4 Ways To BUILD Muscle Plant-Based NO MEAT

Summary

This video script delves into building muscle on a plant-based vegan diet, a frequent query the speaker has faced. Despite common misconceptions, the script explains that all essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis can be derived from plants. The speaker, who transitioned to a plant-based diet for health reasons, shares insights on muscle composition, the impact of hormones on muscle mass, and the importance of diet and exercise in combating muscle loss with age. The script offers practical advice on increasing healthy calories, consuming high-quality plant proteins, addressing hormonal imbalances, and the necessity of training like an athlete to achieve a fit physique.

Takeaways

• 💪 Building muscle on a plant-based diet is possible and the speaker has been asked this question frequently due to his muscular physique despite being vegan for over a decade.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The importance of maintaining muscle mass as we age is emphasized, as muscle loss can lead to health issues and decreased longevity.
• 📉 The speaker transitioned to a plant-based diet to combat health issues like high blood pressure and inflammation, which improved significantly within 60 days.
• 🚫 The downsides of consuming animal products, such as saturated fats and carcinogenic compounds like heterocyclic amines, were highlighted as reasons for choosing a vegan lifestyle.
• 🌱 The script clarifies that all essential amino acids needed for protein synthesis can be obtained from plant sources, debunking the myth that meat is necessary for adequate protein intake.
• 🥑 To build muscle on a vegan diet, one should increase healthy calorie intake, focusing on nutrient-dense foods and smoothies to supplement caloric needs.
• 🥗 High-quality plant-based proteins, including chickpeas, quinoa, chia seeds, mushrooms, hemp seeds, and wild rice, are recommended for muscle building.
• ⚖️ Addressing hormonal imbalances is crucial for muscle growth, as issues like insulin resistance, estrogen dominance, and low testosterone can hinder muscle development.
• 🏃‍♂️ Training like an athlete is necessary for achieving an athletic physique, which involves a commitment to a fitness regimen that matches the desired body type.
• 🧘‍♂️ Starting with bodyweight exercises and calisthenics is advised to master movement and build structural fitness before progressing to additional weight training.
• 🌟 The video aims to provide a roadmap for individuals on their fitness journey, emphasizing that age is not a barrier to achieving a fit and muscular physique.

Q & A

Why does the speaker emphasize building muscle on a plant-based vegan diet?

The speaker emphasizes building muscle on a plant-based vegan diet to address the common question and misconception that it's challenging to build muscle without consuming animal products. He aims to provide insights and personal experiences on achieving this goal.

What initial health issues led the speaker to adopt a plant-based diet?

The speaker adopted a plant-based diet due to high blood pressure, sleep apnea, and inflammation throughout his body. He sought to improve his health by eliminating animal products from his diet.

How did the speaker's health change after switching to a plant-based diet?

After switching to a plant-based diet, the speaker lost 17 pounds in 30 days and 45 pounds in 60 days, felt amazing, and experienced significant health improvements.

What are some common misconceptions about protein and muscle building mentioned by the speaker?

The speaker mentions misconceptions such as the belief that protein can only be obtained from animal products, that vitamin B12 is only available from animals, and that complete proteins cannot be sourced from plants.

Why is maintaining lean muscle mass important as people age?

Maintaining lean muscle mass is important as people age because it has been scientifically proven that individuals with more lean muscle mass tend to be healthier. It helps prevent muscle wasting (sarcopenia), supports metabolism, and contributes to overall health and longevity.

What factors contribute to muscle loss with aging, according to the speaker?

Factors contributing to muscle loss with aging include hormonal changes (such as decreased testosterone and growth hormone), increased cortisol, and lifestyle factors like reduced physical activity.

What are some plant-based sources of complete proteins mentioned by the speaker?

Some plant-based sources of complete proteins mentioned by the speaker include chia seeds and hemp seeds, both of which contain all nine essential amino acids.

How does the speaker suggest increasing healthy calories for muscle building?

The speaker suggests increasing healthy calories by consuming nutrient-dense foods such as smoothies with green leafy vegetables, berries, nuts, and seeds, as well as incorporating healthy fats like avocado.

What role do hormonal imbalances play in muscle building and fat storage?

Hormonal imbalances, such as insulin resistance and low testosterone levels, can impede muscle building and promote fat storage. Correcting these imbalances is crucial for effective muscle growth and overall health.

How does the speaker recommend training to achieve an athletic physique?

The speaker recommends training like an athlete, which involves mastering body weight exercises (calisthenics) before adding weights, ensuring proper range of motion, and gradually increasing the intensity of workouts.

Outlines

00:00

🌱 Building Muscle on a Plant-Based Diet

The speaker addresses the common question of building muscle on a plant-based, vegan diet, which they have been asked for over a decade. They emphasize the importance of body composition, particularly the ratio of muscle to fat, as a key to health and longevity. The speaker shares their personal experience of transitioning to a plant-based diet due to health issues such as high blood pressure and sleep apnea, and how this change, along with exercise, helped them lose weight and improve their health. They also touch on the concept of sarcopenia, the natural loss of muscle mass with age, and the role of hormones in muscle retention and fat gain.

05:03

🥗 Overcoming Myths About Protein and Plant-Based Diets

The speaker debunks several myths about protein intake on a plant-based diet, explaining that protein is essentially a combination of amino acids, which can be obtained from plants. They discuss the difference between essential and non-essential amino acids and assert that all essential amino acids can be derived from plant sources. The speaker also addresses the misconception that meat is necessary for protein, pointing out that many animals that produce protein do not consume meat themselves. They highlight the health benefits of plant-based protein and the importance of understanding the body's ability to regenerate tissue.

10:07

💪 Strategies for Building Muscle with Plants

The speaker outlines four strategies for building muscle on a plant-based diet. The first is to increase healthy calorie intake, which can be achieved through smoothies and the inclusion of healthy fats like avocados, nuts, and seeds. The second strategy is to consume high-quality plant-based proteins such as chickpeas, quinoa, chia seeds, mushrooms, hemp seeds, and wild rice. The third strategy involves correcting hormonal imbalances that can hinder muscle growth, such as insulin resistance, estrogen dominance, and low testosterone levels. The speaker emphasizes the importance of a holistic approach to health, including diet and lifestyle changes, to address these hormonal issues.

15:09

🏋️‍♂️ Training and Nutrition for Athletic Performance

The speaker discusses the importance of training like an athlete to achieve an athletic physique, stressing that the type of training and diet must align with the desired body type. They explain that different sports require different body types and training regimens, and that one must be willing to commit to the necessary training and nutritional habits to achieve those results. The speaker advocates for starting with bodyweight exercises to master movement and build structural fitness before progressing to more intense weight training. They also highlight the importance of nutrition in supporting the body's ability to handle training and recover effectively.

Keywords

💡Plant-based diet

A plant-based diet refers to a way of eating that focuses on foods derived from plants, including vegetables, grains, nuts, seeds, legumes, and fruits, while limiting or excluding animal products. In the video, the speaker emphasizes the ability to build muscle on a plant-based diet, countering common misconceptions about protein intake from animal sources. The speaker's personal journey of transitioning to a plant-based diet for health reasons and successfully building muscle mass is a central theme.

💡Vegan

Veganism is both a dietary and lifestyle choice that avoids the use of animal products and by-products entirely. In the context of the video, the term is used to describe the speaker's dietary habits and to highlight the question he often receives about building muscle without animal protein. The speaker uses his experience to demonstrate that veganism can support muscle growth and overall health.

💡Body composition

Body composition refers to the proportion of different substances that make up the body, such as muscle, fat, and bone mass. The video discusses the importance of maintaining a healthy body composition, particularly as one ages, to ensure more lean muscle mass and less body fat, which is associated with better health and longevity. The speaker's narrative is centered around improving body composition through a plant-based diet and exercise.

💡Sarcopenia

Sarcopenia is the medical term for age-related loss of muscle mass and strength. The video script mentions sarcopenia to illustrate the natural process of muscle wasting as people age, which the speaker aims to counteract through his plant-based diet and exercise regimen. Understanding sarcopenia is crucial for the video's message on the importance of muscle maintenance for health.

💡Hormonal imbalances

Hormonal imbalances refer to irregular levels of hormones in the body, which can affect various bodily functions, including muscle growth and fat storage. The video emphasizes the impact of hormonal imbalances such as high insulin levels or low testosterone on muscle development. The speaker suggests that correcting these imbalances through diet and lifestyle is key to building muscle mass.

💡Essential amino acids

Essential amino acids are the building blocks of proteins that the body cannot synthesize on its own and must obtain through diet. The video explains that these amino acids are crucial for muscle building and can be derived from plant-based sources, debunking the myth that meat is necessary for adequate protein intake.

💡Protein myth

The protein myth mentioned in the video refers to common misconceptions about the necessity of animal protein for adequate nutrition and muscle growth. The speaker challenges this myth by explaining that complete proteins can be obtained from plants and that the body requires amino acids, not specifically proteins from meat.

💡Heterocyclic amines

Heterocyclic amines are compounds formed when meat is cooked at high temperatures, which have been identified as carcinogenic. The video script uses this term to highlight one of the health risks associated with consuming meat, supporting the speaker's choice to adopt a plant-based diet for better health.

💡Insulin resistance

Insulin resistance is a condition where the body's cells do not respond properly to the hormone insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. The video discusses insulin resistance as a hormonal imbalance that can hinder muscle growth and contribute to fat storage, emphasizing the importance of addressing this issue for effective muscle building.

💡Calisthenics

Calisthenics are a form of exercise that uses the body's weight to perform movements like push-ups, pull-ups, and squats, aiming to improve strength and fitness. The video promotes calisthenics as an initial step in training for muscle growth, advocating for mastering body weight exercises before progressing to additional weight training.

💡Nutrient-dense

Nutrient-dense refers to foods that are high in vitamins, minerals, and other essential nutrients relative to their calorie content. The video emphasizes the importance of consuming nutrient-dense, plant-based foods to support muscle building and overall health, suggesting that such a diet can provide the necessary nutrients for optimal body composition.

Highlights

Building muscle on a plant-based vegan diet is possible and is a common inquiry, especially important as people age and tend to lose muscle mass.

The speaker has maintained a muscular physique for over 12 years on a plant-based diet, debunking common misconceptions.

Body composition, focusing on lean muscle mass and fat composition, is crucial for health and longevity.

Sarcopenia, the loss of muscle mass with age, can be combated with proper diet and exercise.

Hormonal changes with age, such as decreased testosterone and increased cortisol, can affect muscle retention.

The speaker transitioned to a plant-based diet to improve health conditions like high blood pressure and sleep apnea.

Removing animal products led to significant weight loss and improved health within the first 60 days for the speaker.

Saturated fats in meat are linked to health issues like heart disease and strokes, which can be mitigated by avoiding meat.

Cooking meat produces heterocyclic amines, compounds that are carcinogenic and can increase cancer risk.

The China Study found a correlation between animal protein consumption and increased cancer risk.

Meat often contains added hormones, antibiotics, and is sourced from animals fed inappropriate diets, affecting human health.

A plant-based diet can provide all essential amino acids necessary for muscle building.

Animals that produce protein do not consume meat, indicating plants can also be a source of complete proteins.

Common myths about protein intake from animal sources are debunked, emphasizing plant-based sources are sufficient.

Increasing healthy calories through plant-based sources like smoothies, nuts, and seeds is key for muscle building.

High-quality plant-based proteins such as chickpeas, quinoa, chia seeds, and hemp seeds support muscle growth.

Correcting hormonal imbalances like insulin resistance, estrogen dominance, and low testosterone is essential for muscle development.

Training like an athlete requires commitment and gradual progression to achieve desired fitness levels.

Starting with bodyweight exercises and calisthenics is recommended to master movement before adding weights.

The journey to fitness involves addressing nutrition, exercise, and hormonal health for sustainable results.

Transcripts

peace and blessings welcome back to the

channel once again where we talk about

all things health and healing from a

holistic perspective and today will be

no different today we're going to be

talking about how do I build muscle on a

plant-based vegan diet because I've been

getting this question literally for the

last 12 13 years since I went

plant-based how do you build muscle on a

plant-based diet now what I will tell

you is that

I get that question a lot because

I'm about six two around about 220

pounds so I'm not a small person I'm not

a huge person but I'm not a small person

and often when I'm in a gym and I'm

lifting sometimes I'll have on like one

of my shirts to say is plant powered or

vegan muscle or something like that and

people will start the questioning now I

think it's a very important question

from that angle because then when I

explained to them it makes a little bit

of sense to them but I also think it's

very important for this reason as well

as we tend to age what you notice

whether you eat a vegan diet or

plant-based diet or if you eat a

completely meat or carnivore diet what

we tend to notice is that people tend to

lose more and more muscle as they age

and gain more and more fat so this is

really a conversation around body

composition okay and what I mean by that

is your body is composed the muscle is

composed of fats it's composed of many

different things and the two primary

things we're going to focus on is fat

composition and muscle composition

because we want more lean muscle mass on

our body and the reason why that's so

important is because the more lean

muscle mass that you have on your body

that has been scientifically proven that

those individuals are just 10 to be

healthier okay so that's number one

the other thing that I think is very

important to understand around muscle

wasting or what we call sarcopenia as

when you're literally losing muscle is

the important part is as we age

the reason why we're starting to lose so

much muscle is a it's that old saying if

you don't use it you lose it but also as

we age for a lot of people you're seeing

a lot of people's hormones change so

testosterone tends to go down growth

hormone tends to go down cortisol seems

to go up insulin seems to go up blood

sugars grow up and these these things

that are happening are often congruent

whether you're young or old

when you start to lose muscle as you

start to lose muscle cortisol goes up

insulin goes up insulin is the fat

storage hormone okay so it's important

to know a lot of the shifts that are

occurring are because the body is

Shifting as well too now I'll give you

sort of a few reasons why I decided to

let animal products go well the number

one reason was because I was unhealthy I

had high blood pressure I also had sleep

apnea and inflammation all through and

out my body

and so out of desperation to be honest

with you I decided to try going

plant-based removing all animal products

from my diet and in a span of about 30

days

I lost about 17 pounds and I felt

amazing and in 60 days I lost 45 pounds

just simply by first removing all animal

products and then eating completely

plant-based not vegan junk food not

sodas or powders or any of that so

completely plant-based original Foods

okay and so

after that I did the research and as I'm

doing the research on

you know I've always been told like the

benefits of meat as it relates to you

know putting protein in the body but

I've never been told what is the

downsides to me and so as I started to

do this research what I discovered was

you know meat comes with a lot of

saturated fat okay saturated fat is the

very same fat that blocks arteries that

causes strokes and heart attacks okay

the number one cause of human death okay

so that was the first thing I was going

to be helping myself with by getting rid

of the meat because I had high blood

pressure

and I would like to assume a lot of the

high blood pressure came as a result of

having a lot of fat inside of the blood

vessels okay so I researched and found

out that I was going to be eliminating

that the other issue with me as well too

that I discovered was that anytime you

cook meat which we all cook our meat we

don't eat it raw uh it creates these

compounds called heterocyclic amines and

these compounds are carcinogenic they

cause cancer

and so as I was reading The China Study

which is a study that was conducted over

30 years had over 6 000 participants

what it found was that

people who had a composition of five

percent or more of you know animal

protein in their diet what they found

was those people exponentially increased

their risk for cancer okay so that was

the other thing and the other issue is

that that is prevalent that most people

know about is that much of the meat that

most people were eating today or animals

that people were eating today

unfortunately not only comes with the

meat itself but it also comes with

antibiotics it also comes with hormones

um it also comes with these animals

consuming food that they should not

consume like corn and soy and so as a

result it makes these animals sick and

when we eat sick meat we get sick okay

so all of those things are the reasons

why I decided to let me go for that

reason on top of the fact that I regain

a lot of health and I have been

suffering with high blood pressure for

almost 10 years since my teens okay and

so that's the reason why I let me go for

that reason and I'm starting with that

so you understand how do I get to a

point where I'm talking to you about

um how do you build muscle with plants

now what I will tell you what is is that

in the first 60 days when I lost those

45 pounds and I got down to about 195

pounds at that point because I had

ballooned up to about 250.

I looked and felt great and then I

started adding on other things I got too

excited started doing juice fast started

doing water fast and then I think I did

about a 21 day water fast and I got down

to about 178 pounds which oddly enough

was the weight I was in high school okay

so it's the exact weight I was as an

athlete in high school and so

um I was surprised initially that I

could even get down to that weight but I

also to be honest with you

um I didn't feel comfortable uh I wanted

to be bigger I wanted to be stronger

because I felt

um as I was an athlete in college I did

get bigger and stronger I gained about

maybe 15 pounds of muscle after my

freshman year of college and I wanted to

get more back to that so then I had to

go on this journey of figuring out well

how do I add muscle I figure out the

perfect way on how to draw body fat but

now I had to figure out how to add

muscle because what I learned was in

high school I only have a had about five

or seven percent body fat so I was like

pure muscle in high school

and now it's trying to figure out how to

add muscle back in and I'll tell you

for me burning fat was much more easier

than actually adding muscle onto the

body initially because I didn't have a

true understanding of it and so I just

thought it was the weight room and what

I quickly Learned was

because I had gone through this

transition again where I went

plant-based vegan then I had done I

started to do juicing and then I was

doing intermittent fasting and then I

was doing water fasting once you go

through that what you're going to learn

is is that you don't need to eat the

amount of food that you always ate you

don't need to eat three three meals a

day and also snacks as a matter of fact

once I got to that point where I had

gone through the fasting and loss so

much weight that I got down to about 178

pounds I was unable to consume more than

one meal in a day

and so I found it very difficult to

build muscle because to build muscle is

important to know and understand

to build muscle you have to hey you have

to put the muscle under some type of

stress meaning workout exercise Etc okay

to truly build muscle

and so to be able to do that you got to

break the muscle down but to be you have

to build it you have to build it back up

and you have to build it back up with a

combination of the exercises and the

calories okay and so I found it very

difficult to be able to do that and then

I finally mastered the combination of

the two and that has what that has been

what has allowed me to sort of grow

muscle build muscle and I even have a

video that I've seen like on the

internet with somebody's you know

um who I don't know is saying you know

these vegans are out here and they're

pretending to be vegan and there's no

way this person can be this big I guess

the person saw me at the gym or

something there's no way this person can

be this big and this strong and not eat

meat and so to be honest with you I took

the video as a compliment unless as uh

you know about slander but what I will

tell you is it does take a little bit of

mastering and you're in luck today

because I'm gonna share with you a

little bit of how do you build muscle

by simply just eating plants well let's

start with the foundation first as I

mentioned but first mentioned before

everything is about body composition

okay so we're always talking about

obesity okay and you know people adding

so much fat to their body but what we

don't talk about is the importance of

adding muscle to the body okay not just

from the the standpoint of Aesthetics

okay but from the standpoint of being

healthier and adding more longevity to

your life as well too and that's one

thing that I learned when I was in

Okinawa watching these people who were

in their 80s and 90s

who were muscular walking upright doing

gardening doing farming walking up hills

riding bikes what I noticed was those

people who were the healthiest also were

very muscular as well too all right so

let's get into it um first of all it's

important to know and understand that

our bodies make certain amino acids and

that we have to get certain amino acids

from our diet now the reason why I'm

bringing that up is because when I say

protein proteins are just combinations

of amino acids okay just combinations of

amino acids okay so we have amino acids

that our bodies make by itself and then

we have amino acids that we have to get

from our diet and these amino acids are

called the essential amino acids and

there are nine of them okay and so these

amino acids are simply the building

blocks to make a protein okay when I say

protein your heart is called myocardial

okay because it's heart muscle okay you

have lung tissue you have muscle that is

used in the musculoskeletal system so

you have different types of protein the

protein that is in a cow versus in a

human is different but it's all based on

type of building blocks it used in those

building blocks are like bricks okay and

those building blocks are called amino

acids so when you look at a brick house

and you see those individual bricks

those are different proteins okay I mean

a different amino acids just think of it

in terms of that that's the first thing

so the important part

is not that we need protein we need

amino acids to a to be able to build

proteins because our bodies are capable

of building any type of protein why do I

know that because if you have

um damage to your liver

our bodies are capable of regenerating

our liver even if we lose 25 only have

25 percent of our liver remaining after

losing 75 percent our bodies are capable

of regenerating our entire liver just

from 25 okay so that tells us that our

bodies can regenerate just like a lizard

could lose its tail and regrow it we

have parts of ourselves that we can also

regenerate as well too so our bodies

have that capability all right so with

that being said we just need to provide

it with the necessary nutrients I.E

amino acids not proteins okay amino

acids to be able to build that type of

tissue that it needs to build

now here's why that's so important

because when you eat animal protein your

body still has to break that down okay

we have to metabolize that so when you

eat any kind of meat it has to be broken

down from that protein structure which

is the entire meat down to the amino

acids and then your body has to

determine what type of protein do I need

to to provide to the body do I need to

build muscle protein okay do I need to

rebuild the liver okay do I need to add

more muscle to the heart okay so it's

really important to understand all right

it doesn't matter what type of meat

somebody eats it has to be broken down

to the amino acids that's why it goes

into the stomach the stomach acid that

starts to break it down the pancreas

release certain enzymes to help break

down that meat as well to the individual

amino acids okay now here's the cool

thing about plants a plants are much

easier to break down than meat we all

know that I don't think anybody would

refute that the other thing is

you can get all of those non-essential

amino acids from plants there's not one

essential amino acid you can't get from

plant okay so those non-essential amino

acids are going to be methionine

threonine histidine valine what else we

got on there we got phenylalanine we

have tryptophan isoleucine leucine and

then lysine okay so we have nine nine

essential amino acids that our bodies

don't make that we can get from Plants

now here's the other part I'm going to

make very transparent and if this

doesn't make common sense to you then

common sense just doesn't make sense to

you now when people tell me all the time

they'll say well I need to eat meat

because I got to get my protein I always

tell them what are the primary animals

that we typically are getting our

protein from okay what are the primary

animals that people eat okay cows

pigs chickens throw some lamb in there

okay and then some fish all right but

the cows pigs and chickens are the

primary ones I want you to ask yourself

a question do any any of those animals

eat meat to get their protein

think about that for a second do cows

pigs or chickens eat meat to get their

protein that you're consuming to put

protein in your body

no none of them eat meat

so if they're capable of manufacturing

protein their muscle think about it a

cow

a ox

uh gorilla a rhino none of them eat meat

some of the strongest animals in the

world elephant some of the strongest and

biggest animals in the world which means

that they have to produce a lot of

protein

none of them eat meat to create their

muscle Okay so what would make you think

that nature has positioned Us in such a

way where we're not in we're not capable

of manufacturing protein muscle

from Plants okay so like I just want you

to put that in perspective for a second

so then we go into the common sense

corner and from there we can understand

okay what we've been taught about you

know uh protein is a myth that's why in

my book vegetation over medication I

dedicated an entire chapter to the

protein myth okay because we've been

lied to around you know protein one of

some of those myths are only animal

protein can give you protein okay you

can only get your protein from animal

meat uh animal meat that's that's a myth

okay I've literally been living on this

planet Earth for almost 13 years with no

meat and I'm still here

so that tells you one thing that number

two

um

you gotta eat meat because you you know

you need Vitamin B12 well vitamin B12

doesn't even come from animals it is

actually a bacteria okay and guess what

there are plant-based sources of vitamin

B12 and I'll tell you this working at a

hospital

and seeing how many prescriptions I had

to give out for a vitamin B12 deficiency

it is not just vegans okay vitamin B12

deficiency is very common but vitamin

B12 deficiency is very common because so

many people have gut issues as a matter

of fact I did a video on low stomach

acid check that out when you have low

stomach acid you will not be capable of

actually

processing metabolizing utilizing

absorbing the vitamin B12 that you

actually do eat so a lot of people will

have vitamin B12 deficiency because they

have low stomach acid the acid is

required to cleave off what is called a

r protein so that then the vitamin B12

will become active instead of you know

just going out through your poo Okay so

it's really important that's a myth also

and also you can't get complete proteins

from Plants I'll tell you two of them

two sources of complete proteins in just

a second so hold on for that so I had to

break down that first so you at least

have an understanding and now we're

going to get them into the four ways the

four ways that you can actually build

muscle with plants number one and this

is important

you need to increase healthy calories

okay increase healthy calories all right

now I'll tell you I only eat once or

twice a day

but all my calories I try to make sure

they're as Immaculate and as healthy as

possible okay so there's no wastage okay

but if you truly want to be it depends

when I say build muscle

there's levels to it so if you want to

build muscles like you're in the gym

working hard then you definitely need to

increase your calories I would say buy

at least three or four hundred if you

just want to build muscle because you

don't have a lot of muscles

you don't have to necessarily increase

your calories by a significant amount

okay especially when you're eating

plant-based because the important thing

to know and understand about that the

healthier you you eat the more nutrition

you're going to get in your diet and the

less calories plants have okay so you're

not going to get a lot of calories but

I'm going to give you a few ways that

you can get some of those the best

calories to get in for some of those

healthy muscles okay so that's the first

way you got to increase healthy calories

okay I do that by making smoothies

that's the one way you can pack a lot of

calories into one serving okay 1 16

ounce smoothie okay so in my smoothie

I'll have some green leafy vegetables I

have sometimes I have some berries in

there I also have some nuts so maybe I

have a nut milk in there as well too I

will have a combination of things to

pack in those calories to help me build

muscle okay because you can't build a

pyramid with one brick okay in it

requires effort okay so you have to put

in the extra calories if you're trying

to to build muscle okay and the other

thing is adding in some healthy fats

like avocado uh nuts and seeds as well

too that's how you add in the calories

that way as well too okay so number one

increase healthy calories okay

this is one of the things that on my

journey I was struggling with because I

had gotten to a point where I was only

eating once a day and I wasn't eating

very much so I wouldn't wasn't getting a

lot of calories in so it's very hard to

do to build muscle so I had to increase

my calories okay so now I'm somewhere in

the neighborhood of two meals a day and

a um a plant-based protein smoothie no

powders only Whole Foods okay so that's

number one number two

eat

high quality proteins the high quality

proteins I'll give you some examples

okay some of these I put in the

smoothies some of these I make sure I

eat with my meals but chickpeas great

source of protein okay quinoa spell and

TEF and I lean on teff because teff

doesn't have gluten spelled does okay so

those are great sources of protein as

well too chia seeds chia seeds are a

complete protein they have all of the

nine essential amino acids that your

body doesn't make okay so you can get

all of your proteins from the chia seeds

also mushrooms some of my favorite are

going to be lion's mane oyster mushrooms

those are some of my favorites so I'm

eating those a lot as well too hemp seed

another complete protein you get all not

all nine of the essential amino acids

when you put hemp or hemp seeds in your

smoothie or on your Buddha bowl or in

your salad Etc as well too and then wild

rice so don't eat that regular white

rice or eat I don't even eat the brown

rice I eat wild rice which is more of

the original rice we're supposed to have

and that also has a lot of protein as

well too so you want to make sure you

get those healthy sources of protein

powders are not a healthy source of

protein okay because most of them aren't

natural ingredients if you read the

ingredient list most of those things

aren't natural they'll say a whole bunch

of vitamins and minerals but it doesn't

tell you where they come from because

they're not natural vitamins and

minerals okay so I try to get them from

Whole sources okay all right so that's

number two

number three correcting hormonal

imbalances a lot of the reasons why

we're actually losing muscle is because

of hormonal imbalances I'll give you an

example if you have insulin resistance

or high blood blood sugar and you're

pre-diabetic or diabetic or you're not

either but your blood sugars are

constantly high or your insulin is

always high insulin is a fat storage

hormone it will tell your body to

constantly store fat and not build

muscle

the reason why that's so important is

because if you have that imbalance it

won't matter how much you work out if it

if your body's metabolism is saying

store fat okay so correcting hormonal

imbalances and insulin is a hormonal

imbalance okay you can primarily come

correct that through the diet if you're

one of those people who convert it from

a type 2 diabetic to a type one but a

lot of the type 2 diabetics suffer from

insulin resistance which means that

insulin can't escort the sugar that is

in the blood into the muscle cell okay

that's insulin resistance and the

primary reason it can't is because this

fat

clogging up the cell okay so it's

important to know and understand that

correcting that hormonal imbalance

correcting estrogen dominance there's so

much estrogen in our environment in the

form of plants uh I'm sorry Plastics

okay Plastics create a lot of what are

called xenoestrogens okay these are fake

estrogens or endocrine disruptors okay

you also find them in a lot of uh

processed foods you also find them in a

lot of

cosmetic and hygienic products as well

too so you want to avoid ways that

you're adding estrogen to your body in a

form of plastics those things that I

mentioned before but also if you're on

some type of there

um you know birth control pills as well

too as you add more estrogen to the body

you are going to store fat okay so

that's another imbalance that you need

to correct or low testosterone

if you have testosterone is low you will

not be able to build muscle to all my

fillers out there if your testosterone

is low you will not be able to build

muscle okay so that's the reason why

it's also so important that people

realize it's not just about eating and

how you work out you also have to make

sure you don't have hormonal imbalances

because

sometimes just simply

changing your diet or changing how you

work out isn't enough you have to

address these issues and sometimes it's

a lamination some kinds of things that

you need to add on as well too okay so

that's number three correcting hormonal

imbalances and number four and mostly

most importantly is if you want to look

like an athlete you need to train like

one okay and the reason why I say that

is this a lot of people

will come to me and say Hey I want to

get lean I want to get you know fit blah

blah blah I said well send me a picture

of what you want to look like and when

they send the picture it's like Serena

Williams or like some athlete LeBron

James with a eight pack

um you know a gun show and legs that are

just popping and when I tell them I was

like well are you willing to train like

the athlete trains okay because I'll

I'll give you a few differences if you

want to look like a track a track star

looks very different from how

um let's say for instance you have a

Sprinter versus a person who does

cross-country they look very different

okay you have a basketball player versus

a football player they look different

okay so the question is are you willing

to train like them are you healthy

enough to train like them okay I always

ask people that okay because the athlete

will kind of dictate the the type of

activities they do and the type of

training they do as well too to achieve

their physical results that they achieve

and you have to understand there's a

massive amount of effort that goes into

that okay so is your body healthy enough

to do that

and are you willing to do that okay now

if you're willing to do that and your

body isn't currently healthy enough

there are ways that you can gradually

move yourself into that direction I've

seen people in their 70s and their 80s

who look more fit

than people who are in their 20s and

their 30s okay so it's capable it

doesn't matter what age you are it just

depends on where you are you start from

there and you gradually move up okay so

you begin with body weight exercises I

tell people that's the best way to start

because you need to master your own body

weight before you started adding on the

weights okay master your own body weight

that means that you're focusing on

calisthenics that means you're focusing

on things like push-ups jumping jacks

pull-ups squats things of that nature

okay adding some jump rope eventually

okay once you master that now you've

mastered the movement of your body and

the master your own body weight now you

can start to add a master the additional

way for me that has always been the

healthiest way to approach it because my

thing for people is

I'd rather get you structurally fit and

increase your range of motion

and also improve your health along the

way with nutrition so that your body can

take the training that is required to be

able to get to the fitness level that

you desire okay so I hope this has been

helpful in terms of like giving you a

little bit of a road map on how do you

navigate going from

going from essentially where you are to

where you want to go uh of course

there's a lot of other details that I

can't uh go through in this video

because otherwise as you see this is

about a 30 minute video we'll be here

for hours but I do think this is the

great beginning and start line to start

that fitness journey for yourself so if

you enjoyed the video you had any aha

moments put them down in the comments

make sure you share this subscribe and

like and I'll see you in the next video

until the next time peace and blessings

and Godspeed