Your body is a temple Sure, you may say it from time to time, but do you truly believe it? Most of us know a few things about the human body. It is resilient, and it is capable of both insane wear and tear, as well as recovery. At the same time, the body is remarkably fragile in many ways. It is, without a doubt, the most amazing creation on the planet, one with unclear origins and nearly limitless potential. Yet despite all of this, many of us take it for granted. Many people stuff their mouths with junk, don't force their bodies to exercise in order to enjoy maximum physical potential realization, and fail to sleep adequately in order to gain the recovery time they need to properly grow. But you're not one of these people, are you?
You're a beast. You're not only that, you're a wise beast. And you fuel your beast temple with only the best food options. That is, when you know what they are. Today, we're going to look at the best choices for your daily protein, carbohydrate, and fat choices, in order to maximize your efforts in the gym, and recovery following tough training sessions. Put these food options together, and you have a world class diet at your fingertips.
Protein
Choosing the best protein used to be difficult. In the old days before refrigeration, you'd be able to enjoy fresh eggs or maybe another animal from nearby, but the meat didn't last long and spoilage was a major issue. Today, you can walk into any grocery store in America and you'll see dozens upon dozens of protein choices. But are you picking the right ones? Let's make your shopping list from these 2 groups - higher end and midrange.
High-end proteins
This list should be the basis for most of your meals, and you should be eating from this list each meal. Yogurt, scallops, oysters, crab, cod, tuna, salmon, tilapia, lean beef, turkey breast, chicken and eggs comprise this list. Also, you can't forget the king… whey protein! Enjoy 2 to 3 shakes a day as time allows.
Mid-range proteins
When you don't have access to higher end proteins, opt for the mid-range list. These include higher fat beef, fried fish, chicken wings, sweetened yogurt, and are good choices to use on a minimal basis when higher quality meat isn't available.
Carbohydrates
Carbs… without a doubt, they are the fuel for your workouts. But not all carbohydrates are created equally. You'll enjoy 100 calories from a banana, and 100 calories from a handful of marshmallows. But the performance capability you'll enjoy will be worlds apart… you'll feel like garbage trying to train, fueled by marshmallows. Check out the list below for the best choices to give you the energy you will need to train at the highest level.
High-end carbs
Sweet potatoes, vegetables, fruit, quinoa, couscous, rice, oats, whole gran breads and and pasta.
Mid-range carbs
Some carbs aren't ideal, but can be used from time to time when no other option is available. These include anything sweetened with sugar and carbohydrates. Think pancakes and anything like them!
Fats
Making the best fat choices can be tricky at times. Fat is generally considered evil, and most fats you encounter on a daily basis aren't the best food choices. Check out the list below.
High-end fats
Olive oil, canola oil, coconut oil, walnuts, almonds, pecans, cashews, sunflower seeds, peanut butter, and avocados.
Mid-range fats
Opt for vegetable oil items from time to time when higher quality fats aren't available. Use them sparingly!
Remember that half the battle in choosing good foods isn't willpower. If we want to perform well, and feel great, and most important to the gym rat, LOOK good, then we are going to need to have the right food choices at our fingertips. Modern society is packed with all of the wrong food choices. They're on every corner, every convenience store, every vending machine. Everywhere we look, the poor food choices sit. It's going to take one serious shopping trip, followed by a lot of meal prepping, meal planning, and of course, Tupperware shakers, in order for the best food options to actually replace the poor ones you've been making. But you can do this!
You'd never buy a Ferrari then fill it with cheap gas. You'd never buy a mansion and use Fabreeze to clean your world-class carpets. You'd never wipe down the Mona Lisa with Windex. And these are only physical possessions. Your body is the only one you have, the only one you'll ever get. You should be treating it worlds better than any material object. Choose the best foods not just for physical appearance, but for optimal health as well.
