Your nutrition (diet) is as simple as what you eat on a daily basis, but understanding how it works is a whole other story! With so much information out there on “what to eat,” “what you should never eat,” “what’s healthy,” “what’s bad for you,” it may make you want to scream!
I’ve felt this way many times. Just when I thought I had it figured out, BOOM! A new knowledge bomb would be dropped right into my lap again!
I probably still don’t have it ALL figured out, but what I have mastered is a solid foundation, and I want to make sure you have the information to build a solid foundation as well.
So, what is the foundation of nutrition? How do you make sure you are eating a well balanced diet?
To eat a well balanced, nutritious diet there are three basic concepts to understand:
- What’s in your food
- What the best quality sources of food are
- How much to eat
It starts with understanding the breakdown of what is in your food!
All food, natural or artificial, organic or commercially produced, genetically modified or not, can be broken down into macro nutrients, micro nutrients, and water. Macronutrients are the components of food that contain energy; your carbohydrates, proteins, and fats. Micro nutrients are your vitamins and minerals; the components of food that are key to certain human body structures and execute many different bodily processes.
Let’s take a minute to review the role of each macro nutrient. I feel it is important to understand what your body actually does with the food you eat. I have summarized it all in a chart for you!
| Macronutrient | Role |
| Proteins | Build muscle/antibodies/enzymes, hormones, provide structure/energy, maintain fluid/ electrolyte/ acid-base balance, clot blood |
| Carbohydrates | Primary fuel for most bodily tissues and functions(especially the brain and central nervous system), complex fiber-rich sources provide important vitamins and minerals |
| Fats | Muscle relaxation/contraction, regulate genetic activities affecting metabolism. blood vessel constriction and dilation, blood clot formation, blood lipid regulation, and immune response to injury and infection |
I could also go into each and every benefit of the 26 or so vitamins and minerals next, but that is really not necessary to making sure your nutrition is well balanced. And I do not want to bore you!
It’s really a lot simpler than that!
A well balanced diet encompasses foods that are quality sources of macro nutrients and micro nutrients. The best sources are foods that occur naturally on Earth, or are minimally processed.
What can get confusing is the fact that humans have found ways to turn naturally occurring foods into other types of food (i.e. crackers, chips, pastries, other baked goods, protein bars, etc…). A lot of these “foods” are so manipulated and processed that they end up losing the original nutritional benefits that they once had.
And pretty much all of them are so damn tasty!
A really good rule of thumb: If it’s grown in the dirt (fruits and vegetables) or once had a mom and a dad (animal meat), the food source in question will most often than not provide you with some type of nutritional benefit (Unless it’s poisonous! Don’t eat anything poisonous!). And I’m talking about foods that are closest to their natural form, so minimally processed.
No, sadly french fries do not count…sigh…
As long as you are eating with that idea in mind, it is pretty hard to go wrong. Eating this way will ensure that you are getting all the necessary vitamins and minerals your body needs as well. Below is a list of various great sources of each macronutrient. It’s not an all inclusive list, but it gives great examples.
| Proteins | Carbohydrates | Fats |
| Chicken breast, fish, lean ground turkey meat, lean ground beef, lean cuts of beef, eggs, dairy, whey and casein proteins | Fruits, non-starchy vegetables, starchy carbs (100% whole grain/ sprouted grain breads and pasta, sweet potato, white potato, rice) | Avocado, nut butters, olive oil, coconut oil, nuts, flaxseed oil |
The last big concept in eating a well balanced nutritional diet would be knowing how much of each macro nutrient to eat.
Five guidelines:
1.Fill half your plate with non-starchy vegetables
2.Fill ¼ of your plate with protein
3.Fill ⅛ of your plate with a quality starch
4.Fill ⅛ of your plate with healthy fats
5. Eat fruit once or twice per day
Many people are not currently eating this way, myself included up until recently. I found however that once I got this a little more under control by eating with these guidelines in mind most of the time, my body composition that was once stalled at one place for a while began to change! I am dropping some body fat and leaning out. Just by changing my eating.
I am also finding that my energy levels are much more in check, where they used to be all over the place, and I am performing better during my workouts.
And another thing, my cravings are in check as well because my body is getting exactly what it needs. Do I still love ice cream and pizza? Of course! But I’m not thinking about those foods every single day now.
So now it is your turn. Try these 5 guidelines for most of your meals using quality sources of each macro nutrient and watch everything fall into place.
I have developed a fit eating guide to help you figure out what to eat and how much of it to eat as well. You can download it for free right here.
This nutrition foundation is a good first step to living better, feeling better, and doing better, so take action today!
WORK FOR YOUR GOALS!
I hope you found this article helpful and easy to follow. If you have any additional questions or you are interested in online fitness coaching, please email me at Brie@ogletreeformandfunction.com
Brie Ogletree
Owner, Ogletree Form and Function
B.S. Kinesiology: Exercise Science
Certified Personal Trainer
References:
Webb, Frances Sizer., and Eleanor Noss. Whitney. Nutrition: Concepts and Controversies. Australia: Wadsworth Cengage Learning, 2011. Print.
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