The 12 Rounds of Nutrition
By Robert Ferguson

We all know that nutrition is one of the keys to overall health. But do you really know how to obtain proper nutrition while maintaining optimal fitness? To help clarify the confusion, I’ve explained the role of nutrition for daily life--making weight and athletic performance. These 12 Rounds of Nutrition will help you achieve your desired weight, perform optimally, increase your metabolism and help to make your daily life healthier.

Round 1
Ensure every meal (breakfast, lunch, dinner and post-workout snacks) consists of the right combination of protein and carbohydrates. It is important that each meal provides 15 to 30 grams of protein and 30 to 50 grams of carbohydrates. Protein sources include primarily turkey, chicken, and fish. If you are vegetarian, tofu, tempe, and supplement powders make for great sources of protein. Carbohydrates are plant-based and include whole grains, cereal, rice, beans, bread and fibrous vegetables.

Round 2
Snack between meals to keep your metabolism accelerated. Men should keep snacks between 100 to 300 calories, and women, between100 to 200 calories. Snacks can be as simple as a piece of fruit, such as an apple, pear or orange, all of which equal about 100 calories. You may also choose to snack on an energy bar for convenience. Please note that a snack does not have to be a combination of protein and carbs. Snacks can be a carb, protein, or a mixture of both, such as yogurt.

Round 3
Eat a balanced breakfast or perform cardio-respiratory exercise as soon as you wake up to speed up your metabolism. Unless you roll out of bed and immediately perform light cardio, be sure to eat breakfast to fire up your metabolism and kick your body into fat-burning mode.

Round 4
Beginning with breakfast, eat every two to three hours and as late as one hour prior to going to bed. That’s right! Even though Oprah says not to eat after 7:00pm, the reality is that if you allow more than three hours to pass without eating (unless you are asleep) you slow your metabolism. When this happens, your body switches from fat-burning mode to fat-storing mode. However, it’s best that your evening snack be either a piece of fibrous fruit, vegetables or a portion of protein, such as grilled chicken or nitrate-free turkey slices.

Round 5
Eat lean protein sources such as white meat and wild game as opposed to dark meat. By eating chicken and turkey breasts instead of chicken wings and turkey thighs, you are reducing your unhealthy fat intake. This means you can burn more body fat. However, you don’t want to completely stop eating fat to burn fat, but it does help to stay away from saturated fat and trans fatty acids when possible. To avoid trans fats, become a label detective when you go grocery shopping. Just look at the ingredient list on the nutrition facts label for any or all the following and avoid: hydrogenation, partially hydrogenated oils, fractionated oils, shortening and lard.

Round 6
Drink water! Though it’s not categorized as a nutrition macronutrient, water is essential not only for daily living but for keeping your metabolism revved up. Water helps you burn fat rather than store it. Drink no less than 12 (eight-ounce) cups of water daily. And drink at least one (eight-ounce) cup of water for every 20 minutes of exercise.

Round 7
View carbohydrates as “fast carbs” and “slow carbs” as opposed to simple and complex or high starch and no starch or high glycemic and low glycemic. It is beneficial to look at carbohydrates in terms of how they breakdown and convert to sugar (i.e. glucose, fructose and galactose) in your body. Depending on the amount of fiber, fat and the amount of processing of the food, the carb either breaks down quickly or slowly. When preparing your meals, it is ideal that you combine a “Fast Carb” with a “Slow Carb” and a portion of protein. If you choose not to eat a “Fast Carb,” include a plate full of “Slow Carbs” along with your protein source to maximize fat burning and performance nutrition. A portion of protein is four to six ounces for men, three to four for women.

Round 8
Eat a balanced meal immediately after your workout. This will help you to optimize your performance in your next exercise session. Unfortunately, most people spend time chatting with friends at the gym or running errands instead of quickly eating a post-workout meal. Notice this recommendation says to eat a meal and not a supplement recovery drink or shake. The fact is, recent research and scientific data have proven that real food is more effective compared to supplementation for replenishment after your workouts. Cereal, which delivers a great balance of carbohydrates and protein, makes for a great recovery meal. One of my favorite cereals for performance and weight loss is Nature’s Path Optimum Power Breakfast, which is available in stores throughout North America.

Round 9
There are many benefits to supplementing your nutrition with vitamins and minerals, such as increased overall health and improved performance. Key essentials that aid in overall performance and a healthy body for those adhering to an intense and consistent training schedule are: Borage oil, Omega-3 fatty acids, ground flaxseed and a multi-vitamin. In addition to these essentials, a whey or soy protein (preferably vanilla) for smoothies is an excellent choice as well.

Round 10
If you perform weight training or an intense training session first thing in the morning, it is helpful and healthful to snack on something that has both carbs and protein (i.e., yogurt, energy bar) or when time permits – eat breakfast (i.e., bowl of cereal or oatmeal with scoop of protein cooked in). Having an adequate amount of protein prior to an intense training session in the morning can help with the replenishment and recovery of your body.

Round 11
Enjoy a piece of high-quality chocolate when you experience cravings. While preparing for a fight, Sergio Mora (Winner of The Contender and top-ranked professional boxer) doesn’t let one day go by without eating a piece of dark chocolate. The key is to choose chocolates that not only calm your cravings, but also contribute to your health. Ounce for ounce, dark chocolate has more antioxidants than any other food on the planet. Look for dark chocolate that is 70 percent cocoa content, and at least 40 percent cocoa content when made with organic ingredients.

Round 12
Last but definitely not least, enjoy what you eat! You can use food to lose weight and increase your performance when training. Every day, look at food as fuel to help make the most of your performance as well as your everyday life. However, it is also important that the food you eat isn’t bland or boring. The days of eating less and depriving yourself are over. By eating more often, making simple tweaks to food preparation, and eating food in the right combination, you can eat what you like while training and making weight. It all begins with opening your eyes to the idea that you can use food to achieve your desired outcome.

Robert Ferguson is the pioneer of a diet free life, television personality, motivational speaker, celebrated author and creator of The Food Lovers Fat Loss System. Visit his website at www.dietfreelife.com or send an email to robert@dietfreelife.