Elite Physique The New Science of Building a Better Body

Nutrition for Muscle Growth or Fat Loss
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• slowing the release of glucose into the blood; and
• giving you a steady source of energy.
Polyunsaturated fats, such as omega-3s, should be part of your daily fat intake
to reduce inflammation and promote cardiovascular health (Calder 2017; Shahidi
and Ambigaipalan 2018). Excellent sources of omega-3s are wild salmon, mackerel,
and other fatty fish or seafood. But virtually no other foods contain enough
omega-3s to derive substantial health benefits. So if you’re not a fan of fish or
seafood, consider a high-quality fish oil supplement. Other forms of healthy polyunsaturated
fats are found in walnuts, sunflower seeds, and flax seeds. Eating
these foods has been shown to improve heart health (Liu et al. 2017).
Monounsaturated fats finish our list of healthy fats to add to your nutrition
plan. The superstar is extra virgin olive oil, which has shown to have a positive
impact on virtually every aspect of aging (Fernández del Río et al. 2016). That
is why it should be used as your cooking oil and drizzled on your salads and
vegetables. Organic avocados and nuts are an excellent source as well.
To recap, high-quality protein sources contain a significant amount of healthy
fats, but they’re not enough to derive all the potential health and performance
benefits from your daily fat consumption. Therefore, add one or more of the
following to your nutrition plan each day:
• Extra virgin olive oil
• Organic avocado
• Organic nuts
• Organic seeds
• Fish oil (if you don’t consume fish at least twice per week)
Carbohydrate
Carbohydrate is the focus of more online arguments among fitness enthusiasts
than the other two macronutrients combined. At one extreme, advocates of
ketogenic and carnivore diets say carbohydrate isn’t an essential macronutrient.
Humans can live perfectly well on fat and protein. It’s accurate enough, although
it’s an odd argument to make. You can also survive without indoor plumbing.
But why would you want to?
Among nutrition scientists, there’s hardly any debate at all. We know beyond
any reasonable doubt that carbohydrate-rich fruits, vegetables, whole grains,
legumes, nuts, and seeds are all correlated with health and longevity (Herforth
et al. 2019). Plant-based foods are the only dietary source of fiber and the best
source of vitamin C and other crucial antioxidants. By contrast, animal foods are
the only dietary source of vitamin B 12
and creatine. Most other nutrients in meat,
eggs, fish, and dairy can also be found in plants.
In addition, plant foods often provide a lot more than carbohydrate. Legumes
are relatively high in protein, while avocados, nuts, and seeds are great sources
of healthy fats. (Dairy is the only animal-based source of carbohydrate.)
Notice we’re talking about whole or minimally processed foods here. Processing
removes most of the fiber and many of the vitamins and minerals, leaving a more
concentrated source of energy that’s easy to overconsume. Consider potatoes,
for example. A single baked potato, including the skin, includes four grams of