How important is meal planning and preparing meals at home? Doesn't going to the gym negate the need to plan meals and worry about calories? Dr. Gioffre says "they are equally important and both need to be considered for a balanced, healthy lifestyle." Exercising keeps us healthy, stimulates our metabolism, boosts our mood and immune system, and inspires other healthy choices (like deciding not to grab a doughnut from the break room).
With that said, "you can't put C.R.A.P (completely refined and processed) food into the body." Foods like sugar and refined grains spike insulin, which stores fat, makes you tired, and increases inflammation, which in turn, makes you less likely to want to exercise. So the two go hand in hand.
Dr. Gioffre recommends doing a small amount of exercise daily and eating his version of 80/20 — eating alkaline foods 80 percent of the time and acid-forming foods no more than 20 percent of the time. Alkaline foods include leafy green veggies, broccoli, avocado, berries, walnuts, legumes, bone broth, and coconut oil. Acidic foods include meat, processed foods, refined sugar and flours, and caffeine.