See the list of all Jason Murphy’s recipes at www.mysaline.com/jason-murphy.
Let’s face it, people in general are stupid. It’s been proven that all you have to do to convince the masses that a lie is the truth is just keep repeating it. How outlandish, improbable, or transparently made up the falsehood may be does not matter.
Every two-bit con man, grifter, or politician knows the playbook. They just lean into it, say it loud and often, and sooner rather than later, people just accept it. It’s how billionaires keep getting average Joe’s and Jane’s barely scraping by to send them money. It’s especially effective when the lie is something people want to believe in from the start. In this regard, it’s not just limited to grifters and shady politics.
The fitness and diet culture has plenty of falsehoods that keep getting repeated and people keep buying in. Why are they successful? Mostly because these false ideas promise maximum results with minimum effort, and a quick fix with a too good to be true promise will always seem more appealing to putting in the work.
Some of these range from carbs will make you fat (they don’t), lifting weights will make you bulky (only with chemical help), and fad diets are healthy (usually the opposite). One of the more popular ones I hear from people talking to me about weight loss is they want to lose fat first by only doing cardio and then they will start lifting weights after they see some LB’s come off the scale. What they are eating never comes up in these discussions.
When I try to tell them they need to up their protein, cut back on simple sugars, and strength train, they push back saying they don’t want to “bulk up.” Trust me, no matter what you do, you will not look like The Rock. You would need a LOT of illegal chemical help for your body to morph into bodybuilder/wrestler status.
Adding lean protein, complex carbs, and strength training will, however, kick start weight loss and change your body composition in a way that cardio alone while eating sugary cereal and salads every day will never accomplish.
Kevin Smith, a screenwriter / director / actor, went on a potato only diet after suffering a near fatal heart attack. He was severely overweight, and he most certainly lost many pounds doing this restrictive diet. He also looked terrible afterwards, like a popped balloon. Losing weight doesn’t necessarily equate to being healthy, or strong.
Even training with light weights can make a huge difference in health, especially as you get older and muscle mass starts to decrease year by year. Your body builds strength through protein synthesis. Resistance training, then adding protein and complex carbs can do magical things for your overall health and body shape. Not to mention, lifting weights increases bone density. If you don’t want to be one of those people that falls down and breaks a hip as you get older, get educated on lifting techniques, get some weights, and start some complex lifts like squats and deadlifts. It is never too late to start. Just don’t stop once you get going.
Getting protein doesn’t have to mean slamming protein shakes and giant steaks every day. I do drink a protein powder in my coffee every day to start my day, and I love it. I use Promix brand protein because it’s minimally processed, uses grass fed whey, and no chemicals or preservatives. It’s easily found on the world wide interwebs.
And if you don’t want to drink a shake, do something fun and make brownies. Who doesn’t love a brownie? And one made with pumpkin and protein powder has the perfect blend of carbs and protein to make those squats count. Keep the walkers at bay and a spring in your step with a fun dessert. It’s much better than a potato only diet…trust me… and you don’t need me to repeat it over and over to make it true.
Power Brownies
Ingredients:
- 1 cup pumpkin puree
- 1/4 cup chocolate protein powder (Promix brand or clean versions only)
- 1/2 cup all natural almond butter (almonds and salt only)
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup hemp milk or macadamia nut milk
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 1/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1/4 tsp sea salt
- 1/2 cup 72% dark chocolate chips
- 1/2 cup raw walnuts
Instructions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Use a hand mixer to mix the pumpkin, almond butter, vanilla extract, and milk until smooth:
Add the dry ingredients in another bowl and whisk together:
Add the dry team to the wet team and blend again:
Stir in the chocolate chips and walnuts, then pour into an 8×8 pan lined with parchment paper:
Bake for 25 minutes and then let cool before slicing. These taste best after chilling in the fridge overnight. Serve with low sugar vanilla ice cream or homemade whipped cream if desired.
See the list of all Jason Murphy’s recipes at www.mysaline.com/jason-murphy.