When we are working on our health, food can often feel like the complicated part. In a world that is full of this and that diet, claims that such and such a method are more effective than another, I like to support people in finding a better relationship to basic, whole foods and learning about the different macro nutrients.
Protein: Protein is seemingly the hardest macro for us to get in our diet when we're trying to build muscle and lose fat. I usually recommend that my clients go for .75-1 gram of protein per pound of goal body weight. Protein helps us build and maintain muscle, recover from tough workouts, keep our body from wanting to store fat because it has what it needs to fuel the metabolism, and can often help us crave less sugar.
Fats: Healthy fats like avocado, coconut oil, nuts, whole milk dairy, fatty fish, red meat and eggs are full of nutrients that support our hormones, keep our appetite satiated, and often remind our body that it doesn't need to store extra fat. Fats are tremendous brain fuel.
Carbohydrates: Carbs are not the enemy, like a lot of fad diets like to claim, as they provide lots of great energy and many provide helpful things like fiber and different micronutrients. However, many carbs high in sugar can cause spikes in our blood sugar throughout the day if not well balanced out with protein and fats and this can lead to fat storage, energy drops, and cravings when the carb energy is used up too quickly. Fruits are best consumed whole or in smoothie form rather than juice, so you enjoy the benefit of the fiber and not only the sugar. Grains are often easier to digest when sprouted and are better off as a secondary part of a meal rather than the focus.
If you are working on fat loss and muscle gain, a good starting point is dropping sugar and upping your protein consumption, striving to get 20-30 grams of protein at every meal. Sometimes tracking your macros is helpful to be able to observe where you may need to grow and change how you're eating to meat your goals.
I hope you found this post helpful! Feel free to reach out with any questions by emailing bodysoulspiritfitnesslifestyle@gmail.com.
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