Some basic guidelines to keep in mind are as follows: Consume less saturated fat, sugar and alcohol. Eat the majority of your carbohydrates in the morning and at noon. Your day should go as follows: am- carbohydrates; lunch- mixed carbohydrates and protein; pm- mostly protein. EXAMPLE: Breakfast Bowl of high fiber cereal Skim milk Orange juice/grapefruit juice (calcium fortified) Lunch Baked chicken breast Vegetable and fruit Baked or sweet potato/pasta Water OR Turkey sandwich 2 slices wheat bread 1 slice cheese Vegetable and fruit Water Dinner Chicken/Fish/Turkey Vegetable Water OR Omelet, Scrambled Eggs Water Eat 6-7 small meals daily instead of having only 2 or 3 meals. Eat too much at one sitting will cause sharp fluctuations in your blood sugar and insulin levels. Too much insulin in the bloodstream means a higher storage of fat. Never skip breakfast. Your body will go into the starvation response. This is when you have not eaten over a period of time (after dinner until the following day at lunch- 14-15 hours); your body will tend to store even “good” as fat for future need. Try not to eat after 7:00pm. If you have to, eat fruit, protein snack, but no simple sugars/fats, such as ice cream, pizza and burgers. In general, many athletes consume a diet that is slightly higher in protein, lower in refined sugars and lower in fat. The diet may be divided into the following: RDA Protein 10-12% Carbohydrates 55-60% Fat 25-30% VARIATION Protein 30-35% Carbohydrates 40-50% Fat 15-20% Drink at least 8-8 ounce glasses of water daily. This is the average population requirement. Athletes have a much greater need for water. ½ gallon to 1 gallon of water is a good goal. Be aware of the hidden calories in drinks Stay away from fried foods: fried chicken, fried fish, fried shrimp, fried turkey, bacon, fried pork chops, french fries, fried onion rings, fried mushrooms, fried cheese, etc. EX: Food that is high in saturated fat is like a drug. How much better could you be if you ate right? Limit your consumption of meats high in saturated fat: hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fried meats, and dark meat. Intake more lean meats such as: baked chicken w/o skin, baked turkey w/o skin, baked fish, boiled/broiled shrimp, tuna in water. Think of alternative forms of protein: eggs (whites), red beans, black beans, baked beans, white beans, yogurt and cottage cheese. Eat whole grain wheat breads instead of traditional white. It has more fiber and will convert to sugar at a slower rate than white bread. This includes other starches such as brown rice instead of white rice, wheat pasta instead of white pasta. Low Glycemic Index Foods Sweet Potato Brown Rice Whole Grain Bread Whole Wheat Pasta Broccoli Peas Bran Cereal High Glycemic Index Foods White Potato- Mashed Potato White Rice White/ Honey Wheat Bread Traditional Pasta Carrots Corn Frosted Flakes You don’t need to over indulge in carbohydrates at night because their purpose is to replenish energy stores. It only takes a small amount of carbohydrate to restore your needs. Any excess is stored as fat. Proteins however, can help to rebuild muscle tissue that has been broken down during activity. Any food in excess (good- [fruit] or bad- [fried food]) is stored as fat. That is your body’s way of protecting itself from starvation. Portion control is one of the most important keys to dietary success. If you look good on the outside, it doesn’t mean you look good on the inside. When you think you look good and your body fat is still high, there are 2 possibilities: you store fat internally (organ fat) or you are dehydrated. Never skip meals. It will always cause a more drastic spike in your insulin levels when you final eat.