Lean for Life!

"I know and am convinced on the authority of the Lord Jesus that no food, in and of itself, is wrong to eat. But if someone believes it is wrong, then for that person it is wrong." - Romans 14:14

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.