for our body to use.  It also helps deliver nutrients to our tissues, and processes the removal of toxins and waste from the body.  Water is also crucial for maintaining a constant body temperature…without it, we’d dry up!  We need it for proper bodily function and it’s important to know if you are dehydrated.  Watch for these signs:

  • headaches
  • mood swings
  • lethargy
  • confusion
  • dry lips
  • constipation

KEEP A FOOD JOURNAL:

Logging your food (and I mean everything…even the two M&M’s you popped in your mouth earlier today) not only lets you know where you stand with what you are eating, but it also keeps you  honest and will help a coach or trainer adjust your meals accordingly.  Depending on the type of workouts you are doing, you could need more (or less) daily calories to reach your goals.  I like My Fitness Pal.  It’s free and has a great food database to select from.

FOLLOW THE TOP TWO TIERS OF Michi’s Ladder: 

Michi’s Ladder is not a diet. It’s a simple substitution plan. To lose weight, try swapping the foods you eat for similar foods in tiers 1 and 2. The more you eat in tiers 1 and 2, the more you’ll increase your chances of losing weight.  There are some healthy foods in lower tiers, but they’re either calorie dense or nutrient deficient. To lose weight, you want to maximize the nutrients in every calorie you consume.
 
Note on frying: Foods should be eaten raw, steamed, grilled, poached, baked, or broiled. Frying automatically drops even the best foods into tier 5.

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FOODS I TRY TO AVOID AT ALL COSTS:

  • High Fructose Corn Syrup
  • Fast Food
  • Greasy or Fried Food
  • Butters, Sauces and most Dressings
  • Dairy
  • White Breads, White Rice, White Pasta, etc.
  • Alcohol

 

FOOD SUGGESTIONS:

  • Nuts – almonds, cashews, pecans, walnuts, hazelnuts
  • Seeds – pumpkin seed, flaxseed, sunflower seeds, hemp seeds, sesame seeds
  • Grains – rice, amaranth, quinoa, wheat, spelt
  • Pulses – chickpeas, black beans, cannellini beans, lentils
  • Vegetables – Spinach, broccoli, artichokes, asparagus
  • Soy product – mung beans, edamame, tofu, tempeh
  • Some fruits – avocado, apricots, blackberries, strawberries, banana
  • Plant Based Protein Powder – (I try to find a natural flavor so I can add to whatever I’m cooking at the time as well as flavored for smoothies)

Still Have Questions?