FIT Notes: Nutrition
March 202310 Nutrition Rules to Live By

1. Come back to earth. Choose the least processed foods, such as fruits, veggies, whole grains, and high-fiber carbohydrates.
2. Eat a rainbow of colors. Eat fruits or vegetables with each meal. Choose a wide variety of colors to get a lot of nutrients.
3. The fewer legs, the better. Eat a lean protein source with each meal, but favor chicken, turkey, or fish over beef, pork, or lamb when you can.
4. Eat healthy fats. Don’t shy away from healthy fat options, like olive oil, nuts, natural nut butter, seeds, avocado, fish, flaxseed, and flaxseed oil.
5. Eat breakfast every day. When you eat within 30 minutes of waking up, you jump-start your metabolism and give yourself the energy you need for the day ahead.
6. Three for three. Eat smaller portions more often, spread evenly throughout the day—no excuses. Eat four to six small meals each day and aim for a balance of carbs, protein, and fat with each one.
7. Stay hydrated. Dehydration equals decreased performance. Drink at least three liters of non-caloric beverages (water/green tea) every day.
8. Don’t waste your workouts. You need energy for training and the proper nutrients to recover, or you won’t make gains in the weight room. Think of this process in three stages—pre-, during, and post-activity. Eat some carbohydrate-rich foods before, water and/or carbohydrate during, and protein with carbohydrates within 30 minutes after.
9. Supplement wisely. Fuel with real foods first and supplement second. If you are not getting all the nutrients you need through food, add a multivitamin to your daily routine.
10. Sleep. Aim for eight hours of sleep each night. If you can’t consistently get 8, take power naps when you can. The body recovers and repairs best when it is sleeping.

Last Thought:

The 80/20 Rule. Each meal and snack is an opportunity to fuel your body. Choose foods that are best for you 80 percent of the time. Eat some foods that may not be the best, but are your favorites, 20 percent of the time!

(From Stack Magazine– https://www.stack.com/a/nutrition-rules/)