High impact nutrition fundamentals

Nutrition cheat sheet

Consider this a “greatest hits” nutrition cheat sheet for fundamental habits that will lead you towards optimal health.

Preparation will increase your likelihood of success in achieving your health goals.

Preparing:

🔸 healthy meals

🔸 planning physical activities and 

🔸 creating a schedule for self-care 

will help you stay on track and make the most of your time. 

Having a plan in place also helps to 

🔹 reduce stress and 

🔹 eliminate decision fatigue, 

making it easier to stick to your health routine. Preparation also allows you to anticipate and overcome obstacles, making it easier to stay committed to your goals over the long term!

Screen shot this checklist:

✍️ Prioritize: Make your health a priority by scheduling time for it each day or each week

✍️ Plan ahead: Prepare healthy meals in advance and pack them for work or school

✍️ Get active: Incorporate physical activity into your daily routine, such as taking a walk during lunch or going for a run before work

✍️ Limit distractions: Turn off electronic devices during meals and while engaging in physical activity

✍️ Delegate: Ask for help with household chores or delegate tasks at work to free up time for self-care

✍️ Multitask: Combine healthy activities, such as stretching while watching YouTube or listening to a podcast while working out or walking

✍️ Be efficient: Use time-saving techniques such as batch cooking or meal prepping

✍️ Make sleep a priority: Get 7-8 hours of quality sleep each night to support physical and mental well-being

This how we can apply our knowledge so far in a practical way >>

Many of us don’t know how or want to count calories effectively however, let us introduce a tool you carry around with you all the time. Your hand! 👋

💡 Some sort of awareness and measurement process is important

✅ Data on people who achieve and maintain healthy body weights and body compositions show

🔸 Self monitoring is a powerful tool that leads to clinically relevant weight-loss (enough to improve health & wellbeing)

🔸 People who self monitor can lose up to 5% bodyweight without even dietary counselling 

🔸 75% of successful weight losers still monitor their body stats and food stats in some way

The data suggests that it doesn’t matter how detailed the self-monitoring and tracking is, as long as people do something consistently 

Here are some ways to regulate your eating habits:

🔸 Plan your meals: Plan ahead and prepare healthy meals in advance to avoid unhealthy, impulsive eating

🔹 Mindful eating: Pay attention to your food, savor each bite, and avoid distractions while eating

🔸 Eat slowly: Take your time while eating, and allow your body time to signal when you are full

🔹 Portion control: Use smaller plates, and practice moderation when it comes to portion size

There are a few more ways to regulate such as through sufficient hydration, keeping healthy snacks on hand, getting enough sleep, and avoiding skipping meals however, today we want to focus on recognizing physiological hunger cues 🎯

🔸 Recognizing physiological hunger cues means being able to distinguish between physical hunger and other forms of hunger, such as emotional hunger or boredom. Physiological hunger cues are signals from your body indicating that it needs food for energy and sustenance.

🏁 Regulating your eating habits takes time and effort, but the rewards are well worth it. Making small, sustainable changes can lead to a healthier relationship with food and improved health in the long run.

Establishing criteria for “higher quality" helps you make informed decisions about the food you’re consuming.

This ensures you are getting the most nutritional value for your money and moving in the right direction for your health. Criteria can include factors such as nutrient density, absence of harmful additives, sustainability, and ethical production practices. Having a set of criteria also helps to create a gold standard for food quality, leading to better overall health.

🔸 Higher quality foods provide better nutrition, improve overall health and help prevent chronic diseases. They also tend to be more satisfying and provide more energy, leading to better overall physical and mental well-being.

🔹 Processed foods often contain high levels of sugar, salt, unhealthy fats, and artificial additives, which can lead to chronic health problems such as obesity, heart disease, and type 2 diabetes. They may also lack important nutrients found in whole foods and contribute to nutrient deficiencies. Additionally, heavily processed foods are often high in calories and low in fiber, leading to overeating and weight gain.

🔸 Whole foods are unprocessed or minimally processed foods that are free of artificial additives and preservatives. These are foods that are close to their natural state and have undergone little to no refining, processing, or alteration. Examples of whole foods include fruits, vegetables, whole grains, legumes, nuts, and seeds. Whole foods provide essential nutrients, fiber, and other beneficial compounds that support good nutrition.

🔹 Choosing better is a skill and we recommend operating with the 80/20 principle. If you do right at least 80% of the time, you will see results. Start there and ramp it up as you build the skill of choosing higher quality foods more often. It’s what you do the majority of the time that makes the biggest difference.

Our core philosophy involves building our plate around protein at every meal.

Protein is the building block for cellular growth. After that make sure to include slow digesting, high fibre carbs in our diet for energy and smooth digestion.

✍️ Next, we finish building our plate with colorful fruits and vegetables to ensure we meet our micronutrient profile.

✍️ Our bodies being about 60% water should be a clear signal of how important sufficient hydration is. Even a slight dehydration of 2% can effect our mental acuity causing problems in how we function as humans. Similarly, fat is an important macronutrient that helps with the absorption of important micronutrients such as Vitamin A, D & E.

✍️ Adequate nutrition is as simple as sufficient hydration, hitting your macros and getting in your micronutrients. This can all be achieved by eating a variety of whole foods that we find in nature. However, when we can’t meet those needs it’s ok to supplement.

To manage your training load effectively, consider the following strategies:

🔸 Gradual progression: Increase the intensity, duration, and frequency of your training gradually over time to avoid injury

🔸 Rest and recover: Allow adequate rest between workouts and schedule recovery days to give your body time to heal and repair

🔸 Variety: Incorporate a variety of exercises and activities into your routine to reduce the risk of overuse injuries and boredom

🔸 Listen to your body: Pay attention to how your body feels during and after exercise. If you feel pain or discomfort, reduce the intensity or frequency of your training

🔸 Set realistic goals: Establish achievable and realistic training goals, and adjust them as necessary

🔸 Track your progress: Keep a record of your workouts and progress, and use it to adjust your training plan as needed

🔸 Seek guidance: Consider working with a qualified professional, such as a personal trainer to develop a safe and effective training plan

Managing your training load involves finding a balance between challenging yourself and avoiding overtraining. By following these strategies, you can reduce the risk of injury and improve your physical performance over time.

Regular physical activity goes hand in hand with good nutrition and there is no one "best" type of exercise; what's most important is finding an activity you enjoy and are able to stick with, so that you can make it a regular part of your routine. #NeverStop

Our personal favorite benefit of regular physical activity is it

🔹 Boosts mental health and reduces stress

What’s yours?

Your environment has the greatest impact on your probability of achieving your goals

Whether that’s your physical location or the people surrounding you, your environment will set the upper limit of what you can achieve

🔹 For example, wouldn’t you imagine that a struggling musician would likely do better figuring out how to play in the theatre hall in front of people wealthy and connected enough to skyrocket his/her career than playing in front of people passing by through the subway station?

🔹 Similarly, place yourself in an environment that supports your fitness and health goals support your highest potential

❤️‍🔥 Things you could do today to create a more supportive environment:

🔸 Move to or go to where others are living the same lifestyle. That might be gym, running club, boxing gym or another physical region

🔸 Explain to family what you’re working on and let them know it would be a great benefit to you if they helped you however they can

Remember, recognizing physiological hunger cues means being able to distinguish between physical hunger and other forms of hunger, such as emotional hunger or boredom.

Physiological hunger cues are signals from your body indicating that it needs food for energy and sustenance. These cues include:

🔸 Growling stomach: Your stomach makes noises when it's empty, indicating that it needs food

🔸 Lightheadedness: When you're hungry, you may feel lightheaded or dizzy

🔸 Low energy levels: Hunger can cause fatigue and decreased energy levels

🔸 Hormonal changes: Ghrelin, a hormone that stimulates hunger, increases when you're hungry

🔸 Cravings: Cravings for specific foods can also indicate hunger

🤔 By recognizing these physiological hunger cues, you can better understand when your body needs food, and avoid eating when you're not truly hungry

🔑 This is a skill that must be practiced and developed

✍️ Start with a notepad or the notes app to note how you feel before you put anything in your mouth for a week. Awareness is SO powerful!

💡 This will help you make healthier food choices, avoid overeating, and improve your overall health and well-being

Here are some ways to improve your sleep behaviors:

🧖‍♂️ Establish a routine: Go to bed and wake up at the same time every day, including weekends

🧖‍♀️ Create a sleep-conducive environment: Make your bedroom cool, dark, and quiet, and invest in a comfortable mattress and pillows

🧖‍♂️ Limit caffeine and alcohol consumption: Avoid consuming caffeine and alcohol in the hours leading up to bedtime

🧖‍♀️ Avoid screens: Limit exposure to electronic devices, including phones, tablets, and computers, before bed

🧖‍♂️ Exercise regularly: Regular physical activity can improve sleep quality and help you fall asleep faster

🧖‍♀️ Relax before bed: Engage in relaxing activities such as reading, taking a warm bath, or meditating before bed

🧖‍♂️ Avoid napping: Limit daytime napping, especially in the late afternoon and early evening

🧖‍♀️ Address any sleep disorders: If you have trouble falling or staying asleep, consult a healthcare provider to rule out sleep disorders such as insomnia or sleep apnea

🧖‍♂️ Improving your sleep behaviors can lead to better sleep quality and quantity, improved mood, increased energy levels, and better overall health and well-being

We will break down each fundamental further in the near future. Follow us on instagram to keep up with the latest.

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