No matter which TNT plan you’ve chosen, the foods in the Fat-Burning Time Zone will form the foundation of your diet. That’s because they’re low in carbohydrates, which ensures that they won’t raise your levels of insulin or glycogen. Keeping high amounts of carbs out of your diet lets your body burn fat at its highest potential, while protecting metabolism-boosting muscle. The Fat-Burning Time Zone diet also helps to stabilize your blood sugar and reduce your body’s internal production of saturated fat. Both of these results are extremely effective for decreasing your risk for heart disease. Even better: The guidelines in the Fat-Burning Time Zone are simple; just follow the five nutrition tactics below.
1. Choose liberally from the Fat-Burning Time Zone foods. Feel free to eat any combination of these foods—along with the Fat-Burning Time Zone–approved condiments and beverages—until you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. These “restrictions” sound too easy to work, but study after study has shown that eating this way promises more dramatic fat loss than any other approach—and without the need to count calories.
2. Try to consume high-quality protein at every meal. Eating protein ensures that your body always has the raw material available to build and maintain your muscle, even while you lose fat. Protein also helps to keep your metabolism stoked. That’s because your body uses more calories to digest and process protein than both carbohydrates and fat combined.
3. Don’t fear fat. Fat is a crucial factor in helping you control the total number of calories your body craves. That’s because fat is very effective at helping you feel satisfied. Remember, your body is designed to burn fat. And you control the fat-burning trigger by eating foods—specifically, the Fat-Burning Time Zone foods—that keep your insulin and glycogen levels low.
4. Indulge on vegetables. When our friend and colleague, Richard Feinman, PhD, professor of biochemistry at SUNY Downstate Medical Center in New York City, polled more than 2,000 low-carbohydrate dieters, he found that, on average, dieters who were most successful consumed at least four servings of low-starch vegetables a day. Low-starch vegetables include almost any vegetable other than potatoes, carrots, and corn.
5. Avoid sugar and starch. The list of foods to avoid includes bread, pasta, potatoes, beans, rice, fruit, milk, candy, regular soda, and baked goods—as well as any other foods that contain grains, flour, or sugar. The reason? These are the foods that either raise blood sugar and insulin levels or replenish glycogen—all of which inhibit your body’s ability to burn fat for energy. You might be surprised to see fruit and milk on this list, but it’s not because either are unhealthy—they simply provide too many glycogen-replenishing carbs, in the form of natural sugars.
THE FAT-BURNING TIME ZONE FOODS |
|||
| HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN | LOW-STARCH VEGETABLES* | NATURAL FATS | |
| Beef | Artichokes | Mushrooms | Avocados |
| Cheese | Asparagus | Onions | Butter |
| Eggs | Broccoli | Peppers | Coconut |
| Fish | Brussels sprouts | Spinach | Cream |
| Pork | Cauliflower | Tomatoes | Nuts and seeds† |
| Poultry | Celery | Turnips | Olives, olive oil, and canola oil |
| Whey and casein protein | Cucumbers | Zucchini | Sour cream |
*These are just a few common examples of low-starch vegetables; the full list (page 44) includes almost all vegetables except potatoes, carrots, and corn.
†Limit nuts and seeds to two servings a day.
Scanning a product’s ingredient list to see if it has sugar is smart—but you may need to expand your vocabulary. Here are 20 aliases that the sweet stuff goes by—none of which include the word sugar.
Barley malt
Brown rice syrup
Corn syrup
Dextrose
Evaporated cane juice invert syrup
Fructose
Fruit juice
Galactose
Glucose
Granular fruit grape juice concentrate
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Lactose
Maltodextrin
Maple syrup
Molasses
Organic cane juice
Sorghum
Sucrose
Turbinado
Most people consider turkey, chicken, and fish healthy, yet think they should avoid red meat—or only choose very lean cuts—since they’ve always been told that it’s high in saturated fat. But there are two problems with that thinking.
The first problem is that almost half of the fat in beef is a monounsaturated fat called oleic acid—the same heart-healthy fat that’s found in olive oil. Second, most of the saturated fat in beef actually decreases your heart disease risk—either by lowering LDL (bad) cholesterol, or by reducing your ratio of total cholesterol to HDL (good) cholesterol. (See Chapter 13 for the science on saturated fat and your health.) And besides being one of the most available sources of high-quality protein, beef also provides many important nutrients such as iron, zinc, and B vitamins. So the idea that beef is bad for you couldn’t be further from the truth.
We probably don’t have to sell you on the virtues of chicken and turkey. After all, nearly all experts agree that these foods are healthy sources of high-quality protein. But unlike most nutritionists, we also say go ahead and eat both the dark meat and the skin. Because both are composed of animal fat, their fat composition is very similar to that of beef. Meaning, neither raises your risk for heart disease. Remember, eating more fat—not less—is key in helping you reduce your calorie intake without feeling deprived.
Any type of fish is a good source of high-quality protein, but those that inhabit cold water are even better choices. Research shows that regular consumption of cold-water fish—such as salmon, mackerel, halibut, and sardines—lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke, asthma, colon cancer, kidney cancer, and Alzheimer’s. Why? Scientists believe it’s because they’re rich in a type of fat known as omega-3 fatty acids. Specifically, these beneficial omega-3s are called eicosapentaenoic acid and docosahexaenoic acid, or EPA and DHA, respectively. For most of the health benefits, you should consume enough fatty fish each week to provide at least 3,000 milligrams of EPA and DHA combined. Use the chart below to guide your selections. (Hate fish? Try the fish oil supplement recommended on page 56.)
| SOURCE | EPA AND DHA PER 3½-OUNCE SERVING |
| Salmon | 2,200 mg |
| Mackerel | 1,200 mg |
| Sardines | 1,000 mg |
| Trout | 1,000 mg |
| Mussels | 800 mg |
| Sea bass | 800 mg |
| White tuna (canned in water) | 800 mg |
| Calamari | 600 mg |
| Flounder | 500 mg |
| Halibut | 500 mg |
| Lox | 500 mg |
| Crab | 400 mg |
It’s true: Pork really is the other white meat. Ounce for ounce, pork tenderloin has less fat than chicken breast. And food scientists are finding ways to make it leaner and leaner every year. Of course, the downside to this is that fat is what makes pork taste so good—which explains why ham and bacon are far more popular than leaner cuts. (As Emeril Lagasse says, “Pork fat rules.”) But remember, there’s no reason to fear fat—especially when you follow the tenets of the TNT Diet.
Not everyone has a taste for bacon, pancetta, and ham. But you can make your choice based simply on what you love without worrying about the fat in these foods. When you follow the TNT Diet, your health and body composition results will be every bit as impressive with these foods as without—so why deny your taste buds? One caveat: Bacon and other cured meats often contain sodium and other preservatives, such as nitrates, that may raise blood pressure, or increase your risk for cancer. To limit your risk, choose fresh meats or packaged products that contain no preservatives—typically labeled “all-natural”—whenever possible. Our favorite: Al Fresco chicken sausages; find a local retailer at www.alfrescoallnatural.com.
Whole eggs contain more essential vitamins and minerals per calorie than virtually any other food. They’re also one of the best sources of choline, a substance your body requires to break down fat for energy. In addition, eggs provide lutein and zeaxanthin, antioxidants that help prevent macular degeneration and cataracts. They may even be the perfect diet food: Saint Louis University scientists found that people who have eggs as part of their breakfast eat fewer calories the rest of the day than those who ate bagels instead. Even though both breakfasts contained the same number of calories, the egg eaters consumed 264 fewer calories for the entire day.
However, you’ve probably been told at one time or another to avoid eggs because they’re high in cholesterol and fat. This is the same thinking that led to low-fat diets—and a mindset that has probably made us a lot fatter over the past decade. It’s simply a leftover recommendation from the low-fat legacy that was never forgotten. In a recent review of dozens of scientific studies, Wake Forest University researchers found no connection between egg consumption and heart disease. Which may be why, as the scientists point out in their paper, even the American Heart Association’s guidelines no longer include the recommendation to limit your intake of eggs.
There are three main reasons that cheese—believe it or not—is considered a great diet food.
1. It’s packed with protein and fat, which keep you full.
2. Most cheeses have almost no carbohydrates, which means they don’t raise your insulin levels or refill your glycogen tank.
3. Cheese is versatile and convenient. You can eat it right out of a single-serving package—making it a great snack—or use as a dip or to add more flavor to almost any dish.
You can choose from any type of hard cheese, or nonflavored cream cheese. However, in the Fat-Burning Time Zone, you’ll want to avoid cottage and ricotta cheese, since they contain a significant amount of carbohydrates. The same goes for flavored cream cheeses—think: strawberry—and processed cheese spreads. An easy way to make the determination: If the label shows that the cheese contains 2 grams or more of carbohydrates per serving (1 ounce or 1 slice), choose a different kind. Otherwise, it’s an excellent choice.
TNT-APPROVED CHEESES* |
|||
| American | Cream cheese, plain | Gouda | Mozzarella |
| Blue | Edam | Halloumi | Muenster |
| Brie | Feta | Havarti | Parmesan |
| Brick | Fontina | Jarlsberg | Provolone |
| Camembert | Goat | Mascarpone | Romano |
| Cheddar | Gorgonzola | Monterey Jack | Swiss |
*There are hundreds of different types of cheeses that you can eat; these are just a few examples. You’ll be able to determine if a product fits the Fat-Burning Time Zone by checking the label.
Because whey and casein protein supplements are popular among the bodybuilding crowd, you might assume that these products are only for “hardcore” lifters. But the truth is, they’re simply a convenient way to increase your intake of high-quality protein. A quick primer: Whey and casein are the primary proteins found in milk. In fact, about 20 percent of the protein in milk is whey, and the other 80 percent is casein. Any time you drink a glass of milk, you’re consuming both whey and casein. Over the last few years, scientists have learned how to separate these proteins from milk and then create powders that can be used to supplement your diet. Products made from either protein are both excellent sources of high-quality protein. Another benefit: Consumption of whey protein has been shown to enhance immune function and to be beneficial in treating cancer, heart disease, and osteoporosis. For a list of our favorite protein supplements, see Chapter 7. (Choose those that contain only protein, and little or no carbohydrates.)
Although both proteins are high quality—meaning they contain all of the essential amino acids needed to build muscle—they’re processed differently by your body. Whey is known as a “fast protein,” meaning it’s quickly broken down into amino acids and absorbed into your bloodstream. This allows the amino acids to be delivered to your muscles for immediate use. For this reason, it’s a very good protein to consume after your workout, when your body’s ability to build and repair muscle is at its highest. Casein, on the other hand, is digested more slowly. So it’s ideal for providing your body with a steady supply of smaller amounts of protein for a longer period of time. As a result, it’s a great choice for before you go to bed. For most purposes, both proteins will provide a similar overall benefit. However, if you’re interested in optimizing your protein intake, you might consider a whey-casein blend, which gives you the benefits of both proteins. Another choice: a protein made with “milk protein isolates,” which, because they’re milk protein, contain both whey and casein.
When shopping, you can choose from just about any form of vegetable, including fresh, frozen, or canned. And you can serve your vegetables raw, or cooked, by steaming, grilling, sautéing, boiling, or roasting.
We could give the nutritional merits of each vegetable listed on page 44, but we thought we’d save ourselves the work, and you the time. After all, do you really need to be convinced that vegetables are good for you? They are, of course. Harvard University researchers found that for every additional serving increase in daily vegetable intake, your risk of heart disease decreases 4 percent. And eating vegetables has also been shown to lower your risk of stroke, cancer, and diabetes.
Again, the key is simply to avoid vegetables that are starchy, which, for the most part, means potatoes in any of its various forms—mashed, fried, baked, and sweet. Also included in that list, though, are carrots, corn, and parsnips. We make a point to separate these from potatoes for a reason: You’re not likely to eat an abundance of these vegetables, and one serving of any of them has significantly lower amounts of carbohydrates and calories than one serving of potato. So if the steamed vegetables you order happen to have a few carrots mixed in with the broccoli, don’t feel like you have to let them go to waste. The main concern is that you don’t eat them regularly or in large quantities when you’re in the Fat-Burning Time Zone.
Besides combining your vegetables with natural fats, such as butter, you can use any of the Fat-Burning Time Zone–approved herbs and spices to add flavor and variety.
Just for reference, consider one serving of vegetables to be either 1 cup raw (the size of a baseball) or ½ cup cooked (half the size of a baseball). Although it’s not necessary to know this to lose fat, gauging your intake may actually help you pay attention to eating enough. Remember, the most successful dieters eat, on average, four servings of vegetables a day.
THE FAT-BURNING TIME ZONE–APPROVED LOW-STARCH VEGETABLES |
|||
| Alfalfa sprouts | Cauliflower | Mushrooms | Spaghetti squash |
| Artichokes | Celery | Okra | Spinach |
| Arugula | Cucumber | Onions | Summer squash |
| Asparagus | Eggplant | Peppers (any color) | Tomatoes |
| Bean sprouts | Endive | Radishes | Turnips |
| Bok choy | Green beans | Sauerkraut | Watercress |
| Broccoli | Kale | Scallions | Zucchini |
| Brussels sprouts | Lettuce (any type) | Snow peas | |
Colorado State University scientists discovered that people who consume the widest array of vegetables experience more health benefits than those who eat just as much but choose from a smaller assortment of produce. Why? The protective mojo of plant foods comes from antioxidants called phytochemicals, compounds that guard cells against damaging oxidation. However, these phytochemicals vary from one botanical family to another. So the greater the variety of vegetables you eat, the more types of healthy phytochemicals you consume.
Technically, an avocado is a fruit. But because they’re so rich in natural fats, we include them in this category. The bonus: They’re also loaded with disease-fighting antioxidants. However, avocados do contain a significant amount of carbohydrates, so don’t eat more than half an avocado on any given day.
If this delicious dairy product were the star of a sitcom, the show would probably be called Everybody Hates Butter. The reason, of course, is that it contains a significant amount of saturated fat. But again, it’s animal fat, like the kind in beef, bacon, and chicken skin. This is a natural fat that men and women have eaten for thousands of years—yet heart disease didn’t appear until the 20th century. The uptick in heart disease coincides not with an increase in saturated fat intake, but with that of more sugar and refined grains in our daily diets. And consider this: Fat, like that in butter, is necessary in order to help your body absorb many of the healthy nutrients found in vegetables. For instance, without fat, your body can’t absorb carotenoids—powerful disease-fighting antioxidants found in colorful vegetables—or fat-soluble vitamins, such as vitamins A, D, E, and K. So go ahead, eat butter, and do it without guilt when you’re in the Fat-Burning Time Zone.
Ounce for ounce, coconut contains even more saturated fat than butter does. As a result, health experts have warned that it will clog your arteries. But even though coconut is packed with saturated fat, it too appears to have a beneficial effect on heart-disease risk factors. One reason: More than 50 percent of its saturated-fat content is lauric acid. A recent analysis of 60 studies published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition reports that even though lauric acid raises LDL (bad) cholesterol, it boosts HDL (good) cholesterol even more. Overall, this means it decreases your risk of cardiovascular disease. The rest of the saturated fat in a coconut is believed to have little or no effect on cholesterol levels. We think coconut is highly underrated—if you like the taste, try it as a snack, eating the unsweetened, shredded kind straight from the bag. (You’ll probably have to search the health food section of your grocery store to find it.)
One serving of nuts or seeds is equal to a small handful, or the size of a large egg; one serving of nut butter is about the same size as a golf ball.
It’s time to leave the trail mix and rice cakes where they belong: the 1980s. Here in the 21st century, we know that nuts and seeds are far healthier snack foods. Many people mistakenly avoid nuts because of their high fat content, which ranges from about 70 to 80 percent of their total calories. This is possibly one of the best examples of how misinformation has really done a disservice to the American public (and the American plate). Study after study in prestigious journals such as the Journal of the American Medical Association show that an increased consumption of nuts can have a preventive effect on a number of diseases and health conditions, including obesity, heart disease, insulin resistance, and diabetes. And increased nut consumption doesn’t lead to weight gain. The bonus is that nuts and seeds also have plenty of fiber and protein, which along with the fat, keep you full longer than high-carb snacks—without boosting your insulin levels.
Two caveats:
Not only do most commercial brands of peanut butter contain added sugar, many are sweetened with “icing sugar”—the same finely ground sugar used to decorate cupcakes. In fact, each tablespoon of regular Skippy peanut butter contains a half teaspoon of the sweet stuff. And reduced-fat versions are even worse. That’s because manufacturers simply replace some of the healthy fat with even more icing sugar. They might as well print “stick a birthday candle in me” right on the label.
Trouble is, many people don’t like natural peanut butter because the oil separates from the spread during storage, requiring you to remix it before eating. (That’s assuming you don’t spill the oil all over yourself when you open the jar.) One trick: Store your all-natural peanut butter in the refrigerator, which slows the separation process. Our favorite brand: Crazy Richard’s Natural Chunky Peanut Butter. It contains no added sugar or trans fats, and we’ve found that it’s slower to separate than other all-natural brands.
1. Limit your daily intake to two to three servings of nuts and seeds. Why? One serving—about 1 ounce—contains 6 to 8 grams of carbohydrates. Eat too many, and this can start to add up. These extra carbs will not only help replenish glycogen levels, but they also impair the ability of the TNT Diet to regulate your total calorie intake.
2. Avoid nuts and seeds with added sugar. These include nuts that are honey-roasted, candy-coated, and barbecued. The bottom line: Choose from those that are raw, dry-roasted, oil-roasted, blanched, chopped, slivered, shelled, salted, or unsalted. Also, buy natural nut butters—such as peanut butter and almond butter—over commercial brands that contain added sugar.
THE FAT-BURNING TIME ZONE–APPROVED NUTS AND SEEDS |
|
| Almonds | Peanut butter |
| Almond butter | Pecans |
| Brazil nuts | Pine nuts |
| Cashews | Pistachios |
| Hazelnuts | Pumpkin seeds |
| Macadamia nuts | Sesame seeds |
| Mixed nuts | Sunflower seeds |
| Peanuts | Walnuts |
The fat contained in olives, whether it’s from the fruit itself, or the oil derived from it, is primarily monounsaturated fat. The same is true for canola oil. Monounsaturated fat is universally considered healthy. Research shows that increasing your consumption of this healthy fat lowers your risk for heart disease. So, again, you can liberally include these foods in your diet. We also suggest that as a general rule, you choose olive and canola oils over other types of vegetable oils, such as corn and soybean. That’s because corn and soybean oils are extremely high in omega-6 fatty acids. These aren’t bad when they’re balanced with plenty of omega-3 fatty acids—like the kind found in fish—but that often isn’t the case in the typical American diet. For instance, corn oil has 60 times more omega-6s than omega-3s. And studies suggest that a high intake of omega-6 fats relative to omega-3 fats increases inflammation, which boosts your risk of cancer, arthritis, and obesity. Our belief, one that is supported by research, is that you’re already consuming too many omega-6 fats. So by emphasizing olive and canola oils over other vegetable oils, you’ll automatically reduce your intake, and create a healthier balance of omega-6 to omega-3 fats.
For years, you’ve been told to avoid sour cream or to eat the light version. That’s because 90 percent of its calories are derived from fat, at least half of which is saturated. Sure, the percentage of fat is high, but the total amount isn’t. Consider that a serving of sour cream is 2 tablespoons. That provides just 52 calories—half the amount that’s in a single tablespoon of mayonnaise—and less saturated fat than you’d get from drinking a 12-ounce glass of 2% reduced-fat milk. More importantly, sour cream is a close relative of butter, which means you’re eating natural animal fat, not dangerous trans fat. And besides, full-fat sour cream tastes far better than the light or fat-free products, which also have added carbohydrates.
These foods are your secret weapon because they allow you to add a variety of flavors to any meal. Below, we’ve listed the most common condiments, spices, and herbs that are compatible with the Fat-Burning Time Zone. For the most part, the list includes just about everything but ketchup and barbecue sauce. (If you’re a ketchup lover, you can use a low-carb ketchup, such as the one Heinz makes.) However, we may have missed a few that you enjoy. If it’s an herb or a spice, consider it acceptable regardless. If it’s a condiment, check the label: You’ll want to avoid products that contain more than 2 grams of carbohydrates per serving. As for salad dressings and marinades, the same rules apply, although it’s sometimes hard to find such products beyond, say, blue cheese, ranch, and Italian dressings.
| Aioli | Fennel seed | Pesto |
| Balsamic vinegar | Fish sauce | Rice vinegar |
| Basil | Garlic | Rosemary |
| Capers | Ginger | Saffron |
| Caraway seeds | Horseradish | Sage |
| Cayenne | Mayonnaise | Salt |
| Chili powder | Mint | Soy sauce |
| Chives | Mustard | Tabasco sauce |
| Cilantro | Oregano | Thyme |
| Cinnamon | Paprika | Turmeric |
| Cumin | Parsley | Vinegar |
| Dill | Pepper | Worcestershire sauce |
We highly recommend Drew’s All-Natural dressings and marinades (available at www.chefdrew.com), which come in a variety of flavors, but contain little or no added sugars.
By simply sticking to the Fat-Burning Time Zone foods, you can’t mess up this portion of the diet. However, we’ve created a short list of foods below to show you the different types of meals you can have for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, as well as snack options that are available. Keep in mind, these are just suggestions, and far from an all-inclusive menu or rigid meal plan. By all means be creative—for instance, feel free to have dinner for breakfast, or breakfast for dinner; it’s irrelevant when it comes to your results. What does matter is that you limit your choices to the Fat-Burning Time Zone foods, and that you eat when hungry and until full.
Scrambled eggs
Poached eggs
Omelet
Fried eggs
If you’ve dieted before, you know how hard it can be to maintain your plan while eating lunch or dinner at a restaurant. But the beauty of the TNT Diet is that you won’t feel restricted—not the way you do on other plans. That’s because this diet isn’t about limiting choices; it’s about making the right choices. For instance, you can enjoy the finest dishes at your favorite five-star steak restaurant; they just have to be the right dishes. It’s a lot easier than you might imagine. Just follow these three simple rules any time you eat out, whether it’s the neighborhood grill, an upscale eatery, or even a fast-food restaurant.
1. Substitute fresh vegetables for potatoes, pasta, and rice.
This very simple step is also the one that will have the greatest impact. It will dramatically reduce the total number of calories you eat while also making you feel more satisfied. Eating vegetables instead of starchy carbs won’t elevate your insulin levels. Almost every restaurant will happily accommodate this basic substitution any time, free of charge. All you have to do is ask.
2. Order an appetizer instead of eating from the basket of chips or bread.
Consider chips and bread to be nutritional land mines and avoid them at all costs. The solution: Eat something else. For instance, if you’re ravenous when you sit down, right away order a side salad, an antipasto (it’s the anti-pasta!), or a meat- or vegetable-only appetizer in order to avoid being tempted by the bottomless freebies. Also, choose salad over soup. Some soups are perfectly fine to eat, but for the most part, many have lots of hidden sugars and other foods that raise your insulin levels, shutting down your body’s ability to burn fat.
3. Choose foods you eat with a fork, not with your fingers.
That means ordering beef, fish, or chicken that’s served without buns or other types of bread. So sandwiches, wraps, and french fries are out, but steak is a great choice, as are fish and chicken when served without bread or breading. If you want a hamburger, simply discard the bun and eat it with a fork and knife. You might be accused of being a low-carb fanatic or even a sophisticate, but remember this: At any given time, you’re either burning fat or storing fat. Your goal, of course, is to spend as much time in fat-burning mode as possible every day of your life. Leaving off the bread keeps your insulin and glycogen levels low, allowing you to do just that. Keep in mind that tortillas count as bread, too, so you’ll want to avoid them even though we realize most people eat foods like burritos and enchiladas with a fork.
Frittata
Bacon
Sausage
Ham with melted cheese
Skirt steak
NexGen Muffins (page 96)
Halloumi Cheese (page 96)
Cream Cakes (page 97)
Cheese
Vegetables with ranch dressing
Nuts
Lunch meat
Pepperoni
Beef jerky
Boiled eggs
Pork rinds
Sugar-free Jell-O
Protein shakes
Leftovers from lunch and dinner
Steak Salad (page 98)
Taco Salad (page 100)
Tuna Salad (page 101)
Almond-Crusted Chicken (page 102)
with Green Beans with Toasted Pine Nuts (page 103)
Chicken Curry (page 103)
with Roasted Broccoli (page 104)
Chicken with Pancetta and Asiago (page 106) with Roasted Zucchini (page 107)
Roasted Chicken (page 108) with Roasted Butternut Squash and Onions (page 109)
Brats and Sauerkraut (page 111) with Sautéed Brussels Sprouts (page 112)
Rosemary Pork Tenderloin (page 113) with Mashed Cauliflower (page 113)
Sausage with Feta and Spinach (page 114) Asian Steak Stew (page 117)
Beef Kebabs (page 118)
Cilantro Flank Steak (page 119) with Avocado and Tomato Salad (page 120)
Chili (page 121)
Filet Mignon with Tomato and Mozzarella Salad (page 122)
Meatballs (page 123) with Sautéed Baby Artichokes (page 124)
Pot Roast (page 125) with Roasted Turnips (page 126)
Tuscan Rib-Eye Steak and Prosciutto-Wrapped Asparagus (page 127)
“My back and shoulders widened, and my waist shrunk.”
Name: Jaimen Sanders
Age: 19
Height: 5 feet 8 inches
Weight before: 243
Weight after: 222
JAIMEN SANDERS FIGURED HE HAD NOTHING TO LOSE by signing up for the TNT Diet study we were conducting at our University of Connecticut lab. But it turns out he was wrong: In just 12 weeks, Jaimen dropped 30 pounds of pure fat. And just as impressive, he added 9 pounds of new muscle at the same time.
“All my clothes suddenly started to fit better,” says Jaimen, a student at UConn. “But the first change I noticed was having a lot more energy throughout the day. And I think both the diet and exercise allowed me to sleep less because I got better sleep at night.” Interestingly, Jaimen found that sticking with the workout actually helped him stick to the diet. “The adrenaline rush and sensation of a completed workout kept me motivated. In fact, the exercise was probably the most fun part of the program besides the weekly weigh-ins.”
All of which provides two lessons: First, that exercise can be just as important psychologically as it is physically. And second, that if you enjoy your workouts, you’ll enjoy the results they help yield even more. After all, who wouldn’t like weighing in, if, like Jaimen, you’re losing 1 percent of your body fat a week? He also managed to drop his blood pressure from 150/95 to 128/86 and increased his HDL (good) cholesterol by 12 percent.
Because Jaimen had perhaps the best overall results we’ve ever witnessed on the TNT Diet (or any other plan, for that matter), we asked him the secrets of his success. Here they are:
While the TNT Diet is rich in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants, no diet provides the optimal amount of all the nutrients you need. This is a not-so-well-known reality of human nutrition. For example, in one study, we analyzed the nutrient intake of people following either a low-carb or a low-fat diet. If a nutrient fell below 80 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA), it was characterized as marginally deficient, whereas those less than 50 percent of the RDA were considered to be significantly deficient. The results:
| Low-Carb | Low-Carb | |
| Marginally Deficient | Folate | Folate, calcium, magnesium, pantothenic acid |
| Significantly Deficient | Vitamin D, chromium | Zinc, vitamin D, vitamin E, chromium, molybdenum |
These were just averages, of course. Nutrient intake can vary substantially from person to person depending on food preferences. A guy who eats several servings of vegetables a day will be far less likely to have a deficiency than one who doesn’t down any.
That’s why we believe that everyone should supplement their diet with a multivitamin, a recommendation that’s endorsed by the American Medical Association. This ensures that all your nutritional bases are covered, which keeps you healthy and feeling energized.
Taking a daily multivitamin may even help prevent cancer. When researchers at the University of California starved human cells of vitamins and minerals, also called micronutrients, the resulting effect was DNA damage—a common culprit in deadly diseases like cancer. And even though most people’s diets aren’t dangerously deficient in vitamins and minerals, intakes are often inadequate. The result is that your body’s stores of micronutrients are used for immediate needs instead of repairing damaged DNA, which would help preserve long-term health.
A once-daily multivitamin such as Centrum or Nature Made will help safeguard your DNA and shore up any nutritional holes in your diet. Just make sure to choose a men’s formula that doesn’t contain iron. Since you’ll be eating lots of meat on the TNT Diet, you’ll be downing all of this mineral that you need. Most products indicate if they’re iron free on the front of the bottle, but your best strategy is to check the label to see if iron has been included.
The other supplement that we highly encourage you to take is fish oil. That’s because fish oil is loaded with omega-3 fatty acids, healthy polyunsaturated fats that are essential for many biological functions. In dozens of studies, omega-3 fats have been shown to help prevent heart disease, as well as dozens of other afflictions.
A quick primer: There are several types of omega-3 fatty acids—the three main ones are eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA), docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), and alpha-linolenic acid (ALA). Don’t worry about how to pronounce them; the acronyms are all you need to know.
EPA and DHA, the omega-3 fatty acids that are most easily used by your body, are found in significant amounts only in marine life, particularly cold-water fish (because they carry more fat for insulation). Of course, they’re also found in the fish oil capsules that are created from these fish.
ALA, on the other hand, is obtained from plant-derived foods, such as flaxseed, canola oil, soybeans, pumpkin seeds, and walnuts. However, for ALA to provide health benefits, your liver must convert it into EPA and DHA. The estimated average efficiency of conversion is around 10 percent to 15 percent. That means for every gram of omega-3s you take in from fish sources, you need at least 6 grams from plant foods to glean an equivalent amount of EPA and DHA. The upshot: To provide your body with a healthy dose of omega-3 fats, you need to consume yours from either fish or fish oil. Trouble is, most Americans don’t eat much fish, and even those who do would likely benefit from more. And that’s where the capsules come in.
Thankfully, fish oil capsules appear to be every bit as effective as eating the fish itself. When researchers in Italy gave 2,800 heart attack survivors 1,000 milligrams of fish oil (composed almost entirely of EPA and DHA) a day, they found that the supplement reduced the risk of dying of heart disease by 30 percent and of sudden cardiac death by 45 percent, compared with those who didn’t supplement their diets.
There’s more:
One warning: Not all fish oil provides the same amounts of EPA and DHA. Meaning, you’ll find varying amounts of omega-3 fatty acids in 1,000 milligrams—a typical serving—of supplemental fish oil. The solution: Read the label. Aim for 1,000 milligrams to 2,000 milligrams a day of EPA and DHA combined (just add the amounts together), whether that means one capsule or three. You can take more, but unless your doctor advises it because of a medical condition, cap your intake at 3,000 milligrams a day. Because fish oil acts as a blood thinner, some experts believe that taking it in high amounts—more than 3,000 milligrams of EPA and DHA per day—could result in excessive bleeding if you’re in a serious accident. (It’s not a major concern; just consider it our obligatory disclaimer.)
Our favorite brand: Nordic Naturals Ultra Omega, which is available at www.nordicnaturals.com. One serving (two capsules) of these odorless, nearly tasteless gel capsules provides 650 milligrams EPA and 450 milligrams DHA—for a total of 1,100 milligrams of healthy omega-3 fatty acids.