HEALTHY NUTRITION/DIET TIPS

Hi everyone! Here you are; my most requested topic to discuss on my blog is BY FAR, Healthy Nutrition/Diet Tips.

Nutrition is a VAST subject and it would be difficult for me to cover absolutely everything in just one post, so this is dedicated to eating healthy and tips for fat loss.

DISCLAIMER; The information in this blog is from what I have learnt through my education and experiences during my fitness journey so far. I am NOT a qualified or accredited Nutritionist by any means. Our bodies are very unique and individual so what may work well for me, may not work for you, so just keep that in mind. Regardless, I hope you learn something from this post :)

KEY DEFINITIONS

Before we seriously start talking about Nutrition, here are some technical terms for those of you who may not be familiar with this subject;

Calorie- A unit used to measure the energy value of food.
Macronutrient- Fats, Carbohydrates or Proteins which are needed in our diets in larger amounts.
Micronutrient- Elements and Substances needed in smaller/trace amounts and are typically used to aid organism development and growth.
Energy Balance- Relationship between food intake and energy/work output
Energy Intake- Total amount of energy/calories taken in daily through consumption of food and drink.
Energy Expenditure- Amount of energy/calorie burned each day through breathing, food digestion, physical activity etc.

GENERAL HEALTHY DIET TIPS

• CUT DOWN ON SATURATED FATS AND SUGARS- Too much of this food group can contribute to increased cholesterol levels and increase risk of heart disease.
• EAT PLENTY OF FRUIT AND VEGETABLES- They're delicious, low in calories and contribute to disease prevention. They're full of essential vitamins and minerals which help with bodily functions.
• DON'T SKIP BREAKFAST- When you wake up in the morning you've essentially fasted for hours while you sleep. Your brain needs energy in the morning from food in order to function efficiently, and to start your day off right.
• EAT MORE FISH- (recommended to have 2 portions p/week, including at least one portion of oily fish). Fish is loaded with Omega 3 and Vitamin D, which is vital for bone growth and to help your body absorb calcium.
• EAT A WIDE RANGE OF FOODS- Needed to ensure you are getting all of the essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients your body needs to remain healthy and function properly.

DIET TIPS FOR LOSING BODY FAT

Shifting body fat isn't as hard as you may think, I promise. And there definitely are ways of doing it without feeling like you are starving yourself. The first thing you should know before making any changes to your diet is that you Energy Expenditure needs to be greater than your Energy Intake, resulting in a negative energy balance. Having studied nutrition in college, it is very difficult to explain these tips without pre-existing knowledge of this topic, so I have tried to explain everything as briefly and as well as possible so you can understand without having to read a whole published paper :')

Fat Loss Macronutrient Tips;

• CARBS - I don't know anybody that hates Carbs, I mean, how could you? There are actually two different types of Carbs; Simple/Refined and Complex. Simple Carbohydrates include things like Sugar, Jam, Fizzy & Sports Drinks and Boiled Sweets. Complex Carbohydrates include things like Bread, Rice, Pasta, Potatoes, Cereals and Root Vegetables. These Simple Carbs preferably need to be avoided due to having most of their nutrients and fibre removed.

You CAN lose weight by eating Carbs. Carbohydrates are very important for us; they are the bodies main and primary source of energy. They are also good sources of fibre, which contributes to good bowel health, prevents constipation and can reduce cholesterol.  

There are 4kcal (calories) for every gram of Carbohydrate.

"Cutting out a whole food group (such as starchy foods) as some diets recommend could put your health at risk because as well as cutting out the body's main source of energy you'd be cutting back essential nutrients like B vitamins, zinc and iron from your diet." (NHS, 2016) 

• FATS - A very touchy and vast subject, but, you can still eat fats when trying to lose body fat, which is a very common misconception when heading into making changes to your lifestyle. Fats are essential in our diet, and there are two types; saturated and unsaturated. Foods that contain saturated fats include butter, cream, cheese, beef, pork, lamb and poultry with skin. Males are recommended no more than 30g of this type of fat p/day and Females recommended no more than 20g. 

Unsaturated fats are primarily found in oils from plants and fish. There is very strong evidence to suggest that unsaturated fats help lower cholesterol levels and provide other great health benefits, so where possible, choose these over Saturated Fats!

Unsaturated Fats can be split into two types; Monosaturated (helps protect our heart) and Polyunsaturated Fats (lowers level of LDL Cholesterol). Here's a good few sources of these; 

Monosaturated= Avocados, some Nuts, Rapeseed Oil and spreads, Olive Oil and spreads. 

Polounsaturated= Rapeseed/Corn/Sunflower Oil, Mackerel, Herring, Fresh Tuna, Salmon and Trout.

DO NOT COMPLETELY AVOID FATS. As mentioned before, fats a macronutrient that are vital in our diet. They are responsible for the insulation and protection of our body organs. They help with absorbing Vitamins E, A & D which are fat-soluble (can only be absorbed by fats in the body). So small amounts are NECESSARY. 

• PROTEINS - Proteins are the building blocks of blood, cartilage, skin, muscles and bones; they can also help us by reducing feelings of hunger, repair body tissues and creates hormones. If you exercise to help reduce body fat, you should consider increasing the amount of protein in your diet. Consuming more protein can lead to increased and sustained lean body mass and gradually over time may even help you burn more fat. When adding more protein into your diet, be sure to do so gradually so your body has time to adjust to the change.  Protein is also known to increase metabolism. 

Recommended source of Protein; Sea Foods, White Meat Poultry, Beans, Cheese, Yogurt, Lean Beans, Eggs, Oats and Broccoli. 

There are 4kcal (calories) for every gram of Protein.

FAQ'S

PROTEIN SHAKES & LOSING FAT, CAN YOU HAVE BOTH?

YES YOU CAN!!!! Protein shakes are a great way to ensure that you are taking in enough protein during the day. However, they still contain calories, so consuming them without exercise or activity can make it harder for some people to lose body fat. Protein is designed to be an effective and convenient method to inject extra protein into someones diet if they are struggling or lacking appetite etc. They can be used as a very filling meal replacement or snack; the reason why they are filling is because, as a liquid it will enter the stomach quicker than food digestion. Don't rely on protein shakes though, a varied diet is essential for you to get all of the micronutrients you need to function properly!

A huge and very common problem for some people when trying to lose fat is that they are constantly craving food and finding themselves hungry, which can eventually lead to unhealthy snacks/meals. Having a Protein Shake as a snack it can prevent you from constantly feeling hungry between meals. It can help your ability to control when/what/how you eat and ultimately help with weight loss in the long run.


HOW SHOULD I EAT TO TONE UP?

In short, follow all of the tips mentioned above! Make sure you eat plenty of protein rich foods so your body is able to increase and promote the rate of protein synthesis, provide fuel for muscles and enable them to grow. Not a nutritional tip, but exercise will help speed the process of getting a lean physique especially H.I.I.T (High Intensity Interval Training) and Resistance Training. Being toned is all about Muscle Size and a low Body Fat percentage!  DO NOT EAT LESS! Watch what you are putting into your body and you will still be able to eat the same amount as food as when you are maintaining body composition/have no goals to change.

To hear a different opinion of mine on this subject, here are some websites which are worth reading too! :)

https://www.myprotein.com/your-goals/diet-and-weight-loss.list
https://www.eatthis.com/best-foods-to-eat-for-muscle-definition/

DO I HAVE TO EAT LESS TO LOSE WEIGHT/BODY FAT?
People presume all of the time that in order to drop weight or fat that they have to eat less, right? WRONG. Eating less and moving more in an attempt to make these changes will result in your metabolism slowing down, which will make your life more difficult trying to change your body composition. Eating enough food and sufficient calories at regular times will encourage a boost in your metabolism; lots of people recommend eating small amounts of food frequently throughout the day. When your metabolism is higher, your body increases its metabolic rate and its ability to burn calories quicker.

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I hope the information in this post is helpful to some of you! If you're interested in my posts and what keep up to date with my page, please subscribe to the blog! If you have any further questions about nutrition, anything fitness related, or general requests for future posts, please get in contact and let me know via my email, or my Instagram; @shxrt_arse