FOOD, FOOD, FOOD. Eating is the most critical part of this life and health journey. You may have heard it said that 30% of the journey is exercise and 70% nutrition. That is correct. I never knew how important food was to my life until God changed my way of thinking. After the first month of being on my journey, I discovered that food is just fuel. Just like there are different grades of gas for the automobile, there are also different grades of food. Not all foods are the same. It’s like the difference between having a Boston cream donut or a multigrain English muffin. The donut will burn fast in your system and give you quick energy for about 30-40 minutes; whereas, the multigrain English muffin will burn slowly and give you sustained energy for 2-3 hours.
I use to have a very distorted view of food. My 3 criteria approach to food was...
1. Taste good
2. Look good
3. Be good for me
However, I realized that was not how I should think, nor was it the proper approach to food. So, I flipped the criteria around. Food should...
1. Be good for me
2. Look good
3. Taste good
Now, when it comes to choosing food or preparing it, I ask myself, “Self, does this food you are preparing meet the B.L.T. criteria?” *not Bacon, Lettuce, Tomato ;)
SAVOR THE FLAVOR:
Four time Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler says, “Eat for function, not taste.” However, I say we should eat for function, but don’t have to skimp on flavor. If you think food has to be bland, boring, or plain, then think again. I get asked all the time what I do to my food so that I don’t get tired of eating it. Well, I like variety in my nutrition. I have found that using different sauces and marinades are great for proteins. I have used citrus, oils, seasonings, and low sodium or no-sodium rubs or marinades. Mrs. Dash is good, or if I am not worried about the sodium, I like McCormick Grill Mates. I keep at least 3 sauces in my fridge at all times: any brand of medium taco sauce, Sweet Baby Ray’s BBQ, and Ken’s Lite Honey Mustard. You can be creative and experiment with the different seasonings and marinades, or just make your own.
SUPPLEMENTS:
If you only had $50.00 to buy real food or just a protein supplement powder, I would always tell you to buy real food first! Why? Supplements are just that, a supplement for real food - a second choice for nutrition. Yes, supplements are a great way to get quick nutrition and calories if you're on the go and don't have time to eat a real meal. I use supplements in the form of whey protein for a post-workout shake and then eat a real meal 40-45 minutes later. At times, I have used a protein bar to curb my appetite when between real meals. Supplements are helpful if you use them in the right way. I may go into more details about supplements in a different blog update, but for now know that supplements should never be your first choice for nutrition. Always go with real food.
CHALLENGE FOR YOU: Comment below and let me know your thoughts. What do you do to flavor your food? What supplements do you use? Why?
Until next time, grab a FREE REFILL of the King’s Brew @ Soul Cafe.
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