If you didn’t read my blog entry about why diets will work for the short term, but how they actually mess with your body's overall health and as a result, will never work for the long term, (Remember Oprah when she fit into her skinny jeans?) you've got to click here to read that now!

Food can be FUEL and can allow our bodies to run more efficiently!

I shared with you that the way to actually reach your health goals is to EAT MORE.  By eating small meals every 3 hours, you will keep your body fueled and your blood sugar balanced which translates to a boosted metabolism, more energy, weight loss, and reducing your risk of diabetes, heart disease and dementia.  Is it that simple?  Well, yes!  For a quick video on how MY coach explains the benefit of blood sugar stabilization, click here.

But you do need to know what to eat at each meal.  

First of all notice, I said you have to eat small MEALS every day….we don't eat snacks at Disruptive Nutrition, we eat MEALS!  Snacks sound like they need to be smaller than other times you eat and we know that we need to keep our food intake consistent and frequent so every time you eat, you will eat the same amount of food, with the exception of dinner, where I often am mindful but not strict in my portions.

Here's the key…EVERY meal has to consist of protein, fat, and carbohydrate. No more eating just an apple as a “snack”…instead, you will pair an apple with a protein such as sliced turkey and fat such as almonds!  Let's go into each one a little bit!

We all know what carbs are, right? It's often the thing we crave the most when we are hungry! It's because our body needs the sugars in carbs for energy and fuel. It is an essential nutrient in our body and when we avoid carbs completely on a low-carb or no-carb diet, we are depriving ourselves of something our body NEEDS… we know what happens when we deprive our bodies right?  Now, this doesn't mean that each meal is a loaf of bread or a crate of bananas. You have to be mindful of just how many carbs you are eating. I'll talk a little more about portion size in a minute.

Proteins, Fats, and Carbs, when eaten together, at each meal are like a magic formula for success!

We have all heard about diets that are low fat but, in fact, we NEED fat throughout the day!  Fat is your friend and is essential for the maintenance of cellular membranes, and energy, and it cushions our organs. Fat is what allows your body to feel full and to slow down digestion which stabilizes blood sugar. Consistently taking in the right amount of fat will actually cause you to release stored body fat because if your body believes it will continue to get it every 3 hours, it can start to let go of the excess it has stored over the years due to the yo-yo dieting!

Finally, proteins.  I can ALMOST guarantee you aren't getting enough complete proteins in your diet!  If every meal must have a complete protein in it, that means a snack of just an apple and almonds might be considered “healthy” but it certainly isn't “correct”.  Wait! You may be asking, aren't nuts proteins?  Great question! A complete protein has all the amino acids we need to do what protein is meant to do….build lean muscle and regulate and maintain body functions.

Complete proteins typically come in the form of animal-based proteins. Plant-based proteins are incomplete unless 3 or more of them are consumed together…and at that point often your fat or carb rate is through the roof!  So just be mindful of how to get complete proteins in your plan at every meal.  There are some vegetarian proteins that are complete, but not many…a complete vegan protein shake is a great option for people.

I typically have a protein shake twice a day because if you do the math, when you eat every 3 hours, you are often eating 5-6 times a day!  A good quality protein shake will allow you a fast way to replace one or two of your meals and is a great way for vegetarians or vegans to get in their complete protein for a few of their meals. (Click to see my favorite products for fast and easy protein!)

One big question I always get is about portion size.  That is another topic all together and one that we get very specific about in the Trifecta Transformation, but for now, plan on having about a palm's size of protein and carb and fat that is about the size of 2 dice.  You will know you ate about the right amount if you are getting hungry but about 3 hours after you last ate!

More than likely you will realize how much more you need to be eating! Increasing your nutrient intake really allows you to feel fueled and satisfied while burning fat and boosting your metabolism at the same time.

You will literally feel it working as you get hungry every three hours like clockwork! 

Sounds easy, right? Well, it's simple but not easy…and not all proteins, fats, and carbs are created equal. The key is making sure you know which PFCs combine together to optimize your health.  There are many out there that you think are healthy but are actually sabotaging your goals!

Carrie