First of all I don’t like using the word “Dietâ€, because it implies that “you’re on a dietâ€, and everyone knows that just mentioning the word diet conjures up negative thoughts. After all “diet†is a four letter word. I only used it to get your attention and it seems the word “diet†does have our attention. I Googled the word “diet†just now and got 466,000,000 results; everything from diet plans, pills, recipes, tips, etc. No wonder that the word “diet†is a daunting thought to digest. I prefer to simply call this basic activity we all do multiple times a day… “EATINGâ€. That’s it… just eating, i.e., “what are you gonna eat today?†I get asked all the time. “Well Lee what do you eat then?†“It seems like you’re tell me everything I’ve been eating is bad for me, so what do you eat?†You can skip to #10 below if you want some food choices right now. Well the answer is not all that easy, but what is a little easier is learning a few basic concepts that will frame all your eating and I tell anyone that is interested these 11 easy ways to eat healthier and improve their health: 1. Eat More whole foods Start eating “Whole Foodsâ€. Foods that are unprocessed and have no additives or chemicals and have their enzymes intact are called whole foods. This means avoiding foods that are in a box, bag or can or otherwise processed. Also avoid eating foods that are microwavable. Avoid foods that are highly heated and “pasteurized†as the process of high heating destroys the enzymes. Avoid junk food. Most fast food may also be a junk food. Look into the calories, salt (white-bleached, iodized, highly processed, and the only kind found in processed foods and restaurants & not the healthy pink sea salt I recommend-which is actually good for you) and saturated fat content present in the fast food you are eating. Eating whole foods allows you to know exactly what you’re eating and there will be fewer ingredients listed on the side of the boxes, bags or cans. Think of eating food the way it shows up in nature… raw, unprocessed and unrefined: • Whole grains Avoid (if you can’t avoid, substantially limit wheat and gluten grains. Gluten free Grains. • Fruits and vegetables (unless you have your own garden or go to your local farmers market try to buy locally grown fruits and vegetables. If you can’t buying frozen vegetables is a good option) • No dairy unless it is raw, unpasteurized and non-homogenized. Otherwise I suggest no dairy products. 2. Read the nutrition label If you must eat out of a box, bag or can please read the nutrition label. Don’t ignore the nutrition label. Understanding the Nutrition Label is crucial for anything you plan on putting your mouth and is essential to good health. Tips on understanding the Nutrition Label. 3. Eat foods that crunch Believe it or not eating crunchier foods can help you curb your cravings and make you feel more satisfied. Eating crunchier foods will also make you chew more, which helps the digestive process and helps you get more nutrients out of your food (see #6 below). There are many foods with great texture and crunchiness. Some excellent simple choices are: • Carrots • Celery • Apples • Walnuts 4. Don’t eat late at night The late night meal or snack is something we are all very familiar with and, lets face it… we all do it. Late night snacking is a key contributor to obesity and unwanted weight gain. A late night snack before bed isn’t so bad every once in a while, as long as you are eating healthy foods that are easy to digest. Eating healthy foods late at night, however, can be beneficial and necessary right after a hard workout. The main problems with late night snacking contribute to: • Giving your body more calories than it needs. • Eating unhealthy, calorie dense foods to satisfy a craving. • Making bad food choices, especially when out late at night because most places that are open late at night offer foods that have high saturated fat content and little to no nutritional value. 5. Eat healthier snacks Making the effort to eating healthy meals is destroyed by continual snacking throughout the day (in between those healthy meals) on things like chips and candy. A daily “healthy†snack isn’t so bad and it can even prevent overeating during meal time if it’s a healthy foods like: • Strawberries • Cantaloupes • Mixed vegetables like broccoli, carrots and cauliflower • Oranges • Bananas • Peanuts A quick and easy way to eat healthier is to Snack Healthier. 6. Thoroughly chew your food when eating Completely chewing your food can help you feel satisfied sooner. If you eat at a fast pace without properly chewing the food, you run the risk of eating more than you actually need to. Chewing your food properly also helps your body breakdown and digest food and allows your digestive process to work the way it was designed to. 7. Eat most of your calories and stop drinking your calories Many people add such a large amount of excess calories to their daily diet by drinking beverages other than water. A soda or a sugary latte will not make you feel full. If you get tired of plain water or just want a little taste you can add a slice of lemon or a few drops of organic peppermint oil, or pink sea salt to your water. 8. Eat five or six small meals per day Splitting your meals into smaller portions and eating five to six meals a day, instead of the standard three meals a day, is a quick and easy way to eat healthier. The five to six meals a day plan will prevent you from overeating because it will curb your hunger and cravings before they get out of hand. Eating small, frequent meals throughout the day can also help boost your metabolism by giving your body a constant supply of fuel, similar to fueling a fire for an extended time. 9. Eat smaller portions A key to eating healthier is to eat smaller portions… Plain and Simple. Eat Smaller Portions. 10. Eat the right portions A key to eating healthier is to eat the right portions in the 4 food groups listed below. Portion size % is different that Calorie %. My suggested meal portion sizes and some food selections are: • 50% of your meal – Largest portion should be “Cruciferous Vegetables“. Foods like Broccoli, Cabbage, Brussels sprouts, Cauliflower, Kale, Bok choy, Rutabaga, Collard Greens & Radish. • 20% of your meal – Next largest portion “Quality Carb Rich Foods.†I suggest complex carbohydrate foods (including gluten free grains) that have a moderate GI (Glycemic Index) between 45 and 60. For example, most pastas (cooked al dente – Pasta that is cooked al dente has a lower GI than pasta that is cooked soft), bulgur, baked beans, yams, green peas, sweet potatoes, blueberries (and most fruits) and rice. • 20% of your meal – Next largest portion “Quality Protein Rich Foods“. I recommend more than half from beans, nuts, seeds, tofu, wild salmon and other non-animal sources, but if you’re a meat eater then choices such as grass fed organic beef and truly free range, bug and grass eating, organic chicken is the best option. • 10% of your meal – Smallest portion “Healthy Fat Rich Foods.†Your body needs saturated and unsaturated fats. Saturated fats from grass-fed animals are good for you; those from industrially raised animals, less so. Don’t eat too much saturated fat. Avoid trans fats (hydrogenated oil) in processed foods. Top food choices for a healthy fats diet include walnuts, flaxseed, salmon, shrimp, tuna, grass-fed meat, eggs from natural diet chickens and raw dairy products, olive and peanut oils, and dark green vegetables. • No pasteurized dairy, only raw dairy to supplement your daily healthy fat rich foods intake. 11. Remember You’re Only Human, Allow Yourself a Treat Once in Awhile One of the easiest ways to eat healthier is to allow yourself some of your favorite treats every once in a while. You’ll often hear about diet plans that include one day where dieters are allowed to break their diet rules and eat whatever they want. This method prevents people from failing their diets completely by giving them something to work for and also allowing them to indulge….just a little. Click HERE for more nutrition information. Preparing the mind and body to perform on demand and under the pressure and stress of competition – or whatever the task is the key to breakthroughs. It all starts with Great Nutrition. The mind and body can have breakthrough performances from feeding it the right nutrition at the right times. NUTRITION, is the 100% Guaranteed, Game Changer. Great nutrition must be an “all the time†thing. Not just a “sometimes thingâ€. Get your mind and body ready now with FORZA Nutritional Products equipping wrestlers (or any athlete or fitness aspiring individual) with the same nutritional products that our US Olympic Wrestling Teams use.