Written by TCM Dr. Nat Kringoudis…

“Building muscles the natural way is completely viable and when done correctly, the results are too.

Naturally, men are better at increasing and maintaining muscle. Of course, it’s not as if women don’t have muscles, in fact, some women’s builds are leaner and more defined than her male partner but on the whole, men unsurprisingly are more muscly by nature. The crux of the reason being that men are naturally higher in testosterone – the hormone that is responsible for not only sexual function but equally dedicated toward muscle mass, bone density and facial hair.

If we understand that foods can influence how our hormones play out, it becomes apparent that eating to support hormone health is key. Certain foods now days contain known phytoestrogens and equally environmental pollutants (xenooestrogens) can influence the natural state of our hormone balance. For men, consuming large amounts of oestrogen influencing food can be a disaster and have dire effects on overall wellness. In any case it’s important to understand why our bodies need certain foods and why others you can pass the plate along. Food is medicine, it’s nourishment and it’s our healer.

So today I’m sharing my top in’s and out’s when it comes to foods to pump up the guns and move toward a leaner you.

Avoid foods that affect oestrogen.

These foods include soy, whole grains, flaxseed and alcohol. These foods contain properties call phytoestrogen that mimic our bodies own oestrogen, meaning hormone balance is affected. It doesn’t mean that these foods shouldn’t be eaten, it means that understanding how much your body needs is key.

Be mindful of GMO foods.

Foods that have been genetically modified can be particularly difficult to digest. They can place unnecessary toxic load on the digestive system making them tiresome to break down and the effect may be weight gain. Foods such as corn and soy are highly modified and should be avoided long term.

Hydrate for weight loss

Muscles thrive with hydration. In fact 70% of our bodies are water and our muscles rely on water to work properly. Our man tea not only hydrates but helps to build and maintain good muscle mass. You can drink man tea and reap the benefits – it’s two fold!

Don’t over do the protein

The body can really only absorb up to 100gm of protein per sitting – and this figure will vary from person to person. It’s important to not overdo it on the protein front. Be mindful that eating your body weight in protein each and every day won’t necessarily see your body leaner, but more likely larger all round! Unless you’re a body builder you’d be looking at consuming up to 250gm of protein per day.

FAT – the ultimate shredder

Coconut butter/oil is my all time favorite secret to a leaner you. It helps to boost the metabolism and sets the thyroid into action. You can’t over eat it – your body just won’t let you. On average I’d say around 4-6 tablespoons per day.

Greens

Keeping the body alkalized with increased protein content means that greens are your best friend. In fact, filling up your plate with greens of all varieties will help to keep your body nutritionally satisfied meaning you won’t crave foods that don’t serve you or your muscles.

It’s important to remember that a well-balanced diet is key for well-being. Cutting out major food groups can be disastrous especially without special care. Using these simple guidelines will allow you to move toward a leaner, stronger body with more energy, quicker recovery meaning more time doing the things you love most!”.

With love,

Your Tea