Man 2.0 Engineering the Alpha (20 page)

Now, this book is not about debunking
The China Study,
but it is important that that information be thoroughly criticized and debunked. If it were accurate, we would support it. We don't have a horse in the diet race other than to help people live and eat in the best way possible and live longer, more fulfilled lives.

Listen, we don't mind admitting when we are wrong. Ten years ago we were both wrong about saturated fats, just as we were wrong about how many meals you should eat per day. That's why we spent so much time going through all the research, testing out thousands of clients, and then coming to you with information that we knew would benefit you. And in part 3, we're going to provide meal plans, preferred food options, and even personalized calculations that will allow you to know exactly what you need to be eating to become the Alpha.

And our conclusions—supported by science—are that your diet should include saturated fats and you shouldn't stress about the quantity. There are several studies of hunter-gatherer tribes that consumed 50 to 70 percent of
all
their calories from saturated fats without any health problems. When you receive the specific calculations for your fat intake, up to half of the fat can derive from saturated fats.

Even Walter Willett, chairman of the Department of Nutrition at Harvard, has publicly stated (after a twenty-year review of research) that fats—and more specifically saturated fats—are not the cause of the obesity crisis and are not the cause of heart disease.

Saturated fats also get a bit of a bad rap because they have been shown to elicit and increase cholesterol in the bloodstream. Again, we have to say that this is not as scary as the media makes it seem—cholesterol concerns are highly overblown. The truth is, cholesterol actually acts as an antioxidant against dangerous free radicals within the blood.

When there are high levels of undesirable substances in the blood (caused by the dietary intake of damaged fats, highly processed foods, and large quantities of sugars), cholesterol levels rise in order to combat these substances.

Further to that, cholesterol is also necessary for the production of a number of hormones, some of which help fight against heart disease. Somewhat more cogent to our purposes in this book is the fact that cholesterol is the direct precursor to all sex hormones—including testosterone. In other words, the higher your cholesterol is, the higher your testosterone is likely to be.

Listen, saturated fat is one of the best sources of energy for your body. It's why your body
naturally
stores carbohydrates as saturated fat. Are you going to argue with one of the most basic structures of how your body was intended to work? Not to mention, saturated fats are some of the most satiating foods, meaning they keep you fuller longer. And research shows diets that are higher in saturated fats are oftentimes
lower
in total calories consumed. And, as we alluded to already, saturated fats boost testosterone, which as we've already mentioned about a hundred times, is what makes you a man.

That leaves you with one option: assuming you're not a vegetarian, you should be eating red meat, dairy, and eggs to consume your share of saturated fats.

Trans Fats

Trans fats are the black sheep of the fat family. Trans fats are the worst fats, and in truth, one of the worst forms of food that you could possibly consume. They're found in foods such as French fries, potato chips, and most fried foods.

While some trace amounts of trans fats are naturally occurring in meats and other foods, by and large, most are not naturally occurring. Instead, they are generally manmade.

Trans fats are made by a chemical process called partial hydrogenation. Manufacturers take liquid vegetable oil (an otherwise decent monounsaturated fat) and pack it with hydrogen atoms, which convert it into a solid fat. This makes what seems to be an ideal fat for the food industry because it has a high melting point and a smooth texture, and it can be reused in deep-fat frying.

Essentially, trans fats come about as a result of overprocessing our foods in order to offer consumers a longer shelf life. If your food is pre-packaged, it's a pretty safe bet that it has its fair share of trans fats. If you are serious about your goals, you should try to avoid trans fats at all costs. Or if you just don't want to be eating plastic garbage.

Of course, we take a moderate approach. If you're limiting your intake of junk foods, exercising regularly, and getting good nutrition otherwise—including a variety of healthy fats—then chances are, you can have the occasional Twinkie once every few months and be okay.

 

 
PROTEIN

While both carbs and fats have spent their time as public enemy #1, being demonized or lauded by turns, no macronutrient has enjoyed the rise to prominence and popularity as much as our friend, protein.

A favorite among bodybuilders, athletes, and just about any fitness enthusiast, protein is used by your body to repair damaged muscle, bone, skin, teeth, and hair, among other things. Think of it as the mortar between the bricks; without it, the entire structure of your body begins to break down.

Protein helps to create an anabolic hormonal environment (good for muscle building and fat loss), and along the lines of the brick metaphor, it provides a lot of the materials used to build your muscles.

There are two categories of protein: complete and incomplete. Protein is comprised of smaller molecules called amino acids. There are twenty-two amino acids that warrant attention, of which nine belong to a subcategory that can only be obtained through your food. Your body can manufacture the remainder of the amino acids.

The nine amino acids that can only be obtained from the food you eat are called essential amino acids. For those interested in such things, the essential amino acids are:

 

 

A complete protein (also known as a whole protein) is one that contains adequate portions of those nine amino acids. By contrast, an incomplete protein is one that is lacking in one or more of those amino acids.

These amino acids also help your body create hormones that help regulate things like blood pressure and blood sugar levels, which are directly responsible for your metabolic rate and muscular growth. In short, protein is extremely important, especially the complete proteins that are found in foods such as fish, poultry, eggs, red meat, and cheese.

 

VEGAN AND VEGETARIAN PROTEIN POWER

Before you freak out over our love of animals, let us say that we are aware that you
can
get complete proteins by combining grains and beans. You still won't be able to completely make up for the boost in testosterone created by animal protein, but we realize that some of you won't eat animals for moral reasons. Many vegan-friendly sources can help you reach your protein goals, but from our experience it's harder without the help of meat.

Then again, that's why protein powders exist. And if you're vegetarian, then you can enjoy eggs. And the pescatarians can have fish. So we have nothing against this population, and vegetarians and vegans will definitely benefit from our diet; however, we will not be specifically providing a vegetarian diet. Sorry. It's not personal. Everything we've seen and all the science we've read indicate that vegetarianism—while healthy—will not optimize your hormones. And that's our primary goal.

 

 

THE WORLD'S BEST MEAT

As two of the world's foremost carnivores, we've done our fair share of eating protein. And there are few things we enjoy more than cooking up our own grass-fed, organic steaks. While organic foods can be overrated, that is not the case with meats and fresh produce. The best meat we have found is provided by U.S. Wellness Meats. We ordered cases of meat during the writing process, and this protein fueled not only our bodies but also our minds. Trust us on this one: their customer service is top-notch, and the only things better are the taste, flavor, and variety. If you're looking for something a little more rare (pun intended), check out Exotic Meats USA—they have some really interesting choices, ranging from crocodile to black bear. For our favorite cuts of meat, visit www.engineeringthealpha.com.

 

 

 
HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED?

One of the most frequently asked questions about protein is, how much?

The interesting thing about that question is that it really encompasses two completely separate and diametrically opposed viewpoints. The first is minimalist: How much protein do I need to eat? Or, more succinctly, what is the minimal effective dose? Then, there is the maximalist: How much protein can I eat? Which really means, how much protein can I eat before it becomes either ineffective or dangerous?
^*

In order to best answer these questions, we'll look at this from the perspectives that matter most: fat loss and muscle gain. In both of these cases, the answer is a lot lower than you'd expect.

Fat Loss

For fat loss, you can really get away with as little as 0.5 grams per pound of LBM—which for most people will be anywhere between 60 and 90 grams of protein. A remarkably low number, compared to what you hear from most fitness pros.

Now, as we said, this is a minimalist approach . . . and so 0.5 grams per pound of LBM should be enough to help you hang on to all your lean mass, drop fat, and keep energy levels up. Having said that, it's arguable that a slightly higher intake of protein would allow you to lose fat a little faster because of the thermic effect of food. Protein is very metabolic, meaning that up to 30 percent of the calories are burned during the digestion process. Another thing to consider is satiety. Higher protein consumption leads to greater satiety after eating, and so you'd be less hungry, and that makes it a lot easier to be compliant with your eating plan.

Muscle Gain

A minimalist approach to protein for muscle gain is really interesting; again, you actually need a lot less protein than you'd imagine.

In fact, in most cases, you could get away with 0.5 grams to 1 gram per pound of LBM. That's right—assuming you are consuming adequate calories, there is some research to illustrate that, provided you're getting all essential amino acids, you can gain muscle with as little as 0.5 grams per pound of LBM, according to
The International Society of Sports Nutrition.

If this seems extremely low, it's because it is. Nevertheless, the research illustrates that it's accurate, and we've seen a few people thrive on this.

 

HOW TO EAT MORE PROTEIN WHEN LOSING FAT

If you're like us, you want to find out how to squeeze in as much protein as possible. We have experimented quite a lot with low-carb and high-protein diets, and we find that the more intense your weight training is, the more protein you can ingest and utilize before you have to worry much about gluconeogenesis. This is, very probably, due to the fact that intense weight training increases levels of testosterone, which in turn increases the rate of protein synthesis and nitrogen retention.

Therefore, we would argue that even on a low-carb diet, if you're training intensely and as long as calories are still low enough to allow for fat loss, you can do exceedingly well setting protein intake at around 1 gram per pound of LBM as a jumping-off point. All of that, again, applies primarily to low-carb diets where insulin control is the primary goal.