Hey everyone, 

in this post I want to talk about 3 eating habits that keep me lean, muscular and happy. 

So I know I’ve already talked about this one before, but my answer is still not going to change: 

Eating habit #1

is consuming minimally-processed, whole foods. 

For those of you who are new to this, eating minimally-processed foods just means eating potatoes instead of french fries. 

Another way to think about it is eating single-ingredient foods, like tomatoes, carrots and broccoli. 

None of these foods have an ingredients list because they themselves are the ingredients that you find in lots of different recipes. 

So why do I do this? 

Well, minimally-processed foods tend to be healthier for every imaginable reason: 

• they contain fewer preservatives 

• they’re more satiating 

• they tend to have fewer calories 

• they usually take longer to chew, which is good for your facial muscles (if you don’t have any issues pertaining to them) 

• they tend to retain more of their quote unquote “good stuff” - which they may lose when they’re heavily-processed

• and many many more reasons that I can’t possibly list in a single rant 

But in summary, they’re really really good for you. 

Eating habit #2

is prioritizing lean protein, such as poultry, so chicken and turkey, seafood, and vegan sources like tofu. 

The reason is because as people get older, sarcopenia is a major concern - it refers to a loss of muscle mass. 

And there’s plenty of evidence that supports the fact that retaining muscle mass is essential for longevity.

Whether it’s because it makes you less prone to injury, keeps your metabolism up, or its host of other benefits - maintaining muscle is crucial as you age. 

And of course, protein is an absolute must if you want to do that; more specifically, you want to aim for at least 0.8g per pound of bodyweight. 

But keep in mind, I said I prioritize lean protein. 

That also means avoiding red meat and most dairy products - a greasy big mac and a milkshake from McDonalds are fantastic examples of what I avoid. 

But why? 

Well, there have been multiple studies demonstrating that high intakes of red and processed meats are associated with an increased risk of things like heart disease, cancer, diabetes and premature death. 

Now the key phrase is “high intakes”, so you probably can get away with eating such meat in moderation, but I just prefer to avoid it altogether. 

As for dairy, the biggest culprit of most dairy products are saturated fats, which can clog your arteries and lead to heart attacks. 

Full-fat dairy products like whole milk are what I avoid. I actually can’t remember the last time I had a glass of milk. 

But, I do have two exceptions to dairy products: plain greek yogurt and good cheese.

The reason I eat these, especially greek yogurt, is because both of them are fermented. 

That means they contain probiotics, which improve your gut microbiome.

Your gut microbiome contains bacteria that help you derive energy from food sources that you otherwise wouldn’t be able to use. 

Our bodies have a mutually-beneficial relationship with these gut bacteria.

They help us get energy from food sources that we can’t digest on our own, and in exchange we give them a place to live. 

But if the thought of cutting out most dairy products and red meat has you worried about your calcium-intake, vitamin D or protein - don’t.

Foods like chicken and turkey contain plenty of protein - a pound of chicken is about 100g of protein. 

As for vitamin D, your best source of that is going to be sunlight before 9am and after 5pm in most places. 

And as for calcium, leafy green vegetables like kale actually contain more calcium than milk. As a side-note, I eat a lot of kale - kale’s good. 

Eating habit #3

is reduced meal-frequency. 

You can call it intermittent fasting, but I’m not too concerned about my fasting vs feeding window. 

I focus more on the number of meals that I eat in a day.

More specifically, I usually just eat lunch and dinner - no snacks, no coffee, no liquid calories, just water and two big meals.

The reason I do this is because I like eating until I’m satisfied - I don’t like feeling hungry after I’ve eaten a meal.

So by eating fewer meals, I can eat more each time, and still get the right amount of calories. 

And of course this does mean that I have a longer fasting window than most people, which has its own benefits that I’m not gonna talk about in this post. 

I’ll be making several more post in the future about my diet, nutrition principles, fasting and what not because there’s so much misinformation about it all online.

It’s also one of my favorite things to geek out on in case you couldn’t already tell. 

Lastly,

I know this isn’t exactly on-topic with this post, but if you decide to try this out, please make sure you’re resistance-training during your feeding window. 

I workout right before I eat my dinner - so that means I’ve eaten lunch and gotten food into my system, and then I eat again immediately after I exercise. 

You don’t want to be depriving your body of the nutrients it needs to repair the damage done to your muscles, after you’ve resistance-trained. 

You’ll lose muscle. 

So I hope that was valuable!

As always: Take care of your health and it will take care of you!!

Your Internet Siblings,

The Healthy Kangaroo ;)