What are “high-quality” foods and why should you care? 

 

High-quality foods have so many benefits:

• Full of antioxidants, vitamins and minerals 
• Boost the immune system
• Higher amounts of fiber, which keeps you full for longer periods of time, and helps us poop! 
• Reduce your risk of chronic disease such as diabetes and cancer. 
• Control blood sugar levels better & reduce the risk of crashing throughout the day.
• Prevent loss of muscle mass and promote burning fat. 
• Fewer preservatives, additives and chemicals, which can cloud mental function and decrease productivity.

 

The Calorie Conundrum 

The truth is a calorie is a calorie. However, not all calories are created equal. I know that sounds like quite the conundrum, but hear me out. 

There is something we need to consider and that’s the thermic effect of food.  Whole real foods are not only more recognized and bioavailable for our bodies, they also require more energy to digest, break down and utilize nutrients. That can increase metabolic functions! (Burn more calories). 

Think about a protein shake, perhaps it has the exact same macro nutrients as that of a chicken thigh. However, for your body to digest and assimilate and benefit from the chicken thigh it requires more energy, or calories! So for fat loss consuming whole real foods will burn more fat or calories than pre-processed, packaged foods. Whole real foods move us toward our goals faster and in a far healthier fashion than processed packaged foods. 

Ok now let’s be honest eating whole real foods 24/7 just isn’t realistic! The moment you tell me I can’t have pizza or chocolate 😳 hold me back people! So what do we do? 

 

Focus on the 80/20 Rule 

The basic idea of the 80/20 rule is simple. In order to be healthy and balanced we need to focus on quality first with a little Leeway.  Aim for 80% of your diet to be whole real foods & the remaining 20% you can choose other options either for enjoyment or convenience.

So imagine 80% of the time you cook from scratch with whole real foods – Your energy levels are more stable, you recover better after training and your fat loss progress is steady.

Now the other 20% of the time you’re enjoying craft beer, eating chocolate brownies and savoring the best wood fired pizza you can find! Sounds like a good deal to me!

 

The 80/20 rule is a healthy approach to eating in moderation without dysfunction or guilt.

 

FOOD QUALITY + PROPER BALANCE = HAPPY BODY, HAPPY MIND, HAPPY YOU and HAPPY LIFE!