13 Nutritional Guidelines to help you gain that dream body:
1. Always use 100% whole wheat when using bread, crackers, pasta and tortillas. Make sure to read the label. 100% whole wheat doesn’t mean anything if the ingredients also has enriched flour. Never buy anything with enriched flour(all the nutrients are gone). Kashi is a great brand to use for crackers and granola bars. If you are committed, you can always find 100% whole wheat in pasta, bread, tortillas and crackers. Learning to read the ingredients is a vital part of good nutrition.
2. Water, water, water. Soda is the root of all evil in our society. The most important change to your diet is to eliminate soda and drink lots of water. 1% milk is also great for many reasons, most importantly it is a great snack as well as a calcium, protein source.
3. Always use 100% pure olive oil when cooking.
4. Protein is extremely important, muscle burns fat and protein builds muscle! You need 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight just to maintain your current lean muscle. You need 1.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight to gain muscle weight. So if you’re looking to maintain, remain consistent with 1 gram and if you’re looking to gain weight then 1.5 grams is the route to go.
5. Try to avoid eating after 8pm. After eight puts on the wrong kind of weight!
6. Desserts are okay in moderation.
7. Eliminate all fried foods.
8. Try to limit your intake of processed foods.
9. Eat as much organic food as possible. That means fruits, vegetables, and whole grains should be a staple of your dietary intake.
10. Chicken is your friend and you can eat it prepared anyway you like... except fried!
11. Really start to read labels, the fewer ingredients the better. Never buy anything with enriched flour. Lara bars are a great example of a great snack with the most basic ingredients you can find. If you have never heard of an ingredient listed on a label then you probably shouldn’t eat it.
12. Try to avoid cream based soups, sauces and dressings.
13. Just remember to always allow yourself a "day off" where you can eat whatever you want and enjoy it.
You can do it!
