If you’re looking to maintain a lean physique, whether you’re currently on a fat loss diet plan and trying to lose excess fat or on a lean mass gaining phase and want to prevent fat gain, one thing that’s likely going through your mind is the ‘carbs at night’ issue.
Is eating carbohydrates at night acceptable? Or should you forgo them at all costs? And, what if you happen to be doing a workout late at night?
Are they then allowed or should you still avoid them to prevent fat gain?
Let’s look at the important facts that you need to know regarding carbohydrates late at night.
The Workout Timing Factor
The very first thing that you should always keep in mind regarding your carbohydrate intake is that for best results, you always want to try and place them right around the workout as much as possible.
This is when the muscles are most likely to store them in the cells as muscle glycogen and when they’re least likely to end up on your body as excess body fat.
Now, for those who are working out late at night, this poses a special scenario. Since you want to maximize your carbohydrate intake, this would mean taking in a huge dose of carbs before bed.
I love coffee!! There’s nothing like the smell of coffee to start off the day! Growing up, we did encounter a few myths about coffee. Some of them say that drinking coffee causes increased risks in causing heart diseases, hypertension, stunted growth and tooth decay. These claims were said to be controversial though.I researched more about coffee and found out that drinking appropriate amounts actually does have health benefits. Here are some of them:
ANTI-OXIDANTS
Coffee is rich in anti-oxidants that prevents oxidation, a process that causes damage to cells and contributes to aging. Anti-oxidants can also be found in most fruits and vegetables such as berries, beans and pecans but these are consumed less frequently as compared to coffee. In fact, a 2005 study found that Americans get more antioxidants from coffee than anywhere else. More than half of adults drink coffee daily, and the average coffee drinker downs about two-three cups each day.
IMPROVED MENTAL PERFORMANCE.
Caffeine in coffee is a well-known stimulant. Coffee promotes alertness, attention and wakefulness. The cup of coffee can also increase information processing.
One of the most important elements to eating healthy and achieving an ideal physique is getting in enough produce each day. Fruits and vegetables are loaded in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will help to strengthen the immune system, protect against disease and help you recover faster than ever before from your workout sessions.
In addition to this, they’re going to liven up the taste of your meals, making each dish more palatable. But, one question that you might find yourself asking every now and then is whether fresh is any healthier than frozen.
Frozen certainly can be more convenient, but are you trading up nutrition for that convenience? Or, are they both virtually the same?
Let’s take a closer look at this topic and give you some points to consider.
The Issue Of Nutrient Density
The primary concern regarding frozen fruits and vegetables is whether they will be as nutrient dense as their fresh counterparts.
Interestingly enough, often frozen vegetables and fruits are even more nutrient dense than fresh are because they are picked at their prime point of ripeness for freezing. Since the ripeness of the produce does indicate the quality of total nutrients available this gives a leg up to choosing frozen.
The downfall to frozen however is you can’t be too sure that they are organically produced, so this could send up a red flag in the minds of many. Read the rest of this entry »
Today I wanted to share with you a great article written by a buddy of mine by the name of Joey Vaillancourt, author of Bones To Buff and my workout partner in our Insane Muscle Assault workout DVD series.
Joey explains about picking the right protein sources and some really important rules to follow to optimize your amino acid profile to build even more muscle.
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Start of Article
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Protein Bioavailability Explained by Joey Vaillancourt
If you are serious about building muscle or losing fat, then you should already be aware of the role protein plays in this process. Nutrition plays a vital role in both goals and protein’s are the building blocks and should be included in everyone’s meal plan on a daily basis. No exception.
If there was only one nutrient you should focus on getting in it should be protein.
Protein’s are used to build and repair muscle tissue. After working out and breaking down our muscles, protein is generally the foundation for repair.
Carbohydrates and fat act as an energy source for our bodies when we train; kind of like the gasoline you put in your car. Carbs also replenish glycogen levels in your muscles after intense weight training. Now that you have a bit more of an understanding regarding the background of all three (protein, carbs and fats) lets move on and start to go deeper with the information on protein.
Many people, including myself when I first started, are under the impression that a protein is a protein, period. Some people think they are getting enough protein from foods such as nuts, oats, rice and potatoes because there are small trace amounts of proteins in these foods even if not considered a protein source.
However, even though there are protein’s in these foods I mentioned above, they should not be considered a primary protein source.
One issue that relates to both fat loss food and muscle building food that anyone who’s interested in changing their body composition should know is the difference between liver glycogen and muscle glycogen. Some people may not even know what the word ‘glycogen’ refers to so it’s important to get that figured out right off the bat before moving forward.
Glycogen is essentially the storage form of carbohydrates in the body. Whether you’re taking in starchy carbohydrate molecules or simple sugar molecules, these will get broken down into glucose in the body and then sent to various tissues for storage. When it’s in that storage form, it’s referred to as glycogen.
Now, let’s look at the differences between liver and muscle glycogen.
Muscle Glycogen
As the name suggests, muscle glycogen is going to be the storage place for carbohydrates in the muscle cells. How much muscle glycogen storage you have is going to be in direct relationship with how much lean muscle tissue you have.
In addition to that, how quickly you deplete this muscle glycogen will be determined by the intensity, duration, and frequency of physical activity you perform, with those who are much more active depleting it much more quickly.
Essentially, the more storage of muscle glycogen you have and the faster you deplete it, the more carbohydrates you can eat without risking them begin converted into body fat.
Liver Glycogen
On the other hand, liver glycogen is going to be the storage form of carbohydrates in the liver. Unfortunately unlike your muscle glycogen, its storage capacity is much more limited at about 50 grams per day for the average individual.
If more carbohydrates come into the body over and above this and they are not needed for direct energy, they will then get converted into body fat.
The Key Difference
Now, the key difference to remember is that the liver glycogen is made up of fructose molecules while the muscle glycogen is made up of glucose molecules. This then can clearly illustrate to you what happens when you eat certain types of foods. Read the rest of this entry »
I have to be honest, I didn’t always shopped for high quality foods (from natural or organic sources for example). I used to be kind of care free about where my food was coming from and was never convinced of the true virtues of these healthy foods. Sincerely I think I was simply auto-convincing myself as I didn’t have access to better than average quality foods (I was raised in a small town).
That being said, things have changed, and we have now access to more good sources of natural and organic foods. Even though your typical super market will always have average quality foods, you now have health food stores that carry all kinds of great products.
The only problem I had when I started being more selective about my food sources is that instead of going to a “one-stop shop” to do your groceries, I have to go to multiple locations to find everything you need. Not convenient when you are super busy like I am…
As you probably know, I have great relationships with my local butcher and a local vegetables producer who both give me great deals on top quality meats and veggies.
For the rest, I turned to online grocery shopping. A few months ago, my buddy John Romaniello introduced me to to a guy named David Sinick. To my surprise, David was the owner of a natural and organic online shopping site…PERFECT! Exactly what I was looking for!
It’s easy, fast and convenient. The “store” is never closed, and I can shop from my office (or my couch, or bed, etc…ahah). That’s awesome..
Makes it easy to organize your purchases, you never “run out” of things, because can plan what you need to order (I usually order once a month). This way I don’t impulsively buy things I don’t need, which is usually the case at the grocery store…makes me save a lot of $$$ I have to say.
Another benefit: I’ve found that it’s easier to identify and compare cost per unit online and order totals are calculated as you go, helping you stick to a budget and avoid the embarrassment of asking the clerk to put items back in store. Plus online prices are pretty much always lower than “real life” prices.
So now, you will ask : “where is that cool store, Dave?”
They deliver just about anywhere in the world. If you’re trying to eat healthy natural products, but you live in a small town or just don’t have access to high quality foods, you can still have access to great qualityfood.
Anyway, no matter where you live, True Foods will hook you up. Plus, they have the one of the largest selections of healthy and organic food that I’ve seen.
Of course they don’t sell meat, fish,eggs or other delicate items that don’t ship well. Thankfully you can get organic eggs just about anywhere (including 7-11).
So, do I buy EVERYTHING online now? No, of course not. As I said earlier, I still deal with my local producers to buy fresh produce And I also run to the supermarket from times to times, but only about once or twice a month now…
Below you can download a copy of my True Foods usual grocery shopping list, I added all the links so you can go directly to the product pages without searching. Hope you’ll like it
Click on image to download my grocery shopping list
What do you think of this style of shopping? Is this something that can be useful to you? Just let me know be commenting below!
Whether you are gaining, maintaining or leaning – Christmas and New Year can throw a spanner in the works. Here’s a few tips to help you maintain the results of your hard work over the year – without feeling like you have to deprive yourself!
Stick to your Routine & Control your Portion Sizes
Your body is used to a routine, so to stick to it as much as possible. Try to keep your 5-6 meals a day around the same size. This is a huge factor in not over eating all the tempting extras full of sugar, salt and fat (pretzels, chocolate covered nuts, chips – you know the deal). And if you are thinking of skipping a meal to make up for over eating – don’t! Not only will it slow your metabolism but research shows we will tend to snack more prior to the next meal which leads to more over eating. Scientists call this the “dis-inhibition effect” which simply means, if you start hoeing into your Mum’s homemade dip and corn chips 1 hour before dinner (because you are starving) then restraint goes out the window and by the time you sit down to eat yes – aka a gorged Christmas belly.
The same goes for portion sizes – just because everyone is piling their plate high doesn’t mean you have to. Imagine if you ate everything you wanted to over the holidays but cut the portion sizes back by 1/3. The cumulative effect over a meal, a day and your whole holiday means a huge reduction in unhealthy calories!
Maintain your Protein Intake as a high % of your Overall Calories
Try to include some protein at every meal (you know why) but also keep an eye on your intake relative to your total calories. Don’t cut back on protein just because you had that extra piece of German Chocolate Cake last night
Avoid Mindless Eating
I use the traffic light technique to help me choose nutritionally dense foods when eating outside of my regular environment. Red light foods are those with hidden sugar, salt and fat like processed foods, sauces, dips and desserts. I stop and think, am I really hungry, do I really want it, what could I eat instead, and is it worth the calories? Yellow light foods are those that are maybe OK but I need to do a second take, just to make sure (baked goods and some “health foods” for example). And green light foods are fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, unprocessed foods and lean protein.
Don’t Drink your Calories and Watch Out for Alcohol
It’s very easy to drink an extra 400 to 500 of nutritionally empty calories a day, especially over the holidays. If you cut back on liquid calories then you have more room to indulge a little with your favorite foods. We all know alcohol slows down our metabolism so we are more likely to store excess calories as fat. And it decreases our inhibitions so we tend to eat more. Not only that – working out the next day sucks. So, pace yourself and if possible choose red wine, preferably Australian
What if you are hung over?
Yes it happens to the best of us! Try my fresh juice remedy below. Alcohol, starchy carbohydrates, sugar and high fat diary all create acidity. This juice helps alkalinize your body and is a natural detoxifier. It contains vitamins A, C, B, potassium, iron, calcium and magnesium and is high in fiber.
Belinda’s Fresh Juice Remedy for Post Alcohol Mornings
Ingredients:
Juice of 1 grapefruit
Juice of 2 oranges
2 spinach leaves
1 cup chopped papaya, mango or red grapes
1 slice of pineapple, watermelon or melon
Instructions:
Place all ingredients in blender, liquefy and serve immediately. Drink first thing in the morning then make sure you have plenty of water during the day.
What to Cook!
If you’re the one doing the cooking during the holidays, you will have a lot more control over the ingredients and how meals are cooked. OK fine, but most of the holiday recipes are loaded with sugar, salt and fat. With a little effort your favorite traditional special-occasion recipes can be “cleaned up” just by swapping whole grains for refined ones, choosing low-fat dairy products, and Stevia instead of sugar. To make it easy, I have put together my Celebration Cookbook which contains over 100 recipes that are super healthy and loaded with flavor. I’ve also included full menus for all special occasions (including Christmas) and shopping lists – so all you have to do is cook and eat!
Now, Dave has asked me to do something extra special for you this for Christmas. So together we have put together an awesome package to help you stay on track with your physique goals through the holidays AND eat, drink and be merry!
As you go about your goals to build up more lean muscle mass, there’s one meal of the day that you simply cannot look over – breakfast. You’ve heard it time and time again, ‘breakfast is the most important meal of the day’. And it is!
Getting your body started first thing in the morning though will prime you to start the muscle building process early on and make sure that you have a full supply of energy all day long.
Let’s go over a few of the important factors you should be considering when coming up with your muscle building breakfast meals.
Why Breakfast Is A Must ?
When looking at why you need breakfast, not only is it going to help ensure that you’re able to reach your calorie requirements for the day to build that lean muscle mass, but it’s also going to help prevent your body from moving into a catabolic state.
Since you’ve just spent the last seven or eight hours fasting, you need to get some amino acids and glucose into your system. If you skip this and begin your day without it, you could start using up your lean muscle for fuel.
Furthermore, creating a breakfast that has the perfect blend of the three nutrients – carbohydrates, proteins, and fats, will ensure that your concentration and focus level is high so that you are able to work or study effectively.
The On-The-Go Solution
One of the biggest problems that people face when it comes to breakfast however is a lack of time. You’re incredibly rushed first thing in the morning and the last thing that you feel like doing is waking up earlier to get in some cooking time.
When this is the situation, don’t let yourself skip the nutrition you need. Instead, consider a liquid breakfast meal. It takes just two to three minutes to whip up a well-balanced protein shake that you can then take with you on your way to work or school.
For anyone who is serious about getting muscle building results, you will find a way to get these nutrients in. A super shake like my famous Banana Bread Shake is always is the perfect option for those with busy lifestyles.
Selecting The Perfect Food Choices For Breakfast
So which foods should your breakfast meal consist of? Which are going to be healthiest for both muscle mass building as well as keeping your energy levels stable?
Ideally you want to get in a mixture of carbohydrates, proteins, and healthy fats. This will ensure that you aren’t missing out on anything that the body needs to function optimally.
If there’s one supplement that you absolutely cannot miss out on with your diet plan it’s essential fatty acids, otherwise referred to as EFA’s. More and more people are starting to realize the importance of taking in EFA’s daily, but yet there are still some individuals who have yet to wise up to this and start including them in their plan.
Let’s give you a brief run-down of what EFA’s are all about and why you must start taking them so you can clearly see how important they are regardless of what your current fitness goal is.
What Are EFA’s?
Essential fatty acids are a polyunsaturated fatty acid that is classified as one of the essential nutrients of the body. This means that without taking it in from an outside source, your body would be unable to produce it on its own, meaning that you’d slowly become deficient.
Essential fatty acids are a very good form of fat that the body needs in order to function properly and will be the precursor to a number of other fatty acids that get synthesized in the body as well as a variety of different hormones that are required to keep up with your hard workouts and maintain overall good health.
The two main EFA’s that you’ll hear the most about include Omega-3 or ALA (alpha-linolenic acid) as well as Omega-6 or LA (linoleic acid)
What Are The Benefits of EFA’s?
So why should you be taking in EFA’s? What are the benefits to you?
A better question might be what aren’t you going to get from regularly including this in your diet. EFA’s support so many different body processes that it doesn’t matter who you are, you will benefit from them.
Some of the major benefits that you’ll get from EFA’s include enhanced metabolic functioning, improved overall energy levels, a greater degree of sensitivity to insulin (which allows the body to utilize carbohydrates better), lowered levels of blood pressure, improved brain function, enhanced mood, better stamina and endurance, improved production of hormones including muscle building testosterone, and the enhancement of the skin, hair, and nails.
As you can see, the benefits are extremely plentiful so it would be a big mistake to miss out on this important nutrient. I ALWAYS supplement with EFA, both off-season and when I’m dieting.
How Much EFA’s Should You Be Taking?
While you can get some EFA’s from food sources such as walnuts, flaxseeds, and fatty fish, most people are not getting nearly enough through their food intake and often not in the right proportions. That’s why adding the supplement makes things easy.
All you have to do is take a few capsules each and every day and you can rest assured that you’re going to get the powerful benefits that these have to offer.
Most people will do best aiming for 3-6 grams of EFA’s per day.
So make sure you’re not overlooking this powerful supplement. It may not have quite the hype that some others do, but rest assured that it will make a big difference on your overall progress.
To celebrate Halloween Prograde are putting ALL of the awesome Prograde products on sale at 13% off!
Simply use the coupon code SCARY13 at checkout.
You will find below my complete meal plan that I’ll be using for week 2 of my 4-week pre-vegas ‘’diet’’.
Last week went really well… dropped 3 lbs, and I had an unplanned cheat meal on sunday. I was planning on not having a cheat meal this week (I like to start my diets with 2 weeks of 100% clean eating before introducing my usual weekly cheat meal).
If you’ve been following this meal plan, you can allow yourself 1 cheat MEAL next weekend (I won’t as I cheated last week).
50+ comments by Wednesday night and I’ll reveal a brand new video of my best snack recipe ever… and if I get these 50 comments, I also promise to add it to next week’s meal plan… you’ll thank later
I love coffee!! There’s nothing like the smell of coffee to start off the day! Growing up, we did encounter a few myths about coffee. Some of them say that drinking coffee causes increased risks in causing heart diseases, hypertension, stunted growth and tooth decay. These claims were said to be controversial though.I researched more about coffee and found out that drinking appropriate amounts actually does have health benefits. Here are some of them:
One of the most important elements to eating healthy and achieving an ideal physique is getting in enough produce each day. Fruits and vegetables are loaded in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that will help to strengthen the immune system, protect against disease and help you recover faster than ever before from your workout sessions.
And I also run to the supermarket from times to times, but only about once or twice a month now…
If there’s one supplement that you absolutely cannot miss out on with your diet plan it’s essential fatty acids, otherwise referred to as 
What Are The Benefits of EFA’s? 
