Pro Grade Training: One-on-One or Group Training for Rapid Results

It all boils down to Discipline, Psychology and having a System to follow that works for you:

“Discipline is the assertion of over more base desires, and is usually understood to be synonymous with self-control. One uses reason to determine the best course of action that opposes one’s desires. Virtuous behavior can be described as when one is aligned with one’s aims: to do what one knows is best and to do it gladly. Continent behavior, on the other hand, is when one does what one knows is best, but must do it by opposing one’s motivations. Moving from continent to virtuous behavior requires training and some self-discipline.”

“Self-discipline; what many people call will-power, refers to the ability to persist at difficult or unpleasant tasks until they are completed. People who possess high self-discipline are able to overcome reluctance to begin tasks and stay on track despite distractions. Those with low self-discipline procrastinate and show poor follow-through, often failing to complete tasks-even tasks they want very much to complete.”

– Wikipedia

“The emphasis is that we need to act against our natural inclination, because our natural inclination is almost always working against us. It also emphasizes that discipline can become a habit, which will make doing the task less of a burden and more enjoyable”

“There are two types of pain you will go through in life, the pain of discipline and the pain of regret. Discipline weighs ounces while regret weighs tons.”

― Jim Rohn

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You do not have to agree with anything I mention in these rules. This is what I found to be the best information I could gather and share. It works for me, and many of my clients. If you have another view of nutrition and it works for you, than please follow that. Now, please be open to the information.

 Don’t expect to follow all these rules right away. This is a guideline. Go through it and highlight areas that you feel you can commit to changing. Commit to 2-3 habit changes per month. If you do too many changes of the bat, you will have a less likely probability of succeeding long term. Think of what you will have accomplished in a year. Take your time and let the habits set in.

Rules of Proper Nutrition Habits:

1. Clean out your pantry. Get ride of all the harmful food you know will hold you back. Give it away to charity, a neighbour or just chuck it away.
2. Eat mainly whole foods (Anything that grows from the ground, walked around or swan around at one point). If you can’t tell where it came from, then stay away from it.
3. Eat as naturally as possible. The fresher, the less chemical lased, the more organic, the closer to the real whole food, the better! Therefore, try getting organic, local, grass fed, free range, wild, hormone/antibiotic/preservative free, etc

Example:

• Local Free Range, Organic Eggs (Local Farms, Organic Stores and Farmer’s Markets. There are many in our area.)
• Wild Caught Fish (Stay away from Pacific for now – Remember the Japan Nuclear thingy that happened recently)
• Local Grass Fed Meat (Local Farms and Farmer’s Markets. There are many ethical and local farmers in our area. If you want to be humane toward animals and decrease factory farming, than go to your local farm)
• Organic Vegetables and Fruits (Organic stores and Farmer’s Markets)

4. Read the labels and look for added artificial ingredients. If you are getting something processed like salad dressing, look for added preservatives, artificial flavours and colours, etc. The more ingredients there are the worse generally. If the ingredient is hard to pronounce then stay away from it.
5. Don’t listen to Media! That is what got you all confused about what to eat in the first place. I would argue that most of the information you ever heard on TV, etc is false and got a lot of people in trouble. The media is a way for people to do what the masses are doing. This means, living a mediocre life and paying the system as much as possible. What pays more than anything to the system? Pharmaceuticals and Medical care (“sick care”). So in reality the media and government is really not interested in what is good for you. They are interested in what makes the economy thrive.
6. Do your own educated research. Google is the best doctor. Read and get educated. Make sure it makes sense to you.
7. Google the Paleo Diet. Get familiar with it. It’s what we were designed to eat. It’s easy and makes sense. Also, there are tons of recipes and tons of the tastiest desserts you can have. And they are all natural and good for you.
8. Google “Ketogenic Diet”. Do this once in a while for a great way to re-set your metabolism to burn fat efficiently and for many health benefits. Eat protein, fat and veggies to make your body a highly fat burning machine. Yes! Eat fat to loose fat. I would recommend 1 to 2 weeks. A Ketogenic Diet is also beneficial for various diseases such as cancers and epilepsy.
9. Google “Anti-inflammation Diet”. For anyone who suffers from Inflammation, which you probably do if you are reading this. Decrease foods that cause inflammation in the body. This will help get ride of excess weight as well as pains and aches and decrease your chances of pretty much all the diseases out there by following this nutrition protocol. Most diseases are inflammatory diseases.
10. Google “Alkaline Diet” Follow an Alkaline Nutrition Plan to decease acidic blood and disease formation in the body. East more veggies and fruits to bring down your blood acidity. Now, The Paleo diet, the Ketogenic Diet, the Anti-Inflammation Diet and the Alkaline Diet can be all the same thing.
11. Do not eat a meal and drink a liquid at the same time, unless in very little amounts. This is bad for digestion. It dilutes the stomach acids. Drink ½ hr before your meal or ½ hr after your meal. Form the habit!
12. Eat when you are relaxed and not stressed. Sit down and enjoy the meal. Being stressed causes blood to flow out of the digestive track and causes bad digestion. Relax and enjoy the finer things in life. Stress causes cortisol release, which is a stress hormone. Frequent release of cortisol will cause belly fat! Relax! Meditate! Sleep well! Enjoy! Food should be enjoyed!
13. Do not eat too close to sleep. You won’t digest you food properly and your gut will have to work as you sleep. Your gut will not be happy.
14. Chew your food slowly and eat slower. This causes better digestion and makes you fuller before you have a chance to overeat and stuff yourself. It takes time for your brain to realize you are full. Never stuff yourself or binge.
15. Plan ahead of time with grocery shopping and meal preparation. You don’t have to be a cook or be a chef to be healthy. If you can cook eggs, you are qualified! Go grocery shopping 1 to 2 times per week, with a food list. Prepare your food the night before for the next day in containers and pack it into a cooler. At least prepare your food for a few days ahead in containers a couple times per week. Have the items ready in the fridge to pack for the next day. No excuses! Only results!
16. Eat 3 – 5 meal per day. This causes Insulin to come in, clear out all the sugar in your blood and have your liver do its work properly. After that, Growth Hormone is released to burn fat and help restore the body. If you eat constantly, than Insulin is always in your blood stream. With Insulin flowing in your blood stream constantly you will not burn fat. Eating more frequently can work for some people. Refer to this article:

http://www.tbyil.com/Hypoglycemia_Myths_Ritamarie_Loscalzo.htm

17. Drink more water. More water will help with health and fat loss. Drink it filtered. Add lemon to your water for greater health benefits in the morning. Drink it body temperature.
18. Cycle your food occasionally. Do not eat the same thing everyday and every week. Your body may form sensitivity to certain foods after a while, so change things up every once in a while such as every week. Eating locally and seasonally is a great way to do this.

19. Food Combinations:

• Do not eat Carbs on their own. Always combine it with some sort of Protein. Carbs on their own will cause it to be stored as fat. This rule can be broken if you are training around the time of eating just carbs.
• Do not mix Fats and Carbs together in a meal. This combination will cause more Body Fat gain because Insulin will store your fat for you. (i.e. French Fries)

20. Increase Protein. Have about 1 gram per 1 lb of body weight daily. Have Protein with most meals. Protein builds and supports muscle, increases metabolism, helps decrease fat, helps the immune system, helps bone health, helps repair the body, makes you feel satisfied and full between meal, etc. A great way to add Protein is to use Protein Powder.
21. Limit fruit intake if Fat loss is your main goal. Limit Carbs when you are trying to loose fat.
22. Try to eat in season. Therefore, you will eat more locally and cycle your food better to decrease developing sensitivity. It also helps support our local farmers and causes you to eat cleaner.
23. Go to a local farm. Great quality, healthy, humane and cheap meat. Plus you can support local farmers and eat healthy. It’s easy and usually cost effective.
24. Shop in the perimeter of a grocery store. Not the center isles.
25. Do not depend on random cleanses. Those may work, but that just means that you will go back to eating bad food after. Plus, what you may do during the cleanse will usually not be sustainable. Your nutrition depends on customizing it for you and making sure that you are able to eat certain guilty pleasure foods occasionally, but making the majority of your nutrition healthy. Quick tricks will only last when you do them. Make it a lifestyle!
26. When starting a meal, think of long-term results, medium-term results and short-term gratification. Look at the food and determine if it will cause long-term health problems, medium-term bad energy and sluggishness and short-term pleasure, or will it cause long-term health benefits, medium-term feeling great and short-term maybe not so much pleasure. If you choose the latter, than you will be successful.
27. Do some Intermittent Fasting once a week. This means that once a week you skip breakfast. So you would not eat for about 16hrs. If you went to sleep at 10pm, then your first meal would be at 2pm the next day. Helps with recovery and confusing your metabolism. It also boosts Growth Hormone.
28. Have Vegetables at every meal. Have about ½ of your plate Vegetables.
29. Buy a blender. I recommend a Vitamix if you want to spend the money. It is the mother of all blenders. If you aren’t getting your daily veggies in, than grab some from your fridge, grab a bit of fruit, put it in the blender with some water and drink it. It tastes way better than it sounds and you will get in a whole lot of fresh goodness. At least try it!
30. Eat more Gut healthy Foods. These are the Probiotic foods that help your gut and your health. Eat fermented foods. Eat pickled foods and lots of sauerkraut. Get some kombucha. You can also make your own at home. Get some Kefir and real full fat whole yogurt. Google more sources. Make your gut smile!
31. Cheat once in a while. On occasion, you need to satisfy the naughty part in your mind. Once in a while, when you have followed a great nutrition and exercise plan, reward yourself consciously. Plan on having a cheat meal. This also helps confuse your metabolism even more. Anything goes!
32. Do a Blood Test and Hormonal Test for to see what you may be sensitive to. I suggest finding a good competent Naturopath or a good competent doctor who has passion for good health. These tests may show deeper issues that need to be corrected via eliminating certain problematic foods and fixing up hormonal profiles. If nothing seems to be working, go do this.

33. Portion Control:

• Protein size should be the size of your palm
• Fat size should be the size of your thumb
• Carb size should be the size of your fist

• If you feel hungry between meals, then increase your portion amount. If you are never hungry and do not feel like eating much, then decrease the portion amount. If you are always hungry, than your body is used to having sugars in its blood constantly. If you have a skinny body frame, than increase your carbs and fats. If you have a larger body frame than decrease your carbs. Make sure your portion control reflects your activity level. If you are more active, you can eat more. If you decrease your activity level, decrease your calorie intake. Change the habit and form a new one. Read the part about Discipline again.

34. Food Timing: Do not eat right before going to bed. It will suppress Growth Hormone release. Protein Shakes (low Carb) with some fat (i.e Flax Oil) should be ok. Don’t eat a couple hours before you go to sleep.

• Protein: Eat with every meal
• Fats: Eat with every meal except when eating Carbs and the meal before and after a workout. Fat will actually help you lean out because your body will adjust to burning fat (ketosis) and not carbs!
• Carbs:

Best Time: 1 – 2 hrs after a Hard Workout (Resistance Training)

Second Best Time: 1 – 2 hrs before a Hard Workout (Resistance Training)

Third Best Time: In morning (On Occasion)

• Simple rule: You need to earn your carbs through working out. Around a workout have protein and healthy carbs. When you are not working out, limit carbs and have more protein and fats.
• “A great post-workout meal is coconut water, protein powder and a banana”

35. Keep a Journal. Have a notepad with you and journal what time you eat, what you eat and how much liquid intake you take in. This will show you a mirror of how your nutrition really is. From there, you can have more awareness and start making changes.
36. Don’t go Crazy. Start slow and change 2-3 nutritional habits every month. If you go full cold turkey on your bad eating habits, your mind will eventually sabotage your success and you will go back to eating unhealthy. The turtle always wins the race. 2-3 habits per month in a year is 22-36 habits in a year. It’s all about compounding results over time. Remember: Long Term Gratification.
37. Don’t do Restrictive diets – people often think that they’re going to lose weight by starving themselves – that’s a big mistake. The body is very resourceful; it will slow down its metabolic rate in order to compensate for the lack of calories. Since the body is unsure when it will be fed again it tries to hold on to every calorie you consume.  Once you start eating your normal calorie intake, your metabolic rate remains slowed down.  This is why people who try restrictive diets usually gain their original weight back and often even more!  The good news is that if you want to lose weight you should never be hungry.  A well-balanced diet consisting of small frequent meals every 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 hours is the key to long-term success!!! Your body needs the right foods to fuel your workouts and provide the necessary nutrients for growth and recovery. Eating a well-balanced diet can greatly enhance the benefits of your weight training workouts. Regardless of whether your weight training goals are toning, muscle building, muscular endurance or weight loss, good nutritional practices will ensure you achieve your targets as quick as possible. No amount of exercise will reshape your body without appropriate nutrition!!
38. Form the Habit and Discipline. Know that Nutrition will be the key to your health and fat loss goals. It is the toughest part. Do something everyday and every week consistently to form a habit of eating clean and healthy. After doing this for 90 days, it will be cookies and cream, or I mean berries and broccoli. Stop listening to your conditioned mind and just do the work. You will gain more confidence, self-esteem and will power from doing this then anything else.
39. Get “My Fitness Pal” at the App Store. Great way to track Macronutrients such as Carbs, Fats and Proteins as well as Calories each day for your body weight, age and level of activity you do.

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Meal Options:

– Protein and Fat with Green Vegetables (Less Carbs)

– Protein and Fat on it’s own

– Protein on it’s own

– Vegetables and Fat on their own

– Vegetables on their own

– Protein and Carbohydrates with Coloured Vegetables (More Carbs)

– Protein and Carbohydrates on it’s own

– Cheat Meal (I don’t want to know)

Foods to Avoid:

– Processed Foods (Candies, sugar, desserts, artificial stuff, High Fructose Corn Syrup, etc)

– Alcohols (Red Wine is ok occasionally)

– Wheat and Gluten containing Grains (Yes, this includes most breads. Some healthy breads you can try are breads such as Ezekiel bread – Check out Healthy Planet for this bread and many other healthy things)

– Most Dairy (It’s not real dairy anyways and we were really not meant to drink milk in our adult years. Try all the other types of milks, like nut milks)

– Vegetable Oils (Except Cold Pressed Extra Virgin Organic Olive Oil)

Foods to Have:

– Lean proteins (ideally) grass fed meat, free-range fowl and wild caught fish

– Seasonal fruits, vegetables, roots, tubers, potatoes, yams, rice, etc

– Healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado, extra virgin cold pressed organic olive oil, organic coconut oil, avocado oil, meat fats, fish oils, etc

– Natural Spices and Herbs

– Water, teas, coffee (Not excessive)

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Calories: The amount of energy released when your body breaks down food. Proteins, carbohydrates, fats and alcohol contain different amounts of calories per gram. Weight gain, weight loss and weight maintenance is, to large degree but not exclusively, a matter of calories (energy) in vs. calories (energy) out.

Water: Our bodies made off around 70% water! Our body uses water as the medium for chemical reactions, to regular temperature and also to lubricate your digestive system and joints. Sufficient water intake not only burns calories, but also allows your liver to be more efficient at mobilizing and eliminating fat from your body. Water also helps to eliminate toxins from the body and to transport other nutrients into our cells. It is required for proper balance of vitamins, minerals and electrolytes, which ensure that your muscles have a full range of motion, prevent muscle spasm and cramping and regulate your heartbeat. Never let thirst be your guide. Drink at least 2 L of water every day

Proteins: Essential for muscle repair and a growth. Training with weights causes your muscles to break down and your body responds by making your muscles bigger, stronger, and better able to cope with the demands of subsequent workout. This process is called anabolism and requires a good supply of amino acids, which are derived from protein foods. You should aim to get 1 g of protein per body pound throughout the day.

• Eggs and egg whites
• Cottage cheese (try to use full fat organic and count carbs)
• Low carb protein powder (make sure you use a low temperature processed brand)
• Eggs and egg whites (try to use cage free or locally farmed fresh eggs)
• Greek Yogurt (high fat, low sugar, plain and natural only)
• Lean beef, venison, lamb, pork tenderloin, or fresh ham (try to use grass fed or locally farmed raise)
• Turkey breast (try to use cage free organic turkey meat)
• Chicken breast (try to use cage free organic chicken meat)
• Low carb protein powder (make sure you use a low temperature processed brand)
• Fresh wild caught fish: Salmon, Trout, Tuna, Cod, Tilapia, White fish
• Seeds, Nuts
• Other wild caught seafood: lobster, crab, shrimp, scallops (limit intake)
• Etc… (Google “Healthy Protein sources”)

 Vegan and Vegetarian

Many times it can be very tough for a vegetarian or vegan to follow a fat loss plan because their choices are so limited on protein compared to us carnivores. However, if you are comfortable with choosing healthy substitutions to replace animal proteins then you can easily follow the food guidelines inside this system. Just be aware of hidden carbs or sugars.

Here are a few options that might work: Protein Powder: Pea or Rice, Beans, Lentils, Legumes, Tempeh, Vegetable protein, Non GMO Soy foods, Non GMO Veggie burgers, Tofu (watch for hidden fat content and fillers).

Fats: Dietary fat isn’t the enemy of weight loss. Dietary fat does not automatically convert into body fat! Dietary Fat is vital not only for optimal performance and weight control, but it’s absolutely necessary to sustain life. Fats are calorie rich with 9 calories per gram vs. 4 calories for protein and carbs. You should aim at about 25% of your calorie intake to be from fats. Those come mainly from avocado, flax seeds, chia seeds, hemp seeds, coconut oil virgin olive oil, nuts.

Scientific research and epidemiological studies show that diets rich in Monounsaturated and Omega-3 fats dramatically reduce the instances of obesity, cancer, diabetes, heart disease and cognitive decline. Saturated fat has been demonized by our health authorities and media. What is the basis for this position on Saturated fat? Are current recommendations for VERY low saturated fat intake justified? How much saturated fat (and what types), if any should one eat? Without a historical and scientific perspective this questions can be nearly impossible to answer.

One of the greatest deviations away from our ancestral diet is the amount and types of fat found in modern grain feed animals vs. the amounts and types of fats found in grass fed or wild meat, fowl and fish. What we observe is wild meat is remarkably lean, and has relatively low amounts of saturated fats, while supplying significant amounts of beneficial omega-3 fats such as EPA and DHA. The take home message is that free-range meat is far healthier than conventional meat.

• Krill oil or organic fish oil
  · Olive oil
  · Mayo (use small amounts and avoid canola or vegetable oils)
• Small amounts of full-fat cheese
  · Grass fed or organic butter
  · Coconut oil
  · Heavy Cream
• Flaxseed oil or ground up flaxseeds
• Small amounts of raw cheese or almond cheese
  • Raw nuts or seeds (monitor portions carefully)
  • Nut butters (1 tablespoon women, men 11⁄2-2 tablespoons)
  • Avocado
  • Egg yolks (only if they’re cage free, hormone free, organic, or local farm raised)
• Grass Fed Meat Fats
• Etc… (Google “Healthy Fat sources”)

Carbohydrates: Carbs are broken down by your body to make glucose. Glucose is the primary fuel used by your muscles when working out with weights. They are essential for fueling an active lifestyle. Carbohydrates are also your primary source of dietary fiber, vitamins and minerals all of which are essential to your health.  Aim at eating the right complex carbohydrate with every meal.

• Sweet potato / Yam
  • Potatoes
  • Gluten free slow cook oats/oatmeal
  • Acorn and butternut squash
  • Wild rice, brown rice, black rice, white rice (steamed/boiled not fried)
• Quinoa
  • Gluten free / wheat free pasta: rice flour or black bean
  • Legumes (avoid all canned beans and canned foods): kidney beans, black beans, black-eyed peas, lima beans, red beans, chickpeas, pinto beans, butter beans, navy beans, lentils
  • Acceptable breads: Ezekiel, Millet, Rice (avoid all whole grains, wheat breads, or wheat based products)
  • Acceptable wraps: Ezekiel or wheat/gluten free: rice flour or sprouted grain
  • Corn (locally farmed only and limit intake)
• Peas
• Fruits
• Steel cut slow cook oats/oatmeal
• Etc… (Google “Healthy Carb sources”)

Fruits and Vegetables

Fruits and vegetables are rich in antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients that have been shown to decrease the likelihood of developing a number of degenerative diseases including cancer, diabetes and neurological decline. Limit fruit on the winter (off season) and if you are trying to loose weight. Go crazy on the veggies and change them around every once in a while to get benefits from all of them. If you are doing a Carb Depletion Cycle (Ketogenic Diet), than you will need to limit some higher Glycemic Index and Carb Veggies for that time.

You can also feel free to use the following:

• Sea Salt
• Horseradish
• Stevia or other no/low calorie all natural sweeteners
• Pepper (any kind)
• Raw Honey (Limited amount for weight loss)
• Vinegar
• Ketchup (high fructose corn syrup free or no sugar only)
• Garlic
• Spices (Tumeric, Ginger, Cinnamon, Cumin, Curry, Oregano, Cayenne, etc (Google:

“Healthy Spices”.). Many of these are amazing for your health so take them daily.

Limit intake of artificial sweeteners (sucralose, aspartame, saccharine). Try to use all natural stevia. Stay away from cooking sprays and try to use small amounts of olive and coconut oil instead.

*Avoid agave nectar unless it’s 100% raw. The processing destroys any legit health benefits and increases the bad sugars.

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Supplements:

These depend on your needs and desires. If you take supplements, then do your research to make sure you get really good quality products. Most of the supplements out there are fake. There are so many and you would need to get a good evaluation from a competent Naturopath or any other Holistic Health practitioner to find out what you need. Because many of our foods lack the nutrients that they should have because of the nutrient depletion from the soils, I would suggest certain Supplements:

• Whey Protein Powder (Good quality. The less ingredients the better). – I recommend a company called Leanfit sold at Costco, because it is clean, great taking, mixes great and is sold for a good price.
• Multi Mineral/Vitamin “Whole Food” Supplement like a Veggie Green Powder or Greens +. Notice the “Whole Food” part.
• Krill Oil or Fish oil. Some controversy with this now, so it’s your discretion.
• Magnesium
• Probiotics and Fermented foods / Try Fermented Yogurts and Teas such as Kombucha (which you can make at home)
• Spices (As I mentioned above) – can be used just for supplementation
• Vitamin D3 unless you’re out in the sun all the time.
• Whatever you may be deficient in. Go get a blood test done with a good and competent Naturopath.

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Fat Loss

The majority of your meals look something like this:

• 4-8 oz of lean protein such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin or seafood.
• Then add several servings of multicolored vegetables, either raw, steamed or lightly cooked.
• Finally, round out the meal with good fats from Avocado, olive oil or a handful of un-salted nuts such as almonds, pecans, macadamias or walnuts.

Sample Meal Plan:

Breakfast:

Shrimp scramble with basil and steamed spinach. ¼ cup blueberries. Espresso.

Lunch:

Chicken salad with red onions, romaine lettuce, artichoke hearts and mixed bell peppers. Dressing: Lemon/Olive Oil with a hint of garlic. Green tea with lemon.

Snack:

Grilled shrimp & veggies with a hand full of macadamias.

Dinner:

Baked pork loin with ginger cabbage and olive oil. Desert: shaved almonds over 1/4 cup mixed berries.

Athletics

The needs of athletes vary greatly depending upon one’s sport and level of activity. The needs of a marathon runner are quite different from those of boxer or Olympic Weightlifter. Despite these different needs all athletes share a few things:

• Means of optimizing performance
• Methods for improving recovery

Lean protein sources such as chicken, lean beef, turkey, pork loin and sea food are ergogenic (performance enhancing) because of the large amount of Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAA’s) which have been proven to be crucial in rapid recovery after hard training, both for strength and endurance athletes. So all of your meals will start with 4-8 oz of lean proteins.

The next piece of customization is dependent upon the nature of your sport. High-intensity aerobic or anaerobic sports such as soccer, boxing, wrestling, mixed martial arts or sprint interval training (running, biking, swimming, rowing) should take advantage of a period of time post workout when the body is primed for recovery.  A meal of 4-8 oz of lean protein PLUS 50-100g of nutritious, Paleo friendly carbohydrate such as yams, sweet potatoes, squash or fruit should be consumed within 30 min post workout to optimize repair of muscle tissue and to ensure muscle glycogen is optimally replenished. The amount of carbohydrate will vary based on how large you are and the volume and intensity of your training. The larger you are or the harder/longer the training, the more carbohydrate you will generally need to optimize recovery. Some athletes may find they require 2 protein + carbohydrate meals to optimize recovery from particularly grueling work or multi-session training days. Subsequent meals should be built around lean protein, multi-colored, low carbohydrate density vegetables and good fats.

For sprinters, and other power athletes most meals should be built around lean proteins, a variety of low carbohydrate density vegetables and liberal use of good fats. Power athletes may find benefit from a higher intake from Paleo friendly carbs such as yams, sweet potatoes and fruit once or twice per week. This is called a “cyclical-low carbohydrate” diet and has been enormously popular with track and field athletes, football players, Olympic weightlifters and other athletes who place a premium on strength, power and exceptionally low body fat levels. To see the best possible performance and body composition, the power athlete should eat at least 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight per day. Here are a couple sample meals and resources to get you going.

Sample Meal Plan: The Endurance Athlete

Let’s assume an early run, bike or swim interval session. Depending upon your preferences you may opt to train on an empty stomach. If you prefer a small snack before training here is a good way to start your day:

Pre-training Snack:

2 oz chicken OR 2 scrambled eggs

1/2 to 1/4 honey dew melon OR 1 cup of blueberries.

Post Training Breakfast: (best if consumed within 30 min of training)

Salmon scramble, 1/2 honey dew or rock melon+1 cup of blueberries.

OR Grilled salmon, sweet potato hash browns with olive oil and cinnamon.

Lunch:

Grass fed ground beef marinara over baked spaghetti squash.

Snack:

Can of sardines, medium orange, hand full of almonds.

Dinner:

Baked Halibut, large Artichoke. Garlic-pistachio “pesto” for the halibut and as a dipping sauce for the artichoke.

 Sample Meal Plan: The Power Athlete

Breakfast:

4-6 egg omelet with 1 whole avocado. 1/2 cup blue berries.

Pre-workout snack:

2-4 oz grilled chicken, handful of almonds or macadamias.

Post-workout meal:

6-8 oz grilled salmon, asparagus, mushroom, bamboo shoot, coconut milk curry.

Snack:

Canned salmon salad with olive oil, avocado, tomatoes and red onion.

Dinner:

Grilled grass fed Rib eye with grilled shrimp. Large mixed salad with greens, red onions and ginger sesame dressing.

Autoimmunity

Emerging research has made clear the link between Neolithic foods (grains, legumes and dairy) and autoimmune diseases such as Lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis and a host of other less well know conditions. Many people have found significant improvements in autoimmune disease by eliminating the Neolithic foods and building a diet around nutritious Paleo options. If you suffer from an autoimmune disease we highly recommend you start a Paleo diet and let us know what your results are.

To give your body its best chance to heal we recommend that you initially limit the following foods:

• Eggs
• Tomatoes & eggplants
• Peppers including bell peppers and hot peppers
• Spices such as curries, paprika, and chili powder.

Some of these otherwise Paleo-friendly foods have been shown to be problematic in individuals with autoimmune issues. We recommend you fully remove not only these foods but also all Neolithic foods (grains, breads, potatoes, beans and dairy) for at least a month to see if they pose a problem for you.Google Autoimmuity Paleo Diet)

* (Google Autoimmuity Paleo Diet) 

*** Bonus:***

Sample Diet plan … 1 week…(to be used as a guide to prep your meals)

 Day 1

Breakfast- 2/3 cup of cooked oatmeal with mixed berries 3 tablespoons of plain Greek yogurt(2%)( mixed together)

Black coffee or green tea

Snack – 1 apple and five walnuts

Lunch- One can of water packed tuna with lemon juice plus 1/2 carrot sticks and celery sticks 1 slice of Ezekiel bread

Snack – 1 scoop of protein shake with 1 tbs of chia seeds and hemp hearts ( I use almond /coconut milk for all shakes)


Dinner- 6 oz grilled chicken breast plus 1 baked yam

Steamed brussels sprouts and cauliflower

Day 2

Breakfast- 5 egg white omelet prepared with tomato and spinach. 1 piece of Ezekiel toast and 1/2 banana black coffee or green tea

Snack- 1 apple and 10 almonds

Lunch- 1 Whole grain wrap with turkey breast, lettuce, tomato and hummus

Snack- 1 egg (hard-boiled) plus 1 grapefruit and 1 tablespoon of peanut butter

Dinner- Grilled white fish plus 1/2 cup steamed or grilled asparagus

1/2 cup of brown rice

Day 3 

Breakfast -1 cup of cooked rolled oats with one scoop of protein shake with berries

Black coffee or tea

Snack- 1 banana plus 1 tablespoon of almond butter

Lunch- Tuna salad with celery, onion, cucumber, chick peas , green and read pepper add lemon juice and a little hummus.

Snack- 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt with blueberries

Dinner- 5 oz org ground beef burger with mushrooms, onions and parsley served on Ezekiel bun

Salad with olive oil and apple cider vinegar dressing

Day 4

Breakfast- 3 oatmeal pancakes (oats mixed with egg whites) topped with unsweetened applesauce plus one banana

Black coffee or green tea

Snack- 1/2 avocado with tomatoes and lemon juice

Lunch- quinoa salad with chopped chicken breast, feta cheese, tomatoes, peppers, olives, celery and olive oil

Snack – 1-cup cottage cheese with raspberries

Dinner – 4 oz grilled steak with 1/2 yam and vegetables

Day 5 

Breakfast – 2/3 cup of cooked steel cut oats with plain yogurt, pineapple and 1 tbs of chia seeds

Black coffee or green tea

Snack – 1 piece of Ezekiel bread toasted with hummus, avocado and tomato

Lunch- 1 can of water packed tuna mixed with baked yum and spicy tomato sauce plus streamed broccoli

Snack – handful of mixed raw nuts and an apple

Dinner- 6 oz of wild salmon (grilled or baked) with 1/2 cup of quinoa and 1 cup of cooked green beans.

Day 6 

Breakfast – 2 whole eggs with 1 piece of Ezekiel toast plus 2 tomatoes

Black coffee or green tea

Snack- 1 scoop of protein shake with berries (can be frozen with little liquids to make it like ice cream shake

Lunch – salad with 5 oz of grilled chicken, 1/2 avocado, tomatoes, celery, red and green peppers ( dressing olive oil with balsamic vinegar)

Snack- 1 cup of plain Greek yogurt and raspberries plus 5 walnuts

Dinner – extra lean ground turkey chili with carrots, onions, beans, organic corn, mushrooms, celery and crushed tomatoes

Day 7

Breakfast- 1 cup cooked rolled oats, 1 apple diced, 1 tbs of crushed walnuts and dash cinnamon

Black coffee or green tea

Snack – 2 rice cakes with peanut butter and banana slices

Lunch- 3 slices of smoked salmon served on 3 thick slices of apple with feta cheese, wasabi, slice of red onion and fresh dill

Snack -1 grapefruit plus 10 almonds

Dinner – 6 oz chicken and tomato sauce with 1/2 cup of brown rice and sauté vegetables