Q. I’m trying to workout regularly but with all of the different diets out there, I find it very difficult to know what I should and shouldn’t be eating. What is the best diet to follow to stay lean and maintain a healthy bodyweight?
A. I agree with you completely. There are numerous diet books out there all preaching different methods to help you achieve your goals. For the most part, eating healthy comes down to a few key things: quantity of food, quality of food, and timing of food. When it comes to quantity of food, most of us are eating too much at any given meal or snack. By simply reducing portion sizes, you can greatly reduce your caloric intake and that can help a great deal in maintaining a healthy bodyweight. Eating quality foods can be a bit trickier but as a general rule, try to eat more foods that come from natural sources like lean meats, fish, fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds. Limit your consumption of refined and processed carbohydrates as well as saturated and trans fats. Lastly, the timing of your meals is also important as you want to have your largest meals earlier in the day and eat progressively smaller meals as the day goes on. This allows you to burn the majority of your calories throughout the day reducing the risk of storing excess calories as fat. Follow these three simple rules and you’ll be well on your way to achieving your goals.
