Three Areas of Emphasis to Improve Our Diets, Weight Loss, and Maximize Our Metabolism

Calorie Redistribution: Adapting our diet to an energy-based approach is one of the most influential strategies for significantly enhancing our daily metabolism. Consuming a greater percentage of our daily total calories during the first half of the day (when we are active, need energy, and our metabolism is the highest) will limit the amount of calories potentially stored as fat later in the day and overnight, as our metabolism slows, we become less active, and possess a decreased need for energy. Ideally, from breakfast to lunch we should consume between 65-70% of our daily total calories, vastly different from society's "big dinner" way of life.

Maximize Our Workouts with Nutrition: Ultimately, consistently fueling our muscles with protein and essential nutrients 30 to 40 minutes after our workouts remains of critical importance. There exists a one to two hour window after exercise where our bodies emerge primed for muscle building (the peak of our repair and growth cycle). If fat loss and lean muscle gain are the areas of emphasis for our workout regimen, we want to consume a high percentage of protein/healthy fats and fewer carbohydrates during our post-workout meal. A high-protein, low-carb post-workout meal also supplies a slow-absorbing energy source without initiating a significant blood sugar spike, which may lead to future overeating over the course of the remaining day. Remember to only eat until slightly less than full or comfortably full, not beyond. Any daily nutritional supplements should also be taken at this time.

Post-Workout/Breakfast Recommendations: Protein shake, eggs, breakfast salad, berry and protein smoothie, fruit and nut plate, avocado dishes, berry and Greek yogurt parfait, berries/peaches & cottage cheese, healthy leftovers.

Minimize Empty Calories: Empty calories refer to foods consumed that possess little to no nutritional value. When we eat, eat with a purpose. The foods we consume should primarily provide healthy, natural energy for our day, essential vitamins and nutrients for daily function, or aiding our body's growth and repair. In contrast, empty calories typically slow our metabolism, impair digestion and the function of our body's other systems, facilitate the endless glucose-spike/insulin response cycle (leading to uncontrolled cravings), and manifest themselves in countless other ways in relationship to our mood, appearance, and mental health. Empty calories come in a wide range of forms, including our typical sugar-rich or highly-processed foods; high-carb breads, cereals, rice, and pastas; alcohol, juices, and sodas; and even certain starchy, low-nutrient fruits and vegetables. Critically understanding the purpose of eating certain foods at certain times instead of out of impulse, for taste, or other secondary reasons can ultimately have a powerful impact on our mindset for consuming healthy foods in healthy amounts. Enriching our diet with healthier snacks, an abundance of vitamins and nutrients, and foods that will help our metabolic function instead of impair it, should serve as our primary focus as we continue to select the best foods to maximize our workouts, metabolism, weight loss, and boost our physical and mental health.