I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – the ultimate body doesn’t start in the gym, it starts in the supermarket. There is no room for error when it comes to picking the right foods to stock your kitchen with which is why your grocery list is the foundation for your perfect body.
The perfect body is achieved with 75% proper nutrition and 25% dedicated training. This is why a little planning goes a long way. Grocery shopping can be daunting and time consuming. It’s easy to be overwhelmed while comparing nutrition facts and choosing the healthiest foods amongst all the options that line every aisle. Add new trends and fads to the mix and narrowing your selection can become unmanageable.
To help you navigate the supermarket, I’ve compiled the top five food groups that are imperative for helping you achieve the ultimate physique.
Also remember, the next time you’re heading to the grocery store, shop with this list, eat before you shop, and stick to the perimeter of the store, as this is where the produce and meats usually are.
Eggs are a great source of high-quality protein. In fact, a regular size whole egg contains a mere 74 calories and 5 grams of fat while packing an impressive 6.3g of protein. Additionally, eggs are high in leucine, an amino acid that helps your muscles utilize glucose. If you’re concerned about high fat intake when eating eggs everyday, you can reduce this by using just the egg whites in all or part of your recipes.
Fish is super healthy and packed with lean protein! The very leanest choices include white-fleshed fish like flounder or tilapia; however, dark meat fish like tuna and salmon are also lean and are loaded with healthy fats. Fish is a great source of lean protein and the ultimate source of omega-3s, which help your body regulate your hormones and metabolism while reducing inflammation. The health benefits are huge, but do pay close attention to how the fish is prepared. Heavy sauces may knock the calorie content into overdrive.
Poultry & Meat: The trick to choosing healthy meats and poultry is to be selective when it comes to the cut of meat. While it is true that white meats are generally leaner than the red varieties, you can include either in a healthy diet. Lean cuts of meat include tenderloin, eye of round or center cut. Don’t forget about specialty meats like buffalo which is full flavored and an extremely lean source of protein.
Complex carbs are essentially foods in wholegrain, natural form, such as oats and brown rice, which take much longer to digest. Simple refined carbs, found in many processed and convenient foods, tend to be devoid of natural nutrients that aid in the metabolic effectiveness of the breakdown process. It’s important to know that you need carbs. Without them, your body will use your muscle tissue to fuel your body, thus sabotaging your efforts.
All carbohydrates are broken down into glucose to produce the energy molecule ATP (adenosinetriphosphate); however, complex carbs are broken down into glucose slower than simple carbs providing a gradual, steady stream of energy throughout the day. This creates a stable and sustainable energy level, versus the ‘sugar high’ that you get after eating simple carbs. Even if the caloric content of the simple carb source is lower than the calories in a complex carb source, there is an increased risk that some of the energy of the simple carb will be converted to and stored as fat. Natural complex carbs are often devoid of any additives and are essential for effective exercise.
The best way to introduce carbohydrates into your diet to make each workout more explosive and endurable is to stick with natural sources such as oatmeal and brown rice.
Everyone knows that nuts make a delicious snack and a tasty addition to a host of recipes. But beyond the distinctive flavor and satisfying crunch, nuts offer a wide range of nutritional and health benefits making them a valuable addition to most diets. Nuts are packed full of protein and are a good source of healthy fats, not to mention all the vitamins (including antioxidants) and minerals they contain.
A great way to incorporate nuts into your diet is with all-natural nut butters, which are available in an assortment of mouthwatering varieties. My personal favorites are almond butter and of course the ever-popular natural and organic peanut butter. Spreadable and blendable high-quality nut butters are a smart and simple way to boost the flavor and nutritional content of your favorite recipes or snacks.
One of the greatest benefits of protein powder is that if you’re unable to satisfy your body’s daily protein requirements by consuming whole foods and full meals throughout the day, it’s not only convenient but also very effective. Studies show that protein can help increase lean muscle mass while supporting weight loss.
Adding a protein powder supplement to your diet is a great way to jump-start the weight loss phase of your program. Within 10-20 minutes of drinking a shake, it will give you energy while supporting muscle repair and recovery. Healthy muscles speed up metabolism, and when the muscles repair quickly after a workout, it will encourage intense workouts more frequently.
I personally take Nutrabolics’ ANABOLIC WINDOW which is a combination of Isolate Proteins, BCAA’s and Waxy Maize Carbs as my pre workout fuel and post workout. Post cardio, as a meal with healthy fats, and before bed I use Nutrabolics’ Triple Isolate Sustained Release Protein ISOBOLIC.
Green vegetables are crucial for achieving the ultimate body. Not only are they nutritional powerhouses containing vitamins, minerals, enzymes, fiber, antioxidants and even protein, but they also enhance satiety and reduce energy intake at a meal. Eating green vegetables has been shown to help you shed countless pounds of unwanted fat.
Green veggies register low on the glycemic index that ranks carbs according to how they affect blood glucose and sugar levels. By including plenty of greens, you will be sure to keep your weight in check.
One of the best ways to get in a variety of greens is to use an ultra premium powdered green product. The one I use and recommend is Nutrabolics’ Fighter’s Food because it uses Freeze Dried Vegetable extracts. Freeze drying removes water from the vegetables while preserving 100% of the biologically active antioxidants and phytonutrients. In terms of biological activity, Fighter’s Food possesses powerful enzymatic activity and a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals. Fighter’s Food is a supplement of power and convenience that makes adopting the perfect nutrition plan possible for anyone concerned with performance. No need for a kitchen, just add some water and shake it up.
So there you have it – 5 crucial food groups that should always be on your grocery list. But this is just the beginning. You and I both know that all this information can easily be found through a quick search on the web. What you need to understand is that, in order to transform your body, timing, portion size, and exact food selection is everything.
There is plenty of information available. It’s up to you to sort through and adapt nutrition programs to suit your own body. Let’s be honest, this can prove confusing, time consuming and ineffective. This is where WNS comes in.
WNS has the best team of professionals on hand to closely analyze how capable your body is at burning calories to develop a formula and nutrition system designed to work specifically for you. Further, after a few weeks, your progress will be reassessed and reevaluated so you don’t plateau.
Getting into peak condition is not just as simple as picking the right foods, it is a complicated science that takes some a life time to master. I have been fortunate enough to master the most cutting edge nutrition system within the last 10 years through research, trial and error and my own experience. If you are willing to give these food choices a try then you’re well on your way to getting started. The next step is for you to contact WNS and work 1 on 1 with us to develop a professional and personalized program that will take your body, stamina and health to a level you never dreamed possible!
