The Lean Body Challenge (Lesson 3)

The last component to your balanced meal is your vegetables.

Gere are a few to choose from your 'Lean Body Challenge Vegetables'
Lettuce, broccoli, green beans, spinach, asparagus, artichoke, peppers, tomatoes, cabbage, zucchini, cucumber, onions, cauliflower, carrots, squash, radishes, okra, bamboo shoots, Brussels sprouts, celery, egg plant, leeks shallots, sprouts, water chestnuts and mushrooms.

Q: What should my vegetable intake be?

A: Again, eat a portion the size of your fist.

Now to bring it all together: You should combine your Lean Body Challenge protein and carbs in roughly the same proportions at each "main" meal. Vegetables and salad are "free" meaning you can have as much of them as you want, exceeding your "fist" size portion if you wish. But you shouldn't use any butter or condiments that are high in fat. For your two "mini" meals, you should include a protein shake or bar, and a piece of fruit (remember, I said you should eat about 5-6 meal each day consisting of a breakfast, lunch and dinner, plus two snacks or "mini" meals). Your body must be nourished throughout the day to keep your muscle tissue fed and to keep your metabolism burning calories efficiently.

A word about fruit: fibrous fruits like apples, strawberries, pears and melons are good ideas for your "mini-meals," but try to avoid more sugary fruits like bananas and citrus fruits.

Each "main" meal should consist of the following:

• Protein the size of your palm
• Complex carbohydrate the size of your fist
• A serving of vegetables the size of your fist

Each "mini" meal should consist of the following:

• A small protein shake, protein bar, or a cup of low-fat cottage cheese
• A fist-sized serving of fruit

The Rule of Thirds

Think " Peace." What do I mean by that?
Another "visual" that may help you is this: divide your (main) meal plate into "thirds;" cover one third of your plate with a Lean Body Challenge Protein, one third of the plate with a Lean Body Challenge Carbohydrate and one third with a vegetable. If you drew it out on a piece of paper, it would look like a peace sign.

A word about breakfast........

If time is a problem with preparation, breakfast can be as simple as small bowl of instant oatmeal or whole grain cereal (add grits and a cup of fruit on top and a Lean Body Ready to Drink Shake for extra protein). If you have a little more time, try scrambled Egg Beaters or egg white veggie omelets with whole wheat toasted bread and low sugar jam. Breakfast fuels your body so that you experience more energy throughout the day.

The word breakfast means just that: "to break fast.: After a lengthy rest, which is to say 8 Hours of sleep, your body wants to refuel itself for the activities of the coming day. When you wake up, your heart rate accelerates, the metabolism gets stimulated, and you get hungry. A well balanced program that consists of protein and complex carbohydrates with minimal fat is the key.

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