Every cupboard should have....

Tony,

I am getting to the point where the balance of my training is about right with The Walk, The Church and FFMA but I feel that next piece of the jigsaw needs to be centred around diet and nutrition.

Have you any tips on what I need to have in my cupboard (such as supplements, vitamins, food stuffs etc)?

Additionally are there any targets you could set in relation to nutrition? I have always found controlling diet more difficult than fitness training as it is more difficult to set measurable targets than it is with weights, fitness etc.

Happy for any contributions.

Matt

Matt,

Firstly I apologise for such a late reply, however as you know these days I have to focus on taking care of Jenny 24/7 as things continue to get a little tougher for her (and I am now her full time carer).

Anyway here are some things to thing about (in no random order and you can put it all together to suit yourself). These are only some of my own simple rules and recommendations (and they work because I carry no excess weight and I am 53).

Most important thing is never buy a “diet book or diet course that is specifically for dieting-losing weight” – Why? – well its simple mate they just do not work and here is why: “if they worked the companies selling them would eventually go out of business” – so all these fads do is just fix you for a while and then you will go back to your original state (whatever that was). Bottom line is you have to find what works for you and have the discipline to stick with it which includes regular exercise.

Things to avoid/ideally never eat-drink/or moderate the amount:
• Any carbonated drinks (vow now to never have one again they are not good for you) – and keep away from Coca Cola / Coke (even if its that diet based stuff)
• Starch and sugar based foods (cakes, pies, pasties etc) – but do not abstain 100% on the cakes and biscuits or you will fail – so every now and then treat yourself but in moderation
• White bread
• Either avoid alcohol or be moderate with it and make sure you have days with no alcohol intake
• Smoking (absolutely a no go area)
• Red Bull (some countries have banned this drink)
• Moderate your coffee intake to only 1 or 2 day
• Crisps, savouries etc
• Cornflakes and similar cereals that are full of sugar and other ingredients (too much wheat is not good)
• Moderate things like sausages and bacon – and get yourself a George Foreman grill if you are going to eat these as you will see how much fat his grill machine takes out that you would otherwise be eating!
• Moderate milk intake – better to use a low fat non-sweet Soya milk for all your cereals and just use normal (semi skimmed) milk for your tea and coffee
• Sweeteners (they are full of crap so just train your pallet to not need sugar)
• Mayonnaise (its crap even the diet stuff)
• Squash drinks (even diet ones)
• Fish and chips – curries, MacDonald’s and other fast foods – sorry no go areas they are full of rubbish – but its OK to have a good curry every now and then
• Never eat peanuts they are full of chemicals that make you fat and store fat

Simple rules:
• As soon as you get up in the morning drink 1 pint of water which is the same temperature as your stomach – fill the pint 75% full of cold water and then fill the rest with water you have boiled in the kettle – ideally use filtered water or even better water with a minimum PH level of 8 (these keeps your body alkaline) – read the bottles for PH levels and you will see most are crap at below 8ph
• After your pint in the morning, squeeze a whole lemon into a cup, put one tablespoon of organic honey and then fill with boiling water, let it cool a little and drink it. The liver loves lemons and this is a simply way cleanse you liver ever day and that will allow it to process fat faster. You will be healthier and burn more fat during the day as it renews the liver and gives it a kick start.
• Do not make coffee or tea your first drink of the day – not good!
• An apple a day keeps the doctor away but if you forget and have 7 on a Sunday you will feel like shit! The lesson in this metaphor is take some daily fruit, say an apple, banana, pear and a Satsuma every day and spread it out over the day – it’s a simple discipline to follow
• Eat breakfast never miss out. Mix your breakfast routine round with simple things like: poached egg on granary bread toast; good quality porridge with a banana and honey; Alpen sugar free muesli with some cashew and nuts and almonds and organic honey; kippers on toast with a squeeze of lemon; a protein drink like the one I make you (cup of porridge, banana, frozen fruit, honey, pure yogurt, protein scoop and mix with water); and even bacon or sausage on toast is OK if you use a George Foreman Grill;
• Eat nuts, cashew, Brazil, almonds, walnuts etc. Just take a few every now and then through the day they will speed up your metabolism.
• Use hemp oil on your salads it is full of Omega oils
• Drink water throughout the day as it hydrates your body and your brain
• Tea is OK it is actually good for you and reduces cholesterol (but no sugar) but use semi skimmed milk
• For snacks on the go whole meal or granary bread sandwiches are OK as long as there is no mayonnaise and that they are chicken or turkey or tuna etc
• Simple meals are things like jacket potatoes with tuna, or simple stir fries using olive oil and turkey or chicken with vegetables
• Every now and then eat steamed vegetables they are full of goodness
• Include vegetables in your diet (the greener the better)
• Rice is OK as long as you rinse it with hot water before you serve it to get rid of starch
• Pasta is ok in moderation and avoid using the ready made crappy sauces – make your own sauces – again rinse with hot water before serving
• Apple cider is good for you if you want a different soft drink
• Lean steak and lean meat is OK in moderation
• Eat smaller meals throughout the day and not one big one at night – do not starve yourself as it will not work – your body will simply slow down your metabolism and store fat – starvation diets are about as much use as an ashtray on a Harley Davidson!
• Take pure Korean Ginseng for 9 months of the year – it is one of the few supplements that are adaptagens (it adapts/creates what your body needs). Come of it for 3 months otherwise your body will not be able to be fooled by it to create what you need. It keeps you healthy and energised which will speed up your metabolism
• Exercise – you must do this to keep your metabolism high – even its just 10 minutes a day – or 20 minutes a few times a week – but you must fire up the lungs and oxygenate the blood -
• Sleep – learn to meditate so that when you do sleep whenever it is you can be assured that it is quality sleep – 20 minutes of real mediation is like a nights sleep to the body
• Learn to breathe like a Zen master with your abdomen and learn breathing techniques at a high level – this will keep your digestive system working and your metabolism is high – (oxygen helps to burn fat).
• Keep a box of nuts with sultanas and dried apricots – then if you feel hungry have some of those with a fruit and a glass of water –
• Try no to eat after 8.00pm at night (its OK every now and them) – and some of us it is OK as our metabolism is so fast it does not matter (I am ok with eating late at night)
• Things like Garlic, onions, tomatoes etc are all good for you – so if you are hungry and short of time – then use 2 pieces of granary for your cheese on toast and put a load of tomatoes on top – or granary bread and some sardines all toasted and warm –
• Fish is great but in this country avoid cod – it is potentially full of worms (it’s just the way it is in the UK!)
• Pure yogurt is good – just put some honey and nuts in it and you have a quick snack
• You need a good mix of protein and carbs – and that mix depends on who you are – you’re genetics and your exercise regime – so there is no hard and fast rule that fits all – see book recommendations below to help you with this – but as a simple rule you need protein and carbs as one without the other is not really going to work –
• Plan to have some roughage in your food so that you are regular (if you get my drift!)

General notes:
It is impossible for me to try and cover this so I will conclude with some general notes and recommendations on some books that will help you and are not fad and BS based:

• Resolve to be disciplined about what you eat but be moderate and do not totally abstain from everything because it will not work – the odd scone and good quality cereal bar (oat based) will not do you any harm.
• Keep your diet a best you can to be about 70 to 75% Alkaline as that has huge health benefits (use Google to find out all about how to do this).
• Avoid too many low fat marked foods – as they have a chemical in them that makes you want more of them – so you defeat the object – be moderate buy the middle of the road version – i.e. semi skimmed milk and moderate fat stuff
• Buy Kevin Trudeau’ paperback version of “The Natural Cures they don’t want you to know about” and it is full of real nutrition and foods that cure illnesses
• Buy Edgar Cacey’s paperback book “The Encyclopaedia of healing” and you will how this guy cured thousands of people with simple foods and herbs – and he is a great guy to research a genius in his time -
• In terms of diet books – there a few that I have come across that have real value and simple and realistic guidelines that can be followed: these are: “The Warrior Diet by Ori Hofmekler and “TBK Fitness Program by Tamir B. Katz. These are books you read in your NET time (No Extra Time) – this means read when you are having a dump, or on the train or when your missus is watching one of those crappy negative soaps on the TV.
• When you are thinking about food remind yourself of what we ate millions of years ago before this modern age of chemicals – and the closer you get to the ancient times then the healthier your diet – its as simple as that – caveman did not drink Red Bull before going hunting!
• If you don’t have time to exercise then just start a regime of 5 minutes a day work outs as soon as you get up – it will fire up the metabolism and its better than doing nothing -
• Do a little regular stretching every day as it improves the nervous systems ability to transmit information from the brain to the rest of the body – its good for your health and your metabolism

I have found that many people are just too lazy to plan out a good eating plan and lack discipline to say on track. Avoid going ballistic on diets and then giving up – start slow and make little changes that are sustainable – you have to create a plan that fits your lifestyle and that’s the best you can do as anything else will not work (as you will give up in short space of time as life’s pressures start to take priority)

Be sensible and practical as life is too short to be anal about diets (and too short to learn German). Remember none of us are getting out of here alive, so you may as well plan your time wisely.

I do not buy into be a vegetarian (it stinks excuse the pun) as it is not a balanced diet, but I respect other people’s points of view (so this is only my humble opinion). The Dhai Lama was told “you will need to eat meat or you will die what you want to do?” – He replied “I will east meat as I have many people to take care of”.

We are what we eat, what we read, what we say, what we think,what we do, what we watch and we are affected by our environment and who we spend time with. So eating is very much a part of the jigsaw puzzle of who we are.

I hope this helps as it is a difficult subject to cover as a forum topic.

A closing note to all on the forum – I apologise for not contributing much lately but unfortunately it is due to circumstances outside my control. However all is good and things are going well.

I wish you all a merry Christmas and a happy new year

Tony. T

Hi Tony

Your reply may have been a little late but WOW - what a great reply mate

I am copying and pasting that for future reference - thanks mate

Hope all is well with you, the family, the Fighting Fit Club

Hope we can catch up in the New Year

Best wishes for Christmas

Al x

Hi Tony,

I know you tell me you eat a lot, or are always eating, im hoping you can put a list on here of what meals you cook, as main meals or what snacks you eat please.

many thanks
Esther