How many of these quotes have you heard?
- Garbage in, garbage out
- Breakfast is the most important meal of the day
- Food is fuel.
These are common sayings we’ve heard. Do you really know what the sayings mean, let alone what to do about it? In a high paced, high productivity world self-care, particularly with food, falls to the way-side.
Does this sound familiar?
You wake up, run around frantically, make coffee while getting dressed. You run out the door without giving a thought to eating anything before you leave. We have heard breakfast is the most important meal of the day. However, we missed the class where “they” taught us what this means. “Breakfast” literally means to break the fast. You haven’t eaten since the night before and your body needs a little fuel in order to have a rock star day.
The best thing to eat for breakfast will have:
- Approximately 25-30 grams of protein
- Some fruit or vegetables
Examples include: 7 egg white omelet, or a chicken breast with cheese and tomatoes, or if you don’t have a lot of time, a high quality meal replacement smoothie
Are you subject to the “3pm crash”?
Did you know that eating every 2.5 – 3 hours a day helps you keep your energy up, your metabolism kicking, and your mood in check? Hence the saying “food is fuel”.
The best thing for AM and PM snack time will have:
- 15-20 grams of protein
- Paired with a fruit or veggie
Examples include: Greek Yogurt, or Beef Jerky, or string cheese with deli meat
Keep the metabolic fire burning!
Lunch and Dinner should mimic your breakfast when it comes to protein grams. A lean protein like chicken or fish, or red meat a few times a week, if that’s what floats your boat. Along with your lean protein, work in fruits and veggies. It will help keep you full, get fiber for digestion and gives your body some serious nutrition. If you need to eat on the go, a high quality meal replacement shake could be used for one of these meals as well.
Feeling under the weather?
If you haven’t been feeling well lately, ask yourself “What have I been eating?” Your body is made up of trillions of cells that are created from what you eat. If it’s a high fat, fake food diet, it’s no wonder that your body is at the point of breaking down and not feeling well. It has no other choice! Garbage in = garbage out.
Baby step your way to optimal health
The sure fire way to success is not set your self up for failure. Putting 8 things on the “to-do list” when it comes to health improvement often overwhelms us and blows up in our face.
Now that you have a better understanding of how to eat through the day, start to notice where you can make improvements. Start small by taking one to two things that you want to change and focus on those. After you get those items under your belt, add in one or two more. Good Luck!
