Last week in our Dad Bod Health Playbook Series we covered the 2nd core pillar of health which is stress management.
To review, the 4 core pillars of health are sleep, stress management, nutrition and fitness.
Mindset obviously plays a large role as well which is what we covered first.
If you missed part 1, 2 and 3 you should go back and check those out.
Today we are covering nutrition for guys.
It comes as no surprise that nutrition has the MOST room for error out of the 4 pillars.
Most guys eat 3-4 meals (including snacks) each day which means that’s 21-28 meals per week.
That’s a lot of opportunities to get a little better or take a few steps back depending on your choices.
If you make solid choices for 17-18 out of 21 meals you’re going to do very well.
But if you aren’t anywhere close to this then you have your work cut out for you and that’s where this blog post should be helpful for you.
Here’s the deal.
Most men overthink nutrition by a lot.
They want “fast results” and start searching for the next fad diet and you may have tried these too.
But the bottom line is fad diets simply aren’t sustainable.
Who wants to give up all their favorite foods in an attempt to get fast results that ultimately won’t last?!
I tried keto, Whole 30, low carb and various other fad diets and I’ll be really honest with you.
They weren’t much fun and lead to nothing but frustration.
So let me make a few suggestions for you that should help you A TON when it comes to eating healthy and getting real results.
Focus on eating more protein and less processed junk.
Focus on incorporating more healthy fats into your life (most men don’t eat enough healthy fats) and these include salmon and other fatty fish, nuts, nut butters, seeds, avocados, olive oil, etc.
Healthy fats will keep you full longer and will also help with sugar cravings.
Focus on the type of carbs you eat as well as the portion size.
Complex carbohydrates are what you are going for and these can be things like black rice, quinoa, sweet potatoes and dark colored potatoes, whole wheat or whole grain products, etc.
These type of carbs are more nutrient dense and will provide your body with more sustained energy.
Most guys know what they should be avoiding but it’s obviously easier said than done.
But you also have to enjoy life a little too!
Which is why I recommend one or two cheat meals per week so you can enjoy life but still get results on your way to the healthiest version of yourself.
A cheat “meal” is one meal and not an entire day.
It also doesn’t mean to go eat an entire large pizza as your one cheat meal.
Cheat “days” are not going to help you move forward toward your goal if you have them with any kind of consistency.
If you are on vacation that’s one thing.
But having frequent cheat days is a recipe for disaster and I speak from experience.
One key aspect with nutrition is identifying 3-4 healthy and nutrient dense meals that you don’t mind eating every week.
This approach takes a lot of the guess work out and will set you up for success.
You should also consider over-preparing at dinner each night so you have leftovers for the next day’s lunch.
It’s such a simple yet powerful practice that will continue setting you up for success.
You don’t need to meal prep for an entire week as long as you are always a little bit ahead in terms of having healthy options available.
Finally, it pays off greatly to get creative and try new things.
There are so many healthy options out there that actually taste really good too.
Some of my favorite meals that my family makes are some of the healthiest meals as well.
If you’re struggling with nutrition or any other core pillar of health I would encourage you to grab your FREE 7-Day trial and join The MAN UP Community.
We are a community of guys all working on getting healthier while having a ton of fun doing so.
When you have a system to follow and a community of men to support you on your journey, the sky becomes the limit for you.
Find us here: http://www.themanupcommunity.com