6 Food Commandments to Live By for Better Body Composition

I’ll be the first to tell you that absolute statements don’t have a place in nutrition. Nutrition advice requires context. It requires the who, when and why in order to be applicable. Hence why you won’t find me or anyone at The Hub standing on our kitchen bench shouting “THOU SHALT NOT EAT BREAD!”  [Picture Gandalf striking his staff down on the bridge of Khazad-dûm]

However, I also know that as humans we love short, snappy soundbites. So, I’ve spent the past month with hammer and chisel working on the 6 Food Commandments to live by if you’re after better body composition.

• Thou shall eat an appropriate amount of calories for ones goals!

Whether your goal is to build enough muscle to challenge The Rock, drop enough body fat to pose-off against Zac Efron in Baywatch, or just tone up for summer (which essentially means increasing muscle and decreasing fat), then calories are going to have the biggest impact on reaching your goal. You could be eating 100% organic clean superfoods, nailing your “macros”, timing your meals down to the minute and taking the perfect cocktail of supplements, BUT if you’re over or under-eating for your goals, then you’re essentially missing out on the majority of your potential results.

If I had to choose one commandment from the list that would provide the biggest results, it would be consistently eating the correct calories for your goal. Unfortunately, while simple, this isn’t always easy due to the environment we find ourselves in.

• Thou shall consume enough quality protein!

If you’re applying the first commandment consistently then firstly, great work! However, not all calories are created equal when it comes to manipulating body composition. Protein appears to be king when it comes to shifting our body composition favourably. That is, while we can lose or gain weight just by focusing on calorie balance, the majority of us are looking more specifically to reduce body fat or increase muscle mass. That’s where protein shines and is vital for either goal.

Getting adequate protein guarantees that we’re providing the building blocks for the body. It ensures we’re not breaking down our own stored bodily proteins to meet our body’s needs, is the most filling of the three macronutrients (protein, carbs, fats) and also requires more energy to break down, absorb and utilise in the body. Together these qualities make protein a prime candidate as your best friend when fat loss or muscle gain is the goal. A number of studies have found that higher protein diets tend to result in more fat loss, less muscle loss and better long-term weight maintenance when compared to lower protein diets.

How much protein is optimal? Personally, I advise anywhere from 1.2 – 2.4 grams per kilogram of bodyweight per day, depending on your goals. An easy starting point is aiming to get a good serving of high quality protein with each meal.

• Thou shall consume adequate carbohydrates for performance!

While it’s all the rage to go “low-carb” these days when it comes to improving body composition, the evidence to supports it’s superiority to a more moderate carbohydrate diet is lacking.

In fact, carbohydrates can be beneficial when looking to change body composition. Partly, due to it’s beneficial effects on training performance and recovery. If we’re pushing harder in the gym, and are recovering faster then it’s hard to argue that we’re not presenting a stronger stimulus for more muscle and less body fat.

Anecdotally, I think it’s also worth looking at those who manipulate their body composition to the largest and most successful degree…bodybuilders. A recent study found that most bodybuilders had relatively high carbohydrate diets while dieting to extremely low body fat levels. I’m not suggesting you start bodybuilding or eating large amounts of carbs, but illustrating that some of the leanest, most muscular individuals in the world are following anything but a low carbohydrate diet.

Wondering how much is right for you? Check out my article here on precisely that.

• Thou shalt not apply rigid rules to thy diet!

Rigid rules do not maketh a good diet.

At least that’s what research seems to indicate. Those who follow a more rigid dieting style appear to be more likely to have disordered eating patterns, have higher BMI’s and to have binge like eating episodes.

Now as I’ve talked about before, the above doesn’t mean restraint in and of itself is bad. It’s the type of restraint applied.

Why is this a commandment for body composition? Because it affects sustainability and adherence long-term, both of which are make or break factors in changing one’s body composition.

• Thou shall get enough sleep!

 “Wait a minute! This isn’t a food commandment.” I’m glad to see you’re still paying attention. And while sleep may not directly come under nutrition, it influences our eating behaviours, metabolic health and hormonal environment within the body massively!

Increased hunger, decreased satiety, poor decision making, reduced insulin sensitivity, increased cortisol levels and decreased testosterone levels are all associated with reduced levels of sleep. None of which promote optimal body composition. In fact, quite the opposite. Check out Kate’s article on sleep for some actionable advice!

• Thou Shalt not rush!

Whenever I write an article on body composition, I almost inevitably come to this point. Unfortunately, for most of us our goal bodies aren’t at the end of the next 8 or 12 week challenge. Significant body composition changes take time and trying to rush them usually ends in disappointment.

From a fat loss perspective, trying to speed up our rate of fat loss generally makes a diet harder to sustain, increases hunger, increases the metabolic adaption (causes the body to fight back harder) and risks greater lean body mass loss. On the other hand, when trying to build muscle, we need to remember that nutrition is permissive of muscle gain not causative. In plain terms, eating more than you need doesn’t speed up the process. It just results in more excess fat tissue which will inevitably hurts your long term goal.

Unless you have a specific, short-term goal then why rush? Keep a long term perspective and aim for consistency when achieving your goals.

There you have it. Stick to the commandments and I promise that over time your body composition will shift for the better.

Not sure where to start? Let the team at The Hub work with you to set realistic goals, identify barriers and teach you key skills, habits and behaviours to help reach your goals.

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