Build Better Habits
Remember to complete your daily check in using the link inside the Portal!
Macronutrients and Where to find them.
Let's look deeper into Macronutrients: what are they, and why do need them?!
"Macronutrients" is the umbrella term for Protein, Fats, and Carbohydrates. Every food you eat/ beverage you consume is made up of a combination of these 3- unless we're talking about alcohol (this is its own category)
There is unfortunately a lot of #fakenews out there demonizing carbs, fats, and even proteins, but the truth is that each macronutrient plays an integral role in the body.
Let’s look at each of the Macronutrients, what it does, and where to get them!
PROTEIN:
Protein is a building block for your muscle tissue, but it is also a big part of what makes up your hair, skin, nails, bones, and cartilage. When you break down muscle tissue (from exercise, moving throughout the day, or if you get injured), your body utilizes protein to repair the broken down tissue, and build more tissue to support it. Protein also aids in the production of certain hormones, and enzymes that the body needs to perform daily functions. As we age, our bodies need more protein (not less!) to combat the deterioration of muscle and skeletal tissue, as well as hormone production.
FAT:
Fat helps your body store energy, insulate organs, and regulate hormone production. It aids in the absorption of Vitamins A, D, E, and K, and it also boosts your brain function. If you’ve ever gone on a low-fat crash diet, you might have felt like you had brain fog, and this is why! There are four different types of fats; Saturated, Monounsaturated, Polyunsaturated, and Trans Fats. Your body needs all of them, just some more than others (AKA balance).
• Saturated Fats are found in things like Coconut Oil and MCT Oil.
• Monounsaturated Fats protect your heart, and support insulin sensitivity, weight management, and energy levels. You can find them in Avocado, and Olive Oil.
• Polyunsaturated Fats are most commonly found in Omega-3 and Omega-6 Fats. Omega-3s reduce inflammation while Omega-6s promote inflammation. It is important to have both in our bodies, because we cannot adapt/change/get stronger without a small dose of inflammation.
• Trans Fats are best avoided in the diet, so they’re kind of the exception to the “you need all of these” rule, but they are sometimes unavoidable. Trans fats are a byproduct of the processing of oils so that they don’t go rancid or turn into solids, so really the byproduct of preserving something so it doesn’t spoil is not ideal for you to be consuming in your diet.
CARBOHYDRATES:
Carbohydrates provide your body with the energy it needs to perform all daily activities, including walking, breathing, eating, and exercising. By utilizing carbohydrates for energy, your body is able to devote protein and fats to other bodily functions where there is a greater need, like building muscle, brain function, and reproduction. If you eat enough carbohydrates to sustain your energy levels, your body will be able to utilize those carbs as fuel, but if you eat too much in excess, your body stores the extra as reserve energy in fat cells. This happens more often with highly processed foods, as they are super palatable (they’re really fun to eat) and lower volume (more calorie-dense), so it is a lot easier to over eat them. There are simple and complex carbohydrates, so let’s look at those:
• Simple Carbs- these are basically just sugars, and are the most readily available forms of fuel for the body. These are mostly found in fruit juice and sweeteners like honey, sugar, and syrup.
• Complex Carbs- these are more nutrient-dense forms of carbohydrates, that have a combination of sugars and fiber, which makes them a little harder to break down in the short-term, but will help keep you fuller longer. Usually you will find these in whole, unprocessed foods like fruits, vegetables (and starches), beans, and grains.
WELCOME TO WEEK 2!
Last week was a great start to the Building Better Habits program at Petram. After reviewing our daily check-ins, ur greates struggles are;
Mobility
Mindfulness
Sleep
*In that order ^^^
Therefore, this week your ongoing challenge is to hit an area of mobility DAILY. To be clear, you are to continue journaling, but now I'd like you to add a minimum of 10 minutes of purposeful mobility daily! Set yourself up for success, and target a different area for the days of the week, or alternating areas. For example:
Monday - Hip/Ankle
Tursday - Thoracic (upper back)
Wednesday - Lumbar (lower back)
....
Your Day 8 challenge/focus (today)
Is to share your plates. Let's set all (or at least most) of your meals with whole unprocessed foods. Did you make something simple or interesting? Please share it with the rest of us so we can be masterclass chefs like you!
Here's something that might help. Not to mention, we've got some pretty dope coaches (Megan & Gayle) who know a thing or two.
https://www.precisionnutrition.com/what-should-i-eat-infographic
Nutrition is the focus of day 5
BUILD BETTER HABITS DAY 5
We're in on day 5 folks. What better way to dial-in than to look back on the CrossFit diet prescription. Here is what the CrossFit Foundation has to say:
Do I need to evaluate my diet?
Yes. CrossFit is an exercise and nutrition program, and if you do not address nutrition, you are essentially rowing with one oar in the water. You cannot out-exercise a bad diet. To reap the full rewards of the CrossFit program, work out regularly and optimize your nutrition.
WHAT IS CROSSFIT'S DIET PRESCRIPTION?
The short answer: Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch, and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat.
To optimize health and fitness, you will need to measure and record intake, evaluate performance and potentially change intake until the desired results are achieved. This approach to diet is no different than the CrossFit approach to workouts.
Hear me on this.
I am not advocating that you ditch what you're doing and begin a paleo program. However, it is notably important to mindful about that foods you are putting into your body. Garbage in, garbage out.
I am not saying shame yourself for indulging here and there. Lord knows I love my Doritos, Chinese, and fruit-flavors sweets... Oh let's not forget about pizza. Just remember that these are a treat, not the diet. If you eat these regularly... they're not really "cheat meals" now are they? (trust me, going Rx on nutrition is tough. Even I am still scaled LOL)
Your challenge this week has been to make note of whether or not you're adding veggies/carbs and protein in every meal. Now let's lay some emphasis on measuring or establishing portion controls. To do this, you can;
measure/weigh your food using a good scale**
estimate by eye
Here is a simple tool to help you get started:
4/6/2020
Welcome to your 6-Week BUILD BETTER HABITS CHALLENGE!
In this time, we are going to work together to build and maintain healthy habits in these 4 areas: Nutrition, Fitness, Recovery, and Sleep.
This group is a community- we are here to support you and your goals, and we are here to rise the tides.
HAPPY DAY 1!
Here's a few things to kick off DAY 1.This week is all about setting a baseline!
1. Today, set aside at least 10 min of uninterrupted time for a "Brain Dump."
- Put headphones in, play some focus music, and write. Get it all out- whatever you're thinking, feeling, worrying about, literally whatever is on your mind, get it on paper. (This is just for you, you will not have to share with the rest of the class)
2. Start to notice how many meals you're eating every day, and if you're snacking all day instead. Make a mental note of how if you're eating carbs (fruits/veggies) with each meal, or not. Also track if you're eating a protein with each meal. We'll get to fats later.
We've got time, so be present, and know you are exactly where you should be right now.
Don't forget, at the end of your day today, or at the beginning of your day tomorrow, make sure you complete your daily check-in form so I can see how you're doing :).
Here's to Day 1!!