5 Key Rules of Nutrition

Today I wanted to write a brief post about my 5 key rules of nutrition.  There is a lot of confusing and conflicting information out there which can leave anyone crazy not knowing what to do and inevitably falling of the wagon.  Thus I give you my 5 rules to help build the foundation for your nutrition and lifestyle.

1. Raw Foods-Eat raw, organic foods as often as possible.  With the overabundance of additives and preservatives in food these days, which for some of the substances you can't even pronounce, sticking to raw foods provides the way to only feed your body what it needs and nothing more.
2. Eat Plenty of Fruits and Vegetables- This one goes without saying, but yet needs to be said. Tying in with the Raw Foods rule, choose only organic fruit and veggies and fresh over frozen if you can.  If you are eating plenty of these foods you can even rid yourself of your multivitamin, which will never be able to replace the abilities and benefits or real foods.
3. Avoid Dairy-Dairy consumption has been linked to acne outbreaks, an increased risk of cancer, obesity, while also being an inflammatory agent, which can cause arthritis flare ups amongst other things.  For some, dairy consumption is already out of the question because many are lactose intolerant and/or cow's milk intolerant (Which you may unknowingly be), which are different conditions  Lactose intolerant individuals lack the necessary digestive enzymes to breakdown and digest milk while cow's milk intolerant people are actually allergic to milk due to an immune system response.  Drink rice, coconut, and almond milks as they are the more preferred choices.
4. Consume 3-4 meals a day- There is no need to follow the adage of six+ meals a day. While I will admit I was once guilty of worrying about eating every two hours because of some evil disruption to my metabolism, I have since wised up.  Eating less frequent is actually healthier for you as the digestive process is extremely stressful on the digestive system.  Just like any other part of your body needs rest to recover, so to does your digestive system.  Another negative effect of frequent eating is that you become a slave to your diet, stressing out about getting in your next meal and turning your anger onto others.
5. Have a Cheat Day-One day a week allow yourself to satisfy your cravings WITHIN REASON. Don't be throwing down an entire jug of ice cream because 'Kyle said so!'  Lean towards healthier choices  like always, but don't be afraid to treat yourself. Try and limit the cheat to one meal on that day, however, don't freak if you have two.  The bottom line is to cheat within MODERATION. Following this one day a week will keep you sane.

Clean it Up,

Kyle Bohannon, CSCS

Owner/Head Trainer

kyle@trainstrive.com

www.trainstrive.com