Nutrition

Recipes
How to shop and switch to better food sources
How to eat (structure your meals)
post workout supplementation

Foods in their natural state are best. I've heard it said "If you can't read it, you shouldn't eat it".

I've also heard it said "If you fail to plan then you are planning to fail". This statement is very true when applied to maintaining healthy nutritional habits.

My purpose is always to help you and your family be fit for the rest of your lives so you will not find many quick fixes here. What you will find is a progression starting with the easiest way possible for you to implement these beneficial changes for you and your family. From shopping to cooking and yes, snacking, especially for the kids. Continually apply these changes for a year and you will experience a profound difference in you and your families lives.

Often times when we take on a task we assume that it must be done now. We must complete the whole task right now. Procrastination teaches us that. I have seen people who wanted to get really fit change their meal plan from fast food and junk to lean chicken, fish, broccolli and green beans all at once. More often than not, I see them go right back to the fast food and junk too.

Why do we go back to our old ways so often?

Meal planning, lifestyle change and exercise are all very similar when it comes to implementing them in our lives. An all out reversal, stop what you are doing and go the other direction, change is too shocking for us. Like it or not, your system will fight you every step of the way if that is the choice you make. While the part of you that you identify with is saying "come on we can do this" the other part that is like a robot that recognizes patterns and repeats them precisely will be saying "system malfunction, must correct error".

Exercise like crazy for a week after not exercising for a long time and you will be so sore that you will never want to do that again. Exercise is an obvious example. Nutrition is not always as obvious.

There's an old principle called Kaizen. It has to do with the "Journey of a thousand miles begins with one step" idea. Lasting change is the same. In order for change to take place effectively and permanently we must do it properly. Small changes from day to day and week to week add up to the journey of a thousand miles.

Time passes. The question you have to ask yourself is do I want to look back and remember the time I got into semi-good shape for a short while and wonder why I'm not in that semi-good shape now or would I like to be really fit and healthy for the rest of my life?

There are two ways to clean the refrigerator. One is to change the foods that are in it from not healthy choices to healthy choices. The other way is to actually clean the refrigerator (because it is dirty). Come on, it happens to us all, we get a dirty refrigerator. Ok maybe it doesn't happen to us all, maybe just me. My family is constantly in the refrigerator and things get spilled, knocked over and dirty little hands grabbing and putting away leave mess everywhere.

Let's look at the actual physical cleaning of the refrigerator and apply it to changing our foods from not healthy choices to healthy choices.

When I see a dirty fridge, I want to clean it all at once. Time usually says "are you crazy, we can't do that, we've got a million other things to do". I have taken on the task anyway. Cleaning the fridge top to bottom is overwhelming. It takes a lot of time and effort taking everything out of there and taking everything apart, wiping down, scrubbing and re-arranging and deciding whether to keep or throw away stuff as we put it back.

When I take on the whole task I feel like I NEVER WANT TO DO THAT AGAIN. I get the sense that when I am done that I am done for good and I will not have to do that again. Next week, there the signs are again, dirty little handprints, a secret spill here and there. Guess what? I'm going to have to do it again.

My mistake is thinking once I'm done with the immense task of cleaning the refrigerator, I will not have to do it again.

I clean the refrigerator differently now. I do the top shelf. Wipe it off, scrub it if I have to. Take inventory of what's on it. Re-arrange it as I put it back. I can do it while I'm preparing a meal for my family or me.

Next week I do the middle of the fridge, or whatever seems to need my attention. Sure, I run disaster control when needed but I never have a dirty refrigerator any more. I accept that I will always be cleaning the refrigerator as long as I am using it.

The same applies to the other way of cleaning the refrigerator. Changing from not health choices to healthy choices. Do it all at once and you will be likely to feel that you never want to do that again. Do it one part at a time and it doesn't seem bad at all.

Start with the area that you feel is most important and gradually make changes to healthier choices.

What time of the day do you or your family seem to be eating the most unhealthy choices? Let's assume that it is dinner. By that time of day we are usually tired. Quick choices can seem easier. Mac n cheese, Sloppy Joes, Chicken Nuggets, Fish Sticks etc. etc.

This week let's clean up dinner. Let's plan ahead and switch to a lean pot roast and veges prepared in the slow cooker. We can make it earlier in the day when we are less likely to be tired and all we have to do is a salad and a sensible carb like a quick brown rice or even cheese wheat toast.

We may also choose to do fresh fish either on the stove top or in the oven. There are a great many healthy dinner choices we can make for dinner if we just plan ahead a little.

Next week healthier snacks for everyone.

It's not long before you have travelled you journey of a thousand miles one step at a time and you will be really fit and healthy for the rest of your and your families lives.

Take the time to have a look at which direction you would like to take that step...

Click on the links below to go to:

Recipes
How to grocery shop
How to Eat
Home
Exercises
Workouts

Yours in all you Fitness Success,

Matt

I AM NOT A REGISTERED DIETICIAN. I don't have a degree in nutrition. I am sharing with you my search and what I have found to be true. My search is never ending and I would not share it with you if I did not believe in it AND PRACTICE IT IN MY LIFE.

Because of my constant search for your optimum life and nutrition, I must tell you that when I find overwhelmingly compelling truths, I retain the right to change any previous statements I may have made in the past and will update my material as soon as possible. I will not hide this from you. I will notify you immediately, giving you all the facts and reasons I can.