In fact, one potential issue people face when transitioning to a healthier diet is exactly that: what to make when inviting people over for dinner. On the one hand, you want to keep making healthy meals but on the other hand, you don’t want to offer your guests something they might perceive as bland ‘diet food’.

Thankfully, it is possible to make healthy food taste great and today’s recipe satisfies the bill. The recipe du jour is a chicken curry recipe, one that just tastes fantastic!

Although the original version calls for sour cream, I swapped that out for 2% mf Greek Yogourt. This bumps up the protein content, drops the caloric impact significantly and does nothing to detract from the original taste.

Don’t allow the large number of spices this recipe calls for to dissuade you, it’s well worth the effort. Plus if you make a large enough batch, toss your extras into some freezer-safe glass containers and you’ll have grab-and-go ready meals for your week.

Low Fat Chicken Curry
(makes 6 servings)
Low Fat Chicken Curry download

 Ingredients

• 2 cup chopped onions
• 1 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 tbsp cinnamon
• 5 cloves garlic
• 2 cups canned tomato
• 1 tbsp salt
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp cumin
• 2 tbsp ginger
• 1 tbsp coriander
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 4 cups mushroom
• 6-7 chicken thighs (bone-in works best)
• 1 cup Greek yogourt (2% mf)
• 1 cup water
• 1 tsp cayenne (optional)

Directions

1. Heat oil in a large saucepan. Dice onions and toss into pan. Once onions are translucent, add in garlic and cinnamon and continue to cook for 1-2 minutes.

2.  On medium heat, add tomato, salt, pepper, ginger, cumin, coriander, garam masala and mushrooms to the pan. Heat for several minutes.

3. Clean chicken thighs with water and lemon juice, then add into pan. Cooked until chicken is browned on the outside.

4. Reduce heat and add water and yogourt. Simmer mixture for 30-45 minutes.

5. Remove chicken from mixture. Scrape the meat from the bone. Add the meat back to the mixture, discard the skin and bones. Continue cooking for 10-15 minutes.

Nutrition info (per serving):  300 kcal, 10 g fat, 17 g carbohydrates, 38 g protein.

As you can see this is the type of meal that packs a flavourful punch, without have to blow your day’s calorie load to do it. To make it even more physique friendly, go right ahead and serve this curry on a bed of steamed cauliflower or spaghetti squash… adding more vegetables to your daily routine is never a bad thing as far as your waist line and health are concerned.

So there you go, yet another way to make good food, taste great.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

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1. Healthy Ideas for the Lazy: Vegetables in a Bag
2. Coconut Classics
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Anyway, I thought to re-start my blogging efforts, I’d throw together a very short summary of all things protein powders.

Protein powders still seem to be shrouded in mystery for many people and I’ve heard all kinds of claims associated with them: protein powders are a bad for your kidneys (most definitely not), protein powders are a processed food (true) and all processed foods are bad (incorrect), protein powders are dangerous for kids (not unless they trip over a tub and break a wrist), and so on and so forth.

“Safer for Kids than a Plastic Bag!”

Let’s look at the question of “processed” because that’s where a lot of people cognitively struggle with protein powders. Yes, all protein powders are a processed food (let’s be honest, our ancestors never hunted tubs of protein in antiquity), however, they still rank fairly high on my “foods to build a diet around” recommendations.

Why is this?

Simple: our food supply has changed dramatically in the past 100-150 years and it’s unrealistic to expect we return to a time where everyone eats solely pasture-raised meat that was butchered by hand, eats copious amount of fresh fish caught in pollution-free waters and consumes fruits and vegetables that have never seen a pesticide, nor have traveled further than 50 miles.

Of course, if you are able to eat this way then by all means continue doing so… it’s just unrealistic to expect the 400+ million people living in North America to all be able to do it.

Given that this is our new reality, I’m quite happy to recommend people incorporate protein powders, omega-3 fish capsules and vegetables and fruits flown to us from far away lands as part of a healthy diets because let’s be honest, for the vast majority of people, incorporating “processed” foods like protein powders into their daily routine represents a quantum leap forward in terms of their diet quality.

And you know me, I’m a diet quality guy. Of course, getting 100% of your dietary protein from powders isn’t wise (as a general rule, whole foods are better), but a scoop or two or protein can be a boon to most people’s diets.

So now that that’s out of the way, let’s start looking at type of protein powders you may see on the shelves. I won’t go into specific brands (as there are thousands) but rather provide my thoughts on the different types of protein powders that exist.

Animal Proteins

Whey
Whey protein (one of the dairy proteins) has the highest lecuine content of any protein powder, making it the most powerful stimulator of protein synthesis of all the proteins.

Concentrates
Whey concentrate is considered less “pure” and contains less protein per scoop (often containing higher amounts of carbohydrates and fat as well). That being said, it undergoes the least amount of processing of any whey protein and retains the largest number of bioactive subfractions, which have a variety of health benefits.

Some individuals do struggle to digest whey concentrates, so before buying a huge tub, test your individual tolerance to a particular brand. Many people find that finding a brand that includes supplemental digestive enzymes (look for things like Aminogen or Proteases on the label) significantly improves digestibility.

Isolates
A pure whey protein, containing over 90% protein per scoop. Whey isolate is digested rapidly, making it a popular choice for protein powders ingested immediately post-workout.

Due to the processing techniques required (cold filtered is best), whey isolates do tend to be more expensive, however, they also produce less gastrointestinal distress than do concentrates.

Hydrolysates
Any hydrolyzed protein is digested and absorbed extremely rapidly. However, they tend to taste quite bitter and are very expensive. As a result, we don’t recommend going this route unless you absolutely can’t digest concentrates or isolates.

Blends
Typically a mix of concentrate/isolate, these proteins often offer the benefits of both types. Considering most of us aren’t elite athletes training 2-3x/day, the absolute speed of nutrient absorption is a minor concern, so we’d be better off choosing a blended whey protein.

These proteins tend to be quite affordable (~$50/5 lbs, which is 75 x 25 g servings) and can be found in a variety of flavours.

Casein

Casein (the other dairy protein) is digested very slowly. This lengthy speed of digestion makes casein a subpar choice for spiking protein synthesis, however, it does make it strongly anti-catabolic (which means it is great at preventing protein breakdown).

Casein-based powders tend to be superior choices for hunger managements and as pre-bedtime options with cottage cheese being a food naturally high in casein.

Several people do have dairy allergies though, particularly to casein, so if you are someone who does not tolerate dairy well, you are best to look into alternate sources.

You’ll often see “micellar” casein listed on a label. This tells you that your protein will form a “micelle” (a tiny ball) when mixed with liquid. Because of this tendency to ‘clump’, 100% pure casein powders are best mixed with a blender and not by hand.

Egg white protein

Egg white protein is one animal-sourced protein that is incredibly easy to digest making it suitable for many diets. Some people find the taste a little bland/salty though.

Pasteurized egg whites in the carton (best price is at Costco, 3 x 500 ml for under $5) are another easy way to incorporate more egg protein into your diet.

Vegetarian proteins

When it comes to vegan proteins, one (minor) concern is that they are not as bio-available as animal proteins. However, given that North Americans generally eat quite a bit of protein, this isn’t the end of the world.

Soy

Soy protein is the most “complete” of all vegetable proteins (meaning it contains all the essential amino acids). However, there are conflicting reports on soy’s ability to provoke negative hormonal impacts in certain individuals. For this reason, I tend to not recommend frequent usage of soy as a primary source of protein.

When it comes to soy products in general, I don’t recommend ingesting large amounts of refined soy products like soy protein, soy milk, soy burgers, soy cheese… etc. However, fermented soy products (tempeh, miso, some tofu and natural soy like edamame) are a valuable addition to any diet.

Pea protein
Pea protein is a fairly innocuous protein that I generally recommend ahead of soy (for the aforementioned reason). It’s inexpensive, tastes ok and isn’t overly allergenic. It’s got a nutty taste to it.

It’s also a really great protein to use in baking as it doesn’t have the same “turn into a leathery boot  upon cooking” feature that whey does.

Hemp
Hemp protein is another great product. However, in contrast to the proteins listed above, it’s not a pure protein source (it contains some fat, fiber and carbs), which renders it a little less versatile for certain recipes.

Hemp also is pretty gritty, so it won’t mix crystal clear in a shake. However, like pea protein, it does work well in oatmeal, muffins and pancake type recipes.

As an added bonus, a serving of hemp protein provides a modest amount of vegetable-based omega-3s (not quite as awesome as the animal sources ones, but still pretty damn good for you). So for anyone who doesn’t eat fish (or is allergic to it), finding a way to get more plant-based omega-3s is always wise.

Rice protein
The best feature of rice protein is that it ranks pretty low on the allergenic scale, however, it lacks a complete spectrum of amino acids and doesn’t taste all that great.

Protein Wrap Up

All protein powders (and protein sources in general) have their pros and cons. The key is to find one that fits with your overall dietary approach (animal vs. vegetables), doesn’t provoke allergies, and fits your budget/taste preferences. For best results, try to rotate between a couple of different types/brands just to err on the safe side when it comes to avoiding the development of any potential allergies.

So there you have it, a very quick rundown of what to look for in your protein supplement.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

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While there are numerous low carb energy bars on the market, virtually all of them make liberal use of tons of artificial sweeteners, which we can all agree aren’t exactly “healthy”. Sweeteners may be less damaging than pure white sugar, but neither of the two are something people are lacking from their current diets…

So the low carb bar will require a few minutes in the  kitchen. Now one of the challenges of creating a low carb protein bar is finding a way to get it to hold together and have enough body.

One thing you’ll realize about most homemade energy bar recipes is that they rely heavily on things like: oats, dried fruit, honey, etc to actually create a product with enough bulk. Needless to say, those are all off limits for the purpose of this little endeavor.

However, a few years ago I did experiment with a very easy to make bar that fits this request to a T. So I figured, why not share it with all of you?

Introducing the “Aztec Energy Bar”, the ultimate in low carb energy bars. I coined that name myself, mostly because I used Chia seeds in this thing. Incidentally, my good friend “Mr. Google” tells me that the Aztecs actually had their own recipe for peanut butter, so this recipe is seriously “authentic”

Aztec Energy Bar

1 cup natural peanut or almond butter
5 scoops (~125 g) chocolate whey protein
1/4 cup almond milk
2 TBSP chia seeds

Directions

Mix together peanut butter, protein powder and chia seeds. Then very slowly add almond milk to the mixture (if you add too much too quickly, the bar will become runny) just so that the entire mixture gets moist.

Press into a pan lined with wax paper, then place in the fridge for at least 30 minutes.

Makes ~ 8 servings.

Nutrition (per serving): 280 kcal, 18 g fat, 11 g carbohydrate (5 g fibre), 23 g protein.

That’s all there is to it. In keeping with my overall approach to food preparation, this takes maybe 5 minutes to throw together and will do your body a hell of a lot more good than mowing down on a store bought protein bar.

Give them a try and let me know what you think in the comments below.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

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This makes one of my latest creations such a rarity, it’s achieved a 100% approval rate from everyone I’ve given it to: protein pancakes. In fact, I’ve had a number of clients tell me they’d be happy to use this recipe every day if they could.

Unlike your normal pancakes that are based around white flour, my version uses old fashioned oatmeal, flax seeds, egg white and cottage cheese (optional). So essentially a bunch of bodybuilding staples, that take on delicious properties when combined.

Protein pancakes

1/2 cup oatmeal
3/4 cup egg white
2 tbsp flax seeds
3 tbsp cottage cheese

Toss flax seeds and oatmeal into a blender, grind until almost powderlike. Add cottage cheese and egg white, continue mixing until smooth. Heat some coconut oil in a frying pan, pour batter into pan and cook until bubbles start to form. Flip and continue cooking until cooked through.

Makes 3 large pancakes.

Top with berries, powdered stevia or your favourite low sugar syrup.

Nutrition info: 350 kcal, 9 g fat, 34 g carbohydrates (8 g fibre), 35 g protein

Although at first glance, these pancakes don’t sound all that special, I guarantee you’ll love them. And since they are based arond high quality carbohydrates, protein and fats, there’s really no reason why you couldn’t eat these every day if you wanted to.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

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On the flip side, he has his fair share of critics. Poliquin chafes a lot of people because he’s someone who loves to espouse his way as the ONLY way to train and he’s not shy about slamming ridiculous fitness trends and so-called weight loss experts (if you don’t believe me, try Googling “Poliquin and BOSU” or “Poliquin and Dr. Phil”).

But love him or hate him, you’ve got to respect what the man has done. If you can accept his brash presentation, you’ll often find his information to be quite useful.

Recently, I came across an article on Poliquin’s Top 10 Carb Intake Rules For Optimal Body Composition. In typical Poliquin fashion, he’s got a lot of great ideas (e.g. your main sources of carbohydrates should be fibrous vegetables), others that are tough to test empirically (e.g. using taurine, magnesium and alpha-lipoic acid to enhance glucose storage in muscle vs. fat cells) and some that are a little beyond the acceptance of John Q. Public (e.g. avoid any and all grains).

Among the great points he makes is one pertaining to post-workout carbohydrate needs scaled for exercise volume. Basically, he correctly points out that the greater the total number of reps in a resistance training workout, the greater your glycogen breakdown will be. As a result, you would require more carbohydrates post-workout to replace these glycogen losses.

Makes sense on both the physiological and practical sides.

To walk you through some basic exercise physiology, there are three energy systems we can use to power muscle contractions. They are:

1. ATP-CP: the system using stored phosphocreatine to power rapid energy production and explosive movement
2. Anaerogic glycolysis: the system using stored carbohydrates (i.e. muscle glycogen), that covers the bulk of your energy needs after your initial burst, up until a few minutes of high intensity work. If you’ve ever experience the “lactic acid” burn (which is not actually lactic acid at all, but that’s a topic for another post), then this is the energy system you are tapping into.
3. Oxidative phosphorylation: a slower energy producing system that relies more on burning stored fat. This fuel system doesn’t give you energy quickly, but it can give you energy for a long time.

If we extend these energy system realities to weight training, we can see if you are performing a single heavy set (e.g. 3 reps or fewer), the total time that set will take might be only 10-15 seconds, therefore just how much glycogen will you be exhausting?

Conversely, if you and your best friend are doing 5 lbs biceps curls while standing next to one another on the BOSU, you are clearly not taxing your glycolytic system one bit. In fact, the only thing you are taxing is the patience of those serious individuals who actually come to the gym to train.

Just an FYI: if a set of biceps curls take 7 minutes to complete, you are doing the arm equivalent of 45 minutes on the recumbent bike.

Happily, most people find themselves somewhere between these two extremes. For you guys, Poliquin has come up with the following post-workout carbohydrate recommendations:

• 12-72 reps per workout : 0.6 g/kg/LBM
• 72-200 reps per workout : 0.8 g/kg/LBM
• 200-360 reps per workout : 1.0 g/kg/LBM
• 360-450 reps per workout : 1.2 g/kg/LBM

Of course, this “carbs to rep” rule isn’t perfect. A single rep of a deadlift is far more demanding than a single rep of a cable triceps pressdown; however, the rule still has its merits. An interesting project might be for someone to actually quantify exactly how much glycogen gets used per exercise, per unit of lean body mass… but that’s quite the ambitious project to say the least.

Obviously, any amount of carbohydrate needs to be paired with protein for optimal recovery benefits. There is some recent work out of the Stu Phillips lab at MacMaster University which suggests that ~20 g of protein post-workout might be enough to maximally stimulate protein synthesis¹.

Admittedly, 20 g of protein may not be enough to maximally stimulate protein synthesis for a 250 lbs bodybuilder on a squat day; however, for the vast majority of the exercising public, aiming to consume ~20 g of protein in conjunction with the aforementioned carbohydrate recommendation makes for a good goal.

Just one final point, the carbohydrate recommendations given above are based on lean body mass (LBM) and not total body mass. Lean body mass is simply what is left once you subtract how much fat mass you are carrying around. To calculate it, simply get your percent body fat tested, then subtract your fat mass from your total mass and you are left with your lean mass (total mass – fat mass = lean body mass).

Pretty simple, no? Just another tool you can use to individualize and personalize your nutrition.

Till next time, train hard and eat clean!

1. Moore et al. (2009). Ingested protein dose response of muscle and albumin protein synthesis after resistance exercise in young men, American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 89, 161-168.

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