NUTRITION GUIDELINES
By Kevin Witham, BSc(Hons), MDipFTST, DipIIST, NLP(Prac)
Try to follow these as best as possible.
- Drink plenty of water throughout the day - 1.5-2 litres - and limit how much tea, coffee (caffeine) you consume as this causes dehydration. The chemistry of the body only works efficiently with enough water. During exercise, however, you may need to drink 3⁄4 of a litre + per hour depending on intensity and environmental temperature.
- Eat plenty of vegetables (especially green) – as much as you like. There are plenty of nutrients and fibre in this kind of food. The body works much better with plenty of nutrients such as vitamins and minerals which are needed for chemical reactions.
- Eat regularly throughout the day - small and often about 6 times a day having ‘healthy’ snacks. Try and avoid getting starving hungry. Always have breakfast. Eating causes the body to increase its metabolic rate. Healthy snacks can include nuts, bread, yoghurt and fruit.
- You must increase the body’s essential fats - the good fats from cold pressed unprocessed oils such as olive, sunflower, flax and the oils found in fish. Reduce bad trans fatty acids - processed fats and saturated fats. However, butter in small quantities is often better then spreads as it is more natural.
- Eating more fish and white meat (less saturated fat) will also cut down intake of red meat, which has a very high fat content and little essential fat content.
- Reduce processed food and take-away foods as much as possible: replace with fresh wholefoods wherever possible.
- Eat a varied diet which puts a greater mix of nutrients into the body. Select a more varied and, if possible, seasonal mix of fruit and vegetables.
- For most people, using a high grade multi-vitamin and mineral supplement is a good idea, along with good quality foods.