Imagine you are going on a road trip. You’re going to drive from Philly to your cousin’s wedding in North Carolina. You packed the car, you’ve left early. You’ve also decided to disconnect the monitor for the gas tank so when it runs out and the car abruptly stops, you’ll be forced to figure out some way to fuel it and see if you can complete the trip. When the car starts to sputter, you’ll just turn up the music.
Your cousin would be pissed. You wouldn’t ever do that. Instead, you would monitor the gas, understand your relationship to your fuel source, see where gas stations were so that you could arrive happy, on time and enjoy the trip.
If you’re in the gym without a plan on fueling your body – this is exactly what’s happening. The good news is that you don’t have to, there’s a better way.
3 basic principles
In all of the conversations that we’ve had around nutrition over the years and the varied plans relative to goals, needs and bodies, here are three things anyone can benefit from with regardless of diet or goals;
1. Sleep. “WTF.. You said this was about food”. Remember, this is about fuel, and your body being able to effectively process that fuel. Sleep is one of the absolute most overlooked parts of recovery and building your body. Some simple ways it helps nutrition include improving digestion and regulating hunger. Set a goal of 8 hours, track it and watch how it changes your body.
2. Water. “Like a cleanse??” No, just actual water. Not with sugar and not 4 gallons a day. Carry a bottle so you know how much you’re drinking. Don’t like regular water? Try some with bubbles or a slice of lemon. Try and get at least half to 3⁄4 of your bodyweight in total ounces per day. That’s all, drink when you’re thirsty.
3. Eat whole foods (not necessarily AT Whole Foods..). As often as you can (I know we just told you to drink from a water bottle), try and not take your food out of plastic, but instead start with it in its natural form. Why is this good? It means you’ll eat foods that have fewer preservatives and are less processed. It also slows down your eating process and preparing foods gives you more insight into what you are actually eating or feeding others (yay cooking!). You’ll also create less waste – double win.
Wait, isn’t there more to it?
Our Precision Nutrition Certified Coaches would love share stories of transformation, success and developing individualized maps to get there. However, our approach to anything we offer is how can we make the maximum impact with the smallest dose. Start with the basics, do them well, then start to dive down the rabbit hole.