Mar 2 2012
BPM.tv Nutrition 101
Hi Team BPM! The human body never ceases to amaze me. The human body works like a symphony. Each process in your body works in cooperation with each and every other process, in complete harmony.
I’m sharing my full current diet with you, including pictures and the full nutrition breakdown. You can see my diet, including cheat meals, below.
This is what is currently working best for me while I’m trying to gain muscle and gain a minimal amount of fat. First though, I feel like I need to educate you. The human body is beautiful and elegant in simplicity, then also profound in complexity. I want you to be as excited and amazed as I am about the artistic, magnificent design of your body!
VIDEO: Digestion Simplified! ChemMatters – Digestion: The Incredible Disassembly Line
VIDEO: Digestion Simplified! ChemMatters – Digestion: The Incredible Disassembly Line
Each human body is different. This means is that one diet that works well for one person may not work well for another person, even if they are related and they do the exact same exercise routine each and every day.
We may all have the same basic cell structure and the same basic parts, our symphonies may all have the same instruments, but we are each playing a unique song. We have different tempos, crescendos, bass lines and we are all playing in a different key.
Nutrition 101
Our bodies are all elegant and simplistic in design, but there are also several intricacies within each person’s individual, unique digestion process. Because we all have differences within our bodies, diets don’t work the same for each person.
The only way to really know what foods work best with your body is to try different nutrition plans and truly discover your own body’s response. No one can tell you what will work for you. It is truly an intrinsic process and you have to look within yourself.
Looking at a celebrity or a model diet, looking to the media, listening to marketing campaigns for foods, or watching commercials about supplements will not give you specific information about what diet plan will work for your own body.
Even listening to a trusted friend’s diet success won’t help you. You have to truly go within and trust your own judgement of how your body responds. You have to journal, pay attention, and have a measure of success so you know what is working and what is not.
I cannot tell you what nutrition plan is going to work well for you. I can tell you what I have discovered about my own body, but even this will change as I change. Nothing is stagnant when it comes to life, and your body is alive!
Your nutrition plan is something you need to truly discover for yourself, and that you need to keep discovering each and every day.
This is my current daily “off season” personal diet plan. It comes to about 3000 calories and includes well over 100% of the daily recommended amount of every single vitamin and mineral with the exception of Vitamin D, Vitamin E, sodium and calcium. A little sun and sea salt take care of the vitamin D and sodium. I also take vitamin E and calcium supplements to take care of what I’m lacking.
Cori Ann’s Muscle Building, Off-Season Diet
Hydration
- 1 to 2 gallons of water
- 1 to 2 cups of black coffee
- 1 to 2 cups of oolong tea or rooibos tea
Carbohydrates
~250 grams per day (186% DV)
~40 grams of fiber (146% DV)
~30 grams of sugar (all from the sources listed below, no additional sugars are added)
Complex Carbs:
~225 grams per day
In my “off season” I currently eat daily:
- 8 oz. of sweet potatoes (raw or cooked) – split into 2 separate meals
- 6 oz. of raw rolled oats (yes I almost always eat them raw) – split into 2 separate meals
- 4 oz. of either brown rice, brown rice cakes, quinoa, teff, buckwheat, or beans (cooked)
Veggie Complex/Cellulose Carbs:
(included in the ~225 grams of complex carbs above)
In my “off season” I currently eat daily:
- 4 oz. of asparagus (raw or cooked)
- 3 oz. of spinach, arugula, romaine lettuce, or another leafy green (raw or cooked)
- 2 oz. of broccoli (raw or cooked)
OR
- a few scoops of Sunwarrior super greens
‘Simple’ Complex Carbs:
~25 grams per day
In my “off season” I currently eat either (not both) of these immediately post workout. Sometimes when I’m dragging I will eat my simple carbs during a workout:
- 2 pieces of gluten free bread or 2 gluten free corn totillas
OR
- 4 oz. of either raw baby potatoes (yes I eat them raw) or cooked mashed potatoes (with only potatoes and sea salt)
Protein
~300 grams per day (747% DV)
Amino acids included from only my whole food nutrition (I use Nutritondata.com to analyze).
The amounts of amino acids from my protein powder are not included in these numbers because that amount changes based on workout days. If I want to analyze that as well, I can just do some quick math and add it in. You can see the full breakdown of amino acids included in my protein powder by clicking here.
- Tryptophan 3461 mg
- Threonine 13260 mg
- Isoleucine 16152 mg
- Leucine 26199 mg
- Lysine 23987 mg
- Methionine 8682 mg
- Cystine 5334 mg
- Phenylalanine 15271 mg
- Tyrosine 12052 mg
- Valine 17940 mg
- Arginine 22440 mg
- Histidine 9378 mg
- Alanine 18612 mg
- Aspartic acid 31807 mg
- Glutamic acid 52426 mg
- Glycine 16467 mg
- Proline 14903 mg
- Serine 14568 mg
- Hydroxyproline ~974 mg
In my “off season” I currently eat daily:
- 12 oz. of extremely lean red meat, salmon, or tuna – split into 2 separate meals
- 12 oz. of skinless chicken breasts or white fish – split into 2 separate meals
- 12 oz. of egg whites – split into 2 separate meals
- 3 scoops of Sunwarrior protein (1 scoop first thing in the morning, pre work out and post workout)
Fats
~67 grams per day (103% DV)
~20 grams of saturated fat (102% DV)
~25 grams of monounsaturated fat
~10 grams of polyunsaturated fat
~900 mg of Omega-3 fatty acids
~7620 mg of Omega-6 fatty acids
0 grams of transfats
568 mg of cholesterol (189% DV)
In my “off season” my fat sources come from the animal protein I am eating and my carbohydrates. Because my protein sources are so rich, I do not need to add any additional fats to my diet.
I saw my doctor and had my own personal blood work done prior to designing this nutrition plan, so I was aware that my cholesterol levels were well below normal. My body doesn’t currently require a low cholesterol diet.
On occasion I will add additional fats from almonds, but this is on rare occasions. When I do add nuts in, I try to not eat more than .25 oz of almonds (about 5).
The daily nutritional amounts for fats in my current diet (as listed above) are accurate if I eat the full protein and carbohydrate sources listed above, without any nuts.
I don’t add avocados just because they’re a good fat. They are not a good choice for me. I don’t add coconut oil just because it is a good fat. Again, it is not a good choice for me. I don’t add seeds, oils or nuts even though there is a lot of ‘hype’ currently surrounding good fats.
When choosing my food sources, I take into consideration my unique body, my own personal goals, and my overall nutrition. I do not take ‘hype’ into consideration.
My body does better with animal sourced fats than plant sourced fats. I am receiving enough good fats and enough overall fat from my protein sources, so I do not need to add additional fats from plant sources. The animal proteins I choose are all organic, free range, grain feed, or wild so they are high in good fats.
Cheat meals
Everyone needs a few foods that are purely for enjoyment and emotional satisfaction. These are my choices for cheat meal foods. Maybe they don’t seem exciting to the majority of people, but they are my choices for decadence and deliciousness.
On rare occasions, I will have a savory gluten free crepe at a lovely little crepe shop I have found near me, or a glass of wine. My other comfort food is peanut butter, but I have found that I have to be very careful with peanut butter. I can go overboard very quickly. Peanut butter can easily become a slippery slope for me, so I try not to keep it in the house.
When I first started on this journey, I felt like I had to have a completely decadent meal for a cheat meal since that what everyone else did. Cupcakes, pancakes, lasagna. I tried that, but I wasn’t satisfied.
I wanted tomatoes, red peppers, dates, almond milk, coconut milk, a sprinkle of coconut palm sugar, or more nuts. These foods are my personal choices. A cheat meal is for your enjoyment. It can be whatever you want, even if it doesn’t sound good to someone else.
Creating Your Own Diet
My hope is that this gives you some information about how to develop a nutrition plan for yourself. I designed this plan for myself after much trial and error. This plan will change as I change, it isn’t concrete or stagnant.
Currently, lactose and dairy products don’t work well for me. Gluten doesn’t work well for me. Fruits don’t work well for me. True simple carbohydrates don’t work well for me. I had to discover this through time, trial and error.
When I started really listening to my own body, I realized I needed to remove large collections of food from my diet, such as all lactose and all gluten products. I also needed to remove almost all fruit. This means I needed to become well versed in alternate sources of the nutrients I was going to be lacking, such as calcium, vitamin D, vitamin B, anti-oxidants, and fiber.
If you are removing a significant collection of foods from your diet, you also need to become even more educated.
Special Diets: Vegan, Raw, Lactose Free, Gluten Free
If you are a vegan, vegetarian, or raw foodie I applaud your beliefs, efforts, and dedication. Please remember that you need to be even more vigilant in your own personal nutrition education. You need to be even more astute while listening to your body. If you have gluten intolerance, lactose intolerance, or food allergies this also applies to you.
Whether you have chosen a lifestyle or have been thrown into a lifestyle that removes a large assortment of food from you diet, you must become even more aware of the full spectrum of nutrients you are at risk of lacking, and even more educated on the alternate sources of those same nutrients.
I will use myself as an example. By removing lactose, I am at risk for deficient calcium and vitamin D. I have made sure to add broccoli and greens to my diet each day as an alternate source of calcium. I make sure to spend about 15 minutes in the sun each day for Vitamin D.
Know Your Starting Point
The first basic point is that you must take your health seriously by having your yearly physical and blood lab work done before making a nutritional lifestyle change. This isn’t just for the middle aged or overweight. This is also for YOU weekend warrior, exercise enthusiast, and gym fanatic.
You need to know where you are starting from. You need to know your blood pressure, cholesterol levels, triglyceride levels, blood glucose and all of the other information you can only know by having blood work done.
This information affects what foods you personally should and should not be eating. Should you eat red meat? Should you have an occasional egg yolk? Do you need more healthy fats in your diet? Don’t listen to the media when it comes to your nutritional choices. Almonds and avocados may be healthy choices, but are they healthy for you?
This information is also a great measuring tool for you to be able to see how your nutritional changes are affecting your body. A nutritional change is not just about looking better. This is your body, your one and only body, and your health. Show yourself that your health is a priority and that you really mean business this time by starting out properly.
Timing
Eat every 2 to 3 hours. We have all heard this before and will continue to hear it. Why? Because it is IMPORTANT! You need to keep your blood sugar level balanced and steady for many different reasons and this is the best way to do it. Period. I know it’s hard. I know you’re busy. I know you’re not hungry every 2 to 3 hours. I know it takes a lot of planning and preparation. Do it anyway.
Balance
The human body needs a balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. The balance will be different based on your goals and your own unique body, but there still needs to be a balance. You need to have this balance in every meal.
This means you need to have protein in every meal. Carbs and fats too, but protein is the one group that tends to be neglected because protein sources are not as portable as carbohydrate and fat sources.
It is much easier to grab a banana or a handful of nuts on the go. It is harder, and takes preparation, to grab a hard boiled egg or a couple pieces of chicken.
In each meal, there should not be an over abundance of one particular group, nor should one particular group be neglected. EVER.
Each time food enters your mouth, you need to make sure there is a synergistic balance of protein, carbohydrates, and fats. Each time. Having non-fat milk with your coffee? That’s a carbohydrate. Where’s your protein? Where’s your fat?
Making sure you have balance at each meal means that you need to know what group each food falls into.
Celery and peanut butter should not be considered a balanced snack because it is not sufficient source of protein. Celery is a carbohydrate. Peanut butter is a fat.
Hummus and pita chips should not be considered a balanced snack because it is not a sufficient source of protein. Hummus is a carbohydrate, combined with an oil (a fat). Pita chips are also a carbohydrate.
You body needs high quality protein in each and every meal. Want examples? You can see examples of my food choices from each food group in the pictures above. Many people are surprised to understand that nuts are a fat, not a protein, and that beans are a complex carbohydrate, not a protein. Team BPM… educate yourself!
I really want you to make sure the media is not your prime source of nutritional education.
You need to seek out real information that doesn’t come from a marketing campaign. Groups of people have a vested interest in teaching you that nuts are full of protein or that dairy will slim your waistline. Buck the system. Listen to your common sense. Nutrition basics haven’t changed for decade. Proper information has been out there since Jack Lalanne spoke about nutrition in the 1950′s. You just have to be savvy enough to filter out the hype and go with the basics.
VIDEO: Jack Lalanne – The Effects of Bad Habits
The basics have not changed since the 1950′s
VIDEO: Jack Lalanne -The Effects of Bad Habits
Simple Carbohydrates vs Complex Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are the most misunderstood group, primarily because so many different types of food are carbs. So which foods are carbs?
- Fruit
- Vegetables
- Dairy (YES it is! There’s protein in dairy — but it is still considered a carbohydrate!)
- Beans (including SOY beans and SOY bean products like tofu)
- Starches (corn, potatoes)
- Refined, white grains (pasta, white rice, flour)
- Whole grains (oats, brown rice, whole wheat)
- Gluten free grains (quinoa, rice, buckwheat)
- Sugar and anything with sugar or corn syrup in it
You need carbohydrates for every single process within the human body. You cannot cut carbohydrates out of your diet and remain healthy and balanced. The trick is to find the right carbohydrates for your particular body.
There are simple carbs and complex carbs. I admit, it can be a bit confusing. To make it even more confusing, in the complex carb group there are some foods that are more complex than others.
It is a good rule of thumb to completely stay away from simple carbs. You know what foods these are. Candy, sugar, soda, refined grains.
It is also a good idea to limit or stay away from some of the “simple” complex carbs like fruit, potatoes, corn, carrots and tomatoes.
You will have to really listen to your own body to know which carbohydrate sources work best for you. You can see examples of my own personal “simple” and complex carbohydrate sources above. Keep in mind this is when I am “off season” or in a muscle building phase. My carbohydrate sources will become even more strict when I go into a competition prep phase.
The Cost of High Quality
There are some things that are simply worth the money. Organic. Free range. Cage free. Raw. Go for quality when it comes to the fuel you put into your body. This truly is a lifestyle change, not just a diet.
You will be cooking your own food more often, eating out less, buying less packaged food (or NO packaged food) and not spending money on alcohol. You will be saving that money so you are able to spend it on the higher quality organic produce, organic and free range animal protein, raw grains, and super foods.
The Symphony
Your body works like a symphony. I’m not just talking about the elegant, magnificent physical process. I’m also talking about your emotions and your mental process. We each have a lot of emotions surrounding food.
We each have our own values, beliefs, morals, and thoughts when it comes to food. The physical aspect of nutrition is just one part of the symphony. There is an emotional and mental aspect as well, and it’s all happening simultaneously, harmoniously, within us.
Your own process is magnificent, unique, beautiful, and completely seamless. Get to know your own body, understand what works best for you, write your own song, and watch your body dance.
xoxo ~ Cori
“Today you are YOU. That is TRUER than true. There is NO ONE alive who is YOUER than YOU!” ~ Dr. Suess
I know you will also like: Cori Ann’s Prepping Fat Loss Diet Plan
Did you like this post? Tell me in the comments!
Please share your thoughts and questions in the comments. Don’t be shy! Your comments may help to inspire another. Your questions may help someone else who has the exact same question, but is too shy to ask. I love hearing from you!
Mar 02, 2012 @ 23:35:46
very informative post and I love the YouTube video!
Mar 03, 2012 @ 02:13:01
Hope it helps you design your very own nutrition plan Rebecca.
Mar 03, 2012 @ 08:09:21
I love this! I’m eating all of these things since cleaning up my diet. Have you found that you are sensitive to dairy or is it not a good source of nutrition during training season?
Mar 03, 2012 @ 10:45:06
Stephanie I have found that I am definitely sensitive to it… and it also isn’t *as good of a choice for my goals.*. I missed my yogurts immensely at first, but I love the way I feel and the change in my body.
It is fairly common for competitors who are prepping to take dairy out, but some are able to leave it in, particularly cottage cheese and whey. Each body is different… and each body is constantly changing.
Apr 02, 2012 @ 18:01:02
OK girl. I’ve been following all your posts, as well as doing a LOT of self-study on nutrition over the past few months. I have a quick question — need your opinion on something. I know on a “normal” schedule what I should eat, and when I should eat it. However, I have a bit of a “strange” schedule during the week and I’m not sure how to handle it nutritionally. I am up every morning during the week — three of the mornings I lead a boot camp (where I don’t actually work out myself) and two of the mornings I teach a cardio kickboxing class (where I DO the workout with the participants). After waking, it always takes a while for my tummy to “settle” and for me to be able to eat without it upsetting my tummy. So if I had a normal schedule, I would eat breakfast about 30 min to an hour after waking and be fine. But with having to get up at 4:15, I do not feel like eating a big meal at that time, nor do I really have time or energy to prepare one. I eat my “normal” breakfast around 8:30 am after I take my daughters to school. I know though, that I don’t need to get up at 4:15 and attempt to be active without any fuel in my stomach at all (especially on the kickboxing days). So…. I’ve been just grabbing a banana as I run out the door, and drinking lots of water. This seems to sit ok on my tummy and gives me energy for the workouts. However, I’m concerned about the high concentration of fructose hitting my system first thing in the morning without anything else to absorb or balance it.
What are your suggestions for what I could/should eat early in the mornings before boot camp/kickboxing?
Thanks in advance!
Apr 02, 2012 @ 18:47:48
Amber this is such a GREAT question. I mean a really, REALLY, REALLY GREAT question! So many people just grab a banana and run out the door because it is fast and easy… and it must be healthy, right?
It’s a healthy, natural fruit, after all! So, what’s wrong with that?
Well, good for you for knowing that fruit on an empty stomach only serves to spike (and I mean SPIKE) your blood sugar.
Some may say, so what? I’m not diabetic. What do I care?
Well… this is why everyone should care. When you eat fruit on an empty stomach and you cause your blood sugar to spike, you are also causing your hormones (insulin) to have to work extra hard to get all that sugar into your cells where it can actually do some good (like become energy).
The fact is that insulin just can’t get it all where it needs to go when you surge it like that. Insulin tries it’s very hardest, but it just can’t get all of it when you eat fruit (or any carbs) on an empty stomach.
So what happens? Well… the carbs (sugar) isn’t fed to the cells. It’s there in your system, but the cells aren’t getting it. They’re starving for it. They want it so bad. But it’s just out of reach.
Insulin can’t work fast enough. The banana is basically stored as fat, even though your cells are still hungry for it. Your cells are still hungry. They tell your brain they’re hungry. They need energy. Fast energy. Energy now. They’re starving! So they cause you to crave MORE sugar.
Your cells are like hungry little birds squawking, “feed me, feed me!” The insulin is the mama bird. The carbs (sugar) are the worms. There are tons of worms around. It’s actually raining worms. They’re everywhere. But, the mama bird can only get so many worms ready for the little baby birds to eat at one time. So she stores up the rest of the worms for later.
The baby birds are still hungry. The worms are in the nest, on the baby birds, squirming around. It’s a big mess.
Then, the mama bird has all those stored worms, but just can’t get to them. Now the babies are screaming for food again, and it starts raining worms again. Now it’s a really big mess. So many worms you can’t even see the baby birds. Everything is covered in a wormy mess.
Oh! To help illustrate the point let’s imagine they’re gummy worms. Sugar covered, rainbow colored, gummy worms. All over. Sticking to everything. Sticking, hardening, melting, and making all the pretty young flowers on the ground stick together, wrinkle up, harden, and just look like an old, wrinkly mess. But that’s another whole issue for another post. In the meantime, google “glycation.” It’s scary.
OK Cori you’re kind of crazy… So why can’t your body just use the stored up worms (sugar) that it stored as fat? Well… your body just doesn’t work like that. It just doesn’t. It wants you to survive the cold winter and keep you insulated. It doesn’t understand you want to lose weight. Your body is trying to help you live just in case there’s an emergency and there’s no food around. Once energy is stored you have to really manipulate it to allow your body to let it go. Anyone who has ever tried to lose fat can attest to this. It is much harder to let it go than it is to put it on.
So…. what do you do? You make your body efficient at using energy and stop it from storing energy in the first place.
How do you do that? You help poor over worked insulin. Help that poor over worked mama bird out. Give her a little break. Don’t dump a bunch of worms (sugar) in her lap and tell her to take care of it. Be respectful of her time and her hard effort. She wants to do a good job, not a half-assed job. So give her just enough work to do. That way she can really do her job well.
But Cori, what does any of that mean? Develop a taste for veggies in the morning. Anything leafy and green. And protein.
Always, at every meal, try to eat your veggies first (raw if you can), protein next, and additional carbs last (if you need them).
Why? Raw veggies have digestive enzymes that help your body to efficiently digest (feed the baby birds) protein and carbs.
Protein next because now your body is primed to convert it over into muscle building, bone healing energy since you ate your veggies first.
Carbs last because by eating veggies and protein first, your body will slow the digestion of carbs down, slowly releasing them into your body. It will release one little worm at a time so the mama bird can catch every single one and feed it to her babies. Not one little worm escapes or gets into the nest (stored as fat). They are ALL used for energy. Every single one.
Of course it is even better if you eat complex carbs that are released slow and steady, and if you can find out which carbs work best for your particular body through your own trial and error.
But Cori, I’m so busy! I can’t eat veggies and protein at 4:45 am.
Oh girl, you are preaching to the choir. I am up every day at 4:45 or so, at the gym doing cardio by about 5:00 am. I know. Here’s what I do…
I drink 5 oz. of liquid pasteurized egg whites (http://bpm.tv/gear/egg-whites) with about a TBSP of super greens (http://bpm.tv/gear/super-greens). I add about a cup of water, shake it in a shaker cup, and down it goes. Then I eat about 2 oz. of raw, uncooked, gluten free rolled outs out of a plastic baggie while I’m driving. Like granola.
But Cori, raw oats? Like a horse? That’s gross!
I actually like it. So I guess I’m lucky. I don’t have to cook it, I don’t dirty a dish, it’s perfect for my goals, and I like the taste. Sure it may seem weird, but maybe I’m really normal and everyone else is weird. That’s what I tell myself most of the time.
Find a system that works well for you. Good luck Amber! Keep me posted!
Apr 03, 2012 @ 09:34:16
Hi Cori!
I’m wondering what kind of protein powder you use for your smoothies or in any other reciepes of yours? I’ve tried a few different protein powders but have not found one particular brand I’m crazy about. Any suggestions would be awesome! Thank you!
Apr 03, 2012 @ 09:50:48
I don’t use any whey protein because it seems to upset my stomach, even if it says lactose free. I searched high and low for a good protein powder that didn’t include whey, didn’t include soy (that’s a whole other topic and a post that I should probably do), didn’t contain any additional sugars from fruits, and still tasted good! This is the winner, hands down, in my book: http://bpm.tv/gear/protein.
I have tried other raw, vegan powders as well, like Garden of Life, Vega, Warrior Power, and Nutribiotic. This is my personal favorite. If you are currently using a whey protein powder or soy protein powder, try this one for a few days instead and see if you notice a difference.
Keep in mind, I only use protein powder when I am trying to build muscle. Protein intake is a key factor in accelerating muscle development, but sometimes it is extremely challenging to get the protein your body needs with the right timing. The protein you have before and after a workout is crucial. The protein you fuel your body with, throughout the day, on a regular basis (every 2 to 3 hours), is equally as crucial. Sunwarrior protein is great because it is convenient and it is a non-soy plant based protein that also has a complete amino acid profile.
While I am “off season” and building muscle, I jump start my metabolism every morning with this protein and a glass of water. I also have a scoop before and after a workout. It mixes up into a really smooth texture. I love to add it to almond milk, 100% pasteurized liquid egg whites, coffee, or even just a bit of water.
Keep in mind that whole food sources are always best, this is just to supplement your already very healthy diet. The majority of your protein should come from whole foods. For me, certified organic, free range, wild caught, and grass fed animal sources have given the best results.
When I am trying to lean down, I make sure that all of my protein comes from whole food sources, meaning I do not use a protein powder during that phase.
That being said, what I personally like about this particular protein powder is that it is made from raw, plant-based, whole foods, tastes great, and I love how I feel when I use it. I like that it is an easily digestible, nutrient-dense superfood. I like that it exceptionally high in glutamic acid, arginine, leucine, and branched chain amino acids. I like that it doesn’t have any sugar (even from whole foods) because it doesn’t contain excessive fruits like some other ‘super food’ protein powders or meal replacement shakes.
The “natural” flavor can bake up into some cool pizza dough or bread protein recipes. The “chocolate” flavor is always good. “Vanilla” is my personal favorite because I can add cacao if I want, or just have it plain and add a bit of cinnamon. Try it out. Let me know what you think of it!
Apr 26, 2012 @ 14:30:47
I always hear people say to drink lots of water during the day even if they are not exercising that day and need it for hydration. Why is it important to drink water and why do you drink 1-2 gallons per day?
May 01, 2012 @ 10:12:39
Great questions Teresa. I will make sure to create a post explaining why hydration is so important. Without proper hydration, even if you are eating all the right nutrients, there isn’t enough hydration to move it into your actual cells. I will explain on more detail in an upcoming post! Thanks for the great question!
Jun 10, 2012 @ 11:28:09
Hello Cori! I love your website sooooo much. I’ve discovered it a while back, but lately have had more time to browse through. You convinced me of taking nutrition a step further, understanding that ” not all healthy foods are created equal ” … But it does raise a few questions in my mind.
I know you used the help of professionnals to design your diet, but is there any formula to calculate the nutrients ratio & rates that your body required? I myself always knew that you need way more then the minimum 1200cals to keep your body running. I made myself a few nutrition programs, on being based on a 1800cals and the other on 2400cals. I further understood that both were good, for different purposes (one for bulking, one for leaning down). But I still am a bit confused about the number of grams I should get. I am a 19yrs old women 5’5” tall, working out on a regular basis with cardio and strenght training (both weights & bodyweight). Is a 3000cals diet would be right for me? My goal is to become a fitness model, and further in my evolution a figure competitor. Fitness has been my passion and part of my life for now a couple years, but I really have it in my heart to bring it all a step further. I would like to get help from professionnals, but I really don’t know where to address it..
I would really appreciate some advice! Thank you for all the amazing information you are providing, + the great motivation you are bringing me. Keep it up gorgeous!! Oxoxoxo
Jun 12, 2012 @ 09:12:43
Hi Marie-Pierre! I’m so glad my site has helped you take your understanding of nutrition a step further. You ask some great questions, but the answers are not so black and white.
There are a lot of formulas out there that have been designed to give you guideline ratios for nutrition, but here’s the deal: Guidelines are based on averages. They are not personalized. They are not designed for you.
I know it takes a big leap of faith to truly trust yourself as the expert when it comes to your nutrition. It takes a deep trust in yourself, an open mind and an ability to truly listen to your own body. It also takes time. Human beings are necessarily known for being patient, but that is exactly what I’m asking you to be while you take the time to really listen to what your body is trying to tell you.
3000 calories a day may be to many, may be too little. It totally depends on several different factors, and over time it will change. Nothing that is living remains stagnant, and your body is a living organism! What works for you this year may not work the same for you next year. The human body changes and adapts, that is one of the things that makes it so amazing.
Start with the diet you already created for yourself. The calories matter, but in my opinion they don’t really matter as much as the types of food you are eating and how often you are eating. Make sure you are eating at the same set times each day. Try to stick to the same plan without making any changes for at least 3 weeks, possibly longer. You need time to see the effects your choices are making.
Get a journal, or write notes in your iPhone. Make notes about how you feel. If you miss a meal and find you’re more vulnerable to crave sweets or fats, make a note. If you get off on your timing and notice you feel sluggish, make a note. If you are able to work out harder than you expected, make a note. If you are tired and and notice your strength is going down, make a note. Don’t change anything, but keep making notes for at least 3 weeks.
Conduct your own experiment. Create your own ratios. Get to know your body.
If anyone tries to give you a black and white answer to your question, saying that you need X amount of calories, X grams of protein, X grams of carbs, X grams of fat… I would personally be extremely wary. They’re guessing. Maybe they’re guessing based on experience, or research, but they’re still guessing.
Are you willing to listen to someone’s guess about what you need? Or are you willing to figure out what you really need by listening to your own body? It’s not easy, takes more time, patience and more work, but like most things, it’s the right way to go about it.
Hope this helps!
Sep 07, 2012 @ 02:07:31
Cori, thanks for the detailed amounts and beautiful pictures. It gives me a good sense of what someone of your height and build would need to eat with our active lifestyles. I don’t know what to make of the raw foods though. I can’t imagine eating sweet potatoes raw! And even asparagus! But I will say that the benefit of that would be less prep and dirty dishes.
That would be great!