As you have probably heard, Hurricane Katrina tore through my stomping grounds of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida.  We were more fortunate than our friends in Mississippi and Louisiana yet even a Level 1 hurricane can do some serious damage.

During the night, I could hear the wind whistling, sounds of trees breaking and debris hitting my windows (I live on the top level of a condominium!)

The next day, I looked out my window overlooking the golf course and?..Wow!  It looked like King Kong had a temper tantrum and uprooted all of the trees?dozens of them.  Over 1 million homes were without power and almost everything was closed.  After speaking with most of my clients and friends I was relieved to hear everyone was safe.  Then it hit me like a ton of bricks?The gym is closed. There is no electricity so food will spoil.  Very few, if any, restaurants are open.  My clients!  What are people going to eat? How are they going to exercise?

After a brief moment of panic, I pulled myself together and came up with the HURRICANE Diet.  The Hurricane Diet is designed for those times when you are stuck in your house and you can’t get to food.  Whether it is a hurricane, a blizzard, a power outage or sheer laziness, here is an eating strategy that will allow you to continue to move in a positive direction.

The Guidelines:

1. The food must be non-perishable.
2. Each meal should contain a lean source of protein and a carbohydrate.
3. Lots of water!  Since non-perishable foods usually contain large amounts of sodium, it is important to drink more than you normally do.  The increased water intake will help eliminate water retention.

Here’s an example:

Breakfast: Whole Wheat English muffin with natural peanut butter

Mid-Morning: Beef Jerky and an apple

Lunch: Low sodium albacore tuna. Use 1 packet of lite mayonnaise and a packet of pickle relish for flavor.  Slap some on  whole wheat bread and enjoy.

Mid-Afternoon: Nutrition bar that contains at least 20 grams of protein.

Dinner: Chicken of the Sea makes packets of Shrimp that are great! They can be found near the tuna. Mix with fat free Italian dressing. Serve with canned no sugar added pineapple chunks.

Evening: Low sugar, Low fat Protein shake.

Let me point out that this is not 100% optimal; however, it will keep you on the path to results.  The real key to physical achievement is to do the best you can most of the time.

You don’t need to be perfect.

Strive for perfection and you will go insane.  Strive for progress and will achieve success.

Stay focused,

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