Nutrition: the foundation behind your results
No product replaces a good diet.
The essentials
25 to 35 g of protein per meal, spread throughout the day.
25 to 30 g of fiber a day, introduced gradually.
Half your plate in vegetables, a quarter in protein, a quarter in quality carbs.
Smaller, more frequent meals rather than 2-3 large ones.
These benchmarks also feed your personalized plan. Build my plan
Based on your goal
Choose your goal: here is what matters most for it.
Weight loss
- Don't skip meals even without hunger: aim for 3 light meals rather than one big one in the evening.
Performance
- 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg of body weight per day (Morton meta-analysis).
Focus & cognition
- A protein-rich breakfast supports neurotransmitter synthesis (dopamine, noradrenaline).
Sleep
- Last big meal at least 3 hours before bed: digestion delays falling asleep.
Energy
- Avoid sugar spikes: the blood-sugar crashes that follow mimic the very fatigue you're trying to fix.
Longevity
- Prioritize whole, colorful foods: polyphenols and fiber feed your gut microbiome.
Repair & recovery
- Tissue repair uses up protein: keep your intake up even on rest days.
Joints & mobility
- Fatty fish 2-3 times a week: omega-3s help regulate joint inflammation.
Digestion & inflammation
- Introduce fiber very gradually so you don't make existing discomfort worse.
Skin & appearance
- Protein and vitamin C are the raw materials of collagen, not getting enough limits everything else.
Stress & calm
- Dietary magnesium (leafy greens, nuts, legumes) often runs low during stressful periods.
Libido & intimacy
- Zinc and healthy fats (eggs, avocado, olive oil) are the building blocks of sex hormones.
Recomposition & muscle gain
- 1.6 to 2.2 g of protein per kg (Morton meta-analysis), spread over 3 to 4 meals: muscle synthesis responds to spaced doses of 25-40 g, not to one big intake.
In detail
The plate method: simple, no math required
No scale, no calorie counting.
At every meal: colorful vegetables for half the plate, a protein (meat, fish, eggs, tofu, legumes) for a quarter, a quality carb (rice, potato, quinoa, whole-grain bread) for the other quarter, and a drizzle of good fat (olive oil, avocado, nuts).
For protein, a portion the size of your palm is a reliable guide.
Fiber and carbs
Aim for 25 to 30 g of fiber a day (vegetables, legumes, berries, whole grains), building up gradually to avoid bloating and discomfort.
For carbs, choose the food closest to its original form: fruit rather than juice, grain rather than flour, potato rather than chips. Always pair a carb with a protein or a fat.
Fats and ultra-processed foods
Choose the fats found in whole foods: fatty fish (salmon, trout, sardines), olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds.
Limit the fats from frying and from ultra-processed products, which you can spot by a long ingredient list, chemical-sounding names and disguised sugars (glucose-fructose, maltodextrin, syrup).
Without aiming for perfection, keep them under 20% of what you eat.
The micronutrients worth watching in Quebec
Some deficiencies are common here: vitamin D (the sun isn't enough from November to March), iron in women who menstruate, B12 after 50 or on a vegetarian diet, magnesium, and iodine if your salt isn't iodized.
Rather than supplementing blindly, get bloodwork done with your doctor: unexplained fatigue often has a measurable cause.
Meal rhythm
The fullness signal takes about 20 minutes to reach the brain: eat slowly, put your fork down between bites, avoid screens and stop at 80% full.
If you feel nauseous, split your food into small meals and stick to bland foods (rice, banana, applesauce, broth, crackers). If the discomfort persists, talk to a health professional.
Common mistakes
- Slashing calories drastically just because your appetite disappeared: muscle pays the price.
- Drinking your calories: juice, soda, and sweetened coffee fool your sense of fullness.
- Chasing perfection 7 days a week: the 80/20 rule lasts for years, rigid rules last three weeks.