Iron Game
Veteran
1. Eliminate all trans-fats and other “man-made” fats such as margarine and shortening.
2. Eat healthy fats, favoring a blend of healthy fats: Cook with coconut oil and butter, use olive oil in salad dressings, and top salads with avocado, nuts, and olives.
3. Eliminate all processed foods from your diet. Just. Eat. Real. Food.
4. Don’t avoid fat. Research shows that people with diets with 30 to 50 percent coming from smart fats have higher androgens and lower body fat.
5. Balance your omega-3 to omega-6 fat intake. Eat fish and pastured meat but limit omega-6 fats by avoiding over-processed vegetable oils (corn, soy, canola, and peanut, etc.).
6. Eat a diet with high-quality protein—organic meat, eggs, and fish will provide the largest nutrient and protein content per calorie.
7. If you find you’re often hungry or suffering from carb cravings when trying to lose fat, stop restricting calories and eat more. Eat plenty of veggies and focus on high-protein, lower carb foods that contain healthy fats to promote satisfaction and fullness.
8. Favor plants over grains. Grains are calorie-dense, low in nutrients, and tend to be harder to digest than vegetables and fruit.
9. Raise resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories the body burns at rest) by eating a higher protein diet with 15 to 35 percent of the diet coming from high-quality protein.
10. Manage your blood sugar by lowering the glycemic load (GL) of high glycemic foods by combining foods. Flavor foods with butter, olive oil, vinegar, lemon, lime, or pair ‘em with pickled foods.
11. Eat an antioxidant-rich diet to reduce inflammation. Inflammation can inhibit fat loss. Try kale, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, berries, pomegranates, and cherries.
12. Non-green veggies that are low-carb and nutrient-rich are colored peppers, cauliflower, garlic, onions, mushrooms, hearts of palm, spaghetti squash, and water chestnuts.
13. Avoid alcohol, juice, soda, and sports drinks. Stick to water, tea, and coffee.
14. For a radical approach, eliminate all alcohol. If alcohol can’t be eliminated, Sardinian and Spanish red wines are a good, delicious choice.
15. Make sure your vitamin D level is over 40 ng/ml. If it’s not, take vitamin D or get daily full-body sun exposure.
16. Eat probiotic foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kim chi, and resistant starch to improve gut health.
17. Make sure your magnesium level is up to par. Magnesium supports insulin health, muscle strength, and sleep. Scientists suggest 500 mg of magnesium a day.
18. Assess your zinc status because it is critical for metabolism and fat loss. Take zinc, but carefully monitor your level because it can be toxic.
19. Don’t buy cheap, poor quality supplements because they will do more harm than good if they are tainted with heavy metals or pollutants.
20. Take a B-vitamin complex, because the Bs are involved in protein metabolism, the use of muscle glycogen, and the elimination of excess hormones such as estrogen that limit fat loss.
21. Drink organic green tea to elevate fat burning and aid in detoxifying the body.
22. Take the amino acid taurine because it lowers the stress hormone cortisol and helps the body digest fat.
23. Optimize your meal frequency based on your age, gender, and lifestyle. Young men tend to lose more fat with fasting, while young women tend to lose fat with frequent meals and steady blood sugar.
24. Fix your gut. Low stomach acid, chronic inflammation in the gut, or bad bacteria all inhibit fat loss. Troubleshoot gut health by eliminating food intolerances, getting probiotics, and optimizing fiber intake.
25. Know that you have complete control over what you put in your mouth. No one ever ate anything by accident.
2. Eat healthy fats, favoring a blend of healthy fats: Cook with coconut oil and butter, use olive oil in salad dressings, and top salads with avocado, nuts, and olives.
3. Eliminate all processed foods from your diet. Just. Eat. Real. Food.
4. Don’t avoid fat. Research shows that people with diets with 30 to 50 percent coming from smart fats have higher androgens and lower body fat.
5. Balance your omega-3 to omega-6 fat intake. Eat fish and pastured meat but limit omega-6 fats by avoiding over-processed vegetable oils (corn, soy, canola, and peanut, etc.).
6. Eat a diet with high-quality protein—organic meat, eggs, and fish will provide the largest nutrient and protein content per calorie.
7. If you find you’re often hungry or suffering from carb cravings when trying to lose fat, stop restricting calories and eat more. Eat plenty of veggies and focus on high-protein, lower carb foods that contain healthy fats to promote satisfaction and fullness.
8. Favor plants over grains. Grains are calorie-dense, low in nutrients, and tend to be harder to digest than vegetables and fruit.
9. Raise resting metabolic rate (the amount of calories the body burns at rest) by eating a higher protein diet with 15 to 35 percent of the diet coming from high-quality protein.
10. Manage your blood sugar by lowering the glycemic load (GL) of high glycemic foods by combining foods. Flavor foods with butter, olive oil, vinegar, lemon, lime, or pair ‘em with pickled foods.
11. Eat an antioxidant-rich diet to reduce inflammation. Inflammation can inhibit fat loss. Try kale, broccoli, cauliflower, bok choy, berries, pomegranates, and cherries.
12. Non-green veggies that are low-carb and nutrient-rich are colored peppers, cauliflower, garlic, onions, mushrooms, hearts of palm, spaghetti squash, and water chestnuts.
13. Avoid alcohol, juice, soda, and sports drinks. Stick to water, tea, and coffee.
14. For a radical approach, eliminate all alcohol. If alcohol can’t be eliminated, Sardinian and Spanish red wines are a good, delicious choice.
15. Make sure your vitamin D level is over 40 ng/ml. If it’s not, take vitamin D or get daily full-body sun exposure.
16. Eat probiotic foods such as kefir, sauerkraut, kim chi, and resistant starch to improve gut health.
17. Make sure your magnesium level is up to par. Magnesium supports insulin health, muscle strength, and sleep. Scientists suggest 500 mg of magnesium a day.
18. Assess your zinc status because it is critical for metabolism and fat loss. Take zinc, but carefully monitor your level because it can be toxic.
19. Don’t buy cheap, poor quality supplements because they will do more harm than good if they are tainted with heavy metals or pollutants.
20. Take a B-vitamin complex, because the Bs are involved in protein metabolism, the use of muscle glycogen, and the elimination of excess hormones such as estrogen that limit fat loss.
21. Drink organic green tea to elevate fat burning and aid in detoxifying the body.
22. Take the amino acid taurine because it lowers the stress hormone cortisol and helps the body digest fat.
23. Optimize your meal frequency based on your age, gender, and lifestyle. Young men tend to lose more fat with fasting, while young women tend to lose fat with frequent meals and steady blood sugar.
24. Fix your gut. Low stomach acid, chronic inflammation in the gut, or bad bacteria all inhibit fat loss. Troubleshoot gut health by eliminating food intolerances, getting probiotics, and optimizing fiber intake.
25. Know that you have complete control over what you put in your mouth. No one ever ate anything by accident.
