Summer is Coming Challenge Group Posts

I have been ignoring my blog these past few weeks because

I have been using up all of my ideas in my 

Summer is Coming Challenge Group.

I came up with a brilliant idea though:

Why not multitask and share those posts here on my blog?!?!

Hopefully, you can find something useful, motivating, or inspiring!

SET A GOAL!!!

People that set goals and write it down are 50% more likely to succeed.

When I first started running, a mile seemed like forever. I started by running from one light pole to the next and then walking the next interval and repeating. The next time I ran I was able to go one pole length longer. It didn't take overnight, but eventually I was able to run that mile without stopping, then I ran 2 , and so on until I was able to run a marathon. This took years, but I didn't give up. I thought that a marathon seemed like an impossible task at first. That's why I started out with a smaller task and then I took it one light pole at a time.

Your goal might not be to run a marathon. It might be to go without potato chips or to learn how to cook. It might be to love yourself, to OWN IT!!! Or it might be to help someone else to be more healthy or fit. I'm sure that it seems impossible and scary, but YOU CAN DO IT!!!

Today's challenge: Write down the answer to these question and keep it somewhere as a daily reminder. If you feel comfortable, take a picture of your goals and post it in the comments.

1. What is your ultimate overall goal?
2. What goal would you like to achieve in the next week?
3. What goal would you like to achieve in one month?
4. What goal would you like to achieve in one year?

Then next week, reevaluate your answers and change them as needed. This will allow you to celebrate small victories, while also keeping you on track to achieve the bigger goal!!!

Happy Mother's Day!!!

The other day while I was holding a plank and reading my Oxygen magazine, yes I'm coordinated like that, I read an article that I want to discuss.

STRONG IS THE NEW SKINNY

Ok, this is a move in the right direction, BUT still . . . What about just being strong? Not just physical strength, but also having humility, courage, integrity, kindness, charity, goodness. These are qualities that I want to instill in my children and that I want to personify.

I spend so much of my day looking in the mirror, hating what I see. I have never had a flat stomach. I remember someone asked me (when I was about 16 years old) why I didn't suck my stomach in. RUDE!!! These are the things that I think about when I walk by the mirror. My eyes don't go to my good qualities, but to those that I feel are less than desirable.

WHY?!?! Why do I punish myself like this? Why can't I love my body? Why don't I look at myself like I look at all of you? I see each of you as a beautiful person, that wants to be healthy, strong, and enjoy life fully.

Today's Challenge: Today is Mother's Day, so I want you to give yourself the gift of acceptance. Accept yourself for all of your good and bad, all your perfections and imperfections. You are an amazing person, inside and out. You are worth a million bucks and then some more. Give yourself permission to change. Give yourself permission to be different. Give yourself permission to be you.

Eat Living Foods!

Eat foods that are as close to their natural source as possible. Chef Boyardee, Hamburger Helper, and Twinkies are the furthest thing from "natural sources."

Living foods are goods that have been pulled from the ground, tree or bush, fished out of the water, or laid in a nest. These foods have the highest nutritional content.

Some tips on obtaining living foods:
1. Grow your own.
2. Buy fruits and vegetables that are in season.
3. Buy frozen, but check your ingredients. Some frozen fruits have added sugar and vegetables may have preservatives or additives. Make sure that if you are buying frozen blueberries that the only ingredient is blueberries.
4. The same goes for your dairy, meat, and eggs. I quit buying the individually frozen chicken tenders and breast because of the additives. Sometimes cheaper isn't healthier. Watch for sales when purchasing your meat and then freezing it for later.

Today's Challenge:
Please share with the group a processed food that you have replaced with a "living food."

Some things that I have done:
Replace any vegetable oils (like canola) with coconut, avocado, or olive oil. Instead of microwave popcorn, pop your own and top with coconut oil and sea salt. I traded Jif/Skippy for fresh ground peanuts or almonds.

Fletcherize and swallow

What the what??? Fletcherizing is defined as reducing food to tiny particles by prolonged chewing.

Have you ever sat down to a meal (perhaps in front of the TV), only to realize that your plate is empty, but you don't remember tasting it? Have you ever eaten with someone and noticed that their fork races from their plate to the their lips at a rate similar to a table-tennis match? Are you that person?

What's wrong with these scenarios?
-poor dinnertime conversations
-eating too much
-vulnerable to choking
-often finish meals feeling bloated and unsettled

It takes about 20 minutes for your stomach to signal your brain that you are full. Give your stomach the opportunity to digest food properly by slowing down and fletcherizing.

Here are some tips to help you slow down:
1. Chew each food morsel 20-30 times before you swallow.
2. Remind yourself to slow down.
3. Take a break between bites: chat, take a sip of water.
4. Enjoy and savor your meal and the company.
5. Eat sitting down at a table, not in front of the TV or over the sink.

Today's challenge: follow tips 1-5 for all your meals today. If you have any other tips, please comment!

Break the fast

A nutritious, delicious breakfast sets the tone for optimal performance and nutrition for the rest of the day. I have included a post (you will see this post again because we will be discussing meal prep and planning later) that has some breakfast ideas. These are what I eat for breakfast. Just make sure that you are eating about 15-20 grams of protein for breakfast. Some examples include 1 scoop of Shakeology, 2 eggs, 1 cup of Greek Yogurt or 1/2 cup cottage cheese.

Today's Challenge: Share what you had for breakfast this morning. If you have a delicious recipe that isn't already included, please share it!!!

Food labels

When I first started Clean Eating, my weekly shopping trip went from 45 min to taking nearly 90 min to an hour. I looked at EVERY label. It takes time! I had so much to learn.

These are some of the keys points that I have learned:
1. If it's made in a lab, don't eat it.
2. If you can't pronounce it, don't eat it.
3. Stay away from food products that have more than 5 ingredients.
4. 1 ingredients items are the best: apple, banana, broccoli, chicken, beef, eggs, oats (you get the point)
5. Sugar doesn't always mean added sugars. Lots of whole foods have natural sugars, like tomatoes, beans, oats, and on. Read the ingredients, if sugar is listed then it is added.
6. Preservatives, dyes, additives, and artificial sweeteners are not good for your body. If they are listed in the ingredients, put it down and back away.
7. Food is not just food, sometimes food is actually "non-food." Such as Twinkies and cinnamon bears.
8. Steer clear of the SUITS: Did the person that "made" this wear a lab jacket or a flannel shirt. Meaning, was this made in a lab or grown by a farmer. Just a thought.

Tosca Reno: How to read food labels

 It's the weekend!!!!

Today's challenge is all about FITNESS. Last year I had the opportunity of participating in 6 Figures with Gold's Gym and KPVI More. There were 6 participants (they were all my best buddies). We each had a trainer and totally different goals. My goal was to PR at the Utah Valley Marathon. Melissa, Clayn, and Libby were fairly new to the gym scene and had not ever worked with a trainer. Each of them were challenged to try new workouts. It was interesting to see how Libby, who said that she hated to workout, actually found that she liked some of the classes like Zumba. The other participant of the challenge was Sarah. She is in this group, so she can share her experience if she wants.

The point is that all of us were required to try new things that we wouldn't have done on our own. We found things that we liked and were good at and we found things that we hated and weren't so good at.

In order to be consistent with exercise, you need to
*find something that you like
*schedule it into your day
*make it IMPORTANT
*Inform your family that you do things for them ALL day long, and this is something that you are doing for yourself.
*Involve your family when you can: go for walks, bike rides, swimming, jump on the trampoline.
*find moments to exercise: at the park while your kids are playing you can do step ups on the bench, hop overs, run stairs, calf raises, pull ups on the monkey bars, push ups, lunges, squats, etc.
*JUST DO IT
*DON'T MAKE EXCUSES

Today's challenge: TRY OUT SOMETHING NEW!
I have included the link to my blog. On the bottom left is a link to my YouTube Videos. You could try out one of these videos, try out a different class or cardio machine at the gym, or just dust off your bike, roller blades, or swim suit. Just do something new and post about it.

Yasso 800s

I have a rough plan of what my week of running will look like based on Hal Higdon Personal Best Marathon Training Schedule.  I don't decide my route until I leave my front door.  I have 2 choices when I get to the end of my road: I can go right and do flats or go left and do hills.  Usually I have already planned if it will be a long run, an easy run, or speedwork based on my schedule.

Today I went right and I decided to start my Yasso 800 training.  You can check out Runner's World's article describing Yasso 800, if you think that I just made it up.  Or check out Bart Yasso at bartyasso.com. 

The theory is that you can predict your marathon time based on how fast you can run ten 800 meter intervals (with a short 200-400 m jog between).  For instance, if you can run 800 m averaging 3:50 min, your marathon time should be 3 hours: 50 minutes.  

However, you don't want to just go out one day and attempt to run all 10 the first time.  I did this when I trained for the Utah Valley Marathon and it was BRUTAL!!! Bart recommends that you start with four and build up to ten, doing these intervals once every other week.

I'm just going to admit that my 800s were a JOKE this morning.  The first 2 were ok.  My goal is to run my next marathon in 4 hours, so I wanted to run each 800 in 4 min.  The first was 4:07, the second 3:53, the third was 4:23 and fourth 4:17.  On those last 2 I caught my mind wandering to things that I needed to do today.  When I looked down, my pace was just under 10 min/mile.  I came home and told my husband that from now on he was going to have to pace me so that I stay on pace.  I love to run, but I have to really concentrate to run fast.

Does this theory really work?  I found several proponents and opponents to Yasso 800s.  I personally think that there is actually some validity to it.  Regardless of it really working or not, it is a great form of speedwork.  If you have a marathon in the near future, try it out and see what you think.

I would love to hear your feed back about Yasso 800s or what you are doing to mix things up with running.

Why Shakeology

I found this article on Facebook.  It is written by Elite Beachbody coach David Ingram.  He wrote this in response to someone asking him why not just eat healthy.  I did it mostly for my own reference, but I think that it is relevant for anyone interested in kicking their nutrition up a notch.  

WHY Shakeology? My View + 3rd party Scientific studies

April 23, 2014 at 5:25pm

WRITTEN BY DAVID INGRAM (3/19/2014)

1) I think we can all agree that the traditional approach of telling people to "just eat healthy" has failed society. With 7 out of 10 people now overweight and the #1 cause of death being obesity, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure/cholesterol, it's pretty clear that the traditional approach has failed. We've given dietitians and certified nutritionists a chance… it hasn't been working. It didn't work for me personally. We needed a NEW APPROACH… and based on the results all around us, the NEW APPROACH IS WORKING!

2) I believe it's because people have been TOO BUSY and there are too many EASY FOOD CHOICES available that are UNHEALTHY (See: Fast Food). When it's SO EASY to 'grab and go" with crappy food, but eating healthy is a chore, it's clear why people are eating from the dollar menu.

3) Shakeology gives people a SIMPLE, "GRAB & GO" FOOD CHOICE that is EASY, and SUPER HEALTHY. 9 servings of fruits & vegetables, daily vitamins from whole food sources, probiotics, digestive enzymes, proteins & healthy carbohydrates, etc.

4) The other problem is that when people DECIDE to diet, they cut so many good foods out of their diet that they aren't getting the 27 essential daily micronutrients that their body needs each day.

A study published in the June 2010 Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, titled:

Prevalence of micronutrient deficiency in popular diet plans,  found that research has shown micronutrient deficiency to be scientifically linked to a higher risk of overweight/obesity and other dangerous and debilitating diseases. With more than two-thirds of the U.S. population overweight or obese, and research showing that one-third are on a diet at any given time, a need existed to determine whether current popular diet plans could protect followers from micronutrient deficiency by providing the minimum levels of 27 micronutrients, as determined by the U.S. Food and Drug Administrations (FDA) Reference Daily Intake (RDI) guidelines.

(Reference: http://www.jissn.com/content/7/1/24)

Regarding specifically the Atkins, DASH, South Beach, and Best Life diets:  

-All four diet plans failed to deliver 100% sufficiency for the selected 27 essential micronutrients, based on RDI guidelines, when followed as recommended by their suggested daily menus using whole food alone.

-A typical dieter on any of these four popular diet plans would be, on average, 56.48% deficient in obtaining RDI sufficiency, and lacking in 15 out of the 27 essential micronutrients analyzed.

-It was found that 100% sufficiency was possible for all 27 essential micronutrients only when daily calorie intake requirement averaged 27,575 calories. This extreme calorie intake requirement is, in the opinion of this researcher, impossible and/or medically unwise to obtain and/or sustain.

-The implications of this study are significant and far-reaching. Micronutrient deficiency has been shown to cause an 80.8% increase in the likelihood of becoming overweight or obese [1] and is scientifically linked to a higher risk of other dangerous and debilitating diseases, including resistance to infection, birth defects, cancer, cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis [5-7].

-Findings of Drs. Fairfield and Fletcher of Harvard University and writers of the new guidelines for the Journal of American Medical Association (JAMA). Dr. Fletcher states, "Even people who eat five daily servings of fruits and vegetables may not get enough of certain vitamins for optimum health. Most people, for instance, cannot get the healthiest levels of folate and vitamins D and E from recommended diets."

They can get these micronutrients in Shakeology.

5) What about Multi Vitamins? Can't people just take those instead?

USA Today, Dec 2013: Medical Journal: ‘Case Closed’ against vitamin pills. (Reference: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2013/12/16/vitamin-supplements-research/4042037/)

- The latest studies on vitamins have some medical experts saying "case closed" — it's time for most consumers to stop wasting money on multivitamins and other supplements, because they have no proven benefits and some possible harms.

- "What we've found time and again is that the supplements are not working… we don't need to go on studying them forever," said editorial writer Eliseo Guallar of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health, in a telephone interview.

Multivitamins don't work because they are produced in a lab with chemicals. Our bodies need vitamins & minerals from WHOLE FOOD SOURCES... like in Shakeology.

3 Signs your body may be lacking in micronutrients:
- You lack energy late in the afternoon
- You have cravings
- You are irritable

6) When you say that "eating healthy is the best" way to get healthy, I guess it's how you define BEST. I would describe that as "IDEAL".. It would be IDEAL if people were knew all the right foods to eat to get all the essential nutrients their body needs to function. It would be IDEAL If they had good habits and took the time to shop at farmers markets and purchased the right variety of foods. It would be IDEAL if the soil in this country wasn't depleted and the bioavailability of vitamins & nutrients in our agriculture weren't declining.

The BEST solution is the one that people will actually USE. Based on the success of Shakeology (and the Beachbody Challenge), people are actually USING IT!

7) But I ask you, why choose ONE OR THE OTHER (Healthy eating vs. Shakeology)? Why not choose BOTH? I teach people how to eat healthy… I educate them on food and I help them build new habits around grocery shopping and meal prep.. I teach that in my challenge groups. It takes TIME.

Shakeology is a quick answer, an easy way for people to improve their nutrition & health OVERNIGHT. It's the foundation of my nutrition plan and it's a really good insurance policy for people who aren't making the best food choices. I give people BOTH.

8) I've seen so many amazing success stories with it, like my wife Kate who was stuck at a weight-loss plateau for 9 months while eating super healthy and working out twice a day.. until she added Shakeology to her diet and bam broke through and lost 13 lbs in 90 days, getting down to her lightest and healthiest since before our wedding day!

Or my friend Jeff who was on 5 medications for stomach ulcers and IBS for 12 years… and within 60 days of Shakeology, he got off all meds and all ulcers had healed. Perhaps you're missing out on experiencing these success stories, which help build belief!

9) You're a dietician, you want to teach people to eat healthy, that's awesome…but maybe you could ask them "how would you like to get started, the EASY way (Shakeology, while learning why to eat as we go) OR the HARD way (changing all your habits now & learning what to eat)?"

10) I choose to give people an easier way… to help people change RIGHT NOW (with Shakeology) while teaching them about nutrition along the way. Lord knows they need it... with McDonalds & Redbull and these grocery stores providing so many easy unhealthy options, spending billions in marketing.. people need an easier & BETTER option NOW!!

Is Shakeology the only way to get healthy? NO...of course not! Besides, It's only 160 calories and it's a small part of a daily diet.

But I believe it is a GREAT tool -- to help people get control of their diet, to increase energy and improve digestion of ALL the food they eat. I BELIEVE people are BETTER OFF when they have it. And because of my own experience and so many people who have thanked me for it, I BELIEVE in it and RECOMMEND IT!

Whole 30 week 1

Well, actually it's the end of the not really week 1 and the beginning of the REAL week one.

I "started" Whole 30 on April 17, then again on April 21 and then OFFICIALLY on April 24.  What's up with that???  Whole 30 requires you to do the program for 30 SOLID days.  There is no cheating.  If you cheat, you have to start over.  So, I cheated on Saturday night when I was dishing up my kids Easter candy.  I threw in the towel after that until Monday.  Then I ended up finding more Easter candy on Monday, Tuesday, and went to lunch and ate some of my husbands onion rings on Wednesday.

This is the deal: I wasn't PREPARED!  I had started the book, "It Starts with Food," but I hadn't read more than a few chapters.  Then I realized that I wasn't supposed to have peanuts, so I had a bit of a freak out about that and went crazy on the peanut butter jar.  I also had some bad experiences with my pre-run meals.  Egg before running=stomach pain and bloating!!!

I wasn't READY!  I was still stuck in the mindset of what I was GIVING UP, instead of focusing on what I can HAVE!  My reason for doing Whole 30: figure out a healthy relationship with food, specifically sweets.  My goal is to get to the point where I can really enjoy an occasional "treat" without feeling guilty and then sabotaging everything that I have accomplished by going on a 5 day sugar spree.

There are some "rules" with Whole30 that I don't entirely agree with.  I have been eating 5-6 small meals for several years now.  However, Whole30 requires 3 meals, with maybe one light snack.  I am not willing to budge on my meal frequency at this point.  I know that if I went longer than 3 hours between meals, I would end up in the pantry with peanut butter in one hand and Kit Kats in the other (you'll just have to believe me-that combination is delicious).   I also am going to continue to drink Shakeology daily.  I have benefited too much from it to quit it.  I guess I can be criticized for this, but I'm 36 years old so I guess that I can make these decisions.

What foods are eliminated with the Whole30?
Sugars
Sweeteners
Alcohol
Seed oils
Grains and legumes
Dairy

Foods that are encouraged:
Meat
Seafood
Eggs
Vegetables
Fruit
The Right fats

For more info: The Whole 30 Program Rules

I have also found a great community on Instagram (#whole30) and I have started a Whole 30 board on Pinterest.  I would love to have as many people join in on this adventure with me.  Like I have said many times, MISERY LOVES COMPANY!

Marathon Training - Speedwork

I'm finally getting excited to train for my next marathon.  I have used several different training programs in the past, but I always seem to come back to Hal Higdon's programs.  This time around I'm using his 30 week Personal Best Program.

Utah Valley Marathon 2013

This program is a combination of his Intermediate Spring and Intermediate Marathon Training Programs.  It is for people that have run 2-3 marathons in the past and are looking "to achieve peak performance."

I just started week 12, so I have 18 weeks to go.  I am really enjoying this program because it is allowing me to ease back into running.  This winter I was still recovering from PMS (post-marathon syndrome), so I only ran a few days a week for short distances.  I'm glad that I gave myself that break because now I'm ready to start over again.

Almost all of my running was done on the treadmill this winter.  I get really bored when I run on the "dreadmill," as one of my friends calls it.  One of the ways that I have been able to keep myself sane is to do speedwork.

Here is a list of my interpretation of three types of speedwork: tempo, fartlek, and pace training.


1.  Tempo:  A tempo run is commonly described as "comfortably hard."  There are several different methods out there for tempo runs, but I prefer doing it like a pyramid.

• start with an easy jog at a warm-up pace for 1-2 miles.  You should be able to chat with your running buddy (or to yourself if running alone).
• Gradually pick up your pace to just slower than your 10-K pace or about 80-90% of your max heart rate.  I usually take about 5-10 min to accelerate.
• Hold this faster pace for about 3-5 min.
• Gradually decrease your pace for another 5-10 min.
• Cool down at a comfortable pace for another 1-2 miles.  

I think the easiest way to do this is on the treadmill.  After my mile warm up, I add on 0.2 mph every minute for a mile or two.  Then I decelerate by coming down the pyramid in the same manner.

2.  Fartlek: This is not only a fun word to say, but I think it's fun to do!  Fartlek is a Swedish word meaning "speed play."  I think that I like them the most because they are unstructured.  They alternate between moderate-to-hard effort.  This is a fun workout to do with friends. You can alternate the leader to shout out when to run hard and when to run moderate.  The goal of these runs is to keep it fun, like a game. 

Since I usually train alone, I have chosen to do my fartleks with Tabata timing.  I guess that it defeats the purpose of not being tethered to a watch, but I think it's fun so that's all that matters.  I warm up for 10 minutes with an easy run, then I set my Tabata timer for 20 seconds of work and 10 seconds of rest, repeating 8 times.   I repeat the whole process 2 more times.

3.  Pace training:  This is a run done at your goal "pace" of the race that you are training for.  I use this pace calculator to determine my pace.  For instance, my goal is to break 4 hours at my marathon in August.  I used the pace calculator and found out that I would need to run a 9 min pace to accomplish this.   A good way to do pace training, is to throw in races every 3 weeks during your training schedule.  

BEGINNERS:  If you are new to training, I would recommend doing speedwork every other week.  

INTERMEDIATE:  Increase your speedwork to once a week.

I highly recommend adding speedwork into your workouts.  However, be very careful when doing this.  Make sure that you properly warm up and cool down with each session.  Work up slowly!  For instance, when doing fartleks, only do 3 intervals to begin with.  Make your hard and moderate time equal, or even rest for longer periods of time to begin with.  Your chances of injury are much greater if you start off too fast, do too many, or don't let your body recover between speedwork sessions.  

Most importantly, make speedwork fun!!!  Include your family or friends in these workouts or make a certain playlist with all your favorite songs just for these speedwork sessions.  I don't know if I would ever be able to share my speedwork playlist with anyone.  Some of the songs on there are kind of embarrassing, but they keep me motivated.  

May 2014 BeachBody Challenge Group

This is a 6 week challenge group geared towards helping you stay motivated on your fitness journey, or to 
help you get started.

Some highlights of the group will be:

**Eating CLEAN


**Portion Control


**30 minute or less workouts


**Motivation and Self-Image


**Accountability

If you are interested in being a participant for this challenge, here's 3 ways that you can contact me:

1- Comment in this post or send me a private message at lisaborden7@beachbodycoach.com


2- If we aren't already Facebook Friends- request me as a "friend" http://www.facebook.com/lisascleaneatingandfitness

3-Check out my Beachbody coach page gttp:www.TeamBeachBody.com/lisaborden7

COST: The cost of the group depends on what tools you have and are wanting to add to your health and fitness toolbox.  

YES, we use Beachbody products in the group. BB Workouts are optional, but Shakeology is required. WHY? Because it is the ONE THING that makes the BIGGEST difference in our challengers overall health. There are affordable options for everyone I'll be happy to discuss them with you.

One of the number one excuse for not exercising is time. This month Focus T25 is on sale through Beachbody's website. It cost $180 this month for the program and a 30 day supply of Shakeology. T25  normally costs $105 and a bag of Shakeology is $139.  

What is FOCUS T25?
•In-home workouts designed to deliver an hour’s results in just 25 minutes a day.
•There’s always a modifier on screen, so literally anyone at any fitness level can GET IT DONE
with FOCUS T25.

Now I sound all SALESY. I don't want to but for those of you thinking about trying them I am here to answer any questions.

Brazil Butt Lift is also on sale for $140 this month with a 30 bag of shakeology. For this group you can do any workout program. You don't have to do one of these videos. 

As a coach, I 100% commit to you to show up every day, motivate you, and give you the fitness tools to succeed. That's my promise. In return, I need that level of commitment from you. The road to success will be challenging, but if you Push Play every day and follow the nutrition plan, you will definitely see results in just 6 weeks.

Now, I know I mentioned the road will be challenging, but it will be fun too. I am excited that we are going to spend 6 weeks together because in that time, many things will change for you...not just your body.
This program and the friends you will make in it will be a very special experience. You will build a support system that will last well beyond the 6 weeks.  The more that you put into that system, the more you will get out. 

Never lose sight that this program and this Challenge Group are all about getting YOU results.

It's all about accountability and FUN. Each day we will have a challenge along with points you have to track. You can read the post each morning and either log back in at night and tell us how you did. Another option is to wait till the next morning, when you read the challenge, then you could post your points.

Points ARE NOT designed to show who is failing but to show who is TRYING! This is going to be FUN!  We will have some great prizes for 3 lucky winners. Tosac Reno books, ITunes gift cards, PB2, and a jacket. 

Macronutrients

Just like your car, your body needs fuel.  And just like fuel, there are different grades of food. For example,  a Fiber One bar would be unleaded, a homemade granola bar would be mid-grade and a bowl of oats and berries would be premium.  The less additives in your food, the more nutrition it will retain.

Macronutrients are the main components of our diet.  They are broken down into three groups: Protein, fat, and carbohydrates.  In my previous post, Clean Eating: When, How much and What to Eat, I listed example of these three categories.  

These Macronutrients can be broken down further as described the Wikipedia's list of Macronutrients. 

Protein: Amino Acids; Fats: saturated, polysaturated, monosaturated, and essential fatty acids; Carbohydrates: Glucose, fructose, sucrose, etc.

Why are Macronutrients important?  Just like in the example of putting the best fuel in your car for optimal performance, putting the right ratio of nutritious foods in your body will also assist you to look, feel and perform better.

Haha!  So I just liked this photo, but it is just a tad bit over simplified.  Not all protein and fat sources are from animals.  A good general rule is to divide your calories into these percentages: 30% protein, 15-20% fat, 50-55% carbohydrates.  

I like to fill 50% of my plate with a rainbow of colors: tomatoes, peppers, broccoli, kale, carrots, etc.  Heap on those vegetables.  They will help to fill you up with Premium fuel!!!

I have heard many fitness buffs refer to their nutrition break down as "macros."   When they use the term macros, they usually aren't referring just to carbs, proteins and fats, but they are also breaking these down even further to key minerals and vitamins (these are micronutrients).  Unless you are taking a multivitamin or drinking a meal replacement shake, like Shakeology, you are probably missing out on some these essential nutrients.     

 

I didn't start worrying about my "macros" very much, until I found out that my iron levels were lower than they should be.  I usually workout in the morning and evening- cardio for one workout and strength training for the other- and I have to be careful that I'm getting enough protein.  Not only just protein, but also iron and branch chain amino acids.  I have quit throwing away my egg yolks and started adding spinach to my smoothies. I feel so much better when I keep my sugars low, my protein around 100 grams and focus on eating foods that are a good source of iron.

If you aren't seeing the results that you want or you feel run down a lot, it might be beneficial to track your food.  Apps, such as My Fitness Pal, are easy to use.  My Fitness Pal provides a breakdown of fats, cholesterol, sodium, potassium, carbs, protein, Vitamins A & C, Calcium and Iron.  You don't have to do this forever.  Tracking your normal diet for a few days will give you an idea of where you might be needing to add or subtract certain foods. 

Also consider adding a multivitamin and/or Shakeology to provide the "macros" that your diet may be lacking. Putting a little bit of time and effort into your nutrition will pay off in the end when you look, feel and perform better than you ever have before.

Here's some more information on Macronutrients. 

Calculate your Macronutrient Needs

Macronutrients (Wikipedia definition)
How to count your macronutrients (a guide for beginners)