*** How to build your diet (for Teenagers) ***

[ZionNYC]

You may ask, what do I need to know about my diet? Well, your diet is very important and you can't make good gains without it. Most people forget about essentials in their diet and they just go for a high protein diet that's low in fiber and really high in saturated fats. This thread is all about what you need to know for the diet portion of your alpha lifestyle.

USE FITDAY.COM
Labels aren't that accurate. Always use fitday.com or other calorie counting sites that will get your macros by the decimals, your vitamins and minerals, and even the micros (different types of fat, carbs, etc). You can pick foods from the food searcher or you can put it your own foods (useful for protein shakes or creatine mixes). I always fitday all the diets that I write. It is the key to a good diet.

GOOD MULTIVITAMINS
If you can afford it, use a good multivitamin. I would suggest a multivitamin labeled "for teens", or a multivitamin that has joint support for all those tough compound lifts.
The Best Multivitamin for teenagers:
Opti-Men - Male specific sexual health and designed to increase "male edge"
Very high in vitamins and minerals
Pretty cheap
Digestion and absorption help
A lot of antioxidants
A lot of B vitamins for energy
Contain freeform amino acids

Low sat fat and normal amount of cholest
Some people may say that sat fat and cholest is good for bodybuilding. I don't know if it plays a big difference in your gains, but I do know one thing, and that one thing is that you'll regret your decision to build a high sat fat and high cholest diet because it's bad for your heart. Living healthy means living healthy, not only living big. Your diet should have a high amount of good fats, and the sat fat should be lower than 20g. All my diets have low sat fat no matter what. It's very important.

Fiber
A diet that is above 20g of fiber is very important. You NEED FIBER. Many people overlook it. High fiber foods are multigrain high fiber bread, black bread, potatoes, leafy vegetables, and fruits. You don't want to be the brolic guy screaming in the bathroom because his **** won't leave his ass. Trust me, constipation is a bad thing, along with being a hilarious thing so don't be the guy laughed at. Pick a diet that is high in good carb sources like the foods listed above and save yourself the butthurt.

Pre Workout Nutrition
STAY AWAY FROM PRE WORKOUT SUPPLEMENTS. These supplements are very bad for you. You may like the pump, but as a teenager you should have enough energy to do the workout anyways, and if you don't then just eat good carbs before your workout and take B vitamins.
Good Pre Workout Foods:
Gatorade
Oats
Potatoes
Bread
Rice
Buckwheat
Salad

Post Workout Nutrition
Have a protein shake as soon as you finish your workout. If you don't have protein supplements, then eat a high protein meal as soon as you finish your workout, but Whey Protein is the best thing you can put into your body during this time period. It is the fastest acting Protein and is a lot cheaper than buying steaks all the time. A good PWO shake can have 5 grams of Creatine, 25-60 grams of Whey Protein, and maybe even some Glutamine. Teenagers don't have to take this so just Whey is fine.
Creatine FAQ: http://forum.bodybuilding.com/showth...hp?t=112484941
A good idea for a post workout meal, which is 30 minutes to 1 hour after you have your shake, is some simple sugars. DO NOT TOUCH TABLE SUGAR. Regular table sugar is just a fat cell waiting to be born. Have some fruits filled with natural sugar and fiber. A good idea for bulking is to have a big fruit salad or a number of different fresh fruits 30 minutes to 1 hour after your shake. Don't have too many simple sugars if you're cutting though.

Best Protein Sources
#1: Chicken breast: The best protein source and can be use in abundance
#2: Low mercury fish: Make sure the fish has low mercury like Flounder
#3: Lean beef: Make sure that the beef is at least 4-8% fat
#4: Eggs: Highest biological value of all protein sources but watch the cholest and sat fat levels
#5: Milk: Whole milk is good for bulking but nonfat milk is also great because it can be used in abundance without worrying about cholest or sat fat levels
#6: Whey Protein/Casein Protein/Blends Of Protein: Supplements are great but this is number 6 because food comes ahead of all supplements
#7: Cheese: 10%-30% but high in saturated fats

Carbs And Protein Ratio
Carbs are very important for bulking and cutting. You must always have more carbs than protein in your diet UNLESS YOU ARE ON KETO. If you have more protein than carbs, it will cause your body to use the protein for energy, and nobody wants that. I never used a keto diet but it works for some and doesn't work for others. A 50c/30p/20f ratio great for bulking, a 40c/30p/30f ratio is great for cutting, and make sure that you stay away from alcohol and table sugar.

Cheap foods
Eggs
Milk
Tuna
Protein Powder
Ground beef

Supplement For Teenagers
Muscle Gauge's Pure Whey Protein Isolate
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mgn/pureisolate.html
Higher Power Micronized Creatine
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/hp/creatine.html
Optimum Fish Oil
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/fish.html
Opti-Men Multivitamin
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/opt/men.html
Myofusion Protein Mix
http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/gn/myofusion.html

Drink Water
No sodas, alcohol, or sugary concentrated juices. Drink at least 4 liters of water a day when not on Creatine. Try to get in 6 liters of water when taking Creatine. It's hard but that much water is great for your kidneys, great for your skin, and great for your overall health. Drinking 4 liters of water a day when on Creatine is alright but 6 liters can help with acne and other teenage problems.

Calculations
BMR: http://www.muscleandstrength.com/too...alculator.html
BF% Calculator Using Calipers: http://www.linear-software.com/online.html