The information contained on this page is an important introduction to the nutritional programme recommended to you in your training.
It is a summary of the leading thinking currently available in the world in relation to diet and human health. It is free from the bias of industrial food lobbies and ill-informed government campaigns. Importantly this dietary approach has been field tested by countless athletes worldwide over the last ten years. It is a dietary approach that works without question. By 'works' I mean it will reduce fat, maintain and improve muscle mass, reduce inflammation, speed recovery from injury, improve mood and concentration, make measurable and positive changes to blood chemistry and stave off inappropriate food cravings. By simply adhering to this dietary plan you will dramatically lose weight while maintaining muscle mass. More importantly this diet acts as a preventative measure against heart disease, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, elevated cholesterol and triglyceride levels, obesity, high blood pressure, depression... the list goes on and on. Diet is always a contentious issue. I will not be going into the science behind this diet (this is a huge area in and of itself). I will simply be outlining the principles behind it and giving you avenues to make it a reality in your lives. The choice to adopt it is yours.
Where does this diet come from?
The main source of the information in this nutritional plan comes from Dr. Barry Sears and Dr. Loren Cordain. Dr. Barry Sears is one of the world's leading medical researchers on the hormonal effects of food and the inflammatory process, especially as it relates to chronic diseases of the civilised world. Dr. Loren Cordain is the leading world expert in the emerging science of evolutionary nutrition i.e. the study of the diet most in tune with our genetic heritage. Their specific diets are called 'The Zone Diet' and 'The Paleo Diet' respectively. While both diets have points of difference, they have many more points of convergence, and this will be the information presented here.
Nutritional Planning for Health in a Nutshell:
- Eat between 30-40% of the calorific intake of your meal as lean meats or seafood at one sitting (eat three main meals a day).
- The remaining two thirds of the meal should come from fresh fruit and vegetables.
- Include a moderate amount of fats, more monounsaturated and polystaurated than saturated.
- Supplement your diet with high-dose Omega-3 fish oils.
- Eat two small snacks with a low glycemic load between meals.
- Eliminate or severely reduce certain unfavourable foods and oils from your diet.
This will produce a diet with a ratio of approximately 40/30:30:30 of lean proteins/good carbohydrates/good fats. You may find that as your training progresses a ratio of 40% good fats works better.
Dr. Barry Sears explains how to follow this approach:
Both diets tackle the hugely destructive nature of hyper-insulism in the body by trying to produce meals that have a beneficial glycemic load. The off-shoot of this is stable blood chemistry that reduces the desire to over-eat, stores less energy as fat and sets up the optimum situation for health and recovery.
What Will I Have to Change?
Most people hugely under-eat the amount of fruits and vegetables necessary for health. Change this. Most people's daily dietary intake of protein is at about 15% of total food consumption. You need to at least double this by eating lean proteins. Most people eat far too much processed starches, sugars, grains, vegetable oils and dairy products. Eliminate or severely reduce these. Most people have a very unfavourable percentage of Omegar-6 to Omega-3 oils in their diet. Change this by supplementing with ultra-refined fish oils. Finally supplement your healthy fat intake by the addition or extra-virgin oil into your diet.
What Next?
The pages following this introduction let you know what and how much to eat. I've kept it very simple, meaning that you can integrate this information immediately. As the weeks progress I will be adding additional information as well as menus. Enjoy!