Should every food you eat pass The Test?

(Refresher: The Test is 10g of protein per every 100 calories.)

Passing The Test simply means that a food item is a valid protein source. Passing The Test means that it’s going to easily allow you to hit protein in your diet.

In my opinion, the foundation of a good diet is lean meat, fruits, and vegetables.

So does every food in my diet need to pass The Test? No! You need other foods to satisfy the other macronutrient and micronutrients our bodies need to operate:

1️⃣ Fruits and vegetables – critical for fiber and very valuable micronutrient source. Fruits and veggies provide us with a multitude of vitamins and minerals.

2️⃣ Carbohydrates – carbs aren’t essential, but damn do they taste good, and they also enhance performance. Believe it or not, if your body didn’t have any sugar, you’d be dead. They are the most optimal source of fuel and the only way to get fiber in your diet is by incorporating carbohydrates. Fiber is so incredible for your health, the more I learn about fiber, the more I understand how powerful this nutrient is.

3️⃣ Fats – we absolutely need fats in our diet. Both PUFAs and MUFAs (poly-unsaturated and mono-unsaturated fatty acids) are critical for heart health. Saturated fat sources (~10% of our daily calorie intake) are also important to help regulate our hormones.

#macros #fiber #protein #carbs #fat #macrocounting #caloriedeficit #caloriecounting #caloriesincaloriesout #weightloss #weightlosstips #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

You all know I love @missionfoodsus Carb Balance wraps. It’s one of my favorite foods to hit my fiber goal daily.

I care about fiber because it improves blood pressure, cholesterol, and reduces my risk for cancer and heart disease. Besides, who doesn’t enjoy a fajita from time to time?

I throw some skirt steak or chicken thighs on these bad boys, and add a little bit of low calorie salsa and some spicy guacamole. It’s one of my favorite things to eat for lunch.

#missionbyme #fiber #highfiber #healthylunch #lowcarb #lowcarbwraps #costco #costcobuys #costcofinds #healthylifestyle #healthyliving #healthyeating #healthyeatinghabits #healthyeatingtips #trackingmacros #macrocounting #caloriedeficit #caloriecounting #caloriesincaloriesout #weightloss #weightlosstips #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

Let’s talk about Cialis and Viagra.

I’ve had a prescription to both of these drugs and would recommend taking these 2 hours prior to sex for maximum efficacy.

Viagra has a 4-8 hour window of effectiveness whereas Cialis has a 36-hour window allowing you more wiggle room. Cialis also allows you to stack it because of the duration of the drug’s effectiveness, meaning you can take it 2 days in a row and thereby increasing its potency.

Both of these drugs function through the same mechanism – they inhibit an enzyme known as PDE5. Neither of these drugs increase sex drive, they just increase blood flow.

Clearly, there’s a stigma around them. But I’m telling you they are great for a fun weekend away. And if you are struggling with something in your sex life, you should do something about it! Think about it like a tax write-off, if you’re not doing it… you’re just playing yourself.

Be sure to consult your doctor before taking these drugs.

#sexdrive #libido #cialis #viagra #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

Alcohol is following in the footsteps of cigarettes.

I indulge in a drink occasionally, but it’s crucial to face the facts: alcohol is classified as a Group 1 Carcinogen, just like tanning beds and cigarettes.

For example, I used to buy cigarettes for my grandmother and even used tanning beds in college. Now, there’s widespread disdain for cigarettes, and many tanning salons have shut down.

I foresee the same trajectory for alcohol.

Over the next decade or so, we’ll witness a profound change in how people perceive alcohol. In fact, we’re already seeing it—the younger generation isn’t drinking as much, and many clients I work with are realizing just how bad alcohol is for you and are reducing or even eliminating it from their diet.

My intention isn’t to pass judgment. I genuinely believe that alcohol is on track to become the new cigarettes.

#alcohol #drinking #smoking #tanning #carcinogens #healthyliving #health #healthy #wellness #fitness #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

We’re back at @SamsClub to look at high-protein, ready made dinner options:

1️⃣ Member’s Mark Pitmaster’s Seasoned Pulled Pork
2️⃣ Member’s Mark Shrimp Ceviche
3️⃣ @JohnSoulesFoods Angus Beef Fajitas
4️⃣ Member’s Mark Mozzarella Chicken Meatballs
5️⃣ Member’s Mark Rotisserie Seasoned Chicken Breast Bites
6️⃣ @DonLeeFarms Flame Grilled Angus Beef Patties
7️⃣ Member’s Mark Fully Cooked Chicken Wings

#costco #costcofinds #costcohaul #highprotein #breakfastideas #healthybreakfast #easymeals #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #healthyliving #healthyeating #healthyeatinghabits #healthyeatingtips #healthyeats #dietingtips #caloriecount #caloriedeficit #caloriesincaloriesout #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

Kefir is all the rage right now thanks to social media.

Look, I’m not sold on probiotics. I’m sold on prebiotics. Prebiotics is another term for fiber. Prebiotics act as food for the probiotics in our gut. If you want to improve your gut health:

1️⃣ Be active
2️⃣ Have your body fat in the right place
3️⃣ Increase your soluble fiber

As a stand-alone product, this is 90 calories with 8g of protein. For me, I think there are better milk alternatives to Kefir but it does have a nice thickness which makes it great for smoothies or mixed with fruit like a thinner yogurt.

#kefir #traderjoes #tjfinds #healthyeating #cleaneating #eatclean #healthyrecipes #protein #healthyeatinghabits #trackingmacros #macrocounting #caloriedeficit #caloriecounting #caloriesincaloriesout #weightloss #weightlosstips #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

Everything you need to know about carbohydrates.

Carbs are the most demonized macronutrient with many people blaming them as the sole source of obesity. Though carbs are not an essential nutrient, you can have a diet without them, why would you want to? They are an amazing source of fuel for your body, Glycogen, in fact the most efficient source. All sources of fiber are carbohydrates which have incredible benefits for your health. So not only are carbohydrates incredible for performance and your health, foods containing carbohydrates taste delicious. I personally would not want to live life without rigatoni, and what is rigatoni without the pasta? And the fact is you can be in shape, even ripped, and still enjoy them like I do.

The majority of my diet is carbohydrates- they account for 50% of my daily calories while maintaining a lean physique year round. In fact, my goal for this summer is to have 8% body fat and I will still be enjoying carbohydrates everyday. And so can you while properly portioned. But how important is it that we track our carbs and set a daily goal? For myself and my clients, I do not have them specifically track macros because the exact breakdown of carbohydrates and fat does not have a bearing on your body fat.

Join me as we discuss tracking macros and explore the significance of carb intake. Get some insight into my go-to carbohydrate sources and why I include them in my diet.

I’m going to take you through my sleep time ritual.

As adults, we should be getting 7-9 hours of sleep every night and we should be going to bed approximately at the same time 7 nights a week. I know that’s impossible for some of us, but the reality is physiology is heartless. It doesn’t care about the stress in your life, your work demands, or the fact that you have little kids at home. This means, we have to make the sleep we DO get as consistent and impactful as possible.

Here’s what I do:

1️⃣ Minimize stress before bedtime. Maybe you have limited time with your partner, but I would avoid having difficult conversations before bed. Maybe you have a demanding career, but I also recommend not checking your emails before bed. This also includes putting away blue light. You don’t need to binge watch your favorite Netflix special before bed.
2️⃣ Create an environment conducive to falling asleep and staying asleep. Bring temperature down, I typically put the thermostat around 65 degrees. I also make sure there is no light in the room; I love blackout shades for this.
3️⃣ Take a hot shower. Taking a hot shower will cause your body temperature to temporarily increase because of the hot water running on your body, but as you exit the shower you’ll be greeted by room temperature which will cause your body to start to adjust to its environment. This entire process will initiates your core body temperature cooling which facilitates falling asleep.

💊Here are some supplements that I find impactful in my sleep routine:

1️⃣ Magnesium Glycinate
2️⃣ Inositol
3️⃣ L-Theanine (This has the same active ingredient as chamomile)

#sleephygiene #healthysleep #sleep #melatonin #closingshift #grwm #gurwm #bedtimeroutine #sleeproutine #eveningroutine #nighttimeroutine #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

Let’s talk about my favorite fruits and the health benefits that they contain:

Avocado – 160 cals and 7g fiber. Avocado has oleic acid, vitamin K, folate, and B vitamins. Just remember to properly portion it due to it being highly caloric.

Blackberries – 45 cals, 5g fiber. Use this as a fiber and antioxidant bomb. It is chock full of anthocyanins which help combat free radicals and promote healthy blood vessels.

Cantaloupe – 35 cals and loaded with vitamin A and C and a host of antioxidants. Cantaloupes are around 90% water which means they are incredibly low in calories but still have a host of health benefits.

Kiwis – 60 cals, 3g fiber, and 155% of your daily vitamin C needs. Loaded with antioxidants – vitamin E, carotenoids, and polyphenols. They have a great flavor and I think a lot of people sleep on kiwis.

#fruit #avocado #blackberries #cantaloupe #kiwis #healthyeating #healthychoices #fiberrich #fitnessgoals #workoutmotivation #healthylifestyle #wellnessjourney #nutritiontips #healthtips #healtheducation #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

Is beef healthy for you?

A lot of people think that steak and ground beef are inherently fattier than chicken or poultry – but that’s not the case.

When you’re looking at animal protein, you want to look at the nutrition label and make sure that per serving size it contains less than 10g of fat total or less than 4g of saturated fat. That will tell you if it is a lean protein source.

In the 93/7 ground beef I have in this video, it only has 8g of fat which means it’s a lean protein source. However, the 80/20 ground turkey in this video has 23g of fat, meaning it is not a lean protein source.

You want your daily saturated fat intake to be about 10% of your total calories. Make sure when you are purchasing meat, you are checking out the nutrition labels.

#highprotein #protein #meat #steak #turkey #chicken #highproteindiet #cooking #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #healthyliving #healthyeating #healthyeatinghabits #healthyeatingtips #healthyeats #dietingtips #caloriecount #caloriedeficit #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam

This year, I am consuming a lot more protein post-workout.

Previously, I ate a minimum of 0.8 times my body weight in grams of protein, distributed across five meals with roughly 40 grams of protein each. I’m still eating a minimum of 0.8 times my body weight in grams of protein, however, going forward I’m going to be eating more protein after my lifts.

If you’re struggling to hit your protein goal, I think post-workout (0-3 hours after working out) is a great time to eat a lot of protein.

This is based on a study that looked at two groups:

Group A was given 25g of milk protein
Group B was given 100g of milk protein

Group B was found to be in a state of anabolism (building muscle) for a longer period of time.

So, going forward, I’m going to be having more protein post-workout. The study looked at milk protein, however, I don’t think the source matters as long as it contributes to muscle protein synthesis.

SOURCE: Trommelen J, van Lieshout GAA, Nyakayiru J, et al. The anabolic response to protein ingestion during recovery from exercise has no upper limit in magnitude and duration in vivo in humans. Cell Rep Med. 2023;4(12):101324. doi:10.1016/j.xcrm.2023.101324

#protein #highprotein #proteinpancakes #traderjoes #tjfinds #healthysnack #healthyfood #healthylifestyle #healthyliving #healthyeating #healthyeatinghabits #healthyeatingtips #healthyeats #dietingtips #caloriecount #caloriedeficit #performancecoach #personaltrainer #nyctrainer #nycfitnesstrainer #nycfitfam