Include More Plant Based Proteins

A person may try a vegan diet for health, animal welfare, or religious reasons. In 2016, the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics stated that a vegetarian or vegan diet could provide all the nutritional requirements of adults, children, and those who were pregnant or breast-feeding.

Even so, getting enough protein and essential vitamins and minerals can be harder for people who do not eat meat or animal products. A person must plan ahead to ensure they get enough protein, calcium, iron, and vitamin B-12, which people on an omnivorous diet get from animal products.

Read on for a list of some of the best plant-based foods for protein. We also discuss the differences between animal and plant proteins, and whether plant-based protein powders can be good sources of protein.

Fourteen best plant-based proteins

The right plant-based foods can be excellent sources of protein and other nutrients, often with fewer calories than animal products.

Some plant products, such as soy beans and quinoa, are complete proteins, which means that they contain all nine essential amino acids that humans need. Others are missing some of these amino acids, so eating a varied diet is important.

The following healthful, plant-based foods have a high-protein content per serving:

1. Lentils

Red or green lentils contain plenty of protein, fiber, and key nutrients, including iron and potassium.

Cooked lentils contain 8.84 g of protein per ½ cup.

Lentils are a great source of protein to add to a lunch or dinner routine. They can be added to stews, curries, salads, or rice to give an extra portion of protein.

2. Chickpeas

Cooked chickpeas are high in protein, containing around 7.25 g per ½ cup.

Chickpeas can be eaten hot or cold, and are highly versatile with plenty of recipes available online. They can, for example, be added to stews and curries, or spiced with paprika and roasted in the oven.

A person can add hummus, which is made from chickpea paste, to a sandwich for a healthful, protein-rich alternative to butter.

3. Peanuts

Peanuts are protein-rich, full of healthful fats, and may improve heart health. They contain around 20.5 g of protein per ½ cup.

Peanut butter is also rich in protein, with 8 g per tablespoon, making peanut butter sandwiches a healthful complete protein snack.

4. Almonds

Almonds offer 16.5 g of protein per ½ cup. They also provide a good amount of vitamin E, which is great for the skin and eyes.

5. Spirulina

Spirulina is blue or green algae that contain around 8 g of protein per 2 tablespoons. It is also rich in nutrients, such as iron, B vitamins — although not vitamin B-12 — and manganese.

Spirulina is available online,  as a powder or a supplement. It can be added to water, smoothies, or fruit juice. A person can also sprinkle it over salad or snacks to increase their protein content.

6. Quinoa

Quinoa is a grain with a high-protein content, and is a complete protein. Cooked quinoa contains 8 g of protein per cup.

This grain is also rich in other nutrients, including magnesium, iron, fiber, and manganese. It is also highly versatile.

Quinoa can fill in for pasta in soups and stews. It can be sprinkled on a salad or eaten as the main course.

7. Mycoprotein

Mycoprotein is a fungus-based protein. Mycoprotein products contain around 13 g of protein per ½ cup serving.

Products with mycoprotein are often advertised as meat substitutes and are available in forms such as "chicken" nuggets or cutlets. However, many of these products contain egg white, so people must be sure to check the label.

A very small number of people are allergic to Fusarium venenatum, the fungus from which the mycoprotein brand known as Quorn is made. People with a history of mushroom allergies or with many  food allergies may wish to consider another protein source.

8. Chia seeds

Seeds are low-calorie foods that are rich in fiber and heart-healthy  Omega-3 fatty acids. Chia seeds are a complete source of protein that contain 2 g of protein per tablespoon.

Try adding chia seeds to a smoothie, sprinkling them on top of a plant-based yogurt, or soaking them in water or almond milk to make a pudding.

Chia seeds are available from some supermarkets, health food stores, or to buy online.

9. Hemp seeds

Similarly to chia seeds, hemp seeds are a complete protein. Hemp seeds offer 5 g of protein per tablespoon. They can be used in a similar way to chia seeds. Hemp seeds can also be bought online.

10. Beans with rice

Separately, rice and beans are incomplete protein sources. Eaten together, this classic meal can provide 7 g of protein per cup.

Try rice and beans as a side dish, or mix rice, beans, and hummus together then spread on Ezekiel bread, which is made from sprouted grains, for a savory, protein-packed meal.

11. Potatoes

A large baked potato offers 8 g of protein per serving. Potatoes are also high in other nutrients, such as potassium and vitamin C.

Add 2 tablespoons of hummus for a flavorful snack that is healthier than butter-covered potatoes and increases the protein content. Two tablespoons of hummus contain about 3 g of protein.

12. Protein-rich vegetables

Many dark-colored, leafy greens and vegetables contain protein. Eaten alone, these foods are not enough to meet daily protein requirements, but a few vegetable snacks can increase protein intake, particularly when combined with other protein-rich foods.

         •        a single, medium stalk of broccoli contains about 4 g of protein

         •        kale offers 2 g of protein per cup

         •        5 medium mushrooms offer 3 g of protein

Try a salad made from baby greens with some quinoa sprinkled on top for a protein-rich meal.

13. Seitan

Seitan is a complete protein made from mixing wheat gluten with various spices. The high-wheat content means that it should be avoided by people with celiac or gluten intolerance.  For others, it can be a protein-rich healthful meat substitute.

When cooked in soy sauce, which is rich in the amino acid lysine, seitan becomes a complete protein source offering 21 g per 1/3 cup.

14. Ezekiel bread

Ezekiel bread is a nutrient-dense alternative to traditional bread. It is made from barley, wheat, lentils, millet, and spelt. Ezekiel bread is an excellent choice for bread lovers who want a more nutritious way to eat toast or sandwiches.

Ezekiel bread offers 4 g of protein per slice. Get even more protein by toasting Ezekiel bread and spreading it with peanut or almond butter.

Salt Therapy Benefits

You may already be using Pink Himalayan Salt on your food, but have you ever tried salt therapy? There are actually several ways you can reap the benefits of salt therapy at home or at a salt therapy spa.

Is it bad to inhale salt? One of the best health benefits of salt therapy is said to be its ability to help you breathe better. According to the Lung Institute, salt’s antibacterial and anti-inflammatory properties combined with its ability to help remove airborne pathogens while decreasing allergic reactions makes it a great therapeutic choice for people with asthma, bronchitis and even COPD. 

Before you visit your nearest salt therapy spa, let’s talk about all of the potential benefits of this ancient practice and more forms of incredible salt therapy.

What Is Salt Therapy?

Salt therapy comes in several forms that can be divided into two main categories: wet salt therapy or dry salt therapy.

Wet salt therapy includes the use of neti pots, salt centric gargling mixtures, salt scubs, soaking in salt water baths and internal salt water flushes. 

What is dry salt therapy? 

It’s a form of salt therapy in an environment that has no moisture or humidity. Dry salt therapy takes place in a space that is often referred to as a “salt cave,” but a salt spa might also call it their “salt therapy room.”

Dry salt therapy is also called halotherapy or speleotherapy. According to the Salt Therapy Association, speleotherapy takes place below the Earth’s surface in naturally occurring salt caves and mines. Halotherapy, on the other hand, is a form of dry salt therapy that uses man-made salt caves created through the use of a halogenerator that disperses a dry salt aerosol into the salt “cave” or room. So with both forms of salt cave therapy, you are breathing in salty air but speleotherapy is naturally occurring salt while halotherapy uses natural salt that is pumped into a man-made environment. 

Other forms of dry salt therapy include salt inhalers and salt lamps. These forms of salt therapy at home are easy to do and not too pricey.

What is a salt inhaler? How do you use a salt inhaler? A salt inhaler, also called a salt pipe, is a small, ceramic device that you fill with with pink Himalayan salt crystals. To use the inhaler, you put your mouth on the mouthpiece and deeply inhale through your month. A salt inhaler is used as an alternative therapy for respiratory concerns.

So how does a salt lamp work? A real Himalayan salt lamp is a solid block of Himalayan salt that has been hand-carved and in the hollowed-out center is a light bulb that gives off both light and heat. Since salt is hygroscopic (attracts water molecules), it can attract water molecules along with any indoor air pollutants like mold, bacteria and allergens. When the water vapor meets the salt lamp surface, the pollutants are believed to remain trapped within the salt. Just beware of the salt lamp hoax and learn how to spot real (Himalayan salt lamp) vs fake salt lamps.

How Does Salt Therapy Work?

The main idea behind all salt therapy is that by coming in contact with salt — through some form of wet or dry salt therapy — you can enhance your health and well-being. Salt water soaks and salt room therapy are also known for being highly relaxing and stress-reducing. 

So why can salt therapy have positive effects on the body? According to the Lung Institute, salt has some incredible properties including: 

• Antibacterial

• Anti-inflammatory

• Loosens excessive mucus and speeds up mucociliary transport

• Removes pathogens (ie., airborne pollen)

• Reduces IgE level (immune system oversensitivity)

4 Major Benefits of Salt Therapy

Respiratory Ailments

The theory behind dry salt therapy and its ability to improve respiratory problems is that the salt helps to decrease inflammation and open up airway passages while helping to get rid of allergens and toxins from the respiratory system.

According to the Salt Therapy Association, many people who make halotherapy a part of their “wellness routine” may find relief from several respiratory health conditions including:

• Asthma

• Allergies

• Bronchitis

• Common cold

• COPD

• Cystic fibrosis

• Ear infections

• Sinusitis

• Smokers cough

The Salt Therapy Association also points out that “for respiratory conditions low concentration and gradual administration of dry salt and consistency of the sessions are the key elements for successful results.” 

Is there any science to back this all up? A double-blind, controlled, pilot study published in 2017 looked at the effects of halotherapy on young children (ages 5–13 years) with a clinical diagnosis of mild asthma who were not receiving any anti-inflammatory therapy.

Twenty nine children had 14 sessions of halotherapy in  salt room with a halogenerator over the course of seven weeks while the other 26 were put in a salt room without a salt halogenerator. The group that received halotherapy exhibited a “statistically significant improvement” in bronchial hyper-responsiveness (BHR) and overall, the researchers conclude that a salt room with halogenerator may have some beneficial effects in mild asthmatic children. 

Multiple studies also demonstrate the positive effects of halotherapy on patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary diseases such as chronic bronchitis and asthma. Improvements in lung function and decreases in blood pressure have specifically been observed. 

Another example of salt therapy benefiting respiratory problems is a 2008 study which found that inhaling a three percent saline solution is a safe and effective form of treatment for infants with bronchiolitis, a common lung infection in young children and infants. 

Skin Conditions

Making dry salt therapy a regular practice is said to possibly help people with various skin conditions including: 

• Aging

• Acne

• Dermatitis

• Dry, flaky skin

• Eczema

• Itching

• Psoriasis 

• Rashes

• Rosacea

• Swollen/innflammaed skin

Wet salt therapy has also been shown in scientific research to improve skin hydration, skin roughness and skin redness making it a great option for people with eczema and other dry skin conditions. A study published in theInternational Journal of Dermatology had volunteers with atopic dry skin submerge one of their forearms in a bath solution containing five percent Dead Sea salt for 15 minutes while their other arm was submerged in tap water as a control.

What were the results? The arms bathed in salt water experienced improvements in skin barrier function and stratum corneum  hydration as well as decreases in skin roughness and inflammation. The researchers mainly attributed the skin benefits of the Dea Sea salt soak to its rich magnesium content. 

Immune System Booster

There’s good reason why salt is commonly used in food preservation — the antimicrobial properties of salt (NaCl) are extremely impressive. Research has shown that salt reduces bacterial contamination in food from the following bacteria that causes major sickness in humans: Salmonella typhimurium, and Listeria monocytogenes. 

Studies also demonstrate halotherapy’s ability to boost the immune system. Research conducted to find out the benefits of halotherapy as part of a combined treatment approach for chronic bronchitis patients found that in addition to improved lung function, there were also normalized measurements of reduced immunity. 

Reduce Inflammation

Research conducted at The University of Manchester demonstrates another major benefit of salt — its ability to reduce inflammation, which is huge since we know that inflammation is a the root of most diseases 

 According to the research using animal subjects, a hypertonic solution (a solution with an elevated concentration of salt) “can ease inflammation purely through bathing in it.” The salty liquid was also shown to reduce inflammation when applied via bandages.

It seems as though the hypertonic solution produces an osmotic gradient through the skin. An osmotic gradient is a pressure caused by water molecules that forces water to move from areas of high water potential to areas of low water potential. The researchers point out that this explains why salty hot springs are known to improve pain associated with inflammatory conditions like rheumatoid arthritis.

History of Salt Therapy

Halotherapy comes from the Greek word for salt which is “halo.” Salt therapy is a newer practice in the U.S., but it’s been used in places like Europe for hundreds of years. It’s said that European monks started using salt therapy centuries ago when they noticed that respiratory ailments improved faster after spending time in natural salt caverns. In written records from the 12th century, there is also one of the first mentions of spa resorts featuring salt water mineral baths in Poland. 

In the the 1840s, a Polish physician named Dr. Felix Bochkowsky noticed that metal and coal miners had a tendency to experience severe respiratory problems, but salt miners tended to be healthier than most people. This lead Dr. Bochkowsky to publish a book about the health benefits of salt dust.

Fast forward to World War II when German salt mines were used as bomb shelters. When there were bombings, people would have to stay in the mines for long amounts of time breathing in all that salt dust. The good news? When people with breathing problems left the salt shelters, they supposedly could breathe much easier.

Salt Caves

Salt caves are also called salt rooms or salt chambers. How does a salt room work? Dry salt room therapy includes spending time relaxing in a man-made environment breathing in salt-infused air.  The dry salt therapy can either be in an active salt room or a passive salt room. The active room uses a halogenerator to put micro-particles of salt into the air of an enclosed space so that you can then breathe it in and also so that your skin can come in contact with the salt. This variety of dry salt therapy is called halotherapy.

Passive salt rooms (speleotherapy) are also man-made, but instead of using a halogenerator to put salt into the environment, they fill the space with large quantities of salt. The idea is to simulate natural salt caves like those found in Europe.

Man-made salt caves can use various types of sea salt. Many choose to use pink sea salt. Where does pink sea salt come from? True Pink Himalayan sea salt comes from salt mines 5,000 feet deep below the Himalayan Mountain Range. The salt can be pink, red or white, and all of the colors are indicative of its impressive natural mineral content.

Precautions

Salt therapy side effects from halotherapy have been known to include a slight cough, minor tightness in the chest or runny nose, which salt therapy providers typically say is a result of the salt doing its work to remove mucus and toxins from the lungs and airways.

Halotherapy is not recommended for people with a fever, contagious disease, open wounds, cancer, severe hypertension, mental disorders or active tuberculosis.

If you’re pregnant or have any health concerns, talk to your doctor before trying halotherapy or any other form of salt therapy.

Are there any other salt therapy dangers? According to the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America: “Inhaling concentrated salts (hypertonic saline) has been proven to irritate the airways, causing cough and mucus, which can make asthma worse for some people. Halotherapy, or sitting in a salt room, is not likely to make your asthma better. For most asthma patients, halotherapy is ‘likely safe.’ Since you don’t know how you will react, AAFA warns that it is best to err on the side of caution and avoid salt rooms.” 

There Are No Shortcuts To A Healthy Diet

The most popular vitamin and mineral supplements that people take make no difference to a person’s health, a five-year study has revealed, surprising even the researchers, who expected to find at least some positives.

According to the research that ran from 2012 to 2017, the most consumed supplements – vitamin C, vitamin D, calcium, and multivitamins – did nothing to prevent heart attacks, strokes, cardiovascular disease, or death.  

"We were surprised to find so few positive effects of the most common supplements that people consume," said Dr David Jenkins, the study's lead author, in a statement.  "Our review found that if you want to use multivitamins, vitamin D, calcium or vitamin C, it does no harm – but there is no apparent advantage either."

The study, published in the Journal of the American College of Cardiology, did, however, demonstrate a relatively small benefit in taking folic acid and B-vitamins (reducing risk of cardiovascular disease and death), and even a slight increased risk in antioxidant mixtures and niacin (which lowers cholesterol but can raise blood sugar levels).

There was no evidence that vitamins C and D, calcium, and beta-carotene made any difference at all to reducing risk of heart disease, stroke, or influenced longevity.

So what does that mean?

The authors were keen to stress in the study that the treatment of micronutrient deficiencies in the last 200 years is one of medicine’s greatest achievements. However, the emphasis has shifted to using them as preventative measures, with no evidence to support that, and increasingly as some kind of promise of overall health and long life – again, of which there is no evidence for.

Past studies have shown that an excess of minerals and antioxidant supplements actually cause deficiencies in other important minerals such as zinc and iron by preventing the body from naturally absorbing them through food.

And, of course, this isn't the first time researchers have demonstrated there are no real advantages to taking multivitamins and minerals unless you specifically need to: you can read past studies here, here, and here showing that.

The bottom line is there is no shortcut to a healthy diet, other than actually having a healthy diet. Take supplements for any micronutrient deficiencies you have on your doctor's recommendation, but if anyone is selling you on the all-encompassing benefits of already easily accessible vitamins, it’s more likely they have a bigger interest in your wallet than your health.

"So far, no research on supplements has shown us anything better than healthy servings of less processed plant foods including vegetables, fruits, and nuts," Dr Jenkins said.

Let's talk about eating. Nutrition is just as important as lifting for improving fitness, looking good, and gaining strength. When the two go hand-in-hand, amazing things are possible.

You already know if you eat too few calories you'll starve your muscles—and feel awful. If you eat too many you'll gain extra body fat. But the story doesn't end there. Although how many calories you eat in a day is important, your ideal nutritional plan for maximizing gains is also about what types of food you eat, as well as meal timing.

HOW IMPORTANT IS IT TO HAVE A PRE-WORKOUT MEAL?

Nutrition is perhaps the most important factor in the fitness lifestyle. The right vitamins, minerals, macronutrients, calorie levels, and meal timing are needed for the body to function at its very best. Quality nutrition fuels our bodies for maximum performance.

What you eat before a workout determines whether or not you will have the energy to achieve your greatest potential during each session. It can make a big effect in getting a extra couple reps, or increasing the amount of weight during your lifts.

Pre-workout nutrition is very underrated. Plenty of lifters see the importance of the post-workout meal, getting in the fast-digesting protein and carbs, when in fact the pre-workout meal is just as important—and for many of us, completely nonexistent.

Eating before training fuels your body for ideal performance. Failing to eat before you work out means you are missing a huge opportunity to keep your body in an anabolic (muscle-building) state.

By paying special attention to nutrition before you train, you can also maximize how much of your food is used to build lean mass, and minimize how much of it becomes body fat.

WHAT TO EAT BEFORE A WORKOUT

Eating the right foods before a workout makes all the difference. The idea of pre-workout nutrition is to give your body what it needs to perform at maximum intensity, and prepare your muscles for growth.

A pre-workout meal should increase glycogen levels in the body and help prevent catabolism. 

Protein is made up of individual amino acids. These are the building blocks of muscle, help prevent catabolism, and fight off hunger cravings. Calories from carbohydrates affect your blood-sugar levels, giving you a quick burst of energy if they are simple and quick-digesting, and lasting energy if they are more complex. Fats help maintain optimal hormone levels and provide slow-burning fuel for longer sessions.

Your pre-workout fuel should be composed of medium- to fast-digesting proteins and slower digesting carbs. 

PRE-WORKOUT MEALS TO BURN FAT AND BUILD MUSCLE:

• Egg Whites and Whole Grain Bread: Egg whites are quick-digesting, and whole grain bread is a quick and convenient medium-digesting carb.

• Nut based milk and Oatmeal: Oatmeal is a good pre-workout meal, especially when you add protein. Nut milk which is an ideal pre-workout protein, and the slow-digesting oats keep you feeling full and focused as you pump out those reps!

• Chicken and Yams: A bodybuilder classic, chicken and yams are the perfect pre-workout combo. You can also eat them post-workout to cut down on meal prep!

• Tuna and Brown Rice: Any light, low-fat fish will do, but nothing beats tuna for convenience, and the brown rice adds flavor and fuel for your lifts.

• Ground Turkey and Black Beans: Add a bit of seasoning to the ground turkey and a couple of corn tortillas, and you have a low-fat, high-energy, pre-workout snack you can eat on the go.

Since fat delays food leaving the stomach, known as "gastric emptying" it can slow down your body's uptake of nutrients and should be avoided pre- and post-workout. The only exception would be if you plan on working out intensely for longer than 90 minutes, in which case your body could use that fat calories as fuel. 

HOW MUCH TIME SHOULD THERE BE BETWEEN YOUR PRE-WORKOUT MEAL AND YOUR WORKOUT?

Pre-workout meal timing is an important piece of the picture. For most people, the perfect time for a pre-workout snack or meal is 1-2 hours before training. This depends on your metabolism, how big the meal is, and perhaps what type of exercise you're doing.

The fuel you ingest before training will only be available in your bloodstream for a few hours, so you don't want to wait too long—like 4-5 hours—before working out or you'll lose those pre-workout nutrients. However, you also don't want to cram down a huge, veggie-packed meal right before a high intensity workout.  

Eating an hour or two before you work out provides the perfect opportunity to feed your muscles strategically while you work out. During resistance exercise, your muscles will fill or "pump up" with blood and become extremely sensitive to the nutrients you've consumed.

This is why pre-workout nutrition is so important. What you ingest can go straight to the areas being trained.

WHAT FOODS SHOULD YOU EAT WHILE WORKING OUT?

Eating mid-workout doesn't make much sense, not only because it's inconvenient, but also because your body would expend energy digesting food when it should be focused on the workout.

That said, you definitely burn fuel during intense training. During a heavy training session your body uses up plenty of carbs, which are broken down into glycogen. That's the fuel your muscles need for exercise, and without it performance suffers.

You also need amino acids, which is why your body breaks down any available protein when you lift. Topping up your stores while training helps spare glycogen, and decreases catabolism by providing a steady source of amino acids.

A proper pre-workout nutrition plan can take care of all of this. By timing the pre-workout meal appropriately, you should already have these essential macronutrients for growth entering your bloodstream when you walk into the gym, ready to feed those hungry muscles. If this is the case, then all you need during your session is water. 

WHAT TO DRINK DURING YOUR WORKOUT

If you know you’ll be training longer than an hour and a half, it might make sense to drink something during your workout to keep your energy levels up and maintain steady blood-sugar levels.

When you exercise for long periods of time, your body can enter a catabolic state and end up breaking down the muscle tissue you're trying to build. Sipping a protein shake during your workout helps counteract this protein breakdown, because it provides the body with exactly what it needs. During long training sessions, consuming a shake can be anti-catabolic.

When you exercise, blood rushes into your muscles and they become more receptive to nutrients. This is why BCAAs are a popular intra-workout drink. They immediately provide you with essential amino acids and energy, and do not require any digesting. Remember, the last thing you want is to unnecessarily divert blood to your digestive tract! They also usually have low or no calories.

While it is not necessary to eat during a workout if your pre-workout strategy is in check, there's nothing wrong with consuming a shake or amino acids during your session, provided your stomach can handle it and the amount you consume does not require a lot of digesting. This is especially true if you prefer longer, more intense training sessions.

THE IMPORTANCE OF POST-WORKOUT NUTRITION

If you are serious about lifting and you want the best results, proper post-workout nutrition is essential. Refueling your body after a workout is one of the most important parts of building muscle and recovering.

If you don't eat the right foods after training, or you don't eat them at the right time, your performance the next time will suffer, your gains will not be as good as they could be, and you could end up losing mass along the way. Plus, you're setting yourself up for extra soreness—not fun.

The most important reason to eat something after you work out is to elicit an insulin response.  Insulin is a highly anabolic hormone, and spiking it halts protein breakdown and helps encourage protein synthesis.

Skipping this meal means you will miss out on these anabolic effects. You will only encourage further protein breakdown, which over time leads to a loss of mass.

To put it simply: Eating after you work out helps builds muscle and end protein breakdown for better recovery.

WHAT TO EAT OR DRINK IMMEDIATELY AFTER EXERCISE

After an intense training session, your glycogen stores are depleted. Refilling them halts protein breakdown and increases protein synthesis.

As opposed to pre-workout nutrition, where complex carbohydrates are preferred, your carbs here should be simple and easy to digest in order to illicit an insulin response to build muscle, stave off soreness, and recover more quickly.

The best choices for immediately after the gym are fast-digesting proteins and faster-digesting, moderate-to-high-glycemic carbs.

Fats should be largely avoided here, as they were during the pre-workout meal. They slow down the digestive process, and this is the one time you don't want to slow the flow of nutrients into your body.

WHAT SHOULD GO IN A POST-WORKOUT PROTEIN SHAKE

The goal of here is to replenish glycogen levels and give your body what it needs to recover. Carbohydrates alone can accomplish the first goal, but the response is greater when you consume carbs and protein together.

This is why a recovery protein shake is used almost universally by serious gym goers. Liquid nutrients are the most readily digestible form—exactly what you are looking for immediately after you lift. If you are serious about your gains, an after-workout shake is a no-brainer.

No, it doesn't have to be right after you finish in the so-called "anabolic window," but it doesn't hurt to have it right after a workout. Why? The sooner you get that shake down, the sooner it can do its work, and the sooner you can eat again.

There is a wide range of protein shakes on the market.  I personally stay clear of whey, although it contains a full range of amino acids.  However, whey is derived from dairy, which can make it difficult to digest.  I suggest looking for a non-soy plant based protein.  Although soy is a good protein source, it is estrogen producing and is a highly processed crop.  A good ratio is 2:1 carbs-to-protein when gaining weight, and 1:1 or lower when cutting fat. 

And this isn't the time for your almond butter, chocolate, and chia smoothie. All that fat and fiber will just make the protein and carbs take longer to get where they're needed.

WHEN TO EAT YOUR POST-WORKOUT MEAL

Time your post-workout meal for no longer than 1-2 hours after you work out. If you consumed a shake during your workout, skip the shake immediately afterward and eat a meal about 30-45 minutes after that last sip of your intra-workout shake.

Your post-workout meal should include veggies and other whole foods, and not be just another protein shake. Your body needs fiber and vitamins from REAL FOODS! 

Once again, pay attention to protein, fat, and carbohydrate content as this will have an effect on how your body recovers and rebuilds tissue. Since you've already consumed the nutrients your body needs quickly with your shake, you can include a little bit of fat in this meal.

EXAMPLES OF POST-WORKOUT MEALS

• Pork Loin and Baked Red Potatoes: "The other white meat" gives you a blast of protein, and the starchy potatoes are a source of fast-digesting carbs.

• Chicken Breast and Pasta: Toss with tomato sauce or season with herbs to add more flavor to this simple meal. Adding a little olive oil isn't a bad idea, either.

• Salmon, Carrots, and Green Beans: Salmon is a natural source of healthy omega-3 fatty acids that fight exercise-related soreness. Veggies like carrots and green beans are low-calorie and high in vitamins for optimum gains.

• Lean Beef Patty, Whole-Wheat Bun, and Sliced Avocado: Lean beef is an iron-rich protein source, the whole-wheat bun is a healthy source of carbs, and the natural healthy fats of the avocado also add delicious flavor!

• Smoothie with Greek Yogurt and Fruit: A great breakfast if you train early in the morning, the whey and casein combo of the yogurt helps support protein synthesis, and the sugar in the fruit helps raise insulin.

SIMPLE VS. COMPLEX CARBS POST-WORKOUT

After your training session, you can either create another insulin spike with fast-digesting, simple carbohydrates, or use complex, slow-burning carbs to stabilize blood sugar and prevent unwanted fat gain.

Insulin is anti-catabolic when raised right after exercise, and anabolic when raised at rest. Put simply, an insulin spike stops protein breakdown right after working out, and you can encourage anabolism by creating another spike with your post-workout meal.

Of course, you have to work out for insulin to help you build muscle. You can't just slam a shake and sit on the couch expecting massive gains.

Your other option would be to include complex carbs like oatmeal, rather than simple carbs like candy. Insulin is as much a fat-storing hormone as it is an anabolic hormone, so if you want to avoid gaining extra body fat while you build mass, it makes sense to keep your blood-sugar levels stable after you train and not spike them a second time.

Many people claim they experience "leaner gains" when they switch to slow-burning complex carbohydrates.

The arguments for fast-burning, simple carbs versus slow-burning, complex carbs both have merit, so ultimately it depends on your goals, and what you feel your body best responds to.