6 Meals A Day

6 Meals a Day, Stoke the Fire!

BALANCE, MODERATION & FREQUENCY

You may wonder how eating 6 times a day could be good for you!? A great plan consists of healthy foods along with great habits - we cannot eat pizza 6 times daily and be lean. Foods loaded with empty carbs create bloating, steal energy and make us lethargic. Instead, eat light and healthy.

The first step is breakfast! Our bodies need lean protein, healthy carbs, and fat to stoke metabolism. Think of your body as a furnace, and it needs fuel. If we starve the furnace, it won't burn. Just like a vehicle traveling cross-country, we fuel as we begin our journey with the appropriate blend to ensure we arrive on schedule.

Continue by eating a great blend of macronutrients (protein, carbs, fat) every 3 hours. Don't starve your metabolism, or it will begin to slow. Like your car, a low tank needs fuel, and the right fuel. We wouldn't pour diesel into a gasoline engine, for example, or starve it. The goal is to raise the metabolic rate to burn all day long.

Drink 64oz water minimum daily (especially before/after meals) to hydrate and curb the appetite. We want to flush toxins and excess fat. And if you are sweating from work, summer heat, or workouts, drink more!

Plan meals with the foods you enjoy. If you dislike cottage cheese, for example, don't force it. Dreading food isn't sustainable. Consider a Mediterranean Nutrition Plan, customized to fit your taste and lifestyle. The average Mediterranean user has proven to live a longer life. Ingesting copious amounts of sugar, salt, and processed meats will create a decline in health. Whole, fresh foods in a large variety will best serve the body.

Eat meals slowly while sitting down. Too many of us eat on the run, standing in the kitchen, or in the car. It takes the brain 20 minutes to acknowledge being full, so... take your time!

Some days we will fail. Put it behind you and eat well the next day. Don't fall off the wagon over a singular event. Most healthy folks who work out daily and closely monitor macros will admit to having a cheat meal 2-3X per week. If you screw up at your job, you're not going to quit, so don't treat your body the same. Correct the mistake and move on. Winners never quit, and quitters never win!

A few tips for body fat loss:

Steam, bake broil, or roast food
Eliminate rich, thick sauces and soups such as béarnaise, hollandaise, alfredo, and gravy
Remove skin and fat from chicken
Eliminate butter and margarine
Consume smaller portions more frequently, and skip the buffet
Mitigate sugar consumption - Adult females require 25g of added sugar daily, beyond 2 servings of fruit /Adult males need 37g... A 20oz Dr. Pepper has about 60g, for example
Beware of protein bars loaded with sugar, 5g of sugar per serving is reasonable
Avoid artificial sweeteners and ingredients to reduce bloating, fight diabetes and cancer - Don't fall for the Zero/Diet/No Sugar game
Share dessert, family-style
Learn to have a taste, and stay away from what you can't resist - Simply don't bring it home from the store
Chew all-natural gum while baking
Use oil-based salad dressing
Avoid heading to dinner starved, as not to overeat
Plan if an event will not have healthy options available
Drink water before your meals.

Remember to stoke your fire every few hours to keep the metabolism racing. Starvation is not the answer. Don't be afraid to add additional healthy calories to your overall nutrition plan to hit your goals.