I like to keep things simple. Eating and nutrition should not be a rocket science. Always being interested in machines and cars, I often relate my body to a car. Cars like our bodies require fuel to function, and without it neither would work at all. Say you went out today and bought a brand spanking new vehicle. So new in fact, that the dealer didn't have time to fill up the gas tank. As you drive out of the dealership, you see a couple gas stations up at an intersection. One gas station is all lit up, the lawn has been freshly cut, and the cement is clean of stains. You look up at the sign advertising the price of regular unleaded and, to your horror, find out that gas has gone up another 15 cents a gallon! So, you look across the street to see if you can find a better deal. Sure enough, there is another gas station with the price not only cheaper, but if you buy 10 gallons of gasoline, they will give you a FREE hot dog and bag of chips! But then you look at the "cheaper" establishment. There are multiple lights on the sign flickering, 3 foot weeds gently blow in the breeze where a lawn was supposed to be, and a huge fuel tanker is parked on the side with the operator wearing old oily jeans that are held up with 3 inch wide black suspenders. You look at the fuel tanker and remember hearing that it is not recommended to refuel your car at the same time as the tanks at the gas station due to sediments being stirred up and consequently ending up in your car and hurting the engine. So, the choice to me would be easy. I just purchased a new car. I would fill up my vehicle with quality fuel, to avoid major issues in the future. IF I chose to put the questionable fuel in my vehicle, would the car still run? Yes. How would it perform? Well, depending on the quality, it could be a minor decrease in horsepower. Or you might not even notice it until your mechanic hands you $3000 repair bill.
Though I have deviated a little off topic, my point is this. Our bodies, unlike vehicles or machines, cannot be traded in after years of "driving it like we stole it". We only have ONE body. And, although we do not have a pause or rewind button, our bodies give us a little break in that it is able to adapt, and change.
So I approach nutrition and what I ingest into my body with a mind set of what do I want to look like, and how am I expecting my body to perform?
Back to Carbohydrates. I would dare to assume that we (as humans) hardly realize how much of our diet consists of carbs. My primary concern at each and every meal of the day is Protein. Every meal should have protein as the overwhelming main component. Do me a favor for one day, and count up the total grams of carbohydrates that you eat on a regular basis. The total will sum will be staggering.
Want to lean up and gain quality muscle? Easy! Reduce your Carbs and increase your protein intake! I just made it stupid simple. Did I say never eat a carb again? Nope! Did I tell you EXACTLY what to eat and when to eat it? Nope!
Now is the time when the mad scientist should come out of hiding. EVERY BODY is different. Meaning that everyone's hormones, metabolism, activity level, and sleep habits are all different. What does that mean to you? It means that you need to be your own scientist. Find out how a bowl of cereal affects YOU. See what happens when you eat less than 20grams of carbohydrates a day, and eat at least your body weight in Protein. What makes you feel better? What makes you have energy all day long? Make a journal of your findings.
Are Carbs really the enemy? For me, I found that I can only tolerate a small amount of carbs a day. So in a way, yes, carbs are the enemy working against me and my goal to be superhuman.
Up next...Motivation. What is it, and how it is vital to becoming SuperHuman.
