CARBS GET A bad rap. With the exclusion of them in the majority of the most popular diets, it’s not surprising that most of us are reluctant to enjoy them. However, as we know, the key is moderation. Plus, high carb foods could be your new training superpower.

According to a review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, ‘one of the best ergogenic aids available for athletes and active individuals alike, is carbohydrate.’ Meaning, your pre-workout carbs could be the missing piece to the training results you’ve been longing for.

What are carbohydrates?

Carbohydrates are one of the three macronutrients in our diet and are an essential nutrient for our health and, of course, performance in the gym. The other macronutrients being protein and fat. High carb foods include pasta, oats, bread and various other starchy foods. As explained in an article published by Science Direct, after digestion and absorption, carbohydrate is metabolised to provide energy (4 calories per gram) or is stored in muscle and liver as glycogen. Glucose is an essential fuel for the brain and for some other cells, notably red blood cells.

To get the most out of your training it’s important to be eating a diet rich in carbohydrates. End of.

What foods are high in carbs?

While we don’t have to completely eliminate less nutrient dense versions of food from our diet, it’s important to moderate them. Less nutritionally dense food is less likely to fill us up for very long due to their low fibre content. As a result, many of us consume a higher amount of calories throughout the day – such as crisps, biscuits and so on.

An increase in the fibre contained in nutritious foods could support your physique goals. In a 2020 review published by nutrients, participants eating more fibre cut down on how often they ate and how much, resulting in weight loss. The researchers also found a positive relationship between fibre intake and several long-term illnesses.

With this in mind, it is best to focus on a diet that consists of these nutrient dense high carb foods when shopping in supermarkets:

• Whole grain carbohydrates like brown bread, pasta, rice and oats.
• Starchy vegetables and fruits like potatoes, bananas, parsnips and carrots.
• Legumes like beans, chickpeas and lentils.

Alongside the rest of your varied and balanced diet.

What are good high carb foods for pre-workout?

For our pre-workout snack or meal, the inclusion of high carb foods could benefit performance. A review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition mentions that studies have routinely shown the ability of carbohydrate ingestion to maximise glycogen utilisation and promote carbohydrate oxidation. In other words, your high carb food choice pre-workout could help you push yourself more in your training session.

When choosing high carb foods for your pre-workout hit, it may be beneficial to focus on foods that are easier to digest. This might mean choosing foods that are lower in fibre for the purpose of improved performance without gastrointestinal disturbances (problems with digestion).

Some good choices of high carb foods for energy before training could be:

• Crackers or rice cakes
• Bananas
• Popcorn
• Cereal bars or cereal

Your own individual needs, exercise choice and length will ultimately determine the choice of food. But, for the majority, a light pre-workout snack of easy to digest carbs should be sufficient whilst managing overall sugar intake.

How many grams of carbohydrates should I eat a day?

According to the review published by the ISSN, the requirements for carbohydrates are as follows:

• General fitness: Individuals engaged in a general fitness program can typically meet macronutrient needs by consuming a normal diet including 45-55% carbohydrates (3-5 grams per kg of bodyweight a day)
• Moderate to intense training: Athletes involved in moderate and high volume training need greater amounts of carbohydrate in their diet. Athletes involved in moderate amounts of intense training (e.g. 2-3 hours per day of intense exercise performed 5-6 times per week) typically need to consume a diet consisting of 55-65% carbohydrate (5-8 grams per kg of bodyweight a day or 250 – 1,200 grams/day for 50 – 150 kg athlete) in order to maintain liver and muscle glycogen stores.
• Endurance training: Research has also shown that athletes involved in high volume intense training (e.g. 3-6 hours per day of intense training in 1-2 workouts for 5-6 days per week) may need to consume 8-10 grams/day of carbohydrate (400 – 1,500 grams a day for 50 – 150 kg athletes) in order to maintain muscle glycogen levels. This would be equivalent to consuming 0.5 – 2.0 kg of spaghetti.

18 best high carb foods

High carbohydrate foods are essential for your gym gains, here are the ones which will supercharge your sessions:

1. Rice

Rice takes the number one spot in the best high carb foods due to its 76.2 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams uncooked. It’s the preference of bodybuilders and a staple of many meal preppers. Depending on the variety of rice you include in your diet, you will also reap the benefits of fibre and several micronutrients. For example, brown rice is high in fibre and contains folate, riboflavin (B2), potassium, calcium and manganese. Fantastic for muscle gain goals, white rice can be a brilliant addition to your muscle building meal plan with it also containing manganese, iron and B vitamins (thiamin, niacin and riboflavin).

2. Pasta

Regardless of your preference of spaghetti, fusilli or penne, pasta packs a punch at 65 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams uncooked. When choosing brown variations you are also benefitting from additional fibre to aid your health and digestion. Along with iron zinc, copper, vitamin B, folic acid (folate) and magnesium.

3. Oats

Starting your day with oats is a great way to kick start your mornings. Oats contain 67 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. Overnight oats, porridge, muesli and even pancakes with blended oats are great options. They are rich in a variety of vitamins, minerals and antioxidants, making them a fantastic easy option to add to your meal prep.

4. Bread

Convenient to pack your bag with for a sandwich on the go, bread is a staple in many of our diets. If muscle gain is your goal, bread is a great choice with 49 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. Opting for brown and wholewheat variations will bolster your fibre intake to make you feel fuller for longer and benefit your health.

5. Potato

Potatoes are high in starch and very satiating when boiled. They contain 25 grams of carbohydrate per 100 grams and are a great choice when enjoyed in moderation to achieve your weight loss goals due to how filling they are. Whether you include Maris pipers or sweet variations, both have great nutritional benefits. For example Maris piper potatoes are high in vitamin C and potassium, whereas sweet potatoes contain high amounts of vitamin A, vitamin C, and manganese.

6. Quinoa

Quinoa is an underrated choice of high carb foods with 64.2 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. It is packed with magnesium, potassium, iron, folate and fibre. There is also an additional protein boost at 16.5 grams. You can add them in a salad for some variety in your lacklustre lunches.

7. Couscous

Couscous has a surprising amount of carbohydrates, with 72 grams per 100 grams making it a great post workout carb choice. With many recipes available to spice up your meal prep, it is a suitable addition to your lunch box as it can be enjoyed eaten hot or cold.

8. Buckwheat

Thrown into salads and eaten in soups, buckwheat is a satiating high carb food. It contains 33.5 grams per 100 grams uncooked making it a more moderate carb options. It is also high in fibre to keep you full and aid in digestion.

9. Bananas

Bananas are a firm favourite amongst gym goers and athletes alike, due to their fast releasing readily available energy at 23 grams per 100 grams. A study published in PLOS concluded that eating bananas before and during prolonged and intensive exercise are an effective strategy for supporting performance. Making them an even stronger contender amongst the top high carb foods to pack in your gym bag.

10. Dried fruit

Another great addition to your pre-workout snack routine. Dried fruit is a very high carb food source at 83 grams per 100 grams. Brilliant to power you through long hikes, runs and cycle rides, dried fruit enjoyed in moderation could supercharge your training goals. Keep an eye on the sugar content, whilst your weekend long runs will need it, desk jockey days may not.

11. Cereal

Breakfast cereals are often frowned upon due to their high sugar content, however when keeping an eye on the ingredients, they can be a useful addition to power up your performance. Corn flakes contain fast releasing carbs due to their low fibre content and contain a whopping 84 grams per 100 grams. For a higher fibre, slower releasing option, with additional health benefits, you could include bran flakes which include 67 grams per 100 grams.

12. Popcorn

This favourite snack to accompany your cinema trips contains 74 grams of carbohydrates per 100 grams. Another fast releasing carbohydrate that is easily digested, making it a great pre workout snack without the high calorie content.

13. Beans

Whilst beans contain a large amount of fibre and some protein, they are great sources of starchy carbohydrates. Baked beans are a convenient and cost effective choice at 15.5 grams of carbs per 100 grams and 64 grams in the tin.

14. Parsnips

Parsnips contain 18 grams per 100 grams of carbohydrates and carry additional health benefits to accompany your Sunday roast. High in potassium, vitamin C and B6/Folate, parsnips are a nutritious high fibre, high carb food.

15. Carrots

Containing 10 grams of carbs per 100 grams, carrots are a brilliant choice of high carb foods. Carrots also have nutritional benefits by being a good source of potassium, biotin, and vitamins A, K1 and B6.

16. Pineapple

Pineapple is high in fructose and could be an ideal superfood to power up your endurance training. According to research published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, it noted that pre exercise fructose can elevate liver glycogen and spare muscle glycogen, which can prolong exercise duration before fatiguing. There is also good evidence to indicate that the addition of fructose to the diet during ultra-endurance events can improve performance by 126%.

17. Chickpeas

Per 100 grams, chickpeas contain 13 grams of carbs along along with 7 grams of fibre. They’re also a helpful boost towards your protein goals with 7 grams per 100 grams. Great for topping salads, or add them to soups and stews for some more oomph in your pre-workout meals.

18. Crackers and rice cakes

In a pinch, crackers and rice cakes are great on the go before training or when you’re short on time and need to get out the door. Spread them with a protein source like low fat cheese for a decent pre-workout hit. At roughly 6 grams of carbohydrates per cracker, they’re a low fibre way of including carbs before your workout that are less likely to cause digestive issues.

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.

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The post 18 high carb foods to take your training to the next level appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

TRY TO NAME a more versatile food than eggs. We’ll wait.

Scrambled at breakfast, hard-boiled as a snack, or fried and served on top of a big pile of vegetables at dinner … there’s little the all-mighty egg can’t do.

Eggs are also inexpensive – a huge plus considering how much nutritional value they provide. Nutritionally dense, eggs are loaded with B vitamins (B5, B12, and B2, to be exact), selenium, calcium, zinc, and vitamin A. Plus, they’re quick and easy to cook.

Not to mention, eggs can be a valuable tool in reaching your fitness goals. The protein content can help you lose weight, or put on muscle. Add them to any meal to boost your protein intake.

How much protein is in one egg?

The amount of protein varies depending on size, but, according to British Lions Eggs, there are on average between 5.2 and 7.5 grams of protein in a single egg.

• Per very large egg (78 grams): 8.7 grams of protein
• Per large egg (68 grams): 7.5 grams of protein
• Per medium size egg (58 grams): 6.4 grams of protein
• Per small egg (48 grams): 5.2 grams of protein

Adults are advised to eat 0.75g of protein for each kilogram they weigh, based on the Reference Nutrient Intake (RNI). So, for example, if you weigh 70kg, you should eat about 52.5g of protein a day.

Nutritionists would be quick to point out though that this is seen as the bare minimum to help prevent any adverse health effects from protein deficiencies (think: brittle nails and hair, fatigue, diarrhoea).

Some evidence suggests that 1.2 to 1.6 g/kg of high-quality protein is actually the ‘sweet spot’ when it comes to achieving optimal health and building muscle.

How many calories are there in an egg?

Similar to protein content, the number of calories in an egg will vary depending on the size – but also how it’s prepared.

As with any food, the way you prepare and eat eggs has an impact on the overall effectiveness of your approach to either weight loss or muscle gain. If you like creamy scrambled eggs with lots of delicious butter, they will be higher in calories than just a standard boiled egg.

On average though, a single medium-sized egg will contain around 66 calories, an average small egg will contain around 55 calories and an average large egg around 80 calories.

• Per very large egg (78g): 90 calories
• Per large egg (68g): 78 calories
• Per medium size egg (58g): 66 calories
• Per small egg (48g): 54 calories

What part of eggs contain the most protein?

There’s a lot of debate about whether it’s best to eat the whole egg – the egg white and the yolk – and recent studies have shown that whole eggs are a great food for weight loss and don’t increase your risk of cardiovascular disease.

Although protein can be found in both the egg white and the yolk, the yolk actually has a higher concentration of protein than the white – but since there is more white in the egg, this means the white provides more protein overall.

The whites from one egg contain about four grams of protein, while the yolk includes 2.7 grams of protein.

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.

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The post How much protein does an egg really have? appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

The answer is a little complicated. “It depends on a lot of factors,” says Jessica Cording, R.D., nutritionist and the author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. Those can include what else you’re eating, your total calorie count, and how you’re using protein shakes in your overall diet, she says.

Interested in trying protein shakes to lose weight? Here’s what you need to know.

What is a protein shake?

There’s no official definition for this, Angelone says. “Basically, it is a shake that has a significant amount of protein,” she says. “They can vary widely from about 10 to 40 grams of protein per shake.”

These shakes typically have an added source of protein that can include whey, collagen, or “a variety of plant proteins like pea, hemp, or almond,” shares Angelone.

Protein shakes usually involve blending powder with water or another liquid, adding powder to a smoothie, or buying premixed drinks, Cording says.

Are protein shakes good for weight loss?

There are a few things to consider. “A protein shake may help with weight loss, but that depends on many factors,” Gans says. “For example, drinking one solely in the morning as your breakfast may help provide a convenient way to get nutrition with built-in calorie control.” Protein shakes can also be an “easy grab-and-go snack,” Gans adds.

“Eating more protein during a weight loss can enhance the loss of fat and minimize muscle loss,” Angelone says. “So, for the same amount of weight lost, a greater amount is fat and not muscle loss which is what happens when someone loses weight without enough dietary protein.”

Protein is needed to help support muscle-building and stable blood sugar, Cording says. “It can help you have energy and recover from workouts, and that can all be helpful for weight loss – but it’s not a guarantee,” she says.

But the calories in protein shakes can “add up quickly,” Angelone says, noting that they often have extras like nut butters and coconut oil. “If pre-made shakes are purchased, it is important to read the nutrition facts and ingredient label,” she says.

Cording also stresses the importance of being mindful of your overall calories when you’re using protein shakes for weight loss. “One thing I’ve seen in my practice is somebody incorporates a protein shake, but doesn’t realize that the calorie count might be exceeding their needs,” she says. As a result, they can find it harder to lose weight, she says.

“Ultimately, it really depends on the person and their unique activity, metabolism, and nutritional needs,” Cording says. “Just adding a protein shake alone to your daily routine is not going to guarantee weight loss.”

Types of protein powders

There are different types of protein powders to consider. Cording says the most popular types you might see on an ingredients list include:

• Whey
• Casein
• Soy
• Rice
• Hemp
• Pea

Which type of protein is best?

It depends on what you’re after, along with any individual dietary needs you have. Whey, casein, and soy are what’s known as complete proteins, which means they contain larger amounts of the essential amino acids that your body needs, Cording explains.

But people who eat a plant-based diet or those who can’t take the above three may prefer rice, pea, and hemp protein, Cording says. (Just keep in mind that rice and pea proteins aren’t considered complete proteins.) “My top two favorites are grass-fed whey protein and, for a plant-based option, pea protein,” Cording says.

Challenges of using protein powder for weight loss

If you’re planning to use protein powder for weight loss, there are a few things to keep in mind. “Protein shakes may contain too little or too much protein,” Angelone says. “Excess protein can be converted to fat, just like excess carbs can be converted to fat.”

Some protein powders also have added sugar, and that can add extra calories, Gans says. “Some drinks may have too many calories per serving, interfering with your weight loss goals,” she says.

How to use protein shakes for weight loss

Angelone suggests using a protein shake as a meal replacement. “Dinner is a good time, since dinner is often the largest, most calorie-rich meal of the day,” she says. “A protein shake can supply the protein component with fewer calories.” She recommends adding some spinach to your shake to get a dose of vegetables, too.

You can also use a protein shake in the form of a smoothie in the morning, Angelone says.

Cording offers this simple advice: “Just look at it as a serving of protein. It’s replacing another protein that you may be eating at that meal or snack. It’s a classic exchange system.”

If you’re interested in using a protein shake as part of a weight loss plan but aren’t sure where to start, or you feel like you’re not getting anywhere with it, Cording recommends consulted a registered dietitian. They should be able to provide personalized guidance to help you reach your goals.

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health US.

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The Protein-Packed Diet That Got Jack Champion Jacked For Avatar 

The post Are protein shakes good for weight loss? appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

For anyone wondering, the Aussie actor was a guest on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon and revealed the high caloric intake he was consuming to build the muscle necessary to don the iconic yellow suit.

When asked about his diet, the actor explained, ‘It’s 6,000 calories, and it’s not the calories you necessarily want. Like, half a pizza is 6,000 calories. But no, this is chicken, and it’s tilapia and beans. Tilapia and beans. I don’t know why tilapia. It must be some fish that is lean, and green beans.’

Jackman previously took to Instagram early in the year to post an image of one of the tilapia meals. And it’s fair to say, the tiny portions left a lot to be desired.

The three photos contained portions of fish, broccoli, cottage cheese, asparagus and a slice of lemon – presumably included for some desperately needed flavour. As a rough estimate, each meal would contain:

• 130-150 calories
• 15-25 grams protein
• 3-10 grams carbohydrate
• 1-5 grams fat

To put that into context, the average man needs roughly 2500 calories a day to maintain weight, making Jackman’s meals a very light snack for most of us. After his admission that he ate 6000 calories a day, it’s fair to assume the he would have had to eat a fair few of these portions, or that he was previously in a cutting phase on a lower calorie goal. Regardless, it provides a stark difference to the Sunday roast cheat meals, complete with a pizza side he revealed he was previously eating.

This isn’t the first time Jackman would have been taking part in such a strict diet, and he likely had professional support. The high protein content of the meals and fibre from the greens, are likely selected to support satiety and keep him filled up. However, the meals seem to be very low in overall calories, carbohydrates and fats, making them an insufficient full meal to support an active lifestyle, even for those wanting to cut weight. It goes without saying that for anyone wishing to embark on a weight loss goal, this diet (or lack of) isn’t to be recreated.

Jackman recently revealed it took him six months of intense training to prepare for his return as Wolverine and the actor was seen hitting the gym with some heavy trap bar deadlifts on his Instagram.

Because of last year’s SAG-AFTRA strike, Jackman had to follow the diet for longer than originally planned. He shared, “There’s one particular scene where I really wanted to focus on how I looked. And Shawn said, ‘Where do you want to do that scene?’ And I said, ‘Let’s just put it to the end’. And then the strike came, and I was like, Oh, why did I say that?“

Despite the unappealing content of the diet, the Marvel star reveals in the end, “It’s worth it”, and judging by his return, we’re sure many fans agree.

This article appeared in Men’s Health UK

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WATCH CHARLIE MITCHELL cook anything, as you can at the open kitchen of Clover Hill, his Michelin-starred Brooklyn restaurant, and you’ll witness a sense of focus and calm. Firing off scallops on the grill, plating lamb saddle – Mitchell commands a flow state.

And that sense of balance takes effort. “I say sometimes that chefs should treat their bodies like athletes do,” Mitchell says. “Chefs need to get up everyday and perform at a high level, so eating well and working out keeps me in a good space to be there for my team.”

For him, that’s a mix of running, lifting, swimming, and yoga. He practises breathwork regularly, too. “Fitness to me is just as mental as it is physical, it’s defined to me by activating the mind and body to work together.”

Mitchell’s moderation extends to his approach to drinking. He’s long been a fan of scotch, and recently partnered with Dewar’s, who have helped him build his collection. His currently favorite at the end of a long shift? Their Double Double 21 Year Old Mizunara, which is finished in Japanese oak cask for a smooth, near-vanilla finish.

Make his favourite post-workout meal for Lightly Roasted Salmon with Herb Salsa Verde, Warm Quinoa Salad, and a Fried Egg and you’ll taste that sense of harmony. Tender salmon. Bright herbs. Gooey yolk.

All the parts, working together, in delicious balance.

Nutrition per serving: 666 calories, 39g protein, 42g carbs (6g fibre), 37g fat

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health US.

How To Make Perfect Seared Salmon Every Single Time

Pack on Size with These 10 Protein Pancakes Recipes

The post Stop cooking boring salmon. Use this chef-approved recipe instead appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

Before you jump to conclusions, allow us to clarify that the solution to this problem is not to hop on a plane for a trip to warmer climes, where it’ll be easier to remember to drink water – as tempting as that may be given the piercing cold of Australian winter and the lure of a Euro Summer. That’s because the human body loses around 250ml of water per hour while at high altitudes in a plane, as the interior of an aircraft at 30,000 feet has a lower humidity level than the Sahara desert.

Clearly, staying hydrated is never easy. Be it in summer, winter, on a plane or after a workout, it can be difficult to consume the recommended amount of water, and even if you do, you risk drinking too much and losing electrolytes as a result. To combat this paradoxical challenge, a trusty hydration supplement is the most obvious solution. These supps can deliver the necessary hydration and even bolster your electrolyte levels. Here’s six of the best hydration supplements on the market, to help you get through winter, Euro summer, or any task that requires a little extra hydration.

Liquid I.V.

Price: 10 sachets – $20 | 24 sachets – $40

After developing a cult following overseas, Liquid I.V. has finally landed in Australia. It’s a travel-friendly, scientifically formulated electrolyte drink mix that comes in single-serve sachets known as sticks. Acting as a hydration multiplier, just one stick mixed in 500ml of water is enough to replenish your electrolyte stores and rehydrate you faster than regular water. What’s more, Liquid I.V comes in a range of delectable flavours, from passionfruit and strawberry to lemon lime.

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LVL-UP

Price: 10 sachets – $12.99 | 30 hydration sticks – $24.99

Freshly launched, LVL-UP are new players in the hydration supplement space. Featuring a premium blend of vitamins and electrolytes, just one LVL-UP stick per day can support energy levels and activate fast-acting hydration. Whether you’re taking on an arduous workout or relaxing by the beach, LVL-UP will provide the hydration you need. While taste is the Achilles heel of many supplements, that isn’t an issue with LVL-UP, with lemon & lime, orange and mixed berry flavours.

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Science in Sport Go Hydro Electrolyte Tablets

Price: $24

Simple, practical and effective. SiS Go Hydro was designed to deliver effective hydration in the most efficient way possible. Drop a single effervescent table into water, watch it dissolve and drink up. Then the job is done, 300mg of electrolytes have been injected into your system and you’re primed for peak performance. With zero sugar and zero calories, SiS Go Hydro contains sodium, calcium, magnesium, potassium, B vitamins and green tea extract—excuse the excessive vitamin jargon, but be assured that’s everything you want in a supplement.

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Precision Hydration PH1000

Price: $16.95

If you’re a salty sweater, you can’t look past these tablets from Precision Hydration—to check if you are one, look for the tell-tale white marks on your clothes that present themselves after a workout. Specifically formulated for athletes who expel high amounts of sodium during exercise, PH 1000 is optimal for workout warriors who like to push themselves to their limit.

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SaltStick Fastchews

Price: $38.95

Not only are these compact tablets packed with all the vitamins you need for hydration, consuming them is also incredibly convenient. Pop one into your mouth mid-run, or in-between sets at the gym, and you’ll feel the fast-acting effects almost immediately. With ingredients that minimise heat stress and muscle cramps, Fastchews ensure you’re performing at your best, when you need to be. They also come in a seemingly unlimited range of flavours.

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Berocca Sport Powder Sachets

Price: $14.99

An established force in the vitamin supplement market, Berocca is a big name for a reason. Berocca Sport takes the brand’s typical everyday supplements to the next level, with a formulation that promises to deliver the hydration needed for exercise. It’s low calorie, 99% sugar free, vegetarian and vegan friendly, and all you have to do is drop some into your water bottle. It doesn’t get much easier than that.

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What foods have electrolytes?

If you’re still not keen on supplements, despite their convenience and effectiveness, there are other ways to stay hydrated and replenish electrolytes. Plenty of foods contain electrolytes, but they will take longer to consume, and are still less effective than supplements. Here’s some of the most electrolyte-heavy foods:

• Lentils
• Spinach
• Sunflower seeds
• Pickle juice
• Dried apricots

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The post 6 supplements to help hack your hydration appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

FASTING ISN’T ANYTHING all that new. Certain religions have been advocating it for the practice for centuries – long, long before big-time diet books, Hollywood actors, and Internet fitfluencers began to talk about intermittent fasting.

Intermittent fasting (also abbreviated to IF) is an approach to eating that focuses on, well, not eating. Or at least when you should not eat.

There are all sorts of fasting schedules (16:8, 14:10, and more you can learn about here), though they tend to operate on the basic idea that if you’re restricting when you can eat, you’ll also limit your total caloric intake for the day and thereby reap the supposed rewards (weight loss being the biggie).

But there’s another form of fasting picking up traction in longevity circles. It’s called a “Fasting-Mimicking Diet” and differs from many major fasting schedules in one big way: you get to eat.

What is a fasting-mimicking diet?

THE FAST-MIMICKING DIET is a five-day eating plan that’s like a fast, except you can still consume calories while you’re on it.

You consume about 1,100 calories on day one and then 750 calories per day on days two through five while following a low-protein, low-sugar, high-fat, plant-based diet.

Note that most men need anywhere from 2,000 to 3,000 calories daily, according to the latest recommendations.

The diet is designed to be temporary, with its advocates suggesting a repeat of the diet a few times a year.

Valter Longo, Ph.D., a biologist and director of the USC Longevity Institute, invented the fasting-mimicking diet for patients with cancer. The goal was to develop an eating plan that could regenerate and rejuvenate patients’ cells and organs without depleting their blood sugar or electrolyte levels like a water fast could. Now, Longo says, most people can benefit from the plan.

Longo’s company ProLon, which sells the five-day fasting-mimicking diet in a box, says three cycles of the diet can “fuel your body into rejuvenation, longevity, and healthy living.” They tout metabolic health, cellular rejuvenation, fat-focused weight loss, a changed relationship with food, and more.

Some TikTokers even say the plan reduces bloating, makes their skin glow, and helps them reset after a period of not-so-healthy habits.

Benefits of a fasting-mimicking diet

SOME EMERGING RESEARCH does exist on the diet.

Over the past dozen years, scientists have studied the fasting-mimicking diet in Petri dishes, animals, and humans. (About a quarter of the studies are by Longo and his colleagues.)

Some small studies in humans suggest the fasting-mimicking diet could reduce body mass index, glucose, triglycerides, cholesterol, C-reactive protein (a marker of inflammation), insulin resistance, and liver fat, while boosting immune health and maybe even improving response to chemotherapy in patients with breast cancer.

“It’s probably giving the signal to the body to go into this fat-burning mode, where now insulin is working well, again, versus the fat storage mode, in which insulin resistance develops so that you can put away the fat,” says Longo. How, exactly? “After four or five days of fasting mimicking diet, we believe that either stem cells are turned on, or the cells that are not stem cells, they reprogram into stem-like cells,” says Longo. “So this is very, very clear in mice, and we’re starting to see evidence of that in people.”

And while the diet is short, Longo says it can help people build better habits. “We see a lot of people slowly undergoing a transformation,” says Longo. “I mean, it takes a while, but I think eventually they feel better while they’re doing this, and they gravitate very slowly, because within a couple months, it might take them a year or two to get that, but then slowly, they begin to go towards a much healthier lifestyle.”

So, in short, some preliminary research in cell and animal studies seems promising, but more clinical studies are needed to prove an effect in humans.

Risks of a fasting-mimicking diet

BEYOND THE FACT that the diet is not as well-studied as some proponents lead you to believe, there are other concerns.

It’s one-size-fits-all

The packaged fast-mimicking diet comes with plant-based soups, nut bars, olives, supplements, herbal teas, and a proprietary glycerol drink advertised to burn fat and preserve muscle. “It doesn’t sound very appetising,” says registered dietitian Janet Bond Brill, Ph.D. If you don’t like those foods, you’re out of luck – there are no substitutions.

It’s $$$

At about $200 for five days of food, ProLon is cheaper than eating at restaurants but more expensive than cooking from scratch.

“I think the appeal is that people are like yeah, OK, easy, just get me the food, tell me what to eat, and I don’t have to prepare anything, but I’d just as soon see people buy packaged salad and just real whole food, like bananas and spinach,” says Brill. “Eat a peanut butter and banana sandwich on whole grain.”

It’s intense

And, like any intense diet, the plan could be dangerous for certain people.

Longo says the diet has not caused problems for many of the million-plus people who’ve tried it, but he wouldn’t recommend it for anyone who needs to inject insulin or anyone with a very low body mass index.

Helen Agresti, a registered dietitian nutritionist in private practice and founder of Professional Nutrition Consulting, LLC, says the fasting-mimicking diet isn’t appropriate for anyone with a history of eating disorders. And if you have a pregnant person in your life, they should also steer clear.

Should you do a fasting-mimicking diet?

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED in trying a fast, maybe start elsewhere first.

Brill suggests intermittent fasting, which is cheaper and more customizable than the fasting-mimicking diet and backed by research suggesting it burns fat and increases autophagy, or cellular housekeeping, among other benefits.

An 18:6 plan is usually easiest for beginners, she says. You skip breakfast and eat during a six-hour window of the day. The 5:2 diet is closer to the fasting-mimicking diet – you eat just 600 calories during two consecutive days of the week and eat normally the other days.

Another option is try one of the easier, cheaper ways to reap benefits of fasting. “The way that I describe fasting within my practice to clients is: we’re actually already doing it, or we should be doing it, after we eat dinner, the remainder of the evening,” says Agresti. “We should not be eating before bedtime, and then during our sleep, we’re not eating. And then in the morning, when the sun is up, and we’re up, we should be hungry.”

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.

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The post This temporary fasting plan is taking over Tiktok. Dietitians say hold up appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.

THE TIMING OF protein intake in relation to workouts has been a hot topic of research and discussion in the fitness and sports nutrition communities, as well as at your local squat rack, for years. Should we have our protein shake before our workout? After? During? And is there a optimal window?

Bro science has led people to believe that you must fit your protein into an ‘anabolic window’. However, evidence has found that the window is larger than once believed.

According to a review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Medicine, you don’t need to down a protein shake the minute you step off the gym floor to avoid losing gains. The amount of time to ingest protein is actually much wider- think hours, not minutes- and the main focus should be on total daily-protein intake.

Should you have a protein shake before or after your workout?

The same review reflects that ‘both’ could be the answer. It recommended: high-quality protein dosed at 0.4–0.5 grams per kilogram of lean body mass, both before and after exercise is a simple, relatively fail-safe general guideline.

But there are nuances to consider. Another recent review published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition concluded that any positive effects noted in timing studies were found to be due to an increased overall protein intake, rather than the timing, so further investigation is needed.

The consensus of another study published by PeerJ is that both pre and/or post workout protein intake can contribute to muscle growth. It stated ‘The trainee is free to choose, based on individual factors (i.e., preference, tolerance, convenience and availability), whether to consume protein immediately pre- or post-exercise.’ So, as long as you’re getting enough protein throughout the day, timing shouldn’t matter too much.

How much protein do you need?

Instead of focusing on protein timing, aim to hit a total daily protein target suitable for your own needs. Examine recommends the following daily targets:

Focus on the overall daily protein content of your diet, rather than worrying too much about timing. For active individuals wishing to gain muscle, aiming for a total daily intake of 1.6-2.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body mass should be sufficient.

How to meet your protein target

You may have calculated your protein targets and feel a bit overwhelmed with just how much you need to consume to meet your targets. It’s really important that you slowly increase your protein intake week by week so that you can build a new habit slowly. Behaviour change is crucial for improving nutrition, so if your current intake is a lot lower than your calculated intake, slowly build it up with the following habits to ensure you build long term behaviour changes:

• Including a portion of protein in each meal. You can focus on food sources such as: eggs, chicken, beef, fish, dairy and legumes to do so.
• High-protein snacks in between meals such as yoghurt, eggs or beef jerky.
• Supplementation with protein powders and bars.

Is it better to have a protein shake or a meal after a workout?

A meal will likely contain more nutrients and fibre than a protein shake. While protein intake is important, it’s also vital to get a good balance of carbohydrates, fats and micronutrients in your diet to support your health, performance and recovery. Fibre will also aid your digestion and support cardiovascular and metabolic health according to multiple studies. So a protein shake is great if you’re short on time, but a balanced meal will tick all the boxes. However, MH Fitness Director Andrew Tracey adds that, ‘whilst the research shows that protein shakes are not vital, if you find you’re consistently struggling to hit your daily protein target through whole foods, adopting the habit of a good quality post-workout shake could be a simple tweak that has dramatic results on your training and recovery’. Just ensure that you make up as much of the rest your diet as possible from whole food sources.

When should you drink protein shakes?

As previously mentioned, another important variable to consider, is your own preferences and how convenient it is for you to have protein shakes before or after your workout. Knocking back tonnes of protein as you run the to gym might not be suitable for your needs, or digestion. Consider:

• First and foremost, hitting your daily protein targets over the course of the day.
• Giving yourself enough time to digest the protein shake before your workout, at least 30 minutes-one hour upwards should be sufficient.
• Not stressing about getting your protein in straight after the gym, consume it at a time appropriate for you.
• Having a food first approach. Protein shake supplementation is a convenient way of getting more daily protein in alongside your diet, but focussing on protein intake in your meals is also a worthy contributor to your muscle building goals.

This article originally appeared on Men’s Health UK.

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The post Is it better to have a protein shake before or after you workout? appeared first on Men's Health Magazine Australia.