Understanding basic rules and guidelines on diet and nutrition are essential to everyone, especially those that are partaking on a health and wellness journey and climbing to Be Exceptional. Proper Nutrition Coaching is vital for the average person in general pop and all athlete's peak performance and a certified Nutrition Coach better guide you about that . It is most important to understand that most death and disease causes are linked to poor diet and a lack of physical activity. Several chronic diseases, including heart disease, certain cancers, hypertension, Type II diabetes, and osteoporosis, all fall into a nasty lifestyle choice of unhealthy eating. 

A Diet is a term used to describe the types of food and drink a person or animal consumes. Nutrients are substances used by an organism to survive, grow and reproduce. The requirement for dietary nutrient intake applies to animals, plants, fungi, and protists. Nutrients can be incorporated into cells for metabolic purposes or excreted by cells to create non-cellular structures, such as hair, scales, feathers, or exoskeletons. There are Essential Nutrients and Non Essential Nutrients found in food. Essential Nutrients must be obtained through the diet and cannot be made by the body. Lastly, the term macronutrient is used to describe nutrients needed in large amounts such as carbohydrates, protein, and fats, whereas Vitamins and minerals are considered micronutrients because they are required in smaller quantities.

The top causes of death in America can be attributed to a poor nutrition, which often results in excessive calorie intake, paired with a lack of physical activity - habits detrimental to one's health.

Making wise food choices includes consuming a wide variety of nutrient-dense foods such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, legumes, and lean protein; however, with that being said, Saturated and Trans fats, salt, cholesterol, sugar, and alcohol should all be limited. Your calorie intake should be equal to calories expended to prevent unwanted weight gain. Lifestyle choices that result in adopting eating patterns established by the Food Guide Pyramid or Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) diet are always a great starting point. Both plans have a wide range of caloric recommendations that meet almost everyone's needs regardless of their associated demographic.

An alternative approach to the USDA’s food guide pyramid is the Healthy Eating Pyramid. This pyramid addresses most of the Food Guide Pyramid shortcomings by distinguishing between whole grains and refined, processed foods, separating red meat from other protein sources, and emphasizing healthy fats. The Healthy Eating Pyramid is grounded in daily exercise in conjunction with weight control and incorporates alcohol in moderation. The Healthy Eating pyramid recognizes a daily multivitamin's value to make up for dietary shortcomings and vitamin D/calcium supplements, as most Americans lack those mentioned above due to cultural food preferences, poor food choices, or intolerances.

 What is even more appalling is that the top five consumed foods among Americans include:

1.  1 = Sugared beverages
2. 2 = Cake and sweet rolls
3. 3 = Hamburger
4. 4 = Pizza
5. 5 = Potato and corn chips

These items are high in added sugars, fat, salt, and calories, all of which should be consumed in limited amounts. It is important to recognize that eating these foods frequently are associated with a poor diet, and often lead to excessive calorie intake, inadequate nutrient intake, unwanted weight gain, and related health problems.
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 There are six classes of nutrients:

•  1 = Carbohydrates
• 2 = Proteins
• 3 = Lipids – fats and oils
• 4 = Vitamins
• 5 = Minerals
• 6 = Water

Essential nutrients are needed by the body, but can not be produced by the body and thus must be consumed. To get the best food according to your body you need a certified Nutrition Coaching Service. Average growth, development, and optimal functioning of the human body require 45 essential nutrients supplied by the diet. A low intake of any essential nutrients increases the risk of developing a deficiency or adverse health changes. If you are looking to better grasp your health through nutrition, click here to get connected with one of our fitness coaches or get set up with a plan now !
​We can help guide you in food choices as well as products like a Food Scale or Food Tracking Journal to help the process.

A lot of people have been looking into healthier alternatives to losing the tummy, as a result many of us are now realizing how important it is to consume less and move a lot more.

One of the biggest trends in vanity fitness is having nice ripped six-pack abs, and people are willing to do absurd and often mundane things to achieve it. Interest soon diminishes, and the result is a reversion back to the old self.

Before you feel you have tried everything, I suggest fasting. It's something that I preach about always, and there are many ways that it can get accomplished. I have long mornings and need extended amounts of natural energy without relying heavily on food consumption. I not only set an eating window for myself, but I also structure my eating based on the low carbohydrate fast that activates Ketogenesis. The principles behind it make your body eat away at unwanted fat and uses it as energy. This habit gives us a considerable advantage when the goals of staying lean year-round are wanted. Believe it or not, this is a practice already used by many elite endurance athletes who need sustainable energy during competition.

With Ketogenesis and Ketogenic style dieting paired with fasting, it is a simple principle of reducing carbohydrates. BUT WAIT THAT'S NOT ALL! The thought of lowering your carbohydrates may seem cliche, and it is unhealthy if done improperly, however with the ketogenic diet, you replace the calories lost from carb reduction with additional consumption of proteins and fats, which can both get converted into energy, to replenish the lost calories. The trade-off should be 1:1 calorie-wise, meaning that for every gram of carb taken away, replace it with either a gram of protein or about .4g of fats or a combination of both.

The Ketogenic diet refers to a way of eating that promotes the absorption of ketones for energy. These Ketones get created when your body uses fat to produce energy instead of doing that same process with sugar. Typically, when we eat foods high in carbohydrates, two things happen :
Food gets broken down into usable energy called glucose.
Insulin gets released to direct the glucose to be either immediately used for energy or stored for future use.
Since most of us eat a high carbohydrate diet, our body will get glucose from our foods, leaving no means to dig into our fat reserves. When you over-consume, any excess carbs that do not get used get added to our protruding belly's problem.

Reducing your carbohydrate intake can force your body to use your reserve. When this happens, we start to produce ketones, a kick-starter for ketosis, where usable energy derives from the breakdown of our body fat.
Our bodies are incredibly adaptive to the things we put in it, and with the principles of a ketogenic diet, our bodies will begin to break down body fat stores into a new primary source of energy.
Some benefits in taking on a ketogenic diet may include:

1. Increase in brain function by way of memory and learning
2. A larger portion of abdominal fat usage and breakdown
3. Decrease heart disease risk factor
4. Increase levels of good cholesterol
5. Can lose 2-3 times more fat in comparison to reducing the intake of fats or proteins
6. Can help reduce your appetite

Even though this process does not starve you of overall calories, it does starve you of carbohydrates, so those that suffer from blood sugar aliment should look into this. I advise you to please consult with your primary physician whenever starting a new wellness program. With anything new, always remember it takes practice.
If you need help with weight loss or are looking for a healthy lifestyle shift, please book your consultation. 

Weight Weight Fluctuating daily due to the amount of fluid we retain. Foods high in sodium, menstrual cycles, medications, and lack of bowel movements can all increase fluid retention and skew your weight. The good thing about working out is that with consistency over time, the real story gets revealed. If your weight creeps up after two or three weeks, you have been eating more calories than burning, and of course, this comes with the small exception where real medical attention might be needed.

When measuring progress, I like going about it by measuring the inches lost, expressed energy levels, fitting clothing, or body fat measurements if proper tools happen to be available.

Gaining lean muscle through strength training is another way to gauge progress. For example, if you have gained a pound of lean muscle, this is far different from gaining a pound of fat. Gaining muscle is beneficial to both your metabolism and overall strength. By consistently burning more calories than you consume, muscle gain will eventually taper off; however, fat loss will continue, and that scale will ultimately capture the results.

Weighing yourself at least once a week will help keep you in check to make proper adjustments. To minimize Weight Fluctuating follow these few tips:

1. Wear similar clothing before each weigh-in
2. Stay consistent with the scale that you use
3. Maintain the same eating and drinking habits before weigh-in
4. Be aware of relying heavily on Monday weigh-ins, as they tend to get offset because of poor eating habits and lack of tracking ​​over the weekends

Weight Fluctuating can happen due to many factors such as lack of sleep, dehydration, inconsistent eating, high sodium foods, and let's not forget losing the fight against self and will power. Keeping your eye on the prize will always help you stay away from any distractions during the process.
If you are having trouble with your weight loss program.
​Please feel free to reach out for your in-person or virtual consultation. Book by Clicking Here!

The Wall Street Journal released an article some time ago that brought light concerns surrounding the supplement industry. I advocate the use of supplements in conjunction with a balanced, wholesome diet and fitness program/regime. I have found particular supplements to be of vital aid in my client's success. And as a responsible professional, I always try to play an active role in keeping my clients educated on the effects and uses of supplements. Truth in labeling is expected; however, it is not required of any supplement company to provide evidence until it becomes an issue for the FDA.
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The article highlighted a study that found two illegal and two unknown substances in commercially available products. Thankfully, I had never recommended, nevertheless heard of, any of these products, which was a huge relief. The question, how as a consumer/non-fitness professional, do you choose the right supplements? This concern is an issue for all supplements, even for those that stamp, all-natural, or organic on the label.

Supplements in fact can effectively fill nutritional gaps, so here are three tips that can help you eliminate chances of problems from negligent supplement companies:​

1. Understand that quality and freshness of product matters
2. Confirm any ingredients listed on the container.
3. Demand and expect product accountability
4. Stay away from companies that promise miracles on their website, in catalogs, in commercials or advertisements, or in‐store promotions. Examples of this would be promises to make you smarter or thinner, to keep you young, to increase or decrease the size of various body parts, and so forth, should raise a red flag. Manipulation of statistics or intentionally distorting research findings to mislead you is purely unethical and powered by marketing and typically not backed by real science.
5. Look for the misspelling of terms; confusion of milligrams, grams, and micrograms; and omission on labels of essential or required information are clear indicators of the ignorance and negligence of the manufacturer.
6. Use resources that analyze and confirm supplement content, dose, and purity. ConsumerLab is one such service. Pharmaceutical researchers also report findings on supplement label accuracy; a PubMed can lead you to this information.
7. Look for the U.S. Pharmacopeia (USP) logo (USP verification mark) on supplement labels. The mark certifies that the USP has found ingredients consistent with those stated on the label. It also indicates the supplement to be manufactured in a safe, sanitary, controlled facility and that the product dissolves or disintegrates to release nutrients in the body. (However, the USP does not test the supplement efficacy.)
8. Look for a phone number on the label to call with questions or report side effects. On websites, look for a domestic address and phone number, in addition to email contact. What type of response do you get from a knowledgeable company, or is the only person available to read a scripted response?

If you are shopping online but are uncertain the supplement is right for you, check the Web retailer's return policy. A web retailer that also has a brick‐and‐mortar outlet near your locale may be preferable.

Having access to a professional so that important questions can get asked about supplements is always an excellent tool to support your nutritional journey. If you have any questions or are ready to start a new health journey that separates yourself from the average doer and consumer, Book your fitness consultation now!