Healthy Eating Tips from a Professional Health Coach

23/12/2022

10. Snack on the Right Foods
Snacking can be the devil when it comes to your health.

Not only can snacking bump up your calories and cause you to gain weight but snacking on the wrong foods can leave you sluggish and reduce your focus.

Good snacking options are foods that are high in protein, low in sugar, and low in overall calories.

Action point: Overall, try to keep your snacking to a minimum. If you are to snack, aim to eat boiled eggs, whey protein, Greek yogurt, cottage cheese, or other high protein options. If they are carb-based snacks, aim to eat rice cakes, high fiber bars, and make sure the snack is less than 200 calories. Check out these 15 Healthy Snacks You Should Always Have At Home.

23/12/2022

9. Complex Carbs for the Win
Carbohydrates are split into two different forms: complex carbohydrates and simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates are foods such as high-fiber cereals, whole-grain bread, and starchy vegetables and are the best choice for prolonged energy as they are digested at a slow, consistent rate.

This is really important if you work long hours, as these foods will give you a consistent hit of energy throughout the course of the day and stop you from feeling sluggish.

Complex carbs also stabilize your body’s sugar level, which in turn causes the pancreas to produce less insulin. This gives you a feeling of satiety and you become less hungry.

23/12/2022

8. Increase Your Water Intake
“Oh no, not another guy telling me to drink more water”

Sorry, I am that guy.

While this isn’t really an eating habit, it does apply to your overall nutrition in general. The reason why water is so important is that it is what allows vital organs such as your brain to function properly.

Studies show that even just mild dehydration can impair many aspects of how your brain works.[2] This can lead to a lack of concentration and set you back drastically if you’re trying to perform at your best.

Healthy eating is not eating to lose weight

23/12/2022

7. Get More Fish
One of the vitamins many people are deficient in is omega-3. This is usually because they don’t get enough fish in their diet and only stick to lean meats.

High omega-3 intake can help improve eye health, reduce the likelihood of depression, and improve cognitive function. Fishes such as Salmon, Mackerel, Cod, and Sardines are excellent sources of omega-3s.

Action item: Try to add fish to your diet at least 2x per week.

23/12/2022

6. Avoid Sugar Like the Plague
Most of you know that excessive sugar can lead to excess calories and thus, weight gain. However, sugar is much more damaging to other parts of your body.

Sugar jams hormone signals and clogs nutrient channels, weakening bone and muscle, and slowing neural communication, which can impair mood and memory and lead to dementia.

Sugar stiffens the collagen in your tendons, joints, and skin, causing arthritis and premature wrinkling while interfering with the production of new collagen throughout your entire body.

19/12/2022

5. Say ‘No’ to Vegetable Oil
Aside from being highly processed, vegetable oil is composed of polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs), which are heat sensitive. This means that when vegetable oil is used for cooking and subjected heat, the bonds in the PUFAs are shifted and turn into trans fats that cause oxidative stress and wreak havoc on our health.

This can have negative effects on the gut, arteries, white blood cells, and gene replication that can promote brain disorders in the future.

19/12/2022

4. More Eggs Are Good
Another huge myth is that eggs are bad for your cholesterol. This is false.

Despite fears surrounding egg consumption and high cholesterol, research indicates no measurable increase in heart disease or diabetes risk from eating up to 6–12 eggs per week.

Eggs are a great source of vitamin B, high in anti-oxidants and protein, and as long as you control your overall calories, there is no negative health risk to consuming eggs.

19/12/2022

3. Track Your Food
Food tracking is a great habit to build. Studies show that people underestimate their daily caloric intake by as much as 50%.[1]

If you believe you’re consuming 2000 calories per day, you’re probably consuming near 3000. By tracking your food, you are staying accountable to yourself and more importantly, learning what is inside foods. Learning the different macronutrient content (protein, carbs, fats) of food is invaluable.

19/12/2022

2. Make Breakfast Optional
Breakfast being the most important meal of the day is a complete myth. Food marketers and cereal companies make a lot of money from pushing this message. There are people who are hungry in the morning, but there are many who are not.

You should not be encouraged to eat breakfast if you don’t want to. If you’re very sedentary (office worker, professional) and spend most of your day at your desk, it’s probably a good idea to skip breakfast.

If you’re very active, have a low body fat percentage, and have high energy demands in the morning, it may be a good idea to have breakfast.

19/12/2022

1. Eat More Protein
Protein is the king of macronutrients. This is why eating protein is one of the best healthy eating tips. Not only does sufficient protein intake aid in the growth of your muscles and help you recover from training better, but it’s also going to keep you fuller throughout the day.

This is going to lead to far fewer binges, improve your overall focus, and prevent you from reaching for sugary foods. Some good sources of lean protein are white meat, low-fat beef, eggs, whey protein, and Greek Yogurt.

Action point: Aim to eat consume around 1g protein per LB of bodyweight. If you weight around 170LBs, you should shoot for around 170g protein per day.