It Starts with Food (Fuel)
Are you putting premium in your tank and garbage in your mouth? When was the last time you took a close look at the results your lifestyle have had on your body? To paraphrase author/thinker Tim Ferriss - If you're getting your car checked out more often than you're having your own blood work done, you need to get your priorities straight!
Whether you've been suffering from the same health problem for years or just can't quite get to the level of fitness you're aiming for, chances are what you're eating is a major factor. Think about it, the things you put into your body are what it uses to operate. It's the gasoline to power the generator, the bricks that make up the walls, the oil which lubricates constantly moving parts, and it feeds the system which washes out waste. If you're supplying your body with sub-optimal fuel it's going to give you sub-optimal results.
That being said, I'm not a doctor, dietician, or even a wanna-be online personal trainer, so don't listen to me, try it for yourself. The only way to really know if some stupid article you read online is worth anything is to test the advice. In my experience, sticking to eating right for 30 days was enough to convince me to try 90. By the time I reached 90, my diet had changed for life; it was that black and white. It turns out, feeding your body wholesome, natural foods the way nature intended can improve health issues, energy levels, mood, athletic performance, mental performance, and the list goes on.
So what should I do you say? Luckily for you and I, plenty of experts have spent a lot of time and energy to answer exactly that question. Here's the two-page summary put together by Robb Wolf which you can use to make the largest shift in your life since you learned to walk. These 5 steps are simple and can be accomplished in an afternoon, so check it out, and then DO IT. Not tomorrow, today.
LINK: The Paleo Solution Quick Start Guide
*One important thing to note here is that this guide, and a lot of paleo discussion surrounds weight loss, which it can be great for, but the paleo diet is a very healthy way of living for those who aren't trying to lose weight as well (I successfully gained lean muscle since starting to eat paleo). If you fall into the latter category like I do, just disregard advice followed by phrases such as "if fat loss is your goal."
If you simply search for Robb Wolf or Paleo you will find tons of additional, detailed information, including his full book The Paleo Solution.
Lastly, a couple of my favorite guidelines that are easy to remember:
*There are of course exceptions to these, so when in doubt use your brain. When that fails, ask the interwebs.
Whether you've been suffering from the same health problem for years or just can't quite get to the level of fitness you're aiming for, chances are what you're eating is a major factor. Think about it, the things you put into your body are what it uses to operate. It's the gasoline to power the generator, the bricks that make up the walls, the oil which lubricates constantly moving parts, and it feeds the system which washes out waste. If you're supplying your body with sub-optimal fuel it's going to give you sub-optimal results.
That being said, I'm not a doctor, dietician, or even a wanna-be online personal trainer, so don't listen to me, try it for yourself. The only way to really know if some stupid article you read online is worth anything is to test the advice. In my experience, sticking to eating right for 30 days was enough to convince me to try 90. By the time I reached 90, my diet had changed for life; it was that black and white. It turns out, feeding your body wholesome, natural foods the way nature intended can improve health issues, energy levels, mood, athletic performance, mental performance, and the list goes on.
So what should I do you say? Luckily for you and I, plenty of experts have spent a lot of time and energy to answer exactly that question. Here's the two-page summary put together by Robb Wolf which you can use to make the largest shift in your life since you learned to walk. These 5 steps are simple and can be accomplished in an afternoon, so check it out, and then DO IT. Not tomorrow, today.
LINK: The Paleo Solution Quick Start Guide
*One important thing to note here is that this guide, and a lot of paleo discussion surrounds weight loss, which it can be great for, but the paleo diet is a very healthy way of living for those who aren't trying to lose weight as well (I successfully gained lean muscle since starting to eat paleo). If you fall into the latter category like I do, just disregard advice followed by phrases such as "if fat loss is your goal."
If you simply search for Robb Wolf or Paleo you will find tons of additional, detailed information, including his full book The Paleo Solution.
Lastly, a couple of my favorite guidelines that are easy to remember:
- When you're at the grocery store you should "shop around the edges" as opposed to in the isles - produce, seafood, meats, and other fresh foods tend to be found here
- Don't eat things that come in cardboard boxes or are wrapped in plastic
- Don't drink beverages that have been in existence for less than a 1,000 years (soda, energy drinks, and whatever other crap they invent tomorrow)
- Avoid cereal (particularly for your kids) - most cereals today have the sugar content of candy
- Drinking a glass of fruit juice daily is far more sugar than you need - one glass of OJ = about 8 oranges, how often in nature do you come across and then eat 8 oranges? Definitely not every day
- Beware the added sugar in everything and make it a habit of checking the nutrition facts
- Peanuts are not real nuts, they're bullshit imposters and you shouldn't eat them
*There are of course exceptions to these, so when in doubt use your brain. When that fails, ask the interwebs.
