In today’s highly connected world where there’s new diets, nutrition plans, and eating philosophies emerging daily, putting together an effective nutrition plan can be super confusing.

But I have news for you:  Healthy eating doesn’t need to be complicated to be effective.  In fact, the opposite is true.  Regardless of whether your goal is strength-, performance- or physique-based, success lies in simplicity.

Think about it.

Assuming that each of the following strategies can help you look, feel and perform better, which one sounds easiest to implement and sustain long-term?

a) Following a few simple nutrition habits most of the time.

b) Tracking and counting calories, macros, blocks, and/or points for everything you put in your mouth.

c) Sticking to restrictive rules and avoiding huge lists of foods.

I think that most of you would answer “a”.  Which would be correct…

But the truth is, there’s no “perfect” or “right way” of eating.

Different strategies work for different people.  That’s why I don’t subscribe to any one specific nutrition philosophy.  Instead, I let each individual client’s needs shape the direction of their journey.

With that said, over the last 15 years of working with hundreds of clients, I’ve found that my advice is almost always rooted in these 5 key nutrition habits.

There are many food choices that fit within each habit, so it’s easy to make them work with your favourite foods or preferred diet philosophy (i.e. vegan, paleo, Mediterranean, vegetarian, etc.).

One thing to keep in mind as you work through them though…  You’re much more likely to successfully change your eating habits when you focus on only one change at a time.  

So don’t try adding all of these habits at once.  Practice one habit until you’re able to do it consistently about 80% of the time.  Once it becomes habit, then add the next one.

Eventually, these small changes will add up to big results.  Results that you’ll actually sustain long-term.

Here are the five most important nutrition habits…

Habit 1:  Eat Slowly and Mindfully

If you can only make one nutritional change, make it this one.

Eating slowly and mindfully is more important than what you eat or when you eat it.

Why?

Because eating slowly and mindfully helps our digestive systems work the way they were meant to.

It takes about 20-minutes for the “fullness” signal to get from our guts to our brains.  So if we eat too fast or if we’re not mindful of our bodies’ cues, then we’re much more likely to overeat.

If we slow down and pay attention, then it’s easier to stop when we’re no longer hungry, before we’re stuffed.

Over time, eating slowly and mindfully helps us get a better sense of when and how much we truly need to eat — without having to measure, count, or track a thing.

There are other benefits too.  When we slow down and pay attention, we also digest our food better, feel more relaxed, and feel more satiated.

Habit 2:  Include A Serving Of Lean Protein At Each Meal

In my experience, most people — especially women — don’t eat enough protein.

Protein plays a number of key roles in the body.  It…

  • Boosts metabolism
  • Supports the immune system
  • Helps with hormone sythesis
  • Helps build and repair muscle, bone, and other tissues

Protein is also highly satiating, so it keeps us fuller for longer.

nutrition habits protein

Try to include a serving of protein at each meal by choosing a variety of sources like meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, egg whites, protein powder, lean dairy products ( e.g. plain Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, etc), and cooked legumes (e.g. kidney beans, lentils, etc.)

For women, a serving of protein is about the size of the palm of your hand (3-5 oz.).  For men, a serving is about 2x the size of the palm of your hand (5-8 oz.).

Habit 3:  Include 1-2 Servings of Vegetables At Each Meal

Like protein, most people don’t get enough veggies each day.

Vegetables, especially the colourful ones, are full of essential vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and antioxidants.  This makes them the foundation of a high-quality, health promoting diet.

They’re also high in fibre, low in sugar, and low in calories.  And because they’re so nutrient dense, eating more vegetables helps you feel fuller, healthier, and more energetic.

There are literally dozens and dozens of vegetables to choose from, so the common “vegetables are boring” excuse doesn’t apply.  If you’re not a huge vegetable fan…yet…try some different cooking methods to mix things up.  You can eat them raw, steamed, sautéed, or roasted (my personal favourite).  It’s also easy to “hide” them in soups and stews.

Aim to get at least 5 servings of vegetables each day.  A serving of non-starchy veggies is about the size of your fist (approximately 1 cup).

Habit 4:  Include A Serving of Healthy Fat At Most Meals

Healthy fats are important because they…

  • Help synthesize hormones
  • Aid in workout recovery
  • Help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins
  • Nourish fatty tissues like our brain, nerves, cell membranes, and eyes
  • Help increase muscle mass

The also taste really freaking good!

nutrition habits fat

Healthy fats are the ones that are naturally occurring and minimally processed, including:

  • Unprocessed Oils (e.g. olive, avocado, coconut, flax seed, hemp seed, and omega-3s such as fish oil)
  • Butter
  • Avocado
  • Olives
  • Nuts
  • Seeds
  • Nut and seed butters

With healthy fats, be very conscious of your serving sizes because they can be easy to overshoot.  Women need about one thumb-sized serving of healthy fat per meal (1tbsp oil or nut butter, 2 tbsp of nuts, 1/4 of an avocado), while men need about two thumb-sized servings.

Habit 5:  Time Your Carbs Appropriately

High-carb, low-carb, no-carb, keto, low-glycemic, high-glycemic, good, bad, smart, stupid — it’s enough to make anyone’s head spin!

The best sources of carbohydrates are the ones that are high in vitamins and minerals, high in fibre, and slow digesting.  They are whole, minimally processed foods that don’t negatively affect blood sugar, hormones, or digestion.

Examples of healthy carbs include:

  • Fruit
  • Starchy vegetables (e.g. sweet potatoes, potatoes, squash, pumpkin, beets, etc.)
  • Whole, minimally processed grains (e.g. steel cut oats, wild rice, quinoa, amaranth, spelt, etc.)
  • Beans and legumes

Carbs are important for energy, speed, stamina, concentration and recovery.  While low carb diets can be effective for fat loss, very few people look, feel, or perform their best on very low carb diets.

Research suggests that diets chronically low in carbohydrates can contribute to hormonal or metabolic issues like hypothyroidism, PCOS, autoimmune flareups, and problems regulating blood sugar.

How can you incorporate carbohydrates into your diet so that you can look, feel, and perform at your best?

Time them appropriately.

nutrition habits carb timing

The best time to consume starchy carbohydrates is around the time that you workout (before and/or after).

It’s important to keep in mind that everyone is different.  Some people function well when they limit starchy carbs to around workout times, while other people function much better on moderate to higher carb diets (i.e. including a serving a most meals).

To find out what works best for you, experiment.  Try eating both lower and higher amounts of carbs, try having carbs pre- and/or post-workout, try different sources of healthy carbs at different times and see how you feel.

When experimenting, give yourself at least a week or two to adjust to the dietary changes before jumping to any conclusions.

Once you’ve found a strategy that works for you and your goals, stick to it.

Oh…and as far as serving size is concerned, a serving for women is about one cupped handful (approximately 1/2 cup) and for men it’s about two cupped handfuls (approximately 1 cup).

 

That’s as complicated as it needs to get.  Seriously.

There’s no need to follow restrictive food rules, avoid certain things at all costs, or count calories, blocks, macros, or points to lose fat, gain muscle, get stronger, or perform better.

All you have to do is follow these five simple habits most of the time, choose mostly whole foods, and pay attention to your body’s natural huger and fullness cues.


I want you to feel confident in knowing that what you’re doing to look, feel, or perform better is safe, effective and efficient.

So I’ve cut out all of the bullshit fads and developed a simple and sustainable, step-by-step action plan that will help you get the most out of your training.  Get it for free today by downloading the Results Blueprint.

Complete the form below for instant access.

 

 


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