Table Of ContentH E A LT H Y
L I F E S T Y L E &
N U T R I T I O N G U I D E
BY JOHNNY URRA & VICKY JUSTIZ
#JUSTIZFIT
WHO ARE WE?
The Authors
Hi there! I’m Vicky. I’m mostly known for being a Hello! I’m Johnny, a content creator and full-time
Youtuber - I started out making videos showing Instagram husband. I took an interest in my body
girls how to achieve their dream bodies from home. and health from a young age - I started working
Now, I make videos about all types of things, from out and being mindful of what I ate at the age of
fashion, to beauty, to travel ,and more. It’s my goal 14. I didn’t do it because I wanted to reach some
to show girls that leading a healthy lifestyle means crazy standard, or to attain a specific body type, but
feeling good about every aspect of their life - and because I wanted to feel good and use my body
that includes having a healthy relationship with to it’s full potential. I wanted to be a doctor (I got
food. I’ve always been a firm believer in BALANCE, my bachelors in chemistry - I’m crazy, I know) - but
and you’ll see more of that as you go through the after meeting Vicky and seeing how much potential
program. I eat healthy and take care of myself, there was in Youtube and Social Media, I decided to
but I also treat myself - often! Being healthy isn’t use my skills to help people in other ways. I got my
just about your body and your physical being, but Level 1 Precision Nutrition Certification, and what
about your mental state and your happiness. I’m I learned in the course (along with all my years in
hoping that through this guide I can help you find university as a pre-med) supported everything I
the balance you need to kick ass and feel good believed in before: that to lead a healthy lifestyle,
about it every step of the way. I can’t wait to see you don’t need to go to extremes or on fad diets.
your results! You just need to be mindful - know what you are
putting into your body, and most importantly, stay
Follow me on Instagram, @VickyJustiz and follow
balanced! We created this guide to show you that
the fitness community @vickyjustizfitness! There I
as daunting as many people make it seem, eating
will be posting everything health and fitness related,
‘healthy’ isn’t so complicated. We hope to provide
before and after photos, and featuring the beautiful
you with the head start you need to change your
members of this community (like YOU). Use the
life for the better. Instagram @JohnnyUrra
hashtag #JustizFit for a chance to be featured!
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WHO ARE WE?
Contributor
Dana Stango MS, DTR
Dana combines 5+ years of personal
training experience with a Master’s of
Science degree in Nutrition and Dietetics
to optimize performance, recovery, and
body composition for both herself and her
clients. Her goal is that her clients reach
their optimal human health potential while
enjoying a pain free, active life both in and
outside of the gym. In her spare time, she
likes to train Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, read research
papers, and cook Italian food.
You can contact Dana for personalized
nutrition plans at [email protected].
The information in this e-book was written based on current scientific knowledge. I, Jonathan,
have a certificate in nutrition through Precision Nutrition which allows me to provide general
nutrition advice. The general advice and content provided in this book does not substitute the
medical expertise and treatment provided by a doctor, or Licensed Dietitian. None of the infor-
mation in this book is meant to cure or treat any nutritional or medical diseases. If you would like
something personalized and tailored specifically to you, please contact Dana Stango at
[email protected], or find a licensed dietitian or medical doctor near you.
The information has been sourced from reputable sources such as the National Institutes of
Health, the Center for Disease Control and Prevention, United States Department of Agriculture,
Precision Nutrition, and more. This knowledge may change with new discoveries and is based
on current studies.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
5 Welcome
6 Basics
11 Counting Calories
13 Portions
16 Meal Timing
18 Snacks
19
Body Types
21 Body Mass Index
22 Goals
25 Your mindset
26 Your Lifestyle
28 Tracking Progress
31 Sleep & Alcohol
32 Water
33 Supplements
34 Nutrition Myths
35 Shopping Lists
37 Recipes
44 Diets
46 References
47 Disclaimer / Legal
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WELCOME
Before we begin
We know how overwhelming the fitness world can be. A simple Google search like, ‘Is bread
bad for you?’ will give you so many different answers! With so much information online, many
times conflicting, it’s easy to get frustrated and want to give up. When it comes to nutrition,
there are usually two opposing approaches. One is a strict, counting every calorie, restrictive
eating approach. The other is the super vague approach that preaches, ‘just listen to your
body’ and ‘every body is different’. This guide is neither. While we do agree that every body is
very different, fundamentally, the way we are built is the same (at least, in the general healthy
population). It’s biology! And advice like “just listen to your body” is confusing - because most of
us have forgotten how to listen to it or have never been properly taught how. We’ve created this
guide to provide you with general guidelines for a healthy lifestyle that have helped us improve
our lives immensely, while allowing you to enjoy all of the things you love.
Like many people, we’ve tried everything - from Ketogenic Diets, to cutting out all sugar, to
eating mostly carbs. But we’ve realized that a healthy lifestyle isn’t about restricting yourself,
but about finding a balance. Now, we’re not here to tell you exactly what to eat and when to
eat it. We were considering creating personalized meal plans, but after doing our research we
decided against it. Here’s why: Most online meal plans ask a few questions like your daily activity,
height, weight, and goals to create something ‘personalized’ - but the body is so complex, we
find it hard to believe that such a simplified approach can be effective. Sure, we can give you
an approximation of calories you need to gain or lose weight, but your body can change weekly
and so can your caloric requirements. There are just so many more factors that should be taken
into consideration - this is why there are nutritionists and Dietitian that study the topic for years
and dedicate their whole life to it!
There’s a saying that goes, ’Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish
and you feed him for a lifetime’. Giving you a personalized plan would be like giving you the
fish. Instead, we want to teach you how to fish. No one knows your body better than you do.
After all, you spend more time with it than anyone else does! We figured that for a lifetime
change it’d be best to provide you with the tools and knowledge you need so you can make
these adjustments yourself and learn to listen to your body. The first half of this guide will be
mostly informative and will cover the basics - then we’ll talk about building habits, maintaining
a healthy lifestyle, shopping lists, recipes, and more.
Please remember that this guide does not replace the advice of a Registered Dietitian nor can
it be used to treat medical problems. We recommend you see your doctor to find out if this
general nutrition advice is okay for where you are medically.
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THE BASICS
CALORIES
Calories & Energy Balance
This word is thrown around EVERYWHERE. But what is it, really? ‘Calorie’ is the
term used to describe a unit of energy. It’s the unit used to measure how much
energy is inside of food. Different nutrients in food contain different amounts
of calories (energy). They provide us with the fuel to perform our daily tasks,
exercise, and even sleep!
The letter ‘c’ in calories is important when you are reading nutrition labels. No-
tice the uppercase and lowercase ‘c’. Nutrition labels in the USA use Calories
with a capital ‘C’. These are referred to as food calories and are actually kilo-
calories (lowercase ‘c’). Depending on where you are from, you’ll see nutrition
labels use Kcal, kJ, or other ways to describe the energy in food. Here is a
simplified way for you to understand it:
1 Calorie ≠ 1 calorie
1 Calorie = 1,000 calories
1 Calorie = 1 kilocalorie (kcal)
1 Calorie = 4,184 Joules = (4.184 kJ)
Energy Balance is the term used to describe the net value of energy (a.k.a calories) going in
and out of the body. So basically - if you eat more calories than you burn, known as a caloric
surplus, it is inevitable that you will gain weight. And if you burn more than you eat, known as a
caloric deficit, you will lose weight - however, weight does not necessarily equal fat.
Fundamentally, our bodies work like this:
Energy In > Energy Out = You gain weight
Energy In < Energy Out = You lose weight
Energy In is what you consume and the amount your body actually absorbs. Energy out could
be Physical Activity, like going to the gym, running, etc. It’s also your Resting Metabolic Rate
(RMR), which is the amount of calories used just to stay alive, like breathing, sleeping, thinking,
etc. There’s also Non-Exercise Activity Thermogenisis (NEAT), a fancy term for cleaning the
floor, typing, and other daily activities. And, hear this - the actual food you eat burns calories
too! This is known as the Thermic Effect of Food (TEF), and you’ll learn more about this on
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THE BASICS
MACRONUTRIENTS
Macros
Macronutrients are commonly referred to as “macros” and include the nutrients known as
proteins, carbohydrates, and fats. They are nutrients that the body requires in large (Macro)
amounts. All three macros are necessary for your body to function properly (although some
diets manipulate them for specific physiological outcomes - we’ll go into this on pg 44).
CALORIES
FUNCTION COMMONLY FOUND IN
PER GRAM
energy source - brain & body Pasta, Bread,
CARBS fiber promotes digestive health Rice, Potato, 4
help control blood sugar Fruits
tissue repair and maintenance Meat, Fish,
PROTEIN aids in hormone production Chicken, Tofu, 4
immune system support Egg Whites,
help absorb fat-soluble vitamins Nuts, Olive oil,
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FATS major brain & nerve component Fish, Egg Yolk,
sex hormone regulation
As you can see from the table, fats are more energy dense than the other macronutrients.
For example: Almonds are rich in nutrients and contain a mix of all three macronutrients, but
are mainly composed of fats. They have much more calories per gram than a food that’s
mainly carbohydrates, like pasta. Just to put it into perspective, if you eat 1 pound of pasta
you’ll be consuming around 600 calories - while eating 1 pound of almonds would be about
2,600! The point here is that, almonds may be healthy, but in moderation. Any healthy food
is healthy as long as you eat it in moderation. This is why we recommend you at least glance
at nutrition labels to get an idea of the calories and nutrients in what you consume, but don’t
lose sleep over it.
Carbohydrates, also known as carbs, are the body’s preferred source of energy. The digestive
system turns them into blood glucose (blood sugar) to be used as energy in organs, cells, and
tissues. Excess blood glucose can be stored as glycogen in the liver and muscles for future
use. There’s three types of carbs you should be familiar with: Sugars, Starches, and Fibers.
Sugars are also called ‘simple carbs’ because they’re made up of single sugar molecules (ex.
glucose, fructose). Starches and Fiber are called complex carbs because they’re made of
long chains of sugar molecules. Foods can contain a mixture of the three, like some berries,
which have simple sugars and fiber. Fiber helps your digestive system run smoothly, helps
keep blood sugar from spiking too high, and keeps you full longer.
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THE BASICS
MICRONUTRIENTS
Micros
Micronutrients are any nutrients that the body
requires in small (Micro) amounts to function
properly. They are classified as vitamins, minerals,
phytochemicals (nutrients found only in plants),
and zoochemicals (nutrients found only in animals).
They play a major role in the body’s metabolism,
immune system and tissue function.
How beneficial multivitamins are is unclear, and the
drawback of them is that it may make some people
feel like it’s all they need. Truth is, multivitamins
and specific micronutrient supplements should
only be taken as a way of preventing a vitamin
deficiency, WHILE eating a variety of whole foods.
Having your doctor check your blood work can
help you identify which nutrients you may be
lacking and if you require supplementation of them.
Colorful fruits, veggies, and dark greens have plenty
of micronutrients. A good way of getting a variety
of different vitamins and minerals is by ‘eating the
rainbow’, and I’m not talking about Skittles. Aim
to eat fruits and veggies that are purple, white,
green, blue, yellow, orange, and so on. You also
get different nutrients out of foods depending on
whether you eat them raw or cooked, so try to
mix it up. Make it a point to try new colors every
week so your body can experience the benefits of
having these micronutrients in their natural state. I
may be a chemist, but there is no better chemist
than Mother Nature Herself.
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THE BASICS
METABOLISM
Metabolism
‘Metabolism’ is a word used to describe every single chemical reaction occurring in your body.
There’s two main parts of metabolism - to build (anabolism) and to breakdown (catabolism).
When you workout with weights, your body needs to repair and build your muscles - this repair
process is anabolism in action. In order to do this, your body needs enough energy and nutrients,
which you’d get from food. Now is when catabolism comes into play. Catabolism is the body
breaking down big molecules in food to use for energy. If it doesn’t have enough energy, it may
break down fat and muscle in order to survive - this is weight loss.
Remember when we mentioned the TEF (Thermic Effect of Food)? Different macronutrients
actually require different amounts of energy to be digested.
Here’s a breakdown:
Protein 20-30%, Carbs 5-10%, Fats 0-3%
So if you are ingesting 100 calories of protein, 20 to 30 of those calories will be used simply to
digest that food. However, if you consume 100 calories of carbohydrates, only 5-10 calories will
be used to break down that food. There’s actually something referred to as the “meat sweats”
- when someone is eating a high protein diet they tend to feel “hot” and begin to sweat more
often than before. It is because their body is hard at work trying to break down all that protein!
Can my metabolism slow down? This is a very common question. Our bodies are smart, and
they are able to adapt to a caloric deficit or surplus - this is called ‘Adaptive Thermogenesis’.
Let’s say you finally burn off some of that stubborn fat you’ve been working so hard to get rid of,
and you feel so AWESOME! But your mind and body operate differently. Your body sees it as,
“OH SH*T, I’M NOT EATING ENOUGH! AM I STARVING?!” and then makes it even more difficult
to burn off fat. Now, let’s not blame our bodies - they are just doing what they were built to do -
survive (even though we aren’t cave women living in the wild anymore, patiently waiting for our
bodies to catch up, thanks)!
This is why the energy balance equations aren’t always so simple. Your body adapts by reducing
the total amount of calories it burns. This is why it’s so common that weight loss slows down
with time. You weigh less, so your daily caloric needs go down, and your body reduces calories
burned in order to protect you from potentially starving. Eat more calories, and your body will
burn more calories because it has more to spare. Some people may gain or lose weight at
different rates, and that’s totally normal. Don’t freak out. The body is doing its job by trying to
keep you alive. If your main goal is to lose weight, do it at a steady pace and you’ll be fine!
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THE BASICS
READING LABELS
Reading Nutrition Labels
As simple as it may seem, knowing how to
read and understand nutrition labels is vital.
Servings per container lets you know how
many serving sizes there is in that container.
The Serving Size indicates how much of
the food/beverage is accounted for with
the listed amount of Calories and nutrients.
2/3 cup (55 g) will provide you with 230 Cal-
ories and the listed Macro/Micro nutrients.
In this case, there’s 8 servings of 55 grams
each, So the entire container has 8 serv-
ings x 230 Calories = 1840 Calories in total.
Be aware of this whenever you have any
beverages as well. Some bottles may say
100 calories per serving, and have 3 serv-
ings per container (300 Calories in total).
The % Daily Value is based on you con-
suming a 2,000 Calorie diet. For example
based on general nutrition advice, 8 g of to-
tal fat is 10% of what you should consume
in a day if you’re eating a 2,000 Calorie diet.
So 80 g of total fat would be 100% of the
recommended daily intake for fat.
Keep in mind that these percentages are
calculated based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Nutrition label by the FDA (Food and Drug
The caloric requirements may be different Administration) for reference purposes
for every person. only.
The World Health Organization recommends no more
than 25g of sugar per day.
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