"Oh my god Becky, look at her gut!"

Probably the very last thing Becky wanted to hear, but regardless of the verbal sting, that is exactly what Becky needed to hear to get her ass into shape.

Becky soon took to the internet and began researching ways to improve her diet.

She found the most common of misinformation (and I say that because I'm about to drop kick all that misinformation with some LEGIT knowledge).

• Caveman Diet
• Paleo Diet
• Atkin's Diet
• Juicing
• Low Fat Diet
• Cleanses (the absolute worse)
• Anything a certain "Doctor" who has a TV show says

The misinformation goes on and on and becomes a tiny whirlwind of just straight bullshit in Becky's head.

Confused, and without a clear direction, Becky thinks, "This is way to complicated" and continues on with her poor eating habits until, again, she hears something she didn't want to hear, but needed to.

"Okay Becky, we got your test results back. Unfortunately, you've blood pressure is very high. I'd like to prescribe some medication to help bring that down.

Your weight has gone up since your last visit and, unfortunately, your blood glucose levels are at a level that I'm uncomfortable with.

If you don't change your eating habits and lifestyle, you're going to become diabetic."

A mirror leans against the wall to Becky's right, and she looks deep within herself.

She's 27 years old, overweight and now at diabetes's front door.

Another swift kick in Becky's ass to get herself right. But, where do you begin?

Back To Basics

While the health and fitness community is up in arms about what's the best diet, let's break down something I believe we ALL can agree on.

Quality over Quantity. Every time.

Regardless what "plan" you choose to go with, the quality of ingredients you choose to consume will always make all the difference. No different that the quality of fuel and oil you choose to put in your vehicle, makes a huge difference.

Essentially, that's what your body is. It's a biological vehicle that, when primed with the best of nutrition, operates at a very high level.

When it comes to your basic guidelines, a couple of key things to keep in mind are this:

1. Marcos. Your body needs all of your macro nutrients to function optimally. That means that you need a supply of Proteins, Fats and Carbs in your diet on a daily basis. If any diet says, "No carbs!" or "No Fats!", you're on the wrong diet.

2. Consider The State. Where you buy your food and the state of which you buy it in makes a difference. For example, chicken is a great source of protein. On that note, FRESH chicken from your butcher or meat section is always going to be better than the frozen chicken you can buy. If you're ever offered a choice between frozen and fresh, fresh always wins.

3. Protein is Priority. It is my experience, that protein should always be a priority in your meal. Whether you're looking at a meat, plant or vegan source. Protein should always remain the staple of your diet.

Supplements 101

Supplements will always come into the conversation of a good diet. Utilizing a supplement form to get more, if not all, of a particular dietary deficiency to ensure you're covered. While we know supplements can and do work, what should we consider when talking about adding them to our current diets.

• Multivitamins. This is a no brainer. If you aren't on a multivitamin of some kind, I believe your potential is greatly stagnated.

• Joint Formula. This is also a no brainer as the ingredients in joint formulas aren't likely to be found in whole food sources. Though, interestingly enough, some whole foods do have anti-inflammatory properties that we can benefit from.

• Something's Fishy. For those who aren't huge fans of fish, a Fish Oil supplement works wonders for your health. Definitely look into it.

These are a few foundational pieces of the puzzle that make a great difference in your body.

Yes, you can walk into a supplement shop and you'll see TONS of extra stuff that you can buy (protein powder is probably shooting out of the meat heads mouths as you read this)

Protein shakes, pre-workouts, intra-workouts, post-workouts, amino acids, BCAAs, Glutamine, Creatine and the list goes on. These specialty supplements are more so tailored to your own individual needs and goals.

And for the record, if you need more protein in your diet, then eat it through whole foods.

Misinformation Congregation!

Okay, let's just be real here. There's a LOT of misinformation going around the fitness community via social media. The main perpetrators of this injustice are:

1. Those who are trying to sell you something
2. Those are getting paid to sell you something
3. Those who constantly pose in barely any clothes with a bunch of products in the picture, again, trying to sell you something.

Here are two rock solid truths about supplementation advice on social media:

1. They aren't telling you everything they're taking
2. They aren't taking everything they're trying to sell you

Don't be fooled, it takes a lot of effort on many different venues to get the life changing results that you want to see.

However, there are a lot of people in the industry who need to make money by selling you something that may or may not work and packing it as some miracle breakthrough.

Basically, if it sounds too good to be true, it is.

What ISN'T misinformation are these foundation guidelines to always keep in mind.

• There is no supplement that will do the job for you. There is no magic pill or powder
• Nothing, and I mean NOTHING, beats hard work
• You will NEVER be able to out-train a bad diet.
• Your results will ALWAYS match your effort.
• Finally, you could have the best trainer, diet, workouts and meals you've ever had. However, you're still very capable of failing if YOU, yourself, aren't giving your best.

It's You vs. You

At the end of the day, all of this is great to read and take in. It's nice that, in a community so full of deception and misinformation, a source will tell you the truth. However, if you don't do anything with the truth, then what's the point of it?

If you are unhappy and you begin to do research on how to become happy, learn how to become happy but don't change what made you unhappy in the first place; what's the point?

Simply put,

Knowing is not enough. We must do. At the end of the day, you’re the only thing that can stop you.

Article written by Sean Burton

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