Real Weapons of Mass Destruction

The WMDs that Americans should be concerned about are not hidden missile caches in the Middle East or nuclear weapons testing by North Korea. The real WMDs we should be worried about are those that we put inside our bodies every day.

Those people who eat out on a consistent basis instead of fixing natural, homemade meals, often end up eating as much as twice or three times as much of their daily caloric requirements. Sure, when you’re working out you need to refuel, but, unless you’re an elite athlete working out 6 or 7 hours a day, you should not be eating this much. Even the foods touted as “healthy” can greatly compromise your fitness efforts.

For example, take the Ruby Tuesday Bella Turkey Burger. Seems healthy from the name, right? Don’t make assumptions until you see the facts. (You know what they say about assuming, right? It makes an ass out of you and me, and in this case, assumptions may lead to an unwanted increase in ass.)  Check it out:

1,145 calories
71 g fat
56 g carbs

1100+ calories in one sitting!

What about this food, which has “guiltless” in the name, implying that you can eat it without being concerned about your diet:

Chili’s Guiltless Grill Chicken Platter
2,780 mg sodium
590 calories
85 g carbohydrates

That amount of sodium is more than the recommended serving for an entire day (2300 mg)!

There are many more unhealthy foods listed here and here. However, you can find what is good for you to eat when you have to eat out. I personally stick to salads without too many toppings, such as bacon bits (sodium is insane) and too much dressing. Remember, you’re eating a salad, don’t make it into a soup with dressing!

Without diligence and discipline, we will destroy ourselves from the inside out. This does not affect only a select few number of people; an unprecedented 2/3 of Americans are reported to be overweight and obese. We all know that unhealthy habits lead to preventable diseases such as diabetes, and heart disease. Too many people are facing skyrocketing medical bills and even death due to the habits that characterize the average American (fast food eating, sedentary lifestyles, working too many hours at work). Because of these numbers, Americans will be destroyed by the weapons of mass destruction fed to us by the food industry.

*Disclaimer: Not all restaurants are bad; I just want you who are working towards a healthy lifestyle to be careful and know the facts before ordering your food

Tasty Tuesdays

I’ve decided to share my love of food and healthy cooking with my readers, so beginning tomorrow, I will have a weekly segment called “Tasty Tuesdays.” I will share my personal recipes, as well as those sent to me by you!

If you are interested in this idea, leave a comment. You will be able to share your recipes with me via email (jlyoung23@gmail.com). I will try them out, take pictures, share my feedback, and all that good stuff.

Remember to keep your recipes simple (we’re not all world-class chefs) and healthy!

Oh, and check out this site: World’s Healthiest Foods. Very informative and easy to understand! Plus there are good, healthy recipes on this site

Eating for fitness

In order to make gains in muscle growth or to help your body shed unwanted fat, you have to eat. The trick is learning how to eat well.

Eating 3 large meals a day is not conducive to reaching your fitness goals, whatever they may be. You should be eating 5-6 smaller meals throughout the day. Why? Because it constantly keeps your metabolism engaged, burning fat and calories as you digest your food! I tend to eat heavier in my second meal, lunch and dinner; the other meals usually consist of light cereal or fruit such as applesauce, apples, and kiwis.

What should you eat? I generally follow a rule of if you can’t catch it, grow it, make it, or pick it, I usually don’t eat it. I have to confess though, I am partial to fruit snacks But my substantive meals consist of a lot of rice (leaning towards brown rice now), vegetables, chicken or turkey, steak once a week, and salads. For breakfast, I eat cereal, make pancakes (not the frozen kinds, but cooked on a skillet), eggs, sausage, and fruit such as kiwi, apples, and oranges. Always, always eat something for breakfast! It kick starts the metabolism and provides you with the fuel you need to begin your day. If you don’t like traditional breakfast foods, who says that you can’t have something else that you like?

I drink 100% juice, usually cranberry and pomegranate juice for the high antioxidant content. I very rarely eat fried foods; I find little value of fried foods for my fitness goals.

Throughout the day, drink plenty of water. Not only will water keep you hydrated and facilitate the transport of nutrients between cells in your body, but it can also help keep the munchies away. If you don’t like plain water, I strongly encourage you to find a way to flavor it up, maybe by adding a little lemon or an orange slice to give it a subtle hint of flavor. Carry a refillable water bottle with you so you don’t have to constantly buy more bottles of water and contribute to waste.

How do I portion my food? I tend to keep my servings no bigger than my fist. When I am eating to retain muscle mass, such as during soccer season and right now, I eat more. I don’t count calories and I personally don’t suggest it; I favor following a natural, balanced diet. I also do not suggest eating below 1000 calories per day because that is the minimum your body needs to operate well.

I find some of my favorite recipes from Oxygen Magazine. I just cooked a roasted chicken, asparagus, and potatoes recipe and it was delicious! I find that the recipes in this magazine are clean and support my fitness goals.

What are your tips for eating well? Leave comments and I will respond!

PS. As a side note, I just maxed out at 10 strict pull ups…going for 11 today!