Fitness 101 - Mastering the Basics pt. 4

Here's your fourth edict: start snaffling a bit more protein for quicker recovery from workouts, stronger muscles, fewer cravings and staying fuller from meals for longer.

As with the other three emails this week, incremental changes always beat massive, unsustainable seismic shifts. Think about how each of your meals is made up. Start with the protein source and work up from there. Need to take a step back and work out where to best get your protein from? I've got you covered: - Meat - Fish - Eggs - Dairy - Nuts - Protein shakes - Beans/pulses Why am I recommending this? Well, the UK government has got lots of things wrong, but the current RDA (recommended daily allowance) of 55g of protein for an adult is pitiful. I eat that pretty much in most meal. The model I use (when I'm measuring and concerned about what and how much I'm eating) is: 1g of protein per pound (lb) of weight - so I'm currently 171lbs, so I'm aiming for 171g of protein a day. Easy to remember, easy to implement (once you know what basic food stuffs contain). And to help that... - 1 chicken breast = 30g - 1 egg = 13g - Protein shake = 25g - 50g - Pint of semi-skimmed milk = 20g - 100g of almonds = 21g - 100g of standard beans = 21g - 100g of roast beef = 29g - 100g of quinoa = 13g Start by adding just a bit more into your daily food intake. Maybe you'll have an egg at breakfast in addition to your usual meal. Maybe you'll grab a pack of cooked chicken instead of a chocolate bar, mid-Afternoon. If you're unsure about how to crack on with this, hit reply here and ask away. Thanks! Matt "meaty" Boyles