Cut the C.R.A.P.

Okay boys and girls…I’m talking about food now.  Why? You and your diet are important to me. You and your diet are important for your children. You and your diet are important for your future.

Why your “diet” matters is important to understand when it comes to tweaking it.But, first things first--let's stop calling it a diet.  Nutrients or fuel represent every single food and drink you put in your body. I can remember my step-dad calling it “rabbit food” any time my mother dared stray from the ubiquitous roast beef, potato, corn combination plate.  The key to nutrition is simple:   the better you eat, the better you’ll feel, the better you’ll feel, the more you do (and for some strange reason, Beans, beans the musical fruit…is running through my brain right now.)

What do you eat, and when? First things first, toss out all the C.R.A.P. (Carbonated, Refined, Artificial, Processed foods) I know it is a daunting task which flies in the face of excuses like, "I'm wasting money if I throw this food out," "I'll wait until I need groceries again," and my all time fave: "I'm too busy to cook." Toss it. Get it over with. Do it to live longer, feel better, relax easier, perform smoother. If you need me to come over to your house,  scrounge through your cabinets, and throw out your junk, I will do it for you.  Make a list of all of the C.R.A.P that infiltrates your house. Then, cross off 2 or 3 things you can immediately toss. Make it a small goal each week to get rid of one  item on your list of C.R.A.P—embed this process into your goals for the month.

Have an eating schedule—and I’m writing this to myself right now because since June 4, I’ve been all over the map with my nutrient timing, and need to get a handle on it. Once you figure out how many calories per day you will be eating, next you will need to decide how many meals you will eat a day, then you can distribute the calories accordingly. If you need my help with calories, I will help you.

Keeping a schedule and eating even if you do not feel hungry is important because it will keep your blood sugar regulated.  Nutrient timing is the application of knowing when to eat and what to eat before, during and after exercise. It is designed to help athletes, recreational competitors, and exercise enthusiasts achieve their most advantageous exercise performance and recovery. Not an exerciser? Nutrient timing still applies. This avoids the peaks and falls which can happen and then lead to over eating and making poor eating choices. Think about the last time you “were good” all day until you got home from work, and then raided the pantry and ate everything in sight. Or the last time you committed to a "diet" and ate perfect portions of everything until the kids slammed into the room with a project that was due the next morning, and you lost it. Or the last time that Chick Fil-A looked and smelled so good as you were driving by--and running late--and did not plan--and did not feel like cooking---that you drove through the drive-through and got a party platter of nuggets for yourself?

 If you need me to help with nutrient timing, I will help you.

Cut the C.R.A.P.

Bringing it with Blessings,

Brig