In case you are new to sound nutrition, this section provides a quick summary of the basic building blocks. You may have heard the terms before, but here’s an explanation of their importance. Protein Protein is essential to your body at all phases of life. Made up of amino acids, it’s responsible for building lean muscle tissue. When you are engaging in intense physical activity, such as the EFF workouts, getting adequate protein is critical. Your body simply will not be able to recover from these workouts without it, as ample protein is essential for muscle recovery and growth.
This muscle growth is what will transform your body into a metabolic machine. The best sources of lean, high quality protein include: Whole eggs and egg whites Skinless white-meat poultry Fish and seafood Low-fat dairy Lean red meat Beans and legumes Certain veggies Carbohydrates Thinking of carbs as the enemy is soooo 1990’s. Most of the world’s healthiest foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, are primarily carbohydrates. People are so conditioned to thinking and actually believing that certain carbs bloat them. If they only knew what was actually happening inside the body, they would think and believe differently. Carbs are your body’s preferred fuel source. They are not stored in body tissue, only by your blood and liver in a limited amount. So the more you exercise, the more you need to take in. Without enough carbohydrates, your body will shut down during hard physical exertions.
Too many carbohydrates however, and they get stored as body fat. Eating your quality meals with carbs is fine, it’s those refined sugary foods and pastries you eat that make you store body fat. If you skimp on carbs, you will simply not be able to complete your EFF workouts in style. EFF Nutrition will teach you how to feel your way through choosing the right amount of carbs to fuel your workouts, without going overboard. Focus on your emotion. The body releases chemicals that send signals to the brain that allow us to feel full, satisfied, empty etc. You must become aware of these feelings. This is your ultimate tool to becoming Forever Lean. EMOTION. Focus on what your body NEEDS not what you WANT. There you go. There is your PILL, take it. Work on 90% NEED and 10% WANT after you achieve your goal. For now, work on 100% NEED and 0% WANT. Refined (or white) carbs and sugars have a high glycemic index, which can be like poison to your body. They cause an insulin response that can send your blood sugar levels soaring, and then rapidly dropping. This “sugar rush” will leave you feeling lethargic, and definitely in no shape for an intense workout session. Healthy carbs generally have a low glycemic index, meaning that they supply our body with a slow, steady stream of blood sugar, giving you constant energy to get you through your daily activities and fuel your INTENSE EFF workouts. Be sure to choose “Good Quality Carbs” each day.
The majority of healthy carbs will come from: Whole fruits (an occasional juice is OK, diluted, as well but whole fruit is preferable) Whole vegetables Whole grains Dairy (some dairy products contain a decent amount of carbs) Fats Not all fats are bad for you. In fact, they are just as important as proteins and carbs, and play a key role almost every bodily function. Many fats, such as omega 3, -6 and -9 fatty acids, are central to the healthy function of your metabolism, immune system and brain. The key is to avoid too much saturated fat (found mostly in fatty cuts of meat and high-fat dairy) and trans-fats (found in some baked goods, stick margarines, cookies and crackers). When in doubt, check the food label and keep the following in mind: Avoid any food with trans-fats, which are now required to be listed on the label. Thankfully, most products have since eliminated these. Limit fatty cuts of meat. The more “white” you see on meat, the more saturated fat there is. Saturated fat is solid at room temperature, so while the fat appears to dissolve when cooked, it will harden up when it cools off. The same thing occurs in your arteries – Not Good! Avoid all poultry skin; it’s best to remove it prior to cooking to avoid the saturated fat from leaking into the poultry. Choose fatty fish such as salmon to optimize your intake of healthy oils. Choose natural cooking oils, like olive oil and canola. I always use cook and spray. They’re an excellent source of desirable monounsaturated fats. Choose all-natural nuts and peanut butter. Choose low-fat dairy to decrease saturated fat. I never use fat free anything dairy. I’m not afraid of full cream dairy either. So if you prefer full cream. GO FOR IT!