Got A Minute...MAX!                                       The Five-Muscular Tiers - #2 Nutrition

The Second Muscular-Tier amongst the Five, is “Nutrition”. For those of us who have a common goal to shed body fat, while building and maintaining valuable muscle tissue, eating clean is vital for developing your physical masterpiece.

We want to do whatever we can, safely, to excavate through and remove the years’ worth of accumulated fat tissue, so that we may reveal the beautifully sculpted lean muscle tissue that I refer to as your “buried treasure”.

We will accomplish this through the correct prescription of physical exercise, coupled with healthy eating. This is done by eating the “right foods”, while burning more calories than we consume.  

I personally do my best to eat clean* 6 days a week and my seventh day, is a “day of rest”, where I ease up and can enjoy some of my most favorite foods.

*Doing my best to eat “clean”, means eating more of a Paleolithic-based diet.

Did you know that the genetic material that makes up billions of modern human beings is composed of around 2% Neanderthal DNA? These people were time-period appropriately bigger and stronger than oxen. They also had an incredibly clean diet, made up of lean meats and metric tons of fresh organic produce.  A majority of their eating came from clean fruits, veggies, and berries, along with unsalted nuts, lean meats, and seeds. Marketers love to play off of the eating style of the Paleolithic era, and although there is certainly allot of nonsense being pushed on you, the basis for paleo is extremely sensible.

However, there will be a twist with the Renew Youeating plan. We love paleo, but we also love other eating styles, which we’ll also be using. These are a combination of the world’s most popular and effective current eating styles, making the Renew Youeating plan a diversified portfolio made up of the “best-of-the-best” healthy eating styles.

Remember, whole foods are without question, the most important foods that you should be eating a majority of the time, and you must now begin thinking of healthy dietary nutritional shakes, vitamins and other dietary supplements as a healthcare insurance policy. Dietary supplements are vital, as food doesn't and simply cannot provide everything you need, to fully optimize your body’s health, inside and out.

The Renew You Food Menu:

• Lean meats: Lean cuts of beef, bison, lamb, pork, chicken (predominately white meat), fish/other seafood, chicken, turkey, etc. The meats that contain less fat and more protein are best.
• Vegetables: Green leafy (romaine, spinach - steer clear of ice-burg lettuce), broccoli, kale, peppers, onions, carrots, sugar snap peas, Brussel sprouts, green beans, etc.
• Nuts/Seeds/Berries: Almonds, walnuts, macadamia nuts, hazelnuts, pistachios, cashews, pecans, flax seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, hemp seeds, quinoa (my favorite), etc.
• Unsaturated Fats: The best fats are monounsaturated (in a variety of foods), polyunsaturated (mostly in pant-based foods) and Omega’s (from fatty fish, but some great elements in foods like krill and some plant-based sources).
  Add avocados, whole eggs, extra-virgin olive oil, dark chocolate (yep!), coconut and coconut oil, fat-full yogurt, etc.    
• Watch your sugar intake, salt intake, and all extra calories, which you have the power to say no to! 
• P.S. I also love steel-cut oatmeal in the morning and I direct a lot of my eating around when I exercise AKA Nutrient Timing. I also enjoy Intermittent Fasting. Ask me if you want me to write about this.

Here’s the beauty of the ingredients, above. Imagine taking a couple from each category and adding each to a huge salad. You can create the most delicious meals by doing so. The biggest challenge, is not going crazy with the salad dressing. I love using mostly red vinegar, some extra-virgin olive oil and maybe a third or less of a “good seasons” packet. It’s amazing!  

As I mentioned earlier, stack up with some healthy snacks. Get some wholesome protein bars like, “Best Bar Ever”, create an awesome healthier homemade trail mix, get some premium protein powder and I’ll show you how to make delicious shakes and baking items.

When you begin eating clean like this, not only will you quickly begin seeing your body change, but your mind/focus will be clearer, your energy level will begin to increase, your mood will naturally boost and you will never again look back.

Keep Moving…Keep Going!

James Villepigue CSCS