This alternative to a traditional sugar filled delight might be just what you are looking for and I call it my Muscle Dessert.  It is high in protein, low in saturated fat and unwanted nasty calories, and really tastes pretty good.  The best part is…..it takes seconds to make!!  The two main ingredients are fat free ricotta cheese and imitation vanilla.  Stir in vanilla to taste and eat it down baby!

Experiment and try adding other ingredients to it like cinnamon (which by the way has been shown to be very healthy for you), fruits, raisins, flavored protein powders, cocoa powder, rolled oats, honey, and any other thing that sounds good.  Remember though we are trying to create a dessert with some health benefits. Hot fudge would be a no-no.

Try it and let me know what you think.  Feel free to share your recipe that you come up with in the comments section below.  Enjoy!

To your health,

Jerry

My Poor Man’s Protein recipe is one that I always give to everyone I work with.  It makes a great snack, desert, or even small meal.  The best part is that it is cheap, nutritious and easy to make.  All you need is fat free cottage cheese and your favorite brand of yogurt.

1 Cup of Fat Free Cottage Cheese

1 Cup Of Organic Blueberry Yogurt

Mix togather in a bowl and enjoy!  It equals approximately 35 grams of protein baby!!

Obviously, you can adjust the portion size and also add fresh fruit, raisins, and/or nuts for a more desired flavor or texture.

Hope this helps and feel free to post some of your favorite nutritious snack ideas in the comments section.

To your health,

Jerry

I was amazed at how well the first Muscle Meal video post was received and how many requests I had for another quick and easy breakfast meal that I had to share my famous breakfast egg sandwich.  What is great about it is how simple it is to make and so little clean up afterwards not to mention how nutritious it is.  These are all things I love when it comes to breakfast foods and trying to get to the weight room at 5:30 AM.

Here are the ingredients:

2 Organic Eggs (egg whites could be substituted)

1 Slice of Cheese

Bread or Bagel of choice (always go with wheat or 12 gran breads or natural home baked bread with no preservatives)

Pinch of Pepper

1/2 Teaspoon Hot Sauce (optional)

Slice of Ham or Turkey Bacon (optional)

Prep: Just follow the directions in the video.

Obviously, you could modify the ingredients to your liking.  I failed to mention that a nice piece of fruit like a banana or orange with this really helps to complete this small meal.  I really try and get most of my shopping done these days at farmers markets.  The food is healthier for you and is ALWAYS cheaper than a grocery store.  I also feel good that I am supporting local farmers in our area.  If you never shop at farmers markets then you MUST start.  Trust me you will thank me!

Hope you enjoy my breakfast sandwich.

To your health,

Jerry

I really want to make something clear to everyone; any exercise  program will produce some sort of result if there is effort placed  behind the program. Yes, some workouts are better than others  and I don’t think anyone has the “perfect” exercise program.  Trainers will agree and disagree about fitness training  philosophies but everyone agrees that nutrition is a key factor to  the success of any fitness program.

People make nutrition much more complicated than it needs to be.  What to eat?  How much to eat?  When to eat?  Do I need  supplements? Should I take vitamins? How do I make smart food choices? OK, let’s go through each of these and let’s see if we can’t make them very simple answers without having to open up a text book or pull-up some type of calorie counting system.

What to eat?  Well you know you need carbohydrates, proteins, fats, and water in your daily diet.  The key here is to select the right kinds of these food groups.  Here is some examples of some great food choices:

Carbohydrates: Potatoes, Yams, Brown Rice, Pasta, Oatmeal, Barley, Whole-grain breads and pitas, Oranges, Apples, Berries.

Proteins: Turkey breast, Chicken, Fish (salmon, tuna, swordfish, orange roughy, etc), Lean ground beef, Buffalo, Venison, eggs, cottage Cheese, Low-fat cheeses, Crab, Lobster, Shrimp.

Fats:  With a well balanced diet; usually your fat intake is taken care of through the balance of carbohydrates and proteins.

Water: I recommend a gallon a day. I also believe in water that has gone through a water system to remove all the chlorine that is in treated tap water. It is just not a chemical that I think people should consume into their bodies. I put a water system in our house and although it was a little expensive; I do not think you can put a price tag on removing that chemical from your water source.

How much to eat?  This can get very technical depending on what expert you talk to , but we are going to keep it very simple.  Stick your arms out straight and look at the back of your hands, now make a fist with both hands.  Think of your left hand as your carbohydrate and your right hand as your protein.  These are your portion sizes “for you”.  If you are still hungry between your portion meals eat as many “raw” fruits and veggies as you like.  I never put a limit on fruits and veggies as long as they are raw and as often as you can make them organic.  If you can, lean a little more towards raw veggies; they do not contain as much natural sugar as fruits.

When to eat?  You have always heard your mother tell you that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and guess what…mom knows best!  Always start off your day with a big healthy breakfast.  Then you should eat your portion meals every 2.5-4 hours after that throughout the entire day.  This will equal about 5-7 portion sized meals.  This may sound like a lot at first but your body will become a calorie burning machine and you will be able to use the nutrients much more efficiently than eating 3 big meals a day.  Also note that it is very important to eat 20-50 minutes directly after your workouts.  This is a golden opportunity for your body to maximize the nutrition uptake and start the recovery process from your workout.

Do I need supplements? Should I take vitamins? How do I make smart food choices?
Watch for Part II, as I will give you my opinions. At this time, I want to point out that I am by no means a certified nutritionist. Everything in these posts, I base off my experience and my personal opinion. I recommend that people seek out the advice of a certified nutritionist if you want a very detailed and tailor made program for yourself.

Train with a purpose,
Jerry