What, when and how of eating a balanced diet

2 fruits, 5 veges, 5 grain? or is it 4 grain?! How much protein? and what about fat?!

Eating healthy doesn't have to be so hard and/or confusing! So I thought I would help by writing up a basic guidelines for you to follow so you can achieve a healthy balanced diet!

To start we want to get you eating small meals often. This keeps your body burning fat and makes sure you use more calories for energy, rather than storage. The mission is to keep your metabolic rate as high as possible, which is the rate at which your body burns off calories. 

The faster it's running, the closer easier it will be to lose weight and keep it off. 

So make sure you eat every 2-3 hours, consuming 5-6 high quality meals throughout the day. 

Plan your meals ahead of time so you know exactly what and when you'll eat.  If you fail to plan, you plan to fail! 

 Lean protein should be eaten with each and every meal you consume, as it's responsible for tissue growth and repair. Good choices include grilled chicken or turkey, lean beef, egg whites, tuna fish or salmon, cottage cheese and protein shakes. For best results, shoot for one gram of protein per pound (kgs x 2.2) of body weight each and every day.

Carbohydrates are also important, but the type is critical. These should come from complex sources like whole grains, wheat bread, whole wheat pasta, oats, vegetables, brown rice, sweet potatoes. Stop listening to all that no-carb talk you might hear. Carbohydrates are important to fuel your muscles and shouldn't be cut out entirely. Carefully chosen, yes. Removed completely, never. 

Stay away from refined sources like white bread, chocolates, lollies.  All they do is give you a quick-me-up, not lasting energy.

Finally, you have your fats. Fat's are important for growth and will keep your muscle-building hormones at a healthy level. Don't make the mistake that many guys do trying to avoid all fats in order to cut fat. Make sure you take in good fats daily, which are crucial for great health and best results. Not all fats are created equal, and to lose fat you need healthy fat in your diet. Make sure you take in fats like a tablespoon of olive oil, almonds, fish, or peanut butter a few times a day. Avoid foods with a ton of saturated or trans-fats. They're packed with calories, yet provide few nutrients.  

Here is a usually break down of how your days meals should be planned out. Below explains the macronutrient splits throughout your day. 

 Breakfast: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats

 Mid Morning Snack: Protein + Fruit/Veggies

 Lunch: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats + Veggies

 Mid afternoon Snack: Protein/Fats + Fruit

 Dinner: Protein/Fats + Veggies

 Dessert: Slow digested Protein/Fats e.g. Yoghurt with slivered almonds

When you train eat its a little different. 

Nutrition around your workout needs to be priority to make the most out of your workouts. 

So here is a good guideline to follow when working out.

 Breakfast: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats/Fruit

-WORKOUT-

Post Workout: Protein + carbs

 Lunch: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats + Veggies

 Mid afternoon Snack: Protein/Fats + Fruit/Veges

 Dinner: Protein/Fats + Veggies

 Before bed: Slow digested Protein/Fats e.g. Yoghurt with slivered almonds

 If you train in the afternoon-

 Breakfast: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats/Fruit

 Mid afternoon Snack: Protein/Fats + Fruit

 Lunch: Protein/Carbohydrates/Fats + Veggies

-WORKOUT-

Post Workout: Protein + Carbs

 Dinner: Protein/Fats + Veggies

 Dessert: Slow digested Protein/Fats e.g. Yoghurt with slivered almonds

So how much is each serving?

Here is some examples -

Protein

· 80-100 grams cooked lean beef

· 65-100gm cooked meat or chicken

·  (eg 1/2 cup mince, 2 small chops or 2 slices roast meat)

· 2/3 cup cooked beans or lentils

· 2 eggs

· 80-120g cooked fish fillet,

· 1 cup (250ml) milk

· 2 slices (40g) cheese

· 1 tub (200g) yoghurt

·         Scoop of Protein Powder

Fruit

· 1 medium apple, orange, banana, etc (150g)

· 2 small apricots, plums, etc (150g)

· ½ cup (125mL) fruit juice             

· Dried fruit eg 4 dried apricots

· 1 1/2 tablespoons sultanas

· About 20 grapes or cherries

· About 8 strawberries

Vegetables

· ½ cup (75g) cooked vegetables

· 1 cup salad vegetables

Carbs

· 2 slices (30g) multigrain bread

· ½ cup or 80g cooked brown pasta/rice

· 1 bowl (45g) breakfast cereal

· 1/2 cup muesli

· 1 cup Sweet potato

· 1/2 cup  Barley

· 1/2 cup Quinoa

Fats

· Avocado 1 TBS

· Almonds 15g (dry roasted) (~8 pieces)

· Cashews 1 tbsp or 9.65g

· Enova oil 1 Tsp or 4.5g

· Flax oil 1 Tsp or 4.5g

· Mayonnaise (Light, reduced-fat) 1 Tbsp or 15g

· Oil (olive or canola0 1 tsp 

· 4.5g Peanuts 1/3 oz or 9.36g

· Peanut/Almond butter (smooth or crunchy) 2 tsp

· Pecans or 1 tbsp or 7.44g

·  Salad dressing (Light, reduced-fat) 2 Tbsp or 30g

·  Sesame seeds 1Tbsp or 9.4g

What your plate should look like - 

The End :)

Bigger snacks mean bigger slacks!

You are what you eat!

As I said in an earlier blog nutrition  makes up 70% of your results. I shall repeat my favourite saying..

YOU CANNOT OUT TRAIN A BAD DIET!!

Okay so now I have that off my chest lets get down to the nitty gritty!

I can sit here and type for hours about what to eat and why but I do 

want you to be finished reading this by next week!

So I have decided to give you some guidelines!

Guidelines to Healthy Eating

Swap processed carbs for good quality carbs

I don't want you to read that and think ok great I got to cut carbs and become Dr Atkins. Think again because that is not what I’m saying. To get lean you have to cut the crap! This crap I am talking about is foods with sugar & white flour! These danger foods are causing health & obesity problems around the world. When we eat sugar or processed foods we quickly get a “splash” of sugar into our bloodstreams causing our blood sugar levels to spike. When this happens your poor pancreas releases insulin to bring you back down but will inevitably cause you to crash. Researchers found insulin makes us  store fat & cause us to actually crave more carbs.

Sugar & processed grains can also effect your adrenal glands causing an increase in fat storage especially in the hips, thighs & waist. The adrenal glands then release cortisol into the body causing more insulin to be released.  So my advice is eat fruit and veges whenever you want for a good source of carbs and only eat whole grain carbs such as grainy bread, barley, brown rice/pasta etc after a workout and for breakfast! Because your deserves it and your body will tolerate carbs more after exercise. For the rest of the day eat your lean protein and a delicious selection of fruits and veggies.

In conclusion—STOP EATING FOODS WITH SUGAR & WHITE FLOUR. I want you to focus on getting your carbs from eating quality complex carbohydrates such as fruits, vegetables and whole grains!

P.s. Instead go with sugar in your coffee etc, replace it with Stevia and try Rye or Ezekiel bread for your sandwiches after your workout or for breakfast.

Be a tiger for me baby grrr ! 

Proteins are what make up our skin, muscles, hair, and nails, neurotransmitters, enzymes, and hormones. Studies show that a diet with great sources of protein, complex carbs and good fats suppresses appetites and speeds up weight loss more effectively than mixed or high‐carbohydrate diets. They have also proven to be much more effective for long‐term weight control than any other intake method over 6‐months. As I said earlier this doesn't mean you have to say good bye to carbs! All carbs are not equal. Your body processes carbs differently depending on what it is and how it effects your blood sugar levels. More info about that in the previous guideline. Anyway back to protein, what we’re looking for is found in lean meats (chicken, turkey & fish), eggs, etc. The majority of our carb intake should be fruits, vegetable and grains. Grains should be eaten after a workout and for breakfast.  Every meal you eat in a day should have some protein in it. Good sources of protein include fish, fowl, meat, eggs, and shellfish. Protein is the building blocks of our bodies, we simply will not survive without it! In conclusion– an increase in protein in your diet can lead to a better health profile, an increased metabolism, improved body composition, and an improved training response.

Find the Nemo in you...

AND DRINK SOME WATER! Do I reallllyyyy need to explain why water is so important when it comes to.. Well anything.! Weight loss, muscle gain, living a healthy life… SURVIVING! If you want to do any of these things I just mentioned your going to have to drink 6-8 glasses of water a day. Often times when we are thirsty we mistake it for being hungry, so next time your hungry grab a glass of water! I usually tell my clients if you have one glass of water at each meal (6 meals a day) you will get a minimum of 6 glasses already before you go and drink randomly throughout the day. Also stay far away from juices & soft drinks because they’re  loaded with sugars, salt & BAD carbs.  If you do want a bit of flavour I am a fan of flavoured diet mineral water, diet cordial or even diet coke (in moderation). You can also make low calorie ice blocks out of these drinks so you have something to munch on in between meals.. Just put it in a mould and freeze!

You have to EAT fat to LOSE fat... go figure

There are 3 types of fat – saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.

Forget about that old saying “eating fat makes you fat”. Eating these healthy fats can dramatically improve  your health, and even help you lose fat.  A big mistake people make when trying to lose belly fat is to completely stop taking in fats but you really want to keep taking in the right fats.  Some examples of foods with the right fats are raw nuts, seeds, avocados, extra virgin olive oil, coconut, natural peanut butter, fish and fish oils.

Tho AVOID high levels of saturated fat and trans fats as they ‘bad’ LDL (low-density lipoprotein) cholesterol in your body  This puts you at risk of heart disease, stroke and diabetes. So limit your intake of high sat fat foods such as take-aways,  fatty meats, deli meats and fried foods. Also foods such as  pies, pastries, chocolate, lollies biscuits and cakes.

90/10 Rule

If you stick to a healthy diet 90 per cent of your intake of food, then the remaining 10 per cent of occasional treats won’t detriment  your efforts. Just don’t go overboard! The cheat day is the one day a week you’re allowed to eat whatever you want.  This will not only improve you motivation to adhering to the diet but it’ll also allow low hormone levels to boost back up to “fat burning levels.”

But you can’t sprinkle in the cheat meals throughout the week, it just doesn’t work like that.  Six out of the seven days of the week you should be on your dieting program 100% and then you’ll be rewarded with the cheat meal once or maybe twice a week.

Eat smart

Eating 3 meals with snacks in between is the best way to maintain both energy levels and a healthy weight. You are more likely to choose foods that are not as healthy when you skip meals and are over-hungry. A study conducted on the 'frequency of meals and its effect on metabolism' found that a group eating 6 meals per day lost more fat than a group eating 2 meals per day…despite their calories being equal.

Take foods with you or know where you can go to buy something healthy and satisfying.  Make sure your snacks include protein, veges and fruit!

FOR GOODNESS SAKE NEVER SKIP BREAKFAST! Breakfast boosts your metabolism for the day and stops you from eating excess calories in your later meals. Hence the name, you eat breakfast to 'BREAK' the 'FAST'. Eating a healthy breakfast is one of the most important things you can do for yourself in your fat loss journey.  You’ll have more energy in the day and eating a healthy breakfast will lead you to eat healthy for the rest of the day. It will also cause you from overeating at lunch & thus at dinner. Make sure your healthy breakfast foods have a lot of protein and carbohydrates in them e.g. Yogurt with oats  + fruit sliced into it, Egg omelet with avocado, mushroom and spinach, Allbran with skim milk and banana, or a Protein shake made from yoghurt, flax seeds, banana, scoop of protein powder (my fav is Bsc) ...Just quietly.

The final thing i have to tell you about is vitamins and minerals. If your body is deficient in a variety of vitamins and minerals your mind, your brain, will basically be screaming to your stomach saying, “Eat, we need more vitamins and minerals. We’re dying over here.” You’ll go to eat, and if you’re eating the typical American diet you’ll eat foods that are completely void of the vitamins and minerals that your body is demanding, so you keep eating and eating because you’re never giving your body truly what it needs, so your body keeps sending starving craving signals to your stomach.

That is all for now!

Catch you next time :)

Now go to a round of Tabata!

Kristy 

Have your brownie, and eat it too!

26 Calorie Brownies!

Eating healthy is not about depriving yourself of your favourite desserts! Its about being smart about your ingredients. So check out this recipe transformation and take note of what we substituted the not-so-healthy ingredients for!

Ingredients

2/3 Cup Stevia* 

1/3 Cup cocoa

1/3 Cup unsweetened applesauce 

1/3 Cup whole wheat flour 

1 egg

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp vanilla essence

1/4 Cup low fat yoghurt

Directions

 Beat stevia and applesauce until smooth. 

Mix in egg, yoghurt, and vanilla. 

Mix cocoa, flour and baking powder in a separate bowl and add to wet ingredients. 

Mix until just blended. 

Bake in an 8x8 baking pan at 350 degrees F for 15 minutes. 

Makes 16 small brownies. 

Number of Servings: 16 small pieces or 8 big pieces

Nutritional Info

· Servings Per Recipe: 16

(Double amounts if serving 8)

· Amount Per Serving

· Calories: 26.5 

· Total Fat: 0.7 g

· Cholesterol: 13.5 mg

· Sodium: 37.5 mg

· Total Carbs: 5.0 g

· Dietary Fiber: 0.9 g

· Protein: 1.3 g

*(natural sweetener found in 

most grocery stored in 

the sugar/sweeteners section)