*Disclaimer: I am not a certified/licensed nutritionist. While I do have a fair amount of nutrition education, I cannot prescribe individual nutrition advice. I can only provide general nutrition education. Please contact a registered dietician for individualized nutrition planning.

One of my favorite articles of all time is: Twinkie Diet Helps Nutrition Professor Lose 27 Pounds. Its clever. It's funny. It's mind-blowing! How could someone eat nothing but junk food, especially sugary junk food, and not gain weight? The answer lies in the simple mathematical equation of calories in - calories out. If you don't care about the rest of nutrition and strictly want to lose weight, read no further. The key to weight loss is eating less calories than you eat. Boom. Mystery solved. Eat 1500 calories per day and burn 2000 calories, you'll be in a 500-calorie caloric deficit. Multiply your 500-calorie deficit by 7 (days in a week) and you'll be down 3500 calories, which is remarkably close to how many calories are required to lose 1 pound of fat. To translate this into plain terms, if you eat 500 calories less than your body burns every day for 1 week, you'll lose 1 pound of fat.

Now, there's a lot more to nutrition than just losing weight. There are so many terms flying around these days that it can be hard to understand what is good or bad for you. Watch this TikTok for a good laugh at how confusing nutrition information can be!

So, here's my attempt to simplify it all for you. As with most things in my life, when planning nutrition, I like to focus most on the things that make the biggest difference first. By spending more time focusing on the important things, I don't miss the forest for the trees when it comes time to focus on the smaller things. Dr. Eric Helms lays this concept out beautifully with his Muscle & Strength Nutrition Pyramid (pictured below). Think of this process like aiming a bow at a target. First, you have to turn your body to aim in the general area of the target. Then, you get slightly more focused on the target itself. Eventually you can aim for the center of the target and, in turn, the bullseye. But this process starts with the vague aiming in the general area of the target – don't rush to the bullseye.

1. Energy Balance – Focus first on aligning your calories with your goals. The average person burns about 2,000 calories per day simply by being alive. This is called your basal metabolic rate. Trying to bulk up? Eat more calories than you burn. Trying to thin down? Eat less calories than you burn.  Take into consideration things like: metabolism, activity level, and muscle mass. If you have a fast metabolism, you may need to eat more than the average person. If you have a slow metabolism, you may need to eat less than the average person. If you are active often, you may need to eat more. If you are not very active, you may need to eat less. If you have a lot of muscle, you may need to eat more. If you don't have a lot of muscle, you may need to eat less. Easy enough so far?

2. Macronutrients – Once you get a handle on your daily calorie balance, you may want to narrow in on the next step. Macronutrients include carbohydrates, fats, and proteins. These small pieces of food are what our body uses for fuel. They all fuel the body slightly differently, but that discussion can get very lengthy. For now, just know the general purpose of each. Carbs are used for immediate-short term energy. Simple carbs, such as those found in fruits, are broken down very quickly and go straight to the bloodstream for use. Complex carbs, such as grains, are broken down slightly less quickly but are still used for rapid energy that lasts a bit longer. Fats are broken down slower yet again and are often used to package vitamins that are needed to "oil" the body. Proteins are the building blocks of the body. They give structure so that we aren't a big puddle of nutrients. They keep our skin, muscles, and bones sturdy and intact.

3. Micronutrients – Typically these include vitamins and minerals, but some textbooks will also include water. Vitamins, again, are kind of like the oil or grease that our bodies need to function. Vitamin A and Vitamin D have particularly important roles in the body. Thus, eating foods high in those vitamins is generally a good idea. Minerals assist proteins in forming the body and ensuring solid structures. Iron, iodine, calcium, potassium, folate, and zinc aid in the body's development, growth, and function. Your body needs a lot of minerals, but these are a good starting point.

4. Nutrient timing – Should I eat chicken before or after the gym? Should I eat this banana one hour before my run or two? This section often gets lost in translation and works up the worriers. The general guidance for timing is: eat energy in anticipation of needing energy, eat building blocks when you need to rebuild. We now know that fats take longer to digest than carbs and grains take longer to digest than fruits. So, logically, grains should be consumed farther in advance of activity than fruits, roughly 3-4 hours before exercise. Fruits are digested quickly and can be consumed 1-2 hours before exercise. Protein is best absorbed right after exercise, but for most people this is semantics. Eating enough protein is more important than when you eat the protein.

5. Supplements – You made it! Welcome to the peak of the pyramid. This stage is often the most heavily targeted by advertisers, which is comical when you realize that supplements likely have the smallest impact on nutrition. My take on supplements is that they have their time and place. Nutritional deficiencies do exist and that hole can be filled by supplements. Protein for example can be used for athletes who need more protein but can't force feed themselves 10 pounds of steak everyday. Iron can be supplemented for people who get dizzy often or have blood conditions. A multivitamin can be beneficial for people with generally poor nutrition. But the important thing to remember about supplements is that they are SUPPLEMENTATIONAL. They are meant to be added to a pre-balanced nutrition plan. Don't focus all your time and energy on them.

So, there you have it: general nutrition in a nutshell. Feel free to reach out to me on any of the social media icons at the top/bottom of the page with any questions!