Planning Diets Natural Nutrition |

Had some good quesitons this time! I expect that there are more coming but this is the wrap up for now. I had to edit a few but those of you who asked questions and dont see them here recieved private emails from me to answer your questions.

1. Should you aim for zero fat in your diet?

No you should not aim for zero fat. Fat is essential for maintaining healthy skin and hair. It also acts as a transport for the fat-soluble vitamins A, D, E, and K.  The deal with fat is that is contains 9 calories per gram, and this is why fat foods are considered high calorie.  Despite its bad reputation, you do need between 15-20% of your diet to be comprised of fats to maintain health.  Most of this will come indirectly through your regular eating and it’s a fat chance (pun intended) that you’re not getting enough already!

2. Can I eat carbohyrates at night time?

Yes, however you should make sure that the carbohydrates come from complex sources like brown rice, vegetables and salads.

3. What is the best diet to keep blood sugars normal for a Type II Diabetic?

The same diet that is best for everyone. A diet that is well balanced with all the macronutrients, low in simple sugars and full of natural vitamins and fiber. It’s all about keeping the sugar levels stable while providing enough calories and nutrition through whole foods. Just like when we were cave women and men!

Everyone may want to take a look at tweaking the diet a bit if for instance you have food allergies or cannot digest red meat. But other than that the standard is always the same. I prefer a 20 percent fat, 50 percent protein and 30 percent carbohydrate myself.

4. If you already eat healthy with no real avail, than how can you trick your body into losing weight?

Check again to make sure that your standard of eating healthy jives with a nutritionists and if that is the case start working out harder.

5. Can a body-builder/weightlifter be a vegetarian?

Yes, there are quite a few people who have done it. It is especially easy to do if you allow eggs, milk and whey protein under the label of vegetarian. If you are going strict vegetarian it gets harder but comes down to some serious planning and using various foods to produce complete proteins.

6. What are some good sources of low fat protein for someone who doesn’t really like meat or eggs very much?

Some good choices of low fat protein for someone that does not like or can not eat meat or eggs would be:

Low fat cottage cheese
Skim milk, soy milk
A variety of sea foods
Beans and lentils
Low fat yogurt
Whey protein

7. What are bad carbs vs. good carbs?

Carbs are the preferred source of energy for the body.  When you eat carbs your body converts them to blood sugar or glucose.  This glucose is stored in your muscle cells and liver for use when needed (like training!).  When weight lifting, it is mostly this stored energy that your muscles use for contraction fuel.  As with any calories you eat, any excess carbs that can’t be utilized are stored as fat.

Some sugars are more conducive to a good-looking physique than others. This is where the good carb verses bad carb comes into play. There are three kinds of carbohydrates:

     Monosaccharides (one-sugar molecule)
     Disaccharides (two-sugar molecules)
     Polysaccharides (three or more sugar molecules)

Monosaccharides and disaccharides are called sugars or bad carbs while polysaccarides are usually called complex carbohydrates, glucose polymers or good carbs.  This is where the real good stuff begins.  Because the good carbs contain three or more sugar molecules, they take longer to break down.  The longer it takes the body to break these carbs down, the more time it has to use them as opposed to storing them as fat.  A good way to gauge the quickness of the break down is something called the glycemic index.

8. Can eating 5-8 healthy balanced meals a day cause diabetes in the long run?

I cannot find or have not heard any evidence that would support that idea. In fact during all my research I have found the exact opposite to prove itself over and over. Large infrequent meals put quite a load on the body and create large surges of insulin response. This as you may know over time is one of the factors that can lead to the onset of diabetes. There is actually a study done on older subjects that states A higher meal frequency acutely subdues glucose excursions and reduces insulin and FFA levels during the daytime in older Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus subjects. You can find that study here: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

August 17, 2006

Cleanse day 2. I actually have nothing to report! I went to capoeira last night and felt a little sluggish but no more than I would on any ordinary off day. There is no problem with the pills you have to take and no cravings either.

It’s actually freaking me out a bit. I was expecting to be very grumpy. My girlfriend is already feeling the positive effects and I think this morning we both felt great after a breakfast together.

It will be time for some new recipes soon though, because I can see us getting board. Right now suppers are pretty consistent with using this lemon chicken recipe.

1 TBSP Olive oil
2 TBSP Lemon Pepper
¼ Cup Lemmon Juice

Combine all the ingredients and slop two chicken breasts around in the mixture. Put the breasts and remaining mixture into a deep dish and stick them in the oven for 40 minutes on 375. That’s the chicken.

For a side, cut up some carrots, potatoes and onions. Just a couple of each, only one onion though. Put all the ingredients into a deep dish add in some butter, salt and pepper to taste and put it in the oven beside the chicken! It tastes really, really good!

Since I will be re-releasing a video product about how to get your lean and toned body  by developing an easy to follow diet and nutrition plan early next week, I thought we should do a question time specifically about this.  This is always one of the major topics at my speaking events so its always good to have prepared answers!

It’s time to open up this topic for questions.  What do you want to know about nutrition and diet planning and how they can lead to your personal health, wellness and appearance?
Here are some guidelines:

1. Post your question as a comment to this post in the comment box below.

2. Post ONLY a question.  A question is a single sentence that ends with a question mark.  Please do not post commentary before or after your question…. just a question.  If I get a lot of questions, I’ll first ignore the comments that were full of stuff other than a single question in a single sentence.

3. Post only ONE question per comment.

4. You can post as many questions as you want… but only ONE per comment.  Post as many comments as you would like.

5. The best question posted (in my sole discretion of what is “best”) will receive a complimentary copy of the diet planner system I’ll be re-releasing next week.

6. You have from now until Monday or Tuesday to post any questions.

7. Your questions must be about nutrition or diet.

Fire Away! I’m Here To Help…

 

Last night had us going shopping to pick up all out groceries so we could start the herbal cleanse today. One thing about doing a cleanse is that your life has to change a little for 12 days. Things need to slow down and we actually like that. So my girlfriend and I sat down and went through some recipe books to see which ones we like and could use on the cleanse.

The next step after agreeing on recipes, is to write down all the ingredients to form your shopping list. Its really not bad because there are only certain ingredients you can use and they are replicated in many recipes. Kind of makes you wonder why they all taste the same doesn’t it? Just kidding, the foods are quite tasty once your taste buds adapt to real food instead of sugarcoated goodies.

So what can you eat on this cleanse? You can eat all the vegetables you want and they can be cooked or raw, your choice. You can have grains but just no flour. You can eat legumes such as beans but not too much. If a food causes gas it is because your body is having difficulties digesting it. It’s a know fact that a lot of illnesses can be traced right back to digestive problems.

This particular cleanse has some issues with fruit. Sweeter tropical fruits are not allowed because of the sugar content. Fruits like bananas, melons and pineapple for example. Other domestic fruits like apples, pears, peaches and berries are fine in moderation.

The one hard thing about doing a herbal cleanse for me as an ex bodybuilder is cutting back on the meat. The sweet stuff is not a problem because I usually tend to be low carb out of natural habit. The meat however has always been a large part of my diet. Herbal cleanses ask you to cut it back a couple of notches and add back in the veggies so the body can detoxify. It is amazing the amounts of growth hormones and antibiotics that are put into our mass produced meats. Such is the disadvantages of having such a convenient source of meat available. Some of us do not have time to hunt.

Water is very important on a cleanse, and this particular herbal cleanse recommends drinking as much as you can. This isn’t hard since milk and fruit juices are not allowed and this leaves pretty much only water left to have with your meals. As a minimum on this herbal cleanse you should drink six to eight glasses of water a day.

What is the hardest part of a herbal detox? I think the preparation is where most people run into trouble. You really have to plan in advance in order to not get sucked into grabbing a muffin or snack at the store. You have to have the groceries available and have time to wake up and make breakfast. It is hard and different than usual but what a nice change to sit down and eat breakfast with the girlfriend instead of just tagging off at the door with a quick kiss.

What was breakfast for herbal cleanse day 1? Four eggs with some diced red onion and red bell pepper. We kept the yokes in or I would be starving by the next meal. My girlfriend added some store bought salsa to her eggs and I will be making some salsa from scratch later on today.

I’ll keep you posted as we go through the cleanse. As well if you are doing my diet video tutorial series, I fully recommend doing a herbal cleanse before you start. Your results will be much, much better.

More than likely you’ve been told or have read over and
over again that in order to gain serious muscle weight you
“must” eat a very high protein diet….you “must” use
certain supplements….you “must” avoid sweets, like
chocolate candy bars…etc., etc.

So, then, why is it that you have literally millions and
millions of dedicated individuals that follow all of these
“bodybuilding / hardgainer / muscle mass” diets to the
letter, day after day, week after week, month after month,
year after year, yet when they look at themselves in the
mirror, they still look no different???

Everyone seems to think that is how all the pros do it.

That’s the “correct” way of eating to gain muscle weight.

Well, if that were the case, why aren’t we seeing any
results from that sacrificial, monk-like form of eating?

As I’ve stated in many articles time and time again, don’t
follow what you read….follow what you observe.

Read that last sentence again.

It may be one of the most physique-changing sentences
you’ll ever read.

It sure was for me.

Why do I say that?

Well, become someone that observes what those that have had
success do, not what’s politically correct or what the
popular thinking is.

See what people are actually doing in the real world to
gain muscle.

Then, imitate it.

Case in point:

Mariusz Pudzianowski, multiple-time World’s Strongest Man
Champion, and probably the most well-built, muscular,
ripped, in-shape champion (if not the most well-built), is
a perfect example of what I’m talking about.

Not only does this man have the strength of an ox, but he
has the ripped, defined, muscular look.

That’s very, very rare in the world of Strongest Man
competition.

Most powerlifters are very large in overall size, and
extremely strong, but they are also very fat.

Most don’t have any visible muscle definition.

A lot of them have humungous waist lines, especially when
you get into the heavy weights and super heavy weights.

But to see someone the has the best of both worlds, a ton
of muscle along with very low amounts of body fat, while
being extremely powerful, is very rare.

In a recent Flex Magazine issue, they detail some of the
top World’s Strongest Man competitors.

With Mariusz, they ask him how he eats and trains.

What does he do to have the muscle and strength that he
possesses, which is down right phenomenal.

(By the way, this guy is 6′ 1″ in height, yet weighs an
unbelievable 320 pounds….all while showing off very
defined muscles and abs!!!)

What he says about his eating is straight up
eye-opening….and myth-busting.

I quote him directly, from Flex Magazine,..

“My energy comes from my diet.

Breakfast is 10 eggs and two to three pounds of bacon.

Between meals, I eat lots of candy.

In the morning, it will be several 3 Musketeers and / or
Snickers bars; I need them for energy.

Lunch…is a double meal of a Polish pork chop, sauerkraut
and potatoes….then…more chocolate.

…….At 3 or 4 am, I wake up and have more chocolate…”

Now, he does also mention that he has a couple of more
meals containing meat, sauerkraut, potatoes, and……more
chocolate.

But what I want you to see is that he eats chocolate candy
bars all day long, even in the middle of the night.

He’s not big on drinking a bunch of protein powders or
shakes.

If you look at it, his diet is high in protein, high in
carbs, and high in fats.

Look at it.

Two to three pounds of bacon everyday!

(Gee, and I thought bacon was a big “no-no”, at least
according to the internet and mags).

Yet, everyone says you have to have high protein, low to
moderate carbs, and no sweets on a regular
basis…..”because it will sabotage your bodybuilding
goals”.

Yeah right!!!!!

Now, I’m not saying that this same diet would work for you
in particular.

The purpose of my referring to this example is to get you
to think outside the box.

Don’t be afraid to not “follow the crowd”.

Find out what works best for YOUR particular body type and
genetics.

Do what others with success do in the real world.

You may find that eating a ton of bacon or chocolate candy
bars doesn’t work out for you.

Or, you may find that it does.

How will you know unless you actually test it?

“Don’t knock until you try it”.

You may find that you need to be strict with your eating to
acheive your muscle weight gain goals.

You may find that you don’t.

Don’t be afraid to experiment, you just might stumble upon
something that surprises you!

About the Author:

How did a Cleveland Firefighter discover how to gain over
40 pounds of muscle weight WITHOUT using any supplements,
no special diet, eating very low protein, and working out
only 2 hours a week?
Jonathan Perez has created the *ultimate* guide - “From
Skinny To Muscular!…..How To Gain Muscle Eating Any Foods
You Want, Using No Supplements Whatsoever, and Performing
Only 2 Special Sets Per Week Per Muscle”
FREE Details: ——-> Fromskinnytomuscular.com

We are seeing a growing surge of  adults and children getting obese. There is also something else that is happening behind the scenes. Children are developing eating disorders and not getting proper nutrition. This can be a very bad thing from a developmental standpoint as at this age, children are setting the tone for their bodies for the rest of their lives.

Children can sometimes get the wrong idea about what is a desirable way to eat to achieve proper health. The massive amount of media that children are exposed to can sometimes give a bad example of what is normal and healthy as a child. In the early stages of development for a child there are several things that should and should not be found in the daily diet in order for the child to progress normally.

Complex carbohydrates should be found in children’s diets because it breaks down slower than simple sugars and can be used more effectively as a long lasting energy source. This comes into play when children are required to concentrate in class for long periods in order to learn new material. The brains main source of fuel is glucose, which is the end product of ingesting complex carbohydrates. If only simple sugars like candy are eaten, not only will a child gain weight but will experience wild energy fluctuations.

 Of course most parents are aware of the food pyramid but it does get hard to prepare healthy meals when both parents are on the go. Creating full meals for your children that include meats, vegetables and grains requires a lot of preparation.  There are ways to facilitate this that are not as demanding as you would think.

To fulfill the vegetable requirement, frozen vegetables are a great replacement and quite quick to prepare and add to a main meal. Grains can come in the form of whole wheat breads and shredded wheat cereals at breakfast. Fruits are very easy and simply need to be purchased and kept available in an easy to reach location.

Meats seem to cause the most problem because it doesn’t keep as well once prepared as some other food groups. However if you buy a bulk package of chicken breasts and then as soon as you get home from the grocery store break it up into family size servings your on the right track. Store three or four chicken breasts in a zip lock an throw them all in the freezer. From here it is simply a matter of pulling the chicken out in the morning and letting it thaw in the fridge all day. When you get home you can throw some BBQ sauce in the zip lock, shake it around and throw it on the BBQ for a couple of minutes. Done.

With your chicken it is always nice to have a side dish prepared. Salads will always work but here is an idea for something different. Cook in bulk. Cook up several cups of rice and then store them in family size servings in zip locks. When you want a side of rice you can just pull it out warm it up and serve. You could also add chicken broth or maybe some peas and corn to spice it up a little. There is also yams and potatoes that can be bulk cooked and stored. Yams can be bulk cooked and then warmed up with a little cinnamon to add flavor.

There are a ton of options available, its just a matter of getting out of the box literally. Once you start bulk preparing your meals and stop opening boxes from the grocery store you will end up saving money and providing a great platform for your children to launch their future off of.

Most diet strategies are based on a calorie deficit approach. You eat les fuel than the body requires each day, which creates an energy deficit and the body responds by calling upon body fat as fuel. Yet adopting a severely low calorie diet in hoes of a quick fix only sets you up for failure.

  

The biggest mistake you can make is starving yourself. It drains your energy and you cant work out so you cant change the way you look. Drastic calorie reduction leads to a slow down in the metabolic rate, the total calories burned in a day and a slow metabolism is the death wish for anyone seeking a hard body.

  

Research has indicated that the thyroid gland, the source of thyroid hormones that ultimately help determine your metabolic rate, reacts quickly to starvation diets. That is , when you eat too few calories your body decreases it thyroid hormone output, which decreases your metabolic rate. Other detrimental effects of starving include an increase in fat-storing enzymes in the body. Once enzyme called lipoprotein lipase acts as sort of a gatekeeper, allowing fatty acids to flow in and out of fat ells. While mild reductions in calories cause a decrease in LPL activity, giving fatty acids the freedom to flow out of fat cells, overly aggressive calorie cuts actually increase LPL activity. In concert with decreased levels of thyroid hormone, this causes the body to cling to stored body fat.

  

While severe caloric reductions seem to throw a monkey wrench into the fat loss equation, calorie surpluses or overeating exerts another puzzling effect. Not only does body fat increase, but overeating may cause a mild increase in thyroid levels and an increase in anabolic hormones that help support muscle mass such a growth hormone, testosterone and IGF-1.

  

Since extended periods of dieting can slow the metabolism, a single cheat day where you boost your carb intake 50 percent higher than normal can avoid the decrease in your metabolism and actually promote the release of beneficial hormones.

  

One thing I would suggest though on your cheat day is to never consume sugary soda or pop. Pop contains 300 calories and 19 teaspoons of sugar. The best thing to drink is water with a lemon wedge in there. diet pop is an alternative for getting rid of the sugar but it will never be as good for you as water. The calories from pop come from such simple sugars that they will not serve you well in getting lean, even on a cheat day. The release of sugar into your blood stream is just too quick.

  

Another tip for cheat days on your diet is related to the above point on pop. When or if you decide to hit a fast food joint while you are out, do not get the combo! If you want a burger for your cheat day, then so be it. What you don’t want is the biggie sized fries and diabetic coma pop. While a burger could be seen as almost part of the diet, the 1320 calories you get from the fries and pop will not help you reveal those abs!