Diet information is everywhere. In advertisements, on TV, in magazines; the bookstores are crammed with books on many different diet options - The South Beach Diet, The Atkins Diet, Weight Watchers, The Cabbage Soup Diet. The message is 'you should think about your weight'. If you aren't already thinking about dieting, you will be before long.

Most of the clients that come to see me want to lose weight. They have typically tried out a few diet options, but still haven't achieved what they are looking for.The big question is what are they looking for?

It all starts off with that glance in the mirror. What we see staring back at us is often an image we don't like or at least we don't rave about. The instant reaction too often can be - 'I need to go on a diet'.

You don't like the package, so you need to alter it in some way. But the truth is that often it is the 'packaging' that is distorting the picture - distorting our image of ourselves and not you (the package).

Consider this: Everything about you is perfect as it is, and has a purpose. Your shape, your height, your size, your hair colour, your eye colour, the shape of your features, and the size of your knees - they all combine to create you. Having a negative personal image can lead to weight gain or weight loss. Most eating disorders occur as a result of a negative body image.

Your packaging - or your style and your way of dress - has a huge impact on your personal image - how you see yourself, how much you like the way you look and ...how large or small you look.

Just imagine how you feel when you are presented with a gift that is packaged with the fanciest ribbon, shiniest paper and with care and attention. In fact, it almost doesn't matter what is inside the package! It is the same for you, your packaging has an impact on yourself - how you feel about yourself, your confidence levels, and how others treat you.

So before you go on a diet, please consider the following:

Are you wearing clothes that don't fit you?

Squeezing into an item of clothing is just plain unflattering and although you think you can stay in denial of your true size, every other person that passes you in the street will notice that you are squeezing in. You will only draw more attention which can make you feel more sensitive about how you look.

More importantly wearing clothes that are bigger than you or too small for you will make you look bigger.

Tips

Go through your wardrobe and clear out all items that don't fit you. Be ruthless! You don't have to throw them away. But putting them in another area - like the top shelf - so they are out of visibility will ensure you a) don't wear them and b) you don't reinforce your negative concerns each time you wear them!

Cut out the size tags. This will take your mind off what size you are wearing, and hopefully you will forget all together and start enjoying what you wear
And of course buy clothes that fit! You think that's just common sense? Well it is one of the biggest wardrobe mistakes that people can make!
Are you wearing clothes that suit your body shape?

Wearing the wrong shape clothes can add pounds. A square shaped t-shirt in structured cotton will cut off any curves you have, either roll up to expose your stomach or make your torso look like a square box. Oh no! However that is what we can mistakenly go for. The same goes for a pair of jeans - a key item in all our wardrobes. They are often cut to fit a squarer body shape.

Tips

Jeans for a curved hipline - drop the waistline but ensure you have a larger waistband, and/or no back pockets. Also, opt for jeans with stretch. This will follow your natural contours better. For men: go for jeans with a pleat around the waistband to accommodate a softer belly line.

Jeans for a narrow hipline - most jeans look a dream on you, but ensure you opt for structure. Stretch could make you look like you have puppy fat.
T-shirts for a curve - use softer fabrics with drape and soft stretch that have a curve in the cut. Avoid front pockets, too high a neckline, square short sleeves. Instead, feminine touches - flowers, soft textures and chiffon, depending on your style. For men: go for softer fabrics.

T-shirts for angles - use structured fabrics, stripes and lines, boyish cuts, and heavier stretch. You can do pockets and sheer looks.

Are you investing in yourself?

If you are having concerns about your weight then you may have put a stop on your wardrobe spending 'until you lose weight'. This is just plain unfair on yourself. It can only lead to you feeling more miserable if you are living in three outfits and haven't got anything you feel really good in. You may feel it will force you to take your diet wishes seriously, but again is dieting what you need, or what anyone needs for that matter?

Tips

Go out now and buy yourself something that you feel really good in, that suits you, that is perhaps an extravagance and that looks slightly sexy or suave. Regardless of whether you have been starving your wardrobe. This doesn't require emptying your wallet. The action in itself, spending some quality time for you to value yourself, will improve your spirits.
For women: Go out and buy some new make-up. A fresh gloss for the lips - natural or bright - whatever is your preference, and a shimmer or rouge for the cheeks. Invest in good mascara and some colour or base for the eyes.
For men: invest in a new shampoo, a facial lotion and an upgrade your shaving system.

Consider this: You don't need to lose weight. But you do want to be healthy and have a positive self-image. If you achieve the latter, your own appearance and weight will find its natural way.

Being healthy is mostly achieved by finding balance. Balance between the stress in your life and the peace you have; a balance between your nutrients and your addictions; a balance between being active and being passive. You also want to be well.

With the amount of toxins we have in our foods and environment and the amount of pressure we have living in the Noughties, your health is very important. Dieting can be unhealthy. What is healthy is loving yourself for how you are, appreciating that as you age your body will change, and that a healthy self-image is far more important than whether you can fit into a size 2. In fact, that is quite dangerous.

Dieting can be a quick fix - you see some results so you feel like you have dealt with the problem. But if you are not happy with your own personal image, then weight loss or not, you will shortly be back in front of that mirror complaining about how you look again.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/4941

Use these tips to turbo charge your weight loss program.

Take it one pound at a time:

Don't get overwhelmed by how much weight you need to lose. Just take baby steps in the right direction and you'll be amazed at your progress when you look back. You didn't gain your weight overnight, so it will take time to lose it all.

Weekly weigh in:

Only measure your results and weigh yourself once a week to give your body time to make adjustments.

Share your journey:

Find a friend to lose weight with and become each other's coach. Check in several times a week to help each other stay on track.

The scale is not the final word:

Don't get discouraged when your progress seems to be slow according to your bathroom scale. Instead, measure your results with a tape measure-it will give you much more reliable and encouraging feedback.

Shop when you're full:

Only shop for food when you are not hungry to avoid buying foods you may regret later.

Set reachable goals:

If you know you need to get more exercise, begin with a manageable goal of, say, walking 10 minutes a day that you know you can achieve. Then build your self-esteem by achieving the small goals you set yourself.

Celebrate your success:

Each time you lose 5 pounds, acknowledge your achievement by giving yourself a little gift.

Out of sight, out of temptation:

Clear unhealthy foods from your refrigerator and shelves to keep temptation at bay. This also means clearing out the handbag, brief case and glove compartment in your car.

Add extra steps:

When you go about your daily routine add extra steps. Use the stairs instead of the elevator, part at the far end of the supermarket car park, and get rid of the TV remote control. Make little changes to add extra steps and these will quickly add up to support your goals.

Seek help if you need it:

If you need help to keep on track, then get it. If you have tried unsuccessfully over and over to lose weight, then you may need someone to help you. A weight loss coach can significantly increase the rate at which you lose weight and teach you how to stabilize at your goal weight.

© Copyright Kim Beardsmore
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5037

Is Zone Diet a Fad?

How do you recognize a fad diet? When I asked myself this question, some generous people hurried to offer me free, quick, easily digestible answers. I chose the top ten from the list, and decided to match them with the Zone diet's most common features.

Health Castle offers "Ten signs of a fad diet":

1. It promises massive weight loss (1 - 2 lbs per week)

Dr. Barry Sears is careful when he declares a standard weight loss on Zone diet. He considers that anything between 1 to 1,5 lbs per week is satisfactory. "It will be impossible to lose more than one to one point five pounds of fat per week. Anything over that is loss of retained water", says Sears himself on his daily "Ask Dr. Sears" column at DrSears.com. FAD.

2. It does not suggest you that you consult with a registered dietician or nutritionist

"Any change in diet (for better or worse) will affect the metabolism of the drug(s) you are taking. Always consult with a physician before starting the Zone Diet or any other dietary plan", says Dr. Sears in various interviews and discussion lists. Not FAD.

3. It encourages you to eliminate certain food groups (e.g. "low carb diets", "low fat diets")

This is untrue for the Zone diet. Dr. Sears says: "No food is forbidden in the Zone." Zone diet considers "unfavourable" mostly high glycemic foods and foods high in saturated fats. Not FAD.

4. It offers rigid menus

Difficult-to-prepare meals, plenty of measuring and counting, rules that are easy to misinterpret, Zone subscribes to that. FAD.

5. It neglects active living or lifestyle changes

The Zone diet has impressive instrumentary and regulation for dining out or for fast food. On the other hand, there's no problem if you step out of the Zone now and then. Here are some soothing phrases from Dr. Sears himself: "The Zone diet is free of guilt" or "The Zone is just one meal away". I'm quite UNDECIDED about this one. It is clear the man has taken some time to think about it.

6. It harshly limitates the daily calorie intake

Some dieticians claim that the Zone diet limits the daily calorie intake to somewhere around 800. I used the calculator at DrSears.com to check this (I am a 100 pound woman by the way) and my daily calorie intake resulted around 1100 kcal. I'm not pleased with it, as I don't plan to spend my days in permanent hibernation, or lose any of my precious, hard-gained pounds... FAD.

7. It contradicts what most trusted health profesionals say

The Zone diet argues against the USDA food pyramid, which recommends grains and starches up to five servings per day. This is its most high-profile argument. The American Heart Association considers Zone "a fad diet". FAD

8. It depends on special products, supplements and treatments

One Zone bar (or shake) is $2.50. A 45-day supply bottle of Omega Rx concentrated fish oil is $78.15. The figure for the Zone books ranges between $6 and $26 (at the Zone Labs online shop); FAD.

9. It makes miraculous claims

The Zone will help you to:

* lose up to 1.5 lbs body fat per week

* improve your insulin level (which should particularly be ... "not too high not too low")

* fight against "modern diseases" such as type II diabetes and blood vessel affections

* fight against "mental illnesses" such as depresion and alcoholism

* prevent "certain" cancers

* "restore energy", says Dr. Sears in his book, Enter the Zone, "especially if you have CMS, PMS or even HIV infection" and...

* The Zone itself is defined as a state of well-being in which you do not experience hunger, fatigue or moodiness. Your body and mind function sharply at their "peak level".

The Zone is a FAD diet in this respect.

10. It relies on testimonials and success stories rather than scientific proof

Dr. Sears says "Let me be a little more specific about the rewards you'll reap from staying in the Zone" ("Enter the Zone", p. 4). A few paragraphs later he tells the happy stories of Steve Courson (a famous National Football League player in the late 1970's), his teammate John Corb and Dr. Chris Kyriazis, head of European Marketing for IBM. I believe these examples are not specific but unusual. Moreover, Dr. Sears' Zone diet is mistrusted by most dieticians and nutritionists as so far he has not published any relevant, professional research to sustain his theory. FAD again.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/5333

1. What is Atkins Diet?

Dr. Atkins diet, first introduced in 1972, is strictly focused on limiting carbohydrate consumption.

That is why it is called a low-carb, high-protein diet or sometimes simply a low-carb diet, together with other diets such as South Beach Diet, Power Protein Diet etc...

2. What are carbohydrates, and where can they be found?

Carbohydrates provide your body with its basic fuel, very much like a car engine and gasoline. Glucose goes directly into the cells, which convert it into the energy they need.

There are two types of carbohydrates:

Simple carbohydrates (also called "sugars" on food package labels): glucose, fructose and galactose are referred to as monosaccharides. Lactose, sucrose and maltose are called disaccharides (they contain two monosaccharides).

Complex carbohydrates ("starches"), made up of chains of glucose molecules, which is simply a way plants store glucose.

Starches can be found in great quantities in most grains (wheat, corn, oats, rice) and things like potatoes and plantains.

Your digestive system breaks a starch back down into its component glucose molecules so that the glucose can enter your bloodstream.

A complex carbohydrate is digested more slowly than simple carbohydrates because it takes longer to break down a starch.

Complex carbs can be either high in fiber such as broccoli or low in fiber such as bananas or potatoes.

But carbohydrates are not the only substances the body uses: it also needs proteins and fats.

3. What are proteins and where can they be found?

A protein is any chain of amino acids. Carbohydrates provide cells with energy, proteins provide cells with the building material they need to grow and maintain their structure.

Protein can be found in both animal and vegetable foods. Most animal sources (meat, milk, eggs) provide "complete protein": they contain all of the essential amino acids.

Vegetable foods usually have few or none of the essential amino acids. Example: rice is low in isoleucine and lysine.

Some vegetable sources contain quite a bit of protein --things like nuts, beans, soybeans, etc. are all high in protein.

4. What are fats and where can they be found?

Fats are also an important part of our diet. Many foods contain fat in different amounts. High-fat foods include dairy products like butter and cream as well as mayonnaise and oils.

There are two kinds of fats: saturated and unsaturated.

Saturated fats are normally solid at room temperature, while unsaturated fats are liquid at room temperature.

Vegetable oils are the best examples of unsaturated fats, while lard and shortening (along with the animal fat you see in raw meat) are saturated fats.

We can further distinguish the unsaturated fats between polyunsaturated and monounsaturated. Unsaturated fats are currently thought to be more healthy than saturated fats, and monounsaturated fats (as found in olive oil and peanut oil) are thought to be healthier than polyunsaturated fats.

Fat is necessary because: the only way to get certain fat-soluble vitamins is to eat fat, your body has no way to make certain essential fats, so you must get them in your food.

Another reason is that fat is a good source of energy, in fact it contains twice as many calories per gram as do carbohydrates or proteins. Your body can burn fat as fuel when necessary

5. and how can I loose weight by reducing carbohydrate consumption?

Atkins diet and other low-carb diets are based on the theory that certain carbohydrates have a greater impact on blood sugar levels than others.

So you count these carbs. They are the ones that matter. To figure out the net carb count of a food item, you need to identify the carbs that don't have a high impact -- those from fiber and sugar alcohol, and subtract that total from the overall carb count

Just regulate your blood sugar levels (from carbohydrates) and you'll be able to better regulate your appetite... and your weight.

Therefore, say Atkins diet proponents, the culprits are carbohydrates and there is nothing wrong with eating as much meat as you want!

What you should do is restrict carbohydrate consumption, specially starchy foods such as bread, rice, corn etc..., except for what they consider as "good carbohydrates" such as high fiber vegetables (broccoli etc...)

According to them, the energy we need should be taken from proteins, and sometimes fat, but as few carbohydrates as possible, hence the name: low carbohydrate diet..

6 . What else does the human body need?

Mainly vitamins and minerals. These can be found in various foods, fruits, etc..It seems the "Standard Western Diet" is deficient in vitamins and minerals. This has led to the creation of vitamin and mineral supplements.

7. Is Atkins diet efficient?

Anybody can note the simple fact that cutting back on carbohydrates works, at least for a quick drop in body fat and body water.

However, for most dieters the problem is the long-term effects on the body due to such a drastic reduction in carbohydrates.

Whatever Atkins diet proponents have said, this remains a real problem and people like those at South Beach Diet have tried to solve it by introducing carbohyfrates after the 14 days initial phase.

8. What about the "fat makes you fat" theory?

According to Anthony Colpo, one of the most articulate of the Atkins diet defenders:

"Some folks have been so inculcated with the simplistic "fat makes you fat" theory that they just cannot believe a diet high in fat can lead to a loss of bodyfat.

The fact is, high fat diets can result in spectacular fat loss - as long as carbohydrate intake is kept low. Eat a diet that is high in both fat and carbohydrate and your bodyfat percentages will head north real quick! "

9. Does Atkins diet cause coronary heart disease (CHD)?

On May 26, 2004 A Florida businessman filed suit against the makers of Atkins diet.

The man claimed as a consequence of following the low-carb diet, he suffers from severe heart disease, necessitating angioplasty and a stent

One of the fiercest opponents of Atkins diet, the Physicians Committee for Responsible Medicine (PCRM) President Neal Barnard, M.D, said that the diet proponents "push dieters to avoid healthy foods, like rice, beans, and pasta, while ignoring the risks of high-cholesterol, high-fat meat and cheese. The idea that cholesterol and saturated fat don't matter is a dangerous myth."

But what does the other side say? As expected, we hear a totally different story.

Here is Anthony Colpo's take on the CHD issue:

"A low carb diet based on paleolithic food choices, that is, a diet based on free-range animal products and low carbohydrate, low-glycemic plant foods, fits the bill quite nicely. So go ahead, eat your steak and salad!"

10. Are there any other health risks?

In additon to CHD - coronary heart disease - Atkins diet has also been blamed for a number of other "atrocities", such as: colon cancer, impaired kidney function, osteoporosis, complications of diabetes, and to cap it all: constipation, headache, bad breath, muscle cramps, diarrhea, general weakness.

A few quick answers to some of these accusations from Anthony Colpo:

Kidney disease: "Bodybuilders and strength athletes have been consuming high-protein diets for decades. Given the widespread global participation in these activities, if the claims of kidney damage were true, by now there would be an enormous number of case studies of ex-bodybuilders and strength athletes afflicted with kidney disease," which is obviously not the case.

Osteoporosis: "a low-carbohydrate, high fat, high protein diet is a far better choice for building strong bones than a low-fat, high-carbohydrate diet."

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/1720

The first thing you learn when you become a Health Coach is that everyone thinks that you eat 'healthy' 100% of the time. Guess what? Eating well doesn't mean that you only eat carrot sticks and sip water all day long. It's that over the top mind-set that makes people think it's too hard to be healthy, so why bother trying.

The truth is that everyone can eat like a health coach. Just like you, health coaches come in all shapes and sizes and are at different points in their journey to wellness. Some coaches want to lose weight, others have discovered a more natural way of dealing with pain, discomfort, mental health concerns or various ailments, and some enjoy living a more balanced and happy life.

Eating healthy doesn't mean you can never eat at your favorite fast food place, Chinese restaurant or ice cream shop. It means you have decided to discover which foods are harming your body, increasing your chance for illness and disease, and preventing you from enjoying life.

What many people, including health professionals, fail to realize is not everyone will thrive on a low-fat diet, vegetarian diet, or even diets recommended by the American Heart or Diabetes Associations. It's important to discover what foods work best for you, your family and your lifestyle. Baring any dietary restrictions, if your plan includes an occasional ice cream cone, you should feel free to indulge and not feel guilty.

It's time to put away the excuses. You are not too old, it's not too hard, and your kids will not starve if you start giving them better quality food. Anyone can start eating like a health coach by making just a few simple changes.

1. Drink More Water

Did you know that most people are dehydrated? Dehydration causes a number of health problems including headaches, fatigue, digestive disorders, joint pain, and weight gain. It also helps to drink a lot of water early in the day to avoid disturbing your sleep at night.

Start replacing some of those fruity drinks, sports drinks, soda or that third cup of coffee with water. You'll be surprised to find that your cravings for sugar and caffeine will disappear in just a few days.

2. Eat More Real Food

Many processed foods are loaded with sugar, salt and fat. These ingredients act like addictive drugs in your brain and make you crave more and more food. While that's great news for food industries who love it when you spend a lot of money on their products, it's not so good for your health.

Look for food that comes in or near its natural state instead of in a box. Fruits and vegetables, eggs, meat, fish, poultry, whole grains, nuts and seeds are great examples of 'real' food. Some of these foods may be eaten raw (e.g. apples, salads, almonds), but others may require you to steam, roast, bake, stir-fry, grill or use other cooking methods.

There are a ton of easy, simple and quick recipes available in cookbooks and online, so even an inexperienced cook can prepare a delicious meal in under 30 minutes. Even better, learning to cook with your friends, spouse, or children can be a great learning and bonding experience. We all need to eat, so it makes sense to learn how to cook.

3. Eat Healthy Fats

We've all been brainwashed to think that fats are bad and we must eliminate all fats from our diet. However, that's only part of the story. Trans and saturated fats increase the risk for many diseases and should be reduced or eliminated, but other fats provide health benefits.

The brain is about 60% fat. Without a daily dose of 'good' fats, the brain begins to starve and fails to function properly. One of the most important healthy, unsaturated fats is omega 3 fatty acids. You can get your daily supply of omega 3s in salmon, walnuts, flax and chia seeds, green leafy vegetables (kale, spinach), and high quality fish oil supplements. Remember to feed your brain a healthy diet every day.

4. No Need To Super-Size

Meal and snack portion sizes have gotten completely out of control. Poor quality, processed foods don't fill you up. As a result, you tend to eat more and get hungry again very quickly. The trick is to eat better quality food. It fills you up quickly, leaves you feeling satisfied longer, gives you energy, and doesn't leave you craving sugary junk food.

Even at home, people tend to fill up their plates. Try experimenting with different portion sizes of lean protein, grains, and vegetables and see how you feel. The portion sizes may vary depending on your gender, age, and level of activity, but you'll find the amount that works best for you.

Enjoy Your Life

Anyone can eat like a Health Coach. Healthy eating doesn't need to be a 100% restrictive diet. It's more about eating the foods that make you feel good, give you energy and help your body to fight illness and disease. So if you are ready to change and want to enjoy your life, start eating like a health coach. Just remember that even health coaches allow themselves to have a guilt-free break and enjoy some cookies, ice cream or an indulgent restaurant meal.

Beverly M. Entin is the owner of Entin Health Coaching Group, LLC specializing in health coaching solutions for children, adults, and families designed to fit your life.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Beverly_Entin

Have you ever stopped to really think about this question? I often hear people talking about specific foods being healthy or unhealthy, but how do we define which foods are “good” for us and which aren’t, and how do we know if a specific diet is healthy or not? While some people might say that a healthy diet is a diet that provides an “adequate” supply of the essential nutrients, I don’t feel that this definition is very good. First of all, it’s difficult to define what an adequate amount really is, and even if we manage to determine how much we “need” of certain food components, those values don’t necessarily reflect the optimal intake. Second, nutrition is about so much more than just getting the necessary nutrients we need to survive!

I feel it’s time to look beyond the tired old discussion of fats and carbohydrates and vitamins and really establish the foundation of what human nutrition is all about. This goes back to the approach I outlined in my post on the pyramid concept, a way of thinking that is based on the idea that all good hypotheses and conclusions have to be rooted in a robust underlying structure. Just like jumping in with specific hypotheses of obesity is premature if we don’t have a solid foundation to build our ideas upon, we can’t really understand human nutrition without having first established the basics. In this post I’m not going to outline the specific components of a healthy diet, as this is something I’ve written a lot about in the past. Instead I’m going to try to establish the fundamental facts. Diet is among the most controversial topics out there, and everyone seems to have an opinion about what a healthy diet looks like; but at the most basic level, what is really a healthy diet?

General characteristics of a healthy diet

So, I guess you’re asking yourself, how does such a diet look like? Although humans are able to adapt to a wide range of dietary patterns, that clearly doesn’t mean that all diets are the same. I’ve previously written extensively about the components of a healthy diet so I’m not going to delve into the specifics here. However, here are some general characteristics:

• Eat predominantly “real”, whole food.
• Meat, seafood, eggs, vegetables, fruits, berries, nuts, dairy (preferably raw, fermented, and full-fat), and legumes should make up the basis of your diet. Don’t eat a lot of grains (e.g., poor micronutrient profile, low levels of high quality protein, high carbohydrate content, and many antinutritional compounds) unless you have the time to traditionally prepare them (e.g., fermentation).
• Protein >15%, carbohydrate <40%. You can certainly be healthy on a diet that contains less protein and/or more carbohydrate than this, but it’s rarely optimal. Even the most hard training endurance athlete need much more than 40% carbohydrate in their diet. Also, from a practical standpoint, if you’re getting most of your carbohydrate from fruits, tubers, legumes, vegetables, and nuts (which you probably should), as opposed to grains, it’s pretty hard to get above 35-40% carbohydrate unless you’re stuffing yourself with tubers and potatoes all day long.
• Eat some type of traditionally fermented food.
• Choose locally produced, grass-fed, and/or organic when possible.
• Make sure you’re getting plenty of fermentable substrates (e.g., onions, leeks, green bananas, potato starch) in your diet.
• Regularly eat fatty fish, organ meats, or other foods high in omega-3 and/or vitamin D.
• Drink high quality water.

source : http://organicfitness.com/what-is-a-healthy-diet/

If you want to gain more muscle as fast as possible you MUST dial in your diet. This is the backbone of any muscle building routine. These are 5 diet tricks for gaining more muscle fast:

Eat 5-6 times a day. Don't freak out and think this is impossible. It's actually easy as you can substitute a few "meals" with easy to consume protein shakes. Why is this important? You are continually feeding your body muscle building proteins throughout the day, ideally every 3 hours. If you think of the process that takes place within your body for muscle growth, then you can view this muscle building trick as constantly promoting and pushing for muscle to be built. If you only eat 2 times a day, there are blocks of "empty hours" which are not contributing towards growth, and hence it will take you much longer to achieve your muscle gaining goals.

Protein every single meal, no exceptions! This is the cornerstone of your muscle building diet. Always make sure the main element in each meal is protein. If you are having a shake, protein powder should be the main ingredient, then add your fruit or veggies if you are doing a "green smoothie". If you have a regular meal, then chicken, eggs, lean meat, or another protein source should be the main element, and then you can add your veggies and rice.

Bulking phase. If you really want to pack on muscle quickly, go through a bulking phase. This can last anywhere from 2 weeks to 12 weeks. These phases are all about big eating. Lots of protein and lots of carbs. You want to try to keep it clean, but you don't have to worry as much as far as eating "junk food" every now and then. To start a bulking phase, you might want to shoot for 4 weeks and gauge your progress. And yes, you will gain a bit of fat, but your muscular gain will be more predominant. You can focus on cutting up afterwards, right now you want to gain size quickly, and the quickest way is to implement a bulking phase in your diet.

Protein shake immediately after workout. There is a "growth window" that exists right after you workout. This is the window where you should ingest a high protein shake that has both protein and fruit juice or other simple sugars. Your body has just been taxed with heavy weightlifting and is primed for taking in a quick form of protein which will greatly assist in the growth process.

Homemade protein bars. These can actually make the difference between fast muscle gains and slow muscle gains! The biggest problem with diet is convenience. Trainees will often forget to eat a meal here and miss a meal there. Then there are times that he or she simply will not want to cook a meal. All these missed meals slow down your muscle building progress. If you have homemade protein bars handy at all times, then you will never miss a meal and your progress will be fast and steady. Making protein bars at home are much more healthy and a lot cheaper than store bought bars which contain all kinds of questionable ingredients. You can experiment on your own by using protein powder, oatmeal, raisens, cranberries, healthy flour and peanut butter to come up with your ideal bar that fits your taste buds and is filling enough for you.
Here is an excellent cookbook for making homemade protein bars. Check out the free videos on the bottom of the site for how to make these healthy, muscle building bars - http://www.SizeGirth.com/muscle-foods.html

You can also read more muscle building diet tricks on this site. The main thing for me is the homemade protein bars. I've spent a fortune on store bought bars, and now have saved a ton making my own, based on these recipes - http://www.SizeGirth.com/muscle-foods.html

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chess_McDoogle