Dear Doug,
Your tips have helped me so much with getting results from my exercises. I would love to hear your thoughts about nutrition and weight loss. Thank you so much for your help.
— Marie in Hanalei
Thanks again for your question from last time, Marie. Let me begin with a quick recap of my number one secret to Super Sustenance: eating fruit first thing in the morning.
1. Fruit makes the perfect pre-packaged meal. It is convenient and easy to carry anywhere.
2. Fruit First, in effect, guarantees that you will include it as part of your regular daily consumption.
3. Fruit is abundant in Sustenance… packed full of energy, enzymes, nutrients, fiber, and healthy hydration.
4. Fruit First, as the initial meal at the beginning of each day, works in tandem with your body’s natural elimination cycles.
5. Fruit is basically “pre-digested,” allowing appropriate absorption and assimilation of both macronutrients and micronutrients.
6. Fruit First is easy on your system, so that your body is not overwhelmed with the task of energy-draining digestion early in the day.
7. Fruit is the most natural source of simple carbohydrates available, moderated by fiber and diluted in water, essentially the single-most perfectly packaged energy food.
So… Super Sustenance Principle #1: Fruit First, Before Anything.
Next… Super Sustenance Principle #2: Veggies First, Before Everything Else.
It doesn’t matter how big your plate or how high you pile it; you cannot out-eat vegetables. Raw or lightly steamed are always best, but you can also have some of them grilled, sauteed, roasted, boiled, or broiled.
Vegetables are usually the healthiest part of each meal… and should therefore always be the main portion. If you never deviate from this rule, you will definitely change your body from the inside out. And, the number one way to guarantee that you adhere to this second strategy is to force yourself to always eat your veggies first.
Eating veggies first, before anything else, forces your hand. Whether it’s a huge salad or an entire vegetable or a bucket of freshly-grown sprouts, you’ll have no choice but to eat your veggies if you always eat them first. This is an extremely simple concept, but it’s also super smart.
• If you get the good stuff in first, it’s in. Once you get filled up with the good, you can’t fit in the bad. Yes, you might want an entire pizza but, after eating a gigantic salad, perhaps a single slice will suffice. And, if you want another one, eat some more veggies first. There is no deprivation or starvation. You can stuff yourself silly with Super Sustenance.
• Vegetables, especially raw, facilitate the ingestion of the other foods that you eat. Veggies make it so much easier to digest and assimilate everything else.
• Vegetables contain a lot of fiber, which our bodies cannot breakdown because we don’t manufacture the enzyme cellulase, which breaks down cellulose, the cell wall fiber in plants. However, as our bodies try to break down this fiber mechanically, as opposed to enzymatically, we expend many calories in the process. Consuming veggies first acts as though you are performing mini-exercise sessions throughout the day, literally shaping up from the inside out.
• Fresh produce contains many necessary nutrients and essential enzymes. If you continually nourish your body physiologically and cellularly, your body will not be constantly starving physically and intestinally. Focus on feeding your cells, not your stomach.
• Incorporating regular meals consisting of only raw produce gives your body a tremendous break from the more typical demands of digestion. Naturally, your body is designed to process natural produce, and here on The Garden Island is a great place to do so. Your body and brain breathe big sighs of relief when you nourish them with what they were intended to consume in the first place.
The principle of “Veggies First… Before Everything Else” assures that large portions of every meal are high-water-content, healthy, and nourishing produce. This, in addition to your “First Fruits” every morning, is setting you up to be one seriously healthy and happy consumer.
Many people find that following these two dietary principles allows them the luxury of eating as much as they want and as frequently as they desire. And, although I also have certain recommendations for what to put on the rest of your plate, for now, just continue to chew on the two principal principles of fruits and veggies.
Our third helping of Super Sustenance will discuss how to lose weight by eating more. I look forward to serving you. Until then …
In Health & With Hope, Doug
•••
Doug Jones earned his Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Maryland and has served professionals and personalities as a concierge fitness trainer for decades. As a resident of Kaua‘i and Connecticut, he has helped millions of people learn the secrets of fitness and fat loss, both online and in person. To submit your questions, or for more information, call (808) 652-6453 or visit www.DougJonesFitness.com
