The Ultimate Tilapia Sandwich

A foodguru802 original recipe!  This sandwich is extremely healthy in almost every way, and it will not only taste remarkably delicious, but will help support lean muscle mass, as well as fit into your daily caloric intake quite effortlessly.  You can also make it as spicy as you'd like (as I show you)  Check out the video!

Remember, this sandwich has over 40 grams of protein, and less than 320 calories!  It also has great complex carbohydrates that will keep you energized all day.

I mean seriously, what else could you ask for?

The Ultimate Tuna Burger

Check out my latest Recipe, the protein packed Tuna Burger!

These things are about 200 calories, and are loaded with lean protein (between 25-30 grams) and complex carbohydrates, the perfect muscle building duo.

My recipe includes:

1 can of Tuna (5oz)


1 egg white (Beaten)


1/4 onion (diced into very small pieces)


2 tbsp oatmeal


Cayenne Chili Powder

Grill it up and enjoy!  To keep the burger together a little better, make sure the egg white is thoroughly beaten (an automatic beater is a much better option than a whisk, as I quickly found out)

Make sure to comment, and feel free to modify this recipe any way you like!  I know that I'm definitely adding more veggies next time.

All About Glycogen

I bet you've all had them.  Those days when you drag yourself to the gym, and for some reason can't lift even fractions of what you normally could.  You'll end up frustrated beyond belief at the end of your session, wondering why weights that you generally pull with ease just won't budge.  You may look in the mirror, and feel as if your muscles looks smaller, softer, and less "bulky" than they usually are.  You just may feel weak, a shadow of your formal, beastly self.  Why has all your progress suddenly come to naught?

The answer?  Glycogen depletion.

Glycogen is an extremely important substance that is stored in your muscles and in your liver.  It is the body's usable source of carbohydrates.  You've always wondered how all that food you ate ended up as usable energy.  Well, glycogen is the answer!  Your body basically converts ingested carbohydrates into glycogen, and saturates your muscles and liver with the stuff to use as an efficient and powerful fuel source.  Hence, after your workout (in which you've hopefully depleted a large amount of your glycogen stores), it would definitely be in your interest to consume carbohydrates with your protein (the ratio is under scrutiny, some say 2:1 carbs to protein, others say as much as 4:1) in order to initiate both protein and glycogen synthesis.  

Easy enough right?  To keep those glycogen stores topped off, keep some carbs in that post-workout meal.  But because you've read my other articles (you have, haven't you?) , you may, upon considering this information, have reached a quandary about replenishing glycogen stores.  You may have realized that there are multiple types of carbohydrates (namely simple, and complex).  So which does a better job of fueling up those muscles after a hard workout?  Or maybe you're wondering if it matters at all, as long as your muscles get those much needed nutrients.

Well we've established in previous examples that IN GENERAL complex carbohydrates are a more effective energy/nutrient source for your body.  They are released slowly and used efficiently, and are less likely to be stored as fat.  They'll give you lasting energy for long periods of time, and are the better choice for filling up those glycogen starved muscles.  Why aren't simple carbs quite as good?  Well here's a quote from a website I found that describes it better than I could:

"… complex carbohydrates … are more effective in replenishing glycogen stores than simple sugars. This makes sense because complex carbs are released slowly whereas simple sugars are released very rapidly, potentially overwhelming the glycogen synthesis pathways and "spilling over" into fat stores. Furthermore, the increased insulin release resulting from simple sugars causes more of the sugar to be converted to fat (Parillo, p.20)."

So there you go, glycogen stores are more effectively replenished via complex carbohydrates.  Good examples of easily consumable complex carbohydrate sources are maltodextrin and brown rice syrup, both of which can easily be mixed into a post workout protein shake.  

Brown Rice Syrup...lovely isn't it?

But simple, sugary carbs also have their place post workout.  In fact they play a very important role in initiating both glycogen and protein synthesis.  Simple sugars (like dextrose, a commonly used sugary carb in the fitness scene) will quickly spike your blood sugar, which allows muscles to rapidly absorb all sorts of nutrients.  In fact, post workout is about the only time you really want to voluntarily "spike" your blood insulin because it allows for all that good synthesis material such as amino acids, carbs, vitamins, minerals, you name it, to be sponged up by those soft, tired muscles in no time flat.  Pretty nifty biochemistry, if I don't say so myself.  

There it is, a simple explanation of muscle glycogen, and why it is so crucial in the strength/fitness scene.  Low glycogen levels=poor performance, and believe me nobody wants to feel like crap in the gym.  If you've come off a long training cycle, chances are your glycogen stores are very low.  Don't be afraid to take a day off and eat a good amount of quality carbohydrates.  Everybody needs a re-feed every now and then!

Keep those muscles fueled, lift heavy and run like the wind.  Good luck!

Reference Article (A great read if you have the time, delves into more complex topics about glycogen replenishment):  http://fitnessforoneandall.com/nutrition/article/glycogen.htm

The Basics of Clean

So, I'm going to introduce you to a new diet, and in all honesty, it'll be the only diet you'll ever need.

It's not radical, crazy, and frankly, it's not new at all.  It's been around forever.  It's called:

CLEAN EATING.

This term, unfortunately, means a lot of different things to a lot of different people.  And again I'll be honest, there's no way to determine the exact definition of what "eating clean" really mean.  But it's extremely easy to get the gist of it.  In fact by the end of this post, all of you should have a good idea of what clean eating really means in its broadest sense.

Here's my personal definition of clean eating:
  Eating food that has high nutritional value in correct, balanced quantities.

Pretty simple eh?  It really is, however a lot of people like to over-complicate it.  To make things a little easier, lets look at some different food groups (or components), and how to eat cleanly in each one.

Carbohydrates:  Eating cleanly in terms of Carbohydrates seems to be the place where most people really struggle.  Carbs are everywhere.  Bread, cheetos, veggies, fruits, desserts, cereal, etc.  They hide to some degree in all the food you consume.  I'll let you in on a secret though.  Carbs are NOT your enemy.  For some reason, many people think they are.  That's a flawed way of thinking, because your body needs Carbs for it's main energy source.  It's the fuel to that human engine of yours.

To keep things simple, let's establish first that there are two main types of carbs: Simple carbohydrates, and complex carbohydrates.  Simple carbs are called monosaccharides, or simple sugars.  When they are consumed, they are digested quickly and easily, and are readily used for energy.  Or at least, they should be. However, how many times after dessert have you actually expended all the energy which that sugar loaded brownie contained?  Not often, I'm guessing.  And that's where carbs come back to haunt you.  Unused Carbohydrates equates to wasted energy.  And guess where wasted energy goes.  That's right, your midsection.  


Complex Carbohydrates are Carbs that your body has a more difficult time digesting, and therefore the body will take a longer time and expend more energy digesting them.  These are "long acting" carbs that give you full, sustained energy for a long period of time, without the characteristic "sugar high."  Such carbs include vegetables, whole wheat breads, and oatmeal.  These carbs, overall, tend to be a little more "flexible".  When in doubt about carbs, it's usually safe to assume that complex carbs will be healthier in the long run.  Because they are digested over a long period of time, they do not as readily turn to fat.  Again this IS NOT ALWAYS TRUE, I'm purely making a broad generality.  Learn the rules first, then the exceptions.

So are simple carbs bad?  Absolutely not.  Fruits are comprised of mainly simple carbs.  They give you a good hit of energy without spiking blood insulin (I'll discuss this, the GI scale, and all related topics in a later post) to a high degree.  On a hike?  Bring an apple.  Tired at work?  Eat a banana.  Craving something sweet?  Have an orange.  Can you go overboard eating fruits?  Sure, but that's true for most anything.  It's pretty safe to say that if you're dying for a snack, a fruit is a very healthy, clean option.

Proteins:  Here we go guys.  MEAT MEAT MEAT.  Being an avid weightlifter, I for one am an enormous protein consumer.  We all know meat has protein, and protein builds muscle.  And at this point, I won't get any more into than that (who wants to hear a boring speech about amino acids and protein synthesis anyway right?).  I like to characterize the quality of a protein source with a few questions:  How dense is it (grams of protein per serving), how lean is it (how many calories per serving along with saturated fats, trans fats, and other undesirables come with that nice protein punch), and how readily is the protein absorbed by your body (whey protein has greater absorption than soy, etc.).

So without getting into too much detail, let me list a few of the best, readily available protein sources:  boneless and skinless chicken breast, turkey breast, lean cuts of beef, salmon, tuna, swordfish, whey, venison, and egg whites.

Some of the less optimal sources: cheap cuts of beef, pork, ham, soy, and basically any meat smothered in sauce and marinade.

I'm going to go back to fish for a second though.  I personally believe fish to be the best form of readily available protein.  Why?  Because there is a huge amount of protein per serving, with very few calories.  One can of chunk light tuna has 26g of protein at a hundred calories.  That's more protein per serving than my special "Wheybolic extreme 60" protein powder I drink after every workout and spend a fortune on every month.  Good old tuna has got most other meats beat.  Same with salmon.  Fish is loaded with lean protein, Omega 3 fatty acids, low cholesterol, and about a million nutrients that will do your body well.  Looking for some good meat?  Grab some fish for dinner and grill it up nice (obviously don't fry it, as much as I know you'd like to.)

Fats:  AH!  FAT!  GET IT AWAY!  That's the right response, many food companies would claim.  And they'd be 100% wrong.  I'm going to tell you another secret (I've got a whole bunch) FATS DON'T MAKE YOU FAT.  In fact, those "low fat" oreos you're eating aren't any better for you than the regular ones, and might actually be worse.  Fats do our body well, especially the unsaturated fats present in nuts, peanut butter (all natural, of course), olive oil, most fish (omega 3 fatty acids), almond milk, avocados, and the list goes on.  Unsaturated fat should not ever be avoided outright, but like anything, eaten in moderation.

Unsaturated fats actually do a lot of good for you.  They reduce bad cholesterol, help the body absorb fat soluble vitamins,and increase the good.  They can slow down nutrient absorption into the muscles,  which is great for athletes who want to prevent going catabolic over night.  There are many other benefits to fat as well, but hopefully I've convinced you enough at this point.

Saturated fat is what you want to cut down on.  As with anything, a little in moderation may have benefits, but in general the average person consumes wayyy too much saturated fat.  This is the fat that usually increases bad cholesterol and narrows your arteries.  In other words, it makes your heart work way too hard, and that's never good.  The recommended saturated fat intake for a 2000 calorie diet (which is by no means the diet for everyone) is about 20 grams, which also happens to be about a third of your daily total fat intake.

Trans fats are a HUGE no-no.  I'll devote an entire separate post to those though.  If you see trans fat on the nutritional label, and it has any number other than "0" next to it, I would suggest putting it back.

So there you go, the basics.  Understanding those three components of food is a huge step in becoming a "food guru."  Now, the next step is finding what foods are "clean" and would easily fit into your daily diet, and how to balance your diet so that you get a good ration of these three components: carbs, protein, and fat.  Onward and upward!