The 5 Key Rules for a Better Body
If you are deciding on what eating plan to use keep the following in mind:
Is the eating plan?
1. Simple. Are the rules easy to follow?
2. Science-based. Are the rules based on sound scientific principles?
3. Successful. Have the rules produced success in others like you? (no matter how good it looks on paper if it's not working then it's Not working for you)
A system based on those three things is absolutely critical.
5 Key Rules for a Better Body
Here they are:
1. Eat every 2-3 hours.
Now, you don’t need to eat a full meal every 2-3 hours – some of them can be smaller snacks. But every few hours you should be getting a dose of good food that follows the other rules below.
That may seem like a lot, but understand a) that each meal will be smaller than the ones most people eat, and b) that eating this way can drastically reduce your body’s inclination to store the calories you eat as body fat.
2. Include lean protein in each meal and snack.
Complete, lean protein generally is food that, well, was an animal or comes from an animal. Things like chicken, beef, fish, dairy, and the like.
“Lean” means low fat. So you want food high in protein but low in fat (e.g., leaner cuts of meat, low fat dairy, etc.).
Are you getting protein in each meal? If not, make the change.
Note: If you’re a vegetarian, this rule still applies
3. Include vegetables in each meal or snack.
One of the best and easiest things you can do to improve your health is to include veggies in each meal or snack you eat – every 2-3 hours, right?
Psychologically, that’s a big change for most people. But it makes such a difference physically that it’s well worth it. To show you that eating veggies isn’t the frightening proposition it used to be, most of the meals contained in Precision Nutrition use veggies in their preparation – and we show you how to make them taste good!
4. Save carb-heavy meals for after exercise.
This includes things like things rice, pasta, potatoes, etc. You can eat them all – but wait until after you’ve exercised. Plenty of research shows that the body is better able to process carbohydrates in the 3 hour period following a bout of intense exercise.
It’s true that starches, grains and sugars are dietary staples in North America, but remember that heart disease, diabetes and cancer are medical staples in North America – and there’s a relationship between the two!
To stop heading down the heart disease highway, reward yourself for a good workout with a good carbohydrate meal right after. For the rest of the day, stick to lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.
5. Include a good balance of healthy fat in your diet.
For a long time, dietary fat was vilified in the media. The truth is that dietary fat is absolutely essential! There are 3 types of fat: saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated. Eating all three kinds in a healthy balance can dramatically improve your health, and actually help you lose fat.
Your saturated fat will probably already be covered. Most foods containing lean protein also contain some saturated fat, and that’s okay. You can even toss in some butter or coconut oil for cooking.
Your monounsaturated fat should come from mixed nuts, olives, and olive oil.
Your polyunsaturated fat should from flax seed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.
Working healthy fat into your meals is easy.
Summary
The 5 rules above alone will have you eating better – and looking better – than 85-90% of the population.
This information is courtesy of By Dr. John M. Berardi, PhD, CSCS and it has worked for me!
Fitness and Healthy Eating tips, Plant Base Style
