-Health & calories are not always correlated. For example u can eat lots of cereal and sugary foods for carbs, get your protein in, and eat fats from all sources and if u are training hard u will get jacked or lean, because calories in and calories out is the key to weight loss or gain, but for health i could remble and will ramble on a different document specifically, but proper nutrition will be better for u LIVING LONGER because at the end of the day, looks come and go, at 70 u wont look like a peak 25 year old, but u can still look great and be lean and strong and healthy at that age and beyond if u take care of your health early, it's never too late but start NOW
-I would say limit alcohol, it is poison so limit it, we are humans tho and most people need some fun, its ok to have balance, in moderation especially if your goal is health, same with drugs, once again this is health related, so if u are in really bad health it may be good to weigh out what is more important, your life or certain foods and drinks
-Eat whole foods, avoid overly processed foods high in fats and/or sugar, which is most junk food like donuts, cookies, cake, chips, most store snacks, regular popcorn etc.
I would avoid many coffees with sugar, iced or sweet teas, any soda, sports drinks usually are filled with sugar, if u are not an extreme athlete u do need that many calories especially of sugar. I would also avoid sauces with full calories, 1 tablespoon can sometimes be the same as a whole salad which u are eating to be healthy, but if u are trying to lose weight and are eating something healthy and lather it with dressing or a soda u are eating excess calories still, cancelling out your healthy meal.
-Diet soda, diet teas, stevia for sugar, sugar free syrup and low calorie sauces, use them, they may not be great for health but if u are in a real bad situation of obesity or health, the artificial sweeteners and lower calories are without a doubt better than full calorie junk foods and drinks.
-Recommended 7-9 hours of sleep per night, rest is needed for recovery and health. Most people have poor sleep or don't get enough sleep for a multitude of reasons.
-Same can be said for sunlight, now I do think sunlight is good, if you are a very busy individual and work indoors a lot I would say supplement with Vitamin D3, not a perfect fix but it will help.
-Supplements are just that supplements, not a re[placement for all other factors above, they are not NEEDED but some i recommend that we don't get enough in daily food consumption or life is Vitamin D3, B12, Zinc, Magnesium, Fish oil or Cod Liver oil, Creatine, Protein powders can be used for convenience of course, everything else I would say personally is hit or miss and u can try them but none are NEEDED.
Dieting Specific Information/nutrition
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Now for diet specific information alot of this will be somewhat repetitive with deep breakdowns, i want this to be as clear cut as possible so u dont need to do hours of research after reading this, like as a beginner I had to with all the info i got, so as a basic diet for cutting and bulking I would always recommend
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1 gram of protein per Lb of lean body mass or goal body weight on AVERAGE, u can eat under or above, there are many debated on the proper amount, i'd say the only way to eat too much protein is of course if your stomach can't digest it fast enough, (for example a 125 lb woman eating 250 grams of protein a day might be too much), but i've eaten 200+ grams personally everyday since i was 135Lbs, Now for proper proteins- Red meat, chicken, turkey, eggs (obviously if cutting eat the leaner meets or eat egg whites more than whole eggs for specifically protein, the nutrients in the fats are good but all depends on your goals at that time), yogurt, cheese, protein bars and powders are a good supplement but i would eat mostly whole foods for proper aminos
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Fats are pretty simple to eat when they are clean, i’d recommend 0.6 grams per Lb of lean or goal body weight for fat minimum, if u dont eat enough fats u will crash your hormones as a NATURAL athlete and feel terrible, I would recommend natural oils like olive oil, eggs, milk, butter, beef tallow, Nuts and seeds, peanut/nut butters, avocado, etc, go easy on eating fats if u don't weigh your food as fats have more calories per gram than carbs,protein, or liquor, Fat is 9 calories per gram, Alcohol is 7 calories per gram, and carbs and protein and 4 calories per gram
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Carbs are now the hardest to regulate in food and drink, first id say no sugary drinks i consume personally, Cane sugar is terrible especially in the amounts its used in foods and drinks, for foods i'd say fruit, rice, vegetables, potatoes, whole breads like sourdough, honey, organic maple syrup, milk, pasta, carbs are highly palatable but as u eat whole food carbohydrates u will feel less of an urge to overeat them.
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The last nutrient that has calories is of course alcohol, liquor such as whiskey, vodka, tequila, have a 7 calories per gram calorie count and of course are a diuretic and a poison to the body, when paired with a sugary drink is very dangerous but fun, we are all humans its ok to have fun but just weigh it to your progress, i recommend drinking alcohol straight to save calories but also weigh your risk to reward ratio.