On May 15, 2022, reigning three-time Classic Physique Olympia Champion (2019-2021), Chris Bumstead, posted a video to his YouTube channel outlining an entire day’s worth of eating. The 5,000-calorie-plus diet is part of Bumstead’s ongoing off-season as he prepares for the 2022 Mr. Olympia on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV. 

[Related: Here’s How 5-Time CrossFit Games Champion Tia-Clair Toomey Is Eating To Cut Weight]

Bumstead starts the video by saying this is the first time he has shared a “full-day” diet in a while. A quick scan of Bumstead’s YouTube page confirms that assertion, as his last nutritional video was in late February 2022. A new edition came at the continued behest of his 1.75 million-plus subscribers (and counting). 

It’s been a minute, you guys always ask for these, so here we are, doing a full day of eating.

Overall, it’s another detailed insight into partly how the top-notch bodybuilder fuels his performance and builds his muscle.

Meal 1

Like many people worldwide, Bumstead starts his morning with a cup of Joe. Though, this isn’t any ordinary coffee. The coffee has mushrooms (which have adaptogens) and chocolate sea salt (which has electrolytes). The thought process behind the mushroom/adaptogen is that it helps fortify Bumstead’s immune system, which research confirms is one of its main benefits. (1)

After he finishes coffee, Bumstead shifts to a “boring breakfast” — a protein shake. The shake consists of two scoops of his protein isolate brand, a scoop of glutamine for fiber, and he pairs that with two whole toasted bagels. Bumstead says he usually has a couple of eggs on the side, but they started not to sit well with his stomach.

As Bumstead notes, food variety can be integral to maximizing an athlete’s training output. One study maintained that a multi-versed diet is especially beneficial for, say, a bodybuilder who might want to consume more nutrients and calories throughout the day. (2)

Here’s Bumstead’s full breakfast — which comes out to 985 calories and 70 grams of protein — laid out: 

• One cup of coffee (with mushrooms and chocolate sea salt)
• Two scoops of CBUM Itholate Protein and one scoop of glutamine in water 
• Two whole cinnamon raisin bagels (with Ghee butter) 

Before diving into his breakfast, Bumstead notes he’s not eating as much as he normally does. He makes clear it’s part of an experimental  “carb-cycle test” that might let him safely push toward the weight cap he wants and eventually maintain it easier. 

Meal 2

After a short break, Bumstead shows off his mid-morning meal — a solid helping of white rice and ground turkey with olive oil. Bumstead says that he recently started eating as much as 350 grams of rice in one sitting, so he now uses the olive oil for a flavor boost.

Here’s this meal — which consists of 796 calories — as it stands:

• Ground turkey — 185 grams
• Boiled white rice — 300 grams
• Olive oil — 15 grams

Per Bumstead, he usually tries to eat at least three times before he heads to the gym and trains, as he “definitely won’t eat three times” after the fact. That makes it vital to get a good bulk of his calories and nutrition beforehand. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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A post shared by Chris Bumstead (@cbum)

[Related: Bodybuilder Shaun Clarida Locks Out 150-Pound Incline Dumbbell Presses For 20 Reps]

Meal 3

As his final meal before heading out to train, Bumstead opts for a 700-calorie helping of MegaFit’s prepackaged steak and sweet potatoes. The bodybuilder says the combo of turkey and white rice, followed by a steak and sweet potatoes, is an absolute “favorite go-to” in his daily schedule. 

Meal 4 (Post-Workout)

Bumstead rolls with a tried-and-true 1,155-calorie pasta favorite to feed himself after his workout. It also contains 145 grams of carbs:

• Brown pasta — 180 grams
• Ground beef — 100 grams
• Ground turkey — 100 grams
• Marinated tomato sauce — 250 milliliters 

This meal is Bumstead’s densest of the day as it’s roughly 40 minutes post-workout and when his appetite is the biggest. Bumstead’s example lines up with research, which concludes that consuming vital nutrients with quality timing is almost as crucial for potential strength and muscle gains as what an athlete actually eats. (3)

Meal 5

With one more meal to squeeze in before he heads to sleep, Bumstead treats himself to a peanut butter protein bar for a snack before chowing down on another helping of white rice with ground turkey:

• Peanut butter protein bar 
• White rice — 270 grams
• Ground turkey — 290 grams
• Olive oil — 15 grams

On the whole, Bumstead surprises himself. His entire day’s worth of nutrition comes out to 5,203 calories, 666 grams of carbs, 290 grams of protein, and 156 grams of fat.

“This is why it’s probably good to track.”

Per the bodybuilder, that is about 300 more calories than he usually eats. It’s also almost double his typical carb intake, too.

 

 

 

 

 

 

View this post on Instagram

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A post shared by Chris Bumstead (@cbum)

[Related: Bodybuilder Hunter Labrada Powers Through A 495-Pound Banded Squat For 17 Reps]

Mr. Olympia Lies Ahead

Bumstead will undoubtedly continue to use his diet in prep for December’s Mr. Olympia. There he will defend his Classic Physique Olympia title and try to make it four consecutive championships. The 2022 Mr. Olympia will take place on December 15-18, 2022, in Las Vegas, NV.

References:

1. Liao et al. (2018). A preliminary review of studies on adaptogens: comparison of their bioactivity in TCM with that of ginseng-like herbs used worldwide. Chinese Medicine. 2018 Nov; 13: 57.
2. Embling et al. (2021). Effect of food variety on intake of a meal: a systematic review and meta-analysis. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2021 Mar; 113 (30); 716-741.
3. Aragon A.A., Schoenfeld B.J. (2013). Nutrient timing revisited: is there a post-exercise anabolic window? Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition. 2013 Jan; 10: 5.

Featured image: @cbum on Instagram

The post Check Out Bodybuilder Chris Bumstead’s 5,000-Calorie Day of Eating Ahead of the 2022 Mr. Olympia appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Ace holds up the cupcake ceremoniously. He takes his first bite which, in his little two-year-old mouth, is mostly just blue frosting. His eyes light up and he starts dancing from side-to-side. The table of adoring family erupts in laughter. He continues to rapidly devour the treat, dancing and laughing all the while. With all eyes on the two-year-old birthday boy, no one even notices grandpa holding Ace’s six-month-old baby sister. He’s swiping frosting off a cupcake and feeding it to her.

As my eyes finally scan over to see blue baby lips, I come out of my seat to stop the madness. My little baby girl’s immaculate palate just got its first introduction to non-formula food and this was what was chosen for her. The helpless little girl, incapable of controlling any ounce of her environment, was subjected to died blue sugar cream. As the table turns to scold grandpa, he protests, “But she likes it!” “Yes and she’d really love cocaine,” I retort.

Clearly, I could have reacted better. Having adopted her and her brother, she was unable to breastfeed and now I feared her palate was being distorted by what could be seen as a controlled substance.

I’ll readily admit I catastrophized and overly dramatized the harm of this situation. But the comparison isn’t completely without merit. After exhaustive studies its been shown that over 94% of rats who were already hooked on cocaine and morphine chose saccharin, an artificial sweetener.

Even after upping the cocaine and morphine doses, rats still preferred intense sweetness. Of course she liked the frosting! Our choices should be held to a higher standard than the effects on immediate sensory pleasure. People might like a heroin high, but I’m still convinced it would ruin their lives. The results of added, refined sugars certainly aren’t as immediate or drastic as hard narcotics, but both drastically distort future perceptions, expectations, and experiences.

Still, I felt bad for my outburst. It was the cumulative frustration of raising kids in a world I deem insane—where parenting my children according to my vision of strength, supported progressive self-sufficiency, and harmony with their bio-evolutionary needs is constantly met with resistance.

The “but she likes it,” set me off more than anything. It is the standard response from anyone who disagrees with my parenting approach. It is why kids are allowed to watch TV all day, eat only junk, and why as teens they are addicted to their smartphones. Our inability to recognize an environment full of temptations engineered for optimal human addiction and then to set boundaries is leading millions to lives of mental and physical poor health.

“We may be approaching a time when sugar is responsible for more early deaths in America than cigarette smoking.”

Dr. Lewis Cantley

When looking at the modern landscape, the national obesity epidemic teetering near 50%, the rampant heart disease, the projections that 57% of today’s youth will be obese by age 35, and even the skyrocketing rates of depression and anxiety, so much is a product of the norms and expectations created in people’s earliest years.

The majority of Americans repeatedly battle with their relationship to food, yo-yoing through cycles of obsessive diets, binges, and frequent feelings of regret and personal disappointment. All of this is based upon a bizarre, normal eating model that, until exhaustively corrected, distorts all future eating experience.

Insidious Distortion

Distortion is the act of altering or twisting something from its true, natural, or original state. It is a process of misleading, confusing, and warping systems out of balance. The sweets and sugar-infused snacks that dominate childhood are not only addictive, but they create distortions in reality that shape future choices, expectations, perceptions, and sensory experiences.

1. Distortion of Perceptions:
   In the Western experience, youth are saturated in types of foods better labeled as chemistry experiments. Pop Tarts, Cheetos, sodas, fish sticks, mac and cheese, and the abundant fast food options are considered normal eating. Eating predominantly unprocessed whole foods that made up all the foods available for over 99.9% of the human experience is considered a bizarre and extreme lifestyle. As a social species, these norms have as much power as the chemical addiction that accompanies them.?
2. Distortion of Sensory Experience:
   Our biology never could have been ready for the variety and abundance of refined, added sugars, or the efficiency of their transmission in the body. Inundated with this barrage of extremes the palate shifts drastically, growing to expect intense sweetness, while finding everything else unpalatably bitter by comparison. Fruits grow bland and vegetables repulsive. Strong evidence suggests that artificial sweeteners also distort the palate to create more craving for sweetness?
3. Distortion of Expectations:
   Even if the palate had not shifted, we see that once kids are exposed to processed junk food, they’ll prefer it to their vegetables and most other options. The choices and expectations of meals will change, considerably. These are young children incapable of self-imposed discipline or long-term planning. From their worldview, it is perfectly reasonable to throw a tantrum or sit there stubbornly until they get what they want. If they don’t have parents insisting they eat balanced meals, they’ll never set healthy nutrition habits. Their future choices will be radically warped by the experience of their childhood. This, of course, only serves to create more difficulty in any attempts down the road to eat healthier and create positive changes.

Needless to say, I don’t want my kids to take on the full brunt of these distortions in their lives.

An Insanely Extreme (While Rational) Approach

As a thought experiment, imagine if you never gave your children anything but whole, minimally processed foods. They ate fruits, vegetables, chicken, fish, oatmeal, sweet potatoes, avocados, nuts, seeds, and even whole milk and truly natural peanut butter, but never anything out of a wrapper. This deprived existence would still be far more flavorful, broad, and decadent than the diets available to 99.9% of human history. Every meal would still be the best thing most humans would have ever tasted.

Kids who only experienced these foods would love most of these foods. They are the foods humanity evolved to eat, after all. Preferences would still arise. Squash, zucchini, and roasted carrots would probably be favored to broccoli and cauliflower. Grapes, and bananas with peanut butter would be more favorable, still. Yet, overall, children would be just as happy, if not happier than they are immersed in our modern diabetic conveyor belt.

Vegetables would be far more enjoyable—perceived as far less extreme in their bitterness, and most of these foods would be eaten with the same enthusiasm children bring to their mac and cheese and Pop Tarts, today. They’d relish that bowl of oatmeal each morning and look at a sweet potato like it was the magical taste sensation that it is.

When they saw Oreos, Gogurt, or cupcakes they’d hardly register them. Someone could be having a cookie right next to them and they’d be totally content working on a Ziploc full of cashews. That is the beauty of young children. Absent of an experience with these sugary extremes, they are completely unremarkable. Just as you never crave the heroin you’ve triumphantly avoided in your life, Junior will not crave the donut.

It wouldn’t be until the child was almost four that he started to really notice this other world of food that other people were subsisting on. At that point, he’d have a very well-adjusted foundation. You’d get the joy of taking them out for their first ice cream at an age where they’d appreciate and remember the experience.

It would be an event. “Alright buddy, today we’re going to try something that is really gonna rock your world.” They’d slowly accumulate broader modern eating experiences, but with boundaries and after an age where there was enough maturity that these didn’t change their day-to-day expectations.

Don’t get me wrong, I enjoy good food as much as anyone. I love the occasional pizza, tacos, ice cream, wine, or a gin and tonic in the summer. I fully appreciate the enhancement these treats can bring to life when they are controlled. Still, if I had it my way, my-two-year-old and certainly his 6-month-old sister would never eat anything but whole food. This is clearly easier dreamt than done, but a concept at least worth exploring.

People often feel it is mean to even suggest such an approach to childhood eating. As if I’m just trying to deny them awesome, pleasurable experiences. Yet, what is mean is setting a child up for a life of poor health.

The idea isn’t to shield kids from the real world. I want them to be autonomous, free, and encouraged to explore. Yet there should be a calculated understanding of our environment and the extremely addictive and perception-changing experiences that are normal for most. The modern world is an impulse mine-field. Anyone not intentionally setting boundaries for themselves will be dragged along the impulse super-highway to a destination they aren’t happy with. Young children, having no ability to do so yet, require us adults to set boundaries for them.

Heart disease is the leading cause of death worldwide. Nutrition-related diseases proliferate along with mass lethargy, and yet compulsive smoking is held at a level of public contempt far surpassing the more common compulsive eating of junk food. Perhaps it is rational to behave in a way society deems extreme.

This Week’s Mission

Go through the house and find one item to throw out and stop buying at the grocery store. If you love ice cream that’s cool. I do, too. Maybe it is a treat that deserves a trip each time.

Pick a healthier substitute. If your kids love chips, perhaps you could get more fruit and mixed nuts options. We tend to default to what is easy and available so a great first step is to own the home environment.

The post Distortion: How Poor Early Nutritional Experiences Set us up for Failure appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

Between work meetings, having kids, being in school, or whatever responsibilities you may have in your life, it is inevitable that you get busy. This may lead to finding it difficult to stay on track with your health and fitness goals. You might have said yes to one, two, or all of those things and while I have empathy for them, I must ask what you’re doing to work around them and achieve your goal?

Motivation Versus Discipline

If you think about fitness goals in general, the word motivation is often front of the mind. During this time of year, that only compiles.

You see these people in the gym, or this may even be you, and after two months that “motivation” feeling fizzles out. Life gets to you, putting you right back where you started from. That strong feeling you had to make changes slowly starts to fade as things start to happen around you that derail you from the path of your goals.

This is why I believe motivation to be an over-used, and over-relied on tool within the fitness industry. It is true that everyone has to start somewhere—every fire starts from one spark. I am not saying it’s a bad thing to have motivation. I am saying, however, it’s all about what you do to continue those habits the motivation creates.

Discipline is the big brother to motivation. It will always reign over the little brother—always reminding it why it is better. It’s the way you see the certain people every single day in the gym. It’s the way you follow someone on social media eating the same thing at the same time day in and day out, they learned discipline.

This can go for anything in life. I can assure you the best CEOs of the world, or Kobe Bryant or Michael Jordan, or the amazing single mom or dad, all have one thing in common. That one thing would be discipline.

The way to stay on track when you aren’t feeling the spark of the motivation anymore is to learn and practice discipline. This is staying on your routine relentlessly, being able to find ways to work around obstacles that inevitably will come up.

Life is not an A+B=C equation, things happen along the way that divides, subtracts, and all the other crazy symbols math has provided us. Learning how to continuously keep finding the solution when life throws you for a complicated equation, will undoubtedly lead you to down the right path of achievement.

The importance of following a routine consistently, is not about being perfect every single day, every single meal, and every single workout, it’s more about creating habits. You don’t have to be perfect to create habits, just be consistent.

Those same people who stick to their diet, who go to the gym five days a week, who work countless hours on their craft, they all have created habits in their life. Everyone has habits, some are just different than others. When you create habits based on your health and fitness, they will be routine.

It won’t seem impossible to go to the gym five days a week or eat vegetables with every meal. That will be your normal life. These will be the things that you have done consistently over a duration of time, to create habits you can now have every day. Motivation is overrated, discipline is what sets people apart.

What will be covered below are some tips and strategies to ensure your nutrition, workouts, and mind are able to stay on track even when faced with adversity.

Tip 1 – Use Liquid Calories

The first tip is something people tend to forget a lot about, and that’s liquid calories. Now, some people do a protein shake, but they stop there. In reality, you can take that a step further, and create a whole meal. This meal can include all the proper nutrients to fuel your metabolism.

Take that protein shake a step farther, and add in a scoop of a greens powder supplement. Then, add one tablespoon of flaxseed oil. This creates a whole meal. Protein, greens, and healthy fats—a perfect recipe for a lean body.

Tip 2 – Easy, Edible Options

Whether you work at a desk or do a lot of traveling, or just are running around with your kids on a Saturday, easy things to grab and eat are crucial. Examples of these could be greek yogurt or low-fat cheese sticks for protein sources.

Packs of nuts or almonds can be easy. Preparing your vegetables overnight and keeping them in ziplock bags, or buy pre-packaged greens i.e. carrots.

Tip 3 – Research Your Surroundings

If you know you’re going to be traveling, or are in a new area, it’s a good idea to check what’s available. You can research restaurants to look over their menu. You can ask to get a macronutrient breakdown. Proper preparation prevents poor performance.

Tip 4 – Have a Time-Efficient Workout Routine

Various events during the day can lead to you may not be able to get to the gym or complete your regularly scheduled workout routine. This is why rather than just missing the whole workout day together, it’s a good idea to have a workout routine together that can keep you on track.

If your goal is to lose weight, an effective workout can be a 20 minute HIIT bodyweight circuit. If you want to build some muscle a 10 sets of 10 reps workout with push-ups, squats, lunge hops, and leg raises can be effective as well. These workouts are not to crush your personal bests, rather just keep you on track and be consistent.

Tip 5 – Plan Your Day The Night Before

It can be very helpful to take five to ten minutes to look ahead the night before and plan things out. If you plan ahead you will know what may hinder you from staying on track and that may make eating difficult—that’s when you know you may have to take those liquid calories.

Traveling is an instance that may necessitate one of those quick workouts.

The post 5 Tips for Training Discipline This New Year appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

It is a terrible thought that all of our hard work getting our meals ready may go to waste if we can’t keep things cold. Or we may have to eat out and compromise our goals due to convenience.

Even when you meal prep, sometimes you just don’t have anywhere to put your meals when you leave your home for the day. Packing a full-size cooler isn’t always practical, and some of us don’t have access to a refrigerator during the day.

It is a terrible thought that all of our hard work getting our meals ready may go to waste if we can’t keep things cold. Or we may have to eat out and compromise our goals due to convenience.

Lucky for us, Six Pack Fitness solved this whole problem. The bags they have created come equipped with containers and reusable freezer packs that are easy to use, fast to clean, and no trouble to organize.

There are a variety of sizes and styles to choose from, and Six Pack Fitness really has put the time and research behind their product to create a quality, usable meal solution. Some of the bags have additional storage and computer sleeves.

A Sample of Six Pack Bags

I received the Renee Meal Management Tote, the Titan Messenger, the Commuter Backpack, and the Cube. They all arrived in excellent condition with everything included that is needed to use them immediately.

The reusable freezer packs are designed to be frozen flat and they slide in next to the meal containers to keep food as cool as possible.

The Renee is a professional looking women’s tote with space for four leak-proof meal containers and three freezer packs.

Inside is a pocket for up to a 15” laptop and additional storage. The square meal containers hold 20 ounces each and are BPA and PVC-free. The bag is $169.99 and includes two small freezer packs and one large freezer pack. There is also a small supplement container included with the bag.

The inside of the tote is lined and the outside is a durable vegan material that is easy to clean. Black, red, and blue are the available colors in this bag. The handles are comfortable to carry as a tote or over the shoulder if desired. This is a very well-designed tote that kept practicality and the user in mind.

The Titan Messenger comes in black and has a padded shoulder strap for one shoulder wear or cross-body wear.

The Titan is $149.99 and has four leak proof meal containers with a similar inner organizational layout to the Renee bag. The reusable freezer packs are included along with a 20 ounce supplement container and mesh pockets to store water bottles and shaker cups.

There is a laptop sleeve capable of holding a 15” laptop and the main compartment has enough room for additional items, as needed.

The Commuter Backpack is excellent for hands-free use while traveling or commuting to work and the gym.

This bag is $149.99 and has a number of pockets and a very large, lined inner interior. This bag features room for the three meal containers and three gel ice packs.

The meal container compartment zips from the front on this bag, so your items loaded in the interior of the bag stay packed and undisturbed in the upper portion.

The Cube is most like a traditional lunchbox and holds three containers.

It is ideal for small spaces or when you need a simple meal storage tote. The Cube is $39.99 and has a shoulder strap with two freezer packs included.

It features two expandable side pouches that are ideal for water bottles and smaller items. There are currently three color options available for the Cube: black, mint, and deep grape.

Replacement containers and freezer packs are available on the Six Pack Fitness website along with a number of accessories like utensils, water bottles, and hard shell freezer packs.

Why I Love These Bags

These bags really are awesome. They solve so many problems that people face while trying to maintain their nutritional goals in the midst of life.

The concept and design of these bags are thoughtful and user-friendly. The materials are durable with quality zippers and clasps in all the right places. The bags are designed to keep your food cold from the beginning to the end of your day.

I had been carrying my lunch in a leftover paper bag from a well-known coffee shop— this set up is so much better. If you get one, you won’t be disappointed.

The post Keep Track of Your Nutrition On the Go appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

You’ll hear no advice from this coach preaching abstinence when it comes to holiday treats. The holiday season is a time for festivities, fun, family, friends, fraternizing, flirting, and fanciful feasts.

Health, fitness, and nutrition choices should feel like an extension of your values rather than a rigid structure imposed on your life. This is not to say that eating well and moving often does not require will-power, sacrifice, and trade-off, but staying fit (regardless the time of year) should not feel like a punishment.

The Dreaded Holiday Choices

While looking forward to the holidays, many people feel dread for a time when they will lose all of their fitness progress from the preceding year. We act as though weight-gain and self-remorse are as inherent a feature of this season as toy commercials and NCAA Bowl Games.

You can fully enjoy all the treats that typically accompany holiday meals without stressing or “un-doing” all of your hard-won progress by sticking to a few simple guidelines.

The following are some self-imposed habits that I uphold (most of time) during the holidays or any other festive gathering. They help me enjoy my holiday meals while maintaining my girlish (boyish? Man-ish? Coach-ish?) figure.

1. Bring the Healthy Option

The simplest way to ensure that there is at least one healthy option is to bring it yourself. Many gatherings are potluck style so you simply need to bring something that you feel good about eating. Even if your holiday meal is not a potluck, a simple “let me bring a salad” rarely goes un-exploited.

2. Confine the Treats only to the Special Day

The main reason that many people experience holiday weight-gain is from continual straying from healthy habits. A single meal, no matter how indulgent or extravagant, is a drop in an ocean of positive choices.

The holiday season proves detrimental to your fitness only when you allow those occasional drops to persist as a constant trickle. Using a holiday or special occasion to justify an indulgence can be a fair (and dare I say, healthy) choice, but this is a slippery slope. You must use brutal honesty with each decision to determine if the indulgence is justified. Each of us will make this distinction for ourselves. It’s the day of the special family gathering? Go for it. Spouse brought home leftover treats from an office party a week before the big day? Perhaps exercise some discretion.

By restricting your indulgences to only the day of special occasions you will limit your overall consumption, ensuring those drops in the ocean aren’t the beginning of a growing flow that last a whole season. This guideline also adds to your anticipation and enjoyment of the special day.

3. Book End Your Day with Movement

We could all use more movement in our lives. You, me, nearly everyone. Don’t misunderstand this to mean more training sessions. We all just need to move more.

Most holidays are spent indoors and mostly sedentary. Prioritize beginning and ending your holiday with some light to moderate movement. Take advantage of the day off of work or school, when the world largely shuts down in honor of the holiday, to begin your day with exercise or some light physical leisure.

Most towns host an annual Turkey Trot walk/run on Thanksgiving Day. You could gather your visiting family and friends for a morning walk. Use the free morning for a surf, a hike, a bike ride, a game of catch, or a pick-up sports game. There’s plenty of time to prepare, cook, and sit around chatting later. Get out and move first thing in the morning.

An after-dinner stroll does wonders to aid your digestion after a large (or excessively large) meal. I try to enjoy an evening walk most nights but I find it especially helpful for digestion after a large holiday indulgence. Fight the urge to un-button your pants and succumb to the food coma. Rather, gather your loved-ones and head out for a quick stroll.

Most will be reluctant but will thank you upon returning. I know no more effective way to prevent a food coma and next-day daze than some light movement after eating.

4. Fill Your Plate with the Good Things First

When filling your plate for a holiday meal, begin with the foods that fit within your normal nutritional values. Serving up these foods first will not only ensure that you eat your veggies but leave little room for the dishes that mean a greater deviation from your norm.

On Thanksgiving for example, I begin with turkey (of course), then head for things like green beans, broccoli, roasted veggies, Brussels sprouts, and salad. Only after that will I head for the mashed potatoes, leaving the stuffing and marshmallow-covered sweet potatoes for the end.

Oh no, no room for the Jello-Cool Whip pudding. Oh well, I guess I’ll skip it this year.

5. Save Yourself for the Special Meal

This guideline follows the aforementioned rule to confine the treats to the special day. You can take it one step further and save the indulgences for the actual holiday meal and following dessert. Most gatherings fill the entire day with snacks and treats. It’s easy to sit down for a holiday meal feeling as though we don’t even need to eat at all. Of course, we always eat anyway, consuming our largest meal of the year when we are hardly hungry to begin with.

By extending your restraint for an extra few hours you can save more room for the good stuff and enjoy it more since you’ll be hungrier having skipped (or minimized) the snacking.

Eat How It Makes Sense for You

You can indulge heavily for each special day while remaining positive about your choices in the process. Apply a few simple guidelines to your holiday indulgences (not matter how grand) to minimize the detriment to your long-term progress.

You might also like 4 Commitments You Can Make To Have Happy, Healthy Holidays.

The post Making Good Nutrition Choices During the Holidays appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

The foods that you consume regularly as part of your diet can directly affect and regulate your mood, sleep patterns, mental acuity, physical function, perceptions of pain, and how energized you feel long term. Eating nutritiously results in an improved ability to handle physical or emotional stressors. To feel great, you need to eat premium quality fuel. Eating a variety of wholesome whole foods will ensure that you get what your body needs for both energy output and well-rounded nutrition.

Transitioning to a style of eating that connects you with your food and how it makes you feel takes time and practice—no one style of eating is right for everyone. Start this practice with one full day of clean eating from breakfast to dinner and note how you feel the next day. I’ve outlined an example day that you can follow below using mixed and matched recipes from the 28 Day Clean Eating Challenge, a meal plan designed to guide you in learning how foods affect your body and mind.

Observe what you eat and take note of how it ultimately makes you feel, both mentally and physically, a day or two days after consumption. For example, you may notice a trend with certain foods (or categories of foods) that when you eat them, you feel bloated or achy. Or perhaps certain foods make you feel super energized, or the opposite causing you to feel sluggish in mind or more fatigued in general. Take note of these feelings and alter your way of eating accordingly.

Going forward, choose nutritious foods that make you feel your best and benefit your training. Be mindful of those choices. On the flipside, be mindful and intentional when choosing to eat a few less healthy foods (like that slice of grandma’s chocolate cream pie) which is totally okay on an occasional basis.

The key to feeling great long term is eating with purpose and training yourself to be conscious about the quality of foods you’re putting into your body and aware of how they make you feel. You may discover that you perform better with a diet heavy in vegetable carbs or with more protein or with more healthy fats included. What you learn about how foods affect your body just might surprise you. Follow up your newfound knowledge by adjusting your diet according to which foods ultimately make you feel your best.

One Full Day of Clean Eating

Here is an example day with mixed and matched recipes from the 28 Day Clean Eating Challenge. Try this, or something close to it, for one day. Then note how you feel afterwards.

Daily Total Macronutrient Breakdown: calories 1656, protein 102g, carbs 155g, fat 76g

Breakfast: Zucchini Oat Bread (1 slice) with 1 cup mixed berries (calories 357, protein 10g carbs 69g, fat 7g)

Snack: Diced turkey, serving size ½ cup (calories 119, protein 21g, carbs 0g, fat 3g)

Lunch: Lemongrass Pork Quinoa Bowl (calories 624, protein 29g, carbs 60g, fat 33g)

Snack: ½ cup lowfat cottage cheese (2% milkfat) with ½ bell pepper, diced (calories 117, protein 17g, carbs 8g, fat 2g)

Dinner: Mahi Mahi with Coconut Shallot Sauce, Avocado Relish, and Daikon Radish Carrot Slaw (calories 439, protein 25g, carbs 18g, fat 31g)

Zucchini Oat Bread

Per 1 slice: calories 287, protein 9g, carbs 52g, fat 6g

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 55 min

Serving size: 1 slice (loaf makes 8 slices)

Ingredients:

• 2 cups oat flour or gluten free all-purpose flour blend
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• ½ teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 1 ½ teaspoons cinnamon
• ¼ cup honey
• 3 eggs
• 2 bananas, smashed
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 zucchini (about the size of a banana), shredded

Preparation Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
• Combine dry ingredients in large bowl.
• In separate bowl, mix honey, eggs, banana, and vanilla with a hand mixer until smooth.
• Place shredded zucchini in a clean tea towel or paper towels and gently squeeze to get some of the water out.
• Stir zucchini into banana mixture.
• Mix wet ingredients into dry and stir just until combined.
• Pour batter into a lightly greased bread loaf pan.
• Bake 50-55 minutes until a toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean.

Notes:

Bread will keep 3-4 days in airtight container. If you are not using the bread right away, freeze the extra in separate servings for future easy breakfasts. Take out desired number of slices the night before to thaw or defrost in low temp oven (or microwave) just before eating.

Lemongrass Pork Quinoa Bowl

Per serving: calories 624, protein 29g, carbs 60g, fat 33g

Prep time: 20 minutes

Cook time: 15-20 min

Serves: 2

Meatball Ingredients:

• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 cloves garlic
• 2 teaspoons lemongrass paste
• 1-2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce (sambal oelek)
• 2 teaspoons fresh grated ginger
• 1 teaspoon fish sauce
• 1 teaspoon honey
• 2 teaspoons tapioca starch (or cornstarch)

Chili-Lime Sauce Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons water
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 tablespoon fish sauce
• 1 thai chili, finely sliced

Additional Bowl Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked quinoa, prepared with chicken broth instead of water
• 2 cups bok choy, swiss chard, or romaine lettuce, chopped
• 4 green onions, sliced
• 1 cucumber, sliced and quartered

Preparation Instructions:

• Place all meatball ingredients in a bowl and mix together. The best way to get an evenly blended meatball is just to combine with your hands.
• Form small balls with your hands and place into a large sauté pan.
• Cook meatballs on medium heat until browned on all sides and cooked through.
• While meatballs are cooking, combine sauce ingredients in a small dish and set aside.
• To assemble bowls, layer quinoa on bottom and top with greens, onions, cucumber, and meatballs.
• Spoon chili-lime sauce over top.

Notes:

Meatballs can be made ahead and refrigerated for 3-4 days or can be frozen. Reheat just before eating. Quinoa can be made ahead and refrigerated up to a week. Eat warmed or cold.

Mahi Mahi with Coconut Shallot Sauce, Avocado Relish and Daikon Radish Carrot Slaw

Per serving: calories 439, protein 25g, carbs 18g, fat 31g

Prep time: 20 min

Cook time: 15 min

Serves: 2

Ingredients:

• 8 ounces mahi mahi, cut into two 4 ounce portions
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon tamari soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• 2 teaspoons olive oil
• ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper

Mahi Mahi Preparation Instructions:

• Combine garlic, tamari, lime, olive oil, and pepper in a small dish.
• Rub mixture over mahi mahi and let marinate while you prepare the other items.
• When ready to cook, heat a lightly greased grill pan to medium heat.
• Add mahi mahi pieces and cook about 4-5 minutes per side until fish flakes easily with a fork.
• Serve hot with coconut shallot sauce and avocado relish over top.

Daikon Radish Carrot Slaw Ingredients:

• 1 cup daikon radish, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
• 1 cup carrots, peeled into ribbons with a vegetable peeler
• 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon fresh minced ginger
• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 teaspoon honey
• Pinch of salt or more to taste

Daikon Radish Carrot Slaw Preparation Instructions:

• Toss all ingredients together in a small bowl.
• Let the slaw marinate to blend the flavors while you prepare the sauce, the relish, and cook the fish.

Coconut Shallot Sauce Ingredients:

• ½ shallot, finely chopped
• 1 teaspoon olive oil
• ½ cup coconut milk
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Sauce Preparation Instructions:

• In a small saucepan, sauté shallot in olive oil 5 minutes.
• Add coconut milk and salt and cook until sauce has thickened, about 5 minutes.
• Let cool slightly and spoon over mahi mahi to serve.

Avocado Relish:

• 1 avocado, peeled and diced
• 1 tomato, seeded and diced
• ½ shallot, finely chopped
• 1 jalapeño, seeded and finely chopped
• 1 tablespoon cilantro, chopped
• 2 teaspoons lime juice
• ¼ teaspoon salt

Avocado Relish Preparation Instructions:

• Combine all ingredients in a small bowl and toss gently.
• Serve over top the mahi mahi.

Notes:

The Coconut Shallot sauce and the slaw can be made a day in advance. Cover it and store it in refrigerator. Mahi Mahi can be left to marinate covered in the fridge up to a day in advance. Avocado relish is best served immediately but can be made up to a day advance and stored in a covered container in the fridge. The avocado may turn slightly brown but the flavors will still be good.

The post Smart Eating: Feel Good Food appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

According to a new study from the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, replacing full-fat dairy with a low-fat alternative could actually harm your brain in the long run.

In the past, there has been evidence pointing to a potential link between dairy product consumption and an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. To prove or disprove this link, the scientists analyzed 25 years’ worth of data from more than 120,000 adults.

Of the 120,000 men and women studied, only a little over 1,000 of them developed Parkinson’s disease. When analyzing the diet habits of these 1,000 Parkinson’s patients, the researchers found that those who consumed low-fat dairy had a significantly higher risk of developing the disorder. In the case of those who consumed three or more servings of low-fat milk/dairy per day, the risk of Parkinson’s was 34% higher than those who only had one daily serving of dairy.

Compared to the adults who drank less than one serving of low-fat dairy per week, the adults who consumed one daily serving of low-fat milk or dairy products had a 39% higher risk of Parkinson’s. Even frozen yogurt and sherbet led to an increase in Parkinson’s risk, albeit a moderate one. On the flip side, the potential danger of full-fat milk caused no increased risk of Parkinson’s disease.

Now, to be clear, the study was intended to be observational, merely discovering the link between low-fat dairy, but not finding the cause of it. Further research is required to determine precisely why low-fat milk could increase Parkinson’s risk. Potential factors include pesticides present in milk and the way low-fat milk affects gut bacteria differently than full-fat milk.

“Our study is the largest analysis of dairy and Parkinson’s to date,” said Katherine C. Hughes, ScD, of the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston. “The results provide evidence of a modest increased risk of Parkinson’s with greater consumption of low-fat dairy products. Such dairy products, which are widely consumed, could potentially be a modifiable risk factor for the disease.”

It is important to note that the risk of developing Parkinson’s was still very low. Of the 5,830 people who consumed at least three servings per day of low-fat dairy at the start of the study, only 60 people, or 1 percent, developed the disease over the study period. In comparison, of the 77,864 people who consumed less than one serving per day of low-fat dairy, 483 people, or 0.6 percent, developed Parkinson’s.

“Frequently consuming low-fat dairy products was associated with a modest increased risk of Parkinson’s disease,” said Hughes.

One limitation of the study was that early Parkinson’s symptoms may have affected the dietary behaviors and questionnaire responses of study participants.

More research is needed before recommendations can be made about dairy consumption.

Reference:

1. Katherine Hughes of Harvard Chan School, et al. “Does Consuming Low-Fat Dairy Increase the Risk of Parkinson’s Disease?”  American Academy of Neurology. Neurology, Published online 7 June 2017.

The post Low Fat Dairy Consumption and Parkinson’s appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

According to new research from the National Institutes of Health, there’s another food to add to the threat list: refined grains.

But for pregnant women, it is more than just smart—it’s important for the sake of your child.

The study examined the effects of a diet high in refined grains on pregnant women. More specifically, women with gestational diabetes, a form of temporary diabetes that affects roughly 5% of pregnant women in the United States. Using data from more than 900 mother-children pairs, the researchers analyzed the mothers’ diets and compared them to the prevalence of obesity among their children.

Women who had gestational diabetes and followed a diet high in refined grains (over 156 grams of refined grains per day) doubled their child’s obesity risk, compared to women with gestational diabetes but who ate very little refined grains (no more than 37 grams per day). By the age of seven, the children born to mothers who ate the most refined grains had a significantly higher risk of obesity than the children born to mothers who ate less.

Even when the researchers adjusted their findings for other potential obesity factors—consumption of fruits and veggies, sugar/sweets intake, physical activity levels—refined grains were still the greatest influencing factor affecting childhood obesity rates.

The findings highlight pregnancy as a potential window of susceptibility. For high-risk populations, in this case, gestational diabetes, the risk of obesity in the offspring was high. Data with longer follow-up is going to be needed.

Reference:

1. Yeyi Zhu, Sjurdur F Olsen, Pauline Mendola, Thorhallur I Halldorsson, Edwina H Yeung, Charlotta Granström, Anne A Bjerregaard, Jing Wu, Shristi Rawal, Jorge E Chavarro, Frank B Hu, Cuilin Zhang. “Maternal dietary intakes of refined grains during pregnancy and growth through the first 7 y of life among children born to women with gestational diabetes.” The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2017; ajcn136291 DOI: 10.3945/ajcn.116.136291.

The post Refined Grains in Pregnancy Diets and Childhood Obesity appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

If you follow Fitter Food, you’ll know our approach to nutrition is a simple one. This hasn’t always been the case. I’ve been as guilty as the next guy of overcomplicating my quest to find the perfect diet to build muscle and maximise performance.

My finest moments have included measuring and tracking every macronutrient of food I consumed, intermittent fasting, carb backloading, carb cycling, and a questionable attempt at the ketogenic diet. When you start peeing on sticks in the name of nutrition, you know you’ve gone too far. The approach I take now is a lot less complicated.

3 Nutritional Strategies Every Athlete Needs

I find the simpler my nutritional approach, the more successful I am in achieving results that are sustainable. With this in mind, these are my top three nutritional strategies for athletes. They’ve helped a lot of our clients make considerable progress towards their health, fat loss, and performance goals.

For sustainable results in the gym, keep your nutrition plan simple and consistent.

1. Hit Your Protein Goal (But Don’t Lose Sleep Over It)

I used to think that nutrition for lean muscle building should be all about the protein. I made the assumption that twice the recommended amount of protein would bring twice the results. I’d blow my protein goal out of the water every single day and keep a couple of chicken drumsticks tucked behind my ears for emergencies. I was wrong. It’s just not necessary to consume that amount of protein. It can be a huge stress on your digestive system, and pretty expensive to boot.

Take the simpler approach. Trusted research recommends between 1.5 – 2g of protein per kilogram of bodyweight in trained individuals.¹ Use these guidelines as a starting point to estimate your own requirements. For example, I weigh around 100kg, so somewhere between 150-200g of protein is ideal for me.

Once you have your intake range, familiarise yourself with the protein content of the foods you frequently eat. I’ve given some examples below to get you started.

• 1 breast of chicken = 25-30g protein
• 1 fillet of salmon = 20-25g protein
• 1 homemade beef burger = 20-25g protein
• 1 sirloin steak = 25-30g protein
• 1 egg = 6g protein
• 1 portion of beef jerky = 15-20g protein
• 1 whey protein shake = 25-30g protein
• 1 avocado = 4g
• 3 Tbsp of hummus = 4g
• 1 handful nuts = 7g

Next, plan your meals around your protein goal to ensure you fall within its range on a consistent basis to support your training. For my protein goal, a typical day looks like this:

• Breakfast: 4 scrambled eggs, half an avocado, wilted spinach, 3 rashers of bacon (35g protein)
• Post Workout: Whey protein shake (30g protein)
• Lunch: Salmon fillet, salad, feta cheese, green vegetables (40g protein)
• Snack: A homemade burger (25g protein)
• Dinner: Piri-Piri chicken, sweet potatoes, green vegetables, salad (30g protein)

Daily total = 160g protein

Keep things simple and uncomplicated. If you fall short on your protein intake one day, don’t lose sleep over it. Training, lifestyle, rest, and stress all play fundamental roles in your performance and it’s not the end of the world.

2. Eat Mindfully and Intuitively

A big focus with our clients is to educate athletes and empower them to make better decisions with food, based on an intuitive understanding of their own needs. You don’t have to track your macros minutely to get results. Believe it or not, MyFitnessPal didn’t exist a few years ago and people still succeeded in their health and fat loss goals.

The key is to eat more mindfully. Implement simple nutrition strategies such as increasing carbohydrates and lowering fat intake on training days, but also learn to listen to your body’s feedback as well. It’s not conducive to anyone’s digestion or satiation to wolf food down quickly and mindlessly in front of the TV. Your body needs time to digest food sufficiently to experience the hormonal responses that indicate fullness.

“Understanding your individual needs and the daily feedback provided by your body will ultimately be your best tactic for long term success.”

To incorporate a more mindful eating routine, eat in a relaxed, calm environment and take the time to chew your food sufficiently. Avoid eating on the go and try not to multitask on on your smartphone or laptop whilst you’re eating. Mastering a more intuitive eating process means you’ll eat when you’re actually hungry rather than relying on calorie counting. You’ll learn to recognise the difference between boredom, real hunger, and just plain greed. As humans, we’re incredibly intelligent but we’ve lost our ability to understand our natural dietary instincts. Reclaim this ability with intuitive eating.

3. Invest In Food Quality First

Athletes can be unbelievably focused on macronutrients and the latest supplements, but they can pay precious little attention to the quality of their food. This is especially true of protein. Back in my protein-obsessed days not only was I consuming too much protein, most of it was of poor quality to keep my costs down. The more I understood about welfare standards and the benefits of sourcing produce locally, the more important food quality became to me.

It matters where your food comes from.

Although free range, grass fed, and organic meats and produce may seem more expensive, if you step back and assess where you make your health investments, you’ll find you’ll happily shell out hundreds of pounds for workout gear only to moan about the expense of higher quality ingredients.

Invest in superior food sources and opt for organic and locally reared food as often as your budget and schedule allows. Cut out the middle man and head to a farmer’s market or farm shop to get good quality produce at cheaper prices – they frequently reward loyal customers with discounts. If all else fails, stock up on cheaper, high quality options like tinned fish or eggs.

Practice Simplicity For Success

Simplifying your approach to nutrition is the key to making positive and sustainable changes to your health and performance. It takes practice, and you may need the help of a few apps and trackers initially, but understanding your individual needs and the daily feedback provided by your body is your best tactic for long term success.

More Like This:

• Eat to Perform: 6 Simple Strategies for the Busy Athlete
• Save Time and Money: Streamline Your Meal Prep
• Let’s Talk About Protein: When, Where, and How Much Do You Need?
• New on Breaking Muscle UK

Photos courtesy of Fitter Food.

References:

1. Phillips, S. & Van Loon L. (2011) Dietary protein for athletes: from requirements to optimum adaptation. Journal of Sports Science.

The post 3 Nutritional Strategies Every Athlete Needs appeared first on Breaking Muscle.

But there is a solution. One that can still give you the soothing feeling of your favorite meal, without sending your nutrition off the rails. The small change of substituting zucchini for white flour products can make an amazing difference.

Zucchini is a versatile vegetable that can help us create healthier versions of the foods we love, and also beef up some traditionally healthy meals. It is packed full of nutrients we just don’t get from white pasta or white bread. One cup of zucchini provides about 35% of your daily vitamin C and about 300mg of potassium, with only 20 calories and 4 grams of carbs, two of which are indigestible fiber.

Lasagna

Use zucchini in place of the pasta. About three medium-sized zucchini cut into quarter-inch thick strips will add all the noodle consistency you need. Lightly blanch the zucchini in water before baking with sauce, meat, and cheese.

This tactic would also be useful for making stuffed shells. Lightly blanched zucchini is flexible and can be rolled and stuffed with cheese. We can bicker over whether or not all that cheese is healthy, but starting with small substitutions can really make a difference.

Latkes

Latkes are traditionally made with white potatoes and eggs, but you can substitute zucchini for the potatoes. Shred the zucchini the same way as you would the potato, and then fry it in coconut oil. Make sure the shredded zucchini is drained first, though, or you will end up with a watery mess. Mixing carrots or sweet potatoes with the shredded zucchini can help to maintain the crispy consistency usually achieved with white potatoes.

Zoodles

There is a nifty little gadget on the market now called a vegetable spiralizer. It can turn nearly any vegetable into noodle form. I find that zucchini makes the best “zoodles,” but this tool can also be used to string cucumbers, onions, or sweet potatoes. Sweet potato fries, anyone? Zoodles can be used in place of spaghetti or other string pasta. They can also be used in “pasta” salads or (my personal favorite) as an Asian-style lo mein.

Stir-fry

Stir-fry can sometimes feel a little light and unfulfilling, especially if you’re trying to cut carbs and are opting out of the rice. So, I beef up my stir-fry with marinated zucchini slices. Zucchini marinated all day in a little soy, garlic, and ginger is amazing and adds more body so that rice is not missed. Or better yet, combine the last tip and this one, and add some marinated zoodle lo-mein!

Marinated Zucchini

Zucchini takes on nearly any marinade very well. Garlic, salt, pepper, and olive oil is a great way to treat zucchini prior to baking if you are looking for a potato fix. My husband and I can devour three whole zucchini in one meal when prepared this way.

Note: Bake zucchini low and slow for the best potato consistency. It can burn easily in a super hot oven. And, make sure all of the slices are cut evenly so they require the same cooking time.

To go with Italian dishes, marinate zucchini with basil, thyme, and olive oil. I find these spices go better with grilling rather than baking because this creates more of a crunchy texture.

“One cup of zucchini provides about 35% of your daily vitamin C and about 300mg of potassium, with only 20 calories and 4 grams of carbs, two of which are indigestible fiber.”

Keeping the Taste In Place

Small changes can make a big difference in your daily nutrition habits. Substituting zucchini for white pasta or white potatoes can create a large calorie deficit and remove empty carbohydrates without sacrificing taste – or the comforting feeling that comes along with that cheesy lasagna.

You’ll also enjoy:

• Gardening For the Athlete: How To Get Started
• Recipe: Gluten-Free Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes
• Eat What You Want: Your Macros and the Truth About Carbs
• New On Breaking Muscle Today

Photos courtesy of Shutterstock.

The post Say No To Noodles: Try Zucchini Instead appeared first on Breaking Muscle.