A Very Short Guide to Better Eating

20 Apr

Written By Marco Augusto

A Very Short Guide to Better Eating

That’s it!

The decision has been made.

You’re going on a diet!

That’s what you tell yourself, and this time, it’s for real.

This time you’ll be more strict, more dedicated, more researched and more strong willed.

All that’s left to do now is pick a diet. Not just any diet but the best diet.

And then come Monday, you’re going to start, and you won’t stop until next summer.

So which to choose….Ketogenic, Atkins, Paleo, Vegan, Vegetarian, Mediterranean

Which diet is the best?

Maybe this will take a bit more time to research.

But come Monday, there is no doubt things will change...

Does any of this sound familiar to you?

It’s probably a common occurrence in many countries around the world. Yet for most societies, obesity levels are going up.

How is it that we can have so much information freely available and yet be struggling to stay healthy?

A lot of people actually know what healthy eating looks like. And the rest probably have somewhat of an idea of what it looks like, even if it’s a little skewed; salad at every meal kind of skewed.

If you’re reading this, maybe it's less to do with being healthy and a bit more to do with looking healthy.

That’s cool too, but you might be feeling like you could lose a few kilos, and you’re a little unsure the best way to go about it.

What diet is best for you?

If only there was this one diet that stood out above the rest.

One diet to rule them all….

Well it turns out they all have their pros and cons obviously. And it really depends on your goals.

What has been shown over and over again, is that the diet itself doesn’t matter so much, it’s actually just the awareness of what you’re eating.

Basically, some people are lean and healthy, and follow no real diet as such, simply because they are mindful of the types of food they consume and how much of it.

Other follow a diet religiously and are also lean and healthy. They like sticking to the “rules” of the diet, and have no problem with that discipline and restriction.

And then others follow a diet and get some results, and then plateau. And then try another diet, and then plateau.

And then get over the whole diet thing and start eating what they like and put all that weight back on, before doing the process all over again.

So if it’s not about the diet, what’s it about?

Sorry to disappoint, this isn’t an article about the best diet ever. That would be too complicated. Instead, this articles is about something a little simpler. The foundation kind of stuff that will serve you pretty well no matter what diet.

And as a result, hopefully it is sustainable for you and helps you feeling healthy and looking good as well.

A simple guide to better eating:

Start with vegetables first:

Every one talks about protein, fats and carbohydrates first. But lets make it even simpler. Build each meal by start with vegetables. How much vegetables each meal? As a guide, half your plate should be predominantly non-starchy vegetables.

a. You don’t need every colour and type of vegetable every meal, but try to get each colour each day if you can. Otherwise, think every other day.

b. It’s okay to use frozen vegetables

c. Deep fried vegetables aren’t included.

Add Protein:

Protein will help keep you feeling fuller for longer. How much protein in a normal meal? About a quarter of a medium sized plate. Just vary your protein sources. Eg: red meat, plant sources, fish, eggs etc

Add Carbohydrates:

Carbohydrates aren’t evil, in fact your body really likes using them for your exercise. And are pretty good if you want to do well at that exercise. The amount of carbohydrates should be about an eighth of a plate, and as much as possibly, non-processed.

Add Fats:

Like carbohydrates, fats aren’t evil either. As a guide, fats should be about the eighth the size of a plate.

Eat Slowly, Don’t Eat Too Much

Eating slowly just means taking a bit more time to eat and try to enjoy the meal. And I’m sure you’ve had that feeling when you’ve eaten way too much and feel stuffed? Instead eat to the point where you think “I could have a bit more” and leave it there.

A simple representation of how to break up your food to eat healthier, courtesy of Precision Nutrition

If you follow this simple guide pretty closely, you’ll start to feel better and lose weight. But what if you want to lose a little more? Simply make meal sizes a little smaller every two weeks.

Also, eat like this 85-90% of the time. This means 10-15% you can have the foods that might be considered unhealthy. This isn’t about sacrifice (unless you really want to), this is just about better.

It’s as simple as that.

Focus on principles more than diet, focus on consistency, and then as your goals change you can start to use a specific goal that will get you closer to them.

For more simple and easy to implement information on how to improve other areas of your life, check out this free guide below. It's all about making your health, your career and your relationships a bit better in a simple way.