Easy nutrition tips for men
If you decide to get serious about your body shape this year, then you have to get serious about your diet. No matter how hard you workout if you don’t have a good nutrition plan then you are wasting your time.
Three things you should consider for your diet plan:
- What to eat
- When to eat
- How much to eat
What to eat
A good rule is to get a balance between health and convenience. This could be:
- 90% whole foods and 10% shakes or meal replacement. Nothing can replace good quality meals that provide you with all the nutrients for building muscle, burning fat and energy. However, sometimes it is just not practical to live in the kitchen. So if you have to, then opt for a high quality protein powder to top up the protein from real food.
To keep it fresh why not try unconventional snacks:
- Take 1 tablespoon of coconut oil to boost your energy. It doesn’t get stored as fat but is used as an energy source straight away(1).
- Nut butters are great as a snack. I am not just talking about peanut butter. My favourite nut butters are cashew and almond. They have more nutrients and taste amazing. Careful though, they can be addictive!
- Why not try adding some sweetness to a protein shake? Try raw molasses. It is an acquired taste and is definitely not for weak willed blokes. It is one of those things that can contribute to great health.
When to eat
You may have heard before that breakfast is good for you, but let’s be more specific. A good tip I have learnt is to have a protein shake within 15 minutes after you wake up and a good nutrient dense breakfast within 1 hour.
Morning is the time when your body is the most depleted of glycogen and you have to replace it to boost your metabolism.
- After a workout, have a shake straight away when you finish lifting weights, but not after cardio though! It will help with muscle recovery and muscle growth. You can also throw in a banana that has simple carbohydrates and, as mentioned above, molasses. Carbohydrates will go straight into your blood and restore your energy level. Another tip is to not have fat in your post workout meal as it will offset the quick absorption of necessary nutrients. Why not try to have chicken breast rather than chicken thigh, as it has less fat!
- Do you need to eat before workout? Yes and no. You definitely should not be hungry as you need energy for a workout. If you are not following a strict bodybuilding protocol then the best option would be to have a whole food meal a couple of hours before training with a balance of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Interesting pre-workout snacks can be hummus with celery, oatcakes with cheese or avocado with cottage cheese.
- To eat before sleep or not? There is no real proof that you will burn more fat if you don’t eat before bed. It is, however, a good idea to give your stomach some rest but don’t starve yourself. If you are hungry, have food. What matters is how much food you eat throughout the whole day. Berries with yogurt and mixed nuts are my main choices before bed.
So how much should you eat?
- It can be useful to some people to count calories. However, if you don’t suffer from emotional eating, then the best advice would be to concentrate on the quality of foods over the quantity.
- More frequent meals keep your blood sugar stable and prevent insulin spikes. This is a vital approach for muscle growth and reducing body fat storage. However, eating five to six meals a day in a busy work environment is just not viable. Four meals are enough as long as you have them at regular intervals.
- A good indication of portions would be:
- the size of the palm of your hand for meat and fish
- your fist size for carbs like rice, potatoes etc.
- the rest of your plate should be occupied by vegetables. - And finally eat until you are satisfied but not too full.
By adopting the suggestions for what to eat, when to eat it and how much to eat, you can establish a great nutrition plan to support your fitness goals. The last tip: enjoy your food no matter what you eat. Think – “it's good for me”. Guilt free food doesn’t get stored as fat!!!
About the author
Yulia Morris is a freelance Personal Trainer based in Harley Street. She specialises in body transformation, weight loss and naturopathic nutrition. She has been an entrepreneur since 2008 and has developed her own website and line of healthy herbal teas.
Contact- Yulia.morris@gmail.com or visit www.bikinibodyforlife.com
References
1) http://www.coconutresearchcenter.org/article10065.htm
Medium-chain triglycerides in coconut oil are smaller than other fats and, therefore, digest very quickly, so quickly in fact, that the body uses them as an immediate source of fuel rather than pack them away in storage inside our fat cells. MCT are used to produce energy much like carbohydrates and, therefore, they do not circulate in the bloodstream like other fats. For this reason, they do not supply fat to fat cells or contribute to weight gain.
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