You get asked a lot of questions about eating and food when you're in the fitness business. A simple question, say: "Bill, is whole wheat bread better than white bread?" with my response: "Actually no, it's worse!", leads to the inevitable: "So, what exactly do you eat then?" Telling people that bread and cereal are actually the worst things they can eat comes as a complete shock. Thus this post. Sharing what I eat is not a post to put together a diet or say: I'm Right - You're Wrong, or that you should eat the way I do, but simply to share information that is asked of me on a daily basis and the science I know behind this information. A simple disclaimer: My eating habits are constantly changing and evolving based on self-experimentation, goals, and curiosity. Food has a profound effect on more than we know currently. The foundation remains the same, and that's what I will share.
Being Honest With Yourself
Beyond weight, understanding why grains are really horrible things, what to have for breakfast, or what about dairy, is figuring out where you are currently with your eating habits, how dedicated and willing you really are to change, what you're optimal goals are, and if you're are realistic about them. I have always said, change one or two eating habits a week only, instead of overwhelming yourself by changing everything at once. This is validated by the fact that all diets eventually fail.
Training your eating habits is like anything else, say, an athlete or musician. And really, it's much more difficult because you have to overcome sensory and chemical addiction to things like wheat and sugar. Dedication, patience, and being armed with the right information is imperative. This is difficult because for the most part, we are bombarded with the wrong info!
Setting Your Health, Fitness, & Wellness Goals
Some people want to drop 10 or 15 pounds, others want to get off some of their medications. Stable and more energy levels throughout the day is a popular one, as is remaining disease free. This last one is the most important, and here's why. If you choose foods that nourish and fuel the body, ones that we as humans have been genetically adapted to eat, instead of providing instant gratification, chances are everything else will fall in place. More energy, a lean body, and no doctors' office visits, conditions, sickness, or meds. So, when you look at it, if you eat right most of your goals will be accomplished. Pretty cool, eh?
Carbohydrate Reduction and Elimination
The first key to achieving any of these goals is dumping the carbs. Vegetables, fruits, and nuts are the only acceptable form of carbohydrates folks. Bread, pasta corn, oats, sugar, and starches are to be avoided like the plague. When you eat too many of these rapidly digestible carbs, insulin goes up, inflammation rises, and bad things happen. Metabolic Syndrome happens(see chart below)
The problem is that typical diet contains well over 500 grams of Carbs in a day, most of them coming from sugar and grains. Personally, I keep mine in the 50-100gm range and that is primarily leafy greens and a little fruit in a shake.
Filling the Fridge and Constructing the Meals
...the BIG 6
Second disclaimer: I don't count calories nor should you. They don't matter. Food selection and portion size matter. A teaspoon of sugar and two cashews both have 16 calories but profoundly different effects on the body! If you choose the right foods in the right proportions, hunger will get cured and you will be satisfied.
Our Fridge and Pantry are Pretty Much Composed
of 6 Foods:
1: Meats (mostly wild, organic, pastured, grass fed)
2: Eggs (pastured, organic, cage-free)
3: Nuts & Seeds (almond, macadamia, cashew, walnut)
4: Leaves (dark green leafy vegetables like super greens for salads and shakes)
5: Fruit (small dense berries like blueberries, avocados, olives, coconut products)
6: Healthy Oils (coconut, olive, avocado)
*7: Spices: (not technically a food, but salt, basil, pepper, hot sauces, and mixed grinders from Trader Joe's with a bunch thrown in that you grind up)
These 6 foods Yield Unlimited Meals Like:
- A Morning Shake (coconut milk, Structure lean fuel, ¼ cup blueberries, mixed greens, avocado)
- Chicken Sausages (I broil or grill 6-12 at a time to have around as a snack, or to slice and put on a salad)
- Omelet or Quiche (eggs and meat, what could be better?!)
- Grilled Fish and Broiled vegetables (I love to broil a bunch of root vegetables with olive oil and spices)
- Trail Mix (make your own)
- Scrambled Eggs in Coconut Oil with a side of Bacon (good fat, good protein)
- Burrito Bowl (grilled chicken, a little lettuce, guacamole, salsa, no beans or cheese. Chipotle is open!)
