Prepping for Battle: Nutrient Dense, Toxin Free (Part 2 of 3)

FAT LOSS TIP! Chew your food SLOWLY.  Chewing your food slowly can be one of the best ways to actually cut down on eating (if overeating is a problem for you).  Its also better on your digestive system.  Shoot for 30 times each bite :) Of course nobody can sell chewing slowly so the media never talks about it.  Ok, lets get into the good stuff!

Politics, religion and nutrition.... Anyone who wants to tell you their opinion on those subjects most likely doesn't want to hear yours...

That being said, what we're writing isn't an opinion.  We're giving you facts backed up by years of data. The program we follow for our nutritional needs and our clients closely resembles that of Precision Nutrition.  If you're at all interested in your diet and how to make it work for you, we highly recommend that you check out www.precisionnutrition.com. They're rockstars when it comes to this stuff.

In part one of this series, we talked about eating REAL FOOD.  We like the term JERF (JUST EAT REAL FOOD).  What does that mean?  Well, if it had a mother or you can eat it raw, then it's probably nutritious and should be included in your diet.

Don't be fooled by "Organic, Non-GMO, No Antibiotics, Gluten-Free, Non-Dairy".  Here's a few things that fit that description: Snake Venom, Sugar, Rat Turds....you get the point.  If the product has to tell you how good it is for you, then its probably a marketing scam.  Grass-fed beef liver is the most nutrient dense food on the planet but you don't see it at the checkout counter do you?

Ok ok, so you understand now that we need to JERF.  Good.  Now what?  Well, that depends on your body type, your fitness goals and your current exercise regimen.

Lets start with body type, also called "Somatotype".  We've got 3 main types:  Ectomorph, Mesomorph and Endomorph.

The Ectomorphs are naturally thin and have a hard time gaining size.  They often thrive in endurance exercise, and can generally get away with eating more carbohydrates than most.
Goals:  Gain size and strength
Excellent Carb Tolerance: > 55% of total calories

The Mesomorphs are the ones we love to hate.  These guys and gals have been athletic since they day they were born. They have a moderate tolerance for carbs, but if they don't stay active they can tend to put on a little extra weight. 
Goals: Increase or maintain athletic performance
Moderate Carb Tolerance: 40ish% of total calories

The Endomorphs are generally broad and thick and they thrive in absolute strength workouts.  They don't seem to do too well with carbohydrates, but can tolerate a much higher fat and protein ratio than the others.
Goals: Lose body fat and increase strength.
Poor Carb Tolerance: 25ish% of total calories

Not everyone fits perfectly into one of these categories and as you see it's completely individualized.  So now that you're eating REAL FOOD, you can begin to toy with your carbohydrate ratios.  Keep in mind, we are NOT doctors NOR are we dietitians and we can't tell you what to eat.  You must experiment with your diet to find out what works for YOU!

The other big piece of the puzzle is exercise but we'll just chill on that till the next episode....  Next week we'll look at how much you're actually exercising (not how much you'd like to exercise).  Be honest with yo'self! 

Until then, eat REAL FOOD, play around with your carbs, and CHEW YOUR FOOD SLOWLY.  Shoot for 30 chews each bite :)

Ryan Humphries
Co-Founder BushCraft CrossFit