Do you train properly by eating what happens? No, it’s not exactly the best way to get the results you want. “But I burn so many calories, so I eat what I want”. No, it doesn’t work that way.

As with all other sports, if you take them seriously, nutrition goes hand in hand with training and rest. There is no rule for me 30% training, 30% nutrition and 30% rest, but you have to do 100% in all. Only by committing yourself 100% in training, 100% in nutrition and 100% rest can you get the results you want.

On the subject I could talk for days and days, but nobody has so much time to lose, neither I who have to go running, nor you who I hope you have to do the same. So I will try to summarize my guidelines for a correct diet.

1- Diet? No thanks.

It is not about being on a diet, or following a particular diet. Each of us knows what is best for us, given that we must eat as cleanly as possible. I am not saying to eat junk food or to give in with candies because we think they are good for us, but I’m saying that only we know if gluten, dairy products or other substances are compatible with our body or not. Following unnecessary diets that we have heard about leads to nothing. Becoming vegan from one day to the next because we think that meat makes us come who knows which disease or eliminate gluten because it causes obesity (as I often read) is completely deleterious. Only you know what works for you, as I know what works for me. The advice I can give you is not to follow a diet, but to analyze what you eat every day and try to improve the quality of the food you eat.

2- The power of the food plan

If it doesn’t stress you out, especially for the first time I suggest you lay out a food plan. For the first two or three weeks, mark what you eat every day, so you know if you eat too much of one thing or little of the other, and how “dirty” you eat. Then, using a diet plan, mark weekly meals that you can make and try to follow that pattern. If you are in a country where certain foods are not available, or come from distant countries, avoid them. Here in Italy where I am now it is very difficult to find papayas, mangoes, seaweeds and other foods that come from tropical areas or from Japan, and in any case they are too expensive, so I try to consume them only occasionally, not necessarily including them in my diet (even though I love Japanese food).

3- Quality, quality and quality

Focus on healthy and quality foods. If you can’t find organic products, don’t bother your head, but still try to choose the one you buy carefully. The meat bought in a farm or by the butcher, at least here, is often better than the one you could find at the supermarket. And the fruit you buy in the market is better than the one you could find at the discount store (not always, I admit, but in 90% of the cases yes). If you eat peanut butter, choose one who contains 100% peanuts, not one containing sugar, salt or various oils. Maybe they’ll cost you a little more, but you’ll save on health.

4- So many proteins? Few carbohydrates? And do fats hurt?

Basically it depends on you. My advice is to balance what you consume. The best choice would be to consume a single dish, divided into sections, providing your body with everything it needs. As protein sources, I recommend eating eggs and / or yogurt for breakfast, and in general more fish than meat during the week. Dried fruits and legumes are also excellent sources of protein (for heaven’s sake, don’t tell me about noble proteins or not), but although they should be consumed more frequently, they can give intestinal problems (as in my case or for IBS sufferers), so also in this case it depends on you if it’s better consuming them or not. For meat, prefer white meat, and only occasionally red meat.

As carbohydrates sources, sweet potatoes, rice, quinoa, oats and whole wheat pasta are excellent choices. I do not advise you to consume only whole foods or pseudo-cereals (except in cases of intolerance or other pathologies), because I have noticed that too many fibers instead of doing good can hurt. So try to alternate the sources of carbohydrates.

Fats are needed. The best sources of good fats are olive oil, sesame oil (rich in omega 3 and 6) and pumpkin oil (excellent anti-inflammatory), avocado, dried fruit and fish (salmon, tuna …), cocoa, coconut, peanut butter.

At every meal try to consume lots of vegetables, of every type and variety, both cooked and raw. Fruit is another very useful food, thanks to its vitamin, fiber and sugar content. Personally I eat fruit at breakfast or as a snack, never during lunch and dinner because it tends to swell or slow down digestion if consumed at the end of a meal, but this is my choice.

5- About cheat day
Cheat day is now a myth, a legend. Everyone talks about it. But is it really necessary?
My answer, guess what, it’s: it’s up to you. Does it make sense for you to wait anxiously on that Saturday in which you can finally eat donuts, pizza, hamburgers and so on? Have you spent the week eating cleanly, so that day is for rewarding you? You can not live without it? If so, you are doing something wrong. Your diet does not have to be a pain, and it should not drive you crazy. Eat as clean as possible, but remember that the way you eat must be sustainable over time. It makes no sense to be in calorie restriction 6 days out of 7 and then ruin everything, because if you do so it means that there is a basic problem. You don’t have to suffer, you have to grow and feel good. You don’t have to have digestive problems on Saturday nights or feel swollen like a ball after your French fries and the five beers you’ve been drinking. Take it easy.

Enjoy your diet in the same way you enjoy your workout, and make it sustainable. If you like the taste of dessert, at breakfast eat whole wheat bread with peanut butter and honey, or a cappuccino with a croissant when it happens (not every day, please!). But don’t make a fuss and don’t go into paranoia . If in the afternoon after your snack you want some chocolate, eat your dark chocolate, don’t wait for Saturday to eat three whole tablets! The diet has to follow your goals, you don’t have to chase the diet. And it doesn’t have to be a stressor, it has to be as enjoyable as possible. If the cheat day has any particular benefit on you, then do it, but you must not think about it as an award or an affliction.

If you need personalized suggestions contact me here https://alwayspaprikaonchicken.sport.blog/contact-me/ and we will find the right diet for you.

Be aware of what you read on the internet, listen to your body and choose what is best for you.

As for the integration, as soon as I have time I will write something in the dedicated section, meanwhile let me know what you eat!