Power Foods - Eat to get Leaner

I have written other blogs on what you should know about staying fit and getting lean. Now I want to tell you some things you may or may not know about some of the foods that are readily available that are known as POWER FOODS. They are also referred to as the CLEAN FOODS. That is foods that we can use in our diet plans that have been researched and scientifically proven to add the vital nutrients we need to gain lean muscle and reduce body fat. That's what everyone wants, right? Walking around leaner and carrying less body fat makes you look better which in turn makes you feel better about yourself. It also is a major contributor to longer life by reducing cardiovascular disease.

What this basically boils down to is you may get a diet plan from me or someone else and it may tell you to use 35 grams of protein, 30 grams of complex carbs and 15 grams of Omega3 fats. You're probably scratching your head and wondering know how am I suppose to figure that out? I'm going to make it somewhat simpler for you. I'm going to break this down into the basic food groups; protein, carbohydrates and fats.

Protein
Note: all meats should baked, broiled, boiled or sauteed in extra virgin olive oil or something similar such as Smart Balance blended oil.

Chicken Breast, best bought at a butcher, the grocery store chickens are full of salt and additives to make them look fuller.

Egg Whites, you can buy these already separated in quart size containers.

Fish. I could list all the different kinds of fish there are here but basically if it swims it's a fish and fish are a great source of lean protein. Some fish have gotten a bad wrap on mercury content and you have to use good common sense here. If you hear about a local fish, such as king mackerel,that has developed higher mercury content, then just don't eat that particular fish everyday. Duh! Cold water fish such as Tuna, Salmon and Sardines are rich in Omega3 oils are are really high on the POWER FOODS list.

Lean Beef. Another animal that has recently gotten a bad wrap; that eating cows make you fat or gives you a higher chance of attracting cardiovascular disease. Again this is a common sense thing. Lean cuts of beef are very good for you and contain little fat. Cuts such as 90% (or leaner) Lean Ground Beef, Ground Sirloin, Eye of Round Steak, Top Sirloin Steak, Fillet Mignon Steak and Flank steak are all good sources of lean beef.

Low Fat Diary Products. Items such as low fat yogurt (Greek Yogurt being the best) low fat cottage cheese, low fat, 1%, skim or no fat milk. Regular milk is very high in dietary sugar.

Protein Powders. Lots of controversy here. Be smart and read labels is the best advice. Also a good adage here is you get what you pay for. The really cheap brands are full of fillers and worthless ingredients. The very expensive brands sometimes have other ingredients that you may or may not be looking for so read the labels carefully when choosing a protein powder. The very best protein powders are Whey Isolate cold filtered. I could write a book on this subject and maybe I will one day but trust me here, that's the good stuff and whatever you do stay away from the word "concentrate". That's a fancy word for, "this is not the real stuff." I am a big fan of protein drinks but not as a meal replacement. Nothing substitutes food more than real home prepared meals for nutrition. Proteins shakes are supplemental and should be used as such. Eat 3-5 balanced meals a day and add shakes to your diet to get in those extra meals that you need to help keep the metabolism cranking for building lean muscle and burning up body fat. I'll give you my favorite protein shake recipe here: 8 oz. cold filtered water, protein powder (1 scoop for women, 2 scoops for men), 6-7 whole large strawberries, 1 banana, 1 tablespoon of natural peanut butter and 1/2 cup ground oats, throw in a few ice cubes to make it slushy or use frozen strawberries.

Turkey Breast, Again look on the packaging and red flag the words added salt and MSG.

Whole Eggs I like to use the Omega3 eggs but still use these sparingly with the egg whites. A good ratio would be 3 to 1. Three eggs whites to one egg.


Carbohydrate Sources

Oats, probably the best source of good clean complex carbs, the best oats are the old fashion style and steel cut. Stay away from the sweetened and flavored ones.

Potatoes. Sweet potatoes are the best. Also red and white are good sources. But if you are on a low carb diet stay away from the white potatoes.

Rice. Basmati, brown and long grain.

Quinoa

Pasta - that you make, not the oily stuff you get in restaurant. There are some great whole grain pastas in the grocery also.

Whole Grain and/or high fiber cereals such as Cheerios (thank god I think my mother feed me thousands of pounds of this stuff) Ezekiel and Fiber One are few of the good choice here. Again read the labels. Words such as sugar, fructose, processed, are red flags.

Whole Grain Bread. Ezekiel bread, sprouted grain breads and whole grain breads.No processed or white flour.

Fruit. This list is endless but any fruit is good. Some have higher sugar content. Good ones are: Apples, Bananas, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Kiwi, Mango, Oranges, Pears, Raspberries and Strawberries.

Beans. Black, Red, Pinto, Lima and Navy are all good source of complex carbs.

Healthy sources of fats.
Oils. Fish, Flax, and Olive Oil (extra virgin)
Nuts. Almonds, Walnuts and Pistachios.
Olives (without the Vodka)
Butter, Use substitutes here such as Smart Balance buttery spread. Also natural peanut butter, and natural almond butter.

Then there are the free foods; Vegetables. My wife keeps telling me, you can have all the free foods you want. Gee thanks. No seriously you can eat just about any amount of these and still stay in the "physique friendly" category with the exception of beets, carrots and tomatoes. They are also good but not really free to eat any amount. Rule of thumb is 2 ounces of beets, 1 carrot and 1 tomato.

Free Food List
Arugula, Bean Sprouts, Borage, Butter beans, Cauliflower, Fennel, Gourd, Jalapeno Peppers, Mushrooms, Parsley, Spinach, Turnips & Greens, Asparagus, Beets, Broccoli, Cabbage, Celery, Cucumber, Garlic, Green Beans, Kale, Mustard Greens, Peppers, Summer Squash, Watercress, Bamboo Shoots, Bell Peppers, Brussels Sprouts, Carrot, Chives, Eggplant, Ginger Root, Horseradish, Lettuce, Onions, Radishes, Tomato and Zucchini Squash. I'm sure I left out some but you get the drift.

Hope that was beneficial in helping you make the right choices for picking the appropriate foods that will help make you leaner and lower your body fat.

Remember it really was true what your mother said: breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Always include all the food groups in your meals, protein, carbohydrates and fat. Eat the appropriate serving size and never wait until you're hungry to eat.


Hammer