Tag food

Packing Fit Foods For Travel

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It can be extremely challenging to maintain healthy eating habits while traveling abroad, especially in countries which have not embraced the concept of clean eating. An additional challenge which I encounter when I travel abroad is that it can be extremely difficult to consume the quantity of protein which I am accustomed to on a daily basis (150 to 200 grams per day). If I didn’t have access to wonderful products like P28 Bread, B-Up Bars, Quest Bars, Training Table Sports Meals and Kris Gethin’s Nutrition By Design Meal Cups to pack, I wouldn’t meet my macronutrient needs solely by eating at restaurants. I will continue to pack these convenient meal options when I go to Germany and England next year.

Both the Training Table Sports Meals and the Kris Gethin Meal Cups are whole food sources and pack a ton of protein (27 to 34 grams). The only drawback is that Training Table meals should be heated up in a microwave, and the Gethin meals require boiling hot water to rehydrate the ingredients. For this reason, I always make sure to pack P28 Bread and bars, since they don’t require any preparation. I can easily pack a box or two of bars (and yes, I ONLY eat B-Up and Quest) in my checked bag and also add a bag of P28 Flatbread. I pack the Gethin meals inside a rigid box so that the containers don’t get crushed, but everything else travels well without additional padding.

The only issue I ever run into is when I return to the States and have to go through customs. If I have any food left, the customs officials treat me like I am a drug lord or criminal! The food items which raised the most suspicious eye were the Gethin meals, which surprised me since they are dry. However, I will not allow the U.S. Customs officials to rain on my parade. I will continue to pack Gethin meals because they are so convenient and lightweight. Another great thing about Gethin meals, Training Table and B-Up Bars is that they won’t spoil during my travels.

Here are images of the products I have mentioned here. The only company I have not worked with is Kris Gethin Nutrition By Design, but my opinions of these products are completely honest and unbiased. All of these products are fantastic!

flatbreadbanner_copy

B UP bar collage

Quest Bars

Training Table

Kris Gethin meal

Eggs Are Superfoods

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eggs
If you haven’t already incorporated eggs into your regular meal plan, you should. Eggs are an excellent source of protein, and also provide all eight essential amino acids which are necessary for optimal muscle gains. Eggs are also packed with the following nutrients:

· Vitamin A
· Vitamin E
· Vitamin K
· Vitamin B12
· Riboflavin
· Folic acid
· Iron
· Zinc
· Calcium
· Selenium
· Choline

You may have been duped into believing that eggs should not be eaten due to the fat content in the yolks. However, there are only 2 grams of saturated fat and a total of 5 grams of fat in an average egg. The body actually requires a certain amount of saturated fat for proper function, which translates to about 20 grams of saturated fat on a 2,000 calorie per day diet. If you add only four whole large eggs to your daily diet, you will get 20 grams of quality protein with only 8 grams of saturated fat. As for the cholesterol content in egg yolks, it has been determined that dietary cholesterol does not raise blood cholesterol levels. In fact, consumption of eggs can improve blood lipid panels.

Here is a macronutrient breakdown of one large egg:

· 71 calories
· 6 grams protein
· 5 grams fat
· Zero carbohydrates
· 211 milligrams cholesterol
· 70 milligrams sodium
· 37 milligrams Omega 3 fatty acids
· 574 milligrams Omega 6 fatty acids

As a general rule, I purchase large or extra-large eggs for our household so that I can get the most protein possible. The larger eggs cost only a bit more than small or medium eggs and are a very cheap and high quality protein source which can be consumed during contest prep.

Individuals who want to gain muscle, especially during a bulking phase, should incorporate egg yolks in order to meet the high energy requirements that such a phase demands. Eggs are very easily digested and absorbed and can help to ensure a balanced diet. They are also quite versatile and can be eaten with other foods in omelets and high protein pancakes. If you want a quick snack which provides a good amount of protein, you can hard-boil eggs, making them a portable food source which can easily be packed in a food cooler for the day.

One of the best ways to ensure proper nutrition on a daily basis is to take a multivitamin. Though many multivitamins are dosed as one pill daily, the body cannot utilize all the nutrients in one large dose, so it is more beneficial to the body to take a multivitamin several times a day to optimize absorption. What I love about SWAT Fuel’s .40 Caliber Multivitamin is that it has high bioavailability of nutrients along with a three time per day dosing recommendation. This is my personal choice of multivitamin, and yes, I do take it three times daily. This formulation is very clean and doesn’t cause the intestinal upset that some multivitamins can cause.

You can order .40 Caliber directly from the website: http://swatfuel.com/products.aspx

Trick Or Treat For Adults? Samples At Fitness Expos

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Mention the word “FREE” and people will suddenly scramble to participate, whether it requires standing in line, being part of a contest, or simply showing up at an expo or convention. Fitness and bodybuilding expos are certainly no exception. I still get a kick out of expo attendees who lose control of their impulses and ingest EVERY drink and food item which is offered to them to sample. The inevitable result is an expo hall full of supercharged, jittery, bloated fans who either quickly learn that such abandon is not the wisest thing, or foolishly repeat the behavior the following day.

Some attendees have become wise to the hazards of consuming samples and instead know how to collect samples to take home. My perspective is usually from behind a table at which I am working, where I observe the excitement and frequent frenetic energy of people who act like kids in a candy store while at expos. They will open up their bags and look at me expectantly to see what it is that I am about to give them. In that sense, it is very much like trick-or-treating. I have definitely experienced the wonder of dumping all my samples onto a hotel bed at the end of the expo day and assessing what I collected, much like a pirate with a bounty. It’s extremely enjoyable and visually interesting to look at all the packaging, and it certainly feels like a victory to amass a huge collection of free stuff.

Some people have the technique of collecting samples down to an art. On the rare occasion when I was at an expo and not actually working at a booth, I collected roller bags full of samples and full size products EACH DAY, which was a great way to learn about the different products and companies. I had to laugh when I saw my friend IFBB Men’s Physique Pro Dr. Brian Epstein’s haul from the Olympia Expo on September 19th and 20th, because he collected roughly the same amount of stuff that I used to accumulate during a large expo like Olympia, L.A. Fit Expo or the Arnold. Go Brian!samples heaven

I have one caveat which is that if you have any health concerns, such as high blood pressure, neurological disorders, diabetes, etc., then you need to find out the ingredients in the samples you collect, and if any substances are unsuitable for you, avoid supplements which contain them.

How To Succeed With Your Fitness Goals

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For those of us who are in the fitness world, especially those of us who compete, there is so much structure to our regimens that it is easier to keep ourselves in line. We are conditioned to keep our blinders on and stay the course with food and training. But those who are not immersed in the world of fitness and bodybuilding tend to struggle more with a regular regimen. If no specific fitness or health goal is defined, people tend to zigzag with their regimens, adding more unscheduled fun meals, more alcohol, and more missed trips to the gym.

If you are one of those people who tend to fall off track more easily, there are some guidelines which you can follow (listed below) which will help to keep you in line. More importantly, however, you need to remind yourself WHY holding yourself accountable is beneficial. When you hold yourself accountable, you stoke a fire that propels you towards your health goals. By staying on track, you develop a “can-do” attitude which extends into all areas of your life.

Do somethingHere are some tips on how to keep you on track with your eating habits and exercise plan.

1. Train with a trainer. When you work out with a trainer, you become accountable to that trainer. You need to show up and do the work!
2. Train with a friend. Similar to training with a trainer, when you and a friend agree to meet for a workout, you hold each other accountable. I always recommend setting a day and time and then prohibiting each other from cancelling, no-showing or rescheduling.
3. Prep and pack your food in advance. Prepare your day’s food the night before and store it in individual serving containers so that you can easily pack them into a bag the next morning.
4. Keep junk foods and snacks out of your kitchen. If you have tempting foods in your kitchen, you risk sabotaging your own efforts to stay on a healthy eating plan.

Remember that you can maintain focus on healthy patterns. Keep your eye on the prize!