Chapter 7
Nutrition Basics
In This Chapter
Counting calories
Understanding the balance of fat, carbs, and protein
Developing healthy eating habits
Eating your way up a food pyramid
Meshing your eating schedule with your workouts
Taking in enough fluids
Getting the lowdown on supplements
N
ot long ago, we came across a fitness book that proclaimed, “A great
exercise program can make up for lack of a great diet.” Unfortunately,
that just isn’t so.But wait — if you scarf an extra donut at the office, can’t you just burn off the
calories on the treadmill? Sure, except that it takes an entire hour of brisk
walking to burn off that single honey-dipped cruller. On a daily basis, exercise
isn’t a realistic way to make up for overeating. Besides, weight control isn’t
the only reason you should watch what you eat. If you make consistently
poor choices, you deprive your body of nutrients that fight cancer and heart
disease, prevent your bones from becoming brittle, fuel you through your
kickboxing class, and give you the energy to keep reading this book (not that
this book isn’t a real page turner, of course).So what’s the right way to eat? Americans seem to be obsessed with finding
the answer. The bestseller lists are always filled with diet books, whether it’s
The South Beach Diet, The Abs Diet, Superfoods,or Dr. Atkins’ New Diet
Revolution,and many contain specific rules about how to eat.We say: Forget about all these rules and gimmicks. No single eating plan
works for everyone. How much, how often, and what time of day you should
eat depends on so many factors, including your body size, how much you
exercise, your daily schedule, and your personal preferences. What appears
to work for Dr. Atkins may not work for you — and may not be nutritionally
sound, anyway. Plus, figuring out what to eat shouldn’t be so complicated!