Evolutionary Nutrition: 3 Ways to Always be Prepared

"By failing to prepare you are preparing to fail" 

                                                          - Benjamin Franklin 

Preparation is Key
I've learned from my own experience and observed dozens of times that preparation is key when you are adopting a new way of eating. I really emphasize the importance of this with the people I work with because I have seen it derail people so many times.

Here's what I'm talking about: You're starting an evolutionary diet and aren't quite familiar with the foods you're going to be eating. You end up stuck at school or work with nothing on hand and not quite sure how to improvise. You're starving and end up grabbing a pack of doritos or a piece of pizza. Not an optimal situation, so here's how you deal with it.

There's a couple options, depending on your preferences:

1. Intermittent Fasting:

Martin Berkhan (on the right) has pioneered this approach, it works very well. 

Intermittent fasting is a very effective method of eating for fat burning and has numerous health benefits as well. If you know you'll be somewhere with quality food options in a reasonable amount of time and you can distract yourself from being hungry, just wait till you have access to good food.

This method is extremely liberating because food is never a constraint on your activities. 

Worried about "starvation mode", "metabolic slow-down", or "burning muscle for energy"? Don't be- these ideas are myths developed by supplement and snack companies to get you to buy their products. The research actually suggests that intermittent fasting protects you from muscle loss and can increase your metabolism. 

2. Snacks

Having some snacks stored at work or in your backpack can be a lifesaver. Here are my favorites:

• Hard boiled eggs
• Jerky
• Avocado
• Sardines
• Chopped veggies - carrots, celery
• Dark chocolate
• Olives
• Stick of butter - Nibbling on butter fills you up quick. Some people don't like this.
• Yogurt
• Cheese
• Nuts (in moderation!)
• Fruit (in moderation and depending on your goals)
• Lara Bars and Perfect Food Bars - not optimal but good enough. 

3. Tupperware Warrior

Your third option is to take some leftovers or make some food and throw it in a container and bring it with you. This is also ridiculously easy, but mildly annoying if you don't life bringing food containers with you.

These are my top snacks; tell me what yours are in the comments.