John, Which is More Important, Nutrition or Exercise?

[John Peterson]

Hey Friends,

Man oh man, is that ever a loaded question. Answer: From my perspective NUTRITION is of pre-eminent importance because if you don't eat right while exercising intensely it won't be long before you are so run down and feeling like super man in a room full of Kryptonite that you won't have what it takes to exercise. Bottom line: If you're going to train hard you MUST eat good nourishing food and consume enough calories in order to have the requisite energy to train. Depleting yourself nutritionally is one of the worst mistakes one can make. Trust me on this. If you eat good, first rate food and enough of it you will literally feel motivated to exercise intensely. If you don't you'll be dragging yourself around. For that reason I say Nutrition is the most important of the two.

---John Peterson

[Andy62]

Let me expand the scope of that question a little bit. Which is more important- nutrition, exercise or mental attitude?

[Johnny]

Andy,

I think all 3 complement each other, but the most important variable in my opinion is the "mental attitude", if it's lacking, you can't do or accomplish anything...

[kelbiz]

Exercise or nutrition - two sides of the same coin. Some people workout like mad but don't eat well. Others have a great diet but do not exercise. There is some benefit to be had by doing one or the the other, but when they are combined - it's synergistic.

Jack

[Andy62]

I would pick mental attitude based on my personal experience. I spent most of my career in the commercial real estate investment and finance industry. In the process I financed a number of retirement centers and nursing homes. Some of the stories of the effects of changes in mental attitude that came out of them were truly amazing. There was story after story of an extremely old person in their late 80s or early 90s who was in failing health and near death and then something would happen that gave them a reason to live such as the coming birth of a new grandchild or great grandchild on the horizon or some other positive experience. In many cases the person's attitude toward life would change immediately and "the will to live" to see that child or experience some other anticipated event would reinvigoate them. It was almost like years had been taken off of their age and the joy and positive anticipation of life had returned.

[TejasT]

Man oh man, is that ever a loaded question.

I agree, this is a tricky question. Speaking from personal experience, it wasn't until I addressed my nutrition that the other pieces fell into place.

- When I started focusing on nutrition, I started to look better. The layer of fat surrounding my muscles started to go away. This made me want to exercise more to build that muscle (now that you could actually see it).

- When I started focusing on nutrition, I started to feel better. I became more positive. It was hard for me to have a good mental attitude when I felt sluggish from a poor diet.

Thus, from my experience, I would have to agree with John. I believe the way you eat is the foundation for the rest of your overall fitness.

The way you eat, however, is also the most challenging piece of the puzzle (at least for me). Eating is so much a part of our lives. It's how we socialize, celebrate, mourn. You constantly have to make good decisions throughout the day, every day, for the rest of your life.

That's no small feat. But that's how important food is to health.

[John Peterson]

Hey Guys,

Tejas T, really sums up why I stated that nutrition is the first piece of the strength, fitness & peace of mind puzzle. But I absolutely believe that next in line are positive attitude and exercise.

I have seen study after study about the horrific effects of poor nutrition on learning capacity in children, hormone balance in men and women, and a host other diseases of mind and body such as diabetes, and severe depression that can all be directly linked to poor nutrition. Better still, there is great evidence that all can CORRECTED by Good Nutrition. So for this reason, I say that nutrition is the first major cornerstone that makes exercise a joy and fuels a positive and affirmative outlook on life. This was something Paul Bragg often mentioned in his books and I think that he was absolutely correct.

Does this mean that I am in any way diminishing the importance of positive mental attitude or life enhancing exercise? NO! NOT IN THE LEAST! I agree that a positive, optimistic attitude and life enhancing exercise that builds the body without destroying it's joints, tendons, and ligaments are of utmost importance. I also believe that Deep Breathing needs to be a part of every nutritional strategy as well sunlight on bare skin within reason. Finally, the most important factor of all is Spiritual Practice that gives foundation and purpose to our lives. For me personally that foundation is The LORD JESUS CHRIST.

---John Peterson

[duff]

Which is more important for building a house: good building materials like nails and wood, hard work, or the knowledge of how to build a house?

The answer is of course all three, but you may be lacking in any one of these at any given time. Same with nutrition, exercise, and positive attitude.

That said, things didn't come together for me until I addressed my stomach problems, which included discovering a food allergy to soy.

[jaymo]

Amen!

Although I exercise daily, doing:


1.Mobility exercises
2.Visualized resistance
3.Calisthenics

In order, as time permits...

I ALWAYS eat a paleo/barbarian- type of diet, meaning no flour, legumes, or sugar, and LOTS of meat, seafood, vegetables and fruits!!

You will always be very lean on such a diet. There are no exceptions!

DIET IS KING!!

[vh]

Nutrition and exercise can change mental attitude. Getting the proper nutrition will change the brain and body's biochemical makeup thereby changing mental attitude. Exercise has a similar effect. There are numerous sceintific studies that support this. For more information about it, check out the book "The Depression Cure" by Stephen S. Ilardi PhD.

[jaymo]

Nutrition is 80-85% of the battle!

Exercise, although crucial, is the remaining portion.

Without proper nutrition, your mental state will be...

Really screwed up!

[Fit4Life]

Hello Friends,

Exercise or nutrition - two sides of the same coin. Some people workout like mad but don't eat well. Others have a great diet but do not exercise. There is some benefit to be had by doing one or the the other, but when they are combined - it's synergistic.

This is the response and understanding that I agree with. It is the answer that I wanted to give but obviously Jack beat me to it.

If someone were to ask me which is more important between exercise and nutrition, to me that would be almost the same as asking which is more important for producing a painting; the paintbrush, the paint or the canvas board.

While I do agree with Mr. Peterson's conclusion that we need to pay special attention to nutrition for our purposes, I also believe that we are talking about sum parts as compared to the whole.

I ALWAYS eat a paleo/barbarian- type of diet, meaning no flour, legumes, or sugar, and LOTS of meat, seafood, vegetables and fruits!!

You will always be very lean on such a diet. There are no exceptions!

Out of curiosity, do you take in any dairy at all? My wife only buys 2% milk for herself and our children while I, myself, consume only non-fat milk.

I'm curious to know more about your eating habits.

Regards,
Abdul.

[tom]

You can go years without exercising.

You can't go that long without eating. You will always eat. Get it right.

Tom

[jaymo]

Just saw your post- sorry to be so long absent!

Yes, I eat pastured butter (Kerrygold is great!), real cream, and greek yogurt. My mainstay, though, is KEFIR, which I add to my Paleo Smoothie each morning! Loaded with probiotics that help my digestion and immune function... and it adds really great taste!

Hope this helps!
J