FOODS THAT THE LEANEST AND MOST MUSCULAR PEOPLE IN THE WORLD EAT ON A DAILY BASIS

Nutrition is the most important part for bodybuilders and physique athletes. What you put into your mouth determines your results. Building a healthy and affordable meal plan is simple... just use a combination of foods from the three groups below and watch your body change. If you followed my "Get Fit and Healthy Challenge Series" you should already know your portions and the ideal food combinations. If you missed the challenges, you can find them here on my blog www.feedtheiron.blogspot.com.

1. LEAN PROTEIN:

Egg Whites

Eggs Whole

Liquid Egg Whites (carton)

Chicken Breast

Turkey Breast

Top Round Steak (very lean red meat)

Leanest Cuts of Bison/Buffalo

Lean Game Meat (elk, venison, etc)

Salmon (fish with high omega-3 fat content)

Tilapia and Other White Fish (lean fish)

Shellfish

Lowfat Cottage Cheese or High Protein Dairy Products

Protein Powders /Protein Shakes (whey, casein, or mixes)

2. FIBROUS CARBS:

Broccoli

Asparagus

Green Beans

Onions

Bell Peppers (green or red)

Onions

Tomatoes 

Cauliflower

Spinach

Lettuce / Leafy Salad Greens

Cucumbers

Celery

Squash

Carrots (technically starchy but low cal)

Mushrooms

Brussels Sprouts

3. STARCHY CARBS

Old Fashioned Rolled or Steel Cut Oatmeal (plain)

Yams or Sweet Potatoes

White Baked Potatoes

Brown Rice

Beans, Peas and Legumes

Quinoa (and other less common grains - spelt, amaranth, etc)

100% Whole Grains and Whole Grain Products (pastas, breads, tortillas, etc)

There are thousands of food combinations so you don't necessary need to stick to chicken, broccoli and brown rice! And don't forget the spices which can make even the so boring chicken breast taste great each time. Also don't be afraid of salt! Especially if you work out and sweat, you need sodium which is essential to bring nutrients into the muscles. Salt is also important to the nerves as it stimulates muscle contraction and prevents cramps. If you consume natural unprocessed foods 90% of the time, use salt freely. 

#mealprep #protein #carbs #veggies #sodium

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BEAT YOUR SWEET CRAVINGS

-brush your teeth immediately after a meal

-chew a sugar-free gum after a meal

-have green tea after a meal

-have a piece of fruit

-remove temptations. If you don't have it in the house, you don't eat it.

-increase your protein intake

-go for a healthier dessert like mashed avocado with cacao and pure stevia or a piece of a home-made protein bar. You can find plenty of healthy recipes on my blog www.feedtheiron.blogspot.com

-do a sugar detox. For more info go to my blog www.feedtheiron.blogspot.com and click on the "Get Fit and Helathy Challenges" label. Select "Challenge #1"

-cut out all processed foods and especially those containing added sugar

-eat plenty of green veggies with your meal

I highly recommend flexible dieting like IIFYM (If it fits your macros). If you have a strict diet regimen and you cut out entire food categories you'll never be able to stick to the plan and sooner or later you'll get tremendous cravings which lead to binge eating. Try sticking to your plan 90% of the time. This means that if you have 7 meals a day, you can get a little cheat meal that still fits your macros. So, for example, for the same macros (same amount of carbs in this case) you can have oven baked chips or pop-corn instead of brown rice. Or you can have low-fat ice cream for your post-workout meal instead of a banana. Our body doesn't know what kind of food you eat.. so if you had brown rice or white bread it doesn't matter because in the end everything transforms into glucose (blood sugar). The difference between the two foods stays in the fiber and nutrient content which determine how the food is metabolized and how quickly the nutrients are absorbed by your body. They also impact insulin levels which consequently affect overall health and body composition. If you feed yourself only processed foods, your body will lack in nutrients and you'll end up sick. This is why it is important to consume nutrient dense foods that are also free of toxins. 

It's not that junk food makes you more fat than healthy food. If you overeat healthy foods you'll still get fat, no matter what. The point is: do not prohibit yourself from eating any particular type of food but rather choose to eat healthier. We all know well that the things that are forbidden or illegal are the most desirable. It's been like that since we were kids and now that we are adults things haven't changed much. So switch your mindset. No food is forbidden. You can have anything you want...but you CHOOSE to eat healthy.

#cravings #dessert #sweettooth

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Challenge N°7 (last challenge): WHOLE GRAINS

This is the final challenge of the Get Fit & Healthy Challenge Series and I'm really happy for the results you guys are getting. This final challenge really completes the series by adding one final rule: 

Choose whole grains in their most natural form. 

Why do we need carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are the main energy source for our body - they are the energy that gets used first (before protein, fat and alcohol). It is recommended that about 40-60% of your energy intake should come from carbohydrates. Glucose is the sugar unit that our body cells use for energy. We cannot make glucose out of other nutrients, so it is essential to eat carbohydrates. Other food substances are not used directly and get converted into glucose quickly, and starch is readily digested and absorbed as glucose. We can only store small amounts of carbohydrate as glycogen, in liver and muscle, for urgent use. So we need a fairly steady supply of carbohydrate from our meals. 

Don't be scared of carbohydrates - they're not bad for you - it's all about the amount of carbohydrate we eat in relation to our total calorie intake, and the type of carbohydrate (simple or complex) that determine how it affects our weight and energy levels. This is why it is important that you consume natural, unprocessed carbohydrates which include whole grains and also whole grain pastas and breads. The last two should be eaten sporadically since they are still processed (human made), but if you still want to keep them on your daily menu, go ahead. I recommend incorporating bread and pasta when you are in bulking or maintenance phase and have plenty of carbohydrates to spare. These two are calorically dense foods and are very easily overeaten. I prefer that you choose natural whole grains which are richer in fiber and nutrients (vitamins and minerals). There are also enriched products which are not the best but still fine. Enriched grain products do have some health benefits because they have the nutrients lost during processing re-added back to them. For example, enriched pasta, bread, cereal and rice have iron and B vitamins added as well as folic acid. Most of the times the vitamins and minerals are manufactured in laboratory form chemicals and have nothing to do with the vit & minerals naturally occurring in the natural whole grains. This is practically the main reason why you need to choose natural whole grains over the processed ones.

How to choose the whole grains?

Choosing whole grains is easier than you think if you read food labels. Follow these two simple steps:

1. To make sure whole grains are the main ingredient, they should appear first on the ingredients list. Look for words such as:

100% Whole grain whole wheat flour

100% Whole rye

100% Whole oat or oatmeal

100% Whole corn

100% Whole barley

Watch out for multigrain products, which may include a variety of different grains but may not include whole grains!! Also, some foods that say on the label, “made with whole grain", may be mostly refined grain with just a little whole grain.

2. Look for higher fiber whole grains. Foods labelled "whole grain" are not always high in fiber. Check the Nutrition Facts label on package to find the amount of fiber per serving and choose the higher fiber products.

A food "source" of fiber has at least 2 grams of fiber per serving.

A "high fiber" food must contain 4 grams of fiber or more per serving.

How can you include more whole grains in your diet...

I suggest you make at least 90% of your grain product choices whole grain. Here are some ideas:

-Have oatmeal or other whole grain cereals for breakfast. Read the ingredients list and look for the first ingredients to be described as whole grain.

-Choose whole grain breads including rolls, English muffins, bagels, tortillas, naan and pita bread for sandwiches or wraps.

-Try whole grain pasta instead of regular pasta - the nutty flavor is delicious!

-Use whole grain couscous, bulgur, brown rice or quinoa in salads. Try tabouleh, a salad made with bulgur.

-Add barley, brown rice or whole wheat pasta to soups. 

-For stir-frys or pilaf try brown rice instead of white rice (or mix them half and half).

-Enjoy millet, wild rice or barley as a side dish instead of rice.

Questions? Post them below.

HIGH PROTEIN CHOCOLATE PUDDING FOR THE LATE-NIGHT SNACK

This pudding tastes like a real dessert and it's filled with casein protein that will keep feeding your muscles with precious aminoacdis all night long.

Here's what I used: (adjust the quantities to your needs)

1/3 cup cream cheese, low fat

1 tsp cacao, unsweetened

1/2 scoop chocolate casein powder

2 Tbsp water (can sub with milk, any kind)

pure stevia

Mix all the ingredients together and enjoy with some whipped cream. Sweet dreams! ;-)

Macros for serving: 140 kcal, 5.4g carbs, 4.7g fats, 19.9g protein

#latenightsnack #protein #casein #sweetdreams #dessert #chocolatepudding

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DON'T WASTE YOUR MONEY ON THESE 3 SUPPLEMENTS

#1 Fat Loss Supplements

anything that speeds up your heart rate and promises to help you burn fat should be avoided. fat burners are not only dangerous for your health, but once you stop taking them your metabolism slows down.

#2 Pre-workout Supplements

Most pre-workout supplements are filled with way too much caffeine that results in an unwanted cortisol release, making your body burn muscle and store fat. All you need before a workout, especially if you exercise in the morning, is a cup of coffee or some carnitine which is completely natural and has no known side effects.

#3 Testosterone Boosters

T-boosters are just another scam. You don't need them. There are natural ways to boost testosterone production. The secret stays in eating the right kind of foods and performing the right kind of exercises, among which the squat is the king. Reducing stress, limiting sugar intake, consuming healthy fats, getting enough sleep, limiting alcohol intake, eating plenty of cruciferous veggies, limiting the duration of your training sessions, not restricting the calories too much and limiting your exposure to environmental estrogens are all steps that should be taken into consideration before you waste your money on just another marketing hype.

And remember, macros come before the micros. If you nutrition is on point 90% of the time, you shouldn't worry too much about supplementing, especially if you are not and advanced trainer.

#supplements #scams #macros #micros

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Fruits and veggies that you DON'T NEED to buy organic

I don't like to spend extra money on food when it's not necessary and I'm aware of most food scams around so I always read the labels and try to figure out what kind of food I have in front. Unfortunately, fresh foods don't have a label and all you know is where the food is coming from. This is also why it is important to get informed about the conditions in which the produce is grown. Here in Italy, for example, the south is considered the garden of Italy. Fresh foods from the south are sold all around Italy and many of them are exported to other European countries and all around the world. Despite this, I never buy fresh produce, tomato sauce or mozzarella di bufala (buffalo mozzarella cheese) from Campania region (Naples region). Not even if it's certified organic! I'm not sure if you heard about the illegal toxic waste dumping and burning in Campania which releases dioxins in the atmosphere. Believe it or not, a great part of the population (kids included) get cancer for breathing toxic air, drinking toxic water and consuming toxic food. Kids are born with respiratory problems and other health issues. Countries such as South Korea and Japan identified this pollution and consequently banned imports of buffalo milk from the region. Unfortunately, not all the countries did the same and you can find many Italian products all around the world. If you go to a store in Germany, for example, you'll still find tomato sauce imported from Italy. Tomato sauce is almost always imported form Italy. This is why I invite you to read the labels very closely. If a food has the "certified organic" logo, it still doesn't mean it's safe!! But not all the Italian products are toxic. You should look for the region in which the produce was GROWN. The region/ city in which the produce was processed is irrelevant. 

In general, if the produce is grown in "healthy" conditions it can still get affected by pesticides and chemicals that are used on non-organic fruits and veggies. But there are some foods, that have a thicker skin and the pulp can't get in contact with these pesticides. Plus, you discard the skin so there should be no worries. There are also veggies that don't attract pests due to their sulfur content so they don't get treated with chemicals and pesticides.

So here are the conventionally grown foods that you don't need to buy organic:

avocados

bananas

oranges

grapefruits

pineapple

mangoes

kiwi

cantaloupe

melons

papayas

sweet potatoes

mushrooms

winter squash

sweet corn

broccoli

cabbage

onions

garlic

sweet peas

asparagus

eggplant

#pesticides #chemicals #organic #freshproduce

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PROTEIN COCONUT TRUFFLES

6 servings (24 truffles)

1 tbsp cocoa powder, unsweetened

14 oz/ 400g creamcheese, low fat

3 scoops chocolate or vanilla casein powder

1.4 oz/ 40g coconut flour

1-2 Tbsp milk, any kind

1 Tbsp dark rum

Mix all the ingredients together leaving some coconut flour for dusting. Form 24 balls and dust them with the remaining coconut flour. Have 4 truffles before bed time or as a dessert. These are also ideal whenever you crave something sweet ;-)

Macros per serving (4 truffles): 168 kcal/ 7.8 g fats/ 5.1 g carbs/ 18.8 g protein

#latenightsnack #dessert #chocolate #cravings

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Challenge N°6: GET AT LEAST 7 HOURS OF SLEEP

Facts:

sleep deprivation makes you fat

sleep deprivation makes you burn muscle instead of fat

sleep deprivation decreases the athletic performance

During sleep our body recovers and rebuilds itself. Sleep is also crucial for regulating the hormones. When you are sleep deprived your leptin (metabolism regulating hormone) levels fall and your ghrelin (hunger hormone) increases. This slows down your metabolism and enhances food cravings. Slow metabolism + higher food intake = fat gain.

Sleep deprivation also increases cortisol production (cortisol is a catabolic hormone usually produced during the day). This not only makes it harder for you to gain muscle, but it also make the body burn muscle rather than fat.

If you can go by with 6 hours of sleep it's only because of stress and an elevated caffeine intake. Most people say they don't have time to get enough sleep or that they don't need it. That's nonsense!! it's all about planning. Like you learned to plan your workouts and meals with the past challenges, you have to learn to plan your sleep time. you have to determine the priorities in your life. Housecleaning is not a priority! Watching tv or spending hours in front of the computer is not a priority. Your health is a priority!!

Here are a few reasons to get enough sleep:

sleep makes you burn fat

sleep makes you gain muscle

sleep increases your athletic performance

adequate sleep results in energy increase

adequate sleep improves your mood

sleep improves immune function

sleep improves memory skills

sleep lowers stress hormones

...

How to get enough sleep:

-don't consume caffeinated beverages after 1 pm

-the earlier you have to wake up in the morning, the earlier you need to go to bed. 

-run your errands preferably in the morning and do stressful work in the am

-relax and take some time for yourself 1 h before going to bed. watch some tv if that relaxes you, read a book, take a bath, have a cup of warm milk with honey,... chill out. if you have a hard time falling asleep, these steps are very important. of course you won't have results in one day, like you can't teach a baby to fall asleep alone in one day. But practice makes perfect.

-lower the lights in the house 1 hour before going to bed

-don't go to bed on an empty stomach. Have some protein and good fats. Dairy works perfect at night: cottage cheese, warm milk, Greek yogurt, a protein shake.. are all great options.

-don't eat sugars and foods high in carbs before going to bed. Not only you don't need them during the night when you lay still, but an increase in blood sugar can make it hard for you to fall asleep.

-exercise in the morning or in the early afternoon

-turn your phone off 1 hour before going to bed. No one will die if you don't answer!

-set a regular bedtime!

-wake up at the same time every day!

-don't fall asleep on the couch

-be smart about napping: if you need to make up for lost sleep, go for it. Research shows that 25 minutes are the ideal time to pay off the sleep debt. Set the alarm! If you sleep longer, you may have a harsh time falling asleep at night. Also make sure you take a nap in the early afternoon (eg after lunch) and not later.

If your alarm wakes you up in the morning, it means that you are sleep deprived. 

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LATE-NIGHT SNACK: CHOCOLATE TRUFFLES

For 10 truffles you need:

200g/ 7 oz low fat cream cheese

70g/ 2.5 oz natural peanut butter

2 tsp unsweetened cacao

pure stevia

1 scoop casein powder (chocolate, vanilla, banana,.. all work great)

1/4 - 1/2 cup coconut flour, optional

rum extract or 1 tsp of dark rum

Mix all the ingredients together and form 10 balls. Dust them with more cacao or coconut flakes. Enjoy 30 min before bedtime.

Macros for 1 serving (2 truffles): 145 kcal, 3.9g carb,8.8g fat, 12.9g protein

If you need a higher protein intake, add more scoops of casein. For dusting you can use chopped nuts or grated dark chocolate. Let you imagination run wild!

#proteinsnack #healthymeal #dessert #chocolate #casein

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THESE 3 MISTAKES MAKES YOU FAT JUST LIKE FAST FOOD

#1 Skipping meals

Skipping meals slows down your metabolism and drives your body into starvation mode which forces it to store fat for survival. Not to mention that once you get back to eating, you overeat and most of that food gets stored into fat.

#2 Eliminating a whole food group

Eliminating carbohydrates or fats is absolutely wrong! In this way your body not only becomes intolerant to that specific macronutrient and can't handle it properly, but you also cut out important nutrients that may be contained only in that food group. Make sure you consume a balanced diet that curbs your carvings and preserves your health.

#3 Following fad diets

your body doesn't know what diet you are following, all it knows is what kind of nutrients are you giving it. So if you want to lose fat, you have to eat a healthy diet that will give your body all it needs to heal itself and recover. We are all different, our lifestyles are different, so you must make sure you are following a customized diet that gives you everything your body needs. You can't go on a extreme diet, lose weight and then jump back to eating "normally" and pretend to maintain that weight. That's nonsense.

Don't play with your body, because it's smarter than you. Treat it right and preserve your health, which is the most precious thing you have.

#faddiets #starvation #sugar #carbs #fat

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Challenge N°5: LOAD UP ON FIBROUS VEGGIES

You've been 5 weeks into Get fit and healthy challenge series and by now you should have:

-eliminated sugar and foods containing added sugar from your diet

-been training 4-6 days a week

-been eating 20-30g of protein at each meal

-been having 5-7 small meals a day

These are all steps that should have become a habit by now and I'm sure results don't hesitate to show. I'm receiving daily emails from many of you who took these challenges very seriously and I'm so excited for all of you who are getting fantastic results. This week's challenge is very simple:

Challenge N°5: Load up on fibrous veggies

In bodybuilding world we separate the complex carbohydrates in 2 different categories:

-starchy carbs (potatoes, yams, sweet potatoes, oats, beans, brown rice, lentils, chickpeas, black-eyed peas, green peas, corn, pumpkin, barley, butternut squash, quinoa, millet, whole wheat, amaranth, cous cous, whole grain bread and cereals, other whole grains and starchy veggies)

-fibrous carbs (broccoli, spinach, asparagus, cucumber, tomatoes, cauliflower, brussel sprouts, celery, onions, peppers, bok choy, kale, mushrooms, eggplant, zucchinis, carrots, green beans, lettuce, greens and herbs)

Fibrous carbs combined with lean protein and some healthy fats are your secret recipe for fat loss!

Both starchy and fibrous carbs contain fiber, but fibrous carbohydrates are so much lower in calories. it takes more time and effort to chew them and they take plenty of room in your stomach so it's almost impossible to overeat them.They also decrease appetite stimulating hormones and have a positive impact on your metabolism and overall health.The calorie density between the two groups is impressive. 1 1/2 cup brown rice has about 300 calories, while 1 1/2 cup lettuce has only 5 . 1 1/2 cup broccoli is about 30 calories. But the best thing is that you can have them as much as you want. No portion control!

So load up on the fibrous veggies and watch your body changing.

For more tips, motivation and healthy recipes visit my FB page by clicking here

Challenge N°4: MEAL PREP

In the past weeks you've learned how to put your meals together and that should have become second nature by now. This week challenge can be a real challenge because it takes some preparation. and when I'm talking about preparation, I'm talking about food. This week you'll have to eat 5-7 small meals a day including the postworkout meal.

Nutrition is 70% of the result, but it is also where 70% of people fail. What are we trying to achieve through these weekly challenges, is not only a toned physique by losing some inches, but we are basically trying to turn actions into habits. Eating 5-7 meals a day means eating every 2-3 hours. This also means food prep. If you don't prepare your food in advance, which can be at night or in the morning, you'll start skipping meals or eating the first crap you find around. This is called failing. The whole food prep may sound complicated, but it is really not, especially if you eat the same things every day and know your portions. 

Some people like prepping all their food in advance for the whole week. You can cook everything in batches and portion it out. Some also like to freeze the food, but i don't find it necessary. Chicken, veggies, grains,... can all last for a week if stored in an air-tight container and refrigerated. Personally i cook just the veggies and grains for some days in advance. These are all things that need very little time. I don't like to complicate in the kitchen. I steam the veggies in the microwave and then saute them with garlic, black pepper and salt. For the grains you just need to add water and wait.

Snacks are very easy to prepare as well. You can make pancakes in advance or multiply the recipe and bake them in the oven as you would do with a cake. Makes things easier. Nuts can/ should be preportioned out. Greek yogurt doesn't need any special preparation, but i like to add unsweetened cacao, stevia and almonds on top. Fruit is fast food.

You can preportion your food out for the week in Tupperware. I like to do it daily so i have more room in the fridge. 

Your meal plan should look something like this:

within 1h of waking up: breakfast

2-3 h later: am snack

2-3 h later: lunch

2-3 h later: pm snack

2-3 h later: dinner

Preworkout meal comes 60-90 min before your workout and it can be any of the above meals.

Postworkout meal comes 10 minutes after your workout and it should be a liquid meal (shake) with whey and simple carbs (sugars). Liquid meals doesn't involve a lot of digestion and the nutrients can reach the muscles as fast as possible in order to prevent the muscle breakdown.

Your next meal should be about 45-60 minutes after the shake.

Questions? Post them below!

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Challenge N°3: EAT LEAN PROTEIN AT EVERY MEAL

Hope you survived the last week challenge. If you had already made working out a habit, it should have been a piece of cake.

Those who completed the first two challenges should already start seeing great results. I keep receiving progress emails from all over the world and I'm really excited for you guys. Hard work always pays off in the end!

The challenge this week is be easy peasy. All you have to do is to eat your bodyweight in pounds of protein. For example, if you weigh 150 lbs*, it means that you should get 150g of protein. It may sound a lot of protein, but it's really not. Spread that protein around the meals and have 20-30g of protein at each meal.

Here I reccomend logging your food at least for the first days. This is beacuse carbohydrates, veggies and fats also contain protein and you'll see that you hit that number very easily.

Let me show you some examples:

1 cup brussel sprouts contains 5g of protein.

1/4 cup of oats has 4g protein

a slice of whole-wheat bread 5g of protein

1 portion of broccoli 6g of protein.

These proteins count all! So don't just get 20-30g of protein in chicken or fish, but keep in mind that other foods contain protein, as well.

Questions? Post them below!

*1 lb = 450g; if you weigh 50kg, that will be 50 x 2.2= 110lb => 110g protein/ day

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Challenge N°2: MAKE TIME FOR THE GYM

This week challenge is all about the workouts. If last week you had to find mental strength to get through, this week you'll have to find TIME. Ups, sorry.. not "find", MAKE! This week you have to MAKE TIME for the gym. I give you the plan, you follow it! simple!

So, here's the deal:

-you must train at least 45-60 minutes a day. if you are a complete beginner (meaning, never worked out before) go for 30 minutes of intense training. This doesn't mean you have to lift heavy weights that you've never lifted before. It has to be intense for YOU. This means that you have to sweat, breathe hard, feel thirsty, feel like dying but feel good at the same time.

-weight-lifting: 4-6 days a week. The more intense the trainings, the more rest days you need. If you are training to increase your strength and perforimng 6 or less reps, go with a 4 day schedule.

Beginners: do a weightlifting total body routine 3 times a week. Choose 1 exercise per body part. Don't forget to warm up and cool down! Focus on compund movements (shoulder press, row, bench press, deadlift, lat pull-down, squat, leg press etc.). Ask the instructor at the gym for help If you are not sure how the exercises must be performed. Go slow and controlled, focus on form! If your gym has the machines for the exercises i mentioned, prefer them to free weights.

Intermediate trainers: weightlifting split routine 5 days a week

Advanced trainers: train 5-7 days a week, training preferably each body part twice a week. 

-do cardio only if you are more than 30 lbs overweight and do it on your rest days ONLY. Perform a HIIT routine as follows:

Hiit for a beginner:

5 min warm up

8 intervals: 45 s all out, 1 min slow

5 min cool down

Hiit for an intermediate/ advanced trainer:

5 min warm up

10 intervals: 20 s all out, 10 s slow

5 min cool down

Followed by abs.

-schedule your workouts!

-go to bed earlier and wake up early

-get yourself new gym clothes

-go sleep with your gym clothes on (sometimes it works)

-prepare your gym bag the night before!

-find a buddy. make an appointment to meet your friend at the gym

-try on old clothes in which you'd like to fit

-watch less tv

-spend less time on the phone

-spend less time on the internet 

-find an old jar and get yourself a euro/ dollar tip (or more) for every workout completed

Hey, no excuses! 1 hours is nothing compared to the time you spend on the phone, the internet, in front of the tv etc.

Nothing great was ever achieved with ease.

Questions? Post them below!

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Challenge N°1: ELIMINATE SUGAR COMPLETELY - STOP CRAVING SUGAR AND CARBS

Sugar is sweet, but there's a sour side, too. If you are overweight or trying to beat a disease, you should most probably blame it on sugar. Sounds silly, but sugar is the big evil. Sugar is a drug, a poison, and most people don't even realize how much sugar they are consuming.

Sugar is hidden everywhere, even in simple everyday foods like bread. Sot to mention "healthy foods" like peanut butter, salsa, cereal, yogurt, etc. Sspecially low-fat foods are loaded with sugar to enhance flavor.

Studies show that an average child consumes a whopping 32 teaspoons of sugar per day. That's 160 g of sugar, while the daily intake should stay under the 15g.

Facts About Sugar:

-sugar consumption is linked to:

insomnia

hair loss

dizziness

ADD/ ADHD

breakouts and skin irritation

allergies

manic depression

tooth decay

cardiovascular disease

hypertension

hypoglycemia

colon and pancreas cancer

cancer

obesity

metabolic syndrome

type 2 diabetes

asthma

arthritis

heart disease

high bad cholesterol levels

gallstones

endocrine issues

degenerative disease

-sugar is addictive just like any drug. It releases an opiate-like substance that activates the brain's reward system

-a 32oz/ 1Lt soda that you can get at any fast food or movie theater, contains 27 teaspoons of sugar. that's 135g!

-sugar causes vitamin B deficiency which is linked to: heart palpitations, chronic fatigue, paranoia, anxiety, insomnia, difficulty focusing, restlessness, indigestion, rashes, cravings of sugar...

-sugar has 0 nutritional value! it does not contain vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fats or fiber.

-sugar makes the digestive system acidic, which leaches vitamins and minerals from the body, particularly calcium from the bones and teeth. It also depletes potassium and magnesium, which are both essential for cardiac health.

-sugar suppresses the immune system and causes overproduction of digestive enzymes, which puts stress on the pancreas

-sugar impairs liver function, which leads to high blood pressure, skin issues and acne

-sugar inhibits blood flow and affects aging contributing to dental issues, increased wrinkles and dry, aged skin

Ok, I think you have enough. I hope that the above facts will motivate you this week to detox from sugar. In order to do so, you must remove all the sugar from your diet. This means NO:

syrups

fruit

fruit yogurts

cereal (except natural whole grain puffed cereal or oats)

processed foods like bread, crackers etc.

sauces containing sugar

marinades

dressings containing sugar

corn

potatoes

soda

candy and sweets

limit your dairy intake (plain yogurts, cream cheese, quark, cottage cheese etc) to 1 cup/ 250g per day

Keep in mind that removing sugar from your diet can cause withdrawal symptoms, like fatigue, depression, headaches and achy limbs. But don't worry, these symptoms will go away after a few days and are normal symptoms of any detox process.

Now you are wondering what you CAN eat, right?! I know the world without sugar seems so empty, but hey, there's a long list of foods you can enjoy:

any kind of lean protein: eggs, white meat, red meat, fish, deli meats (see nutrition values, some of these also contain sugar),...

veggies (dig in!)

nuts

healthy fats (YES, you CAN have chocolate! but it must be sugar-free and it must contain 85%+ cacao)

hummus

legumes

WHOLE natural grains: brown rice, oats, amaranth, cous cous, barley,...

cheese

pure stevia (even though i recommend going completely "sweetener-free" for the first 3 days)

What to eat post-workout:

1-2 scoops hydro whey or whey isolate with oats and water is a good post-workout meal that will replenish the glycogen stores and prevent muscle breakdown

The main recommendation is to eat as natural as possible and to pack on fiber. Read the food labels and as long as the food is natural, unprocessed and the label says 0g sugars, you can have it.

Keep in mind that even if the ingredient list doesn't list sugar, it can still be hidden under names like:

agave nectar

brown rice syrup

high-fructose corn syrup

dextrose

evaporated cane juice

glucose

lactose

malt syrup

molasses

sucrose

...

Please, do NOT use artificial sweeteners which will make the situation even worse. The only sweetener i recommend is PURE stevia (not Truvia). Must be 95+% stevia. After the sweet taste of the artificial sweetener the body expects an increase in sugar levels, but since this doesn't happen, your body starts to crave more sugar.

Don't forget to drink plenty of water!

Prepare mentally. It's not going to be easy, but it's going to be worth it. At the end of the week you should feel lighter, your stomach should be flatter, you should have more energy and the scale should move down for a couple of pounds. Your cravings will be gone!

You are welcome to post your thoughts and log your meals on my page in order to motivate the rest of the community. Together we can do it!

If you have any doubts or questions, post them down here in the comments. I'll answer all of them.

For more tips, motivation and healthy recipes visit my FB page by clicking here