THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE
TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT
AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE
Thank you for downloading our guide on building muscle, burning
fat and living healthy. Our goal is to educate you on HOW to take
care of your body to become a fat burning, muscle building machine
while living on a nutrition program built for long term success and
REAL FOOD. Below is the ultimate guide towards choosing the right
foods and the education behind it. Anyone can crash diet and
lose weight. We want you to make a life-long lasting change for
the better!
Living healthy and eating well are a choice. When you’re armed
with education, those choices become a lot more clear and easier
to make. Combine that in an environment of accountability and
support and you have a great recipe for success (pun intended.)
Living healthy is a marathon, not a sprint. Choose to “live the code”
of our guidelines below while working out regularly and you’ll be
rewarded with a lean and strong body, more energy, better health,
better mood and an overall happier outlook on life!
In health and strength,
Brendon and Dallas
Owners, Alpha Project Strength & Conditioning
COPYRIGHT: All rights reserved. No part of this report may be reproduced or shared in any
form or by any means, electronic ormechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any
information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright holder
(Alpha Project Strength & Conditioning).
DISCLAIMER: Before beginning any new exercise or nutrition program, consult your physician.
Particularly if you are pregnant, nursing, elderly or have any chronic or recurring conditions. The
information within is not meant to replace or be used instead of, advice from a qualified medical
professional. The publishers and authors of this information are not liable or responsible for
any injury or mishap caused directly or indirectly from using this information. You are solely
responsible for how you perceive and use the information within, and do so at your own risk.
THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE / 1
THE 10 PRINCIPLES OF NUTRITION SUCCESS
1
2
EAT REAL WHOLE FOODS.
›› If you couldn’t hunt, fish, pluck, grow, or ferment/culture
the food, you shouldn’t eat it often.
›› If it wasn’t food 100 years ago, it isn’t food today.
›› If it comes in a box or a plastic wrapper, it most likely
isn’t food; it is a food product.
EAT FOOD AS CLOSE TO ITS NATURAL STATE
AS POSSIBLE.
›› Try to consume meat, eggs and dairy from pasture-raised,
grass-fed animals when possible.
›› Eat mostly full-fat versions of these foods for the greatest
profile and absorption of nutrients.
›› Produce should be from local, seasonal, and sustainably
grown sources when possible.
3
EAT SLOWLY AND ONLY UNTIL SATISFIED.
4
EAT PROTEIN WITH EVERY MEAL AND MOST SNACKS.
5
6
7
›› Aim to have meals last 15-20 minutes, as it takes this long
for your brain to know you have eaten enough.
›› Helps control cortisol levels (aka stress).
›› For weight loss, maintenance and general health, eat only
until you are satisfied, not until full or stuffed.
›› Protein builds more muscle and improves recovery
from exercise.
›› Protein maintains muscle mass when trying to lose fat.
›› Protein helps slow absorption and control insulin levels.
›› The highest quality protein comes from animal sources.
EAT AT LEAST ONE FULL SERVING OF VEGETABLES
EVERY TIME YOU EAT. CURB THE FRUIT.
›› This is a simple way to reach the daily quota of
5-10 servings of vegetables.
›› Veggies are high in powerful anti-aging phytonutrients,
antioxidants, vitamins, fiber and minerals to optimize
health while having no or very little effect on insulin levels.
›› Be wary of fruits and juices; they are high in sugar and will
negatively affect insulin levels, which will cause constant
sugar cravings.
›› “SAFE” fruits that do not elevate insulin levels include:
blackberries, raspberries, grapefruits, blueberries and are
great options to pair with protein in mornings.
8
9
10
EAT HEALTHY FATS WITH MOST MEALS.
›› Fat is essential and necessary for proper hormone
production, cell formation, immune function and
overall health.
›› Do not fear saturated fat, as long as it comes from food
following Principles 1 & 2.
›› Minimize consumption of industrial vegetable oils:
corn, cottonseed, safflower, soybean, sunflower, etc.
›› Fat is the most satiating macronutrient, keeping you
satisfied for longer.
EAT QUALITY CARBOHYDRATES AROUND EXERCISE.
›› Carbohydrate intake should be from nutrient-dense fruits
and vegetables.
›› For higher intensity workouts, carb intake should ONLY
be consumed within 1-2hrs hours before exercise and
within 1hr after exercise to help keep insulin levels up after
intense effort. The rest of the day should be protein and
fat dominant.
›› For light intensity workout days, focus on leafy green
vegetables as dominant carbohydrate intake during day
with protein and fat as dominant macronutrients.
›› Starch intake should mostly be from whole, minimally
processed options.
›› No sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
DRINK BEVERAGES WITH FEW INGREDIENTS AND
FEW CALORIES, MOST OF THE TIME.
›› Liquid calories go unnoticed by the body, so they
add up quickly.
›› The best beverage choices include water, tea, and
black coffee.
›› NO coffee or heavy caffeine after 12pm to control insulin,
cortisol and regulate proper sleep patterns.
›› General rule of thumb: stay away from juices. They are
void of fiber and high in sugar.
›› Smoothies are a notable exception for leaner
(sub 20%) individuals.
UTILIZE SUPPLEMENTATION WHEN APPROPRIATE.
›› Use supplements to enhance, - not replace – a healthy,
balanced diet.
›› The best basic choices are a high quality fish oil, vitamin D,
probiotic, multivitamin and protein powder.
DON’T BEAT YOURSELF UP IF YOU
FALL OFF THE WAGON.
›› Mental stress and “beating” yourself up because you had a
cheat meal doesn’t do anyone any good. Just get back to
eating real foods.
›› Mistakes happen. Understand what once in a while is not a
daily occurrence.
›› Learn to make healthy choices at social gatherings
›› Know yourself: sugar is a “gateway drug” with strong
effects on some people. If you are one of these people,
realize that and emotionally prepare yourself when in
social gatherings.
THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE / 2
THE HOLY GRAIL OF HEALTH – CONTROLLING INSULIN LEVELS
BAD INSULIN REGULATION
›› Diabetes
›› Obesity
›› Depression
›› Heart disease
›› High blood pressure
›› High systemic inflammation
›› Alzheimer’s
›› Cancer
›› Lack of ability to recover
›› Fatigue
›› …and pretty much every other
disease you can think of!
GOOD INSULIN REGULATION
›› Muscle growth
›› Good mood
›› Fat burning
›› Good sex drive
›› Lower stress levels
›› Lower systemic inflammation
›› Overall good health
›› Excellent body composition
SO HOW DO WE REGULATE INSULIN?
Food is (and always has been) the gateway to good health. The
age old adage “you can’t outwork a bad diet” is forever true. Our
bodies have evolved over thousands of years AROUND the foods
we consumed that were local to our culture. Only in the last few
hundred years have we seen mass migration of civilizations around
the globe. Thus, we are still a product of our genetics, which show
some cultures being better able to handle different foods than
others (Northern European vs Mediterranean and gluten intolerance,
as an example.) For this reason, every individual is going to be
a little different in WHAT they’re body needs and that is largely
determined around individual food allergies, body fat composition
and goals.
Insulin and the ability to control
insulin levels during the day
That said, we are all still human and there are some foundational
nutritional key’s that apply to all of us.
is the main foundational key.
THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE / 3
MACRONUTRIENT CONTENT AND FOOD RELATIONSHIP
While food is our gateway towards a healthy lifestyle, it should
also be enjoyed! Having a healthy relationship with your nutrition
is the first step in this process. When you are eating foods that
help control insulin levels, you’ll find that it’s much easier to control
cravings. And if it’s easier to control cravings, you won’t have the
guilt associated with eating the wrong foods. No guilt = better
relationship with food.
Diet is a four letter word because they seldom ever work. While
diets can work in the short term, they are usually very constrictive
and not sustainable over a long period time. This is the reason
why many individuals will go on a diet only to gain the weight back
over the following weeks.
Before we go over HOW to make out nutrition sustainable, let’s
go over WHAT insulin actually is and why it plays a major factor
in overall health and performance.
WHAT IS INSULIN AND WHY IS IT SO IMPORTANT?
Insulin is a hormone secreted by the pancreas that helps shuttle
sugar out of the blood stream and store as fat. The more sugar
or fast digesting carbohydrates we eat, the more insulin our
bodies need to make to keep up with the overload of sugar in our
blood stream.
When we constantly eat foods that are high in sugar or processed
carbs, our bodies will become insulin resistant. Insulin resistance
is a precursor to diabetes and occurs when the body’s cells stop
reacting to insulin. This results in high blood sugar.
Excess glucose in the blood stream can cause severe damage to
the red blood cells, called crenation. Crenation is when the blood
cells get deformed, lack the ability to carry nutrients and get stuck
in your arterial walls and capillaries. This inevitably causes high
blood pressure and as triglycerides (fat) get pumped into our blood
stream without an efficient means to be taken out, this also leads
to high cholesterol. It’s the reason that individuals with an advanced
case of diabetes lose their fingers, toes and even limbs. Their
capillaries become so clogged with damaged red blood cells, they
lack the blood flow to keep the surrounding tissue alive.
NOTICE HOW THERE WAS NO MENTION OF
FAT INTAKE ABOVE?
Unfortunately, we’ve been given very bad advice over the last 30-40
years which has vilified fat as the cause of heart disease. This in
turn has eliminated fat from our diets and replaced it with highly
processed carbs, more sugars, sugar substitutes (which have the
exact same effect) and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE / 4
EAT FOODS THAT STABILIZE INSULIN LEVELS
AND HELP BURN FAT AS FUEL.
If insulin is the Holy Grail of health, then our goal should be to eat
foods that help stabilize insulin levels. Otherwise, we’ll constantly
be on the insulin roller coaster and CRAVING bad foods (or reaching
for caffeine) that give us a quick fix to get energy levels back up.
HOW DO WE DO THAT?
I like using the acronym K.I.S.S. – Keep it simple, stupid.
››
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Start with looking at your plate.
First identify the protein.
Then identify the fat.
Then identify the carbohydrate.
LET’S BREAK DOWN OUR OVERALL NUTRITION GOALS
INTO THREE EASY STEPS:
1.Daily intake goal should be 40% protein, 30-40% fat, 20-30%
carbohydrate as a general rule of thumb for the individual with
a moderate activity level.
2.Eat your carbs around your workout time OR at the end
of the day.
3.Eat every 2-3 hours to avoid food craving or energy crashes
which will inevitably cause poor choices or quick fixes
in nutrition.
If we can accomplish the above successfully, you’ll have the ability
to create an environment in your body that burns your natural stores
of fat as fuel, gives you steady energy throughout the day, builds
muscle and helps maintain healthy body fat levels for the long term.
So what types of protein, fat and carbs should we be eating?
Let’s look below where I give some examples.
A CALORIE IS NOT A CALORIE.
Fat and protein calories are much more denser than carbohydrates
and thus take longer for your body to digest. This gives your body a
chance to use its energy more efficiently. Instead of a rush of sugar
into the blood stream, fat and protein provide a steady “drip”, much
like an IV, into our blood of nutrients and energy.
Use fat as a measuring stick to help regulate hunger. The
percentage of in your daily intake depends upon the individual
and their goals. As a general rule of thumb, individuals who do
moderate to light exercise and want to lose body fat while keeping
muscle intact, should aim for 30-40% fat, 30-40% protein and
20-30% carbohydrate intake on a daily basis.
PROTEIN IS THE BUILDING BLOCK
First thing you identify on your plate should be the protein! It’s the
most important of all macronutrients and is the building block that
sustains healthy muscle tissue and hormone production. It also
helps regulate and maintain healthy insulin levels as it is not very
quickly used as fuel for cells.
GOOD SOURCES OF PROTEIN INCLUDE:
››
››
››
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Chicken
Turkey
Pastured raised red meat; lamb, beef, bison
Pastured eggs (high in omega 3)
Scallops
Wild Alaskan salmon
Greek yogurt
THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE / 5
FAT IS HEALTHY!
Fat, both saturated and unsaturated, have beneficial places in our
diet. Fat is not only a necessary macronutrient used to regulate
hormone production, it also has the ability to satiate our hunger and
stabilize insulin levels throughout the day.
GOOD SOURCES OF FAT INCLUDE:
››
››
››
››
››
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Fat sourced from grass fed meat; lamb, beef, bison
Avocados
Grass fed sourced butter
Olive oil
Canola oil
Nut butters (preferably almond, cashew , sunflower)
Coconut or coconut oil
CARBS ARE GOOD AND NECESSARY!
Carbohydrates are a necessary macro nutrient. When our body is
operating efficiently, insulin shuttles fuel to working muscle cells.
Even our brain functions mostly off of carbohydrates as fuel, which
makes them a necessary part of any diet. However, carbohydrates
are the most well loved or hated macronutrient, specifically because
of their fast effect on our system which is why I spent a little more
time on this section.
Timing your carbohydrates is the most important aspect for good
health. In order to establish healthy insulin levels, carbohydrates
should be timed around your exercise. During exercise, our bodies
have the ability to absorb CHO (carbohydrates) more efficiently as
they get shuttled to working muscles to build, repair and fuel. The
best carbs to eat in your post workout are nutrient dense fruits and
slow carbs.
Veggies and some fruits are considered “slow carbs” and are the
MOST preferred version of CHO intake as they contain high nutrient
and antioxidant levels as well as good fiber. They are gluten free,
promote good gut health and have a low impact on blood sugars.
Breads from sprouted grains are also a good choice but should be
used more sparingly for the moderately active individual as they
contain no natural sources of vitamins/minerals and can have an
inflammatory response on the lower GI.
Include one serving of veggies or fruit in every meal.
GOOD EXAMPLES OF VEGETABLES AND FRUITS ARE:
››
››
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Carrots
Spinach
Bell peppers
Cruciferous veggies (broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, kale)
Cucumbers
Mixed frozen veggies
Onions
Berries (raspberries, blueberries, blackberries)
›› Bananas (very high in glucose aka table sugar, so use only for
individuals who are approaching their fitness goals and only
specifically after a workout. Do not eat alone.)
›› Oranges
›› Grapefruits (can create some complications with individuals
on statins)
›› Apples
GOOD EXAMPLES OF CHO ARE:
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Beans (black, chickpeas, kidney, lentils)
Old Fashioned Oats
Quinoa
Rice
whole--grain
variety)
Sprouted Grain Breads, English Muffins, Wraps or Cereal
(Ezekiel)
›› Sweet Potatoes
This second list should be timed for after our workout OR
at the end of the day.
End of the day? Yes, end of the day. Remember, our goal is stabilize
insulin levels throughout the day and not cause any drops in blood
sugar. If we consume large of amount of CHO early in the day
(unless it’s because of our workout) we risk elevating blood sugar
levels and thus causing a roller coaster ride of energy, where we
need quick fixes like sugar to keep our energy up.
THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE / 6
COUNTING CALORIES
Counting calories can be a bit problematic for most people.
Inevitably most people end of stressing about how many calories
they’ve consumed, break down mentally and fall completely
off the wagon, citing caloric restriction. While this is true, we don’t
want to overeat either.
SO HOW DO WE CONTROL PORTIONS?
1.Eat just enough to make you satisfied but never overly full.
2.Eat every 2-3 hours to ensure good blood sugar levels.
3.Follow the 40/40/20 rule.
If you follow the three steps above, you should be able to
control cravings well and not be overly hungry, which often times
causes overeating.
PUTTING IT ALL TOGETHER
Now that we have a basic understanding of what we should eat,
when and why, it’s important to realize that stress, sleep quality (or
lack thereof) and emotional situations can have a huge impact on
our nutrition choices and can derail us off our goals.
If you fall off the bandwagon one meal, don’t stress and don’t beat
yourself up about it. Guilt is one of the worse emotions we can
harbor and it only causes more destruction.
Just dust yourself off and get back on the train WHILE making
a note of what caused it. Self-knowledge is the most important
aspect of nutrition success. Everyone is different and requires
different needs.
Did you wait too long between meals? Remember, meals should
be smaller and should be spaced every 2-3 hours max.
SOURCES AND EXTRA READING:
Working out also helps regulate and promote healthy insulin levels.
Combine a good workout regime with proper nutrition for an overall
healthy lifestyle.
Knowing your emotional triggers that causes poor food choices will
better help you make wiser choices and prepare for them. Having a
supportive community of individuals to keep you accountable will
only add to your success.
Remember, health and wellness is a marathon, not a sprint!
Establishing new habits and breaking old ones takes time and
commitment.
The above should be a great start for nutritional success.
Now, let’s get to logging our food and being held accountable!
GOOD RECIPE IDEAS AND INFO:
›› https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Insulin_resistance
›› webmd.com/heart-disease/news/20100420/high-sugar-dietlinked-lower-good-cholesterol
›› marksdailyapple.com/saturated-fat-healthy/#axzz3mzP7g6s3
›› drhyman.com/blog/2014/02/07/eggs-dont-cause-heartattacks-sugar
›› garytaubes.com
›› ericcressey.com
›› thepaleodiet.com
›› nomnompaleo.com
›› thepaleomom.com
THE ULTIMATE NUTRITION GUIDE TO BUILD MUSCLE, BURN FAT AND LIVE A HEALTHY LIFESTYLE / 7