All of us know that there is a direct link between proper nutrition and disease prevention, but the hard part is “what” to eat, as well as how much.
Nutritional organizations generally agree that the following ranges are what you should adhere to in order to get a sufficient intake of nutrients, vitamins and minerals. The recommendations are:
- 45% – 65% of calories should come from carbohydrates.
- 25% – 35% of calories should come from fat.
- 10% – 35% of calories should come from protein.
Personally, I have found that a “middle of the road” approach works well. Therefore I try to keep about 50% calories from carbohydrates, 30% from fat, and 20% from protein.
But another important question is “how many calories should I take in to start with?” Good question, and one that only you can decide, to be honest. It depends on your activity level, as well as a variety of other factors that you should discuss with your personal physician.
However, you should never go below 1200 calories, nor over 2400 calories (unless you are EXTREMELY active). If you go below 1200 calories, your body will start to go into what is called “starvation mode.” In effect, your metabolism will slow down exponentially in order to conserve every little bit of food coming in.
On the flip side, too many calories will be more prone to be stored as fat unless you are very active and always burning them off.
So, let’s go for a “middle of the road” approach again and use 1800 calories as an example of what you should be consuming per day. At 45% carbs, that would be 203g. At 20% fat, that would be 40g, and for men and women, your protein intake would be 75g and 60g, respectively.
A lot of hype still exists about protein powder, “muscle fuel,” muscle foods, etc. Personally? Don’t get sucked into all that hype. If you are a professional athlete? Yes, you more than likely need additional nutritional support in order to meet the demands you place on yourself. But for the average Joe? No, you don’t. Solid, healthy foods with the proper exercise are all that the average person needs.
Are their good products out there that can contribute to our gains? Yes, there are, and they’ve been shown to be quite effective depending on how you use it. At the very least, you will see increased energy, which contributes to you being more prone to stay active and eat better.
But is there a magic pill? A product that will melt the fat away and make you look like you are on the cover of GQ? No, there isn’t. And you should not be spending your hard-earned money on all that foolishness, either. I did, and for YEARS. I can’t tell you how many thousands of dollars I’m sure I’ve spent over the decades on that stuff.
But in the end, I realized that quality food, in the right amounts, and with a sensible, consistent exercise program has seen more positive results than all of that other stuff COMBINED.
Make 2008 YOUR year by learning about nutrition and proper exercise. It is the best thing you can ever do for yourself.
