My Performance Nutrition
Plan
Below you will find a list of foods
that I recommend for a wholesome and nutritious eating plan. I have had the most success with my
performance, reducing fat, changing body composition, and adding lean muscle
mass while following the guidelines below.
Whether you are trying to lose weight, get in shape, perform better, or
just trying to eat healthy then this plan will work for you. Here are a couple of pointers.
1) Strive for a diet that is 40% protein, 40%
carbohydrates, and 20% fat. These
numbers don’t have to be perfect but should be within 5-10% of the recommendations
most days. In order to do this, you’ll
most likely need to track your food for awhile using myfitnesspal.com or some
other food-tracking website or application.
2) Breakfast: Drink plenty of water, and choose a protein,
a complex carb, and a fruit. You can
substitute a meal replacement shake here if you choose, especially if your
mornings are like mine and you don’t have time to cook a breakfast.
3) Mid-morning snack: Drink water, almond milk, unsweetened coffee
or tea, or SPARK energy drink https://www.advocare.com/130527594/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=A2912&id=E&flavor=l&size=C . Make sure
to eat some protein and some more fruit.
A great choice would be a serving of almonds with fresh berries.
4) Lunch: Pick a protein, vegetable and
a complex carb.
5) No fruit after 3PM
6) PM Snack: Pick a protein, fat, and a complex carb. Eat as many vegetables on the list as you
want. No more complex carbs/starches
after 5PM.
7) Dinner: Protein and Vegetables.
8) Dairy: I try to avoid it. I choose unsweetened almond milk or coconut
milk instead. The reason is that cow’s
milk (animal milk in general) contains lots of sugar, even in the skim
varieties. There just isn’t enough
protein in milk to make it worth it.
Almond milk contains half the calories and almost twice the amount of
calcium. If you must have yogurt, pick a
Greek yogurt with no fat.
9) Wheat, corn, and gluten. I recommend avoiding it altogether. Find gluten-free products and give them a
try, just watch the portion size. I find
gluten-free and Paleo-friendly products to be rich and delicious, but they can
come at a high cost in calories.
10) Supplementation: I recommend taking a Branched Chain Amino
Acid (BCAA) Supplement in the morning upon rising, again at lunch, and once
again at bedtime. I also take them
before and after a strenuous workout.
BCAA help prevent muscles from being used as energy if your body runs
low on fuel. This is a common occurrence
and happens while we sleep, fast, skip meals, run in a calorie-deficit due to
exercise, and at other times during the weight loss process. To keep your metabolism running high, you
need to have lean muscle. Taking a BCAA
supplement will help preserve the muscle you’ve worked so hard to build. https://www.advocare.com/130527594/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=T2010&id=A
I also recommend taking an Omega 3 supplement with each meal, but you can
get by with taking them once a day. https://www.advocare.com/130527594/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=W2002&id=D
Lean Proteins:
Chicken, white meat
Fish such as cod, tilapia (US Farm-Raised), haddock, halibut
and flounder
Wild Alaskan Salmon
Fresh Line-caught and dolphin-safe tuna or swordfish (limit once
per week to limit mercury consumption)
Canned Albacore (Look for low sodium, dolphin-safe brands)
Squid
Herring and sardines (look for low sodium if buying canned)
Fresh oysters, clams, and mussels (not fried or bathed in
butter and oil)
Grass-fed lean beef or bison
Meal Replacement Shake (see link below for recommended product)
Nonfat tofu
Nonfat, no-sugar yogurt such as Fage 0% Greek Yogurt
Protein powder (whey, casein, egg white, soy, or Paleo) see
link below for recommended product
https://www.advocare.com/130527594/Store/ItemDetail.aspx?itemCode=P4602&id=B&size=P
Skim milk (I advise using minimal amounts of dairy)
Soybeans or soy protein such as Boca Burgers
Sugar-free soy milk
Turkey (white meat only)
Starch and Complex Carbohydrates:
Black-eyed peas
Cereal --Gluten-free, no sugar-added
Hummus
Farro
Brown Rice Tortillas (usually in frozen food section)
Udi’s Bakery Gluten-free bread or wraps
Beans—black, kidney, pinto, red, soybeans, and white (if
purchasing canned, get low sodium versions)
Lentils
Oatmeal
Peas
Quinoa
Rice—wild, brown (no white rice)
Squash—acorn, butternut, or spaghetti
Yams or sweet potatoes
Vegetables (eat as many as you want,
whenever you want):
Asparagus
Beans—green
Broccoli
Brussels s Sprouts
Cabbage
Celery
Cucumbers (get organic if possible)
Eggplant
Endive
Mushrooms
Onion
Peppers—bells or any color, habanero, jalapeno
Radish
Spinach
Tomatoes
Zucchini and summer squash
Lettuce—romaine, red, leaf, butter crunch, loose-leaf, or
bunching varieties (iceberg is nearly void of nutritional value, the darker or
more colorful the lettuce then the better it is for you. Stick with Romaine or Red Leaf when you can
for salads and use big romaine leaves for wraps
Fruits:
Apples—Granny Smith or any green variety
Blackberries
Blueberries
Boysenberries
Cantaloupe
Cranberries
Green pears
Kiwi
Mangoes
Plums
Raspberries
Strawberries
Watermelon
Fats and Oils:
Almonds, pecans, walnuts, and seeds such as pumpkin and
sunflower (always unsalted nuts and seeds)
Almond butter (no sugar added and low sodium)
Avocado
Canola Oil
Coconut oil
Olive oil
Flaxseeds and flaxseed oil
Safflower oil
Soybean Oil
Sunflower seed oil and sunflower seed butter
Condiments:
Almond milk or coconut milk (no sugar added) for making
smoothies
Balsamic Vinegar
Red wine vinegar
Apple cider vinegar
Hot sauce such as Tabasco
Salsa—fresh and low sodium
Pico de gallo—fresh and low sodium
Honey
Fresh berries mashed up and spread on gluten-free bread
Dijon mustard
