You know there are three synergistic components that must be present in any result oriented fitness or body transformation program and the one that is perhaps the most confusing is Supportive Nutrition.  (the other two, I'm sure you know by now, are Moderate Aerobic Exercise and a Concern for Muscle).  You're about to develop some clarity in preparing and eating "supportive meals."

By "supportive," I'm referring to meals that are supportive of metabolism, meals that help maintain stable blood sugar levels, meals that provide optimal energy, and meals that provide material from which you'll build new healthy cells.

In order to get optimal nutrition, nutrition that supports your exercise efforts and your metabolism, you'll want to get meals frequently throughout the day.  When you come to understand that metabolism simply refers to "the speed with which your body burns through food," you'll also understand that if you want to boost metabolism, you have to ask the body to process food often.

I encourage clients to seek a supportive meal every 3 - 3 1/2 hours.  A supportive meal would be made up of the most natural food choices possible.  It would be free from hydrogenated fat, low in or free from saturated fat, and free from simple sugar and refined flour.  A supportive meal would contain each of the following three elements in visually equal serving sizes:

	Lean Protein
	Starchy Carbohydrate
	Fibrous Carbohydrate

Want some samples?  OK . . . 

Lean Proteins include:

	Chicken Breast
	Turkey Breast
	Egg Whites
	Tuna Fish
	Shellfish
	Most Fresh Fish Filets

Starchy Carbohydrates include:

	Potato
	Sweet Potato
	Brown Rice
	Oatmeal
	Whole Grains

Fibrous Carbohydrates include:

	Broccoli
	Cauliflower
	Mushrooms
	Peppers
	Onions
	Asparagus

Sample Supportive Meals

	Chicken Breast, Baked Potato, Broccoli
	A Piece of Fish, Brown Rice, a Green Salad
	Egg White Omelet with Spinach and Mushrooms, Oatmeal
	Sliced Turkey Breast on Whole Grain Pita w/Tomato, Onion, Sprouts

It takes some getting used to, especially if you were raised on the idea of a small breakfast, a moderate lunch and a large dinner.  After a week or two of supportive eating, appetite usually becomes very supportive and an innate intelligence for portion sizes and meal frequency takes over.  The change is sometimes challenging, but it soon becomes simple to adhere to and the benefits speak for themselves.

Note: All of my programs address Supportive Eating.  My EAT! Recipe book offers limitless options for making supportive nutrition work in the real world. [get EAT! or other supportive nutrition products through the Fitness Superstore]

Suggested Next Page:

[ Fat-Free Labeled Foods ]

Related Articles :

[ Nutrition 101 ]
[ When Supportive Eating Gets Boring ]
[ I Know What I Should Eat But . . . ]

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Phil Kaplan's Fitness is located at
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