What is the best diet for a martial artist?

[Lynne]

Clean diet? Low-Carb? The Warrior Diet? Low-Fat? High-carb with good fats? The Abs Diet (clean diet but with more lean protein, like 1 gram per pound of weight)?

How many times a day do you eat? Do you specifically eat, say, 6X a day? 3X a day? When you feel like it? Are you pretty loose in your eating plan?

I'm asking these questions so I can get an idea of how to best fuel my body and my daughter's body for recovery and growth.

I'm also trying to drill home, to my daughter, the importance of diet. I think if she reads how other martial artists eat, it will inspire her to eat better.

 

[Eternal Beginner]

It depends on what you are trying to accomplish. When I am gearing up for competition and am on a fairly strict strength and conditioning program my diet is very "clean". I eat a lot of white meats (fish, chicken, pork) as well as tons of leafy green veggies (spinach being one of the major ones) for lunch and supper and eggs mainly for breakfast.

As my training puts a lot of demands on my body, I also supplement with protein shakes, fish oil caplets and multi-vitamins. Of course this is when I am trying for a gain in muscle and trying to stay lean for weigh-ins. Of course I try to get a good hit of protein within half hour of any of my workouts.

For regular training, when no competition is coming up, a good sensible diet is all you need. A nice mix of protein, carbs and reduced fats makes sense. Too many people are caught up in eliminating things such as carbs or fat...we need both as athletes. Sensible intake is what it comes down to.

Ooops, I just noticed you asked about how many times a day to eat...I have four "meals" a day and two snacks. Trying to eat every couple of hours is normal.

 

[tshadowchaser]

I prefer to eat what I like and not change my eating habbits except to cut down if I feel I am getting over wieght or to eat a little more if I know I will need more energy.

 

[Carol]

All Green, no Grain.

I eat at least a full plate of greens with each meal. I tend to eat smaller meals. I eat other veggies, fruit, lowfat or skim dairy, eggs, and lean meat/seafood, but very little grains or sweets.

 

[Xue Sheng]

NOT

Arby's
KFC
Krispy Kreme
McDonald's
Papa John's
Pizza Hut
Taco Bell
Wendy's

To name a few NOT to include in your MA diet

 

[tellner]

One that you can stick to that gives you the nutrition you need. Best if it's low on processed foods, white flour, sugar, salt and saturated fats. Beyond that, it really depends. I did really well on a high-protein complex carbs diet. A friend did the same thing and was really sick. His body is happy with low fat, high carb. Most of us could do with more fruits and veggies, particularly organic. And there's a lot to be said for intermittent fasting.

But the best diet in the world is worthless if it isn't one that you can stick with in the long term.

 

[bushidomartialarts]

I'm pretty happy with my diet, except for my coke habit. (I drink a big gulp a day minimum).

I eat very few meals, rather just sort of 'grazing' throughout my day. For one, it keeps me in a constant stream of energy rather than experiencing the peaks and valleys that happen with the three hots method. For two, as a school owner I rarely have time for a sit-down meal.

In terms of what I eat...high on greens and fruits, lots of carbs (bread, pasta). I avoid snack foods like chips. Keep in mind my diet has nothing to do with weight loss -- 4-6 classes a day keeps my weight fine. It's about energy, health and nutrition.

 

[Lynne]

I try to watch the junk as well (like sugar, HFCS, white flour, processed foods, McGag's).

I've taken to bringing snacks with me - unsalted nuts, string cheese, reduced-fat Triscuits, raisins.

I do try to eat a protein with carbs.

I need to lose about 20 pounds of fat but I'm just going to let the TSD and weight training take care of most of that. I realize I probably need to eat more, not less.

 

[Lynne]

I'm pretty happy with my diet, except for my coke habit. (I drink a big gulp a day minimum).

I eat very few meals, rather just sort of 'grazing' throughout my day. For one, it keeps me in a constant stream of energy rather than experiencing the peaks and valleys that happen with the three hots method. For two, as a school owner I rarely have time for a sit-down meal.

In terms of what I eat...high on greens and fruits, lots of carbs (bread, pasta). I avoid snack foods like chips. Keep in mind my diet has nothing to do with weight loss -- 4-6 classes a day keeps my weight fine. It's about energy, health and nutrition.

In your case, that coke probably gives you some needed energy. After all, the rest of your diet is so healthy and you do 4-6 classes a day???

I know what you mean about health and nutrition...I am finding it's more about what I add to my diet, not what I take away.

 

[Lynne]

All Green, no Grain.

I eat at least a full plate of greens with each meal. I tend to eat smaller meals. I eat other veggies, fruit, lowfat or skim dairy, eggs, and lean meat/seafood, but very little grains or sweets.

I understand about the grains and the sweets. Can you eat legumes and potatoes?

 

[Xue Sheng]

Eat good food, not junk food and you will be fine.

 

[bookworm_cn317]

NOT

Arby's
KFC
Krispy Kreme
McDonald's
Papa John's
Pizza Hut
Taco Bell
Wendy's

To name a few NOT to include in your MA diet

I noticed Chik-fil-A & Dunkin Donuts aren't on the lsit of 'No-No's'. That means those are OK, right?

 

[Xue Sheng]

I noticed Chik-fil-A & Dunkin Donuts aren't on the lsit of 'No-No's'. That means those are OK, right?

Could be

Try this list
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_fast-food_restaurants

 

[tellner]

As your activity level changes you'll probably find that your taste in food changes as well. And it will usually be for the better. Sometimes "better" is an odd thing. When Tiel and I were spending most days clearing Douglas Fir saplings and Scotch Broom with machetes and tamping a gravel road by hand we got pretty hungry. One day we stopped at a local greasy spoon cafe. Tiel was going to order the green salad with chicken. And a little voice inside her head said "Bacon Cheeseburger with fries". This was before she accepted Islam, obviously. And do you know what? It was exactly what she needed.

Me, I lost 60 pounds on an Atkins-variant diet and did quite well. Kept the weight off for two years. Then I got the bad diagnosis - metastatic Stage IV thyroid cancer - and said "Screw it. If these are my odds there's no reason to worry about something that might happen twenty or thirty years from now." Now that it's under control I've had to start losing the weight again. Fortunately, it's easier this time. The Amphetamine Diet has its drawbacks, but it surely does cut down on appetite

 

[Carol]

I understand about the grains and the sweets. Can you eat legumes and potatoes?

Whoops...forgot about those. Yes legumes, pasta e fajoli (or however thats spelled) green beans, kidney beans on salad hummous. Try to drink an extra glass or water or two with legumes as their fiber content is high.

Nile Spice has some excellent soup cups too:

http://www.nilespice.com/products/index.php


Potatos...gotta have a small nod to my Irish blood.

Something to avoide at all cost is anything with Nitrite or Nitrate additives, such as Sodium Nitrite. Unfortunately Sodium Nitrite is found in a lot of mass-market instant mashed potatoes. (Also found in beef jerkey)

The Nitrites/Nitrates are believed to interfere with the body's absorption of certain vitamins. The side effect...a person may eat a sizeable portion of instant mashed potatos or beef jerky...and not feel like they've eaten hardly ata ll. Diet sabotage!

As far as those real things that you have to peel and slice :rofl: if I were to cook with them I'd use very small amounts...prolly 1/2 of a potato per day.

What else...

Avoid partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils completely (trans fats). Avoid glutamates/MSG. Many types of canned soups contain MSG. Glutamates spike up one's appetite, and crystalize in the brain (hence the reason for the MSG headache)

 

[JadecloudAlchemist]

Personally I model my diet after those who have long lives.
So lots of Vegetables fruits herbs soups and teas. I follow mostly a traditonal Japanese diet I like very simple things to eat and adjust according to what needs to be adjusted. Hippocrates and the alchemist Ko hung say let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. I personally think food is a needed toxin to make your body work
just like gas helps a car run if you put sugar or bad gas in your gas tank it will not run as well as if you put in top quality gas in it.
Your mileage may vary

 

[Xue Sheng]

Personally I model my diet after those who have long lives.

Generally a good practice but I did once listen to a guy that was 100 being interviewed that when asked what he did to maintain his heath and live so long answered that he had no idea because he smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and drank beer regularly

 

[Lynne]

Generally a good practice but I did once listen to a guy that was 100 being interviewed that when asked what he did to maintain his heath and live so long answered that he had no idea because he smoked a pack of cigarettes a day and drank beer regularly

Is that kind of like the guy who attributed his long life to, "I stopped chasing women and drinking beer 10 years ago, when I was 90."

 

[Lynne]

Whoops...forgot about those. Yes legumes, pasta e fajoli (or however thats spelled) green beans, kidney beans on salad hummous. Try to drink an extra glass or water or two with legumes as their fiber content is high.

Nile Spice has some excellent soup cups too:

http://www.nilespice.com/products/index.php


Potatos...gotta have a small nod to my Irish blood.

Something to avoide at all cost is anything with Nitrite or Nitrate additives, such as Sodium Nitrite. Unfortunately Sodium Nitrite is found in a lot of mass-market instant mashed potatoes. (Also found in beef jerkey)

The Nitrites/Nitrates are believed to interfere with the body's absorption of certain vitamins. The side effect...a person may eat a sizeable portion of instant mashed potatos or beef jerky...and not feel like they've eaten hardly ata ll. Diet sabotage!

As far as those real things that you have to peel and slice :rofl: if I were to cook with them I'd use very small amounts...prolly 1/2 of a potato per day.

What else...

Avoid partially hydrogenated and hydrogenated oils completely (trans fats). Avoid glutamates/MSG. Many types of canned soups contain MSG. Glutamates spike up one's appetite, and crystalize in the brain (hence the reason for the MSG headache)

I like the Nile Spice soups, especially the Red Beans and Rice (white rice but oh well). I gave up trans fats and MSG awhile back. I'm trying to ditch the nitrates/nitrites. I bought a fresh chicken and baked it the other night (yummy). I had been buying those frozen chicken breasts at Wal-Mart...they have some kind of "solution" injected into them. I stopped buying them because of my german shepherd! I give him chicken or lean beef with his meals and I don't want any "chemicals" in his food.

I sure don't eat instant mashed potatoes. I make the real thing with the skin. I'm trying to eat more sweet potatoes versus red/white potatoes.

My body loves carbs - it loves to store them as fat. Grrrr. It's tricky because I need them to have the energy to work out. I'd never make it through a Karate class without carbs.

Mother nature seems to want women to be fat. 49 and still fertile, what a great combination, lol.

 

[Lynne]

Personally I model my diet after those who have long lives.
So lots of Vegetables fruits herbs soups and teas. I follow mostly a traditonal Japanese diet I like very simple things to eat and adjust according to what needs to be adjusted. Hippocrates and the alchemist Ko hung say let your food be your medicine and your medicine be your food. I personally think food is a needed toxin to make your body work
just like gas helps a car run if you put sugar or bad gas in your gas tank it will not run as well as if you put in top quality gas in it.
Your mileage may vary

I've read a little about the Okinawans, the longest lived people on earth. I was surprised to hear that they eat brown rice versus white rice. It seems they eat most fish, veggies, miso soup, rice, and fruit. And they eat only to 80% full? I read that they practice Tai Chi or some other martial everyday, especially the elderly.

Unfortunately, McGag's and Burger King's are popping up on the street corners in Okinawa, just all over the place.