Many people begin the day either not having breakfast or making bad choices high in fat with no balance with their meal. Then at lunch they have a burger and fries, sandwich and chips, or try to be good with soup and/or salad, not understanding they just ingested close to 1000 calories due to heavy dressing and thick, non brothy soup. At supper they consume lots of carbs, eat a large piece of meat and have very little if any vegetables. Many people only have 4-5 servings of fruit and/or vegetables per week, and I am guessing on the high side. Not eating often enough, and eating too much when we finally get to eat can have horible results on our waistline and health.

The instructions are easy…just read and follow along.

Let’s make this very simple. I’m not going to get into the details of every food you eat. Think about this: If it comes in a plastic bag, you probably don’t need it. Make eating simple. Get very creative with recipes and try to keep them healthy. So, here is our strategy. Divide a plate into 4 sections. Fill 2 sections of that plate with fruit and/or vegetable, one section of protein (about the size of the palm of your hand/4-6 ounces), and one section of carbohydrate. You should usually not have any complex carbohydrates (pasta, potatoes, rice, etc.) after 3pm unless it’s right before a workout.

I would think that there are not many people who don’t understand that we are supposed to eat plenty of fruits and vegetables each day. Follow this one simple rule…consume 6-8 servings of fruits and/or vegetables per day. Let’s try to follow just one rule. This rule can change our digestive health tremendously by adding fiber to our diet and improve our gut motility. If we changed nothing else, we should see some adjustment for the better. Do NOT add fat when cooking with vegetables!

Now let’s make a few more small changes or add a few more rules if you will. I consider protein to be just as important as the vegetables. Most people, especially in America, are not having any trouble getting their daily protein needs met. The main problem here is choosing the wrong, fatty options instead of something clean and lean. Learn to recognize the fat content in the foods you are buying and make leaner choices. Choose your ground beef at 93% lean or even leaner. This choice tends to be leaner than most ground turkey or chicken(People tend to think of these as healthier choices than ground beef).

Don’t forget your fish. Wild salmon is my absolute favorite choice. You can have this 7 days a week if you want. Salmon is high in Omega 3 fats which are excellent for the entire body’s health, especially the brain and nervous system. Salmon is also very low in mercury. To stay with our simple theme, eat any other fish a maximum of once per week.

Complex carbohydrates are craving monsters. Hunger calls for a bag of chips. Mashed potatoes are delicious with butter… especially with gravy. Spaghetti and pizza are popular and will make the meal 80-90% carbs. The complication here is… once we have them, we crave more. If you can have discipline with your serving size and eat them at the right time of day, your cravings will get under control much better. Many people do their best by eliminating them completely. My rule as I said previously, is to stop any carb intake after 3pm. If you do have them in the evening, use portion control… no more than a cup. This should not be the staple or main course in our daily diet.

Finally, calories in your liquids should be monitored. You should be drinking half your body weight in ounces of water each day. If you are not near this level, start working your way up to these levels by adding 20 ounces of water per week until you reach your right amount per day. Don’t do this all at one time. Urinating more often as you get used to the higher intake is normal. Many people today are walking around dehydrated which can send faulty signals of hunger. We sleep through the night, and when we awaken, the first liquid ingested is coffee, which is dehydrating. Diet drinks are not any better. They contain aspartame which is horrible for you that triggers a high insulin reaction with nothing to digest creating cravings for food ( usually carbs ) not long after intake. If you think you are hungry…drink an 8 ounce glass of water first. You might be surprised as to how it calms your hunger. AGUA, AGUA, AGUA!!

I hope you’ve enjoyed basic nutrition 101. This is how I start with many of my patients. It seems so simple, everyone should be eating this way. I could go into more detail, and will in future articles. Each item here can be different articles by themselves. Following these simple rules will get easier with time and you will be ready for the next stage. These directions to a leaner you. So, divide your plate into 4 parts, put the right portion sizes on it (hint: all the vegetables you want), and meet the healthier you in not time.

Discover the disguised secrets to burning fat in only 49 days by choosing the colored words.. Free reprint available from: Master Your Nutrition – To Burn Fat Is Simple – Cravings Are Hard!.

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