People love to overcomplicate things. They love to overthink things. But you can hardly blame them. They are, after all, bombarded with so much information, so many texts, so many videos, so many status updates, every single day.
The amount that is published to the World Wide Web every minute would probably make the ancient Sumerians contemplate the invention of writing. Or, they’d probably just take a few selfies and be done with it. We’ll never know…
What we will know, however, is the desire to make things hard and confusing inside the realm of dieting—i.e., eating.
But never fear, Padawan. For today is a great day. Today we are going to talk about five things that will simplify how you think about eating, plus ensure you nail the fundamentals.
Fundamental #1: Drink Water
“How boring. Drinking water is for nerds!” Okay… But you still need it.
Despite the recommended intake differing from person to person due to factors like age, gender, lifestyle (work, exercise), hormones, sickness, it can be easy.
You can, for example, stick to 35-45 millilitres per kilogram of bodyweight (higher end if you’re active, lower end if you’re sedentary): 75 kg x 35 ml = 2,625 ml. Or, you can stick to simple recommendations like:
You could also talk to your GP to attain a completely customised requirement based on your body, goals, and lifestyle.
Fundamental #2: Eat Vegetables
The old eat your vegetables tip, eh? A classic. A real classic. Well, it is something that bears repeating.
People seem to love to skip their intake of vegetables. It might be because they are lazy, they lack the knowledge, or they see vegetables as too expensive (they’re not—go to your local fruit and veg shop, buy frozen vegetables, grow your own).
In any case, aiming for at least five servings (one serving: 70-80 grams) of vegetables per day is ideal. And eat the entire spectrum. Eat the greens (broccoli, spinach, zucchini), the whites (cauliflower, onions, mushrooms), purples (beetroot, red cabbage, eggplant), oranges (carrot, pumpkin, sweet potato), and yellows (corn, squash). Mix them up and enjoy.
Fundamental #3: Eat Protein
Protein consumption seems to be a complicated topic. But it ought not to be.
Protein is an essential nutrient that keeps us healthy and our immune system functioning. It helps with recovery and helps build those beautiful muscles you have on your body.
As for recommended intake, aiming for 1.6-2.2 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day seems to be a good idea: For example, 75 kg x 1.8 g = 135 grams of protein per day. Simple.
Fundamental #4: Condiment Usage
Condiment usage is so often overlooked when people are trying to tighten up their diet. And if you happen to have never thought about it, below are the average calories for one serving (15 g/ml) of everybody’s favourite condiments:
Tomato, BBQ, sweet chili sauce: 15-25 calories
Carbonara sauce: 45 calories
Salad dressing (French, Italian, Russian, Coleslaw): 240-457 calories
Fundamental #5: Track!
People generally hate this step, but if you’re at a loss, there’s no shame in becoming a little more analytical about your diet. You can do this for a few days to get an average, or you can commit to a couple of weeks.
Once you do start to understand your energy requirements and overall balance, you can abandon the calculations and fly free from the nest. And to aid you in this quest, I recommend using one of the many free apps out there. A quick Google will show you a list of them (I use My Fitness Pal).
Eating (dieting) really shouldn’t be so difficult. If it is, it’s time to back things off and look through these five fundamentals again.
Any questions, leave them below.
Related reading and viewing:
● How to Design Your Diet
● Three Steps to Address a Diet
● Three Nutrients You’re (Probably) Overlooking
● Top 3 Supplements You’re Wasting Your Money On
● Fasting: Why You Should Give It A Go