Men's Fitness Guide Issue 12

If you want to build muscle, burn fat and get into the shape of your life, what you do in the kitchen is just as important as what you do in the gym. But that doesn’t mean stick to dull but healthy food such as plain chicken and broccoli. With the right ingredients and recipes it’s easy to prepare tasty, wholesome meals that will both fuel your training efforts and satisfy your taste buds. While all the meals in this book are great for building muscle, they’re based on sound nutritional principles too, so they’re equally useful for weight loss or simply to stay in good health. Understanding these principles help you make smart diet choices for life, which is why the initial section of the book is dedicated to explaining them in…

There’s no point working hard in the gym if you undermine all the training with poor dietary choices, but knowing what advice to follow can be tricky. Every week sees new fad diets emerge and more scare stories hit the news, while nutritionists and scientists contradict each other on the regular. To help you navigate this complex subject, we’ve distilled the collective wisdom of the world’s leading nutrition experts into easy-to-follow areas below. Memorise them, take them shopping or stick them on the fridge – then tuck in. Go free range Just in case that value crate of cage-raised eggs looks tempting, let us remind you just how much organic and free-range meat and fish is better for your body. Free-range chickens, for instance, have a more varied diet and get a lot…

Go for frozen Buying frozen veg in bulk is cheap and convenient. What’s more, the amount of nutrients lost in the freezing process is roughly the same as the amount lost from fresh veg as it’s transported from field to shop to kitchen, so it’s no less nutritious. See no evil... We refered to it in the last point, but it bears repeating. The fridge shelf closest to your eye level is full of fruit and veg, you’re 2.7 times more likely to choose something healthy to eat, an American study found. Forward plan food Batch-cook meals in advance so you have healthy dinners handy all week. It’ll be ideal replenishment after a day’s work – and mean you keep control – instead of mindlessly ordering in, or eating out. Prep portion sizes It can be tempting…

Q Is white meat healthier than red meat? A Chicken and turkey are leaner than beef and lamb and contain fewer calories and lower levels of saturated fats, but recent research suggests that neither of these is as harmful to your health as was previously thought. What’s more, red meat offers a number of additional health benefits, including high levels of fatigue-fighting iron, immunity-boosting zinc and the powerful antioxidant alpha-lipoic acid. It’s also packed with creatine and protein, making it one of the best food sources for building muscle. Q What’s different between good and bad cholesterol? A Eating foods that are high in hydrogenated fats can raise your levels of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) or ‘bad’ cholesterol. This causes it to build up on the walls of your arteries and form plaque, which…

Macronutrients These three major food types form the basis of every diet Carbohydrates This is your main energy source. When you eat carbs, your body breaks them down into its default energy source, glucose. Complex carbs also provide fibre, vitamins and minerals, which are important for general health. It’s best to keep veg rather than grains as your main source of carbs. If you do go for grains, choose brown or wholegrain instead of white. Protein This macro makes up the structural foundation of all your body’s cells, making it crucial for building muscle. Protein is also an energy source in the absence of carbohydrates. Animal-based products such as fish, meat, dairy and eggs contain the highest levels of protein, but you can also get it from vegetarian sources such as beans. Fat Another crucial macro for…

Ingredients 30g oats20g barley30g quinoa30g raisinsA handful of hazelnutsA handful of brazil nuts1 apple, chopped150ml milk To make • Mix all the ingredients apart from the milk together in a bowl. • Add the milk and serve. Health benefits Oats provide slow-digesting carbs that give you long- lasting energy as well as a hefty dose of protein. Quinoa is high in protein and filling fibre. It also contains a host of useful B vitamins. Brazil nuts contain the branched-chain amino acids needed to preserve muscle mass when working out.…