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Paleo-Warrior Diet

 

So you want to get into top shape. The best shape of your life, in fact. You’ve likely attempted various dietary concepts and have found little to no benefit whatsoever. The reason for this is simple, and it isn’t that you didn’t try.
 

Diets are designed to make money. If easy enough information to follow was given, how would they make big money off of it? This is why the paleo diet has not found much air time. When you avoid anything that isn’t completely natural, the food corporations that sponsor these diets will lose money, not gain it.
 

I call our diet the Iron Warrior Diet because it is designed to get the best results for anyone who is attempting the Iron Skills training, though it even works well if you sit around all day, as well. Just not as fast. You may have seen others who are using this diet, who are very strong, full of energy, and shedding fat faster than ever. No pills, no shakes, no gimmicks… just simple concepts that I freely offer to anyone who’s interested.
 

So let’s just dive right into this. First, here is a breakdown of the fundamentals of our Iron Warrior Diet. After this, I’ll explain why we diet in this way. So let’s begin with the rules to live by.
 

Rule #1 Eat Real Food
 

This is the first real because it’s really the most important, and it fully encompasses the Paleo diet, which is growing in popularity. Some research on this diet would do everyone some good.
When I say “real food” I am talking about avoiding anything processed or artificial. One could go even further and eat only organic foods, and, if you have the extra cash to spend, only buy meat and dairy from 100% grass-fed animals. The reason for this is because grass is their natural food source and results in much healthier fats, while grains cause the animals to be much less healthy.
 

Rule #2 Avoid Sugar
 

Sugar sends insulin through the roof! By having a diet that’s high in sugar, people make it near impossible for their bodies to burn fat all day. You know that all-important breakfast people boast of? The sucrose in their breakfast cereal kills the possibility of burning fat during their morning jog. This includes artificial sweeteners. To add sweetness to my homemade BBQ sauce, I add honey, which is beneficial to the health.
 

Rule #3 Make Dinner the Only Full Meal
 

In the paper regarding dietary myths I go into detail why the frequent feeding concept is extremely flawed, while fasting for part of the day is good for the health. This does not mean you are not allowed to eat at all. The main concept is to keep insulin low and energy high. Anything that won’t cause a rise in insulin is good. Shortly I will list my own practices, but I do enjoy a morning coffee and some afternoon almonds, both of which do not affect the diet, yet are good for nutrition and energy.
 

Rule #4 Eat Fat
 

It’s kind of funny that I have to make this a rule, but when you’ve been told all your life about the evils of fat, you obviously are not going to just assume that having fat in your diet is a good thing. I’m talking, of course, about natural fat, and this includes the saturated kind.

At this point you might think I’m a bit crazy, unless you’ve already read my article regarding dietary myths. Fat is actually a very important part of the diet. It helps to lower the glycemic index of carbs, and it contains a large assortment of vital nutrients that people are often deficient in because they fear fatty foods.
 

Saturated fat is particularly a good source of nutrition, though it’s had a bad rap ever since Dr. Keys wrote his paper in 1953, linking saturated fat to heart disease. I urge you to research the studies done since then.

Rule #5: Don’t Take Dieting So Seriously!​​​​​​​​​​​
 

While nutrition is important for your health and your success as a fighter, stressing out over what you are consuming does no one any good. For a diet to be effective, it must remain sustainable. There are two vital things to consider when going on a diet to ensure that you will be able to continue it for the long-term.
 

First, make sure the diet is simple. When a diet is really complicated, people tend to grow tired of it very quick. It’s always better to be less-than-perfect, rather than failing altogether. So keep it simple and easy to follow.
 

The second issue of concern should be how enjoyable a diet is. If it is difficult to follow a diet, you will not likely be able to follow it for long. And more importantly, we’re dieting to feel good, not crappy. So when you begin a long-term diet, make sure that you are enjoying it. Make sure the foods you eat are delicious. Make sure you are not overwhelmed with huge (and expensive) recipes. Make sure you feel good all the time.
 

Rule #6: If You’re Hungry, Figure Out Why​​​​​​​​​​​
 

People have a tendency to believe that hunger means they need more food. I, however, have a different approach. If I am hungry, I just need to refine my dinner. I won’t eat more. I’ll eat better. Typically, though, my coffee satisfies me all morning, and a handful of almonds is plenty for the afternoon. I usually plan to eat around 6pm, but find myself not very hungry.
 

Rule #7: Start Slow​​​​​​​​​​​
 

Our brains are evolved to maintain balance. This is why it’s so hard to change anything about yourself. If you suddenly go from several small meals, or three regular meals, to only one main meal per day, it will not benefit you when you suddenly feel sick or extremely hungry. It is much better to gradually reduce the time period in which you eat. In other words, snack on some almonds in the morning, and then have a small lunch, and finally a huge dinner. If you get overly hungry, eat. Habit causes failure, so the idea is to change the habit. Eat less and less, or less often.

The Diet: General Daily Breakdown​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

​Morning: A cup of coffee with one tablespoon of coconut oil mixed into it. I use a small hand blender to mix it really good.
 

Afternoon: When hungry in the afternoon, Almonds make a great snack because they are heavily nutrient dense, yet they won’t raise insulin at all.
 

​Evening: We stick to a 4-hour window for eating at night. No need to rush a meal! And always be sure to eat until satisfied, as satiety suggests you’ve had your fill.

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Dinner Break Down

First Course: Salad. Starting with a fresh salad helps to kick-start digestion and provides digestive enzymes, which aid in the digestion of the rest of the meal. However, dressings are not good for you, and so I make my own.
 

Second Course: Protein & Fat. Meat, eggs, poultry, and fish will all cause a rise in insulin, but also in glucagon, which keeps insulin in check. Fat also lowers the glycemic effect of carbs, and so eating fat help fat loss, ironically.
 

Third Course: Carbohydrates.  High carb foods like bread are heavier and cause the most work in digestion, while causing a rise in insulin. By putting them last in your meal, the body has already been prepped for the heavy digestion, and has been made ready to cope with the way carbs affect insulin. I'll explain how in a moment.

 

Now let’s go over the reasons for all of these concepts, starting with the reason for adding coconut oil to coffee.

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Coconut Oil in my Coffee?!​​​​​​​​​​
 

Yes, coconut oil has been found to strengthen the body’s resistance to viruses and bacteria, keeping us free of illness (I haven’t been sick in years). It also helps to fight off yeast, fungus, and candida.
 

Coconut oil actually has a lot of benefits, including boosting thyroid function, helps blood-sugar control, improves the body’s insulin use, benefits digestion, lowers cholesterol, and increases metabolism, energy, and endurance. It is actually a great supplement for fat loss and weight management.
 

Almonds: One of the Most Nutrient Dense Nuts​​​​​​​​​​​
 

Almonds are only one option for the afternoon snack. I choose them because they have no effect on the body’s insulin levels, yet they are loaded with nutrients that help me when I’m training.

Aside from being nutrient dense, almonds have many other qualities. Some of the health benefits one can obtain from eating almonds on a daily basis include: reducing the risk for heart attacks, lowering bad cholesterol, building strong bones & teeth, aid in weight loss, provide healthy fats, lessen the rise of insulin after meals, help brain function, and nourish the nervous system.
 

Start Dinner with a Salad​​​​​​​​​​​
 

I’m sure I don’t have to explain the value of a leafy green meal. The dinner break down already explains the reasoning behind starting with a salad. I recommend adding olives and cucumber for added nutrition, and creating your own dressing. Even dressings that seem as though they would be healthy are made with soy oil, which is not good for you.
 

Don’t Forget to Get Plenty of Fat​​​​​​​​​​​
 

Aside from the fact that most of the nutrients people are lacking can be found in higher dietary fat consumption, there is also an added benefit. Fat lowers the glycemic index of carbs. Therefore, by consuming a nice steak with the fat still on it, any carbs consumed thereafter will have less of an effect on insulin.

 

Moreover, eating meat, fish, eggs, and poultry causes a rise in glucagon, which helps keep insulin in check. This means that the body will store much less fat during dinner.
 

Carbs Last​​​​​​​​​​​
 

Finally we have our carbohydrates. By finishing with carbs, the effect on fat storage is greatly decreased by the earlier foods, and carbs are also a wonderful way to achieve a feeling of satisfaction. And one thing diets tend to miss is satisfied customers. This is why they fail, while this diet method has worked well for the many who’ve tried it. It has actually been found that fat reduces the glycemic index of foods. You can look into it for yourself. A baked potato, for instance, has a rather high glycemic index. Add some sour cream or butter, and the glycemic index drops, leading to much less fat storage.

This article was meant to give you a general understanding of the Kay-O MMA diet and nutrition system. It is meant to help people achieve results without any need for spending a single dime on any products or special diet plans. It is, instead, freely given. But I must remind everyone to consult a physician before beginning any major dietary changes. I don’t mean to trust their views on dieting, but rather to make sure these changes won’t have a bad outcome on some issue you might have.