Matcha |Antioxidants Galore| - A tea that is unique to Japan, one cup of matcha is said to have nearly ten cups worth of the nutrition from regular green tea. Earthy, robust, and old school. This is what the ancient Japanese monks used to drink. They would scoff at today’s fruit infused hybrids. It’s how green tea is meant to be done.

Matcha contains L-theanine, an amino acid known to relax the mind, and has about half of the caffeine in a cup of coffee. It is also packed with EGCG, a catechin with strong cancer fighting properties – equivalent to the amount in a whopping 137 cups of normal green tea. It is frequently found in powdered form which can be mixed very easily – green tea kefir or ice cream anyone? It is even recommended to add a dash to your toothpaste or shampoo. It is so healthy and versatile you can literally shower in this stuff.

Yerba Mate |Mental Focus| - This tea comes from a small tree grown in the sub-tropical rainforests of Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. In several sections of South America it beats out coffee as the national drink of choice. It is enjoyed so intensely some consider it to be the ‘Drink of the Gods’ but it actually translates to ‘cup herb’ since it is shared by a group from a gourd when served in a traditional setting. Yerba Mate has more antioxidants than regular green tea along with potassium and B vitamins. Yerba mate also contains theophylline, theobromine, and a third of the caffeine found in a cup of coffee. This unique blend is what creates what many mate drinkers describe as a focused energy that puts them in a zone of mental clarity.

Cherry Juice |Recovery Pro| - Enjoyed since prehistoric times, several studies have shown the nutritional benefits of tart cherries. The main source of their nutritive strength comes from anthocyanins. These guys are the reason for their red coloring and also their beneficial anti-inflammatory properties. Studies using rats supplementing with these compounds also showed less increase of body fat on a high fat diet as well as lower levels of cholesterol and triglycerides. Tart cherries also contain natural melatonin so benefits of deeper sleep may occur. The antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of George Washington’s cherry tree would beat the snot out of blueberries, pomegranates, and even those countless acai berry products that are popping up everywhere. They are little red miracle workers when it comes to the recovery process.

Whey Protein |Superb Supplement| - You can read my full post right here on why I’m infatuated with whey protein. In a nutshell it’s an incredible value & convenience, fast acting & nutritious, and has the highest biological value / usability of any food.

Coconut Oil |Packed With MCTs| - This section comes from fellow fitness buff and blogger Skyler Tanner, very intelligent worker-outer, check out his clever insights at SkylerTanner.com

“So what in the hey are MCTs? MCT stands for medium chain triglycerides, though in the scared-of-all-things-cholesterol-related media you’ll sometimes see it put as medium chain fatty acids, which make up an MCT. Great. So why is it special? MCTs are taken into the liver without any modification (long chain and very long chain fatty acids require modifications for digestion and energy use). They don’t require any bile salts to digest. They are burned preferentially in the mitochondria over LCFAs. There is evidence suggesting that fat loss is accelerated in the short term using MCTs because of the increased thermic effect of food.

How I like to go about using MCTs is by using coconut oil for any cooking application. It has a wonderful smell and adds a great flavor to popcorn. Because of the bile salt component I mentioned above, one could use MCTs when starting a lower carbohydrate diet, as I’ve experienced subjectively improved energy and I know I’m not alone in this regard.”

Other potential benefits include boosting the immune system and normalizing thyroid function. A tablespoon of coconut oil in a protein shake or going through the trouble of getting the lime in the coconut would be well worth the health benefits.

Even More Intelligent Beverage Blends -

Club Soda & Casein Protein -Casein protein found in cottage cheese is essentially the opposite of whey as it is slowly released over a period of seven hours. Casein protein powder usually doesn’t taste too pleasant but when I mixed a banana flavor with some orange club soda I created my own little sparkling stale dreamsicle. It was still way better than mixing it with plain water. You could also try mixing other supplements with club soda or try carbonated water to give your hydration levels a fresh boost.

Low Sodium V8 & Instant Coffee - I had to hit the weights posthaste and wanted to sneak a few quick milligrams of caffeine to bolster my workout. I grabbed some old instant coffee, saw the low sodium V8, and then stirred. Not half bad… The veggies covered up most of the flavor, it went down easy, and I had a great workout. Try anytime you’re looking for a no hassle pick-me-up.

Whey Protein with Cherry Juice - Combining two intelligent beverages together? Brilliant! I drink this mix about 30-45 minutes before hitting the weight room and experience an obvious increase in strength and recovery when having this ChocoCherry preworkout shooter.

Yerba Mate with Matcha - The daily benefit of having a matcha mate would be remarkable.

Any more secret fitness concoctions out there? Will Pickle and Prune Juice be the next liquid fitness craze? I’d steer clear of any P & PJ cleanse ads for now.

DO Stick with the Classic College Carbs – Devour easy mac, granola bars, and top ramen in bulk. Avoid filling proteins that are easy to make such as eggs, tuna, protein powder, or trail mix. Begin your courtship with Lil’ Debbie, fight your hunger with Hostess.

DON’T Walk Anywhere if Possible. Ride the bus, drive your car, take the elevator, buy a hoveround, search for moving walkways. Hook a Radio Flyer to unsuspecting sophmores.

DO Gorge at Night - Make sure not only to stick with carbs but do it as close to bedtime as possible. Keep a bag of Cheetos tucked in the side of your bunk bed for easy access.

DON’T Join an Intramural Team or Frequent the Gym. This burns precious calories.

DO Skip Breakfast – Don’t eat anything before lunch. Fast every morning and let your body run on last night’s slice of sausage.

DON’T Sleep Properly. Procrastinate and pull all-nighters often. Find a roommate who loves late night action films, uses suffocating amounts of Axe body spray, and doesn’t own a pair of headphones.

DO Sneak in at Least 500 Unnecessary Calories a Day – Drown your chicken fingers in honey mustard, hydrate with soda and Starbucks, enjoy dessert with every meal. Be voracious at the vending machine

DON’T Forget the Liquor. It’s legal er’ highly accessible now. Make sure not to look at these tips.

Good Luck Class of Two Thousand Something! You’ll have no problem fitting in World Religions 101 with that sexy new buddha belly.

This isn’t just a 3000 year old myth. I see culprits of the Sisyphus Fitness Methodology in the gym everyday. Gerbils on steel wheels may have seen better results in their physique this year yet these folks continue to stick to the same routine pushing their figurative boulders up a mountain they shouldn’t be scaling in the first place. Here are a few major signs of the SFM to steer clear of indefinitely.

Late Night Eating – Several people claim that as long as calories in < calories out you'll lose weight but I don't buy it. Meal timing is an integral part of healthy eating. If person A ate all their calories upon waking, person B all before bed, and person C split them up evenly throughout there would be three drastically different physiques. Late night eating interferes with growth hormone levels while you sleep. Sumo wrestlers take advantage of this by skipping breakfast and indulging in a Japanese stew called chankonabe for lunch. Chanko is a chicken broth combined with sake and meat. The trick is that immediately after having chanko for lunch they take a long nap and right before bedtime they have another huge serving. So to look like a sexy sumo - make sure to eat right before you sleep.

Repetitive Slow Cardio - I’ve always wondered why there are two rowing machines amongst a hundred ellipticals and treadmills at most commercial gyms. It is most likely because rowing is tough and brings results while the other machines bring job security for gym workers. Walking is excellent and if you’re an endurance athlete more power to you, but for those striving for health and fitness and don’t want to look like a marathon runner it is time to get a fresh fitness perspective.

Lack of Intensity - Our bodies are amazingly adaptable. At first some weights may seem immovable but after a few weeks of dedicated training they can be tossed around like cupcakes. Yet some choose never to bump up the intensity. Doing the same exercises at the same speed, weight, and amount of rest day in and day out is far from pushing the envelope. One man’s workout is another man’s warm up. Keep it Going.

Exercise as an Excuse to Eat Crap - “Great Sunday morning workout! Lets head to Denny’s for some Moon’s over my Hammy!” “I just burned 400 calories! Caramel Brownie Oreo Mocha Latte Protein Shake here I come!” I’ve heard phrases eerily close to these from my friends, family, and around the gym. Burning X number of calories isn’t a free pass to fill up on empty calories. It is especially important when you are working your body with intense exercise to fuel it with nutritious eats.

Dehydration - The number one reason for daytime fatigue. Being dehydrated slows your metabolism and leads to lackluster performances come exercise time. Drinking ice water can actually burn a small handful of calories per day since your body needs to expend energy to get the water to match your internal temperature. Something as simple as drinking water frequently can be a huge factor in a successful fitness program. As silly as it sounds having clear pee is a pretty intelligent health goal to have.

Drinking Liquid Calories - Intake of fruit juices, smoothies, alcohol, soda, and even diet soda all have a high correlation with weight gain. The sugars in these beverages spike insulin and influence fat gain, Alcohol slows your fat burning abilities by nearly a third and the artificial sweeteners in diet soda encourage people to reach for the real sugary treats. It makes good sense to stick with some high quality H two O

Lack of Sleep – If you have a case of Fight Club-esque insomnia and are about to change the world I applaud you. However, if you’re twittering away in the evening, surfing the net at night, et cetera it is probably best to try and hit the hay a smidge earlier. Every time that I stayed up watching late night television when I finally turned it off I realized that it was the best decision I could have made. Being healthy and well rested is more important than frittering away your late night hours. Everyone’s requirements are different but make sure to get at least seven hours so all your hormones pump how they’re supposed to and encourage a lean healthy physique.

How can one break free from the drudgery and tedium of the Sisyphus Fitness Methodology? The only way one can escape from the symptoms of SF is to change their mindset. Sticking with the old adage of Be -> Do -> Have is a smart bet. If you think like Sisyphus, you’re going to act like Sisyphus, and finally end up like Sisyphus. Being in the mindset of your best self, will allow you to do things as you best self, and you will eventually become your best self.

I’m surprised when people are asked the three things they’d bring to a desert island; a dump truck full of whey protein never comes up. It reminds me of the goop they had in The Matrix. Protein combined with synthetic aminos, vitamins, and minerals. Everything the body needs.

It isn’t a magical muscle building substance by any means. My college buddy had a jug of whey and would down shakes like a fiend but he was only getting fatter and obviously upset. I asked him how often he was going to the gym and he said he wasn’t. He figured eating protein mixed with creatine would work wonders. He also may have been mixing it with McCormick. Ah, the old college try…

Were people able to get in shape before whey protein? Of Course. Are whole food sources tastier and more nutritious. Definitely. But is Whey Protein a smart buy if you want to build strength and lean muscle? You bet. Mixed with resistance training whey can help you arrive at your fitness destination that much faster.

Here are just a few reasons why I love my jugs of whey.

Incredible Value – For forty dollars you can get five pounds of whey delivered to your doorstep. This works out to 77 scoops at 24 grams of protein each for a total of 1848 grams of protein. To equal that same amount of protein it would take -

26 dozen eggs (6 grams per egg)
15 gallons of milk (8 grams per cup)
46 cans of tuna (40 grams per can)
16 pounds of flank steak (22 grams per 3 oz.)

These guys are all high value protein sources as well.

Incredible Convenience – Imagine having 26 dozen eggs or 15 gallons of milk in your fridge at the same time. Tough to compete with a canister that’s a cubic foot. Preparation is about 10-15 seconds from jug to belly. Scoop n’ stir. No cooking, highly portable, super long shelf life. My co-workers would make fun of me for bringing freezer bags filled with whey to drink between training clients. However one of them called me the ‘MacGyver of Protein Shakes’ which made it all worthwhile.

Incredibly Nutritious – High quality protein with several amino acids and very low carb. Most have artificial sweeteners, usually sucralose, but there are plenty of unflavored and au naturale’ brands if that is your dietary style.

The Highest Biological Value – Foods with a high a biological value allow a greater amount of the protein to actually be utilized by the body. It doesn’t get any higher than whey.

Feeling of Satiety – I don’t use it for this reason but there have been a few times when I slammed a shake post workout right before heading out to a restaurant. I could barely finish my meals those times I felt so full. Whey can help stomp out any unhealthy eating habits or late night cravings that may pop up from time to time.

Fast Acting – Whey protein peaks in about and hour and a half compared to other foods such as chicken (2 1/2 hours), eggs (4 1/2 hours), & cottage cheese (7 1/2 hours). It is a great choice to add at breakfast time and as an easy to digest snack pre-workout and post workout to both fuel your efforts and aid recovery.

Bonus Fun Facts: Here is an excellent video detailing the history of whey protein by the makers of my favorite protein powder. It is considerably more convenient than going to your local cheese factory.

Fitness tends to have an upward spiral effect. Your workout requires you to eat better and causes you to sleep better which in turn gives you more energy for your next workout. You continue to have better workouts, better eats, and better sleep. Smart supplementing can help support that spiral and whey protein along with fish oils and a multivitamin are all intelligent choices.

So SoG, How would you summarize the Primal lifestyle?

Hmm that’s hard… “The quickest, easiest and most sustainable path to general fitness, health and well-being.”

Sounds like a pretty good deal – How long have you been following the primal lifestyle?

Since August of ’08 just after my honeymoon. I am coming up on my One Year Primal Anniversary! Most of my weight came off within the first several months and my health has just been getting better since.

Congratulations, I’m sure your wife enjoyed watching your transformation. Exactly how far does Primal reach? Is it just diet and exercise or do you avoid parabens and the like to stay as close to Grok as possible?

I do take being Primal beyond just diet and exercise in some aspects. One important thing to me is in chemical exposure. I try to use all natural products when possible… soaps, deodorants, et cetera. I think Mark Sisson referred to it as “reducing your chemical load”. In my opinion, this really does help one’s health and wellness. I also make sure to get plenty of natural sunlight, within reason of course, and fresh air. There is also a fun “do it yourself” aspect of living Primal for me where I build my own workout equipment and stuff like that. I try to keep it all realistic though. I don’t shun my corrective lenses or other modern things that improve quality of life.

Sounds like quite an Intelligent Caveman, a new blog may be in order. But can you go Primal if you’re a college student or a frugal bugle? Is it worth the cost/benefit?

I wish that I had known about Primal when I was a college student. Eating Primally can be so much cheaper that eating out every single meal like I did. Were I back in college now and broke I would probably eat eggs all day every day and it doesn’t get much cheaper than that. Even if you want to “splurge” on things like beef, canned salmon, which I think costs all of $2.50 a can LoL, and the like, the cost/benefit ratio is way on the benefit side. Considering that college is a time where most people tend to put on weight (Freshman 15 anyone?) and define many of their lifestyle habits for the rest of their lifetime.

Haha, those poor incoming freshman didn’t stand a chance against buffet style meals and the ice cream machine in the cafeteria. But do you ever feel restricted in your diet? Do you even consider it a diet?

Not at all. If anything I eat far better and with more variety now than I ever have. Prior to kicking sugar and grains, I probably would have called myself nuts and said the typical “I could never do that”. Thing is though that there is SO much you can do with natural food that it still amazes me. Especially once you start cooking all your meals for yourself, the possibilities are endless. The ever increasing list of recipes on my site is just a sampling of my kitchen creations. As for considering it a diet, that just cracks me up. People get so sensitive about certain things. Bottom line is what you eat IS your diet. You could technically eat nothing but cheeseburgers and that would be your “diet”. The fact that part of being Primal is what you eat then yes… it would encompass a diet. It is more than about just what you eat though so I would call it a lifestyle.

Good point. Technically everyone is on a diet even if it is sporadic, unhealthy, and unprepared. Do any complex carbs such as quinoa and steel cut oats or organic low fat dairy have a place in the primal diet?

Quinoa and steel cut oats have no place in my diet at all. Neither does organic low fat dairy. However, I do not see any problem at all with incorporating a little organic FULL FAT dairy as long as you can digest it decently. I eat organic butter, occasional cheese, and sour cream with no problems. While not truly “Primal”, I think the profile of organic full fat dairy is close enough that of primal that it is not a problem as long as your body can digest it.

I’ve been hearing the word “Primal” all over the internet. Is there a difference between going Primal, Paleo, Caveman, or are they all generally the same system?

The main difference between Primal and Paleo as far as I can tell is the view on fats. Us Primal cats don’t demonize saturated fat which I think still gets a bad rap in the Paleo approach. I think that while both Primal and Paleo do share similarities, there are definite differences. Paleo seems to focus more on just eating practices while Primal (and I suppose Caveman) focuses on a broader model to include exercise and lifestyle.

Speaking of lifestyle can you be a Primal Partygoer or is Grok a teetotaler? What’s the Primal perspective on alcohol?

Alcohol can actually provide health benefits. The trick is to make the right choices and respect moderation. Animals in nature are attracted to fermented fruit in the wild and Grok probably would have even gotten his hands on some from time to time, though not what we drink now and not in the frequency or quantity. A glass of red wine is chock full of antioxidants and in my opinion is the best option. I frequently have a glass of red wine with dinner or if we go to an evening social function. You can definitely do without the sugar laden mixers and liquors. As for beer I don’t drink it anymore (and I used to be a beer fiend!). I don’t think a beer here or there is the end all by any means but as always… Respect Moderation.

Glad I don’t have to give up my occasional pint of Guinness. Do you ever have to break the primal lifestyle at a party, restaurant, movie theatre or do you always have some primal jerky handy? Along the same lines, is cheating part of the primal lifestyle? How would a scoop of ice cream come in to play?

I always have the primal jerky handy. I tend to be a little more gung ho than most though. I always plan ahead with nuts, jerky, kipper snacks or sardines. Can you get away the occasional snafu? Definitely. I just haven’t ever really had the need or desire to personally. I think that the occasional cheat is a perfectly healthy part of a primal lifestyle. Some people call it the 80/20 rule. Whatever you want to call it, I think it’s perfectly alright and I advocate it even if I don’t really practice it. One of the Primal desserts I have created recipes for on my website, some cheese or a little bit of red wine is really as close to cheating as I ever get and it is more than enough for me. I can see the temptation for ice cream especially as it is getting hot during the summer. An ice cream here or there probably won’t kill you. I make a pretty kickin’ milkshake out of 100% cocoa, berries, and coconut milk that is just as good as any ice cream in my opinion. A caveat: At the end of the month though I will break that streak. It will be my one year wedding anniversary and I must honor a promise to eat a piece of my wedding cake. I am still not sure how that is going to pan out…

Stay strong SoG. Maybe your wife will do a set of Grok Squats with you. I’m sure there are a few grams of Grok Approved Protein in there, somewhere, perhaps, maybe? Speaking of which I think a jug of whey protein is the greatest thing in the world. Would I have to give it up? Can I still be like Grok??

I am not of the opinion that you have to give up your whey by any means. I would recommend sticking to one of the pure whey isolate types and avoid all the sugar and other crap they put in most protein powder. Whey is still an excellent option when you get in a protein pinch. That being said, I have actually long given up my whey drinks and am glad for it. I would much rather put back an omelet or a big bowl of egg salad (or some other real food source of protein) than some shake any day. For me, I get more than enough protein in a day without the whey. As far as portable protein options, I prefer jerky and tins of kippers or sardines. This may sound way out there, but I think more people would benefit from a good fish oil supplement than whey protein shakes.

Good call on the fish oils. Great supplement for heart health, joint health, and keeping your brain intelligent. It is tough to escape from all the sweeteners in protein powder. I also would much rather be eating a slab of flank steak everyday.

Well I am all out of inquires… My Primal Knowledge has been significantly buffed. Thanks to Son of Grok for the great information on living the Primal lifestyle. Be sure to check out his website Son Of Grok as well as Mark Sisson’s new book The Primal Blueprint at Mark’s Daily Apple.

Fiber One Bars – Fiber is great. My friend’s dad’s colon doctor said if everyone took Metamucil daily he’d be out of a job. Getting fiber from a candy bar isn’t the most intelligent trade off. Fiber one bars are packed with high fructose corn syrup and 150 other calories of chocolaty syrupy sweets. A healthy diet should already contain sufficient amounts of fiber. You’re better off sticking with starbursts soaked in Citrucel.

Multi Grain Bread = Hodgepodge Bread. You’ll usually see a picture of a farm on the package and the word ‘multi’ sounds like multivitamin which means packed with goodness right? It’s really just a buzzword to make cheap enriched wheat flour look like a health food when a rolled oat is added to the mix. Look for 100% Whole Grain and Excellent Source on the label. Most bread still has several additives so try sticking with quality grains such as brown rice, steel cut oats, quinoa, & kamut.

Michelob Ultra – Beer for runners? What’s next a cigarette for swimmers? Okay so it’s nowhere near as bad as that. Drinking in moderation can be good for your health but it should be avoided for the few hours before and after workout time. I see their advertisements with fit guys in swim trunks enjoying the brew but I doubt you’ll ever see Lance Armstrong throwing back a few cold ones in the final stage of the Tour De France unless they pay him out of his bike shorts. Nutritionally it’s about the same as a Miller light at 96 calories except it has .6 less grams of carbs in it. A Guinness is only 125 calories per 12 oz. and has several more health boosting antioxidants. Enjoy a beer for its taste, not in hopes of a six pack.

AirBourne – An Alka-Seltzer meets a glorified multivitamin. It’s not a bad product it’s just that a multivitamin would be much less expensive and the amounts of added herbs and aminos are paltry at best. As a multivitamin for people who hate swallowing pills or lugging around a liquid formula it would be a good buy. Just don’t expect it to work any miracles during the next fad flu season.

Diet Soda – Carbonated artificial sweeteners. Yum. Stick with drinking water. Intake of diet soda is correlated with higher risk of being obese and not surprisingly greater cravings for the real sugary sweets. It actually reminds me any diet food come to think of it. I’ve see women scarfing down those Skinny Cow ice cream sandwiches like they’re filled with imaginary calories. They may be skinny but the product itself is still categorizing the consumer as a cow. At least you can’t blame them for tricky marketing. If you’re gonna eat crap – eat crap. Just keep it to less than 10% of the time and have a good calorie burn to boot.

Click here for the Five Illusions Of Health That Are Expanding Your Waistline.

Drink plenty of water - It’s important to have a tall, cold glass when you wake up and another an hour before you workout. Lack of hydration is the number one catalyst for daytime fatigue and can slow your metabolism by around three percent. Having several glasses of ice water will actually boost your metabolism since your body needs to expend energy to get the water to match your internal temperature. This could probably burn an extra thirty calories a day which comes out to an extra three pounds a year. Not bad for sipping some ice water. Impact = 3 / Difficulty = 1

Shift your Meal Size - Curb late night eating by having a bigger breakfast. The old adage is to eat like a king for breakfast, queen for lunch, and pauper for dinner. One lady I trained with would have the best workouts but then the next session she would tell me that she had a handful of chips and spinach artichoke dip right before bed. Drove me bonkers! Calories taken in at the end of the day, mainly carbs, will not be burnt off and will head straight for your fat stores. Impact = 7 / Difficulty = 3

Drop Soda and Refined Sugars - I made this switch in high school. I remember thinking ‘This soda isn’t doing anything aside from making me a chub.’ Start making the conscious decision to avoid soda, junk foods, and candies. I know it is common sense so be cognizant of your dietary decisions. Impact = 8 / Difficulty = 4

Eat every two to three hours - It doesn’t have to be an entire meal; even very small portions will do the trick. Not eating for extended periods will cause your body to start pumping hormones that signal your body to store fat, not burn it. A handful of nuts would be handy to nosh on between meals as would the always convenient protein shake. Impact = 6 / Difficulty = 4

Focus on lean proteins, complex carbohydrates, and healthy fats - These types of food help your body maintain muscle mass, keep hormones and neurological functions running smoothly, and give you a steady stream of energy. Eating simple/sugary/white carbs or high fat snacks will have your energy levels come crashing down while your belt line is blowing up.
Impact = 10 / Difficulty = 7

good they shouldn’t even be considered supplements.

#1 – Whey Protein - It is the fastest acting protein available which is great to have when you wake up, before workouts, after workouts, before meals to reduce hunger, or at in between meal snacks for a healthy boost of lean protein. It’s incredible. It is also loaded with Branched Chain Amino Acids to also help recovery, maintain muscle mass when dieting, or pack on muscle when you’re lifting heavy weights. Replacing calorie laden foods with the goodness of lean protein should be a part in everyone’s diet and is at the apex of supplementation.

#2 – Multivitamin - The good old fashioned multivitamin. These help regulate your biological systems and provide valuable micronutrients. Without having full reserves of all these essential vitamins and minerals your body will be too distracted to help you reach your fitness goals. If you’re lacking any vitamins you won’t be at your highest fat burning or muscle building capabilities. Buyers beware the brand name or generic bunch. Most of these are chelated, which means they are coated with the same stuff that’s on your driver license and will probably trek straight through you.

#3 – Fish Oils - These support heart and joint health as well as healthy brain function by giving a boost to your neurotransmitters. Fish oil contains DHA (docosahexaenoic acid) and EPA (eicosapentaenoic acid) which are omega-3 fatty acids used for their anti-inflammatory properties. They are similar to the healthy fats found in olive oil, nuts, and avocados that are essential but not produced by your body. Look for softgels that are enteric coated so the fishy taste and smell stays in your belly and not on your breath.

The Post-Workout Shake - There is an hour long period after you workout when your body is much more receptive to nutrients. The sooner you have your shake the better since your body is craving fast nutrients. The perfect recovery mix would be about forty grams of whey protein along with seventy grams of fast acting carbs. Two scoops of your favorite whey protein would be best but studies have shown that beginners can refuel with a tall glass of chocolate milk and still see great gains. This is also one of the few times that your body actually requires some sugar intake. A glass of pineapple juice with some white bread and jelly would be excellent. You could also down a Gatorade or even some Haribo gummi bears to lead the rebuilding process. Yes, The Intelligent Workout advocates drinking chocolate milk and eating gummi bears to reach your fitness goals.

Alternating or Contrast Shower - This is a simple method to help wring the lactic acid out of your muscles. For your post-workout shower begin with one minute of cold water and alternate it with two minutes of hot water. Repeat this method for at least for three cycles and make sure to end right after a cold cycle. By alternating the temperature your blood is forced to rush away from your skin and then right back to it. This promotes healthy blood flow and facilitates your recovery efforts.

Foam Rolling -A professional massage after all of your workouts would be heavenly. However, the cost benefit of that would probably stretch your wallet much more than it would alleviate your muscle aches. A foam roller is an inexpensive alternative that you simply roll over your muscles post-workout. This will relax your nerves and continue to promote a healthy blood flow.

A Good Night’s Sleep - Most people take a good night’s sleep for granted even though it is one of the most important things for keeping you chipper and your fat hormones in check. Sleep requirements vary for every individual. Most Olympic athletes sleep upwards of ten hours a day. While you may not have that kind of REM requirement if you find yourself wanting to take a sledgehammer to your alarm clock you’re probably doing it wrong. Being consistent with your bedtime schedule will promote deeper and more restful REM sleep. Sleeping on your back with a pillow under your knees will keep your spinal alignment correct while taking tension off your joints. Blocking out ambient light and noise will provide the final steps for a great night’s sleep.

This meal plan is broken down by the time of day – what you crave – and great sample meals – with a 4:30 workout time
——-
6:35 AM – Breakfast - Fast Acting Proteins with Complex Carbs for Breaking Out of Your Overnight Fast

Steel Cut Oats with Honey and Scoop of Whey Protein or
A Bowl of Total Mixed with Berries with Four Egg Whites and One Whole Egg

9:30 AM – Mid Morning Snack – Protein and Healthy Fats for Keeping Your Fat Hormones in Check

Peanut Butter on Whole Wheat Bread or
An Apple with a Handful of Almonds

12:00 PM – Lunch - Lean Proteins and Complex Carbs for Staying Anabolic

Roast Beef Sandwich on Wheat Bread or
Smoked Turkey Slices with Quinoa

2:00 PM – Afternoon Snack – Lasting Energy Along With Proteins to Peak During Your Workout

Chicken Salad with a Side of Black Beans
Sushi with a Side of Soba Noodles

4:00 – Pre-Workout Snack - Fast Acting Proteins and Energy for Your Workout

Scoop of Whey Protein with Mashed Sweet Potatoes or
Fat-Free Yogurt with Berries

4:45 – Workout Time!

6:00 – Post Workout – Fast Proteins and Fast Carbs For a Quick Recovery

Two scoops of Whey Protein and 32 Ounces of Gatorade or
a Tall Glass of Non-Fat Chocolate Milk

7:30 Dinner – Slow Digesting Lean Proteins and Complex Carbs To Promote Muscle Growth and Avoid Fat Gain

Salmon with Brown Rice and Salad or
Flank Steak with Beans and Veggies

10:00 – Late Night Snack – Slow Digesting Casein Proteins to Nourish Your Muscles While You Sleep!

Low Fat Cottage Cheese or
Casein Protein Shake

——-

On non-workout days, simply drop your post-workout shake since you won’t be burning those extra calories or need any simple sugars for recovery.