NUTRITION
•Angie Asche
Angie’s no-fail nutrition hacks for your goal
As a dietitian, I’m used to people asking me for advice about how to detox their diets to reach their goals.
They’re often relieved (and sometimes skeptical!) when I tell them that a full-blown ‘cleanse’ isn’t what they need. If anything, extreme diets can often leave you in worse shape than when you started – especially if they involve any questionable supplements – and they’re often lacking in the very nutrients that help your body detox naturally.
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If you can’t sustain the diet, you won’t sustain the results.
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If you can’t sustain the diet, you won’t sustain the results. And if your diet requires you to eliminate all of the foods you love, it won’t work. So before you vow to never eat bread again or add an expensive ‘fat burner’ to your online shopping cart, give one of these bite-sized goals a try. They might not sound as sexy as a diet overhaul, but they have something even better going for them: they actually work.
Angie’s top tips if you want to Lose Weight
1. Don’t cut carbs, time them
Let’s clear up some carbohydrate confusion: You don’t need to eat a low-carb diet to lose weight. However, putting some thought into when you eat your carbs is a good idea. While many dieters try to eat as few carbs as possible overall, a more realistic goal is to lower your carb intake on the days you’re resting from training. You could also try to consume the majority of your carbohydrates before and after training, instead of large amounts later in the evening. Don’t forget, the majority of your carbs should come from whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat, oats, brown rice and whole-grain bread, all of which you’ll find in your Centr meals and snacks.
2. Try one new vegetable or fruit each week
Scary statistic alert: about 90 percent of adults in the US don’t eat enough fruit and vegetables.
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Lunches are a great place to get your veggie fix. Try the Roast Veggie & Hummus Bowl for a veggie blast.
Because they tend to be hydrating, rich in nutrients and low in calories, eating plenty of fruits and vegetables is a great aim if your goal is weight loss. But simply challenging yourself to ‘eat more’ is a little too vague to be helpful. The more variety you have in your plant sources, the better – so why not challenge yourself to try a new fruit or vegetable every few weeks, and make the ones you love part of your regular rotation?
3. Pack in protein
Protein isn’t just a priority for people who want to build serious muscle. I recommend a high-protein diet for anyone trying to decrease body fat while preventing the loss of lean muscle. So aim to include a high-quality protein source with each meal. Poultry, lean red meat, eggs, tofu and legumes are all great options. Your Centr meal plan is your go-to source for protein-rich recipes – try some of these great protein meals and snacks to start.
4. Ditch the daily weigh-ins
No matter how tuned-in you are to nutrition, weight loss isn’t linear. Your body weight can fluctuate day-to-day depending on a variety of factors like your hormones, how hydrated you are and your digestion. Investing too much energy in these ups and downs can quickly become mentally exhausting, so try setting yourself a goal to only weigh yourself once a week, or once a month.
To keep a healthy attitude during weight loss, the scale should not be your only measure of success. If you’re looking for more ways to measure your success in the kitchen and on the workout mat, try these other methods of progress tracking.
Angie’s top tips if you want to Get Fit & Toned
1. Find extra fiber
So often I see athletes who are so focused on meeting their macro targets that they forget all about the other nutrients our bodies need to thrive. Research shows that eating plenty of whole foods rich in dietary fiber can help you to burn fat while keeping you full.
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The Spinach & Quinoa Polpette has roughly half of your daily fiber needs covered in one saucy bowl.
If your goal is to Get Fit & Toned, try to eat at least one high-fiber meal and snack each day. Here are some fiber-rich Centr recipe combos to get you started:
If you’re following your Centr meal plan, hitting these numbers is easy – the combination of recipes in your Planner deliver plenty of daily fiber.
2. Plan breakfast around protein
While you should be aiming to consume high-quality protein at every meal, the meal I often see lacking in protein is breakfast. Many traditional Western breakfasts are carb-heavy – think cereal, toast and pastries. Carbs are essential, but starting your day with carbs alone is not ideal if you are trying to reduce body fat and increase muscle. Start your day with a high-protein breakfast like the Banana & Chia Smoothie or Simple Shakshuka to promote proper muscle growth and recovery.
3. Eat before every workout
If you’re someone who typically goes into a workout with very little fuel, making a goal to eat a pre-workout snack before each session could be a game-changer for your training. Try out a few different pre-workout snack options that contain both carbohydrates (for energy) and protein (for muscle protein synthesis) and make a mental note of which ones you feel best after eating. Some of my Centr favorites are the Quick Banana & Chia Toast and Kiwi Matcha Pudding.
Angie’s top tips if you want to Build Muscle
1. Make a daily smoothie date
That mass gainer powder the guy at your supplement store tried to sell you? You don’t need it, and there’s a good chance it’s full of junk. If you’re struggling to increase your overall energy and protein intake to Build Muscle, start with one extra smoothie a day. Smoothies are one of the best ways to get in loads of calories and nutrition with as little effort as possible. Your daily Super Smoothie is the perfect way to get a high-calorie, high-protein hit. You can also make your own nutrient-dense smoothie by combining these ingredients:
1 serve of a high-quality protein source like dairy, tofu or whey or plant-based protein powder
1 serve fresh or frozen fruit
Extra calories in the form of coconut milk, avocado, nut butter, oats, or seeds like chia, flax or hemp
2. Don’t fear fat
With over twice as many calories per gram compared to protein and carbohydrates, healthy sources of fat can be a bulker's best friend. Aiming to incorporate sources of healthy fats such as avocado, olives, olive oil, nuts, seeds and fatty fish with each meal and snack will make it easier to hit your daily energy needs for building muscle.
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I’m a big fan of avocado, so I can’t go past the Avocado Hummus Dip with Pita when I’m in need of a fat-rich afternoon snack.
Fat also provides your body with essential vitamins and minerals like vitamin E, vitamin A, magnesium, iron, calcium, potassium, as well as omega-3 fatty acids and fiber.
3. Set a snack timer
Eating every few hours or snacking between meals is a great simple goal that can help you build muscle. I work with a lot of busy people (including athletes), and it’s not unusual for them to be so focused on work that they forget to eat. Prepping some easy bites and setting a snack alarm or reminder on your phone can help you to get the nutrients you need with ease.
Calorie-dense foods are great for building muscle, but it’s still important to limit fried or highly processed foods, alcohol, and excess sugar – these might not lead to the type of ‘gains’ you’re after. As always, Centr has you covered with a wide variety of seriously nutritious snacks.
Finally, a goal for every Legend
Sleep more! I know it’s nothing to do with nutrition, but seriously – get some rest! One of the reasons I love Centr is the holistic nature of the app, because your movement, meals and mind are all equally important when it comes to feeling your best. Sleep is fabulous for all of us.
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Michael’s popular Sleep Visualization: Full-body Relaxation won’t just send you to snooze town, but can actually support your goals.
No matter your goal, shuteye will play a crucial role. Sleep helps with muscle recovery and performance, as well as maintaining optimal energy and hormone levels.
Most adults need 7–9 hours a night, so if you’re getting less than that, a healthy goal is to aim for an extra hour each night. This is where the sleep visualizations and soundscapes on Centr come in handy – check them out in Explore.
Angie Asche
NUTRITION
Sports dietitian Angie Asche will power your plate with no-nonsense food advice. Founder of Eleat Sports Nutrition, Angie works with MLB, NFL and NHL athletes to get the best from their bodies. With a Masters of Science in Nutrition & Physical Performance, and as a certified exercise physiologist and personal trainer, she’s got the expertise you need to achieve your goals.
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