You hear it all the time - from your mom, from dietitians, from doctors, from coaches, heck, even from your uncle Jimmy.

Just eat a “balanced diet” and you should be fine.

Of course, the fact that no one ever mentions what actually constitutes a “balanced diet” only adds to the mystique and allure of this mythical creature.

To your mom, a balanced diet pretty much means whatever she puts on your plate. To your dietitian and doctor, it pretty much means to eat less saturated fat and cholesterol. To your coach, it means whatever keeps you from getting fatter. And to your uncle Jimmy, it means skipping breakfast, having fries and a burger for lunch, and having a 6-pack of beer after work.

For most people, a balanced diet is simply a buzz word for “eating whatever I want to eat.” The phrase is beautifully vague enough to be able to justify their own personal choices with amazing vehemence and rationalization. It’s vague enough to convince folks that no changes are necessary in their daily intake. It’s vague enough for dietitians to suggest that no supplements are required to meet our daily needs.

Yet it’s also vague enough to be utterly useless and void of all utility or meaning. And it’s vague enough to ensure that the rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity consistently increase.

Let’s look at some interesting research on a “balanced” diet…

Here’s the reference if you want to look it up yourself:

J Int Soc Sports Nutr. 2006; 3(1): 51–55.
Food Alone May Not Provide Sufficient Micronutrients for Preventing Deficiency
Bill Misner

Before we look at the study though, the ADA, (American Dietetic Association), establishes nutrition standards for the population at large, (I guess trying to outline what a “balanced” diet is):

Assuming a 2000kcal diet, the average person should be getting the following macronutrients each day:

Total Fat 65 g
Saturated fatty acids 20 g
Cholesterol 300 mg
Sodium 2400 mg
Potassium 4700 mg
Total carbohydrate 300 g
Fiber 25 g
Protein 50 g

And in terms of micronutrients:

Vitamin A 5000 IU
Vitamin C 60 mg
Calcium 1000 mg
Iron 18 mg
Vitamin D 400 IU
Vitamin E 30 IU
Vitamin K 80 μg
Thiamin 1.5 mg
Riboflavin 1.7 mg
Niacin 20 mg
Vitamin B6 2 mg
Folate 400 μg
Vitamin B12 6 μg
Biotin 300 μg
Pantothenic acid 10 mg
Phosphorus 1000 mg
Iodine 150 μg
Magnesium 400 mg
Zinc 15 mg
Selenium 70 μg
Copper 2 mg
Manganese 2 mg
Chromium 120 μg
Molybdenum 75 μg
Chloride 3400 mg

Again, these numbers are very conservative. They’ve been established by the ADA as rock-bottom minimums required to prevent us from contracting diseases, they say nothing about optimization of your body, or metabolism.

So, to the study…

The researchers analyzed 70 diets of exercisers and non-exercisers who were “trying” to improve their nutritional intake… (hence eat a “balanced” diet as best they could).

They found that not a single one met all of the “minimum micronutrient levels suggested by the ADA!”

Specifically, the deficiencies were:

Iodine - 100% of the diets were deficient in iodine
Vitamin D - 95% of the diets were deficient in vitamin D
Zinc - 80% of the diets were deficient in zinc
Vitamin E - 65% of the diets were deficient in vitamin E
Calories - 50% of the diets were deficient in calories
Calcium - 50% of the diets were deficient in calcium

So what does this mean?  Well, exactly what you already know… a “balanced diet” is not so easy to do in this society.  You need a little help!!!  Therefore, you should be:

one, taking a multivitamin like the one Athlon Elite provides its members as a part of their membership (free) everyday,

two, you should be considering other supplementation that is shown in the literature to have a significant effect on your metabolism, and various diseases like cardiovascular disease (like EFA’s, Green Tea Extract, Quercitin and Vitamin C, etc… products recommended in many of Athlon Elite’s programs),

and three, consult a professional and have your diet analyzed (or do it yourself at www.CalorieKing.com).

For a little help analyzing your diet, or any other fitness issue, call today for a free consult with one of Athlon Elite’s lead trainers.  You might be surprised at what you’ll learn!