Eat NU~DE: A Steady Flow of Food

One of my clients has some dietary challenges, yet she's very active, fit and wants to become even more fit. From my perspective, the issues we have to address - difficulty digesting certain foods that are nutrient-dense (NU~DE) - present a possible solution that could provide a benefit for everyone. Here's what it is:

Work toward eating all day.

That may seem simplistic and unrealistic to you. Who has the time? Won't you end up eating much more than you need? How can you possibly plan for and prepare that much food?

But remember that the more often you eat, the less food you need each time you eat. So, if you eat, on average, three cups of food at each meal, and you eat three meals a day, you could theoretically eat a cup of food every 90 minutes and spread that food more evenly over about 14 hours.

I eat about 8-10 times a day. My calorie requirements are around 3,000. So that means the food I eat at a given sitting (or on the run, which is usually the case) is rarely more than about the size of my fist. But that's OK, because I usually only go about an hour or two between eating events.

And guess what? It's much easier to digest food and my blood sugar is always rock-solid. I never am constipated or get diarrhea. But I drink plenty of water throughout the day, never with meals or snacks - always right before. I skip around through the day hitting all the food groups and making sure I favor veggies first, then lean proteins, then a mix of fruit and whole grains. Empty calories (like the Fudgecicle I had at my son's school yesterday) are small portions, rare and early in the day. And one of the best benefits is that I'm much less likely to eat. Another is that I burn more calories because every digestive event burns additional calories. That's why my waist is 30". It's not just the exercise - it's the eating.

So, how do you manage to eat like that? Do you really want to know?

Stay tuned. Next week, I'll post my daily food diaries, with comments on my activity level so and ideas on how to integrate this style of eating into your busy, chaotic life.