What should I eat?

Eating should be simple but it really isn't. We're so busy that planning, shopping, and preparing can seem like a luxury we can't afford so we go for something satisfying and convenient. As a certified personal trainer I found the most interesting part of my studies to be on diet and nutrition. My certification is through ISSA and they have a pretty simple 1-2-3 nutritional rule of thumb. The premise is that 1 part of your daily caloric intake should come from fat (healthy fat of course like, avocados, olive oil, walnuts but remember too much good fat is still too much fat) 2 parts from protein and 3 parts from carbs, yes wonderful carbs! Now the trick is to know your daily caloric expenditure so you can figure out how many calories represent 1 part of the whole, 2 parts and 3 parts. To compute your daily caloric expenditure you need to know your percent of body fat and then it's a simple equation. If you know your body fat and are interested in the formula let me know and I will either compute it for you or provide the calcullation. It's math but pretty simple math.

Here's my health tip for today. Do one, actually three things for a baby step to good health and more energy. Number one, eat breakfast, a healthy breakfast that includes egg whites, oatmeal, fruit. Just do it! Next keep some energy bars on hand, I like Cliff Hangers chocolate mint protein bars. When you feel that first pang of hunger (for me usually a couple or three hours after breakfast) eat a protein bar. Let the rest of the day flow with hopefully lunch and dinner and maybe another protein bar between those meals. Most people get enough fat and enough carbs but fall short on protein. So think about that when having lunch and dinner and enjoy lean grilled chicken or fish or even red meat along with all the fruits and vegetables you want. It's a start to managing hunger and keeping your energy level up. Last but not least do your cardio. Best thing you can do as it releases toxins from your body, strengthens your heart, lungs and arteries. Just do it!

Here is a great blog by a private chef in Atlanta. Healthy, simple, unadulterated, delicious food.

www.preparedbypaige.com