WAD I B I H

N U T RI T I O N GUID E
 W R I T T EN BY

WADI BIH

NUTRITION GUIDE 00
CO N T E N T S

Nutrition 101 02

Nutrition Template 08

Your Body’s Feedback 09

Nutrition Plan Example 13

Flexibility and the 80/20 Rule 14

Energy Balance Equation 17

Starter Food Lists 19

Individual Calculations 21

Reading Labels and Supermarkets 24

Alcohol Intake 26

27

Food Intolerances 28

Sleep, Stress and Exercise 29

Coffee and Chocolate 32

Liquid Nutrition 33

Super Foods, Processed Foods and Organic Foods 34

Supplements 36

NUTRITION GUIDE
I NTRO D UC T I O N
This manual has been designed to deliver a base of knowledge
and lifelong nutritional strategy that individuals can adapt to
their own lifestyle and training goals.

The main aim is to create a nutritional foundation, which will

stop individuals jumping from fad diets and falling victim to false
information and marketing gimmicks. Finally, you can set out on
a lifelong nutritional regime, which isn’t overly restrictive, caters

you the results you desire.

Having this base knowledge and knowing how to adapt your

crucial to staying on track.

NUTRITION MANUAL OBJECTIVES

• Learn the basics.

• Understand the dynamic nature of your template.
•
and preferences.
• Calculate individual BMR, Macronutrient breakdowns and

NUTRITION GUIDE 01
NUT RIT IO N 101
People classify their nutrition into food items, subjective labels
and in isolation from the rest of their diet. Its rare people pick
something up and consider the nutrients and calories that it
actually contains. Understanding Macronutrients (proteins, fats
and carbohydrates) and micronutrients (vitamins and minerals)
is a necessary start to building a nutritional regime.

NUTRITION GUIDE 02
PROTEIN

Proteins are the building blocks of life and are essential parts of
all living organisms. Structural components like your muscles,

of protein via dietary intake. You basically are a big protein.

Ingesting protein drives the bodies’ growth and repair pathways
and will help aid training results. It also has a great satiating

body composition goals. Lastly, it acts to create and sustain a

strong immune system. Ingesting a good protein load every
4-5 hours where possible will maximize training recovery and
muscle building.

FAT
Dietary fats are essential for cellular function, growth,
development, hormone production, nutrient absorption and
energy to name a few. They also provide a satiating effect
just like proteins do. Dietary fats will also regulate and keep a
healthier body temperature. Unfortunately, dietary fat gains a
bad rapport and is somewhat demonised from ignorant media
sources and companies looking to exploit the market via “low
fat”products. Fat is essential for health and performance and it
must be included for all processes health and physique related.
Consuming low fat products doesn’t necessary mean it’s healthy

NUTRITION GUIDE 03
CARBOHYDRATE
Carbohydrates are the actual energy molecules that fuel us. Our
brain needs available glucose for its survival and our muscles
use it as its preferred energy source for movement. Like dietary
fats, Carbohydrates are essential for all sorts of functions and
must be included for all processes health and physique related.
It’s advantageous to consume carb sources that are packed with

ALCOHOL

carbohydrates and fats, it isn’t necessary to consume, sorry!

That said, it can certainly be included in a balanced and

and your involvement in social situations. Both of which need

to be considered when chasing optimal health. The key with
alcohol and its considerations are dose dependent and this will
be covered further in the “alcohol intake” section.

After providing a brief insight into macronutrients you can

clearly see that proteins, carbohydrates and fats all play a

diet. Macronutrients are the only energy molecules that we

consume and it’s where our calories (kcal’s) come from. These
differing macronutrients have different calories per gram of
food you ingest.

NUTRITION GUIDE 04
 *per gram of food

Macronutrient Calories
Protein 4 kcal’s per gram
Carbohydrates 4 kcal’s per gram
Fats 9 kcal’s per gram
Alcohol 7 kcal’s per gram

Fat doesn’t make you fat. Excess

calories over time will increase
body fat stores regardless of which
macronutrient the calories come
from. Simply understanding fat has
more calories per gram displaces
this long-standing myth.

NUTRITION GUIDE 05
MICRO NUTRITION
After Macronutrients, we must consider our micro nutrition

consumption. Too often than not, individuals are focusing

on minute details and completely forget about what’s going
on with their macronutrients. Make sure this doesn’t happen.
Vitamins and minerals that we consume, come in wide portfolios
and differing amounts. For the most part, eating fresh, whole
fruits and vegetables with a variance in colours should cover a
broad range of nutrients nicely. Fruits will not make you fat, just
the same way dietary fat doesn’t inherently make you fat. Fruit
contains fruit-sugar (fructose), a simpler form of carbohydrate
containing 4kcal per gram. As a carbohydrate source, fruit
makes for an excellent choice.

FIBRE
Fibre is a form of carbohydrate necessary for digestion and
absorption. Digesting and absorbing the food you consume is
just as important as eating it and is a commonly overlooked
area. Fibre will be best found in whole grains, leafy vegetables
and fruit skins. For the most part, choose carbohydrate sources

you’ll have this covered.

NUTRITION GUIDE 06
WATER

Your body is largely made up of water and its essential for all

and muscle contractions. Drinking water throughout the day,

with most meals, extra around training and of course if you ever
get thirsty is recommended. Should any training bouts exceed
1hour of high intensity, consider consuming rehydration salts or
an electrolyte solution in addition
.

NUTRITION GUIDE 07
NUT RIT IO N
TEMPL AT E
Implementing the knowledge from Nutrition 101, this dynamic

a nutritional regime or choosing what to eat. The thought process

must encompass both macronutrients (proteins, carbohydrates
and fats,) and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals and lets include

template in its order of importance then you have free rein to

decide on the actual food you consume, based on your preferred
taste, enjoyment and access. When using the template, try to
get out of the habit of labelling foods as good or bad. This is far
to simplistic and reductionist. Instead, consider what it actually
contains (proteins, carbs and fats) and its subsequent nutrient

master your nutrition and stop bouncing off diets. If your not
sure about what a food contains, be resourceful and search the
Internet for a nutrient breakdown.

Carbohydrates
Step Four – Consider the energy needs
for the day and if you should add
carbohydrates or not.

Protein Nutrition Fats

Step One – Choose a high quality Step Two – Add plenty nutrients via Step Three – Consider adding some
protein source. vegetables and fruits. Include water. healthy fat.

NUTRITION GUIDE 08
YO UR BO D Y’ S
F EE D BACK
After completing Steps 1 and 2, 3 and 4 are on the same level
where importance is considered. This is because not all meals
must contain both, as the overall daily income of fats and
carbohydrates will matter much more than their frequency or
which meal their in. Almost all individuals lack proteins and
nut r it io n he nc e t he ir hig he r im p o r t a nc e a nd hig he r f re q ue nc y.
For the most part, try placing the bulk of your carbohydrates
around training or activity bouts and fats when you don’t have
many starchy carbohydrates.

All individuals will vary on how they feel with higher carb/lower
fat and lower carb/higher fat meals. This variable you must
experiment with and see how you feel and respond having more
or less of one macronutrient. This doesn’t mean the overall
calorie count will change but how the overall calories are split
and where they come from. Thankfully, your body is great at
responding and giving us feedback and this applies greatly to
the relative carbohydrate to fat ratios. To help you experiment,
record the following 3-point criteria one hour after ingesting
a meal. Were looking for the most positive outcome so if your
feeling hungry, low on energy and cravings sweets you most
likely need to readdress the make up of the meal you ate. Most

much unhealthy fats and too little nutrients. As a result, you’ll

NUTRITION GUIDE 09
see the 3-point criteria all negatively effected after an hour
of eating.

3-point Criteria:

•
• Energy (Do you feel energized, tired, lethargic or sleepy?)
• Cravings (Are you craving anything sweet, savoury or

Example thought process when using the template:

When choosing what to eat for any major meal or large snack,
always add a quality protein base on your plate. This could

This will best come from vegetables and fruit, the more colours
the better.

Having steps 1 and 2 completed now you need to consider

your energy demands for the day and how you generally feel
after higher/lower carbohydrate and fat meals. This will help
you balance out the meals and positively impact your hunger,
energy, cravings and of course overall health. Remember to

starchy carbohydrates packed with nutrition (potato, oats,

beetroot ect) Lastly, don’t forget your nutrition results are
depict over the whole day, week and month. With this in mind,

NUTRITION GUIDE 10
leave a small amount of room for things with lesser nutrition
portfolios and things you may not deem too healthy but really
enjoy eating. Having small amounts of junk food in your diet will
not negatively impact your body composition goals or health.
That said, you must factor in the calories if your goal is fat loss.

NUTRITION GUIDE 11
NUTRITION

PROTEIN

CARBOHYDRATE/FAT

NUTRITION GUIDE 12
NUT RIT IO N
PLA N E X AM P L E
Sunday Considerations Monday Considerations

Two to three Eggs for protein and fat content. Whey protein Whey for protein and bananas
whole eggs (free Higher quality eggs provide higher shake and
Breakfast

range) omelet quality fats and micronutrients. two bananas. nutrients. Great for time
cooked in coconut constraints. Covers one, two
oil with spinach, Tomatoes for nutrients, onions for and four.
tomatoes, taste. Template numbers one, two
and onions. and three covered well.

Banana. Plum, handful of Plum for carbs and nutrients,

Snack

nutrition. Quick and convenient Brazil nuts nuts for fats. Covers two, three
Number four covered. and almonds. and four.

Greek yogurt Greek yogurt for protein. Blueberries Fish for proteins and fats
Lunch

with blueberries for nutrition and nuts for healthy fats carrots and carrots and peppers for
and mixed nuts. and further nutrients. One, two and capsicums. carbohydrates and nutrients.
three covered well. Covers one, two, three
and four.

Grated carrot Carrots are easy to prepare, Quest protein bar.

Snack

salad with carbohydrate source and nutrition. One and four covered. Great
black pepper. Covers two and four. for on the go or pre planning.

Chicken breast, Chicken high protein source, sweet Homemade Beef for protein and fats.
Dinner

sweet potato, shepherds pie Potato for carbs and

broccoli, with vegetables vegetables for nutrients. Great
fat. One, two, three and four covered. of your choice. for freezing and having meals
goats cheese. at the ready. Covers one, two,
three and four.

Glass of Included for enjoyment and stress Snickers bar and Very calorie dense, containing
Snack

red wine. reduction. Some nutrients. a diet coke. fats and carbohydrates, void
of nutrients. Covers three
and four.

NUTRITION GUIDE 13
F LE X IBIL I T Y AN D
THE 80/20 R UL E
Everything must be taken within the context of the whole diet,
the day, the week and the month. One large glass of red wine
(150kcal) or a chocolate bar (200kcal) wont impact your health
and can easily be incorporated from the calorie perspective
when moderated. One glass of red wine, one chocolate bar,
one packet of crisps, one ice cream, an excessively sized
dinner, not exercising, becoming sedentary– this is when the
problems occur. The biggest mistake people make is having

Individuals commonly have a food indulgence, then consider

the days nutrition ruined, end up binge eating and proceed with
“tomorrow is a new day” and the cycle repeats. Most people
can relate to this whilst throwing fad diets in-between.

Instead, be consistent with your template and appreciate there

will always be some room for the less healthy stuff. What you
do for the most part, will therefore govern your results from a
health and body composition perspective. The 80-20 rule has
been around for sometime and states that 80% of the time your
eating wholesome, single ingredient, fresh, quality food and the
other 20% can be lesser nutrient dense and more calorie dense
things you truly enjoy eating. Try to apply this rule on a daily
basis; it may even be a 90-10 rule one day or a 60-40 rule on a
particular slack day. Again, It’s really what you do for the most
part and how serious you are about achieving your goals.

NUTRITION GUIDE 14
“We are what we repeatedly
do, excellence then, is not an
act but a habit” – Aristotle.

NUTRITION GUIDE 15
 80/20 RULE

• You can eat anything in moderation; don’t be to be overly

restrictive. This will generally cause people to rebound.

• Consider your nutrition like a toolbox; you just need to use

the correct tools in the correct situation.

• All foods have a caloric value, but not all foods have a
nutritional value. Something to think about when you chose
what to eat.

• Overall calorie income will dictate body composition

changes. Don’t worry about meal frequency or timings.
Eating late at night wont store calories differently than
it would in the afternoon. The same goes for having four
or six meals.

NUTRITION GUIDE 16
THE E NE RGY
BA LAN CE E Q U AT I ON .
Eating single ingredient, whole foods whilst following the steps
in your template will work wonders for most people. Their
energy, health, appetite hormones, gym performance will all
see vast improvements. That said, the overall energy balance
will ultimately dictate if you maintain, lose or gain weight and its
somewhat different to health. If the overall calories coming in
a re hig he r t ha t t he e ne rg y y o u’ re e x p e nd ing y o u’ ll g a in we ig ht
(net energy surplus). If your expending more than you consume

expenditure you’ll maintain the same weight. A clear distinction

b e t we e n e a t ing he a lt hy a nd e a t ing t o o m uc h ne e d s t o b e m a d e .
To further this point lets say you ingest 5,000kcal/day worth of
quality healthy food. A very large amount of calories and almost

Contrastingly, if you only ate 1,000kcal/day but these calories

all came from chocolate and sweets most people would lose
weight. For best results you should be following your template
whilst considering the energy balance equation.

Controlling portion sizes and familiarizing yourself with how many

calories are in foods will greatly help and you’ll become better
with this in time. For those who wish to take this further, see
the individual calculations section to track your macronutrients.
Lastly, its important to note that eating fewer calories will mean
getting lesser nutrients and it will actually slow down metabolic
processes. If you chose to start tracking calories, be careful you
don’t drop them too low, otherwise you’ll have major problems.

NUTRITION GUIDE 17
Daily Intake Daily Expenditure
Protein BMR (Basic Metabolic Rate) dictated by body weight and for bodily functions.

Carbohydrate TEF (thermic effect of food) digestion, absorption, storing costs.

Fat EAT (exercise activity thermogesis movements)

NEAT (non exercise activity thermogenesis)

Not a static environment (Intake v Expenditure)

NUTRITION GUIDE 18
S TA RT E R F O O D L I S T
With a nutritional base and template to work off, try to expand
your knowledge of food groups and what the item or ingredient
actually contains. Use the Internet and search for “calories in X
food” to get the calories and nutrient breakdown. Cross check
for more accurate readings. From here, create your own list
like the one below and use this to feed into your template. You
can then devise multiple different meals you enjoy that have
the same macronutrient and calorie content, yet completely
differ in ingredients and taste. Lastly, it’s important to consider
that some foods will contain relatively high amounts of two

This has been shown below with eggs.

‘I don’t have time’, is usually more

reflective of your priorities than
your time.

NUTRITION GUIDE 19
E X AMPLE LI ST

Protein Carbohydrates
Fish Rice
Pork Oats
Eggs Mango
Lamb Banana
Chicken Beetroot
Beef (5%) White Potato
Greek Yogurt Sweet Potato
Whey Powder Whole Meal Bread

Fibre Sources Fat

Fruits Nuts
Beans Eggs
Potato Cheese
Quinoa Avocado
Legumes Olive Oil
Oatmeal Coconuts
Vegetables Dark Chocolate
Whole Grains Salmon, Trout, Mackerel

NUTRITION GUIDE 20
I NDIVIDUAL
CAL CUL AT I O N S
For most people chasing a reasonably impressive health and

and counting calories wont be necessary. That said, its advisable

you do this at least once to further your own understanding
about your body. Its also great for those who don’t realise how
many calories they’re bringing in and aren’t seeing their fat loss

pal” on your mobile device through the app store. This app
will take your food and calculate the containing calories and
macronutrients coming in. It will also offer you advice on how to
split these calories up but please keep reading, as it isn’t always
as clear cut.

To individualize your template further, lets start by calculating

your Basic metabolic rate (BMR) or the amount of energy
(measured in calories) you need per day to continue all bodily
functions and maintain weight. Please note, this is largely a
rough estimate and starting point to go off. Remember, we
are adaptive and reactive organisms so a degree of trial and

is to simply Google “online BMR calculator”. To get the most

accurate result, try 2 or 3 and compare to improve the reliability

with a 2,000 kcal/day BMR. Which means you need roughly this
amount of calories per day to sustain functions and demands.
Next, we will calculate where these calories should come from.

NUTRITION GUIDE 21
Remember there are only 4 macronutrients, one of which isn’t
essential (alcohol) so that wont be included.

Keeping your nutrition template and its order in mind, lets

establish a protein baseline. Take your weight in kilograms (kg)
and times that by 1.4. An 85kg male would therefore need
119g/protein per day (85 x 1.4= 119). Next, is to calculate a
fat and carbohydrate spilt which unlike protein has a lot more
room for individual differences as people assimilate carbs and
fats at different rates. If we already have 119g/protein for our
85kg male with a BMR of 2,000kcal/day we can work out the
remaining calories to be divided by carbs and fats.

119 x 4 (as protein has 4/kcal per gram) = 476kcal. This

leaves us 1524kcal remaining. Protein can be higher than
your baseline of 1.4g/kg and may hit 2g/kg depending on the
individual, muscle mass and training demands. Factor this in,
then address splitting the remaining calories up. Once you’ve
set your protein level, keep your fats and carbohydrate split
in-between the recommended percentages of overall calorie
income. Remember a degree of trial and error will need to be
present. Experiment with the rough numbers and see which
brings around the most positive impact. Lastly, consider your

NUTRITION GUIDE 22
Protein 1.4g/kg bodyweight, up to 2g/kg bodyweight.
Fats 25-45%
Carbohydrates 20-45%
Water 30ml/kg BW.
Fibre 6g/500 kcal.

NUTRITION GUIDE 23
R EA D ING F O O D
LAB E LS AN D
SU PE RM AR KE T S
Learning to pick things off the supermarket shelf and read
labels is a very valuable and easy skill to acquire. First, look
for the calories and be aware they may be split into serving
size. Then look for the grams of macronutrients (proteins, carbs,
fats) and remember how many calories per gram each contain.
From our example label below, we can see there is 100kcal per
serving. Protein 20g, fats 1.5g and carbohydrates 0, so lets do
the maths.

NUTRITION GUIDE 24
• 20g protein x 4kcal per gram = 80kcal.
• 1.5g fat x 9kcal per gram = 13.5kcal.
• 0g carbohydrates x 4kcal per gram = 0kcal

This adds up to 93.5kcal. A perfect real word example as

almost all products will have slight discrepancies, over and

b e 1 0 0 % a c c ur a t e ; ins t e a d it a c t s a s a ve r y g o o d e s t im a t io n.
After you’ve done this, skim over the ingredients list, which are
always in order of inclusion and consider if the item is fresh
or packaged junk food. If you don’t know what ingredients
are (which will happen to everyone) you’ve got the option to
Internet search to expand your knowledge. For example, you’ll
commonly see sugar listed as high fructose corn syrup, cane
sugar, maltodextrin to name a few.

meats, fruits and vegetables on the outskirts of the supermarkets

with most junk taking priority up and down the isles. Try not to
go shopping when your hungry as you are far more likely to buy
more junk food. If it’s in the house, it’s only a matter of time
before its eaten.

NUTRITION GUIDE 25
AL CO H O L I N TA K E

and will serve no negative health implications. That said, some

of us enjoy consuming alcohol for enjoyment, social situations,
taste and stress reduction. With these considerations you just
need to be smart with alcohols consumption, consider the
amount of calories coming in and remember your net energy
balance. Alcohol should be considered within the 20% in your
80-20 rule if you wish to chase health and physique goals whilst
not being overly restrictive. A few further facts to consider
regarding alcohol:

• No nutritional value.

• Can cause severe dehydration depending on the dose.

• Effects next day decisions on food choices and

energy expenditure.

• Will shunt fat, carb and protein oxidation. Therefore reduce

body fat burning.

• Can still be incorporated, just consider the dose, calories,

frequency and its possible impact.

NUTRITION GUIDE 26
FAD D IE T S A N D
DE T O X IF I CAT I O N
Any diet has one common theme – avoidance. All fad diets
advocate that you exclude a food group, certain items, not
eating after a certain time or splitting up when and how you can
eat. Think of any diet you’ve ever heard of and you’ll see that
it limits your access to calories, that’s all. If you limit calories,
you effect the energy balance equation. That’s the secret
behind any and all diets, regardless of their wacky approach.

could argue that they all actually work. That said, dieting is an
unhealthy practice as we see the following: lack of nutrients,
excessively low calories, unsustainability, unenjoyable and a
negative impact on lifestyle, social and work pleasures. They
also create an unhealthy emotional relationship with food and
create a physiological environment in your body, that’s more
inclined to store body fat. All of this opposes optimal health

approach. Follow your template, eat a wide variety and food,

don’t be overly restrictive, consider the calories coming in and
enjoy your regime. Do this, and your liver will take care of the
detoxifying process.

NUTRITION GUIDE 27
FOOD
I NTOL E R AN CE S
While food intolerances and sensitivities are genuine problems
for some people, it’s become a popular fad in itself to start
avoiding things for the sake of it. We even see products playing
off the words like “gluten and lactose free” tricking us into
believing the products are now automatically healthier, when
this isn’t always the case. For example, both dairy and wheat

easy source of anti stress nutrients (fats and sugars) used in a

balanced and healthy diet. Like most aspects of ones nutrition it
really depends on the individual and their needs. If your lactose

from the more food groups included.

If your not sure or you suspect a food intolerance, then self-

assess. Start taking note via a food diary and match any
symptoms with the ingested foods and timings. If something is
causing you a problem you’ll see a trend with the consumption.
If you do, exclude the said source from your nutritional regime
for 30days, take note again then re-introduce that source to
double check, seeing if your symptoms return. Remember,
the dose-response will play a large part, therefore the
quantity will elicit a bigger response. This is a great, easy,
cheap and effective strategy in a strive for better health and
self testing.

NUTRITION GUIDE 28
SLE E P, S T RE S S
AN D E X E RCI S E
Individuals vary in the amount of sleep they will require, with
adults needing anything from 6-9hours. A degree of trial
and error is required here, just like deciding on your fat to
carbohydrate ratio to see what brings about the most positive
result. What can be said is that sleep deprivation will have a
large and negative effect on your health, appetite hormones, fat
burning ability and training recovery. Here’s some suggestions
to improve sleep quality:

• Address any emotional stress

• Reduce EMF (Electromagnetic Field) exposure by

decreasing usage and turning devices and WIFI off hours
before bed.

• Don’t let your blood sugar drop too much before sleeping.
Consider eating every 4-5 hours.

• Avoid stimulates such as training and ingesting caffeine

near bed time.

• Keep a small note book by your bed for any thoughts you
need to clear before sleeping.

• Sleep in a pitch-black room, no lights.

NUTRITION GUIDE 29
• Consider a sugary meal before bed. Remember your daily
net calories for the day will dictate your energy balance
equation, not carbs or meal timings, so don’t worry about
the old myth of not eating late.

Stress is a huge problem in today’s society and most people are

chronically affected leading to continually rising cortisol levels.
Stressors can come in all forms and can and lead to long-lasting
fatigue if they aren’t addressed. Here’s some suggestions to
reduce them.

• Exercise regularly, and acknowledge over-training is

a possibility.

• Get enough quality and uninterrupted sleep.

• Don’t be overly restrictive in your nutrition, a little can go a

long way.

• Enjoy social situations with food indulges from time to

time.

• Relax your body and mind. Turn all devices off, get a
massage, go for a walk, anything restorative in nature.

• Get your work and personal life organized and stay on top
of tasks.

NUTRITION GUIDE 30
Looking at exercise, it has a knock on effect to both sleep

as reduced cardiovascular disease, improved bone density

and maintaining strength and muscle size. Exercise can take
many forms, it may be a classic gym setting, playing rugby or
volleyball on the beach. Do whatever you best enjoy and get
the most from. The main aim here is activity, expending calories,
reducing stress, and releasing endorphins. We see longevity in
people who have lived a moderated and balanced life. This
cannot be said for any extremes, be it a sedentary individual or
a professional athlete.

NUTRITION GUIDE 31
CO FFE E AN D
CH O CO L AT E
Coffee and chocolate are two of the most popular commodities
and have a large place in most people’s diets. Starting with
coffee, consider it a double-edged sword. Coffee can act
as a brilliant stimulant enhancing energy output, training
performance, thermic effect and cognitive focus along with a
few antioxidants. That said, too much will lessen its effects and
create a dis-advantageous environment whereby the body is
chronically stimulated and therefore chronically stressed. If you

quality coffee bean. Avoid all the instant coffees.

Looking over at chocolate, the higher the cocoa the better.

Therefore, stick with a quality 75% + dark chocolate which will
be higher in nutrients and lesser in sugar. All chocolate however,
is very calorie dense due to the cocoa butters and dietary fat
being present. This is a classic scenario of whereby someone has
made a healthier change to a darker chocolate but the calories
remain the same, thus the energy balance doesn’t change.

Common Chocolate Bar 100% Cocoa

More sugar and fewer antioxidants. Less sugar and more antioxidants.

NUTRITION GUIDE 32
LIQUID N UT R I T I O N
Liquid nutrition would encompass anything you would drink
containing calories. Common examples are protein shakes,
smoothies or meal replacement drinks. Firstly, consider what
the drink actually contains from both a macro and micronutrient
perspective. You’re just following your template, the same
you would for any other meal. After this has been done, we
have some further considerations to make from a lifestyle and
individual standpoint.

Consuming calories via liquid form can be advantageous when

you need a meal to be quick and convenient. It can also help
people to hit certain requirements when macronutrients are
concerned or if they’re simply not eating enough. This will be
very effective for individuals with small appetites, people looking
to put weight on or simply trying to increase a nutrient without
eating the volume of food. At the other end, drinking calories
can be problematic for people trying to lose weight. This is
because drinking calories doesn’t have the same satiating effect
as eating them would. It’s also an easy way to overeat, as shakes
can be very calorie dense and drunk in seconds. Lastly, always
consider the incoming calories of anything you ingest via liquid.
A glass of orange juice or a latte can easily see you consuming
200kcal instantly and people too frequently overlook this.

NUTRITION GUIDE 33
SU P E RFO O D,
PRO CE S S E D F O O D
& O RGAN I C F O O D
The phrase “super food” is commonly used to describe healthier,
uncommon ingredients such as tropical fruits, herbs, spices and
certain nuts and seeds. Whilst the inclusion of super foods is
advantageous to your health, there’s nothing particularly super
about them. It’s far more accurate to realize that on a micro
nutrition level, they are very nutrient dense and this is where
the label comes from. Make sure you incorporate a large range
and variety of nutrient dense foods into your regime but be
wary of businesses playing on these words whilst selling junk.
Here are some great nutrient dense foods to incorporate into
your regime.

Kiwi Kale Krill Oil Eggs

Broccoli Cocoa Coconut Salmon
Raspberries Potato Turmeric Mussels
Blueberries Squash Avocado Walnuts
Goji Berries Spinach Seaweed Flax Seeds
Strawberries Mushrooms Greek Yogurt Chia Seeds

NUTRITION GUIDE 34
Almost everything we eat is processed in some way, shape or
form. Some processing can be detrimental to our health whereas

life. Following the above template, you’ll be eating whole,

single ingredient, nutrient dense and varied real food around
80% of the time. If you’re doing this, eating some lesser quality,
processed items will be acceptable. As above, your health and
result will be depict from a holistic, what you do for the most
part approach. On the other side of demonised processed
foods is organic produce. Research is somewhat inconclusive

favourable and stay neutral with which to chose. With that said,
its recommended you chose organic produce where animal
products are concerned. This is so the dietary fat that passes
over from say eggs or beef is of higher quality.

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SU P P L E M E N T S
This section was purposely left till last, as that’s the way
supplements should be thought of in your nutritional regime
– last. Without a solid nutritional foundation supplements will
do nothing for you and you’ll be wasting your hard earned
money. They cannot make up for a bad nutrition regime or an
ineffective training programme. They may however, provide an
extra 1% once everything else is in place and should be viewed
as “supplementing” the diet only. Be very sceptical when it
comes to businesses and their marketing attempts. Marketing
can be very clever and athletes are endorsed to be featured on
their products, despite most being expensive and useless.

and when used in conjunction with a healthy balanced diet

training outcomes.

• Protein powder. Quality source to act as an alternative

protein source.

• Creatine mono-hydrate. Enhancing strength and

training ability.

• Multivitamin and Fish oil. Quality source to be

used sparingly.

• Electrolyte solution. Can be used for long intense

training bouts.
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BR IN GIN G I T
ALL T O G E T H E R

the best quality out of life. Sometimes, people lose sight of

the overall picture and lose their balance by jumping from one
extreme to another. This manual certainly isn’t exhaustive in
nature but provides a basic foundation to work off. Set your
foundations and work towards a healthier nutritional regime,
lifestyle and enhanced training outcome. Remember, there
will always be new fads, ideas, marketing gimmicks and food
popularities but you can challenge these when you revert back
to the basics. Use this nutrition guide as a lifelong resource and
we wish you all the best putting it into practice.

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