As a professional currently working in the fitness industry, the main goal of my clients is weight loss.  Many also wish to simply improve general health including having more energy and increased immunity.  The lack of knowledge about exercise and nutrition that exists in the general public still amazes me.  Many myths and fad diets still prevail and often are perpetuated by the media and our culture's instant gratification attitude.  Many of my clients request to do lots of ab work in a workout so they can reduce their waist line.  This is of course after I have told this person multiple times spot reducing fat is not physiologically possible. 

Exercise is a major component to loosing body fat and more importantly keeping it off.  However, proper nutrition is just as important if not more so to loosing weight and being healthy.  There is also significant scientific data that supports the inverse relationship of a proper diet and the occurrence of illness and chronic disease.  So many times we want the quick fix or a pill to take away years of poor nutrition.  I prefer to teach lifestyle changes and advocate ideas that promote health that are both healthy and realistic for the individual I am working with. 

Some of the rules below may make you cringe and could seem impossible to implement in your everyday life.  Bottom line, we all make choices each and everyday that impacts our body and performance.  Why not make better choices?  Whether you are an athlete, or just a part time exerciser, I believe good nutrition is the cornerstone to being successful. 

People have different goals, and these 10 rules below can help you reach your own personal goals.  Whether it is to lose weight, gain lean body mass, or simply be healthier, following the rules below will help.  So what about caloric intake, or macronutrient ratios, or all the other technical and theoretical issues that are often debated?  The short answer is that those things only become relevant once you are practicing the below-mentioned habits.  Also, it is unrealistic to think all these changes will happen overnight.  One must change daily habits gradually so that they become a part of your daily routine, and these must be changes that can last a lifetime. 

1.    Eat every 2-3 hours.

This could mean 5-8 times per day.  By eating often during the day, the thermic effect of food can increase the BMR (metabolism) up to 10%.  These meals and snacks must conform to the other rules below.  Many people I work with only eat 2x/day.  This is simply unacceptable and is impossible to reach your goals doing this.  For example, sumo wrestlers consume all there calories in 1 meal towards the end of the day to obtain their physique.  If that is your goal, then by all means skip breakfast and multiple snacks during the day.  If you are someone who eats 3x/day, start out by adding 1 snack making it 4x/day.  When this becomes habit, then add another and so on.

2.    Eat complete, lean protein each time you eat.

Eating protein has a number of positive effects on the body.  Number 1, ingesting protein causes a thermogenic effect in your body and keeps your metabolism running on high.  Secondly, protein is necessary to build Lean Body Mass, which has a direct influence on increasing metabolism.  Thirdly, if you have protein with each snack and meal, this will keep your blood sugar stable so there are no major insulin spikes.  Rollercoaster rides of blood sugar and insulin have many negative effects on your body.   Note: If you are a vegetarian, this rule still applies–you need complete protein and need to find non-animal sources.

3.    Choose complex carbohydrates and foods that have a low Glycemic Index (GI).

Yes, carbohydrates are ok to eat; however, they are not all created equal.  Many of you may have heard the term Glicemic Index (GI).  This is your body’s insulin response to the food you ingest.  The higher the GI, the larger the insulin spike.  Those foods with a GI over 70 are considered high, those between 56 and 70 are considered medium, and those under 56 are considered low.  Also, eliminate as much sugar from your diet as possible.  Yes this means alcohol as well.  Note: Carbohydrates are best tolerated after a workout.

4.    Eat vegetables every time you eat.

This is vital to long term health and wellness.  We are a country that severely lacks the nutritional benefit of vegetables. Vegetables provide us with antioxidants, bio-available vitamins, free-radical scavenging polyphenols, bioflavanoids, and natural enzymes.  I realize it may be difficult to find good quality veggies every time you eat, however there are some excellent products in the market that can substitute for the lack of eating veggies at each meal.  I believe Juice Plus to be a high quality product in pill form.  Another product which I take on a daily basis is called Zrii.  This nutritional aid is in liquid form and contains a low GI rating.  Both products are convenient to our busy life styles and provide all of the above mentioned nutrients. 

5.    Drink plenty of water. Ditch the calorie containing drinks (including fruit juices).

If weight loss is a primary goal, all drinks should come from non-calorie containing beverages.  Your best choices are water and green tea.  Being properly hydrated is also vital for your body to function at the cellular level.  Studies also have confirmed decreased cognitive abilities when even mildly dehydrated.  Being chronically dehydrated decreases your metabolism significantly and just a 2% dehydration level equals a 10% reduction in performance.  Thirst is often too late of an indicator of proper hydration.  A general rule is to take in at least half your body weight in ounces, with a minimum of 64 ounces.  Most athletes need even more due to vigorous exercise.

6.    Learn to love healthy fats.

I find it very interesting when people go on low fat diets–they eventually obtain a body fat percentage greater than when they started.  There are 3 types of fat–saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated.  Eating fat does not make you fat. Eating too much of any macronutrient (nutrients needed in relatively large quantities) makes you overweight.  Eating all three kinds of fat in a healthy balance, can dramatically improve your health, and even help you lose fat.  Saturated fat is the one that is most commonly over-consumed and can contribute to high cholesterol in the body.  Limit fried foods and non lean meat products.  Get your fats from other sources such as nuts, olives, olive oil, flaxseed oil, fish oil, and mixed nuts.

7.    Focus on whole foods.

Most of your dietary intake should come from whole foods.  There are a few times where supplement drinks, bars, and shakes are useful.  Especially since most of us are very busy and it is impossible to prepare food for every meal and snack.  Most of the time however, you will do best with whole, largely unprocessed foods.  Certainly substituting a low sugar protein bar or shake for a couple meals or snacks is acceptable.

8.    Balance daily food choices with variety.

The body recognizes 6 tastes:  salty, sour, sweet, pungent, astringent, and bitter.  Having a wide range of whole foods will generally get all these flavors in your diet.  Lean meats, food items made from complex carbohydrates, and plenty of fruits and vegetables are your best choices.  A well-rounded diet will help to decrease cravings and will keep your body balanced and prevent overeating.

9.    Have a cheat day or meal. 

Believe me, I like beer and chicken wings as much as the next guy.  It is rare to find an individual that can stick to these rules 100% of the time.  You define (or with the advice from a professional) how much, how often, and what is “safe” for you depending on what your goals are and how fast you want to obtain them.  This will help you stay on this plan for a lifetime.

10.    Finally, quit making excuses!

It drive me crazy when people play the victim card and/or blame outside circumstances to make excuses as to why they do not have the body physique and overall health they desire.  We all make choices each and every moment of every day that impact our health and wellness which we are in complete control of.  Take control of your health, educate yourself, make better choices, and stop blaming outside influences for your lack of success!

Note:  Health and wellness is more than a certain body weight or obtaining a certain physique.  People tend to focus too much on body image and forget about all the other benefits of proper nutrition.  Healthy eating is important for proper immunity function, improving the body's functioning at the cellular level to prevent chronic disease, and increased energy throughout the day which directly leads to improved performance at work, school, and in competition.