1. Start each day with a smoothie.<\/h3>\n
Why: <\/strong>There are so many reasons to start your day with a smoothie, but my favorite is that you set the tone for a high-energy day when your first meal is based entirely on raw fruits, leafy greens, and nuts and seeds — three of the best foods you can eat for energy. Even better, a smoothie is a perfect vehicle for delivering any supplements you may take, whether protein powder, omega-3\u2019s, or a workout-booster.<\/p>\n Make it stress-free:<\/strong> Follow a formula<\/a>. Or if even that seems like too much, try this simple recipe: a handful of raw nuts and seeds (any combination of cashews, almonds, walnuts, chia seeds, flax seeds, pumpkin seeds), two bananas, two handfuls of frozen fruit, two handfuls baby spinach, 4 ice cubes. Start with 2 cups of water and add more as needed.<\/p>\n Why: <\/strong>As athletes, most of us have learned to focus on macronutrients: protein, carbohydrate, and fat. The problem? You can get those three, in the right balance even, without even thinking about vegetables! And fresh vegetables, it turns out, are packed with micronutrients that help to speed up workout recovery and reduce inflammation in the body. The habit of eating a giant salad each day — either for lunch or about 30 minutes before you sit down to dinner (or both!), ensures that you fill up first on the good stuff before indulging in other foods.<\/p>\n Make it stress-free:<\/strong> All the extra, fancy vegetables are nice, but for the simplest salad, get a box or bag of mixed greens (lots of brands now make baby kale or other \u201cpower greens\u201d blends) and a can of beans, like chickpeas. Add a nut-based dressing for some healthy fats and flavor, and you\u2019ve got one of the healthiest meals you can eat — with protein and complex carbohydrate from the beans, good fat from the dressing, and all the micronutrients the greens have to offer.<\/p>\n My favorite oil-free dressing these days: blend together a half-cup of tahini, a quarter-cup of lemon juice,\u00a02 tablespoons apple cider vinegar, and 2 tablespoons tamari or soy sauce. Then thin with water (you’ll likely need a half cup or more) and add a dash of hot sauce to taste. If you\u2019re not up for making your dressing, you can find a ready-made tahini-based one at your favorite specialty grocer. Or, if it\u2019s what it takes to get started, go with an oil-based dressing until you\u2019re comfortable with the everyday-salad routine.<\/p>\n Why:<\/strong> Although I eat a 100 percent plant-based diet and feel better than ever doing so, people are often surprised when \u201cgo vegan\u201d isn\u2019t my numero-uno nutrition tip. Instead, it\u2019s this: Eat whole foods<\/a>. Sure, I think there\u2019s a big benefit to reducing or eliminating the meat and dairy in your diet, but when you\u2019re talking about long-term change, I believe you\u2019re more likely to make your changes last<\/a> if they start out small and easy. Focusing first on whole foods is a step in the right direction, and one that will do wonders for your health and energy.<\/p>\n Make it stress-free: <\/strong>You\u2019ll go crazy if you try to completely change your diet immediately. So don\u2019t worry about perfection, but instead aim to make small, but gradual changes, like cooking as many of your meals as possible.<\/p>\n If you’re not into cooking, meal-delivery services make this so easy by eliminating the planning and shopping steps, and a lot of the prep-work too. And incredibly, I\u2019ve found they\u2019re not much more expensive than if you buy the ingredients yourself, since these services save by buying in bulk.<\/p>\n Why: <\/strong>If you\u2019re an athlete — or even just an active person who doesn’t like the label — there\u2019s no denying that you need more calories. Fruits and nuts, especially if eaten raw so that all their nutrition is intact, make sure your sweet tooth (or salt craving) is satisfied in a way that supports your health goals.<\/p>\n Make it stress-free: <\/strong>Two of the great perks of snacking on fruit and nuts is that preparation time is zero, and they\u2019re portable. The obstacle to adopting this habit is boredom.<\/p>\n Why: <\/strong>You know why you should work out (or let\u2019s just call it \u201cmove,\u201d since the specifics of what you actually do aren\u2019t nearly as important as the simple fact that you\u2019re using your body somehow). But that\u2019s not my favorite reason: I work out (by running, usually) because it gives me energy. Certain days are harder than others, but if your focus is on aerobic, low-intensity exercise, you\u2019ll find you often come home from a workout with more energy than you left with — and that\u2019s in the short-term, before even consider the long-run benefits to your vitality.<\/p>\n Make it stress-free: <\/strong>Instead of deciding, \u201cToday is the day when I start a workout routine — 30 minutes a day, every day,\u201d try a different approach. Start with 5 minutes of something you can enjoy for that amount of time — walking, running, swimming, cycling, or something simple like pushups, pull-ups, or other bodyweight exercises. (Even if you know you can do more, stick to 5 or 10 minutes — this way you\u2019ll be extra-eager to do it again the next day.) Then repeat, every day for a week. If you do it without missing a day, add 5 minutes to the workouts for the next week.<\/p>\n You won\u2019t be able to continue at this rate forever, and eventually, a rest day and a simple routine of alternating hard days with easy days will be better. But for creating the habit of movement, starting from zero, I know of no better approach than this one.<\/p>\n Why:<\/strong> There\u2019s no denying that we need calories to fuel our workouts, particularly as the duration and intensity of exercise increases. But when you\u2019re eating whole foods the rest of the day, don\u2019t forget to watch what you choose to drink.<\/p>\n Make it stress-free: <\/strong>Natural sports drink options are becoming more available, but for minimizing stress and cost, I go a simpler route: mix water and fruit juice (any kind, just make sure it\u2019s all juice and no added sugar) in a 1:1 ratio and add a small pinch of sea salt. Taste and adjust proportions as necessary.<\/p>\n Why: <\/strong>Look, I like a cup of coffee and a microbrew as much as the next guy, but as I\u2019ve gotten older, busier, and more aware of how the foods I put in my body affect my energy levels, I\u2019ve realized that neither of these indulgences is very supportive of my goals — fitness or otherwise. But this doesn\u2019t have to mean never enjoying them.<\/p>\n2. Eat a huge salad every day.<\/h3>\n
3. Eat whole foods during the rest of your meals.<\/h3>\n
4. Replace your snacks with fruit and nuts (preferably raw).<\/h3>\n
![\"Larabar](\"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/pbj-2.jpg\")
Here\u2019s where LARABAR shines — many of their bars, like the Cherry Pie<\/a> and Peanut Butter & Jelly<\/a> flavors, are made from just fruits, nuts and sea salt, and taste delicious. All the flavors are gluten-free and contain no more than nine ingredients, so you get the great nutrition without sacrificing a bit of taste or convenience.<\/p>\n5. Get moving!<\/h3>\n
6. Upgrade your workout nutrition.<\/h3>\n
![\"Lara](\"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/cashew-cookie-2.jpg\")
As for solid food on the go, again LARABAR is a great option. Whole, fresh dates do the job, but LARABAR consists of dates and <\/em>nuts, adding a bit of protein and healthy fat to help you get more from your workout. The Cashew Cookie<\/a> and Blueberry Muffin<\/a> flavors are my favorites to eat around workouts.<\/p>\n7. \u201cTrick\u201d your brain into drinking less alcohol and caffeine<\/h3>\n
![\"Lara](\"https:\/\/www.nomeatathlete.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/12\/larabar-prize-pack.jpg\")
The fine folks at LARABAR have offered to give away a backpack full of goodies (a box of LARABAR bars, a t-shirt, water bottle, and headphones, plus a signed copy of my book,