Some things are always changing......

My introduction to nutrition was in high school health class where we were told to eat 3 balanced meals a day and follow the Food Pyramid that was developed in 1992.  Since then, there have been so many changes, opinions, and controversies surrounding the food we eat.

Should we eat 6 small meals a day, or 3 meals and 2 snacks, or survive off protein shakes? There are a ton of diets that actually have specific names.   Should you follow the Adkins Diet?  How about the South Beach Diet? What about the Warrior Diet?  Ever hear of a Ketogenic Cyclicing Diet? Is the Paleo Diet the right one for you?   I am constantly asked,  "Which "diet" is best?"

To be honest, I really don't think the majority of our popluation cares.  If people really were concerned about the food they eat, we would have a lot less fat people walking around.  If you really think about it, it's not that hard to improve your nutritonal intake, but most people become overwhelmed by specific diets and "nutrition gossip", they fall off track within a week or so of "dieting".

No matter what diet or eating plan you are following or are going to follow, someone is going to recommend something else and something "better".  We are so mentally consumed on what is the best way to eat, or what some celebraty did to lose 20lbs. that just the simple necessity of simply eating right seems more complicated than a calculus problem.

The fact is, whatever "diet" works the best for you, another diet may work better.  We can almost guarantee that in a year or two, there will be a new, ground breaking diet plan guaranteed to get you ripped in 60 days.

There are a few things that hopefully a lot of people can agree on:

Eat good natural food, limit your calories if you are trying to lose weight and get lean, or increase your calories if you are trying to gain mass, and drink plenty of water. (some miserable person might find something wrong with this)

Seems easy enough, right?  Well that depends on the person, their goal, and their lifestyle.

Can you get leaner eating 3 meals a day? Of course.  Can you get stronger eating 6 meals a day? No doubt.  Is a diet that is high in protein going to make my kidneys erupt like a volcano?  Ain't gonna happen.  We have become so mind warped by "diet" information and nutrition advice from books, magazines, and supplement companies when it comes to food sources, combining nutrients, and meal frequency.  It's soooo much easier just to pull through the drive-thru and order a #7 super size and say the hell with it! But that's really not an option.

The topic of nutrition will always be debated, and there are some individuals that spend a large majority of their time on internet forums bashing others for the way they choose to eat. I think an individual should eat the way that is best for their health and well being first, then worry about your improving your physique and fitness goals.

Some simple tips:

-Don't eat fast food.
-Eat at home most of the time, preparing your meals from quality ingredients  (No TV dinners)
-Don't drink Soda or Beverages loaded with sugar.
-Eat Fruit
-Eat Veggies
-Eat Lean Protein
-Eat "Healthy" Fat (Olive oil, Coconut Oil, Almonds, Walnuts. etc)
-Have an idea of how many calories you are eating, track your progress.
-Limit the amount of beverages without nutrtional value (alcohol)
(Another miserable person might call this PALEO BS.............they need to get a life) 
 

I don't agree 100%, but it's better than most people eat

It's pretty easy to begin a eating plan to shed some weight and ingest some quality nutrients.  The leaner you get or the more specific your goals are regrading your physique, the more difficult it is to develop a successful eating strategy.

What we have to remember that what is taught in our "health" or "nutrition" books may be outdated and research may have proved otherwise.  If getting leaner and healthier are important, we need to keep up with the literature and determine what eating plan will best suit your lifestyle and you are most likely follow with 100% compliance.

Everybody's metabolism is different, food allergies are common in an increasing amount of the population, and not everybody enjoys the taste of the same foods.  The "eating" plan that works great for me might be horrible for you and make you feel like crap. Obviously, you would not follow that plan for very long....

It is important that we keep up with the changes regarding nutrition information and research, there is no one size fits all approach, and more importantly if they're was- that would change in a few years......