Eating to win

Disclaimer! I’m not a nutritionist. I've read a lot about healthy eating and I’ve both gained muscle mass and lost it again following a disciplined program for my own competitive athletics ranging from triathlon to bodybuilding plus have helped athletes I coach. But I don’t have any letters behind my name that make me an expert on telling you what to eat.

Still, I’ve heard all the fad diets over the years, saw many ‘can’t miss’ theories about eating come and go but what I’ve found that worked best for me is having a consistent diet based on unprocessed foods and following the Canada Health Guide. In addition to this, a key is to achieve a healthy ratio of protein-to-carbohydrates-to-fats.

Let's look at one of those components today. Protein can be a tricky one, especially for guys, because there are some many protein supplements out there. Also, for those who limit or eliminate meat getting adequate protein can be a challenge. Here’s some thoughts about how to address the proper amounts

KEEPING PROTEIN WITHIN HEALTHY RANGES

Protein is great for keeping our bodies healthy, and for building muscle. In fact, our bodies need complete proteins every 3-4 hours to ensure there are enough amino acids for muscle building. Makes sense, right? The funny thing is, when we workout we're actually tearing the fibers of muscle tissue. Protein is then needed to repair the damage done to our muscle fibers. It's also necessary to lengthen and expand them as well. This is why enough protein is so crucial for building muscle.

However...

Don't fall into the high protein trap! You must have structure in your eating program to know exactly how many grams of protein you need each day. The natural question, then, is what is the correct protein range? The correct protein range to stay in is 10-35% of your total calories. You shouldn't be exceeding this. If you do, then other health risks will eventually arise. Here's a great example for the correct protein consumption with a meal plan: Let's say I eat 2,000 calories per day, and, lets use 35% (the max) for our protein intake. When we do the math, 35% of 2,000 (.35x2000) = 700. So, 700 calories should come from protein.

Got it? Now it becomes a matter of counting our calories (like I do with pen and paper) or with an app. It's easy to find the calorie count and protein by looking on the labels of the foods you eat. Get into the habit of doing this and also being aware of what you're eating. There's a lot more on this subject, like the proper mix of carbohydrates and fat to achieve your optimal number of MACROS, or macronutrients. I'll write more about this in the future.

For now, get your protein right to build muscle....of course you have to put the work in! Train yourself to be Godly.