Fruits and veggies... The bane of eight-year-old kids everywhere at dinner time.

If your inner eight year old still hates vegetables as an adult, don't worry.

Find ways work them in here and there instead of going crazy trying to hit a certain daily allotment.

Remember, this is about long term sustainability, not short term bursts of progress.

Find your 1% improvement each day, and soon enough they'll become your friend by helping keep cravings at bay.

This leads me to one of the more under-appreciated benefits of fruits and veggies: Fiber.

Most people eat their veggies for the micro-nutrients found within, but the benefits of hitting your fiber numbers are just as significant.

By now if you haven't heard of your gut microbiome, then it's time to come out from under your rock.

In your gut, there are trillions of tiny microorganisms. They use you and believe it or not you use them. 

You see, you might not be able to digest the fiber, but our tiny friends can.

When they do, they break it down into short-chain fatty acids (SCFA).

While SCFA's might not be on your wish list of stuff you want, you might be okay with getting them.

Some studies suggest that they can lower your inflammation, increase your immune health, and improve your glucose metabolism while also reducing your appetite.

Though keep in mind, research on the Microbiome is relatively young, and we still have plenty more to figure out before we draw real conclusions.

In the meantime, we know for sure that fiber promotes regularity as well as helps to lower cholesterol, so there are plenty of good reasons to include it.

My favorite way to eat more fruits and veggies: 

Make ice cream of it.

I personally blend favorite ingredients beforehand (Normally with Protein Powder and Fair Life Milk) and freeze them into ice cubes for a more convenient time.

If your feeling a little stuck and need a little jump start on your fitness and nutrition CLICK HERE and we can go over how to get you to where you want to be.

Hopefully, by now if you read my Protein 101 Article you're completely muscle-bound and have to walk through doors sideways because your shoulders are too broad. 

If not, you're not trying hard enough...

On a more serious note, I'd like to talk about what exactly protein is and bad sources that might not be helping your progress.

So what is protein?

Well, protein is made of tiny molecules known as Amino Acids. 

Without getting too complicated, after we consume protein, our body breaks it down into peptide chains or individual amino acids for various jobs within the body.

Why is this important?

Because some amino acids are more critical to the body than others.

For example, the two main groupings of amino acids are Essential Amino Acids (EAA) and Non-Essential Amino Acids (NEAA).

EAA - cannot be produced by the body from other substances, so it must come from the diet.

NEAA - Can, if need be, be produced by the body from other substances.

There are other groupings, but we don't need to know about that right now.

Again, Why is this important?

Because knowing this concept will help you make optimal protein source selections going forward.

Maybe you've heard about complete proteins vs. Incomplete Proteins.

It's basically what I outline above: 

Complete Proteins have all of the EAA that the body needs.

Incomplete Protein does not have all of the EAA's.

Thus for sufficient nutrition, Incomplete Proteins should be combined with another protein source to attain all of the Essential Amino Acids.

Foods like lentils, various nuts, and fatty cheeses are NOT good sources of protein and should be used sparingly to meet your protein needs. 

Trying to meet your protein needs is akin to trying to save for retirement with your credit card cashback rewards... 

Meaning you'll just go into more debt (Gain Weight) and not have any meaningful savings (Muscle tissue)

Not a good idea, stick with the lean meats and buy some wider door frames.


Interested in making this work for you?

Set up a call with me and we'll talk about this and other ways I can help you get back your strength and your health.

​My favorite Macro Nutrient.


Unfortunately, I'm in the minority on this one...

I've trained and consulted with a ton of people, and not surprisingly, nearly everyone struggles with getting enough protein in their diet.

Even more surprisingly, many don't know how on the cusp they are.

There are various opinions and statistic on protein intake, but most professional organizations suggest at the very least the BARE minimum is .8g of Protein per KG of Body mass.

Which means:   

55g for a 150-pound person.

or 

72g for a 200-pound person.

That doesn't sound like too much, and it's not. This number is what you'd require if you are in a bed not doing anything all day to prevent protein malnutrition.

This number doesn't include if you plan on going to work, live under chronic stress, or only doing chores around the house.

Even further if you are workout out consistently, have a physical job, or are recovering from an illness or injury (whether its a bump on your leg or major hip surgery) you require even more protein.

Lastly, the situation becomes even more dire as you age. 

This is due to not digesting and absorbing protein as well as you did when you were young, plus the increased requirement to keep your bone density and connective tissue (Muscles, Tendons, Ligament) strong as you sail into the golden years.

Recent research suggests a good range for most people is 1.2-2.2g of protein per kg of body mass.

Which means:   

82g - 150g for a 150-pound person.

or 

109g - 200g for a 200-pound person.



I like to keep it simple and shoot a gram per pound of Bodyweight, which is the high end of the above recommendation.

Obviously, if you've got a lot of fat to lose, these calculation are unrealistic.

You'd be better off calculating your Fat-Free Mass then adding 15%(to replace the weight for fat at an ideal percentage) to get a better picture of your protein requirements.


For example:

If you're a 200lb person at 30% Bodyfat your Fat-Free Mass would be 160lbs.

Then add the fat mass back in at a healthy range:

160 x 1.15 = 184lbs or 184g of protein.

Don't make this too complicated. It's just a ballpark number and can and should change if you're less active or more active etc.

Now that you know the "Why".

Here is some of the "How" or just a list of cool things to make it easier to get that number:

Best Tasting Protein Powder - The Chocolate Peanut butter changed my life.

Powdered Peanut butter - Great for adding to shakes or Oatmeal and Blueberries (My Favorite).

Protein Bars  - Quick, Cheap, and low calorie for on the go. Try not to make it a staple (Keep to under three a week).

Best Milk Ever - I Love the 2% Superkids for extra DHA (Omega 3). Great in coffee or just to drink. 

If you're Craving Pizza.

Or Pasta.

Or how about Pancakes/Waffles?

Lastly, if you know your protein levels are on the low end, consider including some BCAA during your workouts to sneak in some extra Amino Acids.

If you need more help with this or with your health/fitness in general, consider hopping on a call to help you get back on track! 

For many of us, making time is hard. We feel the constant pull from multiple directions and try to fit in everything that’s important.

(Trust me, I get it.)

But the reality is, if EVERYTHING is important, nothing is important.

So how do we fix that?


“WHEN YOU SAY YES TO SOMETHING, ASK YOURSELF “WHAT AM I REALLY SAYING NO TO?”

Every decision to do something means you are deciding NOT to do something.

Every commitment to someone means you are breaking a commitment to someone, else.

So what do you do?


One of the best tools I use to help me with this is something I stole from Amy Lynn Andrews and her $2.99 Kindle book “Tell your Time” > http://amzn.to/2ypUeRf

A significant part of the time management piece is understanding what in your schedule is flexible/fixed and what is non-negotiable/negotiable.

* Flexible time > Activity can be done when you choose.

* Fixed time > Activity time is fixed and is set by something or someone else (work, school, your daughter’s “Daddy/Mommy and Me” class, etc.)

* Non-negotiable > Activity is one you cannot, or are utterly unwilling to give up. (Maybe this is sleep or precious time with your kids.)

* Negotiable activities > Activity that you would like to keep, but if necessary, you would be willing to let go (or move).

Her GRID tool is here > https://amylynnandrews.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/TheGrid.pdf


You may pick up one system and run with it, wholly, or you may use a hybrid as I do. I have:

- A system for managing my calendar and blocks of time in my calendar that is a combination of 2 popular methodologies.

- A system for projects/tasks/to-dos that I integrate with my calendar management that is a combination of 2-3 approaches

You see, my natural tendency is to relish pressure and fly by the seat of my pants. 

However, I learned years ago that If I wanted to be more successful, I had to push my ego aside and learn to manage my time and activities. 

*Time is like money. If you don’t tell it where to go, it will leave you anyway.* 

So, before the lessons pick up and the demands of the program kick in, I encourage you to MAKE TIME and get a gauge on what’s REALLY important in your life.

Your present and future self will be immensely thankful.

​
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​So the question for many is: Where to Start?

Well, the best way to get your health back is to start by buying my Super Detox Tea on subscription for the rest of your life.

Okay now for the real non-sexy answer: No matter what your goal, the best way to get there is to start where you’re already are.

Well, duh Gabe, I didn’t come here so I can read your dull platitudes… Sign me up for the Tea; I can feel the toxins oozing out of my fat cells.

As I said, it’s not the most significant revelation, but the vast majority breeze over this concept and may do well for a little while… Maybe even for a month or the latest 12-week challenge their Detox Guru has laid out for them. And they feel good, but then it all comes crashing down because it’s not sustainable.

You must avoid being overly romantic about the New Year, New Month, Next Monday whenever. The reality is you still have all of the bad habits, less than optimal environments and negative self-talk you had last year, last month and last Monday.

If these things continue to go unaddressed, then you are sure to fail. And for those who succeed, I’d posit that they somehow unknowingly or subconsciously addressed these issues and saw the success because of it.

So where to start? Rather than completely overhauling your life to lose the 20 lbs. of toxins your guru has convinced you that you have in your fat. Start small with something that you can do every day even on the very worst days.

This can also be used inversely by stop doing something every day even on your worse days.

Then after a few weeks and 95%-100% compliance to your first habit, add in something new and slightly more challenging.

For me, it initially started with one healthy meal. Something I can be consistent with every single day. I knew every day waking up that I was going to have at least one nutritious meal under my belt. Then after it just became a part of my morning routine, I added in another… and so on…

Note this also doesn’t just apply to nutrition, In fact, my very first habit was addressing my pre-bedtime routine, which naturally started with two already ingrained habits: taking my contacts out and brushing my teeth. After I take my contacts out and put the glasses on, I set my alarms for the next day and immediately put all my devices on airplane mode and shut off any TV’s or computers. Then I’d brush my teeth and then proceed to read something light for a few minutes and then go to bed.

This routine has since evolved quite substantially, but that’s for another time…

The main takeaway from today: Find a straightforward action you can do every day to move you closer to where you want to be… In 2 weeks if you’re 95%-100% compliant and confident you can add another action, Do it! If you’re less than 95% compliant, perhaps reflect on what went wrong and how you could address it or maybe the initial action was too invasive and needs to be scaled back. Either way, try to focus on consistent daily effort.

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