BUILD MUSCLE AND LOSE FAT BY EATING TASTY, NUTRITIOUS FOOD

I used to hate cooking because I sucked at it. Literally everything I made tasted horrible— and it took way too long. To make things worse, I’m into weight lifting and had to eat a lot of that crappy food every week. When I was eating to gain muscle, I couldn’t really enjoy it because I didn’t know how to make tasty meals that gave me enough calories and macronutrients (protein, carbs, and fats). I basically felt like a farm animal hitting the daily trough of chicken, eggs, oatmeal, brown rice, and potatoes. When I was dieting to lose weight, well, I cringe when I think of the bland, plain chicken breasts and vegetables that I used to force down every day for months (I became quite a connoisseur of hot sauce, but eventually even that couldn’t redeem the food). I would get excited over the banana I got to have with my afternoon shake. My buddies joked that I had the palate of a Rottweiler. Finally, after years of desensitizing myself to food, I decided to figure out how to cook fast, healthy meals that tasted good and also met my nutritional needs. I wanted to look forward to hearty, nutritious meals when eating to gain muscle, and I wanted to enjoy some of what I got to eat while losing weight. This book is a compilation of recipes that fit the bill. Every recipe in this book is designed to help you build lean muscle or lose fat while actually getting healthier (because who cares if you look great but feel like crap?). And they all TASTE GOOD. So why buy this book? Because following a diet, whether to get bigger or lose fat, is SO much more pleasurable when you can enjoy your meals. I think this book will become a good friend.

HOW TO EAT RIGHT WITHOUT OBSESSING OVER EVERY CALORIE

MAKE SURE YOU EAT ENOUGH A calorie is a measurement of the potential energy found in food, and your body burns quite a bit of energy every day. Everything from the beating of your heart to the digestion of your food requires energy, and your body has to get it from the food you eat. Thus, it’s important that you feed your body enough, and that’s especially true when you work out. If you underfeed your body, don’t be surprised if you don’t have the energy to train hard or if you feel generally exhausted. If you exercise at least three times per week, use the following formula to ensure you’re feeding your body enough to repair itself. Eat 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. Eat 1.5 grams of carbs per pound of body weight per day. Eat 1 gram of healthy fats per 4 pounds of body weight per day. That’s where you start. For a 130 lb woman, it would look like this: 130 grams of protein per day 195 grams of carbs per day 32 grams of fat per day That’s about 1,600 calories per day, which should work for making slow, steady muscle and strength gains without any fat added along the way (which really should be the goal of “maintenance”—not staying exactly the same). If your priority is to gain muscle, then you need to add about 500 calories per day to you “maintenance” diet. The easiest way to do this is to bump up your carbs by about 50 grams per day, and your fats by about 30 grams per day.

What is the Vegetarian Diet?

The vegetarian diet involves abstaining from eating meat, fish and poultry. People often adopt a vegetarian diet for religious or personal reasons, as well as ethical issues, such as animal rights. Others decide to become vegetarian for environmental reasons, as livestock production increases greenhouse gas emissions, contributes to climate change and requires large amounts of water, energy and natural resources. There are several forms of vegetarianism, each of which differs in their restrictions. The most common types include: Lacto-ovo vegetarian diet: Eliminates meat, fish and poultry but allows eggs and dairy products. Lacto-vegetarian diet: Eliminates meat, fish, poultry and eggs but allows dairy products. Ovo-vegetarian diet: Eliminates meat, fish, poultry and dairy products but allows eggs. Pescetarian diet: Eliminates meat and poultry but allows fish and sometimes eggs and dairy products. Vegan diet: Eliminates meat, fish, poultry, eggs and dairy products, as well as other animal-derived products, such as honey. Flexitarian diet: A mostly vegetarian diet that incorporates occasional meat, fish or poultry. SUMMARY Most people who follow a vegetarian diet don’t eat meat, fish or poultry. Other variations involve the inclusion or exclusion of eggs, dairy and other animal products. 

How Does the Vegetarian Diet Works?

Vegetarian diets are not automatically low calorie and do not always lead to weight loss. If you are becoming a vegetarian to lose weight it will take discipline, some sacrifice and attention to detail. Avoid eating out regularly. Eating at restaurants makes it much more difficult to control calorie intake. Pay attention to your portion sizes. In America we are accustomed to getting much large portions than we actually need. Counting calories and keeping track of portion sizes at each meal with greatly enhance your chances of achieving weight loss goals. Careful planning of your meals each day will also help you reach weight goals. Prep meals the night before, weigh out portions for meals on the go, keep healthy snacks close by so when you have that craving you can satisfy it with something that is low fat and low calorie. Planning is a part of any weight loss regimen, whether you are vegetarian, vegan or a meat eater. You can also focus less on frying food and more on baking, steaming, boiling or One of the keys to losing weight is to MOVE. Exercise on a regular basis including cardio and weight training will help your body function, process food and avoid illness better. In addition to eating a balanced, nutritional meal, it is essential that fitness is part of your weight loss plan. If you are becoming vegetarian to lose weight but you are not interested in some kind of regular exercise you will not get the results you’ve been looking for. Get a fitness plan in place. Join the gym or get a personal trainer and tell them what your weight loss goals are and make sure they are aware you are becoming a vegetarian for weight loss.grilling.

WHAT IS VEGANISM?

The vegan lifestyle is becoming increasingly popular these days. Also known as a plant based diet, vegans do not eat any food from animal sources including red meat, chicken, eggs, dairy and honey. People who choose to see veganism as a lifestyle rather than just a way of eating also avoid animal products in the form of leather, fur or any other clothing item made out of animal products. People go vegan for many reasons including health, animal rights and the environment. This EBook will focus mostly on a plant based diet and its health benefits. Please keep in mind just because a diet is free of meat it doesn't mean that it is healthy!

What is the Paleo Diet?

The Paleolithic diet, caveman diet, or Paleo diet is a popular diet founded on the premise that our ancestors had a healthier diet and had better health than modern humans. Before the advent of agriculture, people were hunter-gatherers who subsisted on a diet of meats, fish, nuts, fruits, and vegetables rather than the refined sugars, dairy, grains, salt, and processed foods that are today's common foods. The theory behind the Paleo diet is that the human body has not yet adapted to grainbased nourishment, which leads to many of the diseases plaguing contemporary society. Cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, stroke, and even infertility can all be linked back to these modern diet changes because human beings are genetically hardwired to eat the hunter-gatherer diet that was followed for about 99.5 percent of human history. Studies have also shown that human brain function and physical ability peaked just before the agricultural revolution. Why did our diet shift so dramatically? The simple answer is that human beings grouped together for support and companionship, which led to settling in one area rather than roaming around in search of food. This static lifestyle was conducive to agriculture and animal husbandry. Cereal grains and legumes became a convenient source of calories, and people stopped moving their bodies to forage and hunt for survival. This combination of inactivity and diet change has created an increasingly fat society that is actually malnourished due to a lack of nutrients in its food. Following the Paleo diet can address this nutrient deficit, and can be a huge step toward feeling and looking better.

What Do You Eat on the Paleo Diet?

We do not know definitively what our Paleo forbearers ate on a daily basis, and many foods they did consume are no longer available today because of evolution and extinction. The idea of the Paleo diet is to mimic the perceived caveman diet using modern food equivalents, refraining from anything that a caveman would not have been able to find. This means eliminating all processed foods, grains, legumes, processed sugars, processed oils, and dairy because these items came about after the agricultural and industrial revolutions. Since these “forbidden foods” make up the bulk of the standard American diet (SAD), many people are left wondering what exactly is on the Paleo menu. Paleo-friendly foods include meats, fish, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruit, healthy fats, nuts, tubers, and seeds. If you choose to follow a Paleo diet, you will be eating the freshest, healthiest, most nutrient-packed foods you can find, and cooking them in ways that do not add fats and calories to the finished dishes. These choices mirror what every medical professional and nutritionist has been recommending for years to produce vibrant, good health.

What is the Mediterranean Diet?

The term Mediterranean diet refers to a specific combination of foods rich in antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins together with a perfect balance of fatty acids. However, it may not be classified as one of the typical meal plans followed to achieve targeted health outcomes, especially weight loss. In fact, Mediterranean diet (MD) is not just about eating food as you cannot eat your way for weight loss or for better health. MD is actually a harmony of diet and lifestyle which results in a healthy life balance ever so elusive in practically all regions of the world except Greece, Crete, Italy and Spain. The latter regions are often geographically identified as the Mediterranean basin. The Mediterranean diet is not merely a fad as it has been in practice since time immemorial in the region. While fad diets vanish to oblivion in just a short span of time, MD persisted through the years. Its vaunted efficacy for a long roster of health benefits evolved from tradition and word-of-mouth to unproven claims and conjectures, until scientific research documented the link between typical food consumed by a specific population on one hand and their longevity and low prevalence of chronic and coronary diseases on the other hand. MD is the sum total of food included in the diet, how food is eaten, and how various desirable practices are synergized to create a potent life balance for healthy living. Therefore, MD may be more appropriately referred to as the Mediterranean healthy lifestyle. As readers would have noticed, the region where the MD originated comprises of several groups of culturally different people. However, despite marked changes in their traditional diets and comfort foods, the people in this region are aware of the importance of enjoying their meal and whenever possible, they enjoy a hearty midday meal with the whole family.

How Does the Mediterranean Diet Works?

With fish, meat, and dairy components, the MD is delightfully flavorful and abounds in hedonistic qualities. Yet, the diets were frugal and do not have excessive calories. Adding up to the moderate calorie intake is regular physical activity, though not exactly the idea of physical activity popular in the gyms of Western countries, but extensive enough to result in lower rates of obesity in the Mediterranean region. Thus, the healthy Mediterranean lifestyle was thought to be something good to emulate. Further studies later buttressed the Keys’ findings and a roster of health benefits had been compiled. In no time, a new and effective regimen for health and longevity was born. This chapter summarizes the beneficial effects of the Mediterranean diet. Results of three recent studies showed that: From a study published in the British Medical Journal in the year 2008, following the traditional MD resulted in a 9% decreased in deaths from coronary artery disease. In 2011, a systematic review published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology involving 535,000 cases revealed that traditional MD is correlated with lower blood pressure, and lower levels blood glucose and triglycerides. In early 2013, a study among 7,447 cases of high risk of cardiovascular conditions showed no significant difference among three groups in the reduction of risk for heart attack, stroke, and heart disease. Two groups both followed the traditional MD but one group was supplemented with olive, while the other was supplement with nuts. The third group followed a low-fat diet. As compiled by Denver physician Eric Zacharias in 2012, MD is effective in the prevention of obesity and in weight loss. From the same compilation, Dr.

What is the Low Carb Diet?

A low-carb diet is generally used for losing weight. Some low-carb diets may have health benefits beyond weight loss, such as reducing risk factors associated with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. A low-carb diet limits carbohydrates — such as those found in grains, starchy vegetables and fruit — and emphasizes foods high in protein and fat. Many types of low-carb diets exist. Each diet has varying restrictions on the types and amounts of carbohydrates you can eat. You might choose to follow a low-carb diet because you: Want a diet that restricts certain carbs to help you lose weight Want to change your overall eating habits Enjoy the types and amounts of foods featured in low-carb diets Check with your doctor before starting any weight-loss diet, especially if you have any health conditions, such as diabetes or heart disease.at.

How Does the Low Carb Diet Works?

As the name says, a low-carb diet restricts the type and amount of carbohydrates you eat. Carbohydrates are a type of calorie-providing macronutrient found in many foods and beverages. Carbohydrates can be simple or complex. They can further be classified as simple refined (table sugar), simple natural (lactose in milk and fructose in fruit), complex refined (white flour) and complex natural (whole grains or beans). Common sources of naturally occurring carbohydrates include: Grains, Fruits, Vegetables, Milk, Nuts, and Seeds, Legumes (beans, lentils, and peas) Food manufacturers also add refined carbohydrates to processed foods in the form of sugar or white flour. Examples of foods that contain refined carbohydrates are white breads and pasta, cookies, cake, candy, and sugar-sweetened sodas and drinks. Your body uses carbohydrates as its main fuel source. Complex carbohydrates (starches) are broken down into simple sugars during digestion. They're then absorbed into your bloodstream, where they're known as blood sugar (glucose). In general, natural complex carbohydrates are digested more slowly and they have less effect on blood sugar. Natural complex carbohydrates provide bulk and serve other body functions beyond fuel. Rising levels of blood sugar trigger the body to release insulin. Insulin helps glucose enter your body's cells. Some glucose is used by your body for energy, fueling all of your activities, whether it's going for a jog or simply breathing. Extra glucose is usually stored in your liver, muscles and other cells for later use or is converted to fat. The idea behind the low-carb diet is that decreasing carbs lowers insulin levels, which causes the body to burn stored fat for energy and ultimately leads to weight loss.

What is the High Carb Diet?

According to the Mayo Clinic, based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, people who follow a 2,000-calorie diet should consume between 225 and 325 grams of carbohydrates each day. That makes up between 45 and 65 percent of calories. The Food and Drug Administration lists the daily value (DV) for carbohydrates as 300 grams per day. If you're consuming the standard 2,000 calories a day, you would also consume 50 grams of protein and 65 grams of fat. This means that the FDA recommends consuming a diet made up of 60 percent carbohydrates, 10 percent protein and 30 percent fat. As the name implies, a high-carb diet incorporates a larger proportion of carbohydrates into your daily diet. This amount can vary substantially but starts at around 64 to 65 percent. High-carb diets can be healthy or unhealthy based on your calorie intake and how your macronutrient consumption is distributed. Healthy high-carb diets typically raise carbohydrate intake but lower protein and fat intake and reduce overall calorie consumption. Healthy high-carb diets, like the Okinawan diet, have been known to increase carbohydrate consumption to as much as 85 percent while reducing consumption of other macronutrients.

How Does the High Carb Diet Work?

Unhealthy high-carbohydrate diets increase carbohydrate content and may also increase fat intake. They may or may not decrease protein intake. Since carbohydrates and fat are already the biggest components of a standard diet, to increase the amount of these macronutrients, you'd also likely increase overall calorie consumption. Unhealthy high-carbohydrate diet risks vary because they tend to involve the consumption of refined or processed carbohydrates. Foods made with refined and processed carbohydrates are typically made with more fat. More often than not, the fats in these foods are unhealthy saturated and trans fats, which are associated with different health issues. Healthy high-carb diets can have carbohydrate content that ranges from around 64 percent of your daily diet to 85 percent of your diet. These diets have been shown to promote weight loss, reverse liver disease and reduce health problems when consumed long term. They typically focus on the consumption of low-fat, high-carb foods like complex carbohydrates and fiber-rich vegetables and fruits.

What is Healthy Eating Diet?

Everyone seems to be on some kind of diet or detox these days. It’s easy to understand why. Most of us want to live healthier lives, lose a little bit (or a lot) of weight, and generally feel better about the food we put into our bodies. But given what we plan to get out of diets and detoxes, why do they feel more akin to punishment than reward?

For the most part, changing how and what we eat, whether it’s for 10 days or 3 months or more, involves restrictions. And math. Certain foods must be cut out. Calories must be counted. Specific foods, regardless of how they taste, must be consumed. Diet fatigue and diet failure happen for a reason. The work involved to diet successfully is exhausting and, due to that very difficult, it’s a struggle to keep it up for the long term. We take a break, and start again later, take another break, start again later, and so on.

Eating healthily does not have to be so hard. It does not need to involve worksheets or calculators. People who have adopted the healthy eating “diet” are living these truths firsthand. Healthy eating is not a diet in the conventional sense of the word, where you give up certain foods for a period of time to achieve a specific health goal. Healthy eating is more of a food philosophy, grounded in the notion that meals should contain all sorts of foods—fruits, vegetables, meats, grains, beans, nuts, and so on. The only restriction is that these foods should be as close as possible to their natural, unadulterated state. Foods should be made of, well, food, rather than combinations of food and chemicals.