Best Exercise and Nutrition Plan to Allow for Healthy Recovery
You know what they say - garbage in, garbage out. Just as we choose to optimally workout, efficiently plan and mentally prepare for our routine, we need to put just as much effort into proper nutrition and meal timing.
Most western food choices are calorie-dense instead of nutrient-dense. It is best to focus on foods that have a high vitamin-to-calorie ratio. According to Larissa Gedney with HealthyEating, a registered dietitian, “Although sometimes used interchangeably, calorie-dense and nutrient-dense have very different meanings. Calorie-dense foods can also provide nutrients, but nutrient-dense foods will provide higher levels of nutrients other than calories. If you are trying to lose weight or maintain your weight, choose a diet high in nutrient-dense foods and avoid or restrict calorie-dense foods.” Examples of calorie-dense foods are candy, cookies, donuts, cheeseburgers, french fries and other deep fried, processed foods. Healthy nutrient-dense foods include dark-green vegetables, sweet potatoes, and high-healthy fat meats.
What are the Most Nutrient-Dense Foods?
Kris Gunnars lists, “The 11 Most Nutrient Dense Foods on the Planet,” in her latest article from Authority Nutrition:
Salmon, Kale, Seaweed, Garlic, Shellfish, Potatoes (correctly programmed meal timing is important here), Liver, Sardines, Blueberries, Egg Yolks and last but not least, Dark Chocolate. Seriously? Except for the salmon, garlic and dark chocolate (no, not all in one recipe), I can’t imagine a diet consisting of those main ingredients. Here’s where I’m going off the rails and you need to spot me: This is not a diet. This is a lifestyle. As mature homo sapiens with free will, we sure make a mess of our bodies. I’ve heard that rats will choose what is absolutely the worst for them and suffer the consequences than buck up and do the right thing.
So here’s the deal, there were no gyms back in the cave man days because it was survival of the fittest. Talk about a lifestyle choice. It wasn’t like Paleo was a diet fad in those days. Your exercise and nutrition plan was your lifestyle. We want to continue our care-to-the-wind-I’ll-worry-about-it-when-I’m-55 attitude well into our 70’s. We are now only beginning to understanding the consequences of our lifestyle habits thirty years from now. Personally, you put me on a diet and I gain weight. The minute you tell me I can’t have that Costco two-bite brownie (I can easily accomplish the task in one bite), I crave and will eat the whole box in one bite. Think long-term lifestyle instead of quick, illusionary fix. Rinse, repeat and rejoice! Take visceral pleasure from that gorgeous yellow bell pepper. Where else can you enjoy red, blue, purple, orange, white and green in one bowl?
As far as evolved mammals go, we wouldn’t last two days in the wild fending for ourselves. The only reason this change in lifestyle eating is an issue is because of social and political pressures which have been strongly embossed in our daily lives. People are too busy for traditional family meals. Organic food is up to 3x more expensive than mainstream. We’re lucky if we actually get to sit down to taste our meal vs. downing a protein shake on the way out the door.
A simple exercise and nutrition plan is based on efforts to uncomplicate things. So, simply eat uncomplicated food. You don’t need to bread and fry that healthy piece of fish. Steam it with some fresh broccoli, drip on a little lemon and don’t forget a little turmeric, garlic, and extra butter from grass-fed cows!
There will come a time when your body craves this healthy food and you won’t miss the chips and popcorn. We reserve the right not to comment on the health benefits of dark chocolate (we’ll leave that research up to you). Protein, fat and carbohydrates are some pretty essential building blocks for our strength and wellness. More is not better. We live in a world of plenty and excess. Remember, we’re talking lifestyle here. A healthy eating plan that knocks your socks off in the visually appealing, tasty and nutritional meals landing on family dining tables in a home near you.
THE PLATFORM exercise and nutrition plan turns your body into a fat-burning machine for most of your day. We are unique because we apply the science around your body’s recovery time and how to best maximize glycolytic replenishment and protein synthesis to promote efficient recovery after high intensity exercise.
To Carb or Not to Carb…
Believe it or not, we can eat whole food carbs and still lose weight, but meal timing and types of carbs are essential. We teach you what these are and when to eat them with the Platform's exercise and nutrition plans.
We are also strong believers in the role that ketosis plays in your workout routine and recovery. As a reminder, ketosis is a natural metabolic process which occurs in your body on a low carbohydrate diet, promoting your body to burn excess fat. Barring any extraneous health issues (heart, kidney, liver, blood sugar), ketosis is a natural and healthy way to burn fat and lost weight. Your body is a well-tuned work of art so balance and variety are key to success. Don’t just eat protein. Or fat. Or carbs. Proportion, consistency, and timing are keys to healthy, sustainable weight loss and continued maintenance.
According to Kevin Michael Geary on his Rebootedbody.com website, “...imagine a person who is avoiding carbohydrates, keeping protein to moderate levels, and getting adequate levels of fat. Assuming they’re eating quality fat, veggies, and well sourced protein they’re getting all the micronutrients they need and they’re NOT starving (adequate caloric intake). They’re also experiencing the side benefit of very stable blood sugar levels. Following this high fat, moderate protein, low carbohydrate model can induce ketosis. Your body’s main interest is to create the ketones it can use for fuel in the absence of glucose. In other words, your body’s main interest is to burn fat. And it does so to a far better degree than simply restricting calories does.”
As few as 25 grams of carbs can kick your body out of ketosis (check out our rules of thumb for staying in a fat-burning mode). In order to best manage this exercise and nutrition plan is to cycle out of ketosis when your body is most insulin-sensitive. Eat whole-food, well-tolerated carbs such as sweet potatoes, taro root and rice timed right after your high-intensity exercises to aid with replenishing your glycogen and store those carbs in your muscles rather than your fat tissue.
Sugar, Corn Syrup, Artificial Fillers and Sweeteners, oh, my!
Watch out for artificial sweeteners. They are nothing more than useless chemicals trying to trick our bodies. Also avoid sugar and vegetable oils. These items lead to chronic states of inflammation and have no nutritional value to contribute to your long-term health goals.
Eating real whole foods is a also a way to avoid fillers that could be wreaking havoc on your body without you knowing it… Example: My friend’s daughter was having some painful and disruptive stomach pain and nausea. My friend is an avid homeopathic and naturopathic practitioner so they went the muscle testing route. A trained practitioner tests many different allergens, foods, etc. using major muscle group reactions. My friend’s daughter was allergic to corn syrup. Corn. Corn starch. But here’s the really scary revelation: corn (or a derivative) is in EVERYTHING. Shredded cheese to prevent it from clumping, hot dogs buns (for flavor?), crackers iic , salsa, yogurt, most soda. The list is exhaustive. Eat real food based on the template well-tolerated foods we recommend, and you’ll be doing yourself a huge favor.
THE PLATFORM Lifestyle
Stop wasting your time and get the results you want. THE PLATFORM bases all of our exercise and nutritional plans on the most current scientific research available. We are not about fads. We are about tried and true workout routine methodology and sensible nutritional guidelines. We haven’t even talked about how fun we are!
Luc D’Abreau, MS, CPT, Founding Partner, is driven by two things: expression of physical movement and seeking knowledge. Garrett Hagen, MS, PE, Founding Partner is motivated by optimizing athletic performance, health and physique.
We have the know-how, tools and power to help you achieve your workout and nutritional plan goals. We are passionate about overall health, wellness and fitness and want to help you live your healthy lifestyle.