This is the time of year when many of us start to think about how we’ll start 2016 on a fitness kick. So, when registered dietician and Miami resident Lisa Dorfman told me about her new book, “Legally Lean Sports: Nutrition Strategies for Optimal Health and Performance,” I asked her to provide Fit Life readers with her top five Legally Lean nutrition principles for optimal fitness.
“Achieving the optimal physique is the culmination of proper training, adequate nutrition, hydration and rest,” Dorfman says. “My Legally Lean philosophy is based on a foundation of five principles for improving energy levels and endurance for health, sport and life.”
The big five are:
Principle 1. Go hard 3; easy 1
Whether your diet is centered on paleo, vegetarian, calorie counting or otherwise, emerging research suggests intermittent dieting intensity is good for weight, mind and physique. Legally Lean means three days on and one day easy. Disciplined dieting with a break day allows for better body composition, recovery and long-term peace of mind for the dedicated, disciplined and fitness-focused man or woman.
Principle 2. Detoxification: Out with the old; in with the new!
Which foods, beverages, environmental and social toxins can negatively impact your efforts to function at your best? Everybody’s different. Learn which foods and beverages, lifestyle and sleep habits hold you back from your personal best. Temporarily or permanently removing those can enhance energy, brain function and overall physical performance for sport and life.
Principle 3. Breaking a sweat in more ways than one
While experts agree that at least 30 minutes a day and/or a 300-calorie burn is all it takes to keep your body healthy, newbies or athletes who are creatures of habit need to break up their routines. Taking it to the next level means integrating a few more intense, longer or just completely different workouts than you are accustomed to. Keep it safe. For example, infuse a Pilates, yoga or high-intensity interval training (HIIT) class if you’re an avid cyclist or runner to challenge the body to a new routine.
Principle 4. Connecting consciously: Enjoying food more with mindful eating
Needless to say, enjoying the delicious cuisine South Florida has to offer at restaurants or at home is just as important as what you consume. The pace, position and ambiance of your meal can improve digestion and metabolism (the rate at which you use calories). Take a seat vs. standing, and take a breath between bites instead of inhaling your meal.
Principle 5. Get lean; get rest!
Getting a good night’s sleep—even an afternoon catnap—has profound implications on your hunger, hormones, physique and overall health. With a few Vitamin D rays by the pool, you may even improve your bone strength and manage achy joints!
Dorfman, known as The Running Nutritionist, has a long list of credentials. Among them, she’s a board certified specialist in sports dietetics and is a USA Triathlon (USAT) certified triathlon coach. She’s a competitive runner and triathlete, who has been featured on 20/20, Dateline, FOX News, CNN, ESPN and in print publications such as Wall Street Journal, New York Times, Men’s Health and Runner’s World.
For more about her new book, click here.
