POWER UP MEALS!!

Welcome back, I've missed you, I hope your new years resolutions (If you make them) are going well!

Today I'm going to discuss the single most important aspect of any life change, and that's nutrition.

Remember the phrase "You are what you eat" well I'm not suggesting there are burger shaped people walking around but what we eat is essentially what we really are!!

When you eat something it's in the stomach and all the nutrients good and bad are absorbed and eventually distributed around the body fueling vital jobs such as using proteins to repair ripped muscle tissue... we call it working out; what's left over is stored in various ways, such as fat.

Why is fat stored if it causes so many health risks down the line?

Well fat is stored because your body has not evolved to know when you are going to get your next meal, as far as your body is concerned fat is going to save your life if you can't hunt down any food soon.

Problem is we keep adding to the stored fat before it gets used keeping us alive.

THE BEST WAY TO THINK ABOUT FAT IS THIS:

Think of your body as a car, and calories as fuel, if you keep filling your car with fuel and hardly run it, what will happen? Yes, your tank will be full, your car heavier from the full tank and fuel will pour out over the floor.

The body is the same, if you put more in that you take out you fill up... with fat.

Ok so now where does nutrition come in? Well that's simple, just like car fuel in general (for vehicles) you get different types from diesel to petrol all the way up to rocket fuel, they all increase performance.

People are the same, with the right fuel you can increase your output from thinking to exercise!!

This is such a HUGE topic that I'm going to have to make new headers called "Power up meals" to talk about this, I just can't do it justice in one single post but I'll go over the general idea.

Chances are you've heard the term "Super foods" if not then that's fine as I'll explain now, Super foods are foods with unusually high contents of nutrition that also aid the body in other ways, for example Blueberrys help combat cancer, protect your heart and boost memory to name a few.

Something worth noting is the preparation of foods, while it might seem obvious that frying foods is not as nutritionally beneficial as steaming something to think about, food for thought even, is that overcooking foods is just as damaging to its nutritional value.

Take broccoli for example (My personal favorite green vegetable), if your steaming or boiling it make sure to not cook it to he point where it starts to lose colour and the water changes a green colour, if you do that then you're losing precious nutrients. That green colour in the water is basically the goodness leaving the food. a way to retain SOME of that is to use that water in soups, stocks and gravy. you will save some of it that way, but ideally learning to cook things right will save you a lot of nutrients.

How to cook broccoli:

Broccoli

look for: Sturdy, dark-green spears with tight buds, no yellowing and a high floret-to-stem ratio.

Prep: Cut off florets; cut stalks in half lengthwise and then into 1-inch-thick half-moons.

Microwave: Place stems and florets in a large glass baking dish. Cover tightly and microwave on High until tender, about 4 minutes.

Roast: Preheat oven to 500°F. Spread on a baking sheet or in a pan large enough to hold them in a single layer. Coat with 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil. Roast, turning once halfway through cooking, until tender and browned in places, about 10 minutes.

Steam: Place stems in a steamer basket over 2 inches of water (with 1 tablespoon lemon juice added to it) in a large pot set over high heat. Cover and steam for 2 minutes. Add florets; cover and continue steaming until tender, about 5 minutes more.

 (From Eatingwell.com)

Want to drink fruit juice?

Avoid drinks "from concentrate" and totally avoid carbonated drinks, ideally drink something similar to something I reviewed in a previous post:

Coldpress make fruit juices, this is as close to just eating a raw apple that you're going to get, its freshly squeezed and then pasteurized using only pressure alone, no high heats used so you're 100% certain you've got all the nutrients and they have not been cooked away. 

WHEN EATING FRUIT AND VEGETABLES:

Eat something that has had as little a processing as possible.

(Much like meats, or anything really, processing equates to chemical, heat and other treatments that often hinder the nutritional properties of food)

Eat organic, you've no idea what chemicals have treated your food and what their long term effects might be (better safe than sorry)

Don't overcook.

Overcooking can effectively ruin a foods value.

Enjoy eating well.

(Even if you don't like the idea)

If you can enjoy eating healthy foods then it makes the process of eating well even better for you!

While I appreciate you might not like vegetables (I didn't when I was younger) I  did however try hard to incorporate what I could.

For example, I hated the texture of broccoli, so I'd blend it into a soup, texture problem solved. 

I don't like the taste of Egg alone, so I season well and accompany egg with other items to remove and change that taste. 

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POWER UP MEAL  #1   MUSCLE MEAT SALAD!!

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( Taken from EatingWell.com as it's a FANTASTIC recipe)

INGREDIENTS

• 1 cup fresh blueberries, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts, toasted (see Tips)
• 3 tablespoons fruity vinegar, such as raspberry vinegar
• 1 tablespoon minced shallot
• 1 teaspoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon salt, divided
• 3 tablespoons walnut oil or canola oil
• 1 pound sirloin steak or strip steak (1-1 1/4 inches thick), trimmed
• 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 8 cups baby spinach
• 1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese

PREPARATION

1. Preheat grill to medium.
2. Pulse 1/4 cup blueberries, 1/4 cup walnuts, vinegar, shallot, sugar and 1/4 teaspoon salt in a food processor to form a chunky paste. With the motor running, add oil until incorporated. Transfer the dressing to a large bowl.
3. Sprinkle steak with pepper and the remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Oil the grill rack (see Tips). Grill the steak about 5 minutes per side for medium-rare, 6 minutes per side for medium. Let rest on a clean cutting board for 5 minutes.
4. Add spinach to the bowl with the dressing; toss to coat. Divide the spinach among 4 plates. Thinly slice the steak crosswise. Top the spinach with the steak, feta and the remaining blueberries and walnuts.

TIPS & NOTES

• Tips: To toast chopped nuts, place in a small dry skillet and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.
• To oil a grill rack, oil a folded paper towel, hold it with tongs and rub it over the rack. (Do not use cooking spray on a hot grill.)

NUTRITION

Per serving: 392 calories; 26 g fat ( 5 g sat , 7 g mono ); 68 mg cholesterol; 11 g carbohydrates; 1 g added sugars; 29 g protein; 3 g fiber; 494 mg sodium; 748 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin A (114% daily value), Zinc (36% dv), Vitamin C (35% dv), Folate (34% dv), Magnesium (26% dv), Iron & Potassium (21% dv)

Carbohydrate Servings: 1

Exchanges: 2 vegetable, 3 lean meat, 4 fat

Just look at this meal, steak, blueberries, walnuts and spinach!! This meal has it all!! taste, class and massive protein for low fat, almost 30 g of PROTEIN!! 

A good overview of superfoods and what they have to offer!!

Apples	Protects your heart	prevents constipation	Blocks diarrhea	Improves lung capacity	Cushions joints
Apricots	Combats cancer	Controls blood pressure	Saves your eyesight	Shields against Alzheimer's	Slows aging process
Artichokes	Aids digestion	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Guards against liver disease
Avocados	Battles diabetes	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin
Bananas	Protects your heart	Quiets a cough	Strengthens bones	Controls blood pressure	Blocks diarrhea
Beans	Prevents constipation	Helps hemorrhoids	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Stabilizes blood sugar
Beets	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones	Protects your heart	Aids weight loss
Blueberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Stabilizes blood sugar	Boosts memory	Prevents constipation
Broccoli	Strengthens bones	Saves eyesight	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure
Cabbage	Combats cancer	Prevents constipation	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Helps hemorrhoids
Cantaloupe	Saves eyesight	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Supports immune system
Carrots	Saves eyesight	Protects your heart	Prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Promotes weight loss
Cauliflower	Protects against Prostate Cancer	Combats Breast Cancer	Strengthens bones	Banishes bruises	Guards against heart disease
Cherries	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Ends insomnia	Slows aging process	Shields against Alzheimer's
Chestnuts	Promotes weight loss	Protects your heart	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Chili peppers	Aids digestion	Soothes sore throat	Clears sinuses	Combats Cancer	Boosts immune system
Figs	Promotes weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Lowers cholesterol	Combats Cancer	Controls blood pressure
Fish	Protects your heart	Boosts memory	Protects your heart	Combats Cancer	Supports immune system
Flax	Aids digestion	Battles diabetes	Protects your heart	Improves mental health	Boosts immune system
Garlic	Lowers cholesterol	Controls blood pressure	Combats cancer	kills bacteria	Fights fungus
Grapefruit	Protects against heart attacks	Promotes Weight loss	Helps stops strokes	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol
Grapes	saves eyesight	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Enhances blood flow	Protects your heart
Green tea	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Helps stops strokes	Promotes Weight loss	Kills bacteria
Honey	Heals wounds	Aids digestion	Guards against ulcers	Increases energy	Fights allergies
Lemons	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Limes	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Controls blood pressure	Smoothes skin	Stops scurvy
Mangoes	Combats cancer	Boosts memory	Regulates thyroid	aids digestion	Shields against Alzheimer's
Mushrooms	Controls blood pressure	Lowers cholesterol	Kills bacteria	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Oats	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	prevents constipation	Smoothes skin
Olive oil	Protects your heart	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Battles diabetes	Smoothes skin
Onions	Reduce risk of heart attack	Combats cancer	Kills bacteria	Lowers cholesterol	Fights fungus
Oranges	Supports immune systems	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	Straightens respiration
Peaches	prevents constipation	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes	aids digestion	Helps hemorrhoids
Peanuts	Protects against heart disease	Promotes Weight loss	Combats Prostate Cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Aggravates Diverticulitis
Pineapple	Strengthens bones	Relieves colds	Aids digestion	Dissolves warts	Blocks diarrhea
Prunes	Slows aging process	prevents constipation	boosts memory	Lowers cholesterol	Protects against heart disease
Rice	Protects your heart	Battles diabetes	Conquers kidney stones	Combats cancer	Helps stops strokes
Strawberries	Combats cancer	Protects your heart	boosts memory	Calms stress
Sweet potatoes	Saves your eyesight	Lifts mood	Combats cancer	Strengthens bones
Tomatoes	Protects prostate	Combats cancer	Lowers cholesterol	Protects your heart
Walnuts	Lowers cholesterol	Combats cancer	boosts memory	Lifts mood	Protects against heart disease
Water	Promotes Weight loss	Combats cancer	Conquers kidney stones	Smoothes skin
Watermelon	Protects prostate	Promotes Weight loss	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	Controls blood pressure
Wheat germ	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
Wheat bran	Combats Colon Cancer	prevents constipation	Lowers cholesterol	Helps stops strokes	improves digestion
Yogurt	Guards against ulcers	Strengthens bones	Lowers cholesterol	Supports immune systems	Aids digestion

An overview of good superfoods
(Shared from: http://www.thepowerhour.com/news2/healthy_food_chart.htm)