25 Best Nutrition Secrets

TMC believes there are some very good recommendations in here.

Here are a few:

3. Think before you drink. The average person drinks more than 400 calories a day–double what he or she used to–and alone gets around 10 teaspoons of added sugar every single day from soft drinks. Swap out sweetened teas and sodas for no-cal drinks and you could lose up to 40 pounds in a single year! (To see more proof of how wayward beverages can utterly destroy your diet, check out the 20 Worst Drinks in America. Many of these drinks contain more than a day’s worth of calories, sugar and fat!)

5. Eat protein at every meal. Dieters who eat the most protein tend to lose more weight while feeling less deprived than those who eat the least protein. It appears that protein is the best nutrient for jumpstarting your metabolism, squashing your appetite, and helping you eat less at subsequent meals.

7. Think fish. Consuming two 4- to 6-ounce servings of oily fish a week will sharpen your mind. Among the best: salmon, tuna, herring, mackerel, and trout. They’re high in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), which may reduce your risk of Alzheimer’s. Study participants who had high blood levels of DHA also performed better on noverbal reasoning tests and showed better mental flexibility, working memory, and vocabulary than those with lower levels.

We encourage to read the rest of the article as it’s pretty solid.

Hope everybody had a great Labor Day Weekend!

MIHWCS

The Muscle Couple is down to the last 12 weeks before our first ever bodybuilding show.

For our readers who train at Las Vegas Athletic Club (LVAC) on Flamingo and 215, you’ve probably seen us with MR as he continues to shock us HIT style.

We’re now getting to the nitty gritty of our diet and preparation.

<NOTE>We obviously deviate from these diets at times due to the pressures of life and children.  We try as much as possible to adhere but sometimes it’s impossible.

Here is an Acronym Primer for our diets.

TDO: Training Days Only (We only consume or perform this on days we lift weights)

NTDO: Non Training Days (The opposite of above)

SBA&J:    Split Between Anh & Jay (We consume a shake or eat something together. Normally Jay will get a bit more than Anh due to size difference)

TMCM:    The Muscle Couple Mix (Protein, Liquid/Powder Carbs, and Glutamine/Creatine mixed together in Shaker Bottle consumed before and during training)

PWS: Post Workout Shake(Protein and Carbs consumed within 15-30 minutes post training)

CSTB: Cardio Stationary Bike (2x a day on Non Training Days and First thing in the morning on Training Days)

GTc: Green Tea Capsules

ALCARc: Acetyl-L Carnitine Capsules

EFAc: Essential Fatty Acid Capsules

VPXMD: VPX Meltdown Thermogenic Supplement

2:1: World’s First 2:1 Protein Bar-32gms Whey Protein and 15gms Carbs-6gms Fiber(More on this company in an upcoming blog)

Jay’s Diet-Supplement and Cardio Schedule

• 6:25am:      1st Thermogenic Dose VPXMD Cap/3GTc/3ALCARc/4 EFAc/
• 6:30am       CSTB-30 minutes with 20 mins of Intervals (5 Mins Warm Up and 5 Mins cool down)
• 7am:            3 Sets of Ab Wheel or Hanging Leg Raises  (Full Rectus Contraction Until Positive Failure)
• 8am:           Meal 1 (Shake -50gms Protein-30gms EFA’s-15gms Carbs) Vitamins-2gms C-800iu’s E-3 caps Bone Up
• 10am:         2nd Thermogenic Dose-1VPXMD-3GTc-3ALCARc-4EFAc-
• 11am:           2:1 Protein Bar
• 12:30:          Meal 2 (Tuna&Mayo-Broccoli/GreenBeans and Almonds)
• 1:30:             3rd Thermogenic Dose-1VPXMD-3GTc-3ALCARc-4EFAc
• 3pm:            2:1 Protein Bar
• 4:30pm:      Meal 3 (Tuna&Mayo-Broccoli/GreenBeans-Almonds)
• 6:30pm:      CSTB for 30 Minutes NTDO (Mon-Thur-Sun)
• 6:45pm        Meal 4 TMCM (SBA&J) 60gms Protein 30gms Carbs, 15gms Glutamine, 5gms Creatine)  TDO (T-W-F)
• 7:30pm:       Meal 4-Protein(Chicken-Ground Turkey-EggWhites-Lean Red Meat) and Salad/Green Vegies -NTDO
• 8:30pm:       Meal 5 PWS (80gms Protein and 50 gms Carbs-SBA&J) TDO (T-W-F)
• 9:30pm:       Meal 6-Protein (Chicken-Ground Turkey-EggWhites-Lean Red Meat) and Salad/Green Vegies TDO
• 10pm:           Meal 5 Cassein Shake with 1 Tablespoon of Peanut Butter NTDO (M-Thur-Sun)

Jay weighs 198 Pounds Currently at about 8% Bodyfat

Protein-225-275gms per day (1000kcals daily average)

Carbs-75-150gms per day (460kcals daily average) (Higher amounts on Training Days Only)

Fat-100-150gms per day (1125kcals daily average) (varies due to meat protein source)

Average Daily kcals

2584 @ 13kcals per pound of bodyweight

Depending on how fat loss progresses (ultimate goal of preserving maximum muscle mass) Jay will vary his kcals all the way down to 10kcals per pound.

He will also utilize brief periods of Intermittent Fasting and Caloric Restriction in the last 4 weeks if necessary.

10kcals per pound is not recommended for anyone other than a hardcore advanced dieter.  <More on extreme low calorie diets and dieting in an upcoming blog>

Please feel free to ask questions about any of this.

We’ve put links to the providers of some of the supplements we use as we find them high quality and cost effective.

If you end up ordering from them, please tell them The Muscle Couple sent you. (We don’t receive a single dime or profit from anybody we recommend)

MIHWCS

The Muscle Couple is preparing for our first ever bodybuilding/fitness competition in November in Las Vegas at the Fitness America/MuscleMania Event.

To say we’re excited is an understatement!!!

In combination with our newly formed HIT Training Program, we’ve organized our diets with a goal of being shredded and muscularly dense.

They will be continually tweaked and augmented as we go.

<TMC Sidenote>Anh’s Mother(Truc Nguyen aka BAAAH) is here and cooking Yummy Authentic Vietnamese all the time making us salivate.  Our crib smells like Heaven!

We’ve been having VIETNAMESE FEASTS nightly at our Summerlin home. (Thankfully she cooks very healthy using Ground Turkey and extra lean beaf)

Anh’s Pre-Contest Diet-Supplement and Cardio Schedule

• 6:55 am: Morning Thermogenic-1VPX-2-ALCAR-2Green Tea Capsules

• 7 am: Morning Cardio-30 Minutes on Bike(Sometimes Modified Intervals)

• 7:30am: 10 Minutes with Ab Roller (3″ Contraction each Rep)

• 8am:               Meal 1 Protein Shake(25gms Protein, 14gms EFA’s-10-15gms Carbs(Multi Mineral,1gm C, 400ius E, Bone Up)

• 10:30am: Meal 2 Oatmeal with Whey Protein (20gms Protein, 45gms Carbs, 7gms Fat)

• 11am: 2nd Thermogenic Dose-1VPX-2ALCAR-2Green Tea Capsules

• 1pm: Meal 3 Tuna/Chicken with Green Beans/Asparagus/Spinach  (30gms Protein, 20gms Carbs, 14gms Fat)

• 2pm: 3rd Thermogenic Dose: 1VPX-2ALCAR-2GT

• 4pm:                 Meal 4 Chicken/Tuna Green Vegies  (Same as Meal 3-These Meals are Pre-Made and in Tupperware in Fridge or Cooler if mobile)

• 6:45pm Meal 5 Muscle Couple Mix (Training Days Only T-W-F) (Anh and Jay drink this together while training)

• 7:15pm HIT Workout (Tues-Wednesday and Friday Evenings-We can change this based on work requirements etc)

• 15′ AWO          Meal 5/6 Post Workout Shake (30gms Protein-30gms Carbs) (AWO-After Work Out)

• 7 – 8:30pm Meal 6/7 Lean Protein and Vegetables + Apple  (25gms Protein-35gms Carbs -15gms Fat(Meal is between 7&8:30 varying based on Training days)

• 9:30p Jump Rope(10 Mins) or 30 Minutes Bike(Steady State) + Hanging Leg Raises(3″ Contract) (Monday and Thursday Only)

Anh is currently weighing about 108 pounds.

***Daily Protein- 160gms on Training Days and 130 Non-Training Days (560kcals Average Daily)

***Daily Carbohydrates-165gms-Training Days-100 Non Training Days (530kcals Average Daily)

***Daily Fat(EFA’s)-65gms usually every day.  (585kcals Average Daily)

1675kcals a Day

This gives her about 15.5 kcals per pound of Bodyweight.  Due to her fast metabolism and hard training she can eat “at maintenance” and still lose body fat.  As fat loss stalls, she will adjust kcals downward.  Probably as low as 12 per pound if necessary.  She doesn’t want to risk losing muscle mass.

Here is what is coming from us soon!

___Jay’s Diet

___Video Interview with Markus Reinhardt dispelling the “Dis-info and Misconceptions” around HIT

___MORE HIT Videos(The Real Nitty Gritty-The wait will be worth it)

___A Brand New Supplement Exclusively Available in the USA only thru TMC!

Stay Tuned!

MIHWCS

The Muscle Couple was recently told about this product from our good friend Andrew Kuhn.

We’ve written about Metamucil powder before, but Metamucil Clear & Natural is a major advancement over the previous version.

Why is this product so much better?

Metamucil Clear & Natural is flavor free, taste free, and grit free.  Yes, you heard that right.  It’s completely tasteless and can be added to anything (liquids, cooked foods, soups etc) to increase daily fiber intake.

In just one teaspoon, Metamucil Clear & Natural provides 5 grams of inulin fiber—which for those of you reading the blog for a year “should know” is 20% of your recommended daily fiber intake! (25-38 gms of Fiber per day according to the Good Ole US RDA)

Ummm, in case you’re not following along, this is a MAJOR BREAKTHROUGH for anybody dieting or trying to lose body fat.

In fact, this supplement makes “low-carbing” easy.

Take Metamucil Clear & Natural with you and add 2 teaspoons (1.5 for the smaller people) to your beverage with every meal.

Presto, you’re 25-38gms of Fiber daily requirement are met after 3-6 feedings!

For anybody who’s ever used a low carb approach to dieting, not getting enough daily fiber eventually becomes a MAJOR PROBLEM.   This is clearly your preferred solution.

We recommend you buy this product ASAP and add it to your pantry.

MIHWCS

TMC continuing with another writeup of an icon in the health and fitness industry.

IOHO, he is the world’s pre-eminent PHYSIQUE CHANGING EXPERT:

Lyle McDonald

The male half of the The Muscle Couple had the pleasure of sharing a couple of usenet news groups and mailing lists with Lyle back in the early and mid-90′s.  It was there we exchanged ideas while experimenting with low carb dieting and exercise.

Lyle was extraordinarily influential in pushing Jay to read the latest studies and articles as they related to various realms inside the nutrition and fat loss niche.  No subject matter was ever off his radar if it came to learning how to change a physique.

Lyle was a pioneer with his prolific and ascerbic posts chronicling his 20 week diary on Dan Duchaine’s seminal book on low carb dieting entitled BODYOPUS on the misc fitness weights list serve.  You can read through them here.  <TMC NOTE-Great Stuff In Here>

After gaining fame through his scientific and logic supported postings (always backed with multiple citations and research) he wrote the authoritative book on Cyclical Ketogenic Dieting (CKD)currently in circulation today:

The Ketogenic Diet: A Complete Guide for the Dieter and Practioner

This book is a prerequisite for anybody wanting to understand the hard science behind fat loss, low carbing and dietary manipulation.

In the last 12 years he has gone on to author multiple books and articles designed to change, augment or improve the human physique.  All of them are encyclopedic in their coverage of the subject matter.

Lyle is incredibly thorough and leaves no stone overturned or taboo unchallenged when helping people change their aesthetics or improve their performance .

Truly a humble and genuine person, Lyle will reply to most email or messages in the same day.  He is prolific and gifted in his ability to dissect topics and provide incredibly easy to understand explanations.  Even though some of his subject matter is complex, he never fails to provide answers any person regardless of condition or training level can apply to their own physique.

If you’re looking for a MAJOR EDGE to take your training, nutrition, body fat loss or athletic performance to the next level, you should visit his site today.

While you’re there, make sure to sign up for his newsletter and become a member to post in his forums.

BODY Recomposition.

MIHWCS

The Muscle Couple can’t take all the credit for this.

Much of it goes to The Muscle B’s for without them, the light bulb would nave never popped on.

You ever heard of “Fiber Gummies“?

You do now!

Anh has been feeding these suckers to Alex for the last year and half to make sure she was regular due to her typical 2 year old inconsistent eating habits.  Alex would normally bring one for me to eat and I would always oblige being I’m a sucker for Gummy Bears anyway.

The other day I examined the label on the bottle and realized it was actually made for adults lacking in the recommended amount of daily fiber.

The RDA (Recommended Daily Allowance) for adults is 25 gms of fiber for women and 38 for men!!!

Remember, the RDA was formulated in the 1930′s when the average American was around 5-8 and 165 pounds.  Before Big Macs and Vitamin D Milk loaded with Steroids and other super growth additives.

That was a lot of Fiber back then.  Imagine what the requirements are today for a hard training fitness enthusiast?

Most of us are deficient in fiber due to the difficulty in finding it in the modern western diet.  As has been stated here many times before, consuming fiber in supplemental form is an easy way to avoid excess kcal consumption. It also dramatically benefits folks on a strict or lowered carb diet as it leads to feelings of satiety(fullness) and will maintain bowel regularity.

Two of these “Fiber Gummies” gives an adult 5 grams of soluble fiber.  They also are “sugar free” and taste great.

The Muscle Couple Recommends Supplementing with 4-6 of these daily (spread out throughout the day). Assess your tolerance by how often you hit the bathroom and/or how your stomach feels. Some folks may need a bit more and some less.

We think our recommendation is right on the money due to the fiber you should get from a “decently balanced diet”.  We do presume as a reader of this site, you’re nutritional habits are better than most. 

This is a GREAT SUPPLEMENT for the DIETING ATHLETE, BODYBUILDER, FITNESS COMPETITOR, or FAT LOSS ENTHUSIAST and much more convenient than swallowing fiber capsules or powder.

We recommend you pick up a bottle at Costco or online and feel free to “carve out a new space” in your supplement container today.

MIHWCS

TMC has written about Fructose before.

We recently came upon some newer studies to give you an idea about the differences in Fructose vs Glucose on the body and in the brain.

Too Much Sugar Is Bad, But Which Sugar Is Worse: Fructose Or Glucose?

In a 10-week study, Peter Havel and colleagues, at the University of California at Davis, Davis, have provided evidence that human consumption of fructose-sweetened but not glucose-sweetened beverages can adversely affect both sensitivity to the hormone insulin and how the body handles fats, creating medical conditions that increase susceptibility to heart attack and stroke.

This is pretty scary considering how many “Fruit Juices/Beverages” on the market are laden with Fructose as their primary “sugar/sweetener”.

Start scanning the back of Juice and Beverage cartons at your local grocery store to see how much Fructose is in “Apple Juice, Orange Juice, Children’s Fruit Drinks etc.   High Fructose Syrup is really hard to avoid.

Simply put, consuming too much fructose will definitely prevent you from getting leaner.

Here is another one:

Fructose Metabolism By The Brain Increases Food Intake And Obesity, Review Suggests

Two papers in the journal PNAS in 2007 and 2008 showed that glucose and fructose act quite differently in the brain (hypothalamus) – glucose decreasing food intake and fructose increasing food intake. Both of these sugars signal in the brain through the malonyl-CoA signaling pathway and have inverse effects on food intake.

“We feel that these findings may have particular relevance to the massive increase in the use of high fructose sweeteners (both high fructose corn syrup and table sugar) in virtually all sweetened foods, most notably soft drinks. The per capita consumption of these sweeteners in the USA is about 145 lbs/year and is probably much higher in teenagers/youth that have a high level of consumption of soft drinks. There is a large literature now that correlates, but does not prove that a culprit in the rise of teenage obesity may be fructose.”

We encourage you to read these studies in their entirety.  It’s obviously simple to summarize their findings.

• Consuming too much fructose will lead to unwanted fat gain and potentially obesity.

• Drinking sodas and other sweetened juices with “High Fructose Corn Syrup” is devastating when trying to lose body fat or maintain a healthy and lean figure.

If you are struggling in your ability to lean out, eliminate all soda’s or fruit juices from your diet for a couple of weeks and see what happens.  We think you’ll be surprised at how quickly your body fat sheds.

Stay tuned for some new and exciting changes to the TMC site.

MIHWCS

TMC reads a lot.

But we’re not just “niched” into the realms of HEALTH, FITNESS and FAMILY LIFE.

Our goal with LINKS HAPPEN is to give you some insight into our “minds eye”.

Every Thursday we’ll be offering you links to the most eye-opening, informative and sometimes esoteric bits of information we think are worthy of your attention.

Without further adieu, here is TMC’s first rendition.

Some really good info found in here:

The Newest Findings and Strategies for Fitness Enthusiasts from the 2010 ACSM Annual Meeting

Hell hath truly frozen over?

New TV Series marks advance for fat acceptance in Hollywood

From One of the top Five Most Recognized people on the planet, to the lowest rated Gov in CA History in 6 years?

Schwarzenegger Has Lowest Approval for Governor in 50 Years

For anybody interested in the real and ongoing cause of the “Financial Collapse” of 2008, this is the best analysis we’ve seen to date

The Financial Con Of The Decade Explained So Simply Even A Congressman Will Get It

A fascinating article and major shout out to habitual coffee and thermogenic users.

What Caffeine Actually Does to Your Brain.

We hope you enjoy!

MIHWCS

TMC was recently sent this awesome article by Mike Scialabba. (Check out his blog MUST when you get a second for some power packed information on strength training)

WTF: Where’s the Fiber?

Some excerpts from the content:

The average American only consumes half of the recommended daily intake, which would be about 12 – 15 grams per day. If some experts are saying you need upwards of 60 grams per day, then this is far from enough fiber to keep your body functioning like it should.

Fiber Amounts in Healthy Foods Chart:

- Apples: 5 grams/ 1 large
- Blackberries: 8 grams/ 1 cup raw
- Pear: 7 grams/ 1 medium
- Grapefruit: 7 grams/ ½ medium
- Oatmeal: 6 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Brown Rice: 6 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Sweet Potato: 7 grams/ 1 medium (skin on)
- Whole Wheat Noodles: 8 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Black Beans: 14 grams/ 1 cup cooked
- Flax Meal : 7 grams/ 3T
- Lentils: 7 grams/ ½ cup
- Almonds: 4 grams / 1 oz
- Pumpkin Seeds: 4 grams/ ¼ cup

The Muscle Couple wants to send some mad props to Mike for writing about a subject that clearly doesn’t get enough pub or discussion in diet and nutrition circles.

We know how important it is when dieting.  If people/dieters would consume just the RDA recommended amount, avoiding excess kcals would be a lot easier.  The problem is finding fiber in foods?  It’s not easy.

Clearly the simplest solution although not the most convenient is swallowing Fiber Capsules or adding Metamucil/Fiber powder to your protein drinks.

If somebody would just create an MRP “LOADED WITH FIBER” things would get interesting.  Oh, maybe that is in the works?  <WINK-WINK>

Enjoy the rest of your weekends!

MIHWCS

TMC saw this article and felt it was worthy of some commentary.

Jennifer LaRue Huget – How nutritious is Vitaminwater?.

Tap water has the added benefits of being all but free, and free of calories. Critics have bashed Vitaminwater for being a calorie trap. While a single eight-ounce serving has just 50 calories, a bottle contains 2.5 servings, so you could easily drink 125 calories — just 15 shy of the calories in a can of Coca-Cola — at once.

“I would hate for someone to choose to use Vitaminwater in lieu of eating fruits and vegetables,” Sandon says. While enhanced water isn’t likely to do harm, it also cannot provide the complex, quality nutrition that produce does.

“Whole fruit, whole vegetables contain phytonutrients and fiber that work together” in ways that scientists don’t yet fully understand, she says. “You don’t find the same benefit in a bottle.”

So is there really any reason to drink “Sugar Water” with some added Electrolytes and Vitamins (which are likely poorly absorbed)?

In TMC’s opinion, it comes down to convenience.

If you’re pressed for time and you’ve just done a hard cardio session and need to replace lost fluid and electrolytes, grab a Vitamin Water or two and suck em down.

If not, eat a couple of apples and make a Protein shake.

The newer zero calorie Vitaminwater is a good alternative for people on Lowcarb or IF and CR programs.  It’s no better or no worse than any of the other various Zero calorie sugar replacement drinks on the market.

MIHWCS