Start with Balanced Nutrition

Eating well balanced meals can be a challenging task for just about anyone in this busy world. For most of us that means anywhere from 3 to 6 meals per day minimum. Now when you multiply that by seven days and however many people in your household may be sharing in those meals, it can so overwhelming (time consuming as well as expensive) it isn’t surprising that a majority of Americans choose the easy out - as in fast, cheap and high in calories and fat. However if you are engaged in a fitness regimen, such laziness in the area of nutrition simply cannot be tolerated. Eating correctly is every bit as important as exercising correctly. Each one is directly linked to the other for final and continued success.

So where to begin? Both the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services recommend following these key guidelines:

Follow a balanced diet that is low in saturated and trans fats, cholesterol and added sugars, salt and alcohol.

Balance your calorie intake with exercise. Slowly decrease your caloric intake while increasing exercise to prevent gradual weight gain over time.

Two cups of fruit and 2 ½ cups of vegetables per day are recommended for a 2,000 calorie a day diet.

Three or more ounces of whole grain products are recommended per day.

Fewer than ten percent of calories should come from saturated fatty acids.

Cholesterol intake should be less than 300 mg. per day.

Total fat intake should not exceed 20-35 percent of calories.

Choose “good” fats such as fish, nuts and olive oil (mono and polyunsaturated fat.)

Lean, low fat or fat free meats, poultry, dry beans and certain milk products are preferable. Total fat intake can approach 35 percent if the majority of the fats are “good” fats.

Avoid added sugars.

Consume less than 2,300 mg. (about one teaspoon) of sodium daily.

Do not consume more than one alcoholic drink per day for women and two per day for men.

While providing a clear course of action, this recommendation might also strike you as a bit vague and non-specific, so just remember to use common sense and do what is best for you in terms of your particular age, your fitness goals - (to lose weight, to add muscle size), etc. Balanced nutrition is the thing to keep in mind at all times BodyBlast.com offers this simple nutritional and diet plan guideline:

Commit to consuming 4-6 small meals and snacks everyday

To succeed, plan ahead by packing foods the night before.

Always make healthy food selections like fruits, vegetables, whole grain cereals and breads, beans, low-fat or non-fat dairy, fish, meat and skinless poultry.

Avoid foods high in fat and “empty” calories (low protein, high carbs, low in nutrients).

Avoid foods high in sugar - deserts, candy, etc.

Use a variety of fruits and vegetables in your nutrition plan. Start by trying to eat 5 total fruit and vegetable servings per day .

Remember, the most important road to eating a balanced diet is education. Know (listen to) what your body needs and read carefully all nutritional labels and ingredients on everything you eat. BodyBlast offers a wide range of nutrition programming from vegan to high protein regimens. Our balance program is a great way to work your way into a full scale, progressive program design. For more information, check out our website for more information: www.bodyblast.com