RealGirlFit's Top 9 Nutrition Tips

Over the past three years, I’ve amassed a lot of knowledge on nutrition. 

Some through research, some through trial and error, and some that I’ve gathered from other foodies. For your convenience, and as a topic for future discussion, I’ve put my top tricks into a neat little list for you! Hopefully some (or all!) of these nuggets will strike you as something you can incorporate into your daily lives. 

Without further ado, Real Girl Fit’s top nutrition and food tips!

1. Avoid canola /vegetable oil, and opt for coconut whenever possible. Vegetable oils are high in polyunsaturated fats, which contain a high ratio of Omega 6s to Omega 3s. Too much Omega6 can cause chronic inflammation and many health issues down the road. Coconut oil is full of MCTs (medium chain triglycerides) that your body can use for energy very efficiently. Plus, if you get the unrefined kind, it tastes like coconut. Coconut shrimp, anyone? Yes, please. Also, olive oil is good, but don’t cook with it. It’s really more of a finishing oil to add flavor and moisture to a completed dish.

Adds a tropical feel to any meal!

2. Salt and pepper are your friends. Simple, but it’s absolutely ridiculous how much flavor you can draw out of your food with just some fresh cracked black pepper and kosher salt. Remember: if you’re eating healthy, you’re probably eating less prepared foods, which means your sodium level has dropped dramatically. And as much as you don’t want high sodium, you don’t want low sodium, either; it pushes more water into the brain, causing it to swell, which results in headaches, fatigue, confusion and even more serious issues. So salt your food! It’s tasty and good for you.

3. Eat a giant salad every day for lunch. And when I say giant, I mean GIANT. This morning, I made a salad. It took me an hour to eat it today. My typical salad includes: A whole heart of romaine lettuce (spinach or kale is better if you can afford it), a whole cucumber, a whole slicing tomato, a cup of green cabbage, a cup of raw cauliflower, half an ounce of pecans, half an avocado, and 5 medium strawberries, sliced. Finished, of course, with salt and pepper. And all of that comes to around 350 calories (and a whole lot of fiber). You can throw in whatever else you want! That’s the best part of giant salads.

My salads are 10x bigger than this.

4. Eat egg yolks. They’re delicious. They have good-for-you fats, without which your hormones will go insane. An egg is 70 calories. Three eggs are 210 calories, 18 grams of protein, 12 grams of fat, and will keep you full and your hormones happy.

5. Calories count, but macros are more important. Sure, you’ll lose weight eating only 900 calories worth of Twinkies a day, but your internal organs will be dying. Macronutrients (macros), which are proteins, carbohydrates, and fats, are where it’s at when it comes to really taking control of your health. MyFitnessPal.com is an excellent resource where you can set goals for your macros and calories and track them on a daily basis. A good rule of thumb: Set your protein for 0.8g/lb of bodyweight. Then you can tinker with your fat and carb ratios based on your individual goals. I found fat loss to be much easier when my carbohydrates were only around 15% of my total intake, but muscle building requires more around 40-50%.

6. Ditch all sugar-free, fat-free and low-fat things. First of all, anything that has a label like that is packaged, and really shouldn’t be in your pantry, anyway. Secondly, if they’ve removed the fat, or even sugar, they’ve compensated with chemicals, which are a no-no. Full-fat yogurt and dairies may be against everything you’ve ever been taught, but they are the real-deal, and are what nature intended. Ditch the guilt and enjoy how creamy Fage Total is.

So freaking creamy. 

7. If you need chocolate, get 90% Lindt or, even better, unsweetened cacao nibs. It’s super bitter because there’s very little sugar in it (and none in cacao nibs), but the intensity of the legitimate chocolate flavor is enough that you just need a few bites to satisfy your craving. 

8. Things I try to avoid: sugar, honey, agave, artificial sweeteners, canned soups, TV dinners, syrups, corn (including popcorn), wheat (bread and pasta), soy (including edamame), alcohol (minus the occasional glass of red wine), apples and other high-fructose fruits. 

It messes with your estrogen levels. 

9. Bulletproof coffee is a godsend. Brew black coffee. Put into a blender with a pinch of cinnamon and a tablespoon of unrefined coconut oil. Blend to creamy perfection. This superdrink, popularized by Bulletproof Executive podcaster Dave Asprey (an amazingly interesting man. Check out his website: bulletproofexec.com), mixes caffeine and MCT-filled fats that work with each other to give you the best of both worlds: sustained energy and a lack of hunger for hours on end. If you’re trying to ease into IF, try a cup of bulletproof coffee in lieu of breakfast in the morning. You’ll find you’re not hungry for real food for 3-4 hours after that, and your focus will be laser sharp.

Comment below with some of your own nutrition tips! I’d love to hear them.

Lift. Eat. Love. Repeat.


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