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Ways to Simplify Your Diet For a Performance Boost

Cooked food on black bowl

Athletes are inundated with information on how to train and recover; they don't need the added pressure of dietary information overload. Food choices affect performance, but too often we get caught up in looking for the magic bullet and honing in on specifics only to ignore the big picture.


The truth is, the majority of people seeking fitness gains benefit from backing off a bit and getting back to basics — for example: Consuming a routine diet that includes a variety of colorful, nutritious whole foods.

1. TRACK FOR ENERGY INTAKE

Man doing karate stunts on gym

Photo by Uriel Soberanes on Unsplash

Energy intake relative to exercise energy expenditure is known as energy availability. It could be tempting to up exercise without increasing the fuel to support the effort in order to get lean. However, too many athletes succumb to over-restriction and caloric deficits, which results in the body being forced to use lean tissue as fuel. Ultimately, this hinders performance and body composition.

Instead of micromanaging macronutrient breakdown, milligrams of a specific vitamin, or supplement intake, aim to have a daily balance of calories you consume versus burn. Ensuring your overall energy needs are being met is a huge game changer in how you feel and consequently how you perform.

2. REDUCE THE JUNK

Selective focus photography of burger patty, mayonnaise, and French fries served on platter

Photo by Robin Stickel on Unsplash

All foods can fit into an overall healthy diet, however, consuming foods low in nutrient density is like loading up on the 'junk miles' in your workouts. It's fuel, but it isn't making you any better. Aim to reduce the amount of low nutrient density foods consumed day to day. The best athletes indulge occasionally, but know 80% of their intake should be high-quality calories — Think: complex carbohydrates, plant proteins, omega and unsaturated fatty acids and colorful produce — to best fuel their health and performance needs. Skipping packaged foods is the best way to start eliminating poor quality foods.

3. BUILD YOUR PLATE

Meat with vegetable on plate

Photo by Caroline Attwood on Unsplash

A great place to start simplifying your diet is to focus on balance, and the plate method is a great example of how to do this. Instead of measuring or weighing your food, you can use the plate's template to add protein, carbohydrates (grains or starchy vegetables) and produce, in the designated areas. This method focuses on balance — having different food types represented — and since each food type has its place, portion control comes naturally. It also provides some structure without being overbearing or restrictive. Start with a simple meal of grilled chicken, sweet potato and a salad drizzled with vinaigrette, before exploring more adventurous meals.

4. STICK TO A ROUTINE

Yellow and white alarm clock at 10 10

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Make day-to-day eating easy by sticking to a handful of high-quality meal or ingredient staples. Many professional and elite athletes eat the same meals and reach for the same snacks repeatedly. This helps reduce decision fatigue and stress, factors that increase low level inflammation and potential weight gain — the opposite of what most athletes want.

Make a list of three meals you fall back on for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Rotating the same few meals makes shopping and meal prep easy.


Breakfast Lunch Dinner
Oatmeal with berries and yoghurt Chopped chicken salad Peanut tempeh with mixed vegetables and quinoa
Whole-grain toast with avocado and eggs Bean burrito bowl Steak with baked sweet potato and green beans
Tofu scramble burrito with fruit Turkey and hummus on whole-grain bread with an apple and yoghurt Salmon poke bowl with brown rice

Benjamin

Welcome to the start of something awesome

Fitness

slideshow

Photo by Alan Flack on Unsplash

The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.

The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.


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The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.


black Mercedes-Benz car Photo by Dhiva Krishna on Unsplash


The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.


white vehicle with blue neon headlight bulb Photo by Olav Tvedt on Unsplash


The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.



black Shelby car on road Photo by Joey Banks on Unsplash


The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.



cooked food Photo by Olena Sergienko on Unsplash


The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.




Mercedes Benz AMG C63S

black Mercedes-Benz car

The interiors have a crisp look thanks to a marriage of the original midcentury bones—including the high A-frame ceiling in the great room, wood-accented walls, and courtyard entrance—and modern elements such as bright blue cabinetry and a custom cloudy backsplash in the kitchen, sleek built-in shelving, and contemporary pendant lighting. Retro vibes permeate the living area with a brick fireplace and breakfast nook with a wraparound booth.

cargo ship in ocean

Photo by Nate Cheney on Unsplash
cargo ship in ocean
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash


Enjoy your meal! If you like this picture please give me a "like" let me know your feedback, or leave your Comments/suggestions below check out my Instagram @picoftasty more surprise there! From now on, Every Saturday (Central Time - US & Canada) I will release Lightroom preset for people who are interested in food photography check out my website and download it for free. This is a great opportunity to practice and take your images to the next level. Now subscribe, get the latest release first Any questions please don't hesitate to ask.

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If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

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There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.






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There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.

There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.

There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.There's also nothing normal about the place, but in a good way. Normal is the most abnormal thing you're going to see in New Orleans. Honestly, Sean Murphy did an hour long night photo shoot in the middle of Bourbon Street, holding a 12' stand up paddle board, and no one on the street batted an eye.

If you've been to New Orleans, you've been to New Orleans. But you haven't been to Louisiana. Not really. Sure, Bourbon Street and Cafe Du Monde may capture a tiny snapshot of the New Orleans experience, but the state of Louisiana is filled with eclectic and grounded people with deep cultural roots that help give New Orleans it's Big Easy feel.

black and brown wolf painting Photo by Marc-Olivier Jodoin on Unsplash