You are what you eat

I am sure you have heard that before. I have heard that phrase since childhood, but only recently have I really understood it. At its most basic, the take home message is that if you eat junk, you will be junk. I want to be the best, so I eat the best. However, what is the best for me and my goals, may not be the best for you and your goals.

Nutrition is something that I take very seriously. I think of my body as a finely tuned machine, and I need to give it the best fuel for it to run not just properly, but optimally. I feed my body based on the demands that I place on it and the results that I want to achieve.

In the past, I had only been concerned with how what I ate would make me look. I never considered the other facets of nutrition and the role it plays in health and performance. These days, I eat for health and performance. Eating like this (along with proper rest and exercise) leads to looking great as a result.

I am currently at my athletic best, and I feel that much of that has to do with my nutritional intake. I am far from being at my biggest (although, I am working towards getting there), but I am at my fastest and strongest ever. I have also made great improvements to my general health. I am never sick, my joints and tendons feel great (I have suffered from tendinitis in the past), and I have made noticeable meliorations to my skin and digestive system.

So, what am I doing to achieve all this? I am ingesting an optimal amount of nutrients for my needs and goals. This is what a typical day looks like for me:

• Meal 1 - Whey protein shake after morning cardio, Fruit
• Meal 2 - Eggs, Cream of Rice (with frozen berries), and Toast (with peanut butter)
• Meal 3 - Meal Replacement Shake, Fruit
• Meal 4 - Meat, Brown Rice or Pasta, Vegetables
• Meal 5 - Whey protein shake after strength training, Fruit
• Meal 6 - Meat, Brown Rice or Sweet Potatoes, Vegetables
• Meal 7 - Greek Yogurt (with granola)
• Meal 8 - Cereal (with milk)
• Meal 9 - Micellar protein before bed.

My current diet is very high in protein to accommodate the muscle building demands that I place on myself.  I also eat a moderate to high amount of carbohydrates for all day energy.  The fat content of my food intake would probably be considered high by most, but I make sure that I am only eating the healthy fats my body needs  My carbohydrate and fat intake vary on a daily basis, depending on how my body is responding.  Fiber is also a crucial element in my daily eating habits.

I drink a considerable amount of water throughout the day, with meals, and of course while training.  Since I was a child, I've heard that milk does a body good.  I like to think I am living proof of that, as I drink quite a bit of milk.  I make sure to drink a glass of multi fruit and vegetable juice and a glass of red wine everyday as well.  Although not daily, I also try and regularly drink green tea, ginger juice, orange juice, and pineapple juice.

Whenever possible, I only eat organic.  I am very big on reading nutritional labels and knowing exactly what I am putting in to my body.

Eating right is very simple, but every body has different needs and requirements.  If you are interested in having me devise a personalized nutritional plan for you, please write me via the CONTACT PAGE.