Nutrition for health, fitness & performance
What energizes your mind and body day in and day out? Whether you are climbing the steepest mountains in the roughest, toughest terrain in the world, pushing through the last mile of your run, finishing your last set in the gym, or finding the energy to cook dinner for your family; your body needs fuel for the extreme. Optimizing your health, fitness and performance starts with the fuel you provide your body; there is nothing more powerful than optimal nutrition and hard training.
I have prepared some general guidelines and tips to help you achieve higher energy and performance levels from the fuel you feed your body.
General tips
- Drink 3-6 Liters (96-192 Ounces) of water per day.
- Eat within an hour of waking, then every 3 1/2 - 4 hours after, up until 2 hours before bed.
- Eat two (2) meals with fresh fruit and two (2) meals with vegetables every day.
- Do not have more than a third of your meals per day as a meal substitute (protein shakes, meal replacement shakes, bars). Use shakes and bars only as needed for convenience in order to maintain the eating pattern of a meal every 3 1/2 - 4 hours.
 |
| Jim Brennan enjoying a Wilderness Athlete Performance bar. |
Recommended Bars
Think Thin (Trader Joe’s)
Power Bar (Protein Plus)
Balance Gold CarbWell
Twisted
AdvantEdge
Myoplex Light
Recommended Meal Replacement
Muscle Milk Light
Muscle Milk
Extreme
Oh Yeah!
Pure Pros
Recommended Protein Powder
Premier Protein (Costco)
MetRx Protein
EggWhite Protein PowderThere are three nutrients that directly provide the fuel our bodies require to function. These fuel sources are Protein, Carbohydrates and Fat. Below I am going to break down these three fuel sources into three classifications; Class 1 foods are the least refined and processed, whereas Class 3 foods are highly refined and typically contain large amounts of food chemicals and additives. Class 2 foods fall in between these two groups.
Try eating most of the food (fuel) you consume out of the Class 1 group, a few foods out of the Class 2 group, and try to avoid eating out of the Class 3 group as much as possible.
Protein
Class 1 class 2 class 3
Chicken Breast Milk Protein Bars
Lean Red Meat Cheese Protein Powders
Fish Yogurt Liquid Protein
Eggs
Turkey
Carbohydrates
Class 1 class 2 class 3
Potatoes Bagels Fat Free Cookies
Whole Grain Rice White Rice Fat Free Cakes
Yams Muffins Fat Free Icecream
Hot Cerials Breads Fat Free Candy
Fresh Fruit Pasta Cold Cerials
Fresh Vegetables Crackers Pancakes/Waffles
Fats
Class 1 class 2 class 3
Seeds Nut Butters Butter
Nuts Vegetable Oils Cream
Grains Wheat Germ/Oil Sour Cream
Legumes Trail Mix Lard
Avocado Mayonnaise
Salad Dressing
Free Foods
Use your free food list as needed, but pay attention to the free foods that have a limit of 2 per day.
Condiments: Vegetables: Free w/ a limit of 2 per day:
Balsamic Vinegar Alfalfa Sprouts Apple Butter (2 Tbsp)
Butter Buds Asparagus Light Dressings (2 Tbsp)
Coffee/ Tea (black) Bamboo Shoots Fat Free Dressings (6 Tbsp)
Crystal Light Bean Sprouts Wishbone Spray dressings
Diet Soda Broccoli Sugar Free Jam (2 Tbsp)
Club Soda Cabbage Fat Free Sour Cream (2 Tbsp)
Seltzer Water Cauliflower Sugar Free Hot Chocolate Mix (1pkt)
Cooking Spray Celery Sugar Free Pancake Syrup (4Tbsp)
Ketchup Cucumber Sugar Free Jell-O (1 serving)
Mustard Lettuce/ Spinach Sugar Free Popsicles (1)
Fat Free Mayo White Mushrooms Sugar Free Fudge cycles
Salsa Onions Fudge cycle Brand (1 bar)
Spices Bell Peppers Healthy Choice (1/2 bar)
Extracts Dill Pickles
Soy Sauce Radish
Sugar Substitutes Tomato
Worcestershire Sauce Zucchini
Fuel your body for the extreme; by training hard and eating whole natural food, you will increase your performance, health, accelerate weight loss & muscle gain, and increase your endurance.
