Nutrition - Where to Begin?

By [http://ezinearticles.com/?expert=Anthony_Gucciardi]Anthony Gucciardi

A lot of mistakes are made inside the gym, but there is also an overabundance of erroneous decisions outside the gym. Implementing a strong nutritional basis for your goals is key, allowing your body to perform to it's optimum potential. The problem? Many people do not have the knowledge to build an effective yet healthy diet, ensuring that their goals are met and retained. There are many diets out there that warp your metabolism and destroy your body, resulting in a few pounds lost at the cost of your body's ability to burn more fat in the future. Only with proper nutrition can you obtain and keep the results. Read more to find out how to set one up right now.



Counting calories is like counting the stars in the sky


I'm not bashing people who are into calorie counting, and I understand calories will determine whether or not your body has "excess" based upon your metabolic maintenance level, but where are you getting the calories from? Is it 2500 calories a day from brownies and cupcakes, or 2500 calories a day from a variety of sources? What if you exercise? Do you subtract the calories burned when exercising from your total amount, and then eat the deficit away? Plenty of extremely lean individuals never count calories, and they never have to. What's more important is eating the right foods, not a fixed amount of anything you can shove in your mouth. Quality over quantity.

Instead of setting your fixed amount of calories at 2500 and eating whatever you want until that point, most likely not getting enough nutrients in the process, simply eat the right foods. Try and be creative with your diet, tampering with different combinations of great foods. In order to start your new way of eating off the right way, start purchasing and cooking by these guidelines:

Eat preferably organic - I understand some people can not afford to purchase all organic food, but for the small difference in most genuinely organic foods, the benefits are astronomical. While there has been a large-scale proliferation of pseudo nutritional science on the matter, such as the press claiming it's essentially the same as non-organic food, the studies clearly show eating organic is much healthier. If it is truly 100% organic then it will not contain harmful additives, or be genetically engineered (GMO). Also, it should not have high fructose corn syrup, which contains mercury. Overall it is a great choice to buy organic food over non-organic.

Take a multivitamin - Due to the soil lacking nutrients thanks to our modern-day farming techniques, there is a major lack of vitamins in the food we eat. Even if you were to eat vegetables all day, you'd still b e lacking something. Multivitamins are a great support for maintaining your daily requirements. Unfortunately, the recommended daily value as directed by the medical establishment is extremely low. Vitamins like Centrum that cater only to this extremely minimum requirement should be avoided. A vitamin that contains the natural forms of the vitamins, instead of synthetic vitamins (made in a lab), are the highest quality. Personally I would check out NSI or Wellness Resources for pill-form multivtamins (I do not receive reimbursement from either company and it is simply my personal preference).

Diversify your intake - Just like working out, your body responds to change. There have even been studies done that suggest eating the same thing for two weeks makes your body respond negatively, creating a response similar to a minute allergic reaction. Regardless if this is true or not, it's great to vary your intake. If your daily intake consists of mainly carbohydrates and you're not getting the results you'd like, then switch it up. Try increasing your protein intake, or even fat intake. Variety is key here. When advising someone on sculpting there diet, it's always an important factor for me to find out what works for them, because what works for one person may not work for another.

Avoid toxic additives - Food additives like MSG (Monosodium glutamate) and aspartame have been linked to weight gain, brain damage, and kidney problems. Even more dangerous is the fact that a lot of food today is genetically modified. This food is known as GMO food, short for Genetically Modified Organisms. GMO food could very well be tampering with the very genetic coding of our bodies, some scientists are saying. Buying organic and checking the labels is a great way to avoid these toxic additives.

Your body will tell you when to eat, when to stop eating, and what to eat

Your body has an amazing way of telling you when you're done eating. In fact, it's been used as a weight loss trick for thousands of years. The trick is to eat slowly, around 20 or so minutes per meal, and your body will tell you when it's full. If you're full, stop eating. If you're still hungry, then keep eating. Be sure to distinguish whether or not you're hungry, or you just want something that tastes good. If you're craving sugar all the time, there is a nutritional deficiency in your diet. Your body craving a particular food or drink may mean that you're deficient in a certain nutrient. Get a good multivitamin as discussed earlier, and see if your body responds appropriately.

Just as your body can tell you when to stop eating, it can tell you when to eat and what to eat. Of course, you eat when you're hungry. The key though, is to break your meals up into 6 meals a day. The reason for this is the minimized load on your metabolism. Think about it like chopping wood. Would you rather chop a few pieces every couple hours, or chop 500 pieces in one hour? When you eat 6 meals a day, instead of 3, you allow your metabolism to properly process the food it is given. That is quite simple, but how do you know what to eat? Seeing how your body responds to certain foods is the easiest way to find out whether or not your body is approving of what you eat. Listen to your body, and experiment with a bunch of different foods.

Changing your life, not your diet

This is not a diet, this is a significant change in your life for the better. In order to feel better, look better, and think clearer, you need a strong nutritional base. Starting from the ground up, it is an enjoyable process to change your life for the better through food. Stop counting calories and hopping on the latest fad diets, and make a real change through implementing these techniques into your daily life.

Anthony is an independent journalist with a focus on natural health and wellness. As a writer for http://AmericaReclaimed.com and http://www.ShatterLimits.com, Anthony has researched both the monetary system and governmental policy in depth. Analyzing various aspects of international news, Anthony has built a reputation for being spot on when it comes to predicting the outcomes of world events. While he has written about a number of things, Anthony continues his inexorable campaign towards informing the world about natural alternatives.

Article Source: [http://EzineArticles.com/?Nutrition---Where-to-Begin?&id=3444708] Nutrition - Where to Begin?