Boost Your Metabolism With These Protein-Rich Foods

The benefits of dietary protein are well-documented.  Unfortunately, most of us do not get enough protein in our diets.  It is estimated that we should consume 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, each day, to help protect against age-related muscle loss (that’s 105-140 grams of protein per day for a 175 pound man).  Active individuals should aim for the upper end of this equation, and athletes may need even more.

Additional benefits of adequate dietary protein consumption include:

• Muscle repair
• Increases fat-burning
• Increases satiety (full feeling) after a meal
• Decreases subsequent energy (calorie) intake
• Leads to weight loss

I found an interesting article in Prevention magazine that lists several protein-rich food sources that can help you get 20-30 grams of protein at each meal.  I especially like the idea of supplementing your daily protein intake with whey protein powder.  8-10 oz. of milk, mixed with a scoop of whey protein powder, provides 30+ grams of quality protein.  Mix it the night before, then drink it the next day — a few sips, throughout the day — at work, home, school, etc.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Be Aware of What (and how) You Eat

Being aware of what you eat can help you make better food choices.  I’m not necessarily talking about dieting or limiting your calories (although quantity should be part of the equation for many of us).  Nor am I suggesting that you limit yourself to only certain recipes or foods.  In fact, nutritional awareness is just as much about how you eat as what you eat.

Here are a few tips to help you focus on the “how,” as it relates to your eating:

• Consider how hungry you really are before eating.  Try to match the amount of food you eat to your hunger, and not necessarily your appetite.
• Try eating with your non-dominant hand.  This will slow down your eating, allowing for that full feeling to take effect earlier in your meal, and help you avoid overeating.
• Choose open-faced sandwiches and eliminate half of the bread or bun — and half of its carbs and calories.
• Take mini water breaks between bites of food.  Not only will this slow down your eating, it will also help you feel fuller without adding calories.
• Don’t deny yourself an occasional indulgence, but try to limit “cheat” calories to no more than 10% of your total daily calories.
• Plan ahead and pack your own healthy meals and snacks.  A little foresight and planning — even the night before — can really improve your daily nutrition.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Boost Your Metabolism With These Protein-Rich Foods

The benefits of dietary protein are well-documented.  Unfortunately, most of us do not get enough protein in our diets.  It is estimated that we should consume 0.6-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight, each day, to help protect against age-related muscle loss (that’s 105-140 grams of protein per day for a 175 pound man).  Active individuals should aim for the upper end of this equation, and athletes may need even more.

Additional benefits of adequate dietary protein consumption include:

• Muscle repair
• Increases fat-burning
• Increases satiety (full feeling) after a meal
• Decreases subsequent energy (calorie) intake
• Leads to weight loss

I found an interesting article in Prevention magazine that lists several protein-rich food sources that can help you get 20-30 grams of protein at each meal.  I especially like the idea of supplementing your daily protein intake with whey protein powder.  8-10 oz. of milk, mixed with a scoop of whey protein powder, provides 30+ grams of quality protein.  Mix it the night before, then sip on it the next day — throughout the day — at work, home, school, etc.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Be Aware of What (and how) You Eat

Being aware of what you eat can help you make better food choices.  I’m not necessarily talking about dieting or limiting your calories (although quantity should be part of the equation for many of us).  Nor am I suggesting that you limit yourself to only certain recipes or foods.  In fact, nutritional awareness is just as much about how you eat as what you eat.

Here are a few tips to help you focus on the “how,” as it relates to your eating:

• Consider how hungry you really are before eating.  Try to match the amount of food you eat to your hunger, and not necessarily your appetite.
• Try eating with your non-dominant hand.  This will slow down your eating, allowing for that full feeling to take effect earlier in your meal, and help you avoid overeating.
• Choose open-faced sandwiches and eliminate half of the bread or bun — and half of its carbs and calories.
• Take mini water breaks between bites of food.  Not only will this slow down your eating, it will also help you feel fuller without adding calories.
• Don’t deny yourself an occasional indulgence, but try to limit “cheat” calories to no more than 10% of your total daily calories.
• Plan ahead and pack your own healthy meals and snacks.  A little foresight and planning — even the night before — can really improve your daily nutrition.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?

Skip the Juice, Eat the Fruit

Everyone knows how important fruits and vegetables are to a well-rounded, healthy diet (even though research indicates that most of us don’t get enough of them in our daily diets).  Drinking your fruit (or veggies), in juice form, may seem like a convenient, sensible way to get your daily allowance, but is it?

Eating fruit can be more satisfying and beneficial than drinking juice.  Unfortunately, many juice drinks are nothing more than vitamin fortified sugar-water.  Many fruit juices that are sold in supermarkets contain only a small percentage of real fruit juice, and contain added sweeteners (sucrose or high fructose corn syrup). As a result, it is easy to consume a large amount of calories without getting any actual nutrition when you consume these beverages.  Skip the juice, eat the fruit, and you can save calories while ensuring your body gets all the nutrients fruit has to offer, including fiber.

Sugars

Although fruit contains sugars, it provides natural — and not added — sugars.  Typically, fruit juice equivalents can be significantly higher is sugars, including added sugars (for example, an average serving of apple juice has 25-30% more sugar than a medium apple).  A similar scenario holds true for other fruits.  The effects of the sugar on your blood sugar is greater when you drink juice, as the absorption of the sugar is not mitigated by the fiber provided by the whole fruit. Thus, drinking fruit juice can set the stage for a series of blood-sugar spikes and subsequent crashes, a scenario that is not much different from eating a candy bar.

Fiber

Fiber is an essential part of a healthy diet. You should eat 20 to 30 g of this nutrient each day, according to the Harvard School of Public Health. Eating fiber has various health benefits; it can help to reduce your risk of contracting type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and colon cancer. When you “drink” your fruit, you are eliminating this very important ingredient. Consider that a whole medium apple has more than 4 g of fiber, but apple juice has almost none. Blueberries are another example: A 1-cup serving will net you almost 4 g of beneficial fiber, but the juice provides practically none.  Fruit skins and pulp are the sources of many of the fruit’s nutrients (vitamins, flavonoids, etc.).

Satiety

Eating foods rich in fiber helps to provide satiety, the feeling of being full. Chewing your fruit instead of drinking it can trick you into thinking you are eating more calories, as it takes longer to eat a bunch of grapes than it does to drink a serving of juice. Note that the serving sizes for juice are smaller than what you probably serve yourself. Only 1/3 to 1/2 cup of juice counts as one serving of fruit, according to the University of Illinois Extension. When you drink a 12-oz. glass of juice, you are drinking three servings of fruit — not an advantage if you are watching your calories and overall sugar intake.

Healthier Drinks

If you are in the habit of drinking juice, it may be replacing healthier beverage choices. Low-fat milk, which provides calcium, and tea, which provides anti-oxidants, are better choices. Juice often takes the place of water, as well. Water provides no calories and should be a part of everyone’s diet. Drinking juice in place of water can lead to weight gain and difficulties regulating blood sugar. For the best health, stick to eating whole fruits and drinking low-sugar, healthy beverages.

In most cases, the switch from whole fruit to fruit juice can only be made at the expense of full nourishment and health.

Get STRONGER, Get FASTER!

Your thoughts?