http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Hi folks, in today’s Ask a Health Coach, Erin will be answering a few more of your carb-related questions, from knowing which ones to include in your total macro intakes  to strategies for managing the aftermath of a carb binge. We love getting your questions, so be sure to post them in the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook group or in the comments below.

Stephanie asked:
When counting carbs, which carbs are counted? Does this include fruits and vegetables too? I realize that all grains and starches should be counted, but does this also include “moderated” foods such as bananas and sweet potatoes? Any advice is appreciated!

As a culture, we’re obsessed with carbs. We’re so totally in love with demonizing, scrutinizing, anddissecting the nuances of carbohydrates. The total carbs, subtracting sugar alcohols and fiber, staking a claim on which carbs are good and which are bad. The whole thing’s gotten really out of hand and way too fussy if you ask me.

I work with a lot of clients who exhibit symptoms of being carbophobic, swearing that low-carb is the answer to all their struggles. Even if you’ve successfully removed the word “diet” from your vocabulary (congratulations, by the way), I find that people absolutely love to have rules around what they should and shouldn’t be eating.

Why Are We So Obsessed with Carbs?

Ever heard of decision fatigue?¹ It’s based on the idea that when making a multitude of decisions (especially in rapid succession), our ability to make additional decisions gets worse. And since we make more than 200 food choices per day, it’s easy to see why having rules takes the edge off.

Types of food decisions you might recognize:

• Should I eat breakfast or fast?
• How much creamer takes me out of ketosis?
• Should I even have coffee?
• What about lunch?
• How many carbs does this have?
• Is wine okay?

And that doesn’t even include the decisions make when dining out, assuming we get to do that more regularly moving forward. The conversations we have in our heads are overwhelming to say the least.

Why? Because our minds prefer things that don’t require a lot of thought. And deciding what we should eat — or how many carbs we should have — is just one more thing to tack onto our to-do lists. Martin Binks, PhD and Director of the Nutrition Metabolic Health Initiative at Texas Tech says, “It’s easier to make a yes or no choice.² It’s simpler and less stressful to make binary decisions rather than get into nuanced ones,” adding that “food rules can simplify things.” The more variables there are, the harder it is for our brains to make a decision, which at least partially explains our obsession with food rules.

Sure, some structure and guidance is helpful — like knowing which foods agree with your body and which ones make you feel foggy and fatigued. But it’s important to learn how to be flexible and eat mindfully to keep your emotional and physical health on track. The bottom line is, if you just eat real food and don’t waste time overthinking it, you’d likely be in a much better place. When you start loving and appreciating your body for being the magnificent organism it is and stop fussing over counting, weighing and tracking, life gets pretty awesome.

Margaret asked:

I lost a ton of weight before and have gained some back after letting carbs creep into my diet again and being sedentary for a period of time. But I’m so stuck on bread, etc. I know once I’m off of it for a while I can resist and not even consider it, but gosh it’s hard to get to that point! How do I get off bread for good? Thankfully, it sounds like don’t need a lesson in why grains can be toxic to your body. But figuring out how to ditch them for good is something a lot of people struggle with, including my own health coaching clients.

Why Grains Are So Hard to Avoid

Breads, cereals, crackers, and cookies. They’re intricately woven into nearly every aspect of our society. And unless you were brought up on an ancestral kind of diet, your preferences for starchy foods were probably dictated from an early age. In fact, most infants prefer sweet tastes over bitter and sour ones, which may reflect a biological instinct to choose those foods.³ It’s not just our preferences for starchier foods that keep us stuck on the bread basked rollercoaster though. Research shows that eating the same food as others makes us feel more connected to them. So, if you’re dining with your spouse and they grab a few slices of garlic bread while you whirl around your forkful of zoodles, you may feel like you’re lacking a sense of connection with them. Same thing goes if a friend orders dessert and you abstain.

As humans, we want to feel connected — especially since the past year has made us feel less connected than ever.⁴ But food isn’t the only way to get that need met (being of service is actually one of the best ways to feel connected to others).

4 Strategies for Ditching Grains

Ditching grains, especially when you know you feel better without them, is absolutely doable with the right strategies. Here are the tips I regularly share with my clients:

1. Know Your Why. Get clear on your deep-down reasons for not eating bread and other grains. This is a game changer when it comes to navigating the ups and downs of the process, which there will always be.
2. Make Protein and Fat Your Friend. Keeping your blood sugar stable is key to avoiding cravings for quick-burning carbs. I like to start my day with an epic protein forward meal of eggs and bacon.
3. Be Aware of Your Triggers. If bread so tempting that you literally can’t resist it, don’t have it in the house. People who have their favorite foods around “just in case” are asking for an excuse to indulge.
4. Get Support. Being part of a like-minded community, like the one here at Mark’s Daily Apple can be a really valuable resource. For more hands-on guidance, you might also consider hiring a professional health coach.

Dale asked:

I typically keep my carbs under 30 grams and include one cheat meal a week, but last weekend, my one night of pizza and beer turned into a weeklong binge. I’ve also gained about 5 pounds back that I worked so hard to lose. I was so motivated before and now I’m feeling stuck. Why is so hard to get back to my regular routine this time?

Certain foods are designed to be hyper-palatable.⁵ Think pizza, chips, fast food. Anytime fat, salt, and highly processed carbs are together in one food, it triggers the reward centers of the brain and can lead to a binge. Food scientists know exactly what they’re doing when they create these foods too. They want you to continue craving, buying, and consuming these foods. Honestly though, a week of overdoing it won’t derail your progress in the long-term. It actually might help you. Here’s why. While I’m not a fan of “cheat days” in general, consuming extra calories might be exactly what your body needs, especially since you’ve been so restrictive with your diet.

How to Move Forward After a Binge

You might expect a health coach to say things like “clear out all the junk food” or “start eating clean again at your next meal.” Those are both great suggestions, but the first thing I’d recommend is to have a little compassion for yourself. My job is to help my clients have an effortless relationship with food. One that doesn’t include guilt, shame, and discouragement. That’s why self-compassion is such an important part of the process. Everyone gets off track now and then. They notice their nightly glass of wine has become 2 or 3 glasses. Or their daily walk has turned in to a weekend-only activity. But having self-compassion means that you’re accepting the fact that you’re human and make mistakes now and then. It also helps you understand that your self-worth isn’t a reflection of how perfect or imperfect you happen to perceive yourself as right now — or what the scale says. If I were you, I’d ditch the scale and start working on acceptance.

Thoughts on carbs? Got more questions? Let’s hear it.

The post Ask a Health Coach: More of Your Carb Questions Answered appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

The term metabolic damage has gained lots of traction over the years. Researchers¹ initially observed a reduced metabolic rate in subjects who had lost a substantial amount of weight.

read more

Originally posted at: http://www.nerdfitness.com/

So you want answers to the question, “What is Progressive Overload?”

Well my friend, you’ve arrived at the perfect place.

Progressive overload is one of the key principles of strength training, which is why we focus on it extensively with our coaching clients. Today, we’ll share these same principles with you too.

Nerd Fitness Coaches help busy folks like you grow strong. Learn more here.

Here’s what we’ll cover today:

• What is progressive overload?
• How do I overload my muscles? (8 ways to progressive overload)
• How do I know when I’m ready for progressive overload?
• How much weight do you add to progressively overload?
• Is progressive overload bad for you?
• Do you always have to progressively overload?
• How to continue to grow strong (next steps)

Alright, let’s do this thang.

What Is Progressive Overload?

In the video above, I walk you through the ins and outs of progressive overload.

First, let’s give a definition:

For strength training, progressive overloading is doing slightly more than last time – like lifting a heavier weight or doing one more rep.

The name of the game is overloading our current capabilities, slowly but surely.

By doing this consistently, we get stronger – since our bodies adapt to the ever-increasing demands placed on them. 

Said another way, without overload, there is no adaptation by the body.

When you challenge your body through resistance training, it responds with:

• Neuromuscular adaptations and increased coordination. After some resistance training, the nerves in your muscles will fire better, making them more responsive. Plus, the more you do a movement, the better you’ll get at it (coordination).^[1]
• Increased muscle and bone mass. When you subject your muscles and bones to resistance training, they grow larger and stronger.^[2]
• Improvement in connective tissue strength. Not only will your muscles grow stronger after progressively overloading them, but so will all the connective tissue (tendons, ligaments, etc.).^[3]
• Increased lactic acid tolerance. When you exercise intensely, lactic acid will build up and eventually slow you down. But the more and more you progressively overload, the more of a tolerance you’ll build up to lactic acid.^[4]

Don’t worry about the terminology here. 

You can think of progressive overload much like a video game:

• When you start an RPG, the first bad guys you encounter will be weak. They only give you a little bit of XP for defeating them. They’re probably rats or slimes or something.
• Once you beat a bunch of these rats, you’ll accumulate enough XP that you can level up and fight something else (a goblin perhaps).
• As you keep fighting tougher and tougher enemies, eventually, you’ll be able to take down a dragon!

Working out is the same thing:

• At first, you might only be able to do push-ups against a wall. NBD! Knock out these wall push-ups until they start feeling easier, then begin doing push-ups on a counter-top (this is progressive overloading!). 
• Continue to put in the work and decrease the height of your push-ups until you’re doing them on the ground! Congrats, dragon slayed! 

So whenever you’re following a progressive overload strategy, just tell yourself “I am earning XP here to grow strong.”

How Do I Overload My Muscles? (8 Ways to Progressive Overload)

There are all sorts of ways for you to achieve progressive overload.

Here are eight strategies for increasing work and overloading your muscles:

#1) Increase the weight. This is the most common way to make a weighted exercise in the gym more challenging. We’ll talk a bit later about how to choose the correct weight.

#2) Increase the reps. This is the other most common way to make things more challenging. So instead of 10 push-ups, go for 11. Then 12 the next time. And so on.

#3) Increase the sets. So instead of doing 3 sets of 10 push-ups, you can do 4 sets of 10 push-ups, then 5 sets of 10 push-ups, etc.

#4) Increase the frequency of your workouts. Let’s say you work out twice a week, Monday and Thursday. Maybe we add an extra day, so Monday-Wednesday-Friday. That way we get more total work in for the week.

#5) Decrease rest time. Instead of increasing the weight, or reps, or sets – you simply decrease the time you rest between sets. This will tax your body more and might be a good option for some, based on their goals and schedule (especially if you are short on workout time already).

#6) Doing more difficult variations. This is relevant for bodyweight exercises in particular, where we’re not adding weight to anything.

You could go from assisted lunges:

To regular lunges:

Or back to the example of push-ups, you can do them against a wall, then a counter-top, then the floor.

Switches like that would make the movement more challenging, and thus an overload strategy.

#7) Slow down through the range of motion. Play around with the exercise tempo! If you take a longer time to do a push-up, you’ll increase the time your muscles are under tension and working.

#8) Hold the position. Just like slowing down, this will increase the time under tension for the muscles, and therefore more work. You could pause at the bottom of your squat:

Or at the top of a chin-up:

Boom!

For any given workout, there’s likely a way to make it more challenging, and thus, perfect for progressive overload.

Let’s now chat about when to make an exercise more difficult.

How Do I Know When I’m Ready for Progressive Overload?

The key to progressive overload is continuing to make a workout more and more challenging. 

How do you know when it’s time to move up?

Unfortunately, you won’t start glowing with stars after you’ve completed a certain number of workouts.

We’ll probably have to wait for the “singularity” for that.

However, you’ll know when you’re ready to increase weight or intensity when you complete the prescribed number of sets and reps for an exercise, and you still feel like you could do a few more reps.

This will happen MUCH more often for a beginner.

Here’s what’s going on:

When you just start working out, you’ll adapt and progress quickly. Much of this is just from improved coordination and comfort with the exercise.

That means you’ll be able to progressively overload at a faster rate – likely adding weight or intensity every workout or every week.

It’s important to understand that progressive overload won’t continue upwards forever.

For example: If you started benching 45 pounds, and added 5 pounds every week, after two years you’d be benching over 500 pounds.

Which would be insane…

But that’s not how it works.

After a while, progress will go slower and slower.

You may even plateau and sit at a certain intensity for several weeks or more. That’s ok.

It’s hard to say how long you’ll be at each stage.

How fast you can progressively overload depends on a lot of factors, such as:

• Your training
• Your nutrition
• Your recovery
• Your age

With that being said, don’t be afraid to test the waters with a more difficult exercise. You can always go back down if it doesn’t feel right.

But do move up from time to time. It might surprise you how much more you can handle!

How Much Weight Do You Add to Progressively Overload?

Normally, we recommend going up in small increments when adding weight to your exercises.

For barbell lifts, adding 5 pounds (or about 2.5 kilos) to each side is generally a good rule of thumb. 

That would be an increase of 10 pounds or 5 kilos for the entire lift.

So you might go from benching 75 to 85 lbs.

This rate of increase is an average recommendation but may differ based on what exercise you are doing.

• For upper body lifts, this may be too much of an increase for you.
  
  In that case, look to add 2.5 pounds or about 1 kilo – to each side of the bar.
  
  That would be an increase of 5 lbs or 2 kilos for the entire lift.
  
  If that’s too much of an increase, there are smaller fractional plates that allow you to increase weight in even smaller quantities than that.
  
  
• For lower body lifts, we may want to add more weight – so 10 pounds – or about 5 kilos to each side of the bar.
  
  That would be an increase of 20 lbs or 10 kilos for the entire lift.
  
  So you might go from deadlifting 135 lbs to 155 lbs.

For either case, if you are using dumbbells, increase the weight of the dumbbell by whatever amount you’d add to the side of the bar (e.g. 5 lbs per side = 5 lbs per dumbbell).

If you’d like more here, check out our guide How Much Weight Should I Be Lifting?

Is Progressive Overload Bad for You?

The biggest danger with progressive overload simply comes down to increasing faster than your body can adapt.

Are you ready for handstand push-ups? 

Is a 315-pound deadlift a big jump in weight for you?

There’s nothing inherently dangerous about those movements. BUT, I have seen plenty of folks rush to do more…then not be ready.

That’s how you can end up hurt. 

So start your training by doing less than you think, including lifting just the bar – or even a broomstick:

When you’re adding more weight or increasing the intensity of an exercise, go in small increments.

There’s no rush.

Do You Always Have to Progressively Overload?

Do you always have to keep increasing the weight or difficulty or reps that you’re doing?

No!

It’s perfectly fine and normal to hold steady at a certain level.

You are still moving around and getting a ton of great benefits, like:

• Improving your mood.^[5]
• Helping with weight loss.^[6]
• Keeping your bones strong.^[7]
• Making you more energetic.^[8] 
• Reducing your risk of chronic disease.^[9]

Don’t let the thought of “needing” to continuously work harder scare you off from exercise.

It’s up to you how far you push things, and there is no right decision for everyone. Do what works best for you. 

How to Continue to Grow Strong (Next Steps)

There you have it, my friend.

A step-by-step plan on how to progressively overload.

Let’s now leave you with some workouts, so you can get started TODAY.

After all, you can’t progress if you never get going. 

Here are three guides to help you start overloading your muscles:

• Beginner Bodyweight Workout. This 20-min routine can be done ANYWHERE. Yep, even there. If you don’t know how to start working out, start here. 
• The Best 8 At-Home Workouts. Once you get cozy with our beginner workout above, the funs just getting started. From there, you can learn moves designed for a Jedi Knight, train like Batman, or even just do push-ups against a wall. It’s all covered in this home workout guide. 
• The Beginner Guide to the Gym. If you’re heading to the gym for your path to overload, read this. Our guide will show you how to use everything from a treadmill to a weighted barbell. 

Alright my friend, you got this.

If you want any more help from us, here’s how to continue your journey with Nerd Fitness.

#1) Our Online Coaching Program: perfect for someone who wants an expert (like me!) to design the right path for progressive overload. We’re all different, so why not have a coach guide you through a program that’s custom-made for you?

You can schedule a free call with our team so we can get to know you and see if our coaching program would be a good fit. Just click on the image below for more details:

Our coaching program changes lives. Learn how!

#2) If you want a daily prompt for doing workouts (that grow more and more challenging) check out NF Journey. Our fun habit-building app helps you exercise more frequently, eat healthier, and level up your life (literally).

Try your free trial right here:

Next Step Number #3) Join the Rebellion! We need good people like you in our community, the Nerd Fitness Rebellion. You’ll meet individuals from all different walks of life, all of whom are trying to level up their lives. 

Sign up in the box below to enlist and get our Rebel Starter Kit, which includes all of our “work out at home” guides, the Nerd Fitness Diet Cheat Sheet, and much more!

Get your Nerd Fitness Starter Kit

• The 15 mistakes you don’t want to make.
• Full guide to the most effective diet and why it works.
• Complete and track your first workout today, no gym required.

Alright, I want to hear from you:

What’s your plan for progressive overload?

Are there tips or tricks I’m missing?

Have you been stuck at a certain level for a while?

Let me know in the comments!

-Jim

PS: If you’re interested in growing strong, make sure you read Strength Training 101: Where Should I Start?

###

Photo source: Him-Dude, Him-Dude II, LEGO VIDIYO minifigs, LEGO Bench Pressing, Hammer and forge yourself into the best artist you can be, Shower Guy, Mountain Biker

The post What is Progressive Overload? (+How to Do It) first appeared on Nerd Fitness.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

I remember back in the day, you’d see all the bodybuilders at the gym sipping on purple water from those clear shaker bottles. They were drinking water spiked with BCAAs, or branched chain amino acids, the idea being the BCAAs provide your body a steady drip of amino acids to maximize muscle hypertrophy and stay anabolic all day long. Heck, even I sipped the purple water when I was trying to gain mass. In more recent years, BCAAs have fallen out of favor, or at least become less “vital” a supplement for people interested in gaining muscle.

However, branched chain amino acids are still among the most crucial amino acids for human health, metabolism, immunity, and hypertrophy.¹ Without adequate intake of the BCAAs leucine, isoleucine, and valine, we won’t be able to activate all the metabolic pathways we need to generate energy and utilize macronutrients. Our intestinal health suffers. Our immune system grows sluggish. And, most importantly, without BCAAs we won’t be able to trigger the mTOR pathway necessary for muscle building and repair.

That’s what everyone cares about when they talk about BCAA supplementation: muscle growth and recovery. That’s why the purple water was so common. So, what’s the deal? Do BCAAs work for muscle growth and recovery?

Well, we do need BCAAs. We can’t make them—they are essential amino acids, meaning we must obtain them from outside sources rather than manufacture them in-house. We must eat them.

But do we have to sip the purple water? Must we supplement BCAAs?

Let’s find out.

What Are BCAAs Made Of?

When most people talk about BCAAs, they’re talking about leucine. If you had to choose one amino acid for building muscle, it would be leucine. Leucine activates mTOR, or mammalian target of rapamycin, the physiological pathway required for muscle protein synthesis. Simply ingesting leucine has been show to upregulate mTOR and muscle protein synthesis in people. If you pair leucine with some resistance training, the effect is even greater.

Leucine is the amino acid vegans and (often) vegetarians are usually missing, as plant foods contain very little. You can get there if you utilize specially-formulated plant protein powder blends (or eat straight up vital wheat gluten), but if you go with whole plant foods alone you’d be hard pressed to get enough leucine—over 800 calories of peanuts or 3600 calories of wheat bread are required to get just 2.5 grams of leucine.

On the other hand, animal foods are the richest sources. 23 grams of whey protein isolate (92 calories), 142 grams of top round (391 calories), or 142 grams of chicken breast (147 calories) are animal-based ways to get 2.5 grams of leucine. Dairy, eggs, and other animal foods are also great sources. It’s way easier to get enough BCAAs from your diet if you eat meat, and most prolific meat-eaters are going to be getting plenty of BCAAs simply from their diet.

So if you’re reading this, and you’re eating meat, eggs, dairy, and other animal foods on a regular basis like most readers and visitors to this site, you’re probably getting enough BCAAs to take care of your requirements. You probably don’t need to supplement with additional BCAAs.

However, there are some people who should definitely take BCAAs.

When Does It Make Sense to Take BCAAs?

There are a few different situations where supplementing with BCAAs can help you achieve your goals and recover more quickly:

• You’re vegan.
• You train fasted.
• You’re on a calorie-restricted diet.
• You’re recovering from an injury, illness, or bedrest.
• You want to get back into competition or training more quickly.

You’re vegan.

Sure, you could live off soy protein powder. Sure, you could sprinkle pea protein powder into everything you eat and drink. But if you want to eat a more whole foods-based vegan or vegetarian diet, adding a serving or two of BCAAs directly will give you more leeway. I still wouldn’t advise this, but if you’re dead-set on it, include some BCAAs.

You train fasted.

If you’re doing fasted weight training, it would be prudent to take 10-15 grams of BCAAs before the training session. For one, they are muscle-sparing, especially during intense resistance training.² The last thing you’d want during a fasted workout is for your body to start breaking down muscle to create glucose. Taking them before a fasted workout would be more effective than after, though if you were planning on continuing the fast post-workout, more doses on the hour should prevent muscle breakdown until you’re able to eat some real food.

And two, BCAAs taken during and after a strength training session augment the normal mTOR boost in muscle tissue resulting from training alone.³

BCAAs will turn off the autophagy induced by fasting, but if you’re trying to build muscle, by necessity you must halt autophagy. Plus, it’s the end of the fast so you were already going to turn it off anyway.⁴.

You’re on a calorie-restricted diet.

The worst part about a diet is the lean mass you can lose. It’s not “weight” we want to lose, it’s fat. We’d prefer to maintain or even gain lean mass, and BCAAs can help.

Young adults on a calorie restricted diet were split into one of two groups: a BCAA group or a carb group.⁵ Both groups lifted weights throughout the study. The group who took BCAAs lost fat mass and retained lean mass. The group who took carbs lost weight but not fat mass—only lean mass. Thus, BCAAs didn’t promote “weight loss” but they did promote fat loss. Carbs promoted “weight loss” but not fat loss.

You’re recovering from an injury, illness, or bedrest.

Recovering from injuries, surgeries, bedrest, or illness requires a lot of amino acids, especially the BCAAs, which help make the necessary repairs. You haven’t been exercising. You haven’t been eating right. Your tissues (not just your muscles) have been atrophying. A lot has gone wrong, and you need to rebuild. That takes extra amino acids, and that’s where supplementing with BCAAs has been shown to help.

In stroke patients, adding BCAAs to their breakfast makes lifting weights later in the day more anabolic, leading to improved body composition.⁶

Another study in stroke patients had similar results. In that one, Both groups ate the same food provided by the hospital, both were calorie-matched and of similar baseline status, only the interventional group got a BCAA supplement. What’s remarkable is that the BCAA dosage was relatively modest—just 1.2 grams of “extra” leucine per day. And it was still enough to increase muscle strength and muscle mass.⁷

How about patients with sarcopenia—muscle wasting? Giving a BCAA supplement (plus vitamin D and exercise) to sarcopenic older adults staying in a hospital setting improved their strength gains; those who did not receive BCAAs (but still exercised) had impaired gains.⁸

After surgery, which is pretty much a controlled wounding, protein intake is probably the most crucial aspect of the patient’s nutrition and subsequent recovery. Many doctors recommend that surgical patients take whey protein isolate—the richest source of BCAAs in the diet—for a couple days after a procedure.

You want to get back into competition or training more quickly.

If delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS) is holding you back from training, BCAAs can be very helpful. A recent meta-analysis concluded that a “large decrease in DOMS occurs following BCAA supplementation after exercise compared to a placebo supplement.”⁹

Should Healthy People Supplement with BCAAs?

What about healthy people who eat three meals a day, lift weights in a fed state, and just want a boost to their muscle growth? Can BCAA supplements help them?

They can’t hurt. BCAAs are useful. Your body will use them if you provide them. They’re pretty helpful for reducing DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) and they do increase mTOR, which is helpful for muscle protein synthesis. They just don’t seem to be essential in the context of adequate animal protein.

For example, in one recent study, BCAAs moderately reduced post-workout muscle soreness following eccentric exercise training (lowering the weight), but the effects on force production and performance were negligible as long as the subjects ate enough protein—1.2 grams of protein per kilogram of bodyweight, to be exact.¹⁰

Besides, you could just take whey isolate. Whey protein isolate will accomplish pretty much the same thing as BCAAs because it’s a rich source of BCAAs, plus other essential amino acids. 25 grams of whey protein isolate, remember, gets you the 2.5 grams of leucine that’s proven to be so helpful for muscle growth. I’ve spoken at length about the impressive benefits of whey protein in the past for both muscle growth and general health.

To sum up, certain conditions and situations call for extra BCAAs through direct supplementation (or whey isolate), while most healthy people do not need to take them as long as they eat enough dietary protein.

Now let’s hear from you. Do you take BCAAs? What kind of benefits do you see?

References

1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29570613/
2. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7810616
3. https://journals.physiology.org/doi/full/10.1152/ajpendo.00430.2003
4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23084640
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26733764/
6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32610608/
7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30273819/
8. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30358032/
9. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30938579/
10. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30275356/

The post What Are Branched Chain Amino Acids and Do They Help Muscle Growth and Recovery? appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

When it comes to talking about food and dieting in the fitness industry, one term you hear over and over is macronutrients. It’s lesser discussed counterpart – micronutrients – are the topic for today’s piece.

read more

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

The keto diet has a reputation for being strict and regimented. Some guidelines you do have to follow, particularly concerning carbohydrate intake. However, just as a Primal diet allows plenty of room for personalization based on food preferences, goals, activity level, and more, keto diets can actually be quite flexible.

In fact, once you’ve successfully made the transition to keto, I think you should make adjustments to ensure your diet feels sustainable and works for your life.

That said, all of the suggestions below are totally optional. They aren’t inherently better than whatever you’re doing now. If you’re happy with your current diet, there’s no need to change it. I know, though, that many of us in the MDA community are questioners or enthusiastic self-experimenters, always up for trying something new and looking for ways to tweak and optimize our diets and lifestyles.

I’m all for self-experimenting and developing your personal expression of keto, one that you find easiest and most enjoyable. So, without further ado, here are nine things you can do to personalize your keto diet.

9 Ideas for Creating a Custom Keto Diet

1. Increase Carbohydrate Intake

The Keto Reset recommends a carb intake of about 50 grams per day (total, not net) for most people, perhaps down to 30 grams for folks who are sedentary or insulin resistant.

Other keto protocols recommend capping carb intake at 20 grams or less. That’s tough to do unless you’re sticking to a fairly limited range of foods. A small handful of macadamia nuts or blueberries represents a quarter of your daily carb allowance if you’re trying to stay under 20 grams. One big-ass salad can put you near or even over your limit.

Some people need to keep carbs that low for medical reasons. There’s no need for the rest of us to be that restrictive, especially not if it makes your diet difficult and unenjoyable. 

Even 50 grams may be overly conservative for some people. Athletes and other very active folks can probably go above 50 grams per day and still stay in ketosis, especially if they time their carb intake around training.

2. Decrease Carbohydrate Intake

In the Keto Reset community, I see fewer people overeating carbs than restricting carbs unnecessarily. Still, there are a few reasons someone might want to consider decreasing their carb intake:

• To increase ketone levels for specific medical purposes (on the advice of a doctor or nutritionist) or as a self-experiment
• Still experiencing unwanted sugar cravings
• Dealing with insulin resistance or poor glycemic control
• Trending toward a carnivore or carniflex approach

3. Increase Protein Intake

Just a few years ago, the prevailing wisdom was that protein intake should be kept to low-to-moderate levels on a keto diet. Now, a growing number of folks who identify as keto are eating meat-centric or entirely carnivorous diets.

Anecdotally, many people feel better, experience greater satiety, and have an easier time losing weight when they increase their protein intake (if they were on the lower end to start). The majority of people find their protein sweet spot somewhere in the range of 0.7 to 1.0 grams of protein per pound of lean body mass. Highly active folks, older individuals, and people looking to gain lean mass should aim for the higher end or perhaps a bit over.

There’s no need to force protein. Above a certain threshold, around 0.8 grams per pound of total body weight, eating more doesn’t seem beneficial, at least not for gaining muscle and strength.¹ All things considered, though, it’s better to take in a little more than we need than to undereat protein, especially as we age.

4. Change Up the Sources of Fat in Your Diet

One of the most controversial aspects of ketogenic diets is that they can raise LDL cholesterol. I know many readers here are skeptical of the conventional lipid hypothesis of heart disease, so you might not think this is a big deal. However, lots of people—and lots of people’s doctors—freak out when they see LDL jump after going keto.

This is obviously a huge topic, far too complex to hash out today. For now, let me just say the evidence regarding keto diets’ effects on LDL is mixed. Even if you believe that LDL (or LDL-p) is a risk factor for cardiovascular disease, it remains to be seen whether high LDL confers the same risk in the context of a low-carb, high-fat diet as it does in the context of a pro-inflammatory SAD diet.²

That said, if you or your doctor is concerned because your LDL rose significantly, especially if it remains high after the first six months on keto, look at the fat composition of your diet. Keto diets with more saturated fat could lead to greater increases in LDL.³ It might be worthwhile to drop the fatty coffees, swap some of the bacon grease for avocado oil or olive oil, and see what happens.

5. Experiment with Carb Timing

There are two main reasons you’d want to do this: One, you’re trying to manage blood glucose levels. Glucose tolerance tends to decrease over the course of the day and be poorest in the afternoon or early evening. The same is probably true for insulin sensitivity, though the evidence here isn’t quite so straightforward.⁴ Try eating more of your carbs earlier in the day to see how your glucose levels respond. This is also an interesting experiment if you’re wearing a continuous glucose monitor for self-quantification purposes.

The other reason is sleep. Sleep disruptions, especially waking in the middle of the night, are somewhat common when people first switch to keto. Some folks swear that they sleep better when they eat most of their carbs at dinner.

6. Try Carb Cycling

Carb cycling is a catch-all term for incorporating periods of higher-carb eating into your keto diet. This might look like:

• Eating one or two high-carb meals per week
• Eating keto macros during the week and loosening the reins on the weekend
• Being keto for a set time, say six or eight weeks, and then eating a “regular” diet for a week or two
• For females, eating more carbs at certain points of their menstrual cycles
• For athletes, varying carb intake according to where they are in their training regimen

These strategies can be worthwhile for folks experiencing increased hunger, menstrual irregularities, or stalled weight loss, which can all be signs of leptin resistance. Athletes whose performance or motivation is suffering could also try cycling in some carbs.

Check out Mark’s Definitive Guide to Carb Timing and Carb Cycling for more information about how this works.

7. Go Dairy-free

I know cheese lovers in the crowd don’t want to hear this.

When someone complains of any issue that could possibly have an inflammatory component—autoimmune symptoms, joint pain, brain fog, skin problems, fatigue—the first thing I ask is if they’ve tried eliminating dairy. In my experience, of all the variables you might tweak, this is the one that can be most impactful… and the one people are most reluctant to try.

I get it, I love my creamy morning coffee too. However, if your keto diet isn’t getting hoped-for results, I strongly encourage you to try a period of dairy-free eating. If nothing has improved after a few weeks, you can always add it back.

8. Try Intermittent Fasting

You’re probably already aware of the myriad benefits of intermittent fasting. (If not, Mark has a new book coming out called Two Meals a Day that you’ll want to check out.) Fasting is not required to do keto “correctly,” but they’re highly compatible. Both can contribute to insulin sensitivity, glycemic control, reduced inflammation, mitochondrial health, fat loss, appetite regulation, and autophagy.

The easiest way to start is by eating when hunger ensues naturally rather than sticking to set eating times. You’ll likely find that you naturally eat in a window of 6 to 12 hours because you just aren’t as hungry on keto.

9. Change Your Eating Window

Already intermittent fasting? Try lengthening or shortening your eating window, or shift it to a different time of day.

Most people start by skipping breakfast, but eating earlier in the day might be preferable from a circadian rhythm perspective. Research suggests that early time-restricted feeding (eTRF) promotes better glycemic control and insulin sensitivity, improved beta cell function, less inflammation, and even anti-aging benefits.^{5 6}

Early time-restricted feeding means having breakfast and lunch or a mid-afternoon meal, then skipping dinner. Since hunger tends to be lower in the morning, especially if you’re used to skipping breakfast, you’ll have to start by eating when you’re not actually hungry. It might feel wrong, but your hunger will soon adjust to your new eating schedule. Give this experiment at least a few weeks before deciding if you like it or not.

Who Should Try These?

Everyone should feel empowered to experiment with their diet, keto or otherwise, and customize it to work for them. I’m not saying you have to try the specific ideas above, but you certainly could, especially if you’re:

• Finding keto to be too restrictive
• Not getting the results you wanted
• Bored with your current way of eating
• Motivated to get the most out of your diet
• Looking for a sustainable long-term diet that suits your tastes and lifestyle

As an evergreen reminder, though, if your current diet isn’t working as you hoped, it might not be about the food. Food is only one piece of the puzzle for any health, fitness, longevity, or general wellness goal. Your diet might not be working because you aren’t getting enough sleep, your stress bucket is overflowing, or you’re spending too much time sitting at your desk and not enough moving and getting fresh air and sunshine. Remember, food only represents two of the ten Primal Blueprint Laws, and they all work synergistically to build health.

The post 9 Ways to Customize Your Keto Diet appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

Originally Posted At: https://breakingmuscle.com/feed/rss

There isn’t a secret or magic trick to increasing your pull ups, but it isn’t as difficult as many people believe. You may think that I’m another coach who can’t relate to your situation, but I can. I still remember when I was struggling to do 2-3 pull ups.

read more

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Is there anything more nostalgic than a chocolate chip cookie with a tall glass of milk? If you thought a cookies and milk snack was a thing of the past, we’ve got you covered. This keto chocolate chip cookies recipe is just as satisfying as the cookies you remember from Grandma’s kitchen. And, they’re totally dunk-worthy, so have a glass of milk, almond milk or macadamia nut milk ready when they come out of the oven.

The combination of almond flour and coconut flour maintains a chewy texture. If you prefer your cookies flatter and crunchier or fluffier and lighter, I included ways to adjust your baking soda and baking powder to achieve the cookie style you remember eating as a kid.

Let’s make your new favorite chocolate chip cookie recipe.

How to Make Keto and Gluten-free Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup softened and room temperature
  salted butter
• 1/4 cup almond butter
• 1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract
• 1/2 cup granulated monkfruit sweetener (or coconut sugar if not keto)
• 2/3 cup + 1 tbsp. almond flour
• 2 tsp. coconut flour
• 1/2 tsp. baking powder (or for a flatter, crunchier cookie, use ¼ tsp. baking soda
  and 1/4 tsp. baking powder)
• 1 large egg
• 120g chopped dark chocolate (we used 85%)

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine the soft butter, almond butter and vanilla extract. Mix in the sweetener, almond flour and coconut flour. Whisk the egg and mix it into the dough.

Allow the dough to rest for 3-5 minutes, then mix in the baking powder.

Chop your chocolate and fold it into the dough.

Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out 8 balls of dough onto a parchment covered baking sheet. Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until the undersides of the cookies are just golden. Allow them to cool slightly prior to moving them to a cooling rack.

Tips

• Different brands of coconut flour can vary in absorbancy. For this recipe I used Whole Foods brand Coconut flour. You may want to start with 1 teaspoon of coconut flour and allow the dough to rest for a few minutes to thicken up, and then adjust up to 2 teaspoons based on the thickness of the dough.
• If you’re not Keto or don’t want to use a sugar substitute, this recipe is excellent with coconut sugar. Just sub the sweetener 1:1.
• For flatter, crunchier cookies, use ¼ tsp. baking powder and ¼ tsp. baking soda. For a slightly fluffier cookie that doesn’t flatten out, use ½ tsp. Baking powder.
• For this recipe, we recommend either roughly chopping up your favorite dark chocolate bar, or using chocolate chunks.

Print

Keto and Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies

---

• 
  Author: Courtney Sperlazza
• 
  Prep Time: 10 min
• 
  Cook Time: 14 min
• 
  Total Time: 24 min
• 
  Yield: 8 cookies
• 
  Diet: Gluten Free

Print Recipe

Pin Recipe

Description

Bakery-style chocolate chip cookies made with almond and coconut flour and sweetened with monk fruit for a totally indulgent low-carb, gluten-free treat!

---

Ingredients

1/4 cup softened and room temperature salted butter

1/4 cup almond butter

1/2 Tbsp. vanilla extract

1/2 cup granulated monkfruit sweetener (or coconut sugar if not keto)

2/3 cup + 1 tbsp. almond flour

2 tsp. coconut flour

1/2 tsp. baking powder (or for a flatter, crunchier cookie, use ¼ tsp. baking soda and ¼ tsp. baking powder)

1 large egg

120g chopped dark chocolate (we used 85%)

---

Instructions

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. In a bowl, combine the soft butter, almond butter and vanilla extract. Mix in the sweetener, almond flour and coconut flour. Whisk the egg and mix it into the dough. Allow the dough to rest for 3-5 minutes, then mix in the baking powder.

Chop your chocolate and fold it into the dough. Use an ice cream scoop to scoop out 8 balls of dough onto a parchment covered baking sheet.

 

Bake for 11-14 minutes, or until the undersides of the cookies are just golden. Allow them to cool slightly prior to moving them to a cooling rack.

Notes

Different brands of coconut flour can vary in absorbancy. For this recipe I used Whole Foods brand Coconut flour. You may want to start with 1 teaspoon of coconut flour and allow the dough to rest for a few minutes to thicken up, and then adjust up to 2 teaspoons based on the thickness of the dough.

If you’re not Keto or don’t want to use a sugar substitute, this recipe is excellent with coconut sugar. Just sub the sweetener 1:1.

For flatter, crunchier cookies, use ¼ tsp. baking powder and ¼ tsp. baking soda. For a slightly fluffier cookie that doesn’t flatten out, use ½ tsp. Baking powder.

For this recipe, we recommend either roughly chopping up your favorite dark chocolate bar, or using chocolate chunks.

• Category: Dessert
• Method: Baking

Nutrition

• Serving Size: 1 cookie
• Calories: 88
• Sugar: .7g
• Sodium: 11 mg
• Fat: 8.3g
• Saturated Fat: 4.2g
• Unsaturated Fat: 4.1g
• Trans Fat: 0g
• Carbohydrates: 2g
• Fiber: 0.7g
• Protein: 1.7g
• Cholesterol: 39 mg

Keywords: gluten free chocolate chip cookies recipe, keto chocolate chip cookies recipe, grain free chocolate chip cookies recipe,

How many carbs are in a chocolate chip cookie?

The carb count in traditional chocolate chip cookies varies, as cookies vary in size and sugar content. These cookies contain less than 2g of net carbs each.

Does that mean you can have cookies for breakfast? That’s entirely up to you!

Can you freeze chocolate chip cookies?

You can freeze these cookies, but they may take on that freezer taste and a crumbly texture. It’s best to eat them fresh. The best way to freeze this cookie recipe is to put unbaked dough into parchment paper and roll into a long tube, then freeze. When you’re ready to bake them, take the dough out in the morning, and once the dough has softened, drop them onto a baking sheet. Bake, and voila, you have fresh keto chocolate chip cookies.

The post Keto and Gluten Free Chocolate Chip Cookies appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

Research of the Week

Very low-carb ketogenic diets are safe and effective for type 2 diabetics.

Both Neanderthals and humans had similar auditory and speech capabilities.

The link between air pollution and crime.

2020 saw the highest number of traffic deaths in 13 years, despite driving being way down.

Improving road safety reduces crime.

New Primal Blueprint Podcasts

Episode 473: Drew Manning: Host Elle Russ welcomes Drew Manning back to the podcast.

Health Coach Radio: Chris Davis and Stephanie Aubrey show you how to grow stronger through collaboration.

Media, Schmedia

The COVID epidemic hit obese countries hardest.

The ancient art of parenting.

Interesting Blog Posts

Dave Feldman digs into a little-used measure of lipoprotein oxidation.

How close are we to psilocybin and MDMA therapy?

Social Notes

Love it.

Everything Else

A true flower child.

New embalming details from an ancient Egyptian manual reveal how sophisticated those guys were.

Buen vivir.

An eye for the other eye.

Things I’m Up to and Interested In

Reasons why young adults might be having less sex: Video games, lower alcohol consumption, living with parents.

Interesting article: Cormac McCarthy on the evolution of language.

If you’re qualified…: Apply to revive the woolly mammoth.

Big topic: “Prevalence trends tell us what did not precipitate the US obesity epidemic.”

Missing vitamin D?: This sunlamp looks quite good.

Question I’m Asking

What do you think caused the obesity epidemic?

Recipe Corner

• Cauliflower colcannon looks incredible.
• Indian fish curries are some of my favorite and very underrated.

Time Capsule

One year ago (Feb 26 – Mar 4)

• The Foolproof Way to Increase Your Odds of Reaching Your Goals – Make it (more likely to) happen.
• Why I Eat Organ Meat Weekly, and You Should Too — Why Terry Wahls does it.

Comment of the Week

“This column comforts, but also inspires. I’m caregiving my bedridden husband right now, and have been so tired that my emotions have played havoc. But this steadies and provides a goal I can concentrate on. It has helped already. Thank you!”

-I’m so glad to hear this, Helen.

The post Weekly Link Love — Edition 120 appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/

How often do you find yourself mashing the alarm clock, desperately longing for a few more glorious minutes of shut eye? A couple days a week? Every day? Not sure why you’d ever NOT want to mash the alarm?

For a lot of us, working from home has allowed for a much more relaxed morning routine. And by relaxed, I mean sleeping right up until the last minute, throwing the covers off, throwing a decent-looking top on, and scarfing down a bar or several cups of coffee as you scramble to log on to your first Zoom call.

Sound familiar?

When you start your morning like a fire drill, guess what happens? The whole day follows suit. Every minute feels like you’re playing catch up. Things tend to fall through the cracks with zero chance of regaining control. And all of your good intentions – you know, preparing a healthy protein-forward breakfast and getting outside for some fresh air quickly become a task for another day when it’s less busy.

Why a Morning Routine Helps You Crush It

Besides the obvious reason (see above), having a solid morning routine sets the tone for your entire day. No matter what happened yesterday or what’s on your schedule for today, a morning routine is a constant you can rely on — something that allows you to assert your authority over the day. It’s a ritual you’ve consciously carved out time to do in the name of self-care and sanity, because you value your health, happiness, and general wellbeing.

Take a look at people who are known for totally crushing it. You’ll notice they all have something in common:

• Tim Ferriss starts every day by making his bed, because it’s a simple action he can take that gives him a feeling of pride and accomplishment. Plus, it’s something he can do that’s totally within his control.
• Julianne Hough swears by her morning gratitude ritual, which includes thinking of five things she’s grateful for and setting small spiritual goals for the next 24 hours.
• Even former president Obama has a routine, beginning each day with a workout, followed by breakfast with his kids.

It’s not just the entrepreneurial, celebrity, and political set who are privy to creating such a routine. In fact, that’s one of the first things I recommend my clients do when we start working together. When you take the time to create a morning routine that means something to you, you decide that you’re worth putting yourself first.

You decide that you’d rather be proactive about your day instead of reactive. What do I mean by proactive vs. reactive?

What being proactive looks like:

• Staying actively engaged
• Feeling a sense of clarity and control
• Knowing what’s important to you
• Looking ahead and anticipating your needs

What being reactive looks like:

• Letting circumstances control you
• Feeling helpless or threatened
• Neglecting your own needs
• Taking action without thinking things through

Too Busy to Get Up Early? Read This

If you’re someone who works the early shift or can’t bear to make extra time in the pre-dawn hours, I get it. But here’s the thing. No one said your routine had to take up a major chunk of your morning. Some of the best routines require no more than 5 minutes and can seriously transform your day from feeling like you’re running on empty to feeling strong and fulfilled.

There’s plenty of scientific evidence to back it up too. According to this study published in The Journal of General Psychology, early-risers are known to procrastinate less than their snooze-button-pushing cohorts.¹ And routines that include meditation can lead to improved brain function as seen in this study, where researchers from Canada and Germany analyzed 21 studies and found that people who meditated regularly had changes in regions of the brain associated with things like self-control, emotion regulation, and memory.²

What’s the Best Morning Routine?

I can’t tell you how many articles I’ve seen arguing that warm lemon water or a cold shower is the best way to start the day. Everyone is different with different biological rhythms, preferences, and styles. That being said, the most effective morning routine you can do is one that’s tailored specifically to you – one that delivers results you personally find meaningful.

Here are the exact questions and strategies I use with my clients to help them create a morning routine that’s practical, beneficial, and most importantly, makes them want to jump out of bed in the morning (yes, it’s possible).

1. Ask: What do I want more of in my day?

Honestly, when I pose that question, I usually get a blank stare in return. A lot of people operate on autopilot the minute they crack open their eyes. But you actually have a say in how you want to feel throughout your day. And your morning routine is the best time to set the tone for that feeling. Your routine could include one thing or a series of things, depending on how much time you want to devote to it.

Examples: If you want to feel more energized, include some form of movement in the morning: yoga, stretching, going for a run; to feel more grounded, try meditation, reading, or journaling; to feel more organized, make your bed, cook up a quality breakfast, or tidy up your workspace. For more morning routine ideas, check out this list.

2. Ask: What might get in the way?

If there was nothing currently standing in your way, you wouldn’t still be here reading this article (note: these *things* sound a lot like excuses). Take a minute to look at your mornings right now and get a clear picture of any obstacles that might prevent you from your new routine, then take steps to address them.

Examples: If your kids need help getting ready for school, start your morning routine earlier or ask your spouse to take on that task; if the alarm clock is within smashing distance, find a better place for it like in the bathroom.

3. Ask: What drains me?

Think about the activities that cause you stress or make you feel drained. You know, checking emails, reading news headlines, scrolling through social media. These are the LAST things you’d want to include in your morning routine. You always have a choice, and if certain behaviors make your day start off on the wrong foot, ditch ‘em.

Examples: Save your emails for when your workday officially begins; delete Instagram and TikTok from your phone; and become aware of the habits you have that are chronically working against you.

4. Ask: What leaves me feeling inspired?

Remember, this is YOUR time to do the things that light you up. Things that are worth infusing into your mornings so that you feel more focused, more energized, or even get you closer to your health goals. This is the time to be selfish. It’s not a to-do list, so please no “folding laundry” or “washing dishes” unless that excites you.

Examples: You might find that you love the quiet hours of the morning to draft a few pages of that book you’ve been dreaming about writing; or maybe you can’t get enough of the clarity you experience when you meditate. Whatever that is, do it. And do it regularly.

5. Ask: What’s my schedule like?

This question is more logistical, but I’d argue that it’s just as important as the other four questions on this list. If you have a schedule that’s pretty consistent, like a 9 to 5 job, figure out how long your morning routine will take you, then back it out from your hard stop. If your schedule is more organic, commit to a timeframe that will work for you regardless of when you need to be somewhere.
Examples: Say your first call is always at 9am. Decide what time you’d need to get up to be ready for your day, and how long your morning routine will comfortably take you, then set your alarm for that time – without pressing snooze.

5 Questions to Kick Start Your Morning Routine

You always have a choice how you start your morning, no matter how much time and how many responsibilities you have. It’s the difference between feeling a sense of peace and control (even if it is for just a few minutes) and letting your circumstances rule your day. Ready to create your solid morning routine? Get started by asking yourself these questions:

• What do I want more of in my day?
• What might get in the way?
• What drains me?
• What leaves me feeling inspired?
• What’s my schedule like?

Do you have a morning routine? If so, what does yours look like?

The post How to Create a Powerful Morning Routine (And the Surprising Reasons You’ll Want To) appeared first on Mark’s Daily Apple.