Posts Tagged ‘Complex Carbohydrate’

Why eating 5 to 6 meals a day is the way to go when it comes to losing body fat, eliminate food cravings and having increased energy!

In our final installment I will discuss what the right amount and the right combinations of food should be in each meal following the Rapidly Ripped Eating Strategy – to turn you into a fat burning machine!

The great thing about the Rapidly Ripped Eating Strategy is how simple it is to create a balanced Rapidly Ripped Meal.  And the other great thing is we do not count calories or weigh food but instead pay attention to portions and the right combinations of food.

So what is the right portion and right combinations to follow on the Rapidly Ripped Eating Program?

Here is how simple it is to create a Rapidly Ripped Meal:

1. First off look at your plate and divide it into thirds.  Then…
2. Choose a portion of lean protein the size of your Palm, such as chicken breast, lean ground turkey meat, lean red meat or fish.
3. Choose a portion of complex carbohydrate the size of your clenched fist, such as sweet potato, yam, brown rice or whole wheat pasta.
4. Add a portion of vegetables to at least 2 of your meals each day, such as broccoli, spinach, asparagus, brosal sprouts, zucchini, lettuce, tomato etc.
5. Consume one table spoon of unsaturated fat daily or three portions of salmon each week.  Examples are avocados, nuts and seeds, olive oil, natural almond, sunflower or cashew butter, flax seed oil etc.

So there you have it!  Eating the right food, in the right portion sizes and in the right combination, which means making sure you include protein and complex carbohydrates in each meal.   This not only reduces your cravings, but helps feed your muscles by providing both the amino acids from proteins together with carbohydrates, which help shunt the protein into the cells to helps build quality muscle.

Scientific studies and research have confirmed that combining and balancing protein and carbs in each meal stabilizes blood sugar and insulin and tended to decrease body fat, cholesterol and offers you greater feelings of energy and lower level of fatigue.  In another scientific study it was also shown that  people who eat a balance of protein and carbs have better digestion and absorption of nutrients and a higher thermogenic or fat-burning effect from each meal.  And in addition, studies show that meals balanced in protein, carbs and essential fats help you control your appetite and experience less food cravings.  What more can you ask for from an eating plan?

By Charles Damiano
Nutrition and Fitness Expert
Bestselling author of “Rapidly Ripped”
The Ultimate Fat Burning System for Life!
Body-for-Life 2004 Grand Master Champion Winner

In Part 1 of Tips for Getting Ripped Six Pack Abs! I gave the 10 overall keys to getting ripped six pack abs which focused mainly on the exercises and mental game. In part 2 of Tips for Getting Six Pack Abs we focused on the other half of the ripped abs success equation -Proper Nutrition.

In this final article of the getting Ripped Six Pack Abs series, I will cover 4 more nutrition tips that will help you etch out those six pack abs.

A smart nutrition strategy is essential for getting those washboard abs!

4. Think More Fiber

“As an appetite suppressant, fiber is hard to beat” says Stephen P. Cullo, PH. D., president of the Institute for Health and Weight Sciences.

To reap its rewards, start or include fiber- rich foods in each meal.  Your best bets are, salads, vegetables, such as broccoli, asparagus, peas, brussel sprouts or mixed vegetables, as well as whole grain cereals, oatmeal or bran flakes.

Fiber will help keep you full longer and when you feel full you won’t over eat which will help you lose body fat.

5. Eating the Right Amount of Food

Keep your portions small for optimal utilization, assimilation and digestion. This will help ensure that no excess calories are getting stored as body fat!

Look at each plate of food and divide the plate into thirds. Fill the first third with a protein source roughly the size of your palm, the second third with a complex carbohydrate source no bigger than your fist and the third part with either a salad or some vegetables.

A sample fat burning meal may be 6 ounces of grilled chicken breast, 4-6 ounce boiled yam and spinach with some garlic and virgin olive oil for some essential fats.

Scientific studies have shown that the right fats or the essential fats, such as olive oil, actually increase the metabolism of stored body fat and decrease fat production in the body!

6.Eat on Schedule

Eat 5-6 small meals each day spaced out every two and a half to three hours. The way to maintain a high, fat burning metabolism is to feed it energy in small increments throughout the day. Eating this way will turn you into a fat burning machine which is necessary for achieving, maintaining and seeing those six pack abs!

As a general rule of thumb; eat breakfast like a king, lunch like a prince and dinner like a pauper, while keeping your other two to three small meals around 200-250 calories.

Most studies show that overweight/fat people skip breakfast and lunch and consume upward of 75 percent of their calories in the evening.

This is not ideal when you are looking to obtain shredded six pack abs, since metabolism slows down at night making it more likely for you to store those excess calories as body fat!

7. Drink Plenty of Water

Keep hydrated for best fat loss results! Drink at least 6-10 glasses of water at day or at least one glass with each of your six meals and upward of a gallon for heavy exercisers. Water helps you feel full longer, producing less cravings and staying hydrated allows your liver to do what it does best…metabolize fat!

By Charles Damiano
Nutrition and Fitness Expert
Bestselling author of “Rapidly Ripped”
The Ultimate Fat Burning System for Life!
Body-for-Life 2004 Grand Master Champion Winner