The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
The … Diet – Your Guide To
Nutrition
A Simple Guide About Your Choices With Nutrition
*1st Edition*
Copyright © 2013 Alan Koger And ReDefineRVA
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form
or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording and/or otherwise without the prior permission of the
publishers.
Company and product names mentioned herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
RESULTS DISCLAIMER: I don’t make any promises or guarantees as to what type of results you will make following
these techniques, nor should you make any assumptions. It all depends on your lifestyle (nutrition, exercise, motivation
and dedication).
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Hey there, I’m glad you found this e-book.
Hopefully you received this e-book through my newsletter featured on my website:
http://www.redefinerva.com
Or
http://www.total-weight-training.com
If not…you should go ahead and check out the website. It has tons of information about nutrition, weight training
and fitness.
3 Reasons I Made This Ebook
1. People honestly just don’t know what they should be eating.
2. It’s tough to filter through all the different information you hear and see.
3. I believe a lack of simple easy to follow information is the #1 reason people don’t achieve what they want.
Fitness and nutrition are a passion of mine and fortunately I have been constantly surrounded by an
environment where I was able to learn from some of the best trainers and nutritionists in the United States. I
went to The College of William and Mary for a Bachelor’s degree in Kinesiology (exercise science), played for
the varsity soccer team while there, and have played professionally as well.
Through my education and experiences I have learned the science behind it all and now I want to give that
information to you in a format that is easy to follow.
“If at any point while you are reading this guide you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me.
You can best reach me on Twitter (@ReDefineRVA), or on my Facebook Page. Even if you don’t have any
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
questions, I would love for you to come by and say hello! If you want to reach me in private, you can email me
at [email protected].”
Alan Koger
Table of Contents
What Can The Right Diet Do For You? ................................................................................................................... 1
Don’t Know What Your Diet Is Made Of? ................................................................................................................ 2
Workout Nutrition ..................................................................................................................................................... 7
How much and how often? ...................................................................................................................................... 9
Learn Why “Revolutionary” Diets Are Mistakes .................................................................................................... 13
6 Tips To Controlling What You Eat ...................................................................................................................... 17
What Everybody Ought To Know About Groceries ............................................................................................... 25
Problems And Solutions To Going Out To Eat ...................................................................................................... 33
Learn How Easy It Is To Cook Healthy Food ........................................................................................................ 36
FAQ’s .................................................................................................................................................................... 40
Final Words from Alan ........................................................................................................................................... 42
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
What Can The Right Diet
Do For You?
Simply put…the right diet will give
you energy, strength and health.
…the list goes on and on.
So Why Is It That We Don’t Care About What We
Put In Our Bodies?
It’s because we were raised this way. Back in the
day, people were not exposed to mass-produced
highly processed foods. Everything they ate was
natural, either hunted or gathered.
Benefits Of A Healthy Diet
Decreased risk of…




heart disease
high blood pressure
type 2 diabetes
cancers
Improved…








self confidence
digestive health
mood
energy levels
immune system
lean body mass
body fat %
weight management
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Everything we see in the grocery store nowadays
has a shelf life of “forever” because there are so
many un-natural ingredients in them.
So what do you do now if you’re hungry?
You hop over to McDonald’s and grab a whopper
with fries…“Supersized” of course, because it took
10 minutes to drive there, get your food, and come
back. We’re all now looking for the convenience of a
quick, ready-to-eat meal.
But what’s the cost of all this fast food?
Well to mention a few:




High blood pressure
Excess body fat
Low energy levels
Obesity
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
 Diabetes
 Body image issues
By now you’re probably realizing this and that’s why
you’re here.
Don’t Know What Your
Diet Is Made Of?
There are 3 macronutrients
(proteins, fats, carbohydrates) and
your fluid intake.
Proteins
Proteins are the building blocks of your body. They
make up the structure of everything in your body
from the tiniest cells in your blood to the hair on your
body.
Main Functions:
 Structural component of cells
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 Building block of bone, muscles, cartilage,
skin, and blood
 Prevent muscle breakdown
 Aid in digestion and transportation of nutrients
and oxygen in the blood
 Aid in the production of antibodies for immune
health
Best Sources:




Eggs
Fish
Meats
Dairy products
Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates fuel your body’s cells from day to
day. Without them you wouldn’t be able to function.
That’s why all these “low carb” diets put people in
terrible moods a lot of the time. First of all you’re
hungry and second of all you have no energy to
function. Without a constant source of
carbohydrates your individual muscles, and more
importantly, your entire body will not be able to
function correctly.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Main Functions:




Main source of energy to the cells of the body
Main source of energy for the brain
Aid in the metabolism of fat
Spares muscle protein
Yes, your body may begin to use fats as a source of
energy, which is why people go on low carb diets,
but your body doesn’t want to do that.
It’s inefficient and you will be out of energy, groggy,
and even irritated. If you cut out carbs you are
basically starving your body of the nutrients it needs.
Best Sources:
 Vegetables
 Fruits
 Whole Grains
Understanding Simple Versus Complex Carbs
Now everyone wants to say how they’re bad for you
and make you put on weight.
The truth is that your body needs carbs and a good
bit of them.
Your muscles primary source of energy comes
from stored glucose in your muscles and liver
(which is called glycogen).
If you don’t eat carbs your muscles don’t have
energy to work.
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One other thing is that the main source of energy
for your brain comes from carbs. NOW THAT’S
SOMETHING YOU DON’T WANT TO MESS WITH.
When people talk about putting on weight because of
carbs it’s because they’re eating doughnuts, cookies
and other highly processed foods like chips.
If you’re eating whole grain breads, brown rice,
vegetables and other foods with lots of fiber you will
actually feel fuller longer, which will prevent you from
overeating, and not to mention the improvements in
healthy digestion.
Digestion Of Carbs
How simple carbs are digested:
1. Very quickly digested.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
2. Cause a large and sudden spike in blood
sugar levels.
3. If the muscles and liver are full of glycogen the
extra blood sugar gets converted to fat.
It estimates how much each gram of available
carbohydrate in a food raises a person’s blood
glucose (sugar) level following consumption of the
food, relative to the consumption of pure glucose
(which has a GI of 100).
How complex carbs are digested:
1. They are digested slowly creating a slow
steady release of energy.
2. This creates a small gradual increase in blood
sugar levels.
3. This allows the muscles to burn some of the
stored glycogen and replace it with slowly
released energy from the complex carbs.
4. This prevents having extra blood sugar being
converted to fat.
The only problem is that the glycemic index doesn’t
take into account the amount of carbohydrate
actually consumed.
The glycemic load however factors in the amount of
carbohydrate actually consumed.
All this basically means is that a low GI food will
be digested more slowly (these include complex
carbs and fat) and allow a slow release of
glucose into your system.
The Glycemix Index and Glycemic Load
Now that we’re on the subject of carbohydrates I’m
going to touch on the glycemic index just for a bit.
I’m sure you’ve heard about it or seen people talk
about it on TV.
The glycemic index provides a measure of how
quickly blood sugar levels rise after eating a
particular type of food.
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High GI foods however will cause spikes in your
blood sugar (these are the simple carbs we talked
about).
Low GI – 55 or less
 Beans (white, black, kidney, soy, almond,
peanut, walnut, chickpea); small seeds
(sunflower, flax, pumpkin, poppy); most whole
grains (wheat, millet, oat, rye, rice, barley);
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
most vegetables, most sweet fruits (peaches,
strawberries, mangos)
Medium GI – 56-59
 Not intact whole wheat or enriched wheat, pita
bread, basmati rice, potato, grape juice,
raisins, prunes, pumpernickel bread, cranberry
juice, regular ice cream, banana
High GI – 70 and above
 White bread, most white rice, corn flakes, most
breakfast cereals (not whole grains high in
fiber), potatoes, parsnip
What to get out of this:
 The more low glycemic index foods you eat
(complex carbs) the better it is for your body
because the body will use what it needs and
burn the rest.
Fats
Main Functions:
 Provide most of body’s tissues and organs
with most of their energy
 Allows proper signaling to contract muscles
 Major transporter of nutrients in the body
 Curbs hunger
 Protection of organs
 Structural component of cell membranes
Good Fats (Polyunsaturated and
Monounsaturated):
 Cooking oils (olive, canola, peanut, nuts,
avocado)
 Fish
 Nuts
 Seeds
Bad Fats (Saturated and Trans Fat):




Beef (not lean)
Butter
Crisco
Fried foods
Fats are also an energy source for your body and
actually provide more energy to the body than carbs
but mainly to the body’s tissues and organs.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
That’s the answer you typically hear when you ask
how much.
Diet Composition
The amount of each one of these macronutrients you
eat falls within a range.
Composition
 Proteins
 Carbohydates
 Fats
10-35%
45-65%
20-35%
Now regardless of what your goal is, you should stay
within these ranges.
For example:
A bodybuilder may reduce his overall amount of fat
and increase his protein intake because he’s
breaking down his muscles day in and day out.
A marathon runner, however, may increase his
carbohydrate intake and reduce his protein intake so
he have more stores of energy in his body while
running.
Fluid Intake
“Drink a gallon of water a day!”
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Why a gallon a day? There is no “true number” to
the amount of water you’re supposed to drink each
day.
Someone could say 1-2 liters and someone may say
a 1.5 gallons.
The best way to know whether you need more water
or not in your system is the color of your urine.
“Ew, Gross!” Yeah I know it doesn’t sound the
greatest but it’s the only true way of knowing whether
you’re dehydrated or not.
Urine should be:
 A light tint of yellow
 And not completely clear
Yes, you can be too hydrated but it rarely happens to
you as long as your body’s systems are working
normally. Being overly hydrated causes sodium
imbalances in the body, which can throw off a
number of bodily functions.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
A general rule is that if you are thirsty, drink some
water. Thirst normally kicks in around 1%
dehydration, so it’s a good indicator to get you
started before it gets any worse.
Workout Nutrition
A few tips on maximizing muscle
gain and fat loss when your body
needs it the most
Guidelines
3-4 hours pre-workout: Eat a big meal of complex
carbs, lean protein and some veggies. This will help
fill your glycogen stores (which your muscles use
while working out) to give you maximum effort while
working out.
Sample meals:
1. Cup or two of brown rice with 4oz chicken
breast (20-22g protein) and some mixed
veggies
2. Pasta with marinara sauced, grilled veggies,
and grilled chicken breast
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Within 2 hours pre-workout: Eat a small source of
some carbs and protein.
1. Oatmeal with some almonds
2. Peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole
grain bread or bagel
3. Banana topped with 1 tbsp. nut/seed butter
4. 1 cup breakfast cereal topped with low-fat milk
or soymilk and ½ cup fruit
5. Fruit smoothie – blend 1 cup nonfat milk, 1
banana, ½ cup frozen strawberries or
blueberries (+1 tbsp. protein powder –
optional)
6. 1 cup nonfat vanilla yogurt with 1 cup chopped
fruit or berries
7. Pita with hummus, vegetable juice
8. Whole grain bagel or bread topped with
tomato slices and low fat cheese
You should limit high fiber foods, spicy foods, heavy
proteins, and fatty foods.
60 minutes to start of workout: Take your preworkout supplements or at least a whey protein
shake to have some available amino acids in your
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
body as you’re working out. Amino acids have been
shown to actually be used as an energy source while
working out.
Examples:
 Whey Protein Shake
 Amino Acid Supplement
30-90 Minutes Post Workout: Have a good sized
meal with a lean source of protein and high quality
carbs (complex). This will help replenish your
glycogen stores and get your muscles recovering
more quickly.
Examples:
 Cup or two of brown rice with some lean meat
(salmon, lean beef, chicken) and some
broccoli
 Pasta with marinara sauce or tossed in olive
oil and herbs with some lean meat and grilled
veggies (asparagus, broccoli, etc.)
Post Workout (immediately): Ingest a protein
shake with a carbohydrate to protein ratio of at least
3:1 if not 4:1. You should have some simple carbs
like yogurt or other food with a higher glycemic
index. This allows for a much needed insulin spike
that will act as a carrier to the protein and shoot the
nutrients to your muscles more quickly.
High Carb Recovery Food List:
Example:
Fruit/fruit juices
 Whey protein shake with cup of yogurt and
banana blended with some chocolate syrup
Believe it or not chocolate milk is considered one of
the best post workout recovery drinks around. It has
the perfect ratio of carbs to protein with the carbs
being simple allowing for that quick jolt of nutrients
into your muscles.
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




1 cup fruit juice (25-40 carbs)
1 medium apple (20 g carbs)
1 medium orange (18g carbs)
1 cup grapes (29 g carbs)
5-6 dates (31g carbs)
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Baked goods/breads
 1 slice low-fat banana bread (34g carbs)
 1 low-fat muffin (50g carbs)
 1 apple raisin cinnamon pita bread (47 g
carbs)
 2 large pancakes with syrup (50g carbs)
 1 slice whole wheat bread (24g carbs)
 2 fig newton cookies, fat free (31g carbs)
 2 fig newton cookies, regular (20g carbs)
 1 medium bagel (40g carbs)
Miscellaneous
 6 low fat graham cracker squares (32 g carbs)
 1 cup breakfast cereal – e.g. cheerios, wheat
flakes (24 g carbs)
 Baked potato (35 g carbs)
 10 pretzel twists (47 g carbs)
 1 tbsp. honey (17g carbs)
 2 tbsp. chocolate syrup (25g carbs)
 1 tbsp. jam (13g carbs
Carb/protein combos
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 2 cups chocolate milk (52g carbs/16g protein)
 1 cup breakfast cereal with ½ cup nonfat milk
and ½ medium banana (47g carbs/ 13g
protein)
 1 cup fruit yogurt (47g carbs/11 g protein)
How much and how often?
Now we’re getting to the nitty gritty.
These two questions play a huge
role in how your body responds to
what you eat (fat loss, weight gain
etc.)
How Much?
That’s the question we all want to know. How many
calories do you need to eat a day?
First – I’m going to provide you with an excel file that
will calculate your daily calorie needs for you.
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Lastly…if you want to do it yourself with the
mathematical equations, I’ve provided a 5 step
process on how to calculate calories on my web site.
How Weight Loss/Gain Works
Some simple math to start:
 1 pound of fat = 3500 calories
 1 pound of lean muscle = 2500 calories
In order to lose weight, you need a calorie deficit.
It’s possible to healthily lose weight at a rate of 1-2
pounds per week. Now that all depends on how
heavy you are to begin with. If a severely obese
person starts to lose weight, they can initially lose a
larger number of pounds (2+/week) with no
problems. If you are just overweight than 1-2 a week
is the healthiest way to go.
In order to gain weight you need a calorie surplus.
You can gain muscle mass at about the same rate,
however, going any faster than a pound or so a week
may not result in the lean muscle you want. One
pound a week of purely lean muscle will look much
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better than 2 pounds of weight with one of that being
fat.
Calorie Deficit – burning off more calories than
you’re taking in.
 If you want to lose a pound of weight (3500
calories) in a week (7 days) you do this:
 3500/7 = 500 calories/day
Calorie Surplus – taking in more calories than you’re
burning off.
 If you want to gain a pound of lean muscle
(2500 calories) in a week (7 days) you do this:
 2500/7 = ~360 calories/day surplus
You take your daily calorie needs from the
calculation earlier and either subtract 500 calories
from that number for a deficit or add ~360 calories to
that number for a surplus.
3 Ways To Burn More Calories
 Exercise more
 Eat less
 Combination of the two
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Examples Of Weight Loss And Weight Gain
that and you’re easily talking about 1000+ calories
for a single meal.
Person A wants to lose one pound of fat a week.
Daily calorie needs = 2000
1. Subtract 500 (extra calories) from 2000.
2. 2000 – 500 = 1500 calories/day.
3. Results in one pound of fat lost over the week.
Person B wants to add one pound of lean muscle a
week.
Daily calorie needs = 2000
1. Add 360 (extra calories) to 2000.
2. 360 + 2000 = 2360 calories/day.
3. Results in one extra pound of muscle for the
week.
What about those mcdouble’s you get from
McDonald’s?
390 calories with 170 of that from fat. Gross!
Plus, are you telling me that one Mcdouble is going
to fill you up? Not even close, at least not for me.
That means that you could eat 3 meals at a fast
food restaurant and probably gain a pound of fat
in a week.
Now A Little Bit On Counting The Calories On A
Label
Now when you see a Twix bar that says 281 calories
on it, where does that number come from?
But 500 Calories Is A Lot!
Not really.
It all comes from the macronutrients on that label.
Grams is just the amount/weight of nutrient.
A whopper from Burger King will run you about
678 calories. What?!
The Numbers
Yeah almost 700 calories for a burger that probably
won’t even fill you up. Add on fries and a coke to
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 Protein
 Carbohydrates
4 calories/gram
4 calories/gram
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 Alcohol
 Fats
7 calories/gram
9 calories/gram
It’s the little changes that make a big difference.
Now I just threw in alcohol to show you how “The
Freshman 15” is so easy to gain.
I’ll go into more detail on food labels in the chapter
about groceries.
So how does that work?
 Take the grams for each (protein,
carbohydrates, fats)
 Multiply each one by “The Numbers” above
 Add them all together
Example:
Twix bar 281 calories, 13.5g fat, 38.2g
carbohydrates, 2.2g protein.




Protein
Carbohydrates
Fats
Total
2.2 x 4
38.2 x 4
13.5 x 9
= 8.8
= 152.8
= 121.5
= 283.1
How Often To Eat?
Now you probably at one point used to eat 2-3 bigger
meals a day, and you may still be doing so.
But if you really want to burn calories and rev up
your metabolism you need to start eating 5-6 smaller
meals a day.
The reason for this is that constantly providing your
body with energy will allow it to use it up and decide
to not keep any extra.
This Is Where Our Ancestors Come In To Play
That is a lot of calories for a little candy bar that
won’t nearly fill you up. But that’s over half the
amount per day that you would need to lose a pound
of fat in a week.
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When our ancestors had to hunt for food they didn’t
know when they would be able to eat again.
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So their bodies ended up storing much more of the
food in there than it needed at the time.
Unfortunately this adaptation has transferred over to
us. So when we don’t eat for a long time between
meals our body actually stores more energy than it
needs.
If you eat 5-6 smaller meals a day, your body knows
it is going to get constant energy so it will use what it
needs and burn off the rest.
Now I do emphasize “smaller meals”. If you eat
the same size meals as if you were only eating twice
a day then you’re going to be consuming way too
many calories.
This will:
 Rev up your metabolism
 Get your body fueled for the day
 Wake you up
It’s absolutely essential to not skip out on breakfast
because your body is basically starving by the time
you wake up in the morning.
Learn Why
“Revolutionary” Diets Are
Mistakes
“Breakfast Is For Champions”
The reason you always hear this is because it’s true
to a certain extent.
If you haven’t eaten for 6+ hours overnight from
sleeping then your metabolism has slowed down.
To jump start that metabolism you need to get
something into your system. Whether it’s cereal,
oatmeal or eggs, you need to eat something as soon
as you get up to get your body going again.
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Fad Diets…Duh..Duh..Duhhhh.
What Are They?
These are the diets you hear on TV and in the media
all of the time. The revolutionary diet to lose 20
pounds in 2 weeks! A new no carb diet to shred
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pounds and keep the weight off! A fat blasting diet
where you only eat cabbage soup!
They are the reason that so many people fail to see
results.
A diet according to Webster’s definition is “food and
drink regularly provided or consumed,” or “habitual
nourishment.”
A diet according to my brother is “The food one
consumes. I eat spaghetti and fish in my diet.”
1. They severely restrict calories and/or food
groups.
2. Now you’re hungry and halfway starving.
3. Initially you drastically lose weight.
4. If you do lose the weight, your body
composition isn’t what it is supposed to be
because you lost fat as well as muscle.
5. You hit a plateau if you stay on the diet and
are grumpy/irritated with no energy and then
can’t stick to the diet.
6. You go back to your old diet and gain back all
the weight, if not more.
My definition “What someone tends to eat on a day
to day basis.”
Now what do all of these definitions have in
common?
It’s all about the normal food you eat, the day to day
foods.
Fad diets are all about severely reducing the amount
of one of the macronutrients or food groups or
completely cutting it out.
Here’s what happens with these fad diets.
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Some Brief Descriptions Of 3 Popular Fad Diets
Atkins
A low carbohydrate diet attempting to switch the
body from metabolizing carbohydrates to
metabolizing stored fat instead aka ketosis.
Why do people fall into doing it?
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You can eat all the foods that they normally say
you’re not supposed to, like butter and fatty meats,
and you don’t count total calories.
Emphasizes:
 Fish, meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts
Excludes:
 Dairy, most grains
Problems with it:
 You aren’t getting enough carbs to give your
body the energy it needs.
 Too high of a fat content leading to fattier body
composition
 Not enough fiber leads to an unhealthy
digestive system.
 No caloric restriction
 Very high dropout rate.
HCG
The Idea:
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A very low calorie diet <500 calories a day and
taking HCG orally or by injection. HCG “human
chorionic gonadotropin” is a hormone found in
pregnant women that they claim will target fat
deposits and curb hunger. It claims to do this
because it programs the hypothalamus in pregnant
women to protect the developing fetus from the
excessive fat deposits.
Why do people fall into doing it?
Drastic short term weight loss.
Emphasizes:
 Organic meats, vegetables, and fish.
Excludes:
 Dairy, carbs, alcohol, sugar
Problems with it:
 HCG is not approved by the Food and Drug
administration
 Not backed by any research and any research
shows the weight loss only comes from the
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very restricted calorie intake and not the HCG
substance.
 Very expensive.
 The lowest acceptable calorie limit without
strict doctor supervision is 1200/day.
Paleo
Problems with it:
 No fiber from grains impairs digestive health
 No dairy and grains makes you miss out on a
lot of nutrients
 Missing out on Vitamin D
 Pricey
 Hard to maintain over a long period of time
The Idea:
Our bodies aren’t made to digest the typical modernday diets, which are full of processed foods and
refined carbs and sugars. So we should eat what
our ancestors did, which are only things that we can
hunt, gather, and grow.
What’s exciting about it?
Eating how our ancestors used to eat.
Emphasizes:
Fish, meats, vegetables, fruits, and nuts
Conclusion Of Fad Diets
Although some of the claims may seem interesting or
have some sort of logical reasoning behind them, fad
diets are just that, fads.
They are temporary diets that generally do not last
long time and starve your body of nutrients it needs.
Instead of starving yourself, or completely getting rid
of specific food groups all you need to do is cut out
that Twix bar or fast food a couple of times a week
and you can healthily lose weight.
Excludes:
Dairy, most grains, legumes, starches, alcohol,
processed foods, sugars, and sugar substitutes.
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6 Tips To Controlling What
You Eat
One night our group of 3 ordered a nacho appetizer.
It had all of 20 chips total and a spoonful of the chili
sauce we paid extra for.
It was almost $8!
Controlling your diet isn’t as hard
as you may think it is. A few small
steps will lead to huge results.
We all went about and had about 6 or so chips a
piece and it was gone.
1. Portion Control
Then my meal came out, a little bowl of pasta with a
spicy tomato basil sauce. It was easily half the size
of the portion I would usually expect from a dinner
menu in the United States.
The United States has over 60% of its population
that is either overweight or obese. I’ve been
overseas a number of times and I completely
understand the reason.
It reminded me one of those $5 “lunch specials” you
get from a restaurant that makes you feel like you
got cheated out of a decent meal. But hey it was $5
so no biggie.
Portions!
The weird thing about the meal was that as soon
as I finished my pasta and sat there for a second
I was completely satisfied.
I went to Scotland and then Cyprus for three weeks
earlier in 2013 and I couldn’t believe the serving
sizes they gave me at restaurants.
As a matter of fact I wasn’t very happy that I was
paying that much money for such a small plate of
food.
www.redefinerva.com
I was full without feeling bogged down and lazy. We
even walked back to our hotel, which was about 2
miles away and I felt great.
Now think about the last time you went a restaurant:
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
What happened?
 You went.
 You ate.
 You conquered.
You’re sitting in your chair, cleaned the entire plate,
and now it’s time to loosen up the belt.
Another great example is the cruise I went on
with my girlfriend.
We ate dinner one night with a couple from England.
I demolished my plate and even asked for two
desserts!
Why?
Neither one of the two in the couple beside us was
able to finish their entrée.
Why did you have to eat the entire plate when it was
well over what you really needed to eat.
They sat back, said “I’m full,” stopped eating and
skipped dessert.
I know why.
The funny thing is that’s the difference between
putting on a pound of weight in a week and staying
at the right weight.
It’s how we were raised. We don’t leave anything left
behind because “You better clean your plate!” Or at
least that’s what you were always told as a child.
In other countries, that’s not the case.
The portion sizes are true individual portion sizes
and sometimes they don’t even eat the whole plate.
It’s not because they’re starving themselves but it’s
because they’re eating just the right amount of food
to fill them up.
www.redefinerva.com
2. Snacking
Would you believe me if I told you that snacking
is the best way to keep your metabolism up and
burn off that stubborn fat?
“Wait! Hold up a minute.”
Just hear me out for a second.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
When I talk about snacking I’m talking about things
like:





Fruit
Yogurt
Granola bars
Vegetables
Wheat crackers
Not:




Doughnuts
Cookies
Chips
Most vending machine snacks
Our body is made to store fat if we don’t eat for more
than 3-4 hours.
Snacking between meals is the best way to rev
up your metabolism. If you eat often enough and
eat smaller meals or snacks your body will use what
it needs and burn off the rest.
www.redefinerva.com
If you’re at work at 4pm and haven’t eaten since the
coffee you had that morning at 6am then your body
has greatly slowed it’s metabolism.
It’s survival instinct and it’s not something we can
change.
Eating a healthy snack to help curb hunger and keep
your metabolism going is the only way you’re going
to get that six pack you want.
Snacks such as fruit, vegetables, yogurt, wheat
crackers, are all nutrient dense and don’t provide a
ton of calories. They also contain fiber that will help
curb hunger.
25 Healthy Snacks Under 200 Calories
1. Cup of kasha cereal and a small handful of
pumpkin seeds
2. One ounce of nuts
3. One cup of bran flakes with half a cup of
chocolate milk
4. One handful of red grapes
5. Skinny cow brand ice cream treat
6. Whole wheat toast with a bit of peanut butter
7. Piece of fruit with one stick of string cheese
8. Any fruit or vegetable
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
9. A handful of berries tossed into one serving of
greek yogurt
10. One orange sprinkled with cinnamon
11. One wheat tortilla with a few spoonful’s of
canned black beans
12.
Half cup of sliced banana, half cup of
nonfat vanilla yogurt and ice blended into a
smoothie
13.
Eight ounces of sugar-free lemonade
frozen in an ice pop mold
14.
Ten baby carrots and 2 tbsp. of hummus
15.
Ten kalamata olives
16.
Half a whole wheat miniature bagel with
1 ounce smoked salmon
17.
Two slices of honey baked ham with 2
tsp. of honey mustard
18.
Half cup of low fat cottage cheese with
five strawberries
19.
Four wheat thins dipped in 1 tsp. of
Nutella
20.
One ounce of buffalo mozzarella and
half cup of cherry tomatoes
21.
One cup of unshelled edamame
22.
One quarter of cup of guacamole with
one sliced medium red bell pepper
23.
One packet of plain instant oatmeal,
topped with cinnamon and six crushed almonds
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24.
A medium pear, coupled with an 8
ounce glass of unsweetened almond milk
25.
One and a half cups of air popped
popcorn with 1 tbsp. of sunflower seeds
3. Traveling/Airport
We all know how difficult it is to eat right when out on
the road.
The easiest way to control this is by packing a
lunchbox.
Travel Checklist:
 Shaker cup
 Myoplex packets or RTD’s (nutrition shake
packets)
 Green/Herbal tea packets (to have every
morning for an antioxidant boost)
 Cliff bars
 Kashi cereal and/or granola bars
 Nuts and seeds (not honey roasted or cocktail)
 Peanut butter
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
 Fruit
 Beef Jerky
 Emergen-C packs (you never know if that
person beside you will be coughing and
hacking the whole trip)
 Multivitamin
Choose foods that are…
 High in fiber
 Whole grains
Avoid:
 Highly processed foods
 Sugary snacks (candy bars)
 Chips or cookies
Breakfast choices: eggs, oatmeal, whole grain
cereal, yogurt, whole wheat toast, peanut butter
Lunch/Dinner choices: lean meat, whole grain
bread, whole wheat pasta, brown rice
Snacks: bars, shakes, sandwiches, fruits, nuts, beef
jerky
4. Cravings
We all get them, no matter whether you think you’re
eating what you need to be or not, and generally if
you’re hungry that means your body needs some
food.
There are 3 things that can help curb hunger without
having to put on a bunch of calories:
Meals at the airport
Pre-plan going to the airport.
You should pack up zip lock bags of your own
snacks (fruits & veggies).
Combine these with some staples you have for your
whole trip which should include large baggies of
Kashi cereal, nuts, and seeds.
www.redefinerva.com
 Drinking Water
 Eating high fiber foods
 Eating a solid breakfast
Now drinking water is a no brainer. Liquid actually
reaches the receptors at the bottom of your
stomach more quickly which lets you know that
you’re getting full.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
A great way to use this to your benefit is making sure
you’re sipping on water throughout the day. It will
help curb a hunger pang here or there.
5. What About Family Challenges/Holidays?
The funny thing is that one little cookie you didn’t eat
this time saved you probably over 100 calories.
What to do during holidays?
If you’re getting ready to eat a big meal, then have a
glass of water before you eat. You will be
guaranteed to not eat as much as the water will have
eased your hunger a bit.
Now eating high fiber foods throughout the day will
keep you satisfied for longer.
Fiber:
 Aids in proper digestion
 Slows the digestion of food into your body
So when you eat that whole wheat bread with your
sandwich instead of white, that same amount of food
will keep you fuller longer.
Not only do you get more satiety but you won’t
have to worry about your blood sugars jumping
sky high which can cause excess food to be
stored as fat.
www.redefinerva.com
Now these are the worst.
It’s a dilemma we all face. Obviously you can’t just
sit there and avoid eating all the scrumptious food
that your family made.
But you’re on the road a lot, you’re dealing with your
kids all day and you’ve been waiting to eat for hours.
Of course I’m not going to tell you not to eat all the
great food that’s available. That would just be
outright wrong!
What you can do however is control the amount you
eat. Instead of getting two heaping spoonfuls of
mom’s “famous mac n cheese” just get one.
Fun fact:
 Did you know that most people gain about a
pound between thanksgiving and New Year’s
Day?
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Multiply that over 15 years and your body isn’t going
to be where it wants to be.
What’s the trick?
 Minimizing the amount of damage done at
holidays.
 But still have fun
Look for:






Whole grains, wild rice, quinoa
Steamed seafood
Plain or lightly dressed vegetables
Meat but without all the gravy
Salads (dressed lightly)
Fresh fruit
Better choices:




Nuts
Dark chocolate
Green beans
Pumpkin pie (watch out for a lot of added
sugar)
 Yams and sweet potatoes (without the pile of
butter and brown sugar)
www.redefinerva.com
Not so good choices:







Egg nog
Cheesecake
Cookies
Hershey kisses
Fudge
Stuffing
Mashed potatoes (depends on amount of
butter and %milk)
6. Eating At Work
The plain and simple thing to do is pack a lunch.
Whether it’s at work or even if you’re going to an
amusement park.
Going out to eat is the #1 no-no in terms of trying to
keep the calories off.
If you pack a lunch you’ll prevent yourself from
packing on unwanted calories.
We all know what happens when it’s midday and you
haven’t had anything to eat.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
You walk over to the vending machine, press D13,
and out pops a Twinkie or Honeybun.
9 things to pack in your lunch bag:
1.
2.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Hummus and oven baked pita chips
Sliced vegetables and sun dried tomato pesto.
Strawberries
Yogurt
Salad with lite/fat-free dressing
Apple with peanut butter
Nuts
Whole wheat sandwich with lean meat(chicken
breast, turkey), lettuce, tomato, and mustard
7. Whole wheat crackers and little bit of cheese
8. Soup
Random Tips You Never Thought Of
 Research shows that the larger the food
portion in front of you the more you will eat
regardless of how hungry you are.
 We tend to eat more if food is in arms reach.
 You don’t have to clean your plate.
 We perceive tall slender glasses hold more
liquid than shorter ones, but research shows
www.redefinerva.com
that people drink more when using shorter
wider glasses.
 Being presented with a variety makes us eat
more
What you can do with these tips.
1. Portion out foods in a zip lock back with the
foods you can’t resist (cookies, chips, candy)
2. Keep food in high up places where it’s more
difficult to get to. You’ll be less likely to make
the effort to get in opposed to having it right in
front of you.
3. As stated earlier, you don’t have to eat
everything on your plate. The US portion size
is 2 to 3 times larger than most countries.
4. If there is a healthy drink you should be
drinking, use a shorter wider glass so you’ll
drink more of it.
5. If being presented with a variety of choices
makes us eat more, then you should load up
on a variety of vegetables and fruits. Stock up
on healthy options and you’ll be guaranteed to
choose them over one of your “sinful” foods.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
What Everybody Ought To
Know About Groceries
Stocking up your fridge and buying
groceries will not only save you
tons of money but provide
hundreds of meal options from
week to week.





5lbs of russet potatoes ($3.27)
18 pack of large eggs ($2.65)
A loaf of whole wheat bread ($2.50)
1 package of brown rice (.99)
Total = 20.66
These prices are from a receipt of mine from Food
Lion in January of 2013.
Going out to eat just a few days a week for food
could literally stock your refrigerator for weeks
with a huge variety of healthy foods.
What To Have In Your Pantry
Saving Money
I cannot tell you how much money you will save from
buying groceries instead of going out to eat
You can easily spend $20 on a SINGLE meal if
you go out somewhere.
You know what that will get me at a grocery store?
 1 gallon of skim milk ($2.76)
 1 pound of chicken breast ($3.50)
 5lb pack of grapefruits ($4.99)
www.redefinerva.com
This list will give you pretty much everything you
need to have healthy choices at home that can make
hundreds of different meals:
Pantry items:







Apples
Baked beans
Baked corn chips
Baking and sweet potatoes
Bananas
Brown rice
Cereal
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
















Chick peas
Fruit juices
Garlic
Kidney beans
Onions
Peanut or almond butter
Refried beans
Rice
Salsa
Soups
Spaghetti or pasta
Spices & seasoning
Tomato juice
Tomato sauce
Tuna canned in water
Whole grain crackers
Refrigerator Items:








Carrots
Cottage cheese
Eggs
Greek yogurt
Lettuce
Low fat cheeses
Low fat chocolate milk
Low fat milk
www.redefinerva.com







Oranges
Orange juice
Parmesan or Romano cheese
Tofu
Tomatoes
Tortillas
Fresh vegetables
Freezer items:












Cheese tortellini or ravioli
Chicken
English muffins
Fish
Frozen fruits
Frozen vegetables (broccoli, green beans,
spinach, winter squash, turnips)
Ground beef, extra lean
Ground turkey
Multigrain breads
Whole grain bagels
Whole grain pita
Whole grain tortillas
With these basics you can always put together
quick meals or snacks, such as:
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
 Spaghetti with tomato sauce; add lean ground
beef or turkey; beans; tofu; grated cheese &
veggies
 English muffin or pita pizzas
 Tuna noodle casserole
 Soup and sandwiches (tuna or toasted cheese
or peanut butter with banana)
 Microwaved potato with cottage or ricotta
cheese, baked beans, or yogurt topping
 Peanut butter crackers and juice
 Bean burritos (refried beans, salsa, tortillas)
 Pasta with clam sauce, tomato sauce, frozen
veggies, low fat cheese
 Canned beans, drained, spooned over rice,
pasta, or salads
 Tortellini or ravioli with tomato sauce or
butter/olive oil and garlic
 Whole grain cereal with low fat milk
 Stir fry with rice, meat, veggies
 Scrambled eggs or egg omelets with veggies
added
 Thick crust pizza
 Bean soups
 Vegetable soups with added veggies, pasta or
rice or corn, cheese or cooked meat
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Don’t Go To The Grocery Store Hungry!
Have you ever head someone tell you to not go to
the grocery store hungry?
Well there’s good reason for it.
Statistically people buy more food when they go to
the grocery store on an empty stomach.
Just make sure you have a little something before
you go so everything in the store doesn’t make your
mouth drool.
You will:
 Save more money
 Buy healthier foods
The Grocery list
It’s always best to have a grocery list before you go
to the store.
Otherwise you:
 Spend more money on items you don’t need
 Randomly pick up items you think you want
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
 Take forever in the grocery store, which
makes you not want to go back
Here is a huge grocery list you can base yours off of
in the future:
Vegetables:


















Asparagus
Beets
Bean sprouts
Bok Choy
Broccoli
Cabbage
Carrots
Cauliflower
Celery
Corn
Cucumber
Eggplant
Garlic
Green beans
Lettuce
Mushrooms
Onions
Peppers
www.redefinerva.com








Potatoes
Parsley
Radish
Shallots
Snow peas
Tomatoes
Yams
Zucchini
Fruit:















Apples
Apricots
Avocado
Blackberries
Blueberries
Cherries
Cranberries
Figs
Grapefruit
Grapes
Guava
Kiwi
Lemons/limes
Mangos
Melons
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition










Oranges
Papayas
Peaches
Pears
Pineapple
Plums
Pomegranate
Raspberries
Strawberries
Tangerines
Dairy:





Cheese (low-fat)
Frozen yogurt
Milk (low-fat)
Ice cream (low-fat)
Yogurt (low-fat)
Grains:





Bagels
Whole grain breads
Whole grain cereals
Couscous
Croutons
www.redefinerva.com





Oatmeal
Flax seed
Pita pocket
Whole grain rice and spaghetti
Wheat germ
Meat & Seafood:
















Ground beef (extra-lean)
Chicken breast (skinless)
Cod
Eggs
Halibut
Ham
Herring
Liver
Oysters
Pork chop
Ribs
Roast beef
Salmon
Shrimp
Tuna (canned in water)
Turkey (roast or deli)
Protein Alternatives
Page 29
The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
















Almonds
Cashews
Chick peas
Cheese
Cottage cheese
Kidney beans
Lentils
Lima beans
Peanuts (unsalted)
Peanut butter
Pecans
Pumpkin seeds
Soy beans
Sunflower seeds
Tofu
Walnuts
Oils
 Canola oil
 Margarine
 Olive oil




Luna bars
Cliff bars
Popcorn
Rice cakes
Beverages
 Coffee
 Tea
 100% fruit juices (apple, cranberry, grapefruit,
orange, pomegranate, blueberry)
 Tomato juice (and blends)
Planning Your Attack For The Grocery Store
This is something everyone needs to do when at the
grocery store.
The plan:
1. Shop around the perimeter of the store
2. Avoid the middle aisles
3. Check the price tags showing price per
serving/amount
Snack Foods
These three things will:
 Whole grain crackers
www.redefinerva.com
 Allow you to pick the healthiest foods
Page 30
The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
 And save you money
Believe it or not all the healthiest foods in the
grocery store are around the outside. The aisles
are jam packed with highly processed foods that
generally aren’t good for you.
The reason for this is to overwhelm you to the point
that you end up believing you need some of these
items.
If you walk into your grocery store and you walk
around the outside what do you see?
Go ahead put a picture of the grocery store in your
head.
You see…




Produce (vegetables, fruits, etc.)
Grains (breads)
Meats (chicken, beef, fish)
Dairy (milk, eggs, 100% fruit juices)
 Sugary drinks
 Candy
 Other highly processed boxed foods
All the bad stuff is in the middle aisles.
Of course you have your canned foods and some
other grains and pastas in the aisles but they’re
usually around the outside couple of aisles.
This is the reason you should be spending the
majority of your time outside of the aisles around the
perimeter of the store.
Always Low Fat/Skim
This is just a little note about dairy products and
meats.
 Always choose the low-fat/skim/fat-free
options
Whether it’s milk, cheeses, or meats the less fat the
better the food is for you.
Now what do you see in the middle aisle?
 Cookies
 Sugary snacks
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Food Label Meanings
Calorie free – less than 5 calories per serving
These are some food label terms that are great to
understand.
High In – provides 20% or more of the daily value of
a specified nutrient per serving
Sugars – simple carbohydrates or sugars that occur
naturally in foods such as fruit juice (fructose), or
coming from refined sources such as table sugar
(sucrose) or corn syrup.
High fiber – 5 or more grams of fiber per serving
Healthy – decreased fat, saturated fat, sodium, and
cholesterol and at least 10% of the DV of vitamins A,
C, iron, protein, calcium, and fiber
These are all based on a per serving basis.
Low Calorie: 40 calories or less
Light or lite: one third fewer calories or, 50% or less
fat than regular product
Fat-Free: Less than half a gram of fat
Low-fat: 3 grams or less of fat
Reduced fat: 25% less fat than regular product
Fewer or Less Calories: at least 25% fewer calories
than regular product
Good source of – provides at least 10% of the DV
of a particular vitamin or nutrient per serving.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Problems And Solutions
To Going Out To Eat
Best And Worst Restaurants
There are thousands of reasons to
stop going out but yet you still
keep doing it. You have to stop
now!
Best:
Problems With It
Ever wonder why the United States has such an
unhealthy population?
Here is a list of some of the best and worst
restaurants. I’ve compiled these from multiple lists
so it’s not all-inclusive but a general idea.






Subway
Boston Market
Red Lobster
Chick-Fil-A
Jamba Juice
Starbucks (not the sugar loaded coffees)
The amount of calories in almost any fast food meal
is absolutely ridiculous.
Worst:
The only thing you should ever get from a fast food
restaurant is one of the healthy menu options (low
calories meals, fresh fruit, and salads with lowfat/non-fat dressings).






www.redefinerva.com
On The Border
Macaroni Grill
P.F. Chang’s
Chili’s
Uno Chicago Grill
Cheesecake Factory
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Eat This Not That
63 g fat
Now if you have to go out to eat, whatever the
reason, make the better choice. Obviously a double
whopper with cheese supersized is not going to be
healthy at all.
Below I’ve put in a chart with a few restaurants
showing the amount of calories and fat you get from
some of the worst choices and then some better
choices.
Not so good
Better Choice
McDonald’s
McDonald’s
Big Mac – 590 calories,
34 g fat
Hamburger – 280
calories, 10 g fat
Super-size fries – 610
calories, 29 g fat
Small fries – 210
calories, 10 g fat
Super-size soda – 430
calories, 0 g fat
Diet soda (any size) – 0
calories, 0 g fat
Total = 1630 calories,
Total = 490 calories, 20
g fat
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Burger King
Burger King
Double whopper with
cheese – 1150 calories,
76 g fat
Chicken whopper, junior
– 350 calories, 14 g fat
King size fries – 600
calories, 30 g fat
King size soda – 430
calories, 0 g fat
Total = 2180 calories,
106 g fat
Small onion rings – 180
calories, 9 g fat
Diet soda (any size) – 0
calories, 0 g fat
Total = 530 calories, 23
g fat
Taco Bell
Taco Bell
Taco salad with salsa –
850 calories, 52 g fat
2 soft chicken tacos –
380 calories, 14 g fat
32 oz. soda – 430
calories, 0 g fat
Diet soda (any size) – 0
calories, 0 g fat
Total = 1280 calories, 52
g fat
Total = 380 calories, 14 g
fat
Page 34
The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Dunkin Donuts
Dunkin Donuts
16 oz. coffee coolata with 16 oz. iced coffee with
cream – 370 calories,
skim milk and sugar – 60
16g fat
calories, 0 g fat
Coffee cake muffin – 710
calories, 29 g fat
Wheat bagel – 350
calories, 4.5 g fat
Total = 1080 calories,
45g fat
Total = 410 calories, 4.5
g fat
Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut
2 slices ultimate meat
lovers (big new Yorker) –
1160 calories, 66 g fat
2 slices ultimate veggie
lovers (thin n’ crispy) –
400 calories, 16 g fat
32 oz. soda – 430
calories, 0 g fat
Diet soda (any size) – 0
calories, 0 g fat
Total 1590 calories, 66g
fat
Total = 400 calories, 16g
fat
Best Bets When Eating Out
Now there are ways of making sure you don’t just
dive bomb into an unhealthy meal at a restaurant.
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Most menus at least have a healthy option portion,
which will have either low calorie or low fat choices.
Your best bet is to stick with one of these. Otherwise
you could easily be heading into 1000+ calorie zone
per meal.
Some simple tips:
1. Stay away from the fryer (fried chicken, French
fries, onion rings, etc.). Choose a side salad or
baked potato as a side.
2. Go grilled.
3. The less legs the better. Animals with
fewer legs have leaner meat which means
less fat for you. Chicken and turkey have
two legs, while pigs and cows have four.
4. Remove the skin. If there is skin on your
chicken take it off, the only bad part about
chicken breast is if you leave the skin on.
5. HOLD THE MAYO! Mayonnaise is jam
packed with fat and calories. This could easily
jump your meal up a few hundred calories.
Choose mustard, ketchup, or salsa instead.
6. Say no to soda. Stick with water. Soda is just
full of calories and contains no nutrients.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Meal Choices While Eating Out
Breakfast:
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Order a large 100% juice
Blueberry pancakes
French or whole wheat toast
Bagels
Granola
Cereals or oatmeal
Add jams & syrups for carbs, but avoid large
amounts of margarines or butters
Lunch/Dinner
 Baked potatoes (sweet potatoes are better)
 Chili
 Thick crust pizza with vegetable toppings
(avoid pepperoni and meat toppings)
 Bean burritos
 Hearty soups (split pea, minestrone, lentil,
barley, noodle) with crackers & extra rolls or
breads
 English or corn muffins
 Salads with chick peas
 Three bean salad
 Croutons (easy on the dressing, ask for it on
the side)
 Sandwiches on whole grain breads with
mustard or catsup and sliced tomatoes and
lettuce (easy on the mayo)
 Avoid fried foods!
Learn How Easy It Is To
Cook Healthy Food
Cooking is not only healthy but it
can be fun and rewarding as well.
Making healthy substitutions to
how you make your food doesn’t
have to sacrifice flavor either.
Safe Minimum Temperatures And Marinating
Ever wondered what the temperatures of certain
meats should be before serving them?
Here’s the list (temperature Fahrenheit):
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
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Whole poultry – 165 F
Poultry breast – 165 F
Ground poultry – 165 F
Ground Meats – 160F
Turkey – 165 F
Pork and ham – 145 F
Marinating meats is the best way to impart some
amazing flavor but meats should only be marinated
for so long.
 Poultry and cubed meat or stew – 2 days
 Beef, veal, pork and lamb roasts, chops and
steaks up to 5 days.
 If using the marinade to cook with the meat
make sure it comes to a boil to destroy any
harmful bacteria.
If you’re transporting foods keep the cooler to below
40 degrees Fahrenheit.
4 Quick Meals With Tomatoes
1. Stir tomato paste into sauces and soups
2. Make pasta sauce by heating canned tomatoes
with jarred tomato sauce and frozen bell peppers
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3. Use canned tomatoes for soups and stews
4. Mix a can of whole tomatoes with a can of low-fat
bean soup. Stir in some onions and other veggies.
Season to taste with cumin.
Substitutions
There are a couple of big substitutions you can make
to really decrease the amount of fat you’re
consuming while cooking.
1. Replace ground beef with ground turkey
2. Use yogurt(preferably nonfat greek yogurt) for
sauces instead of sour cream or mayo
3. Use cottage cheese instead of other cheeses
(for example ricotta in lasagna)
4. Use applesauce for sweetness instead of
processed sugars
5. Replace white flour with whole wheat flour
6. Mashed bananas for fats
7. Brown rice for white rice
8. Olive oil for butter
9. Mashed cauliflower for mashed potatoes
10. Whole wheat pasta for regular
11. Crushed flax or fiber cereal for bread crumbs
12. Olive oil spray for olive oil from a bottle
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
13. Low fat for regular for dairy/cheeses
14. If using beef choosing only the leanest meats
15. Turkey bacon/sausage for regular bacon or
sausage
16. Salsa for fatty sauces
17. Vinegar or fresh lemon/lime juice for salt
18. Pureed potatoes or vegetables to thicken
soups
19. Quinoa or whole wheat couscous instead of
white rice
20. Tofu or more veggies for meat or poultry in stir
fry
10 Surprising Ways to Trim Fat
1. Blot the grease on the top of pizza with a
napkin. It may look funny but you can get rid
of a teaspoon or about 4.5g of fat per slice.
2. Make sandwiches with an extra slice of bread
and skip the slice of meat or cheese.
3. At McDonald’s order two small regular burgers
instead of one quarter pound cheeseburger.
You will fill up more and save some fat.
4. Sauté meat and veggies in water, chicken
broth, fruit juice, or Worcestershire sauce
instead of oil or butter.
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5. Prepare mac and cheese with half the required
butter to reduce the amount of calories. You
won’t even notice a difference.
6. Slim down tuna by replacing the mayo with
yogurt.
7. When ordering breakfast, ham is always
leaner than bacon, which is in turn better than
sausage.
8. Don’t drink beer on an empty stomach.
Alcohol brings out your cravings and you’ll
indulge.
9. Choose mustard over mayo for sandwiches.
Or even use ketchup or salsa.
10. Use nonfat yogurt and some salsa mixed
together for dips instead of sour cream.
A Few Recipes
Great Northern Bean Stew.
This is a recipe my mom made me when I visiting
home a while ago and since then it’s one of my
favorites.
Ingredients:
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
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1lb ground turkey
1 cup chopped onion
1 can 28oz dices tomatoes undrained
1 can 15 ½ oz. great northern beans
2 cups chopped cabbage
1 cup sliced carrots
1 tablespoon white vinegar
1 tablespoon brown sugar
½ tsp. salt
½ tsp. dried thyme
½ tsp. paprika
½ tsp. pepper
½ tsp. hot pepper sauce
Directions:
1. In a large saucepan cook the meat and onions
over medium heat in a little bit of oil until the
meat is no longer pink.
2. Drain fat
3. Add all other ingredients
4. Bring to a boil
5. Reduce heat
6. Cover
7. Simmer for 50-60 minutes or until veggies
done
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This is a very easy recipe to put in a crock pot as
well. Just cook the meat and onions first and then
throw it all in a crockpot to cook and that’s it.
Sweet, simple, delicious, full of veggies, and filling.
My Take On My Mom’s Lasagna Recipe
Ingredients:
 1lb ground turkey
 30 oz. jar spaghetti sauce, make sure you
have enough liquid for the lasagna to get done
 1 ½ cup water
 1 ¾ (15oz container) of fat free cottage cheese
 2 cups (8oz) shredded mozzarella or Monterey
jack cheese (low-fat is better)
 ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
 2 eggs
 ¼ cup chopped fresh parsley
 ½ tsp. salt (optional)
 ¼ tsp. black pepper
 8 oz. uncooked lasagna
Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 350 F
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
2.
3.
4.
5.
Brown meat and drain
Add spaghetti sauce and water
Simmer for about 10 minutes
Mix cottage cheese, half the mozzarella
cheese, parmesan cheese, eggs, parsley, salt
and pepper
6. Pour about 1 cup of spaghetti sauce on bottom
of 13 + 9 inch baking dish.
7. Arrange 3 uncooked past pieces over sauce
and cover with about 1 cup of sauce
8. Spread one half of cheese filling over sauce.
9. Repeat layers.
10. Top with layer of lasagna and remaining
sauce.
11. Sprinkle with remaining mozzarella cheese
12. Cover with foil and bake for 45 minutes
13. Remove foil and bake for an additional 15
minutes
14. Let stand 10 minutes before cutting
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FAQ’s
Below are some frequently asked
questions about diet and nutrition.
1. How many calories do I need to burn to lose a
pound of weight?
a. You need to have a 3,500 calorie deficit
in order to lose a pound of fat. You can
do this with the combination of
exercising more and eating less.
2. I’m eating healthily and exercising, but I’m still
not losing weight, what am I doing wrong?
a. You need to make sure you are keeping
an accurate log of the foods you’re
eating. Everything from beverages to
the oils you cook with. Research shows
that the majority of people
underestimate what they eat.
3. Are all carbs bad?
a. No carbs are the most important
macronutrient to your body. You need
complex carbs that are high in fiber to
help slow digestion, not the refined
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
4.
5.
6.
7.
processed carbs that mainly come from
packaged foods.
What’s the best way to lose weight, diet or
exercise?
a. You can lose weight with either one but
it will be more difficult that way.
Performing the combination of the two
will the most effective and healthy
results.
Should I try one of those diets like the Atkins
or HCG diet?
a. No. These are fad diets that appeal to
people by promising quick results. Most
of the time fad diets are just a temporary
solution that will not provide long lasting
results and generally endanger your
health by severely restricting much
needed calories and nutrition to your
body.
What is a healthy diet?
a. A healthy diet is one that is comprised of
a large variety of nutrient dense foods
while at the same time limiting the intake
of solid fats, sugars, salt and alcohol.
What’s the best way to control my calorie
intake?
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a. Portion control is the most effective way
to control the amount of calories you are
consuming. Reducing portion sizes
allows you to still eat the foods you like
and reducing the amount of calories you
intake.
8. How often should I be eating every day?
a. You should be consuming 5-6 smaller
meals a day with around 2-3 hour
intervals between each meal. This will
help keep your metabolism raised and
burn more calories throughout the day
while also curbing hunger.
9. I know I’m not supposed to be eating bad
foods but I can’t give them up, what do I do?
a. If it is something you just can’t go
without attempt to slowly break away
from it. Attempt to eat half the amount
you consume each time until you don’t
even need it anymore.
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Final Words from Alan
Congratulations! If you’ve made it
to this point, you are dedicated to
your health. I’ve provided with you
a lot of information, but now you
have the knowledge to take the
information that you know, apply it
to your lifestyle, and make the
changes towards a healthier life for
not just you but the people you
care about as well. Here are a few
final thoughts I’d like to share with
you before I finish up.
The Results You See Are All Up To You
The nice thing about your health is that no matter
what anybody else says, it’s up to you whether or not
your successful in your goals. If you put the
motivation and dedication to eating right and
exercising you will definitely build the body and
lifestyle you desire.
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Nobody Is Perfect With Their Diet
Being an athlete all of my life and now a personal
trainer I won’t even claim that I have a perfect diet
but I’m constantly making little changes as well.
Understanding that the little changes you make over
time will create much larger results down the road is
the key to a healthier lifestyle. It does take time and
effort but a healthier lifestyle will come more quickly
then you know. Just be patient and the changes will
show.
Don’t Be Afraid To Ask For Help
Support systems play a huge role in whether or not
you continue down the right path when it comes to
nutrition and exercise. Find someone that supports
you whether it’s a friend, a family member, or a
significant other. If they care about you they will help
you make the changes and possibly even join you In
your goals to a healthier lifestyle.
Never Stop Believing!
Whatever you’re looking to do in life whether it’s a
healthier lifestyle or maybe even a career you’re
pursuing, persistence, dedication and drive will take
you where you want to be. If you’ve taken the time
to read this then you are beyond procrastinating and
are ready to make a change!
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The … Diet – Your Guide To Nutrition
Thank You So Much!
I hope you’ve enjoyed this e-book as much as I
enjoyed writing it for you. I can’t thank you enough
for your continued support of Total Weight Training
and everything I do.
I appreciate each and every one of you for taking
time out of your day or evening to read this, and if
you have an extra second, I would love to hear what
you think about it.
Please leave a comment at
http://www.redefinerva.com, or if you’d rather reach
me in private, don’t hesitate to shoot me an email. I
read each and every single comment and email, so
don’t be afraid to say hi!
Lastly, if you haven’t already you can follow me on
Twitter (@ReDefineRVA), and join in on the
conversation going on right now on my Facebook
Fan Page.
Thanks again, and I wish you all the best in your
success!
Alan Koger
[email protected]
[email protected]
www.redefinerva.com
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