In the year 2020, we have endless amounts of information at our fingertips and that includes information regarding nutrition. If you google “healthy diet” you will literally get millions of articles to read, most of which will differ in their opinion of what works and what doesn’t work. Many are just the opinions of average people who use phrases just as “evidence-based nutrition” without providing any real credentials…or evidence, while many other articles are written by people with doctorates, masters degrees, and certifications in nutrition which are legitimate but sometimes they have their own bias. So with the limitless amount of diet and nutrition information available to us, how do we know what is and is not correct? In the Marine Corps, I often heard the phrase “KISS” which stands for “keep it simple stupid!” Lol! And although nobody means any harm by calling anyone stupid, the point is to simplify things that otherwise can seem complicated. As a Marine Officer, I always believed that if I gave an order and my least intelligent person couldn’t understand it, then I needed to curtail that order so anyone can understand it and accomplish the mission. I apply the same thought process to nutrition. So listed below are the “KISS” principles to nutrition that I believe nearly everyone should follow along with some very basic reasons why they are important:
- Limit alcohol intake. Key word, LIMIT. Will one or two beverages every now and then destroy your health or ruin your progress? No. But alcohol is a toxin and if you want to ruin your metabolism, lose muscle and hurt your recovery, drinking alcohol every night is an easy way to do that!
- Limit foods high in sugar such as soda and desserts. This should seem fairly obvious to most of us. Again, a little treat every now and then isn’t going to kill you. But consistently eating foods with processed sugars (especially before bed!) and spiking insulin levels is an easy way to put on body fat.
- Don’t drink your calories…eat them! If you are on a diet, or just enjoy eating more volume of food, don’t waste your calories on drinks. Eat your calories! You will feel fuller, your digestive system will work harder, and your metabolism will perform better!
- Drink more water! There are numerous reasons for this. Hydration. You feel fuller. You get rid of excess water weight. Increased cellular performance and growth. Proper digestion. The list goes on. Most people need at least a gallon of water per day!
- Eat more fiber from fruits and vegetables! Regularity = happiness. Get more fiber. Chances are, you don’t get enough!
- Vary your protein sources and limit red meat consumption. Protein is essential for maintaining muscle. For most of us, we need 0.5g per lb of bodyweight. Therefore, a 200lb person would need 100g of protein. But not all protein is created equal. Some have worse side effects on our heart and cardiovascular system than others. I always recommend just to diversify your protein consumption. Eat lean meats, seafood, nuts, eggs, legumes, etc. Don’t just rely on red meat which has long-term health effects when consumed too frequently. Yes, short term weight loss is important but I think everyone would agree that longevity is important to us as well!
- Keep your foods fresh! This is the foundation of my entire plan. Keep foods fresh means the expiration date on the food shouldn’t be two years from now! Lol! Most fresh foods (meat, vegetables, fruits, seafood, etc.) will go bad if not consumed within a couple weeks. There’s a reason for that…no preservatives. If companies put so many preservatives in their food that it can last for two years, do you really want to put that in your body??? Not to mention, the high amounts of sodium found in canned and boxed foods lead to bloating and water retention. There’s a reason that most of my clients lose 3-7 lbs in their first week on my plan. They are eating fresh food found in nature! If you can find the food in the wilderness, it’s probably okay to eat!
These are just my seven KISS principles when it comes to nutrition. I believe if everyone were to start with these principles, they would see an immediate difference in their weight loss, performance in the gym, and how they “feel”. So remember, next time you find yourself getting caught up in all of the fad diets, nutrition “shortcuts” to weight loss, and all the overwhelming amount of information on the internet, just remember my KISS principles! I hope this topic has helped one or two of you and will inspire you to make a change for the better!
– Coach Rich
Richard Fitzgerald 