Thursday, January 31, 2013

Nutrition - Yeah, It's That Important!

There's never a day that goes by when I meet or talk to someone about the importance of 'clean eating'. In  most cases, quite a few (not all) people think they can just eat what they want and "train off the bad calories".

If only it were that easy, right? If that was the case, we'd be feasting all of the time on the most decadent foods without regards to the caloric content or the nutrient & physical components for that food item we're chomping down on while maintaining the physique of a Spartan Warrior!

I know for a fact that many people struggle to stay on point - sticking with clean & healthy foods because the people they surround themselves with are always eating crap! Shitty stuff that's highly processed, contains lots of sugar and trans fats. And I'm sure it doesn't help when you're trying to be good while your friends and/or co-workers are bringing crap to share or making bad choices which may also impact your options & influencing you to eat the stuff they're eating - doughnuts, cookies, candies, pastries....you know the deal!

In a fast-paced, single serving society where convenience runs rampant, it's no wonder why so many people have issues with high blood pressure, cholesterol, diabetes, being overweight, etc. We live in a day and age where TV commercials are brainwashing people to go and buy that McRib sandwich which is only here for a limited time! Better yet, you can bring your cholesterol down by eating a cup of Honey Nut Cheerios vs taking the time to prepare a hot, healthy breakfast of scrambled eggs & veggies! How about that get together with friends where nothing but junk foods and sweets are the only things being offered for snacks?

There comes a point and time where you have to take a stand for yourself without giving in to someone else's choices and decisions to eat poor quality "food stuff" (my good friend & colleague Steve Krebs, owner of Next Level Athletic Performance calls it as such cause it's simply NOT real food)!  No one should ever succumb to peer pressure to eating poorly! It's unfortunate because your family & friends will try to bring you down consciously and subconsciously. I know most mean well and want to keep you feeling full & satisfied. Like the picture below says, your family & friends will influence what you eat by 34.5%!


But what if what they're offering you doesn't align with your health & fitness goals? What then?

If your goal is fat loss, how is that huge bowl of mac & cheese going to help?

If it's weight loss, will eating that bag of chips & drinking soda (diet soda is even worse) get you to your ideal weight?

If it's getting off your diabetes meds, I know for a fact eating deep fried butter isn't going to cut it!

Eating the right foods and staying away from junk is a huge issue! It's also an issue that many people aren't educated about.

As I said earlier, many will assume that they can out train a bad diet. I don't mean to fart on your cornflakes (well, technically I do) but you're missing the entire point when it comes to training/exercise and optimal nutrition. To see real world results, both of these must mesh together nicely - they have to compliment each other. You just can't assume that you can smash a high-intensity metabolic workout and even things out by eating Ho-Ho's and corndogs! That's like taking 1 step forward and 2 steps back - you're never going to get ahead! NEVER!

So, what can you do to get yourself on the road to eating well and feeling awesome? Here's a start. Check out this awesome, classic video of the late Jack Lalanne - the Godfather of Fitness, as he explains what foods you should eliminate for 5 days. I know this may be a challenge for some of you but try it out!

It's only for 5 days!



Remember - your goals are just that....YOURS! Not your family or friend's goals!

Have the determination and courage to be the change instead of being changed!

-AR