MMA Training and Diet Tips
Think of your image of a cavemen and what they would be able to eat prior to learning how to control fire. Certain raw foods that we cannot consume today, like raw poultry, could not be safely consumed and digested by our great ancestors either. Some diets promote high intakes of protein, especially chicken. High protein intake is essential, but chicken is not the only source of protein. Nuts happen to be rich in protein as well. So what does this mean I should eat? Visit MMA Training in Westchester for more info. What do I recommend for a mixed martial arts diet?
As stated earlier, fruits, vegetables and nuts should be the foundation of a solid diet. Focus on water based fruits such as oranges instead of starchy fruits like bananas. Vegetables can be consumed in large quantities making the consumer feel full while not taking in a large number of calories. Nuts are where things get confusing. Most people first think of the peanut, which is easy to understand as it has the keyword "nut" in it. However a peanut is not a nut. Peanuts are actually beans. While the peanut does boast various benefits, all of these benefits can be found in true nuts (cashews, Brazilian nuts, walnuts, almonds... etc.). I recommend you get your nutrient boost from nuts instead of peanuts.
Going back to the caveman diet, which is largely considered a raw diet, products that must be processed before consumed should be ignored. This caveman style diet is so popular that it actually has a name, The Caveman Diet, or scientifically, it is referred to as a Palaeolithic Diet or in short Paleo Diet/Challenge. I suggest the basic guideline is that if the product must be cooked in any way, it is not acceptable in this diet. This is the reason that beans are not included, nor is poultry. Even red meat should be avoided. Dairy products from cheese to milk should also be minimized if not avoided entirely.
Taking a trip to a Subway restaurant can help to illustrate what a meal should consist of. Order a salad with all the vegetables but no dressing or croutons and swap out the lettuce for spinach (only because spinach is healthier, nothing against lettuce). A single subway salad for me could be divided into three of my meals for the day, as I also eat a piece or two of fruit with each meal.
Nuts are generally snack food. You should grab a handful and walk away from the jar. Through a test in Europe, ten individuals were placed on this diet; the subjects were considered average weight people who did not exercise regularly. The subjects ate upwards of 11 pounds of fruits, vegetables and nuts a day to achieve the calories they needed to function. After ten days the average weight lost was ten pounds. Simple math shows that eating 11 pounds of food a day, the individuals lost about a pound a day. Adjust to see what works for you to reach your goals within your time frame.
Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. The meal can be anything from a bowl of cereal to a glass of cold water. Putting something into your stomach to start your metabolism for the day is what's important. Essentially, you want to stop your body from fasting which it has done overnight. That's why we eat breakfast not breakfest. The idea is to eat every 3-4 hours to prevent hunger.
When your body begins to starve is when people indulge and eat too much. I've heard the saying and do believe that, "Your mind is five minutes behind your stomach." This means that it takes roughly five minutes for your brain to realize your stomach is full. This is why it is suggested to eat slowly, so that you do not eat too much. If I am between meals and hungry, a trick I have found is to pour a large glass of water and quickly drink it. Your stomach will feel full and it does not know what has been consumed until it has been broken down, which takes time. In other words, immediately after consumption, your body does not know if it has consumed water or food. But I think that this diet is ideal for a fighters physique.