Body Of A Warrior: Eating Plan
Welcome to the Body Of A Warrior simple eating plan.
Let's be clear: how and what you eat is THE SINGLE BIGGEST factor in your fitness transformation.
So, as promised, we're not going to give you some complicated, hard-to-follow, flavor-of-the-month diet:
We're going to give you a simple eating plan that has you eating a wide-range of delicious foods the vast majority of experts agree on... a basic nutrition plan that can be broadly described as "paleo"... with some twists.
Compliant Meals
Each week, your eating plan assignment will be to eat three compliant meals a day, seven days a week.
Here's what makes a meal compliant:
1. whole foods only (single-ingredient)
2. consists of 50% green vegetables, with the remaining 50% consisting of lean meats, healthy fats, and fruit
For example:
(lettuce, spinach, chicken, beef, olive oil, vinegar, sea salt)
By whole foods, we mean single ingredient foods in their original form: not mixed, processed, adulterated, or laden with preservatives.
Your meals can be a combination of ingredients, of course. But they must be ingredients combined by YOU, not some corporate food lab.
Portion Control
Note that we are not giving you restrictions on portion size.
Why?
Because it's very difficult to over-eat when you're eating the right foods in the right proportions.
In other words, eat when you're hungry and stop eating when you're satisfied, and so long as you're eating compliant meal, the rest will take care of itself.
Compliant Foods
Here's the simple list of what you can and can't eat on this 12-week eating plan (note that this is not an exhaustive list):
Leafy Vegetables (eat often):
broccoli
swiss chard
spinach
kale
brussels sprouts
asparagus
cauliflower
mixed greens
arugula
Starchy Vegetables (eat less often):
potatoes
sweet potatoes
squash
Berries (eat often):
blueberries
blackberries
raspberries
strawberries
cranberries
Fruit (eat less often):
apples
bananas
grapefruits
grapes
pomegranate
cherries
Healthy Fats (eat often):
grass-fed butter
avocados
coconut oil
olive oil
animal fat
Nuts (eat less often):
almonds
cashews
brazil nuts
walnuts
Lean Meats (eat often):
venison
beef (grass-fed preferably)
turkey
chicken (pasture-raised)
cold-water fish
bacon
shellfish
eggs
Legumes (eat less often):
beans
peas
lentils
peanuts
Condiments (eat often):
balsamic vinegar
apple cider vinegar
Herbs & Spices (eat often):
sea salt
rosemary
basil
oregano
ginger
cayenne
thyme
black pepper
Liquids (drink often):
water
coffee (no cream or sweetner)
butter coffee
Indulgences (eat less often):
dark chocolate
red wine
white wine
Non-Compliant Foods:
Sweeteners (including sugar, honey, syrup, agave nectar, stevia, equal, xylitol, etc)
Dairy except for grass-fed butter (including cow, sheep, goat, milk, kefir, yogurt, cheese, etc)
Soy in all forms
Seed Oils (canola, rapeseed, etc)
Grains (wheat, rice, rye, barley, oats, corn, millet, quinoa, potato flours, etc)
Drinks (energy drink, fruit drinks, juice from concentrate, sweet tea, etc)
Condiments (ketchup, mustard, mayo, salad dressing, etc)
Again, these are not definitive lists. Use your best judgement about items not on the list, and if in doubt... don't eat it!
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Is bacon compliant?
A: Yes, in moderation. Keep in mind that the curing process introduces a number of non-compliant ingredients. Consider curing it yourself with compliant ingredients.
Q: Is coconut or almond flour compliant?
A: No. They may be grain-free, but they are not single-ingredient foods, and do not promote the results we are after.
Q: Can I substitute another alcohol for wine (the only compliant alcohol on the list)?
A: No. Other alcohols like tequila or vodka may have less sugar than wine, but they are higher in alcohol percentage, which means drinking them has higher detrimental effects.
Q: Are dried fruits compliant?
A: In extreme moderations, yes. Fruits are already high in sugar, dried fruits even more so.
Q: Is fruit juice compliant?
A: Juice you squeeze yourself is, but store-bought juices are not.
Q: Are protein powders compliant?
A: Yes. If you'd like to make a breakfast shake with protein powder, just remember to add greens to make it a compliant meal.
Q: Is salt compliant?
A: Sea salt is, regular table salt is not.
Q: What if I'm following an intermittent fasting protocol that directs me to skip a meal? Can I still win a point for my triad for that missed meal?
A: As long as your missed meal is part of a planned intermittent fasting protocol, not a meal missed due to travel or a hectic day, then yes, you can count a maximum of one skipped meal a day. Just take a picture of your coffee or water and let your triad know the proof pic is for an IF (intermittent fasting) skipped meal.
Q: When you say my plate has to have 50% green vegetables, what exactly counts?
A: Any green vegetables, along with any vegetables listed on the "eat often" list (for example, cauliflower), count. Cucumber, zucchini, etc all count. Note that starchy vegetables and fruit do NOT count towards your 50% green veggie portion.
Q: Is there an expanded compliant food list for veteran Warriors?
A: Yes. If you have just completed a previous round of BOW, then you may also count rice, quinoa, and edamame as compliant foods. Note that these should be treated as less often indulgences. We have decided to offer veteran Warriors this concession because 1. they have already established a foundation of healthy eating from their prior 12 week round, and 2. these are measures we believe will make BOW sustainable for the long haul.
Meal Prep
This eating plan may entail more cooking and food prep than you're used to.
Here are some simple ways to simplify and speed things up in that department:
* Crock pot meals
* Stir-frying (quick)
* Tossed salads
* Green smoothies
* Make big batches and re-heat leftovers
Experiment often, and share your best discoveries with your Body Of A Warrior brothers in your triad and in the fireside channel so ALL can benefit!
As you can see, there's plenty of delicious food available to you: you don't need to suffer or "go without" on this eating plan.
Eating compliant meals as described above will have a MASSIVE impact on your Body Of A Warrior fitness outcome... so dive in and embrace the change.
Your taste-buds and waistline will thank you.
Let's make tomorrow different!
Tucker Krech, 50 BOLD Coach
Third Way Man
