You Are What You EAT!

You Are What you EAT!

This week, I'm going to share some information that I've seen in more than one place, both highly respected in the fitness industry.  Les Mills (Body Pump), and Paul Chek (The Check Institute) have both published similar ideas on how to eat.  And it's really simple.  So read below, and then I want you to think about how much your are eating, and if your portions are in line...

Who are you?
1. Protein Types live to eat!  If you are a protein type and you eat too many carbs you will feel sleepy an hour or so after eating and find it difficult to concentrate!

2.  Carb types eat to live and can quite often go for long periods without eating. When they eat too much protein and fat they tend to feel tired and sluggish straight after the meal.  The will also have problems concentrating.

3.  Mixed types are a combination of both and are the hardest to please.

Les Mills suggests you start out as a mixed type, and then adjust until you feel like you can keep going and concentrate for 3 to 4 hours without feeling hungry.

How can you tell if you are eating enough?

1.  Look at your plate.

2.  Look at your hand.

3.  If you are a protein type, you should have about one whole hand of protein and a half of a fist of starchy carbohydrates or one handful of non-starchy carbohydrates and one thumb of fat at each meal.

4.  If you are a carb type, you should have about two fists of starchy carbs or four handfuls of non-starchy carbs and half a palm of protein at each meal, plus one thumb of good fats.

5.  And if you are a mixed type, you will need one palm of protein and one and a half fists of starchy carbs or three handfuls of non-starchy carbs.

Once you start to eat like this, keep a food diary and record how you feel after you eat.

Then: 
If you feel sleepy about an hour after a meal= too many carbs

If you feel sluggish immediately after a mean=too much fat and protein

If you feel bloated, hyper or sluggish, then you know you have not eaten what your body needs!  Try again!