By: Cynthia Oosting

As I mentioned in my previous article, a good nutritional eating plan is crucial and can be as much a 80% of your overall training results. You just can't overlook it or neglect it...

When you start an exercise program , you need to adjust and clean your diet as well! You see, the food you consume, is like the FUEL you put in your vehicle. Therefore, it's a must to provide your body with OPTIMUM macronutrients for MAXIMUM results.

What I meant by a "clean diet" was one free of processed, altered and/or junk food. 'Learning to eat to live rather then to live to eat' is basically what you should strive to achieve. I understand that it can be challenging at first to stay away from the pizza place or donut shop but trust me these changes are necessary in order to attain the physic you want and the health you deserve!

Now, that doesn't mean you will have to always be on a perfect diet and never be able to "side track" at a party or while eating out! Lets be realistic, eating is one of life's pleasure and most people truly enjoy it! Personally, I find that allowing myself to eat whatever I want ONE day per week works well! I called it my CHEAT day. By doing this, I satisfy my cravings, enjoy myself while eating out or while having company but yet still remain lean and healthy. Just remember, live, natural, nutrient rich food is what your daily menu should consist of!

I highly recommend you to eat 5-6 smaller meals per day at 2-3 hrs intervals. That way, you will keep your metabolism active (preventing it from becoming sluggish), avoid hunger and tame cravings. Always remember that these meals should all contain a portion of protein, carbohydrate and some good fat.

Here is a few of my favorite choices for each of these macronutrients:

PROTEIN: salmon, tuna (both rich in omega 3 oil), chicken breast (without skin), lean ground turkey (makes great burger patty), tofu (great alternative source of protein), egg whites (great omelets), If you like red meat, get the leanest cut possible. Also, bars and protein powders are great substitute and are very handy for busy/on the road people.

CARBOHYDRATE: ***I choose mine from complex carbohydrates as they keep you satisfied longer and keep your insulin level more stable then the simple sugar carb source.

• oatmeal (immune system enhancer, high cholesterol prevention)
• Ezekiel bread (flourless, made with organic sprouted grains, zero gram of sugar, rich in fiber
• :->>sweet potato/yam
• brown rice
• ***If you wish to consume fruits, do so RIGHT AFTER your workout and if possible preferably in the morning as well. This is a great advice specially for those who want to emphasize weight loss (body fat).

FATS: You need to include good fats (essential fatty acid) in your diet. They are necessary for proper brain function and are a source of energy utilize by the body(specially when on a low carbohydrate diet).

They are two kind of essential fatty acid called OMEGA 3 and OMEGA 6. They should always be consume in a proper ratio for optimum health which is 4:1 (omega 6 to omega 3). Let me list a few:

• flax seed oil (vegetal source of omega 3)
• safflower /canola/soybean oil (omega 6)
• olive oil (rich in monounsaturated oil and also contain omega 6)
• Note that deep cold water fish (like tuna/salmon) are great source of omega 3 too.
• You can also obtain the benefits of these fats through supplementation: primrose oil or borage oil for omega 6 and Dha or flax seed oil capsules for omega 3.

Cynthia Oosting
tattoo29@hotmail.com

Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here!

Back To Cynthia Oosting's Main Page

Back To The Articles Main Page.

Related Articles
The Sonoma Diet: Promising Good-Quality Food You Love!
Looking At The LA Weight Loss Diet: Pros & Cons.
Shannon Clark's Diet Reviews - Main Page.

CytoSport Muscle Milk Nature's Ultimate Growth Formula! Creatine, Proteins, Growth Peptides, Increase Anabolic Output! Learn More!