WS#44 - Why the basics almost always work (part III)
Week of 2/12/24
If you can get a handle on protein, energy balance, and your training that’s probably all you would need to create the physique you want. Focus most of your energy on numbers one through three in the list below and you will see the results.
2. Total daily calories and energy balance
3. Progressive training program built around your ability to be consistent
4. Sleep duration and quality
5. Nutrition quality including hydration (variables not including numbers one and two above)
6. Stress management
Today I plan to skip to number five and circle back to four and six next week, as they ride together.
We all know that staying hydrated and making sure you are adequately providing yourself with all the vitamins and minerals you need is important. However, the magnitude of that importance changes based on individual circumstances. You need to consider your activity level, energy balance (caloric surplus/deficit/maintenance), bodyweight, lifestyle, blood test results from your doctor, and more. It’s important to not put the cart before the horse when it comes to nutrition quality and hydration. If you do not have a grasp on the basics that come before this in my list, I do not think this is your place to start. For the purposes of this conversation, let’s assume that you understand numbers one through three.
Once you dive into the diet world you find out that there are many different camps that know their strategy is the right one. There are some that eat no fruits and veggies and swear by that strategy as the healthiest thing for the human body and some that almost exclusively eat these things. How can two things be true at the same time? How can not eating meat be the healthiest thing to do when others only eat meat and know for a fact that it is the best way to meet their needs? How can some people avoid carbohydrates like bread and pasta like the plague, but other cultures eat those items with every meal? You get the point. How do we know what high quality food is if we can’t even agree what is healthy?
I look at nutrition quality as individual and context driven. I have my views on what is healthy and most of them are backed by what I believe to be the scientific consensus as it stands today. I don’t think I am the arbiter of the truth on this topic, and I only know what works for me and the individuals that I help. 80% of the food that I eat I prioritize quality. I define high quality as minimally processed, limited ingredient foods that are sourced well. When it comes to fruits and veggies, I go for the freshest I can get, not necessarily organic but that is a topic for another day. For meats, chicken, and fish I will look for words like grass-fed, no antibiotics, humanely raised, free range, fresh caught, etc. I mainly will focus on the fat content of the meat and look for lean meats, something in the range of 90/10 lean meat to fat ratio. Following the 80% rule when it comes to these things allows me to feel good about the foods I eat and not guilty when I find myself in the land of the other 20%. I confirm the quality of my choices via subjective and objective feedback. I use my bodyweight, body composition, blood markers, energy levels, strength, bowel movements, and overall mood as a guide to let me know if I am in the right place. This is not a perfect science, but it works for me. You must do what is right for you and pick the options that you can manage.
Regarding hydration, our bodies are mostly water, so we need to drink it. To be certain of your hydration levels, look at your pee. Here is a link to a chart you can use to help you. Water is not the only thing that dictates hydration levels. Your activity level, sweat volume, and electrolyte balance is part of hydration and needs to be considered. My recommendation is to start by trying to drink mostly water. There is room for seltzer, soda (preferably diet), coffee, iced tea, or whatever else you like. From what I understand, seltzer is just as hydrating but something in my gut tells me that drinking seltzer instead of water is a habit you do not want to have forever. Once you check this box, look at your pee using the chart I linked above. If you feel good, and your pee is the right color you are probably just fine.
Do what works for you and do not miss the forest for the trees. Numbers one through three in the list above first and then drill down into the minutia if you want. Usually if you work on the high priority items the lower tier things tend to take care of themselves.
-Matt