DAY 5: GO WHOLE GRAIN This is one of the easiest swaps you’ll ever make: Take all your white bread and tortillas to the nearest duck pond and trade up to whole foods. Whole-grain and whole-wheat products taste great and slow digestion because of their high-fiber and nutrient content. This means less of a negative impact on blood sugar and insulin release than their more refined counterparts.
DO THIS: Swap all your white bread and refined grain products for wholewheat and whole-grain options. They are widely available and cost roughly the same.
DAY 6:
PERFECT YOUR PROTEIN INTAKE Protein is the king of the macronutrients when it comes to building and repairing muscle tissue. And if you’re training the way you should, maximizing recovery with proper nutrition is crucial. Protein supplies your body with amino acids, increasing your chance for gains in lean muscle, and therefore an increase in your body’s ability to burn fat.
DO THIS: Aim to consume at least 1 gram of protein per pound of bodyweight per day (on average), and strive to include protein in every meal and snack throughout the day.
DAY 7:
PREP YOUR MEALS Lack of preparation and planning is the death knell of every resolution dieter. To stay focused and on track, you need to have the right foods on hand — snacks prepared, meals cooked and ready to go, and lunches packed for the road or office. The first time you head to the fridge hungry and realize you have to cook, the more likely you are to heat up that leftover pizza or head to the drive-thru. DO THIS: Create a shopping list replete
with healthy selections and head to the store. Cook food in large batches and portion it out into meals and 60
MUSCLE & PERFORMANCE
17-FEAT-BetterEating_r3.indd 60
JANUARY 2018
snacks for the week. Also, buy things that are healthy and easy to make in a pinch: microwaveable oatmeal (without sugar!), protein powder and/or ready-to-drink protein shakes. (See Day 13 for more ideas.)
DAY 8:
GET YOUR JOLT The caffeine in brewed coffee boosts alertness, temporarily increases strength and assists in fat burning. Have your first fix at breakfast to start your day with a bang, and at least six hours later, put some in your preworkout drink 30 to 60 minutes before your first rep. As a longevity bonus, the European Society of Cardiology found that those who consumed 4 cups of antioxidant-loaded coffee per day had a 64 percent reduced chance of early death.
starting with fish oil. Fish oil doesn’t get the fanfare and accolades that some products do, but it is a healthand-performance powerhouse that supports brain and joint health while boosting your fat-burning capabilities. Research published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition showed that those who took 6 grams of fish oil per day while exercising dropped 1.2 percent body fat — in just 12 weeks!
DO THIS: Take in 200 to 300 milligrams of caffeine once or twice daily for performance benefits, including one dose preworkout. Limit caffeinated coffee in the hours before bedtime to ensure optimal sleep, and allow several hours between helpings to avoid jitters.
DAY 9: FISH
FOR
RECOVERY (AND OTHER STUFF)
Now that you have eight days of healthier habits under your belt, it’s time to consider supplementation,
DO THIS: Introduce a basic, quality fishoil product, such as Omega-3 Fish Oil from the Vitamin Shoppe ($29.99), and take 2 grams, three to four times per day. MUSCLEANDPERFORMANCE.COM
11/17/17 10:42 PM