Grocery Tips from Berardi

This is part 2 of our fat loss nutrition special interview with Dr. John Berardi, nutrition expert to Men's Health magazine and countless other magazines and websites.

Dr. Berardi is one of the fitness industry leaders when it comes to diet plans to help you lose fat. And not only will Dr. Berardi's nutrition info help you through the holidays but it will also kickstart your fat loss in 2007.

CB: From your experience with fat loss clients, what are a few of the common diet errors made by men and women each day? Are your clients often surprised to find out that a particular food shouldn't be included in their fat loss plan?

JB:
Here are the biggest mistakes I see people making when fat loss is their immediate goal:

1) Not enough total exercise. Several independent studies, in thousands of exercisers, have shown that those who are happiest with their bodies exercise for at least 5 total hours per week.
Now I know, many people have heard otherwise. But seriously, the data are there. So unless you've been born with a really fast metabolism OR you are a meticulous calorie counter, make sure you're getting at least 5 hours of physical activity per week.
Some folks need more - but 5 hours is a great starting point.

2) Not using nutrient timing. As discussed above, carb timing is critical!

Now remember, I'm not talking low carb or high carb here. I'm talking carb timing. For the best results, it's important that recreational exercisers make sure to eat their sugary and starchy carbs ONLY during and/or after training - as discussed in Precision Nutrition.

3) Not using outcome-based decision making. I see so many people wanting to get lean and beginning the process with 1 training program and 1 diet plan. And this plan usually works for a short period of time - whether it's 4, 6, or 8 weeks.

However, once they've lost fat and adapted to the program, it stops working. And when it stops working, they give up. Well, it's important to expect all one-off programs to stop working. And with this expectation, it's important to use an outcome-based decision making strategy.

What I mean here is that folks have to adjust their training and nutrition programs based on their results. And in Precision Nutrition we teach people how to do just that.

Precision Nutrition


CB: How can the average guy and gal eat as healthy as possible without breaking the bank? When should they buy food in bulk? And where?

JB:
Healthy eating really isn't all that expensive. In fact, my colleague Amanda Graydon of Healthy Kitchens Makeover (http://www.healthykitchensmakeover.com/) has done detailed studies of her clients' "before" and "after" grocery bills showing huge savings once they start eating the Precision Nutrition way - as long as they make smart decisions.

For example, did you know that of each food category, the most expensive items are located to the left of the relevant section and at a level between eye-level and stomach level? Therefore when looking for peanut butter, for example, the most expensive ones are placed in the best visual position.

So, to save money, you just have to look down and to the right and voila, you'll find the cheaper items - no name brands which are often of similar quality.

Another great tip is to check out bulk food stores for healthy grains like quinoa or oats, natural nut butters, mixed nuts, green tea, and other similar bulk items.

And another great tip is to frequent farmers' markets or ethic food stores (like the produce markets in China-Town) for produce. I started saving 75% on my produce bills when I started shopping at such places. And the quality is often better.


CB: Let's talk about fish oils for a minute. First off, what are your daily recommendations in terms of quantity and quality (specific brand recommendations)? And second, do you think fish oil helps people lose fat? If so, how do fish oils help accomplish this?

JB:
Studies I've been involved in at the University of Western Ontario have shown that sedentary folks taking between 1-3g of fish oil per day can speed up metabolic rate (+300-400kcal/day) and can help these same individuals drop 3 lbs of fat and gain 3 lbs of lean in just 3 weeks. So yes, I'd say fish oil helps people lose fat!

In terms of recommendations, I recommend anywhere from 6-10g of total fish oil per day (that's 6-10 fish oil capsules or 2-4 tsp of liquid fish oil per day). For some clients, I recommend more (esp. those with inflammatory problems, triglyceride elevations in the blood, and those with insulin insensitivity).

And in terms of quality, I think most fish oils are just fine.

Although many companies insist that "regular" fish oils are contaminated and low quality, this is more of a concern for fresh fish than supplements. Farmed salmon tends to be very high in polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and tuna is high in mercury.

Independent studies at Harvard Medical School, Consumer Reports, and the watchdog group ConsumerLab.com have shown commercially available fish oil supplements to be free of toxins such as mercury, dioxins and PCBs. I recommend that people visit http://www.nutrasource.ca/ for a list of supplements which have been independently tested.


CB: What other general supplement advice do you have for men and women that want to lose fat? From multi-vitamin use to post-workout drinks, etc.

JB:
In Precision Nutrition, I list the "big 5" - Protein supplements, Greens supplements, Fish Oil, Creatine, and Workout Drinks. And further, when metabolic decline is a big concern, I recommend Acetyl-L-Carnitine and rAlpha Lipoic Acid. I think most people will do great with a good nutrition plan, smart training plan, and these basic supplements - if needed.


CB: I'm a big fan of Green Tea. Is the instant Green Tea I get at the grocery store going to be just as healthy as getting Green Tea leaves from a specialty shop?

JB:
Studies have shown that Matcha green tea can be between 3 and 100x more potent that most commercially available green teas. So yes, some teas are better than others. However, if you're not drinking any green tea and want to start reaping the benefits, start drinking what ever kind you can right away.

My best recommendation is this: since Matcha is much more expensive, have 1 cup of Matcha tea per day and then use regular old tea bags through the rest of the day.


CB: John, finally, can you give us a summary of Precision Nutrition?

JB:
When someone purchases Precision Nutrition, not only do they get the 5 manuals, the 2 DVDs, the 2 CDs, and the cookbook, they also get an amazing online resource in our private membership forum, they get our technologically advanced online results tracker, and they get our amazing online exercise database with over 460 exercises demonstrated in 3 different ways and categorized in a host of very practical ways.

Precision Nutrition


CB: Thanks John. This information has been tremendously helpful for the TT readers. I strongly encourage picking up the Precision Nutrition kit. With this kit, you can be sure that your nutrition is not holding you back.

Sincerely,

Craig Ballantyne, CSCS, MS
Author, www.TurbulenceTraining.com

PS. Why fool around with your nutrition any longer...

It's getting close to the end of January...and if you aren't making progress, your diet is probably to blame. So get Dr. Berardi's help...and get Precision Nutrition today.