2013 Daily Diet

Time for another mega-update on my current Daily Diet. It’s changed slightly and is, in fact, better than ever for fat burning and health. I’m averaging well over a dozen servings of fruits and vegetables per day, plus about one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight.

Here’s how my daily diet – and my day – looks like right now.

4am – Wake up for “Magic Time” writing where I get more done than at any other time of the day. Supplement with a Probiotic pill from BioTrust, plus vitamin C, glucosamine, and curcumin.

I write for the next 3 hours, preparing my EarlyToRise.com essays, TT manuals, TT articles like this one, and more.

7am – Dog walk! I put on Old Bally the Dog’s flashing light collar and we hit the fields (if we’re out on the farm) or the streets (if we’re in the big city of Toronto). Once we’re back in, he gets his foodz and I have an Athletic Greens Drink.

8am – TT workout time…or if it’s an off-day, a really long Old-Man Warm-up.

9:30am – Including travel time, my exercise break lasts 90 minutes. Then I get home to an “After Training Blender Drink” (ATBD) and answer questions on Facebook:

A blender drink will consist of:

Frozen Spinach (probably 2-3 servings)
1-2 servings of fruit (either blueberries, raspberries, strawberries, or an apple)
1/2 a banana or 1/2 avocado to thicken shake)
BioTrust protein powder (both vanilla and chocolate are amazing)

In addition to those ingredients, I have 2oz of almonds, a spoonful of a nut butter, an apple (if i don’t blend the apple), and a serving of fish oil.

(BTW, I read that if you steam your spinach, you can get in even more servings and perhaps its easier on the blender to mix up.)

Often I’ll have a cup of Green Tea after this. Research suggests that having a cup of Green Tea with your meals helps you stay full longer.

1:30pm – Lunch & Read my Email

I like to have a late dinner, and so even though I’ve been up for a long time, you’ll see that all of my meals are late. That helps me avoid being hungry in the middle of the afternoon. I always hated that feeling in high school and college, so I’ve structured my day to avoid it.

My regular lunch is 4 eggs (usually hard-boiled or in an omelet).

I also have 1-2 servings of steamed broccoli with Mrs. Renfrow’s Salsa (bonus additional serving of vegetables in that brand-name Salsa). If I have an omelet, there are lots of vegetables (spinach, mushrooms, peppers, and onions) in there too.

That’s followed by another apple and quite often I’ll have more almonds (or pecans) and another spoonful of nut butter – usually raw almond butter.

Then I read my email before getting back to work.

4pm-Dog Walk! After writing all afternoon, it’s time for more movement. Sometimes I’ll have a piece of fruit (banana), raw vegetables, or more nuts (walnuts) before or after the walk.

5pm – Final Email Check & Feed the Pooch!

6pm – Relaxation Time & Dinner for a couple of hours

Dinner (largest meal of the day):
Usually a large steak or ground beef with giant skillet of onions, mushrooms, and zucchini, a side of steamed broccoli and 1/2 avocado, 2 glasses of red wine (when I’m in Toronto or on the road traveling…no drinking when visiting Bally’s Grandma out on the farm!)

Since I was 5 we had broccoli every week. My mom got me to like it by loading it with butter, and now I just like it on its own. There’s probably about 100-200 over the past 20 years I haven’t eaten broccoli in my daily diet.

I’ve also noticed that many TT and Transformation Contest contestants struggle with over-eating dessert or while watching TV at night. So first, here are some healthy…

Dessert Options:

• 2 spoonfuls of nut butter + handful of blueberries
• 3 dates + 1 spoonful nut butter
• An apple + 1 spoonful nut butter

And then you should also have…

Stop Snacking Rituals

• Go for a walk
• Chew gum
• Brush your teeth
• Read a book
• Teach your child
• Go to bed!

All of those will help you eliminate excess calories.

Finally, here’s my…

Supplement “Stack”

• Probiotic pill at 4am and again with dinner
• Athletic Greens Drink at 7am
• 3-6g vitamin C throughout the day
• BioTrust protein
• Glucosamine
• Fish oil
• Curcumin (supposed to be anti-inflammatory…Dr. John Berardi got me on this…no idea if it helps!)

The Result:
I feel, act, move, and train like I’m 17. But I’m 37. I also sleep better now. Might even be leaner now.

Let me know what changes you’d make or questions you have.

Your Diet Revolutionary,

Craig Ballantyne, CTT
Certified Turbulence Trainer