5 Daily Nutritional Habits To Maximize Your Muscle-to-Fat Ratio

Has this ever happened to you? You are on a beach and it seems that at every turn, freakishly ripped people surround you. The guys look like they would be a good candidate for the next World Fitness Model Champion, and you swear you have seen a few of the gals on previous covers of Oxygen Magazine.

You think to yourself, “What the hell are these people doing that I am not?!”

Easy, they follow five “simple” rules. I say “simple” in quotations because if they were really that simple, everybody would have perfect physiques with the ideal muscle-to-fat ratio.

If you are TRULY motivated and dedicated to MAXIMIZE your muscle-to-fat ratio, listen up. The five daily nutritional habits below will help you build a jaw dropping physique. Next time you are at the beach, you will have the other guys (and gals) wondering, “What the hell is he doing that I am not?!”

1. One Gram of Protein Per Pound of Bodyweight

You might think habit is pretty straightforward. You eat protein, your muscle. Easy right? Well the truth might actually shock you…

Most people do not get ENOUGH protein, the protein is not from QUALITY sources or the protein sources are not being ROTATED, and it is not being combined with other macronutrients at the right time in the right or in the right quantities. 

A)     You need at least one gram of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. For a 200lb guy, that would be 200 grams of protein. It sounds like a lot but if you divide it over six meals, which is just over 30 grams of protein per meal.

SIX MEALS? That’s right. Six.

You must constantly infuse your body with that much protein every three hours to stimulate protein synthesis and create an anabolic environment for the body.

B)     Your body is only as strong as its’ weakest amino acid. A diet that only includes one or two protein sources will limit your muscle-to-fat ratio. This is because the body craves a wide range of amino acids for proper function. Not only that, but consuming very few protein sources may create food allergies.

I recommend eating protein from several sources throughout the day. Ideally, never more than two of the same protein sources in a given day. If you are really ambitious, make it a different protein source at each meal. Good sources of protein could include but are not limited to: white fish, salmon, beef, eggs and egg whites, chicken, turkey, bison, turkey, and whey protein.

C)    Combining your protein sources with the correct macronutrient may be the BIGGEST mistake I see people making. This could make or break your efforts in creating a lean and muscle body!

For example, consuming protein and carbohydrates IMMEDIATELY post workout preps your body to start protein synthesis and replenish glycogen stores. In fact, a ratio of 3:1 or as high as 4:1 in terms of carbohydrates to protein has been shown to increase the rate of protein synthesis by 70%!

Not only that, but having carbohydrates post workout diminishes the effect of stress hormones like cortisol, and saves your muscle from protein breakdown.

2. Veggies with EVERY meal

I have already mentioned you should have six meals a day. With those meals you should have 1-2 cups of vegetables- preferably GREEN vegetables like broccoli, asparagus, spinach, kale, green beans, etc.

Not only are these foods extremely low in caloric value, they are jam packed with nutrients – vitamins, minerals, antioxidants.

Vegetables (especially greens) are high in nitric oxide to aid in the delivery of oxygen to working muscles to help your performance in the gym.

And if that wasn’t enough, eating vegetables with every meal has been shown to alkalize your body. By alkalizing your body, you are creating an anabolic environment for muscle growth and fat burning.

3. One “freebie” meal a day

Really? YES, REALLY!

“Cheat” or “re-feed” meals have their place in the process of maximizing muscle-to-fat ratio in the body. The goal here is to refuel the body and stimulate metabolism.

Ideally, try to make these meals ones that are high in carbohydrates and protein but low in fat. A 2:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein is ideal, and GO BIG or GO HOME!

By refueling your body you will be optimizing your hormone levels that tell your body you are full, helps in muscle protein synthesis and recovery, and it switches your metabolism from one of starvation to one of fat-burning.

Anybody want a heaping plate of pasta and meatballs right now?

4. Carbohydrates at the right TIME in the right QUANTITIES

The general public and fitness enthusiasts have become fanatical when it comes to the consumption of carbohydrates. More specifically, they believe that low or no carbohydrate diets are the only way to go when you want to maximize the muscle-to-fat ratio. WRONG!

I am here to tell you it is absolutely acceptable to eat carbohydrates, but you have to EARN THEM. This is another make or break habit.

I recommend one gram of carbohydrates per pound of bodyweight. But timing is extremely important.

If at all possible, the following intake for your carbohydrates is idea:

A)     Three hours before a workout: This helps optimize growth hormone release AND increased serotonin levels to help you burn-fat (growth hormone), build muscle (growth hormone), and “feel good, respectively (serotonin).  As well, three hours allows for enough time for the nutrients to get into the muscles for work.

B)     Thirty minutes INTO the workout: This can be accomplished with a carbohydrate powder. The idea here is that you will spike your insulin to prevent muscle catabolism, increase protein synthesis, and blunt the effects of cortisol (a stress hormone).

C)    One and four hours after a workout: Here, use whole foods and slow-digesting carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, quinoa, brown rice, etc. Your body has a significantly improved ability to use nutrients during this time. Take advantage! This will ultimately help build lean muscle and shed fat.

5. Fish oils

One of the most underutilized supplements out there is fish oil. I know that is boring. You wanted to hear about the magic pill that cuts 5% of your body fat in 5 days.

Well, I am here to tell you that this “boring” supplement is a game changer when it comes to your muscle-to-fat ratio. And there are two major benefits to take fish-oils daily:

A)     Reducing inflammation. This helps with the reduction of delayed onset muscle soreness from training.

B)     Improving insulin sensitivity. In doing to, you will be using glucose in the best possible way - shuttled it into muscle for use instead of stored it in fat. This is so pivotal in the battle to gain muscle while losing fat.

You can take fish oils evenly throughout the day with your meals. An ideal fish oil intake is one gram of fish oil per gram of body fat. That means if you have 25% body fat, you will be taking 25 grams of fish oil spaced out through the day.

Conclusion

Whelp, there it is- five of the absolute best nutritional habits to maximize your muscle-to-fat ratio. What you do with this information is up to you.

You can store is as just another “one of those tips” or you can TAKE ACTION and implement these habits TODAY so next time you are on the beach, everybody is wondering what the hell you are doing to get your physique looking so damn good!

The Great Protein Debate – Powder vs. Real Deal

Let’s start by saying that for general nutrition, real food wins hands down. At one point in time, society thought that engineered, altered and enhanced were good, healthy words. We now know that nothing man-made tops Mother Nature. Whole foods should make up the majority of your diet, whether you are eating to build muscle, lose fat or just because it tastes good. In fact, I like to say,

“If you want to look solid and feel solid, your diet should consist of solid foods.”

In today’s go-go-go world, however, lifestyle sometimes dictates different choices throughout the day. It is tough to prepare an entire steak dinner when you barely had enough time to squeeze in a workout. In fact, most days it’s tough to fit it all in. That said, there are pros and cons to using protein powders and to using whole foods.

The Pros of the Powder
Believe it or not, even though I firmly believe in whole foods, there are several pros to using protein powder. 

1. Convenience. We are all busy. Once we factor in work, a social life and working out, there is little time left in the day. Taking the time to prepare protein rich foods several times a day is not always possible. In fact, body-builders require up to 7 meals a day. Quality, protein-dense foods like fish, lean meats and eggs just are not available via vending machine or offered at the local drive-thru (pink slime, anyone?). Having the option to use a few scoops of protein powder in an on-the-go shake is a great time-saving trick for anyone when time is tight.
2. Dieter’s Compliance. When losing weight, calories need to be cut. Unfortunately, cutting calories sometimes leads to cutting down grams of protein when, in fact, protein is needed to maintain muscle mass, manage appetite, control blood sugars and provide a feeling of fullness. Protein powders can accomplish all these duties while keeping the overall caloric intake lower.
3. Absorption Rate. Whereas whole foods are great for nutrition, it takes time for our bodies to break them down and be able to absorb them. Protein powder, on the other hand, is quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and put to work. This is especially helpful post-workout, when protein synthesis and glycogen re-synthesis have increased rates.
4. Drinkable. That may seem like an obvious statement, but, when adding calories to your diet in order to bulk up, sometimes physically eating that much whole food is not possible. Skinny guys with smaller appetites have difficulty consuming the necessary calories when they are still full from the last meal. In fact, even body-builders know that it can be easier to drink the extra calories than to chew them. Plus, you can add a variety of foods to your shake to change the flavor and up the caloric content.

The Real Deal
Whole foods like red meat, dairy, eggs, poultry and fish are crammed full of Mother Nature’s goodness. They are filled with awesome nutrients like vitamins, amino acids, essential fatty acids and saturated fat. There are so many reasons why whole foods are superior to man-made powders. The two most important ones are:

1. Processed. We have all seen enough in-depth reports, nightly news stories and YouTube videos to know to be wary of processed foods. The truth is that no man-made product can come close to reproducing the high quality nutrients that come from whole foods. The nutrients are either damaged during processing, unnaturally fortified or just plain synthetic. Your body simply cannot optimize the nutrients available in a powder the way it can in whole foods.
2. Variety. I am a huge proponent of food rotation. Not only does it help with boredom, but it is essential in avoiding food allergies. Many athletes develop allergies, from mild to severe, due to their constant consumption of the same protein sources. In fact, rotating protein sources is key to promoting optimal heath and building lean muscle. It is difficult to rotate your protein sources when they are in powder form. With whole foods, however, it is much easier to change from fish to chicken to beef and back again.

An Important Note
Not all food is created equal. Our primary goal is usually to eat healthy, to consume enough calories to gain lean muscle and to optimize the calories that we do eat. Stop. Back up. We need to recognize that where our food came from is becoming increasingly important. Food that appears to be whole, to be healthy, to be nutritious can be less nutritionally dense and sometimes even toxic. If your budget allows it, find sources for whole foods that are free of exposure to pollution, chemicals, pesticides, growth hormones and other harmful toxins. You are working so hard to grow a solid body; it does not need to become needlessly polluted.

See For Yourself
If you still don’t believe that you need to limit your reliance on protein powders and consume the majority of your calories from whole foods, test it out for yourself. For one month, try consuming 1 protein shake and five whole food meals. Drink the shake immediately after your workout. Do not change anything else about your routine or your day. At the end of that month, take your measurements. For the next month, eat just three whole food meals a day and drink three protein shakes. Do not change anything else about your routine or diet.

Take your measurements again. Measure your calves, legs, waist, shoulders, chest and arms with a tape measure and measure your body fat with calipers. You may be surprised at the results, but you will know the importance of relying on whole foods for the majority of your calories first-hand. In addition, pay close attention to the other signals your body gives you over the month. Sleep quality, performance at the gym, speed of recovery after your workout and overall energy levels are all important. Pay attention to how your body reacts with more whole food meals as well as with the additional powder substitutes.

The key take away from this is that the more whole foods you can eat, the better. Protein powder is convenient. There is no denying that. A shake can be made on the go, with little effort and can fit into just about everyone’s busy schedule. The calories are easy to control, whether you need to bulk up or slim down and the protein itself is easily absorbed post-workout. Whole foods, however, are nutrient-rich and good for you. Processing not only destroys many of these nutrients, but may also add unnecessary chemicals and toxins. The human body has survived for thousands of years on whole foods. The phrase “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it” comes to mind.