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NUTRITION

GAY TOPICS - NUTRITION

Learn the Lingo: Decoding the Often Opaque Language of Food Labels

The language on food labels seems simple—but do you really know what you're getting? Take a crash course here. Read more...

RELATED ARTICLES

NUTRITION TOPICS

Gaining & Losing Weight
Losing unwanted fat weight and gaining sought-after muscle is impossible without the right food sources. Whether you want to gain weight or lose weight, learn more about the nutrition you need to build a stronger, leaner body.
Performance Eating
Healthful. Power packing. Endurance crunching. And most important—delicious. Learn what the best athletes eat and drink—and how you can do it too.
Vitamins & Supplements
Popping tons of pills is not the answer to becoming a stronger, healthier athlete. But some supplements do help. Learn what to take, and what to avoid like the plague.

NUTRITION ARTICLES

Lose Your Excess Baggage: Enter the RealJock Nu4You Weight-Loss Challenge! - 08/16/08
Are you looking to lose 20+ pounds? Then enter our weight-loss challenge for the chance to work with Nu4You's nutrition experts to meet your goals.
Cash in Hand: How to Save Big Bucks at the Grocery Store - 08/11/08
If we said you could save $2,500 this year with a few changes to your grocery habits, would you do it? Of course you would. Learn how.
Burn It: Make Your Metabolism Work for You - 07/31/08
Skip the fat burners: Learn how to boost your metabolism and burn calories by timing your eating, reducing the hunger hormone, and more.
Fight Stress with Food: Five Steps to a Calmer, Healthier Life - 07/16/08
Stress does tons of terrible things to your body. Did you know you can fight it by changing what you eat? Follow this 5-step plan.
Build Your Testosterone Naturally: Part 2 of 2—Nutrition - 07/07/08
Men need testosterone to build muscle, stay lean, and enjoy good sex. Learn 7 ways to increase your T levels by changing how you eat.
The Dangers of Visceral Fat—and 7 Ways to Fight It - 07/03/08
Not all fat is created equal. Visceral fat—which accumulates around the organs—is particularly dangerous. Learn 7 ways to fight it.
Diakadi Fitness Tips: Throw Away Your Scale—Five Better Ways to Track Your Progress - 06/24/08
Weighing yourself on a scale is meaningless. Use these five tests to get specific feedback and track your workout and diet progress.
Diakadi Fitness Tips: Want to Build Muscle? See a Nutritionist First - 06/12/08
Learn from the masters: RealJock super-trainer Mike Clausen shares how he lost 15 pounds of fat and packed on more muscle by seeing a nutritionist.
Rethinking 'Bad' Foods: Five Surprisingly Healthy Picks - 06/07/08
Some foods get a bad rap that they just don't deserve. Learn all about five crave-worthy foods you can move back to your "yes" list.
Freshness First: Volatile Oils in Your Food - 05/29/08
Want to make every bite of fruit or vegetable as healthy as possible? Use these prep, cooking, and storage tips to keep your food aromatic, tasty, and good for you.
Midday Warrior: Seven Healthy Lunches to Power Your Day
Vending machines, junk food, and deadlines, oh my—lunch can ruin even the best laid eating plans. Learn how to make your lunch work for you with these seven easy recipes.
Fat Factors: Sleep, Stress, and the Weight-Gain Connection
Sick of that tummy fat that just won't go away? Learn how sleep deprivation, stress levels, hormones, and other factors can keep you from shedding those persistent pounds.
Stock Smart: A Grocery List for Healthier Eating
Want to eat better but don't have a lot of time to cook? Get a start on the road to healthier eating with this grocery list of easy-to-prepare foods for meals and snacks.
Fats: Overview and Serving Sizes
This overview of the fats food group and serving sizes is part of the RealJock.com 1800- and 2100-calorie Healthy Weight-Loss Programs.
Lean Meats (LM) and Very Lean Meats (VLM): Overview and Serving Sizes
This overview of the lean and very lean meats food group and serving sizes is part of the RealJock.com 1800- and 2100-calorie Healthy Weight-Loss Programs.
Spilling the Beans for Good Health
Beans, beans, good for your heart... All bloating aside, beans are a great food choice for meat-eaters and veggies alike. Get the nutritional stats on a variety of beans.
Non-Starchy Vegetables: Overview and Serving Sizes
This overview of the Non-Starchy Vegetables (NSV) food group and serving sizes is part of the 1800- and 2100-calorie RealJock.com Healthy Weight-Loss Programs.
Milk or Soy Milk: Overview and Serving Sizes
This overview of the Milk or Soy Milk (NFM) food group and fruit serving sizes is part of the 1800- and 2100-calorie RealJock.com Healthy Weight-Loss Programs.
Fruits: Overview and Serving Sizes
This overview of the fruit food group and fruit serving sizes is part of the RealJock.com 1800- and 2100-calorie Healthy Weight-Loss Programs.
Grains and Starches: Overview and Serving Sizes
This overview of the grains and starches food group and serving sizes is part of the RealJock.com 1800- and 2100-calorie Healthy Weight-Loss Programs.
Cheese: The Good, the Fat, and the Strinky
What do cheese and gay people have in common? We're both maligned in the media for our supposedly evil effects on society (boo!). Learn how cheese can be part of a healthy diet.
Break the Fast: Seven Great Morning Meals
Breakfast gets your metabolism revved up for the day and gives your body a much-needed boost after hours of slumber. Start your day right with these 7 quick, 600-calorie meals.
Take the RealJock Nutrition & Eating Survey
This January RealJock will launch a series of detailed weight loss and weight gain programs. Help us make it the best it can be by taking this short nutrition and eating survey.
Small Changes, Big Results—7 Simple Steps to Start Losing Weight
Losing weight is tough, but it doesn't have to be a Herculean effort. Get started with these seven simple steps towards losing weight through healthier, smarter eating.
Nuts About Nuts: Nature's Perfect Little Package
They're maligned for their fat content, but nuts are one of nature's rock stars. Learn why you should be nuts about nuts, and get info on the unique properties of different varieties.
Roughage Redux—Eat Your Fiber
If the word "fiber" makes you think of endless bowls of boring bran flakes, think again. A fiber-rich diet will do a lot more than clean out your pipes; get the facts.
Fuel Your Workouts: Time Your Eating
What should you eat before you work out? What should you eat after? Tough questions—get the answers so you can give your body the high-quality fuel it needs.
Go Local: Meet Your Neighborhood Farmer
The farmers' market: Tastes great, less carbon footprint. Learn the benefits of buying locally produced food, and get tips on how to find the pick of the crop and save money doing it.
How Sweet It Is: Sugars Versus Artificial Sweeteners
Let's face it: Our modern appetite includes a major sweet tooth. So just how "bad" are natural sugars? And are artificial sweeteners safe? Read the primer from H.K. Jones.
Super Fruits (for Super Health)
These lesser-known fruits are becoming global super stars due to their big health benefits. Put down your banana and read on.
True Teas: Reap the Benefits
Tea is the second most popular beverage in the world, outdrunk only by water. So what's so great about the so-called "true" teas? A lot!
The Detox Dilemma
Detox diets make a lot of promises, from flushing out poisons to melting away fat. Do they work (no)? Are there healthy alternatives (yes)?
Whole Grains Versus Hype: Learn the Difference
With its many proven health benefits, whole grain is the new "it" girl in the supermarket. But how do you separate the health from the marketing hype? Follow our primer on whole grains.
Brain Food: How to Cut Back on Coffee Without Getting Fired
Cutting back on caffeine: Good. Getting fired for falling asleep at desk: Not so good. Learn how to reduce your reliance on caffeine and still have an alert brain.
Facts About Fat: Part 2 of 2—Bad Fats
Contrary to popular belief, your body needs fat. But not all fats are good fats. In part two of our series on this oft-maligned food substance, we look at the so-called "bad" fats.
Facts About Fat: Part 1 of 2—Good Fats
Good fat? Bad fat? If trying to figure out which fats to eat has you confused, check out part one of our two-part primer on this most misunderstood substance.
Health in a Pill? Finding a Good Multivitamin
Food is the best way to get the vitamins and minerals your body needs, but taking a supplement can fill in the gaps. Learn what to look for in your "multi."
The Breakfast Dilemma
It's the most important meal of the day. So what should you be eating for breakfast? Learn some surprising news on maximizing the value of your morning eats.
A Protein Primer: Part 4 of 4—Vegetarians
Are vegetarianism and good health at odds with each other? In part four of our protein series, nutritionist H.K. Jones looks at plant-based protein sources.
A Protein Primer: Part 3 of 4—Fish
Protein—without it you're nothing (literally). In Part 3 of our protein series, nutritionist H.K. Jones takes us underwater to the protein-rich world of fish.
A Protein Primer: Part 2 of 4—Red Meat
In this second of a four-part series on protein sources, nutritionist H.K. Jones gives an overview of red meat. Learn the good, the bad, and the tasty.
A Protein Primer: Part 1 of 4—Poultry
How much protein should you eat? What kinds? Nutritionist H.K. Jones offers insight into choosing the best protein sources.
Great Foods to Fuel Your Workouts
What kinds of foods should you be eating before and after your workouts? Try these 10 edible ideas from nutritionist H.K. Jones.
Functional Foods: An Intro to Nutraceuticals
What are nutraceuticals? Can they really benefit you? Get an introduction to this fast-growing food phenomenon.
Keep fit in winter
The weather outside may be frightful, but your workout regimen and eating habits don't have to follow suit.
The Fat Smash Diet: Smash or Crash?
Hmmm. Smash bad habits? Never fail? Improved you? "The Fat Smash Diet" certainly sounds promising. The question is: Is it a real smash or a real crash?

Think before you drink
For athletic men, gulping down one of these drinks might seem like an easy way to increase endurance, improve performance and gain energy. So should you break out one of these fancy drinks and start guzzling? Not exactly.
Turn over a new leaf
Salad is healthy, right? Pile on croutons, cheese, bacon, eggs, whatever, and top it all off with a fatty dressing, and your "healthy" bowl of greens can end up being higher in fat and calories than a burger with fries. Gulp.
Water: Lubricant for athletes
Your body needs water, but what's the difference between tap water and Evian? Are you risking your health or wasting your money?
Taurine: Miracle supplement or the next ephedra?
You've seen those energy drinks lined up in the cooler at the corner market. Red Bull, Rock Star, Monster, Nos. Both Arizona Green Tea and Sobe Tea have versions of them as well. They all have one key ingredient in common: Taurine.
The skinny on steriod scandals
Longtime observers in Olympic sports have said that if a performance is to good to be true, it probably is.
Bar None: All protein bars are not created equal
Bars are HOT. Since the launch of the original PowerBar in 1987, many savvy marketers have entered the bar race producing a plethora of pocket-size products for bar-hungry consumers.
What is organic?
Foods that carry the "USDA Organic" seal have been cultivated and processed without the use of most conventional pesticides, petroleum-based fertilizers, genetically modified organisms and irradiation.
the truth about baldness
Balding, thinning hair, unfortunately, never seems to be "in". Whenever hair loss strikes a man, regardless of the generation, his reaction seems to be the same: overt melancholy as opposed to the embracing of a new style.
Summertime, and the fruit picking’s easy
While the warm, sunny months of summer may mean long, lazy days for you, Mother Nature’s busy working overtime. This time of year, markets burst forth with seasonal fruit just begging to be enjoyed. The time is ripe for blueberry pancakes, strawberry shor
Anti-aging skincare: You can turn back time
There’s something to be said about aging gracefully: It doesn’t have to mean looking old. And while increasing numbers of men are turning to plastic surgery to keep young and beautiful, there are lots of less drastic steps you can take to keep your skin
Bananas: Nature's power bar
Looking for a perfect anytime, anywhere, good-for-you snack? Delicious, nutritious and conventionally packaged in its own protective cover, nothing beats a banana.
Why you should can soda
Can you imagine movie theater popcorn without a soda? What’s more refreshing on a hot day than an ice-cold pop? It’s so delicious, so yummy, but what are soft drinks doing to your body?
Timing Is Everything: Get the Most Out of Food
When you eat is almost as important as what you eat. Find out how to time your food intake to maximize your performance.
RealFood Recipes: Bashful, blushing beets
It's not the sexiest of veggies, but beets deserve the spotlight for their unabashed goodness.
RealFood Recipes: Pomegranate power
Antioxidant and vitamin C rich, pomegranates offer a sweet, nutritution-packed treat. Discover how to pick and prepare the perfect pomegranate.
Eating strategies for endurance racing
When training for an endurance event, you need to pay close attention to what you eat every day, and in particular in the week leading up to your race. Find out how to fuel your body for a race, including smart carb-loading strategies.
RealFood Recipes: Ode to the avocado
They're one of the best sources of "good" fat on the planet, and they're chock-full of other nutrients that will keep you healthy and fit. Learn all about the amazing avocado, and get a recipe for mango-avocado salsa that'll make you drool.
Delicious Drug: The Good and Bad of Caffeine
Studies show that caffeine may improve athletic performance, particularly for endurance sports. But it's not all good. Learn the benefits and the risks of caffeine.
Does calorie counting work?
Looking to reveal your inner he-man by shedding some extra pounds? Find out how to use calorie counting to your advantage without letting it consume you.
Calculate your calorie requirements
You know you need a certain percentage of proteins, carbs, and fats to reach your fitness goals, but first you need to determine how many calories you need to consume in a day. Well, break out your calculator, because we've got the formulas to help you ca
Late-night snacks you can live with
Never fear, late-night snack sinners: With the help of nutritionist Debra Grossano, we've come up with 15 late-night snacks that will not only help you keep the weight off, but are actually good for you.
Fad diet overview: The South Beach diet
It's one of the most popular diets among gay men, and it's not nearly as extreme as Atkin's. But before you go buy the book, get the facts about the potential dangers of the South Beach diet.
The truth about carbs
Before you swear off pasta and potatoes forever, you need to learn the truth about carbs and the health dangers of knelling before the low-carb altar. Get the facts about carbohydrates—not the fiction.
Menu cheat sheet for eating out
"I'll have 15 tablespoons of butter for my main course, and a pound of refined sugar for dessert." Here, from the experts, a guide to eating out without ruining your hard-earned body.
Power up with vitamins
Vitamins are the micronutrients that make macronutrients—protein, carbohydrates, and fat—work. Learn which ones you should be worried about as an active and athletic man.
Supplements report: The good, bad, and downright dangerous
With all of the supplement marketing mania out there, how do you decide which supplements are effective, which are safe, and which are just plain bad for you? We've got the info you need.
Five rules for active vegetarians
Eating a vegetarian diet can be healthful, but without the proper guidance you run the risk of ruining your health. R.D. Manuel Villacorta gave us five essential eating tips for vegetarians.
Finding balance: Carbs, fat, and protein
What's the proper ratio of carbs to fat to protein? It depends. Are you building muscle or running a marathon? Find out the proper balance for your specific needs.
Superfoods for superior fitness
We call them "superfoods" because they have the power to make us stronger, faster, and healthier. Get the skinny on the best foods for building muscle, sustaining energy, and warding off disease and injury.
Build lean mass in two months
Gaining lean muscle mass fast is not impossible. It just requires a periodized weight-training program and an eating regimen high in macronutrients. Learn the details to get you started on a path to a bigger, stronger body.
Following the protein craze
Trying to build thick muscle fast and think a steady diet of protein shakes will do the trick? Think again. Find out how much protein you should really be ingesting each day.
Human growth hormone: Miracle or snake oil?
In their quest for the semblance of eternal youth, many gay men are turning to human growth hormone supplements like MetabolanGH, hawked by former porn star Colton Ford. Is HGH really a miracle potion, or just another supplement scam?
Powder for Power: Is Creatine for You?
Can the muscle-building supplement creatine really help you pack on muscle? Learn the facts about this popular powder.
Energize Your Muscles: Smart Hydration Strategies
A good hydration strategy can make the difference between winning the race and falling on your face. Get the facts!