Diet and Nutrition
Energized Fitness top 10 rules for optimal body composition
By Darren O' Leary
1. Supplement with an Omega 3 – Omega 3 turns on the fat burning genes and turns off the fat storing genes. Also it increases serotonin levels which can increase motivation levels.
2. Consume more Protein – A diet high in protein will help the repair and build muscle, the muscle you can build the calories you'll burn. For every pound of muscle you gain you can burn an extra 50 calories per day for that.
3. Go Green – The majority of your carb's should come from a fibrous source such as vegetables. Just by eating more vegetables this will reduce unwanted body fat.
4. The Meat and Nut Breakfast – What you eat for breakfast will set up your neurotransmitters for the day. A high protein breakfast along with nuts will allow a slow and steady rise in blood sugar. Also studies have shown that a high protein breakfast can have a big impact on energy and productivity levels from morning right up to late afternoon.
5. Eliminate Grains – Wheat and Oats are usually the most common food allergens. Wheat also influences blood sugar levels the same way as table sugar.
6. Optimal Water intake – It is highly important that drink enough water in the day. Here is a quick way to figure out how much water you need. 0.044 x Kg in weight. Example is your weigh 80kg. So you multiply 80 x 0.44 = 3.52 liters of water per day.
7. Eat like a Caveman – The human genome has changed less than 0.02% in the last 40,000 years meaning that the genetic makeup of the Paleo people is practically the same as our own. Always ask this question before you consume a food. Did a caveman have access to this food? If it walked, ran, crawled, swam, flew and grew from the ground and it is green you can eat it.
8. Consume between 5 and 7 meals per day – Eating small meals on a regular basis will keep your blood sugar levels steady, keep your metabolism high and help reduce any sugar cravings that you may have due to having big gaps between meals.
9. Post workout shakes – After training most people don't consume any post workout shake and don't eat for hours. This is by far the worst thing you can do if you are looking to become lean and healthy. A combination of Whey Protein, Glutamine and Glycine works best.
10. Use Insulin sensitivity supplements post workout – Insulin sensitivity supplements will help transport glycogen into the muscle cells instead of the fat cells. Examples of these would be Taurine, Fenuplex, Insulin plex, R form alpha lipoic acid etc.