Women of Action need the highest quality fuel to endure the physical challenges they demand of themselves. With that in mind your mission this month is to apply one of Dr. John Berardi’s Nutrition Tips everyday. The objective is to elevate your energy, health and optimize your performance with Precision Nutrition!
Tip #1
Eat Pasta… Carefully
by Dr. John Berardi
As a God-fearing Italian, I have to admit that I love pasta. But, as a gut-fearing weight lifter and athlete, I definitely have to choose the lower GI, nutrient dense whole-wheat variety. During training phases that require or allow for higher carbohydrate intake (higher volume training) I’ll eat one whole-wheat pasta meal per day. During other phases (like where I’m trying to lose fat), the pasta stays on the shelf in favor of a higher lean protein, good fat, and fruit and veggie intake.
Tip #2
The Sunday Ritual
by Dr. John Berardi
To ensure that good foods will be available when you need them, use the Sunday Ritual. This is performed by setting aside three hours every Sunday to write out your menu for the week, shop for the week, and prepare your meals for the week. Cook all the meat, chop all the vegetables, measure out all the yogurt and/or cottage cheese, and distribute all the powders. Have them ready and set aside so that you can grab them in the morning and bring them with you regardless of what your day holds in store for you.
Tip #3
Fish Oil Rules
by Dr. John Berardi
I consider fish oil to be an essential supplement for fat loss. Data from the University of Western Ontario shows that fish oil supplementation increases lean body mass (during non-dieting conditions), increases BMR (by up to 400kcal/day), decreases inflammation, and improves the ratio of fat/carb oxidized (sparing carbs, burning fat). Recommended dose: Start with 6-10g per day of total fish oil (assuming 30% EPA and DHA).
Tip #4
Revving Up Metabolism
by Dr. John Berardi
I recommend more calories than most do. That’s because there’s no such thing as a stagnant metabolic set-point. Instead, metabolism chases intake. So, if you want a bigger metabolism, you need a bigger food intake. And if you’re worried about fat gain with this approach, just use outcome-based decision making and adjust energy (calorie) intake every two weeks based on your results. Not much ‘damage’ can take place in only two weeks. So if you end up boosting your metabolism, you’ll be thanking me eternally. And if it turns out you’re consuming too much, you can just adjust down.
Tip #5
The 10% Factor
by Dr. John Berardi
If some people eat one food not on their plan, their failure to be perfect sets in motion a psychological chain of events that leads to frustration and the inability to get right back on the plan. The all-or-nothing mentality sets in and BAM, they’re back to nothing. But it doesn’t have to be this way. 100% nutritional discipline is never required for optimal progress. The difference, in results, between 90% adherence to your nutrition program and 100% adherence is negligible. So allow yourself the extra 10% wiggle room. This will allow you the freedom to eat a few extra things not on your menu without the guilt and subsequent crash.
Tip #6
The Organic Debate
by Dr. John Berardi
The average person should consume two pieces of fruit and three servings of vegetables per day as a minimum. Athletes probably need even more – I recommend 10-15 servings per day for each of my athletes. Expert often spend too much time arguing about organic vs. regular fruits and veggies. I agree that raw, organic fruits and vegetables are best since they have a higher micronutrient count, but any fruits and veggies are better than none! Get sufficient fruits and vegetables in your diet before worrying about whether they’re organic or not. Once you’ve done that, worry on.
Tip #7
Eat Fat, Lose Fat
by Dr. John Berardi
To lose fat, sometimes you have to eat fat. Monounsaturated fats and certain polyunsaturates actually speed up the metabolic rate. Lipid researchers believe that the best of the fat burning bunch are the highly unsaturated omega 3s called EPA and DHA. A diet supplemented with omega 3-rich fish oil promotes losses of body fat with simultaneous gains in lean mass.
Tip #8
Fiber Facts
by Dr. John Berardi
Shoot for about 40-50g of mixed fiber per day, but no more. The absolute lower limit is 20g per day. Your main fiber sources should be (in order of importance): vegetables, beans, nuts, fruit, and grains (like oatmeal). If you eat 1 oz of mixed nuts, 1 apple, 2 cups of kidney beans, and 2 cups of mixed vegetables each day, you’ll be getting 41g of fiber. Also, a small amount of supplemental fiber is okay. You can get soluble fiber from psyllium, guar gum, and apple pectin, and insoluble fiber from flax seeds.
Tip #9
Mood Eating
by Dr. John Berardi
Most people eat based on their mood and/or some subjective feelings of hunger. They don’t eat based on what their bodies need. Think of it this way: you’re about to take a long drive on a stretch of highway with no gas station. Do you fail to stop for gas before you hit the road because you’re ‘not in the mood?’ Of course not. Think of eating in the same way. Eating fuels your metabolic engine. So it’s time to start feeling like eating so that you can stop feeling like you’re scrawny.
Tip #10
ZMA for Deep Sleep
by Dr. John Berardi
ZMA is useful for improving the quality of your sleep. For me, ZMA tends not to induce sleep as much as deepen it. Expect your dreams to be extremely vivid! My athletes, when traveling, or when under heavy training loads, usually included 2-3 ZMA capsules before bed.
Tip #11
Why Choose Oats
by Dr. John Berardi
If you’re looking to gain mass and have a good carbohydrate tolerance, place a bowl of fiber-rich, low-GI rolled oats along with ½ scoop of vanilla protein powder, frozen mixed berries, pineapple and a small quantity of mixed nuts right next to your omelet. This is a muscle building breakfast that’s hard to beat. I place this bowl right next to my omelet for a breakfast that’s hard to beat.
However, if you tend to hold a lot of body fat, just stick with protein, good fats, and veggies for breakfast. Save the non-fruit and veggie carbs till after exercise only – yes, even oatmeal.
Tip #12
Skip the Cheat Meal, Fatty
by Dr. John Berardi
Cheat meal frequency should be minimized when you’re over 15-20% body fat. Basically, the fatter you are, the more likely that any excess food will be shuttled toward body-fat storage rather than muscle mass. So skip the cheat meal unless you’re lean. And even then, think of it as an alternative food meal – not a cheat. Cheat meals are usually glorified forms of dietary debauchery. Alternative food meals allow for something a little different from the norm without the trough.
Tip #13
Unhealthy ‘Health Foods’
by Dr. John Berardi
Products that claim to be ‘Cholesterol Free’ and ‘Low in Saturated Fat’ often have the most trans-fatty acids. Unfortunately these are the products that most of the public thinks are ‘healthy.’ Remember, trans fats have absolutely no place in the diet! They’re the only type of fat highly associated with very negative health outcomes.
Tip #14
Protein for Fat Burning
by Dr. John Berardi
Protein is by far the most thermogenic of the macronutrients (protein, carbohydrate, and fat). Due to the high metabolic costs of processing it, protein provides fewer storable kcal. The thermic effect of a mixed meal is about 10% of intake, while the thermic effect of protein per se is more like 25-30%. That could mean reving up your metabolism by 200 kcal just from your 200-gram (800 kcal) protein intake.
Tip #15
Good Fats
by Dr. John Berardi
On average, most people should ensure that 25-35% of their energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (animal fat), monounsaturates (olive oil, avocados, etc), and polyunsaturates (flax oil, salmon oil, etc.). Your total fat in the diet may vary but make sure you’re getting about 1/3 of each type for the best fat balance.
Tip #16
Don’t Displace, Dummy!
by Dr. John Berardi
There’s a big difference between a healthy diet to which treats are occasionally added and an ‘all-treat diet.’ In the former, unhealthy foods are consumed rarely and in addition to healthy foods. In the latter, unhealthy foods are consumed often and instead of healthy foods. This is called ‘food displacement’ and must be avoided if optimal body composition and health are your goals. Don’t displace nutrient dense food with empty calories!
Tip #17
The Ratio Diet
by Dr. John Berardi
Want to improve body composition, increase the ratio of fat lost to muscle lost during a diet, improve blood lipids (cholesterol and triglycerides), prevent wild fluctuations in blood glucose and insulin, and improve satiety when on a diet? Well, you’re not alone. In fact, Dr Layman and colleagues at the University of Illinois are also interested in helping you accomplish these goals.
In their recent studies, they have demonstrated a myriad of benefits associated with reducing the ratio of carbohydrate to protein in the diet from 3.5g of carbohydrate to every 1g of protein to 1.4g of carbohydrate to every 1g of protein. What does this mean in terms of food intake? Well, check out this handy little chart.
kcal/day Fat grams* Carbohydrate grams Protein grams
4500 kcal 150g 450g 338g
3500 kcal 117g 350g 263g
2500 kcal 83g 250g 188g
1500 kcal 50g 150g 113g
*These numbers assume a diet that contains 30% fat.
Tip #18
Protein/Carbs Before Exercise To Burn Fat?
by Dr. John Berardi
While nearly everyone nowadays knows that pre, during, and post exercise nutritional intake is critical for improving protein status and glycogen synthesis, most people fear that the ingestion of protein and carbohydrates during these times will decrease fat oxidation (burning).
Well, put simply, they’re wrong (sticking out tongue).
Studies have demonstrated that even in the presence of a relatively high carbohydrate intake (and large insulin response), the addition of protein to a carbohydrate meal can increase fat burning during exercise.
So it looks like a well-designed pre, during, and post exercise intake will not only improve protein status and glycogen resynthesis but it may actually increase fat burning. Bigger and leaner? Say it ain’t so.
Tip #19
How To Manage Your Macronutrients
by Dr. John Berardi
Are you more likely to be able to decipher ancient Greek texts than figure out how to construct a diet containing 30% protein, 50% carbohydrate, and 20% fat? Well then check out the following resources.
1- www.nal.usda.gov/fnic is the National Agriculture Library’s Food and Nutrition Information Center. Here you can find basic information on dietary supplements, an advanced food composition database, information about the food guide, and a listing of interesting resources about special needs, food allergies, etc.
2- www.nutritiondata.com is a fantastic resource and although it uses the food database above, may actually offer a better presentation of the food composition data. It doesn’t offer the other information, though.
3- www.fitday.com is another great food composition site that offers much more including online diet and fitness journals.
4- www.calorieking.com offers many of the same resources as fitday.com but has several excellent additional features such as an online ‘university’ (weekly education about the physiological and behavioral sides of nutrition). The extras cost money but are worth checking into.
Tip #20
How Much Water?
by Dr. John Berardi
You always hear experts recommending that you drink more water but how many of you actually do it? And how much is enough? Well, check out this chart below for some interesting data on water loss.
Water Loss/ Normal Weather No exercise/ Warm Weather No exercise /Exercise in Warm Weather (85° F)
Skin 350 mL/ 350 mL/ 350 mL
Respiratory Tract 250 mL/ 350 mL/ 650 mL
Urine 1400 mL/ 1200 mL/ 500 mL
Feces 100 mL/ 100 mL/ 100 mL
Sweat 100 mL/ 1400 mL/ 5000 mL
Total 2,300 mL (2.3L)/ 3,300 mL (3.3L)/ 6,600 mL (6.6L)
It should be clear that quite a bit of water is lost per day, especially if you’re an athlete. Since most people can get about 1.5L of water from their food and from metabolic water production, for a margin of safety, I suggest:
• Sedentary individuals drink at least 2L or about 8 cups of water per day
Athletes in normal climates drink at least 3L or about 12 cups of water per day.
• Athletes in hot weather climates drink at least 4L or about 16 cups of water per day.
Tip #21
Increasing Water Intake
by Dr. John Berardi
Sedentary individuals should drink at least 2L or about 8 cups of water per day, athletes should drink at least 3L or about 12 cups of water per day, and athletes in hot weather climates drink at least 4L or about 16 cups of water per day.
Since following these recommendations can prevent dehydration and can actually assist with fat loss, you’d have to be a desiccated fool to ignore them. However, try as they might, some individuals find it difficult to ingest up to a gallon of water per day. So try out these three proven strategies for increasing water ingestion:
• Drink cold water – cold water is more palatable, improving ‘mouth feel’ and ingestion
• Add lemon – lemon increases urge to drink and also kills bacteria
• Chuggables – always carry some sort of jug of water around to ensure you’re drinking. Rubbermaid makes a nice blue top container (Chuggables) that we recommend to our clients.
Tip #22
Fat Recommendations – How To Meet Them
by Dr. John Berardi
So how much fat do we need and what kinds? While there’s a lot of debate nowadays, most of the real fat experts agree that a good balance of the three is the way to go if you want to give the old ticker a fighting chance. In other words, your goal is to consume 1/3 of your fat from saturated fatty acids, 1/3 from monounsaturated fatty acids, and 1/3 from polyunsaturated fatty acids. But it’s important to learn what kinds of foods contain the different types of fatty acids. So use this handy chart below to learn which fatty acids are found in a number of common foods. By learning which foods contain which fatty acids, a balanced fat approach should be a snap.
Food % Saturated Fat % Monounsaturated Fat % Polyunsaturated Fat
Almonds 10% 68% 22%
Beef 55% 40% 4%
Brazil Nuts 26% 36% 38%
Canola Oil 5% 57% 38%
Cashews 20% 62% 18%
Cheese 67% 26% 7%
Chicken 31% 49% 20%
Coconut Oil 86% 9% 5%
Duck 35% 52% 13%
Eggs 39% 43% 18%
Flax Seed Oil 8% 18% 74%
Hazelnuts 8% 82% 10%
Herring 22% 55% 18%
Macadamia Nuts 16% 82% 2%
Milk 67% 26% 7%
Olive Oil 13% 75% 12%
Palm Oil 50% 41% 9%
Peanuts 15% 51% 34%
Pecans 8% 66% 26%
Pine Nuts 15% 40% 45%
Pistachios 13% 72% 15%
Pork / Lard 40% 48% 12%
Salmon 20% 30% 40%
Sesame Oil 15% 42% 43%
Walnuts 10% 24% 66%
Tip #23
Omega 3 Snacks
by Dr. John Berardi
Once you’re splitting up your fats correctly (about 1/3 of your fat intake coming from each of the three types of fat), your next goal should be to balance out your omega 6: omega 3 ratio. Do this and you’re arteries will be jumping for joy and they’ll have less body fat around them to impede their jump height.
While most of you probably already know that the omega 6: omega 3 balance is critical, I’m sure many of you are wondering in you can balance out the 6:3 ratio without having to pour another tablespoon of flaxseed oil down the gullet?
How about trying some pumpkin seeds or flaxseeds? Pumpkin seeds provide a 2:1 ratio of omega 6 fatty acids to omega 3 fatty acids, increasing the EFA content of your diet while putting your fat intake back in balance. Also, adding flaxseeds to your diet is a good idea. Grind these seeds up in a coffee grinder and add to your meals. Flaxseeds provide fiber, protein, and a 3:1 ratio of omega 3: omega 6 fatty acids. Your arteries will thank you.
Tip #24
Cook Once, Eat Twice
by Dr. John Berardi
To insure that you eat a healthy lunch during your busy work or school day, double-cook dinner each night. Simply cook a double-portion of each dinner meal and eat the second half of dinner for lunch the next day. This is, of course, assuming your dinner meals are complete and contain a complement of protein, carbs, fats, and fruits and veggies.
Tip #25
The Critical Meal
by Dr. John Berardi
Breakfast is a critical meal. After a catabolic overnight fast, a balanced breakfast helps to regulate blood sugar, helps to regulate energy balance, and helps to control late-day cravings that lead to overfeeding. Be sure to include a serving or two of lean protein like an egg white omelet (throw in a yolk or two), some cheese, some dairy like plain yogurt or cottage cheese, some lean turkey bacon or sausage, or even a protein shake on the side. Men should be shooting for 30-50 grams of protein and women should be shooting for 20-40 grams of protein in this meal.
Tip #26
Berardi’s Law
by Dr. John Berardi
If a food is in your possession or located in your residence, you’ll eventually eat it. If you wish to be healthy and lean, you must remove all foods not conducive to those goals from said residence and replace them with a variety of better, healthier choices. If you know someone whose house is stocked only with optimal food choices and yet who is not healthy and lean, look under his bed.
Tip #27
Eat Fat, Lose Fat
by Dr. John Berardi
To lose fat, sometimes you have to eat fat. Monounsaturated fats and certain polyunsaturates actually speed up the metabolic rate. The best of the fat burning bunch are the highly unsaturated omega 3s called EPA and DHA. These omega 3 fatty acids can potentially help burn blubber through a variety of different mechanisms. A diet supplemented with omega 3-rich fish oil promotes losses of body fat with simultaneous gains in lean mass. That’s right, more muscle and less fat, baby!
SEE ALSO:
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