Lewis Mccolm Fitness| Nutritional E-Book | 2016

The Fundamentals of Nutrition MASTER THE BASICS OF NUTRITION & LAY THE FOUNDATIONS OF YOUR PERFECT DIET

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Contents

Introduction

Calories (deficit/surplus)

Protein

Carbohydrates

Fats

Fiber

Water

Micronutrients

Tracking Food Intake

Brining it all together

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By purchasing this e-book you have made the decision to further your

understanding of nutrition and how you can use it to benefit your life in a

variety of ways, I promise it was a worthwhile investment.

If you engage with the material and apply your new knowledge in a

practical way, you can master the basics and take total control of your

nutrition and how it affects your emotions, thoughts & appearance.

What can you expect to take away from the book?

The importance of knowing your

maintenance kcal levels

The effects of being in a caloric deficit

The effects of being in a caloric surplus

How to align caloric intake with your goals

Macro-Nutrient Breakdown

Micro-Nutrient Breakdown

Importance of water and fiber

Tracking your food intake

Myth-Busting

Building YOUR diet & Summary

My aim is to provide you with the basic understanding of nutrition, so that you

can lay down the foundations of a sustainable, well balanced, enjoyable “diet”. I

also want you to have the confidence in your newly learned knowledge to look

at food advertising and marketing in a critical way. So you can cut through the

B.S and make choices you know will be beneficial to your health.

Before going into ANY sort of detail I want to reiterate the effect of wholesome

food. When discussing/planning anything in connection with nutrition,

consuming wholesome, one-ingredient foods should be the number one

priority. If you have that in place, you’re halfway there!

Next: CALORIES

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When people pursue a body composition goal, for example attempting

melt away some belly fat, the first thing people will do is rapidly decrease

the number of calories they consume in a day.

And on the flipside, when someone is looking to add strength or size, the

opposite: calories go through the roof.

Whilst both of these approaches may work in theory, they more than

often do not in real life.

Believe me when I say the above points really only scratch the surface in

terms of the side-effects that come with improper caloric intake.

So How Many Calories Should You Be Having?

Tomorrow morning – walk up and record your weight

The next 7 days – Consume a consistent number of kcals each day

In 7 days – Re-record your weight

If your weight stayed the same, you have roughly calculated your

maintenance level calories.

If your weight increased: your caloric intake was too high.

If your weight decreased: your caloric intake was too low.

The longer you track, the more accurate the value…

How simple is that?

Too little calories:

You’ll feel hungry, almost always

Your energy levels will drop

Your sleep will suffer

You’ll create a negative relationship

with food

Too many calories:

You’ll start forcing food down

You’ll feel heavy & bloated

Social life will suffer

Again, you’ll create a negative

relationship with food

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Knowing your maintenance caloric intake value is extremely important as

it gives you the starting point you need to make dietary changes which

will help bring about your body composition goals.

In very simple terms:

Eating above maintenance kcals = weight gain.

Eating below maintenance kcals = weight loss.

Maintenance Kcals are determined by BMR + TDEE

(Calories burned naturally + calories burned via exercise)

Does it matter where the calories come from?

100 calories is 100 calories, whether they come from ice cream or spinach

is irrelevant in terms of weight change.

However…

I’m not advising you get all of your daily calories from chocolate.

It is very important to have a varied, nutritionally dense diet if you want to

take care of internal health:

How you ‘feel’ can be heavily influenced by your diet. Taking care of

normal bodily functions such as hormonal health and digestion are

extremely important, yet almost always forgotten about when jumping on

a new ‘diet plan’.

Getting a wide range of foods including all of your macro, and micro

nutrients can be very beneficial to your health as well as supporting, and

even enhancing your progression.

Next: Macronutrient #1: PROTEIN

Maintenance Kcals

Weight Gain

Weight Loss

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Macronutrient #1: PROTEIN

The Universal Language of All Things Nutrition

If you’ve ever read, listened to or seen any material regarding nutrition I

guarantee that the importance of getting enough protein was mentioned.

Finally something we can all agree on.

How Much protein should you be getting?

I want to start by saying, if you’re going

to over-eat on anything, make it protein.

However I would recommend aiming for

1g per lb of bodyweight, if you are physically

active then this number may slightly increase.

180lbs bodyweight = 180g protein p/day

Best sources of protein: Animal meat, Eggs, Dairy, Pulses, Quinoa, Hemp Seeds, Tofu

Protein Supplements (bars, powders, fortified products).

Remember:

If your intake is too low, you cannot grow.

Essential nutrient for internal + external health.

Vital for proper recovery.

1g contains 4 calories.

Aim for 1g per lb of bodyweight per day.

Next: Macronutrient #2: CARBOHYDRATES

1gram of Protein contains 4 calories

Protein is essential for growth, repair

and maintenance of body tissue

Protein is composed of 20 different

amino acids, ~14 of which must be

obtained through diet

Animal sources of protein contain all

essential dietary Amino Acids.

Plant sourced should be eaten in

combination with other sources to

obtain a complete Amino Acid Intake

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Macronutrient #2: Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates are without doubt, the most controversial aspect of

nutrition. Before going into any detail I want to start with some basic facts:

Are Carbs Essential? No

Will they make you fat? No

If used correctly, can they help me

Improve how I look and feel? YES

Best Sources of Carbohydrates:

Vegetables, Fruits, Grains, Cereals, Potatoes, Rice, Pasta,

Legumes, Pulses.

Carbs have a terrible reputation due to A LOT of bad press, however

removing/reducing intake for a long period of time is unjust and in truth,

un-necessary for most.

Carbs are a convenience, they are all around us, and are generally very

enjoyable foods in terms of taste/satisfaction. So why deprive yourself of

them?

I could write an entire book explaining the pros vs cons of eating carbs,

perhaps a possible future project. But for now… remember the following:

Carbohydrates will not make you fat! Over-eating will.

Find your carbohydrate sweet spot (experiment), be mindful of calories

and enjoy eating carbohydrates in moderation.

Next: Macronutrient #3: FATS

1g contains 4 (3.75)

calories

Primary source of energy

Not an ‘essential’ nutrient

However has many

benefits including

detoxification,

hydration, as well as

providing energy.

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Macronutrient #3: Fats

Will eating fat not lead to me getting fatter? NO, over-eating will

Are Fats essential in the diet? YES, absolutely vital for health

One minute we’re told a high fat diet is the secret to tricking our

body into burning pure body fat…

Next we’re told that a high fat diet will make your head fall off…

So what is the truth about fats?

Fats and Carbohydrates should work as a tipping scale,

counteracting each other to achieve a certain number of calories.

E.G. If you’re consuming 2500kcals, and ~800kcals are coming

from protein, the remaining 1800 should be split between carbs

and fats.

However many of those come from fats is completely down to

preference and what makes you perform and feel at your best.

For some the scale will be tipped towards carbohydrates, for

others… Fats.

Best Sources of Fats:

Nuts, seeds, dairy, oils, fish,

red meat, avocado, dark chocolate.

Fats are calorically dense, so the vol.

will be lower, however if you prefer

Fats vs carbs… Eat more fat.

1g contains 9 calories

Primary source of energy

Essential dietary nutrient

Important for warmth,

protection of vital organs

& hormonal control

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Bringing it all together: Macronutrients

Protein contains 4 kcals per gram

Carbohydrates contain 4(3.75) kcals per gram

Fats contain 9 kcals per gram

BALANCE IS KEY!

Consume a consistent number of calories

Consume around 1g of protein per lb of bodyweight

Fill the gap with Carbohydrates & Fats…

NO CONFUSING SCIENCE, JUST SIMPLE, EFFECTIVE,

SUSTAINABLE CALORIE DISTRIBUTION

If your protein is consistent & to a sufficient level, you will

recover from exercise, improve your body composition, and aid

your results from whatever fitness regime you follow.

Quick Round Up

Priority number one should be consuming whole (one ingredient)

foods such as quality cuts of meat, root vegetables and fruits.

Next should be figuring out how many calories you need to

maintain your bodyweight.

Following that, calorie consumption should be altered to suit

weight loss/gain goals

Distribute that number between protein, carbohydrates and fats.

The distribution should depend on how you feel & perform.

REMEMBER: Eat foods you enjoy!

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Fiber & Water

Fiber – the forgotten macronutrient

Aim to consume 25-35g per day

What does fiber actually do?

Helps to maintain a healthy digestive system

Slows the digestion of carbohydrates, keeping you

fuller for longer

Can lower cholesterol levels

Consuming fiber is a simple way to add bulk to a diet,

something most people struggle with when trying to lose

a bit of weight.

Let’s be honest, nobody wants to look down at a plate of

food the size of a peanut every day.

What are the best sources of fiber?

Nuts, seeds, vegetables, fruits & whole grains

If you are consuming enough fruit and veg, chances are your fiber

is at an acceptable level already

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THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF ALL Water Intake

The human body is approximately 70% water, every cellular

process whether it be transporting nutrients or reproducing new

cells, requires some water, hormones, muscles, enzymes, bones,

arteries, vital organs, all require water to function…

So I think we can all agree that water is extremely important.

Our body is almost always losing water through perspiration or

evaporation, so it is absolutely vital to consume enough through

your diet...

But how much is enough?

I would suggest 99% of people are not getting enough

As a go-to, I would say minimum of 2-3L a day, however around

5-6L may be more beneficial

As with everything else, find YOUR sweet spot, try a week at 4L,

try again at 6L, how do you feel? Do you perform better?

Just make a conscious effort to get some clean water in

I know what you’re next question would be…

Can you have too much water?

The answer is probably not, unless for some absurd reason you

are downing bottle after bottle in a relatively short time. Just

don’t be an idiot and you’ll be fine

Top Tips for getting enough water

1) Drink a glass first thing in the morning

2) Have a glass with each meal you eat

3) Drink at least 1L around/during exercise

4) Swap a fizzy drink/coffee etc for a tall glass of water

5) Finish the day with a glass of ice cold water

6) Always have a bottle handy

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Taking a quick break from all the boring

information and bringing it back to real life…

What should you be focusing on?

#1 – you are consuming enough water &

ensuring you are not overly-depriving yourself

#2 – 60-70% of your diet is coming from whole

(one ingredient) foods

#3 – Consuming an appropriate number of

calories depending on your goal

#4 – Consuming ~40% of these calories from

protein sources (1g per lb of bodyweight)

#5 – Splitting your remaining calories between

carbohydrates and fats (preference)

#6 – Ensure you are consuming enough fiber

#7 – Consuming the micronutrients that bring

everything together (info coming up next)

#8 – Whatever ‘diet plan’ you are on, ask

yourself… is this sustainable? If not, change it

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Micronutrients What are they?

Combination of Vitamins & minerals

Are they essential/important?

Yes, for general health & well-being

Where do I get them from?

Fruits and vegetables, grains, meat, fish, juices

I could write an entire book similar to this one breaking

down each individual vitamin and mineral, telling you the

importance of each, where to find them and the

consequences of being deficient in each

However, that’s a lot of information and I would assume

you would all become bored 4 lines in… I would too. So…

What to remember about micronutrients:

They are the ‘glue’ that brings together all other aspects

of nutrition we have already covered

The best sources are: green leafy vegetables, citrus fruits,

meat & fish, nuts, pulses, juices and supplements

If you are eating a well-balanced diet and are meeting the

steps discussed on the previous page, micronutrient

intake is probably already taken care of and you shouldn’t

get too caught up in the minor details of each.

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Tracking Your Food Intake If you’ve gotten this far, you are probably thinking all this information is fine and

well, but how do I apply it to MY diet?

You are probably thinking there is a lot of complicated math involved and that

tracking your food is a tedious, time consuming process…

Actually, it doesn’t have to be…

I want to start by saying that tracking food is not fun, it’s not something I would

advise doing every day for the rest of your life…

But for a short period of time, if done correctly, can be one of the most effective

things you will ever do when trying to take control of your nutrition.

If you have a smartphone you’re in luck…

There are a host of free applications out there that simplify this tracking process,

my personal favourite is MyFitnessPal:

Scan the barcode or type the food you are consuming… Done.

Full calorie and nutritional breakdown, easily measurable against the goals you’ve

set within the app itself.

If you want to be a bit more traditional and manually write down what you eat and

manually track your nutrition, you will have to read some labels, you will have to

weigh your portions, but not forever…

After around 2 weeks of tracking/weighing food you will begin to become

comfortable with measuring by eye and will understand the response you get from

certain foods and diet layouts.

99% of the population do not need to be weighing their food to the exact gram, and

eating the exact number of calories necessary, for most, eating whole foods,

drinking enough water, and keeping an eye on the dosage of ‘bad’ foods is all that is

needed.

Relax… unless there is some actual reason for your nutrition to be 100% on point,

just find a diet that is a combination of both nutritious & enjoyable,

It is possible I promise.

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The table above can be used as a template for

tracing nutrition assuming you eat three meals a

day, simply take note of what you eat & drink and

write it in the table.

If you choose to track your nutrition then enter the

values in the final column.

At the end of the week, look at your weekly nutrition

and analyze aspects such as:

Do you struggle with certain days of the week?

Are your meals consistent day by day?

Is there enough variety for you throughout the

week?

Do you enjoy what you’re currently eating?

How did this week of eating make you feel?

Are you getting enough fruit and veg?

Do you eat a high carb, or a high fat diet?

Are you getting enough protein?

Are there any obvious changes you want to make?

Did you lose/gain weight this week?

Do you feel like you’re making healthy choices?

Asking yourself these questions and answering honestly is

the first step towards creating your perfect diet

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Brining everything together: You may have noticed that when writing this book, I combined

informative facts with how to apply them in the real world,

usually in a light hearted tone.

This was no mistake, it’s how I feel we should all view nutrition,

know the facts, understand how certain foods will make you look

& feel, make smart decisions, however always make sure you are

enjoying your diet and could sustain it for the foreseeable future.

Unless you are stepping on stage, have a medical condition or

have some other reason for your diet to be absolutely perfect and

follow all the ‘rules’ of healthy eating then in my opinion it

shouldn’t be absolutely perfect according to the book.

Experiment with your nutrition, try something new. Go high carb

for a week, go high fat for a week, double your intake of fruit and

veg, eat meat 3x a week, cut out meat for a week, spread around

your calories, make space for a piece of cake at the weekend.

Trial and error is the only way to

create YOUR perfect diet. Take home messages:

Make informed choices

The devil is in the dosage

Track for a few weeks to understand where you currently are

See past deceptive marketing & advertising

Be conscious of your diet, but don’t seek absolute perfection

Have fun with it! Eat out with friends, invite your family over for

shared meals, create new recipes, put your own twist on the classics.

:

Most importantly, ENJOY WHAT YOU EAT!

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From the bottom of my heart I would like to thank

you for taking the time to read my take on nutrition.

Everything I have said is my own opinion that I have

formed through reading credible material, my own

experience and from learning from industry leading

experts.

I hope you have taken some information and

inspiration from this experience.

If you have any feedback or questions I’d love to

hear from you.

Master the basics of nutrition and lay the

foundations of your perfect diet.

‘NEXT LEVEL NUTRITION’ will be coming later in the

year where we will further your understanding of all

things nutrition and begin to build upon the

foundations.

Thank You

Best Wishes, Lewis.