As a continuation of yesterday’s discussion of “Power Foods,” I wanted to give links to a few articles on various power foods you should have in your daily diet as well as some recipes using those foods.

Power Foods: The Magic 13

Another Power Food

Nutrition Quest – Cool Food Facts

Meat!

Cooking the Power Foods – Part 1

Cooking the Power Foods – Part 2

Read these articles, learn a few things and start putting this information to practice.

Enjoy!

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According to the Abs Diet by David Zinczenko, there are 12 “Power Foods” that everyone should eat because they fulfill your core nutritional needs and help you build a lean body while losing fat. These foods include:

Almonds and other raw nuts (almonds, walnuts, cashews, etc.)
Beans and legumes
Spinach and other green vegetables

Dairy (raw milk, organic cottage cheese, yogurt and cheese)
Instant oatmeal (I recommend real oatmeal that is unsweetened)
Eggs (eat the whole egg!!!)
Turkey and other lean meats

Peanut butter (ingredients should be: peanuts and salt)
Olive oil
Whole-grain breads (buy breads without high-fructose corn syrup like Nature’s Own)
Extra protein powder (whey and casein mix: low-carb Metabolic Drive)
Raspberries and other berries

In addition to eating the above foods through various combinations (giving you hundreds of food options), the Abs Diet recommends eating 4-6 meals per day, drinking smoothies (for convenience), no longer counting calories (causes you to lose focus and motivation), drinking plenty of water and having one cheat meal per week.

For the most part, I agree with the food choices and recommendations. However, I would suggest a few small changes (some of which I already noted above).

Rather than eating any type of peanut butter, I would highly recommend only eating all-natural peanut butter. The ingredients listed should be: Peanuts and salt. If your peanut butter has hydrogenated oils, sugar and other additives (even some of the new “healthier” peanut butter mixes they are trying to sell), get rid of them and find some all-natural peanut butter.

The oils and sugar in most peanut butters are bad for you. They add evil things to your diet like trans fats, sugar and even high-fructose corn syrup. Some of the newer “healthier” versions of peanut butter contain flax seed, egg whites and other ingredients. These are not any better!

Whenever there are extremes in life, the middle is usually the place to be. This is important to remember when it comes to training and nutrition. It’s easy to be swayed one way or the other, but the middle ground is usually where the truth is found.

Stick with all-natural peanut butter. I prefer the Publix old-fashioned peanut butter. It is affordable and contains only peanuts and salt. Sure, you have to spend some time mixing it up when you first open it, but all that oil is good for you! So don’t discard it. Just be sure to mix well when first opening and then place your peanut butter in the refrigerator to keep it from separating again.

If you’re not used to eating real peanut butter, then it may take a few weeks to adjust to the taste (since it’s no longer loaded with sugar). However, after a few weeks, you will love the taste of real peanut butter and never go back to the fake stuff.

Just be careful of your portion sizes, as peanut butter (and other nuts) are calorically dense. This means that a small serving packs a healthy punch of calories and healthy fats. If you stick with a serving size (two tablespoons = 200 calories), you’ll be just fine and also notice that it helps keep you fuller longer.

Although the Abs Diet recommends no-fat dairy products, I try to shy away from no-fat products and instead opt for whole fat versions depending on the food. The reason I recommend this is because the fat in dairy products is actually important for the absorption of the protein and nutrients.

A recent study found that non-fat and even low-fat milk reacted differently than whole milk when it came to absorption. The fat in milk is needed in order to allow the body to absorb and use protein and Vitamin D. This is why many of the “non-fat” foods available are not always the best choice. Remember what I said in two earlier blogs? The body needs FAT!

Choose the most natural food when shopping. Although I’m not a huge proponent of commercialized store-bought milk due to its lack of nutrients, sugar content and how it affects the insulin levels (possibly leading to fat gain), I know that others may enjoy milk and not want to give it up. That’s okay, you don’t have to give it up, but I would recommend that you limit consumption to 1-2 8oz glasses each day and try to purchase only organic or raw milk.

As for cheese and yogurt, try to stick with the whole-fat versions even if some of the recent research says low-fat options have not been shown to have the same issue as milk when discussing absorption of protein, vitamins and other nutrients. However, I don’t recommend non-fat cheeses. Stick with low-fat (and regular) cheese and yogurt.

The other recommendation I would make regarding the “Power Foods” is to choose a whey and casein protein mix for your supplement. Whey tends to digest quickly and will not help keep you full. It is more useful in the morning (after “fasting” all night) or immediately post-workout (when you want to digest protein and carbs quickly).

However, for most people who supplement with a protein powder, a mix of whey and casein will give you the best of both worlds. One protein will digest quickly while the other (casein) digests more slowly, helping you to continue to feel full and satisfied while also supplying a steady stream of amino acids to your body and muscles. A brand I recommend and use is Low-Carb Metabolic Drive by Biotest. The taste, quality and price makes it well worth adding to your daily eating plan.

Overall, I agree with the recommendations of the Abs Diet as it is based on eating whole, nutritious foods that everyone should be eating regardless of whether they are trying to gain muscle or lose fat. These foods are natural, not man-made or processed. That’s the key to making healthy nutritional changes. Always choose the whole, fresh, natural food over something in a box, bag or from a fast-food restuarant or other highly-processed source.

How many of the foods above do you currently eat? Find ways to include them in your daily and weekly meals. Be sure to eat a variety of different foods listed under each category and don’t forget to include protein with each meal from varied sources (lean meats, eggs, protein powders, cottage cheese, etc.).

For more information about the Abs Diet (for women), read this article at Men’s Health.

Thanks to Becky for providing the link and for finding the Nature’s Own bread.

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At Christian Athlete Fitness Training’s private garage gym, I work to develop four primary physical attributes in my training:

1) Raw Strength
2) Metabolic Conditioning (Sprint/Interval Cardio)
3) Muscle Endurance
4) Explosive Power

When I utilize a training program, I like to hit each of these throughout the week by combining two or more attributes in a single workout through the use of supersets, hybrids and complexes. This may sound scientific, but it really isn’t.

Mostly it’s common sense. The majority of the people I train workout 2-3 times per week, and at a minimum, I work to ensure that each person gets at least two strength workouts per week combined with at least one of the other attributes each training session. I believe strength is number one, and the best thing I can do for anyone is to make them stronger. After strength, the other three attributes are important, and they all need to be trained for overall conditioning, fat loss and health.

As far as strength measurements are concerned, here are the strength benchmarks I’d like myself and the more advanced athletes I train to attain (these don’t necessarily apply to those who come to me strictly for fat loss or just to get in shape):

Male Basic Strength Standards:
2.0x bodyweight deadlift
1.25 – 1.5x bodyweight bench press and front squat
1x bodyweight standing overhead press and power clean
.75x bodyweight power snatch
12-15x bodyweight strict chin-ups
20x bodyweight strict dips

Female Basic Strength Standards:
1.25 – 1.5x bodyweight deadlift
1x bodyweight bench press and front squat
.60 – .75x bodyweight standing overhead press and power clean
.50 – .65x bodyweight power snatch
5x strict chin-ups
5x strict dips

You’ll note that these benchmarks are not assigned absolute poundages. They are based on bodyweight. Mark Twight of Gym Jones points out that there is a difference between absolute strength and relative strength. He argues that relative strength – or how strong you are compared to your bodyweight – is a much more important measure.

From my own experience, I believe the above strength benchmarks are possible without adding a lot of mass (unless that is your goal – mainly through nutritional changes). This is a huge concern for women and those who may compete in sporting events that require weight classes. Personally, I am fairly close to reaching all those benchmarks and more, and weigh just 150 pounds – my natural weight at 5’4″. I believe that extra weightroom strength will transfer to better all-around performances in other sporting activities and daily tasks.

I continue to monitor my own performance improvements in certain workouts in addition to increasing strength. My current weight is slightly less than last year, but I’ve become leaner, stronger and a lot more fit.

The best thing I can do for myself and the people I train is to make them stronger. Strength, especially strong legs, is the basis of everything functional and athletic in nature.

*Special thanks to Rob Shaul of Mountain Athlete for the information he has provided on his web site that has helped me refine my own training ideas and benchmarks.

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Here are a couple of the most important aspects of nutrition that help to get you lean for life. I picked this up from Craig Ballantyne of Turbulence Training – (CLICK HERE to learn more), and it definitely goes along with what I said in a previous post about nutrition.

1. Get enough quality protein in the daily diet. Protein has a higher thermic effect than carbs and fat (so you burn more calories digesting it), but it also creates satiety so your hunger is satisfied longer. Protein is also a building block for maintaining and building lean muscle. And remember that the amount of lean muscle you carry is one of the main factors for controlling your metabolism.

2. Think fiber! When it comes to carbs, make sure that almost all of your carbohydrate intake is from higher fiber sources like vegetables, fruits and high-fiber unrefined grains. Try to avoid refined sugars and refined grains as that is one of the main reasons so many people struggle with body fat. I don’t eat many grains, as I prefer to get most of my carbs from veggies and fruits. Fiber helps fill you up and also slows down the glycemic response of the foods you eat, all beneficial for getting lean.

3. Don’t be afraid to eat fat! I’ve said this before, and I’m saying it again. Many people try to go way too low on their fat intake and this can negatively affect hormone levels in your body as well as cause more cravings. Try to eat enough healthy fats daily. Good sources of healthy fats are raw nuts and seeds, nut butters, avocados, olive oil, organic meats and eggs, fish oil caps, coconuts and virgin coconut oil. On that note, saturated fats from tropical oils are VERY misunderstood, even by many nutritionists and other health professionals. Yes they are composed highly of saturated fats but they are actually beneficial.

4. Avoid the two worst things in our food supply at ALL COSTS:

*Artificial trans fats from margarines, shortening and hydrogenated oils that are in most processed foods

*High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) which is in almost all sweetened products on the market.

Again, if you avoid processed foods, it becomes easy to avoid these two worst offenders in our food supply.

I believe that once you get a handle on these four main points of your diet detailed above, the rest starts to take care of itself as you gain control over your appetite, blood sugar levels, hormone levels, etc. It all falls into place, and you eventually gain total control over how lean you want to get.

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Whenever someone asks about nutrition and training, the first thing I recommend that they do is to make small changes to their daily eating habits. It’s not uncommon to see someone lose up to 10lbs in one week just from eliminating soda and other calorie-containing drinks.

Other calorie-containing drinks that I see people frequently consuming include fruit juices (even all-natural juices), sweetened tea, milk, Gatorade and other sports drinks and coffee drinks from Starbucks and other vendors. These drinks tend to be loaded with sugar and fat (even trans fats – something you want to avoid at all costs) and tons of calories. These are health and diet destroyers and will leave you wondering what went wrong when you don’t notice any differences in the mirror or with how your clothes fit.

If you are beginning to take steps to get your nutrition, health and fitness on track, I highly recommend that you begin cutting out all soft drinks (even diet) and the coffee drinks (yes, all of them!).

So what should you drink? Water. Yes, get used to drinking water. If you have problems drinking water because there isn’t enough taste, try adding a little lemon to your water. Also, cold water tends to be better than warm water or room-temperature water.

If that still doesn’t do the trick, I’m okay with using Crystal Light in small quantities. The other thing you should drink more of is green tea. There have been many health benefits reported from those who drink green tea. It doesn’t have to be a special brand. From what I’ve read, Lipton Green Tea is a great brand and good quality. If you need to sweeten it up, I recommend using Splenda or Xylitol.

What about cheese? As for cheese, you should eat it. However, let me tell you that cheese can be high in fat and calorically dense. Even though most of the fat is good fat, it still packs quite a punch. So my suggestion is to be careful of your portion sizes. Typically one ounce is a serving. That’s not a huge amount, so you just have to be mindful of that. Avoid non-fat and reduced-fat cheeses and stick with real cheese (low-fat and non-fat cheeses do not absorb nutrients as well because the body needs fat for proper digestion and absorption).

Yogurt is good for you, and I highly recommend that you eat it for the wonderful live cultures it contains. It helps with digestion and has many beneficial bacteria. As for the type and brand, try to avoid all the sugar-filled ones such as “fruit on the bottom.” They are packed with a ton of calories and sugar.

Organic and Greek yogurts are best. Try to find a brand that contains less than 20 grams of carbs from sugars. And be sure to avoid any products that contain the most evil sugar substitute in the world: High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS).

That is something you should look for in the foods you buy – HFCS. If it’s in the ingredient list, don’t buy it. For some products, it’s hard to avoid unless you buy things from whole food stores and natural food places (this applies to bread – as almost all store-bought bread has HFCS).

Locally, you can go to Ward’s or Mother Earth and get freshly made, natural bread that only has a few ingredients and uses molasses and brown sugar as the sweetener. That is much healthier than high fructose corn syrup. Remember to try and save the bread for breakfast and post-workout when your body can better utilize the carbohydrates rather than storing them as fat.

HFCS has been linked to diabetes and obesity. It is in millions of products and people consume tons of it on a daily basis and don’t understand why they are getting fat or having health problems.

Start reading labels when you buy things. The first three or four ingredients are typically the majority of what the item contains. Also, don’t forget to look at serving sizes. Many people buy a 20oz Coke or Gatorade and drink the whole thing. If you look at the label, that’s typically 2.5 servings so that 150-calorie soda just turned into 375 calories for a 20oz drink. Just imagine the people drinking soda from fast food joints. They are typically 32 ounces and 600 calories!

Diet sodas are not any better even though they contain 0 calories and 0 carbs because there are other ingredients in diet sodas that are bad for you (the enamel on your teeth) and they tend to cause people to gain weight because of the way the sweeteners are structured (chemically altered). So you may think a 0-calorie drink is an okay substitute, but it could cause weight gain nevertheless.

Remember to make small changes each day. Over time, they add up to big changes in the mirror and the way you feel.

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