Nutrition Rules For Beginners

Don't.Be.Intimidated.To.Start.

That's it! you can do it, and Here are 10 steadfast laws your diet should always adhere to.

1. Never be hungry

Eating small meals every 2-3 hours stokes your metabolism. Forgoing food for long periods plunges your body into panic mode, making it store food as fat. Flood your system with a steady supply of nutrients to help you burn fat and build muscle all day long.

2. Have protein with every meal

Protein is vital for muscle building which is important in its own right and helps to burn fat – every additional pound of muscle burns 50 calories a day. Eat at least 1g of protein per pound of body weight every day. For the best results vary your sources by eating fish, beef, poultry, legumes, nuts, eggs and dairy.

3. Never be thirsty

Water shuttles nutrients to every part of your body including your muscles. Dehydration prevents you from exercising at your peak aerobically and anaerobically, making you less effective at building muscle and burning fat. Drink 2-3 litres a day – more if you’re training hard. Embrace carbs at the right time Shun carbs at your peril. They provide energy to fuel exercise and refuel afterwards. Eat the majority of your carbs before lunch to stay lean then munch slow digesting carbs, such as whole-wheat bread, 40-60 minutes before training and fast digesting carbs, such as a potato, directly after exercise to refuel.

4. Drink tea

Green tea is a well-established fat-burner but if you’re a traditionalist then black tea is also effective. Research in the journal Psychopharmacology found that 4 cups of black tea lowered cortisol levels by 50%. This hormone is responsible for cannibalising muscle and weight gain. Sip as much sugar-free tea as you can manage.

5. Don’t avoid fats

Choose your fats wisely and substitute trans and saturated fats – such as those found in animal and take-away products, for unsaturated fats found in vegetable products. The latter will fuel weight loss, while the former will sabotage them.

6. Eat before and after every workout

If you’re exercising, then the most important meal of the day is not breakfast – it’s the meals before and after exercise. Always have a protein and carb-filled meal at these times or you’ll take one step forward and two steps back. For the best results bracket your workouts with a whey protein shake to get the quickest delivery of vital nutrients to your muscles.

7. Eat plenty of fiber

Fiber helps you feel fuller for longer and supplies your muscles with a lasting release of energy and nutrients. The best weight loss and muscle-building plan is to substitute carbs for fiber. Good sources include veggies, fruits, brown rice and lentils.

8. Have a cheat day

Schedule a day each week to eat your favourite foods and you won’t feel like you’re constantly depriving yourself. This is a strategy that competitive body-builders use and will make you more likely to stick with a healthy eating plain in the long term.

9. Eat before going to bed

This dietary no-no has gotten a reprieve. When you sleep your body steals amino acids from your muscles (your fat burners) to fuel your brain in the absence of food. Eat slow digesting proteins like peanut butter, cottage cheese or a casein-based protein powder to keep your body flush with nutrients and stoke your metabolism.