Healthy Life Guide

When it comes to weight-loss diets, there are a lot of options out there. Fad diets promise fast results but rarely deliver, and are almost never sustainable. More sensible diets produce results, but aren’t as sexy as their fad counterparts. One of the more popular -- and controversial -- diets out there is the concept of clean eating. A Google search of the term yields 6.3 million hits. Scan the results, however, and you’ll see that clean eating is actually steeped in controversy. Some claim it’s the best and healthiest diet for fat loss. Others say it’s dangerous. What’s the truth? Is clean eating the right diet for you? Let’s take a look… Clean Eating: What Is It? The concept of eating clean is largely attributed the bodybuilding community, with origins stretching all the way back to the 1980s. At its core, clean eating is essentially the minimisation or elimination of processed foods. The definition of “clean," however, tends to shift with the nutritional trend...

I’ve been traveling through South America for almost a year and as a someone with physique goals and a bodybuilding lifestyle, I try to eat in a way to facilitate muscle growth and fat loss, even while traveling without a schedule, gym membership, or my protein supplements. This means that most of the time I’m forced to forgo traditional bodybuilding foods like oatmeal, Greek yogurt, and often even meat because it’s not available. While this makes my inner bro sad, it’s good to take a break from some of food staples because eating the same type of food cooked in the same way can lead to development of food allergies over time. So what’s a dude with goals gotta do to still see some gains? I’ve changed up my diet to reflect the culture and traditions of the countries I’ve been living in, and while unconventional, adding in some of these foods can be a break from the norm and result in some delicious meals and size gains. Lentils 1 cup cooked Calories: 230 Protein: 18g Carbo...

Unless you’ve been hibernating in an actual cave, you're likely to be familiar with the Paleo diet. “Eating Paleo", as those following the regime often refer to it, is by no means a new concept. It has gained increasing attention over recent years and has become particularly mainstream in the health and fitness world. It's now the subject of thousands of books, websites and blogs and has been further popularised by high-profile celebrity advocates including Matthew McConaughey, Megan Fox and Andrew Flintoff. Entire Paleo-focused food brands have been created, and Paleo-friendly cafes and restaurants have emerged. Paleo Diet: How Does It Work? The Paleo diet is based on the principle of only eating the foods cavemen were thought to have eaten during the Paleolithic era – the hunter-gatherer diet. This consists of lean meat, poultry, fish, seafood, eggs, fruit, non-starchy vegetables, nuts and seeds. This is a stark contrast to the typical Westernised diet, which is ri...

We are a stressed society, and an over-medicated society. We are a processed-foods society, and an over-caffeinated society. Many people are turning this pattern around, realising that all of the coffee and frozen dinners and cereal and prescription fixes are easily abandoned with an entirely natural solution: superherbs. “More than ever, people are [researching] the detrimental effects of taking synthetic pharmaceuticals and consuming processed foods, says holistic health coach Annie Lawless . “People are sick and tired of being sick and tired. The body is not designed to digest, assimilate, and eliminate chemicals, and it simply cannot. When these toxic wastes and their byproducts are stuck in the body, they create disease and imbalance. Taking a pill may mask the symptoms of certain ailments, but it does nothing to treat the ailment itself. The body is still suffering despite the fact that the resulting superficial pain has been quieted, and it is important to dig deeper and tr...

Whey proteins are essential to achieving your strength goals. They’ve become part of our daily nutritional diet, feeding the body with key nutrients that refuel and repair muscle tissue after intense workout sessions. And while the best powdered proteins deserve some credit for your hot gym photos - you might want to turn on Selfie Mode and take notice of the many beauty benefits that have come from guzzling these protein-infused supplements. Let this sink in: You’re entire body is made of protein. Eyes. Hair. Skin. Vital organs. Even hormones. That means a solid intake of these large biomolecules shall warrant some of the amazing health and skincare perks you’re accustomed to basking in from the coveted grooming products found in your bathroom. Since studies show whey protein to be the best and most effective source of protein, what better time to log into your Bodybuilding.com account and fill up the shopping cart. Read up on the alluring ways whey protein can embellish your l...

Reddit user alphaomega0669 didn't wake up one morning shouting "Eureka!" and scrambling to get to the gym for the first time in his life. In fact, most people's fitness journeys don't start that way. Hell, find me one person who has had such an experience. Long-term, effective and positive habit changes often come after a sustained period of not feeling 100% -- months or years spent feeling like you're not living up to your full potential until you wake up one day, crawl over to the mirror and realize that something has got to give. And that's where alphaomega0669 's journey began. He played football in high school, and his packed schedule and family life (he has an 11-year-old daughter) kept him so busy he let himself go , unable to dedicate his energy to keeping his diet in check and sticking to a fitness regimen. An Honest Diet "Years of fast food and overeating have suppressed the "I'm FULL!!" signals coming from my brain, whi...

What do you think is the most important body part for men? Shoulders? Chest? Abs? Good guesses, but the answer is something just a liiittle bit lower. It also rhymes with the word “enis. Guffaw all you like, your erection is a huge barometer of overall health. Why? Because having a healthy sex drive means optimal levels of testosterone, minimal levels of stress and anxiety, and a great cardiovascular system. And if something is off, your erection will go off like a “Check Engine light. The main culprit is usually your diet. Eating sh*tty food will turn any steel pipe into a wet noodle. And even if you eat a healthy diet – which many of you do – certain foods are like kryptonite to your boner. In this article, I’ll break down the five foods you should avoid to maintain a healthy sex drive and keep your penis working in tip-top shape. Your partner will thank you (and then likely give you a standing ovation). In this article, I’ll also break out the thesaurus to find ...

Gents, here's the thing. We eat food a lot. Like, pretty much every day, right? (NB: You should be eating food every day, lads.) But when you consider the amount of time we spend consuming food, it's actually kind of baffling to think about how little time we spend researching what it is we're shoveling into our mouths in front of the footy - and no, checking to see if that week-old Chinese food in the fridge passes the 'sniff test' doesn't constitute 'research', guys. Your rig is the most valuable thing you'll ever own, which is why the more you know about the stuff you're stuffing into your gob, the better choices you'll be able to make. Whether it's knowing more about the good stuff that's in certain foods, or just learning some weird and wonderful facts that might help you win your next pub trivia night, the following 10 food facts will help you get there. Happy eating, gents. 1- Balancing Act The first thing you need to know is t...

“Foods as aphrodisiacs is totally fantasy. But with sex, sometimes fantasy works, says Stephen Snyder, M.D., associate clinical professor of psychiatry at Mt. Sinai Hospital. Sorry if we are completely busting the fantasy here, but it’s the get-it-up reputation of certain foods—like oysters, chocolate, and phallic-shaped bananas—that causes you and your lady friend to get turned on when you eat them, he says. These and other foods have been eaten for centuries in an effort to get it up. The Aztecs even named avocadoes after testicles, notes board-certified sexologist Tammy Nelson , Ph.D., author of Getting the Sex You Want . After so many generations of sex-having men and women have said certain foods will turn you on, you just believe it. And, by believing it, you make it a reality, says Darius A. Paduch, M.D., Ph.D., director of sexual health at Weill Cornell Medical College . When men merely anticipate scoring with a lady—like you probably do every time you feed each other...

There are some things us blokes just don’t enjoy doing. It’s fair to say that shopping for, preparing and cooking food rate highly on the list for most. And unlike arguing over furniture layouts with the in-laws, it doesn’t have to always be this way. Truth be told, it can be really simple to maintain a healthy, balanced diet by making a few savvy choices when it comes to food. Some require a little planning; others just require a little willpower. So here are 10 quick, easy and effective hacks to ensure you stay on track with your eating habits. 1- Do Some Reading Make it a habit to glance at food labels when you are buying goods. Unsure of what some of the ingredients are? There’s a good chance it’s not great for you. Ingredients are listed in order by amount or weight, so if you see things like sugar, high fructose corn syrup, vegetable oils and preservatives high up on the list, leave it on the shelf. 2- Go Slow And Go Low Too busy to cook? This is where the slow cooker c...

Since 2016, Kenyan born celebrity chef and restaurateur Kiran Jethwa has co-presented Food Unwrapped His new show, Extreme Food sees him travelling to the most remote and spectacular corners of the planet to discover the world's finest ingredients. Here, he discusses his latest superfood find: baobab. Channel 4 What Is It? Having grown up in East Africa, the baobab without question is one of my favourite trees. It grows wild in 32 African countries and its mighty silhouette is one of the continents' greatest icons. It really is an impressive tree: with a height of up to 25 metres, the branches can form a roof of more than 20 metres in diameter and the tree itself can be several thousand years old! What is also amazing is that the baobab is a prehistoric species which predates both mankind and the splitting of the continents over 200 million years ago. Its ability to provide shelter, food and water for animals and humans has earned it the label “Tree of Life. While many peo...

Since 2016, Kenyan born celebrity chef and restaurateur Kiran Jethwa has co-presented Food Unwrapped . His new show, Extreme Food sees him travelling to the most remote and spectacular corners of the planet to discover the world's finest ingredients. Here, he discusses his latest superfood find: Moringa. Forest and Kim Starr / Flickr What Is It? The Moringa tree actually originated in India but has been transplanted to many other tropical and sub-tropical countries in Asia, Latin America and Africa. In many African countries it is known as “Nebedaye because this is one tough tree, as it seems to thrive no matter how harsh the environment, how poor the soil, or bad the drought. I first discovered the extraordinary unique properties of Moringa a few years ago when I was filming my TV series Tales From The Bush Larder in Kenya. We found a beautiful specimen of a Moringa tree on the shores of Lake Baringo. The tree was considered a legend in that area, valued as a multi purpose me...

Forget trying to bake your mum’s zucchini and French leek quiche, or trying your hand at one of Gordon Ramsay’s recipes (you’ll end up cursing more than f*cking Ramsay when the preparation time takes nearly as long as a five-day Test match). Instead, whip up our five easy and healthy bloke-friendly recipes that take less time to make than it does to drink two beers (apart from the Madras curry, but trust us – that one’s worth the effort)! Every bloke aspiring to achieve a heathy, balanced diet needs to be feasting upon a good mix of carbs, veggies and protein on the daily, as well as 3-4 palm-sized portions of juicy red meat like Beef or Lamb each week. Lucky for said blokes, the following five recipes not only taste great, they'll also help to unlock that healthy, balanced diet achievement. BBQs at the ready, lads! 1- Garlic And Onion Lamb Kebabs From Lamb souvlaki to Lamb on the spit and Lamb moussaka, it’s easy to see why Greeks are renowned as the best in the world ...

There’s something about the word “diet that elicits a “No thanks, I’ll pass response. Typically it suggests there’s something you have to stop eating or some other restriction that’s going to going to tack an added stress onto the day. But what if that “diet meant ditching the last few pounds that lead to finally seeing your abs ? That’s the lure behind the popular ketogenic diet – the ability to lose fat fast. Basically, the “keto diet is a low-carbohydrate, high-fat programme. The way it works is that your barely-any-carbs diet induces ketosis, which is a metabolic process in which the body does not have enough glucose (from the carbs) to produce energy so the body instead turns to burning fat. Typically the ketogenic diet has great health benefits for patients with diabetes or epilepsy. But has also proven a quick way to attack body fat, leaving you leaner and healthier. Sports dietitian Pam Bede , who manages education for EAS Sports Nutrition, said when she w...

Not all transformations involve weight loss and cutting the fat . Not everybody, who struggles with their body mass index is trying to slim down; there are those of us, who struggle with the opposite. Redditor janolan 's journey began at the early age of 18, when he decided to say goodbye to his "soccer kid" physique and embrace the muscle. While having an athletic build, janolan took it upon himself to hit the gym and follow a bodybuilding routine - something that would allow him to push himself in ways he hadn't done before. But a bodybuilding routine won't do the job alone; you have to eat. Increasing your caloric intake is essential to packing on extra pounds of muscle and keeping them, too. janolan 's dietary intake shot up to about 3,500 calories. This was the first time he tracked everything that went into his body. To get a good enough measure of how much he was taking in, he started tracking his diet using the app MyFitnessPal. But the importance of...

From nothingness, the universe was created. From a simple caterpillar, a butterfly emerges. A dorky teen grows up to be a fashion model, or a bodybuilder. The one constant in life is change, and in our new Transformation of the Week series, AskMen is celebrating men who have turned their lives around through dedication, commitment and hard work. Is that you? Email us your story and pictures at and you could be featured next week! Redditor randyhillfitness didn't always have the perfect relationship with food. At only 180 pounds on a 6-foot-5-inch frame he kept fit, but never payed much attention to his eating. When he joined the Marine Corps at the age of 18, rather than keeping up with a healthy diet, he chose to ween his body off by restricting calories and his daily caloric intake even dipped below 2,000 -- a whole lot less than what a growing 6 foot 5 needs. He began to feel " dizzy, weak, irritable and sad a lot of the time" and weighed in at only about 160 pounds...

Since 2016, Kenyan born celebrity chef and restaurateur Kiran Jethwa has co-presented Food Unwrapped on Channel 4. His new show, Extreme Food sees him travelling to the most remote and spectacular corners of the planet to discover the world's finest ingredients. Here, he discusses his latest superfood find, and it's one with a lot of bite: crocodile. What Is It? Crocodiles are large, impressive aquatic reptiles that live throughout the Tropics in Africa, Asia, the Americas and Australia. These prehistoric predators are believed to have changed little since the time of the dinosaurs. In fact the caveman diet is thought to have included crocodiles. Stone tools and the butchered bones of crocodiles were found at a 1.95 million year old prehistoric “kitchen in Northern Kenya. It has even been suggested that eating the reptile's rich flesh may have helped humans evolve bigger brains. Admittedly at first glance the rough scaly exterior of this intimidating beast may not init...