1. It’s all about balance: Include all food groups; low density carbohydrates such as vegetables, pulses, grains (not white they are deadly); good fats (fish and seed oils); lean proteins; and good vitamin and mineral content
  2. It’s all about portion size: Five to seven small meals per day, not three large meals plus two small snacks, as most people do. Each meal should be about the same size, so use a small plate for each sitting
  3. It’s all in the quality: Go for high nutrient content – if it doesn’t come in its natural form don’t use it (ie avoid pre-prepared meals, snacks)
  4. Avoid high density white carbohydrates: If it’s white, it’s deadly! White carbohydrates are like eating a bowl of sugar – its ‘SHIT’ food, which stands for ‘Sugar Hit causes Insulin Trauma’. It causes an insulin backlash problem and can lead to lifestyle disease
  5. Use your hunger gauge: Only eat when your fuel gauge is on amber, don’t let it go to red as you’ll over eat. Stop eating when your gauge is green, before you overfill
  6. Snack bags: At the beginning of the week take seven clear seal-able snack bags and label them for each day of the week ahead. Each evening, put snacks for the following day in the relevant bag ready to take the next day
  7. Limit your treats: You have to not eat extra kilo-calories! The number of kilo-calories in have to be less than the kilo-calories out to lose weight/fat, so if you eat a treat remember you’re going to have to burn extra calories through exercise output or it will be stored as fat. Don’t eat treats just because you exercise though, remember exercise itself will improve your health and body composition. Don’t destroy that good work by eating treats.
  8. Snack across the food groups: Try a small handful of mixed natural nuts, with half an apple and a 1oz piece of cheese. Or a small handful of mixed natural nuts, carrot sticks and hummus. Mixing the food groups aids balance, helps keep sugar levels in balance too, takes longer to eat and leaves you feeling fuller
  9. Eat good fats: Take fish oil supplements and eat seeds and nuts if you don’t get enough good fats in your meals
  10. The daily carbohydrate pyramid: Don’t eat high density carbohydrates after five o’clock, ie rice, pasta, bread, potato (this doesn’t apply to sports nutrition). Start with a good unrefined carbohydrate at breakfast, like natural muesli, then small amounts of high density carbohydrates at lunch and only low density carbohydrates after five o’clock

For more information on the principles of healthy eating and weight management in relation to exercise, sports and well-being book onto our Nutrition For Physical Activity & Health AIQ