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A few have asked to blog a little more on eating eggs. To tell the truth all the nutritional info about eggs was revealed in the previous post. But I will elaborate on past experience. I remember when eggs where the “whole food”. Then they became the “bad egg” because they have cholesterol. After that it was all right to eat them again because the lecithin in the egg white countered or balanced out the cholesterol’s badness.

This is possibly where the egg white omelets and three whites to one yellow ratio came from. The latest was it’s all right to eat eggs just make sure they’re cooked and be careful of the cholesterol. Maybe I’m different, probably more like most than not. When I was growing up a half dozen eggs for breakfast was regularly was not uncommon. Even when I was in my twenties I consumed most days for breakfast, three to four eggs scrambled or fried. Always I ate the entire egg, that’s four egg whites and four egg yellows. I used to consider the egg yellow “liquid Sunshine”.

As you can see from my Post: Why Do They Only Eat Egg Whites the yellow contains more nutrients than the white, as much if not more protein proportionately by volume, and combined with the white makes it pretty much a complete food. Even now since I usually work out first thing in the morning, After my after workout shake when I get home I immediately have breakfast with three whole eggs over easy with when available no more than a half of sweet potato for a quality protein , nutritional meal and a good carbohydrate to fuel the muscle.

Now a word of caution, there are those of us that have a cholesterol problem or susceptible, for those of you that fall in this category, do not throw caution to the wind. Here is where you need to consult your physician and ask for a blood lab workup. These usually will tell the doctor if you have a cholesterol problem. And of course the older we get the more of a concern this becomes, take care of your heart, after all it’s MUSCLE.

Why is it most fitness experts tell you to eat egg white omelets or don’t eat the egg yolk. One would think the yellow of the egg is too fattening. When in most part they say it has too much cholesterol and is not good for you. While it may be high in cholesterol and saturated fat it is a virtual multi-vitamin store. Even those that do tell you that the yellow has healthy zinc for your body still recommend one egg yolk to three egg whites for an egg white omelet.

The whole egg itself when eaten in it’s entirety is one of the most complete foods going. One gets the protein, minerals and vitamins necessary in todays diet. The egg white has slightly more protein than the yolk only because there is more white than yellow by volume. On the other hand the yolk contains in addition to protein, iron, calcium, zinc, copper, phosphorous,manganese,potassium, selenium, thiamin, riboflavin and most all the B vitamins. Let’s not forget it also contains Vitamins A, D, E, K and the Carotenoids, lutein and zeaxanthin. To get a better break down o n the nutrients go here.

Besides making most foods taste better that have egg as an ingredient together with the white you get a much more complete nutritional source. One other thing to consider and that’s the fact that the yolk also contains a excellent source of essential fatty acids the long-chain omega-3 fatty acid DHA, which aids in proper brain function.

Eat healthy and enjoy breakfast more, just leave out the home fries and white toast.

James Bolduc

MrPowerFitness

PowerFitnessSecrets.com

Increase the effectiveness of your workout by doing multiple high rep sets with minimal rest. The reason why it works is because it increases the blood supply to the muscles. By increasing the supply you also increase the supply of nourishment to the muscles. Provided that you provided your body with quality nutrition and supplements. And since this causes the muscles to rebuild bigger and better it also increases the metabolic rate and burns fat more efficiently.

This doesn’t mean you have to be a body builder to get these same benefits. No matter what adding lean muscle to one’s frame not only improves your health, looks, and as mentioned previously your calcium serum levels, it also increases your fat burning ability.

The best method to utilize this technique goes like this:

To add muscle you will want to do four sets of at least four exercises per body part. Don’t try to do every body part in a day’s session. I usually do one body part per day, such as, Chest, Back, Shoulders, Arms and Legs. Stomach you can add in with any of the other body parts at the end of your session. Add weight progressively with each set from ten reps down to three. After you have completed the heavy lifting and before your stomach sets if you are doing them that specific day, you are going to choose one exercise for that body part. Now for this exercise you will do seven sets at a weight you can handle for fifteen reps each set. Between each set rest only thirty second and no more than thirty seconds. This is similar to creating an aerobic effect and will increase and speed up the blood flow to that body part.

This will also create a tremendous pumped up effect, letting you know it’s working. Now feed those muscles. This will increase the nutrient supply to your recently taxed muscles. Watch and see how quickly your body will get sculpted.

James Bolduc

MrPowerFitness

PowerFitnessSecrets.com

Another aspect to diet is quality of carbohydrates. Technically there are two types, simple and complex. Some definitions have fruits as a simple carbohydrate and vegetables are the complex. Another version is that all refined and processed carbohydrate sources are simple and both fruits and vegetables are the complex carbs.

While it tends to be a blend of the two. Simple carbohydrates are both fruit and the processed variety. Complex carbohydrates are found in the vegetable groups and refined processed foods as well. You have refined whole wheats and wheats in general, plus other processed grains such as those found in breads and pasta’s.

The best rule of thumb is to consume natural complex and simple carbs. For the simple carbs sources like apples, blackberries, blueberries, grapefruit, oranges, peaches and strawberries are all low in simple sugars as well.

For your complex carbs try broccoli, spinach, cabbage, cauliflower, onions, tomatoes(technically a fruit) and sweet potato to name a few. Natural complex carbs provide the essential vitamins and minerals needed for energy production. Simple, refined carbs found in many processed, convenient foods tend to be devoid of these natural nutrients. Who wants the additives any ways.

When choosing your veggies and fruits, as mentioned previously, opt to go organic if at all possible. This way you get a higher quality nutritional source. Also choosing natural, aids in your goal to lose weight. These sources tend to be utilized more efficiently by the body.
All carbohydrates are broken down in the body to become glucose to  produce the energy molecule ATP (adenosinetriphosphate). Complex carbs tend to be processed slower than simple carbs and this is why you use it to load up on to store energy for your workouts. Since the simple carbs break down faster they can be beneficial in getting a quick energy source just before a workout.

However you need to be careful for those of you that may be diabetic as this can be dangerous to your glucose levels first thing in the morning. It’s recommended to eat a small bit of complex carbs in those situations.

It is recommended that one eats at least five helpings a day of veggies and two to three of fruits. I like to start my day with either half a grapefruit or whole banana and a small portion of some protein source.

Then into my workout drinking plenty of water. Post workout I drink a quality protein drink that has some carbs as well. Here a good choice also would be to eat half a sweet potato, as you know you want to carbo-load the muscles. That’s two to three meals down, lunch would be something like grilled chicken and mixed veggies.

While I’m thinking of it you should also try to eat as many veggies that are a spectrum of colors. Such as red bell pepper, yellow squash, purple eggplant and green leafy veggies etc. etc. Reason being that they all have a different variety of essential nutrients we all need.
Back to meal or snack four, a piece of fruit or two. Dinner could be a nice fresh piece of fish with broccoli and sweet potato. The last snack and also as a bed time snack a protein drink.

Good night all.

James Bolduc

MrPowerFitness
PowerFitnessSecrets.com

With all the supplements, diet restrictions and exercises we tend to overlook the quality of our diet. In quality I mean not just the type of proteins, carbohydrates and fats, but the quality in wholeness and pureness of the food.

For instance any vegetable you buy in the traditional supermarket like … err, I won’t mention names, are mass produced, and over farmed. Which means less nutrients in the soil and even less nutrition in the vegetable or fruit. But it’s still better to eat an apple before a workout than to grab a snickers bar. Oops I did anyways.

The same goes with animal foods. The supply chain here is even longer. Since the land is over produced, the grains fed to the animals is lacking in nutrients thus the nutritional quality of the meat is less than what it use to be.

Now with fish you have a different angle. Most fish caught out at sea and away from the reefs tend to be every bit as quality nutrition as it always was. Provided it’s fresh, within a few days from being caught and/or hasn’t gone bad for whatever. If it smells like the ocean it’s good to consume. If it smells like the proverbial “fishy” smell it is past it’s prime.

The one caveat with fish is farmed fish. In which they are fed inferior feed to keep cost down, which puts this type of meat in the same category as the rest of the farmed animal products.

The best way to go even though it will hit your wallet to almost the cost of twice as much is Organic.

In most cases buying organic produce will guarantee complete quality nutrition and flavor. The same holds true for the animal products. If you buy beef opt out to go organic and make sure it is grass fed. Most other meat products follow the same rule, like free range chicken. Beware free range chicken doesn’t mean that it is organic, nor their eggs.

With fish you have only one choice for high quality, fresh off the boat from a deep sea fishing expedition. Now the seas don’t have to be in the middle of the ocean. A mile or two off shore is fine. I n many coastal areas dolphin, swordfish, tuna and other tasty varieties can be found. Salmon, make sure its wild not farmed and preferably pacific coast or Alaskan.

I almost forgot seafood and shell fish. But you get the picture on the fresh catch theme. In some cases try to stay updated as to any environmental conditions that may pollute certain areas like lakes and rivers.

Now you will not only enjoy your food more, but you will also be the healthier for it.

James Bolduc

MrPowerFitness

PowerFitnessSecrets.com

Fish offers many benefits, from easy-to-digest amino acids on par with whey protein to an array of minerals that support testosterone and thyroid functions. Fish are also  a healthy option because they contain a wealth of vitamins and minerals. Here are some of the most important nutrients found in fish:

* Zinc  is an important mineral for bodybuilders because it supports testosterone and insulin like growth-factor levels, also found in egg yolk. One great source of zinc is oysters. You need at least 15 milligrams a day. Many types of seafood are a great source of zinc.

* Chromium This trace mineral helps encourage your muscle store carbs as muscle glycogen rather than as body fat. Increased glycogen stores help keep your muscles full and growing. All fish are great for adding this

mineral to your diet.

* Selenium  is on par with vitamins C and E as an antioxidant. Fish remains one of the top sources of this sometimes-hard-to-get mineral.

*Omega-3 fatty acids help upgrade insulin sensitivity, helping to keep your body in an anabolic state. Salmon, mackerel, sardines and other fatty fish are great sources for this. This helps you reduce body fat without risking muscle loss. One should consume at least one six-ounce serving daily of fish rich in omega-3s. A lack of omega-3 fatty acids tends to put stress on the body’s glutamine levels and causes a drop in the water content in muscles. Omega-3s also help the body store carbohydrates within muscles.

In addition to these there are  orange roughy, trout and tuna  that tend to produce a lot of oil during cooking.  These yield far greater amounts of dietary fat, the essential fatty acids that provide the Omega-3 benefits. They also slow down the digestion rate of the amino acids. Which you want for your later meals as it releases the aminos slowly thus staying with you till your next meal and keeping you anabolic around the clock.

In the morning for breakfast and  pre-workout and post workout you want a protein source that gets into your system quick and fills your blood with amino acids. While eggs are mainly the staple for most  in some of these meals  adding  seafood and some fish sources  can enhance  and add variety to your diet. Equally easy to digest are scallops, shrimp, crab, haddock, cod,  snapper and halibut. One might consider a crab and shrimp omelet for breakfast.

So try a little variety in your diet and GO FISH.

James Bolduc

MrPowerFitness

PowerFitnessSecrets.com

Speaking of dieting, another consideration when planning to eat, especially if you eat six times a day, is when to eat. Most all know that it is beneficial to eat before exercise to provide fuel to work on. This also preloads your muscles with fuel.

A good rule of thumb is to make your pre work out meal a primary carbohydrate, some protein like caesein and ample amounts of water before and during your workout. Try or don’t consume sugar with this
meal as it you may experience a drop in your blood sugar level, causing light headedness.
Now just as important if not more so is your post work out meal. One of the most critical aspect of this meal is time. You should consume your meal within one hour after working out. Preferably within thirty minutes after working out. What you should consume is protein and carbs and absolutely no fat.
For the protein you want a whey protein because it digest much quicker than other proteins like whole sources such as meats. You want to aim for about twenty five to thirty five grams of protein at this time.
As for the carbs you want to do the same as with the protein, a quick digestible source. I have it on good authority that dextrose fits the bill. actually a sugar this definitely the only time you want a sugar in your meal. Found in a mixable form you will want to add this to your protein shake to supply your muscles with vital nutrients. Its recommended to use between forty to sixty grams of dextrose.
There you have two of your six meals taken care of and timed for maximum effectiveness. you are well on your way to adding muscle and increasing your body’s fat furnace.

James Bolduc
MrPowerFitness

PowerFitnessSecrets.com

Like I mentioned before diet or nutrition is as important as exercise if not more so. Dieting does not mean you have to go hungry or with out.

If you plan on dieting while you maintain a work out regimen consider it more like another tool in your arsenal.

Just like you would use supplements to increase your workouts performance or gains, use nutrition the same way.

Protein is king when it comes to fitness and muscle mass. No matter how many times I have to say it, you need to add some muscle mass to your frame to accelerate your metabolism which helps burn fat.

So eat quality protein. A safe rule of thumb is at least one gram of protein to pound of your lean body mass. For the more muscularly inclined no more than one and a half grams per pound of lean body mass.

This protein intake needs to be distributed over the course of the day, preferably five to six meals.

The best plan is to eat some quality carbohydrates during your firs t two or three meals and change out the carbs for essential fats your last or next to last meal.

Since you are always feeding your muscles to increase metabolic rate its not a bad idea to have a protein shake getting in your last amount of protein count for the day.

I recommend your favorite flavor but made with cold water and blended with crushed ice to simulate that shake quality experience and it will also help to give you that “full” feel.

Another good tip if its tough fitting five or six meals do three small meals, with balanced protein shakes made the same way as before for your other two to three meals / snacks. Make sure the protein powder mix has a good balance of carbs too.

James Bolduc
MrPowerFitness

PowerFitnessSecrets.com

We have the one side of the triangle,
Nutrition. There are several factors
that aid in nutrition’s effectiveness.

First is quality. Obviously the better
quality grade of nutrition the more
beneficial it is to your fitness plans.
First off, ideally to obtain maximum
absorption of all nutrients you should
eat approximately six times a day.

Unfortunately this is easier said than
done. But when you eat only three times
a day, for most people twice a day, you
tend to over eat at those meals. This
overworks your bodies ability to use
all the nutrients efficiently and thus
gets stored as fat.

By eating six times a day you spread
out the same quantity of food over the
entire day. Now your body has the
ability to digest everything more
efficiently. It also keeps you from
cheating by overeating. You will
usually never go hungry.

Now following this line of reasoning
one needs to take into account your
actual lean body mass, which could also
be in most instances your target
weight. The aim or goal of your fitness
physique. If you plan on packing on any
muscle you need to ingest over the
period of the entire day one gram to
one and a half grams of protein per
pound of lean body mass.

In addition at each meal you should
couple that with about fifty percent
intake of carbohydrates in proportion
to the amount of protein ingested.

As an example a two hundred pound man
would need at least two hundred grams
of protein all day and no more than two
hundred and fifty grams. So he would
also need to consume between one
hundred and one hundred and fifty grams
of carbohydrates respectively over
the day.

So lets take two hundred grams and
spread them equally over six meals. One
needs to consumes roughly thirty four
grams of protein per meal. Thus you
should also eat about seventeen grams
of carbohydrates at each meal with your
protein.

Provided you choose fresh natural foods
that are quality nutritional choices
you will also be able to control your
caloric intake. You use the nutrients
more efficiently and with exercise add
muscle and drop unwanted weight.

James Bolduc
MrPowerFitness

PowerFitnessSecrets.com