2602: The Top Meats, Fruits & Veggies for Muscle Gain & Fat Loss

Summary

Podcast Summary: Episode 2602 – "The Top Meats, Fruits & Veggies for Muscle Gain & Fat Loss"

Podcast Information:

• Title: Mind Pump: Raw Fitness Truth
• Hosts: Sal Di Stefano, Adam Schafer, Justin Andrews
• Producer: Doug Egge
• Release Date: May 22, 2025

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Introduction

In Episode 2602, the Mind Pump hosts delve into the optimal dietary choices for achieving muscle gain and fat loss. They systematically explore the top meats, fruits, and vegetables that should be staples in any fitness-focused diet, emphasizing nutrient density, taste, affordability, and practicality.

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Section 1: Top Meats for Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

1. Beef

• Nutrient Density: Adam Schafer emphasizes beef's superior protein quality, stating, “We are somewhat splitting hairs here when we're talking about animal sources of protein. All animal sources of protein, pretty damn high in quality” ([04:15]).
• Leucine Content: High in the anabolic amino acid leucine, which is crucial for muscle protein synthesis.
• Additional Benefits: Rich in creatine, iron, zinc, and B12.
• Practicality: Affordable and widely available, making it a realistic choice for long-term adherence.
• Taste: Considered one of the tastiest and most versatile meats. Justin Andrews adds, “There's so many dishes you can make from it” ([06:18]).

2. Chicken Thigh

• Preference Over Chicken Breast: Adam argues against the common preference for chicken breast, highlighting that thighs are more flavorful and nearly as lean. “Why would anybody eat chicken breasts when you can eat chicken thigh?” ([08:37]).
• Nutrient Profile: High in leucine and selenium.
• Practicality: More enjoyable to eat, leading to better adherence. Justin shares his experience, “I just have never had a problem convincing my clients to consistently eat chicken thighs” ([09:20]).
• Preparation: Easier to prepare delicious meals compared to dry chicken breasts.

3. Wild-Caught Salmon

• Nutrient-Rich: High in omega-3 fatty acids, which are essential for reducing inflammation and promoting muscle recovery.
• Quality Differences: Wild-caught salmon is preferred over farm-raised due to a better fatty acid profile and lower toxin accumulation ([11:54]).
• Versatility: Widely regarded as the most palatable fish, making it a favorite among listeners and hosts alike.

4. Lamb

• Unique Benefits: Rich in conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), a fatty acid associated with fat burning and muscle preservation.
• Taste and Quality: Described as delicious and naturally grass-fed, ensuring a healthier fatty acid profile ([13:03]).
• Cultural Significance: While some hosts consume lamb regularly, others may include it sporadically based on personal preference.

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Section 2: Top Fruits for Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

1. Bananas

• Carbohydrate Source: High in easily digestible carbohydrates, ideal for pre- or post-workout energy. “Bananas are great. They’re like one of the highest dense, you know, fruit you can get” ([15:25]).
• Electrolytes: Rich in potassium, which plays a crucial role in blood pressure regulation and muscle function.
• Versatility: Perfect for smoothies and as a quick, portable snack.

2. Blueberries

• Antioxidant Powerhouse: High in anthocyanins, which combat oxidative stress and have anti-aging benefits. Adam notes, “They're high in anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that are just really powerful at reducing... oxidation” ([16:39]).
• Fiber Content: Excellent source of dietary fiber, supporting gut health.
• Convenience: Easy to incorporate into various meals without added sugars or excessive calories.

3. Apples

• Fiber-Rich: Contains both soluble and insoluble fiber, particularly pectin, which promotes gut health.
• Convenience: Durable and easy to carry, making them an ideal on-the-go snack.
• Versatility: Can be paired with peanut butter for a balanced snack, enhancing protein and fiber intake. Justin Andrews shares a personal anecdote: “Greek yogurt with blueberries on it with a sprinkle, a little bit of granola on it” ([19:38]).
• Practicality: Less messy compared to other fruits like pears, making them suitable for various settings.

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Section 3: Top Vegetables for Muscle Gain and Fat Loss

1. Sweet Potatoes

• Carbohydrate Source: Starchy and high in complex carbohydrates, providing sustained energy for workouts.
• Nutrient Profile: Rich in fiber and beta-carotene, which converts to vitamin A in the body.
• Digestive Benefits: Easier on the gut compared to regular potatoes, reducing the risk of bloating and digestive distress.
• Preparation: Highly versatile and can be enjoyed plain or with minimal additions for a nutritious meal.

2. Beets

• Performance Enhancer: High in nitrates, which convert to nitric oxide in the body, improving blood flow and endurance. Adam highlights, “Beets boost nitric oxide and performance” ([25:57]).
• Versatility: Can be eaten raw, roasted, or added to salads. However, Adam admits a personal dislike for their taste but acknowledges their benefits.
• Notable Effect: Consuming beets can lead to noticeable changes such as red-colored urine, a harmless side effect from beet pigments.

3. Broccoli

• Health Benefits: Packed with sulforaphane, a compound with potent anti-cancer properties and other health benefits.
• Digestive Health: Supports the digestive system and overall gut health.
• Preparation Tips: To minimize digestive issues, Adam recommends thoroughly boiling broccoli until soft, which Justin corroborates by sharing his preferred cooking method: “right on the borderline of almost soggy” ([27:40]).
• Practicality: Inexpensive and easy to incorporate into daily meals with added olive oil and salt for flavor.

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Notable Quotes and Insights

• Adam Schafer on Beef: “Beef is at the top... It's got to be one of the most delicious, tasty” ([06:18]).
• Justin Andrews on Chicken Thighs: “I have never had a problem convincing my clients to consistently eat chicken thighs” ([09:20]).
• Adam Schafer on Blueberries: “They’re so common. So people just don’t realize that they have a superfood available to them easily at the grocery store” ([19:35]).
• Justin Andrews on Smoothies: “Blueberry, banana, spinach really go well together. It makes that smoothie 10 times better” ([16:22]).
• Adam Schafer on Vegetables: “If you eat too many vegetables, it can cause bloating and gastro issues. Boil the hell out of them” ([27:35]).

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Conclusion

In this episode, the Mind Pump hosts provide a comprehensive guide to selecting the best meats, fruits, and vegetables for those aiming to build muscle and lose fat. Their recommendations balance nutritional science with practical considerations, ensuring that listeners can adopt these dietary choices sustainably. By prioritizing nutrient-dense and versatile foods, the hosts emphasize the importance of both performance and enjoyment in maintaining a healthy diet.

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Connect with the Hosts:

• Instagram: @mindpumpmedia, @mindpumpsal, @mindpumpadam, @mindpumpjustin
• Website: mindpumppodcast.com

Transcript

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[Sal DeStefano]

If you want to pump your body and expand your mind, there's only one place to go.

[Adam Schafer]

Mind Pump. Mind Pump.

[Sal DeStefano]

With your hosts, Sal DeStefano, Adam Schafer.

[Adam Schafer]

And Justin Andrews, you just found the most downloaded fitness, health and entertainment podcast. This is Mind Pump. Today's episode we talk about the best foods, the top meats, fruits and vegetables for muscle gains and fat loss. Now this episode is brought to you by a sponsor, Mass Zymes. These are digestive enzymes that are made for fitness fanatics. Take them with your meals. Break down your proteins into amino acids. Break down your fats into fatty acids. Get those carbohydrates to your muscles. Ease digestive issues, improve your digestion. Go to mass science.com mindpump Use the code mindpump. Get 10% off any order. We also have a sale this month on some workout programs. Maps 15 Performance and the RGB bundle are both 50% off. If you are interested, go to mapsfitnessproducts.com and then use the code MAY50 for the discount. Here comes the show. The three most important food groups for muscle gains, fat loss and fitness. Meat, fruits and vegetables. Today we're going to talk about the top foods in each category. If your goal is to look jacked, lean, fit and healthy, let's go.

[Justin Andrews]

This is cool.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, it is.

[Justin Andrews]

It'd be fun to take this. You know, this reminds me of. Remember I tried to find this. I couldn't remember what book it was from. I think I said it was from an LL Cool J. LL Cool J. You could never find that. I could never find it, but I always found this really helpful for my clients. I used to print them off and so I just kept reprinting them. So that's probably why I don't remember the book very well. But I just had this great list for people of eat these foods all the time. Eat these foods sometimes. Eat this rarely. Yeah. And. And so if the listener who's listening to this episode, obviously I see what foods you have on here. If you made a conscious effort to, to kind of like target just however you want to combo them. But eating from this list, this would be a pretty solid strategy.

[Adam Schafer]

Now the, the, the context is paint. The context first is, you know, because you could go with like the most, the, the, the most possibly healthy foods. You could also go with what's tasty. You could go with what people will eat. You could go with what's available, go with lowest calorie. Like all of that has to kind of come together, right? Because remember, we trained people for over two decades and, you know, you could, you could tell me. So, you know, ostrich meat is great for muscle gains because it's high in selenium or whatever.

[Justin Andrews]

Three, three servings of liver.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. But like, I've never had a client. First of all, I don't even know where to, where to buy Australia.

[Listener]

I was just thinking, where would I get.

[Adam Schafer]

Unless you're in Australia. I think they eat it quite a bit there. So I don't even know where to find it. I don't know how it tastes. My clients wouldn't eat it. So the point is, like, this has to be a realistic list. It has to be a realistic one. It has to be one that is also not super expensive. There are meats out there and fruits and vegetables that might be more expensive than others. Are people going to actually do this? Can they afford it? Can they do this long term? Will they eat it? Those are all very important things to consider. And of course, what makes them also make this list in terms of, let's say, muscle gain and fat loss or health effects. All of that is good. The context in which helped us kind of pick these different types of foods. So we'll start with the meat category. Now if we were to look at different kinds of meats and rank the proteins that were in them. Well, first off, I do want to say this. We are somewhat splitting hairs here when we're talking about animal sources of protein. All animal sources of protein, pretty damn high in quality. Okay. Especially if you compare them to, you know, vegan sources of protein, legumes or whatever.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, but I also think you preface that really well.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Justin Andrews]

Like, because there's, there's some things that aren't on this list that I, I eat for sure. But it's like when I look at the, the four that you chose, I'm like, okay, well, these are very common. There's a lot of recipes you can make with this. So it's not just. So I, I, we could make an argument on here like, oh, what about bison, I eat that.

[Listener]

Or venison or.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, yeah, that's. Yes, those are high in all those things. But it's like, okay, is that a. Is that a common dish? And, and if it's. And so in other words, yeah, if you have this, you know, meat that you love that's not on this list, that would be included because it's splitting hairs, the difference.

[Adam Schafer]

Exactly. And we're always trying to communicate what people will actually do. Because when you're, when you train lots of people, you, you figure that out real quick. Like, I, I'm not going to.

[Listener]

Appearance is everything.

[Adam Schafer]

Yes, it's everything. So, so that's what's real important. So when it comes again, animal source of protein, they're all pretty damn good, especially in comparison to vegan sources. Animal source protein, very high quality. On a gram per gram basis, an animal source of protein is going to be superior to other forms of protein. But the way that scientists will determine the effect of a protein or a source of protein on something called muscle protein synthesis, this is the synthesis of new muscle. You can measure protein synthesis in the body. Typically what you have are high amounts of leucine. This is like the anabolic amino acid. If leucine is high in a source of protein, it tends to be more, for lack of a better term, anabolic, more effective for muscle gain. So that's also the criteria that we're looking at. So making the top of the list is beef. Beef is. And it's extremely common. It's inexpensive, but it's, it's high in leucine. It's one of the best sources of creatine you'll get from an animal source. It's high in iron, zinc, B12. And then most important of all of the sources of animal proteins that I can think of, I think most people would consider beef to be one of the tastiest. It's got to be one of the most delicious, tasty.

[Justin Andrews]

It goes with everything.

[Listener]

You can make so many dishes out of it.

[Justin Andrews]

There's so many dishes you can make from it. So I think too, I think this is always at the. And you can get. You didn't put this on here. But if you're somebody who's counting calories or you're concerned because you're maybe on a cut, you can easily manipulate the fat content. I mean, you can get a much leaner cut of beef or ground beef and you can do much higher and so easy way to shave calories, let's say during a bulk or reverse diet you eat the fattier cuts of ground beef. When you go to the cutting and you want to reduce a few calories, you just simply switch the percentage down to leaner.

[Adam Schafer]

And if you're looking for some people, you have a polymorphism where they're sensitive to saturated fat intake. Going from conventional beef to farm, excuse me, to grass fed beef changes the fatty acid profile and can make a difference for some people. Now, some people really need to avoid saturated fat, in which case you would look at maybe some other sources. But grass fed beef is leaner per ounce. So a ribeye that's grass fed is higher in protein, less in fat.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Than a grain fed or conventional type of beef. So it's leaner, less calorie, higher protein.

[Listener]

It's like the holy grail right there.

[Adam Schafer]

Yep. And the fat is, is a better profile. It's more of the healthy fatty acids versus the, what would some people would say would be the unhealthy version. But nonetheless, conventional beef is inexpensive. And you said it, Adam, like ground beef is cheap. You can buy in bulk and you can get some pretty lean ground beef. You could get as lean as what's the leanest you could get. So like 90, 92%.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Something like that's got to be the leanest, right?

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

And you can go as fatty as like 80%.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

So, so there you go. Beef is at the top and it's again for nutrient density. It's incredibly nutrient dense.

[Justin Andrews]

Nutrition density, convenience price, I mean, it's, it wins.

[Adam Schafer]

In fact, when you look at people who are on the carnivore diet, which we don't, we don't recommend, except for people who might have some really strong autoimmune type issues. The meat they tend to pick is beef because you could just eat it and you probably not going to be in a nutrient deficiency just by eating beef alone. Not recommended, but you could probably get away with it. That's how nutrient dense it is. Next up, chicken thigh. Chicken thigh, Very high quality protein.

[Justin Andrews]

So glad you picked this and not chicken breasts.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, well, because chicken thigh isn't that. It's not that much more higher in calorie an ounce per ounce basis. And it's way more delicious.

[Justin Andrews]

Yes.

[Adam Schafer]

Why would anybody eat chicken breasts when you can eat chicken thigh? I mean, how many more calories?

[Justin Andrews]

I, I remember this was a really. Those that have been listening to the podcast for a long time has heard me share probably this story before, but for years, even as a trainer, I just thought that chicken breast was what you were supposed to do. I just thought that was like, oh, you're dieting and you're trying to add protein and eat. Oh, you eat chicken breast. Chicken breast. Chicken breast. I feel like that there was like. I feel like almost everybody thinks that's the route to go. I remember the first time that I compared, you know, head to head chicken thighs and chicken breasts and I'm like, oh, wow. It's not that big of a difference.

[Adam Schafer]

How many more calories. There's like 25 calories.

[Justin Andrews]

A little bit more calories, a little bit more fat in it. Virtually almost the same ounce per ounce when it comes to protein and so. And a million times better, especially if you're prepping. I understandably, I've, I've brought this on the podcast before and people always challenge it. Oh, I make a great chicken breast. I have this thing and they have this dish that they bake in the oven and they saute it and they do all this stuff and try warming.

[Adam Schafer]

It up the next day.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah. How about. Yeah. Prep 16 breasts, you know, for the week and then tell me how it is on day three reheated. And it ain't good. I'm sorry. It's not the same as chicken thighs, because chicken thighs, you'll see, it's that, that layer of fat sits around it. Yeah.

[Listener]

There's something to these mutant chickens too that they take these huge breasts from. And you see in the store, you're like, oh, that's a big one. You'll buy it. And it's like this was from like a, a hormone induced, like mutant chicken.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, what happened was with the, the, you know, when the government went on their anti fat crusade, which was most of it was misinformation. What farmers did is they took chickens and they bred the hell out of them to have huge breasts because the breast is so lean. Skinless chicken breast is like no fat. So they, these, you have these mutant chickens, but the thigh is, is, is almost as lean. It's not that big of a difference. It tastes way better. It's inexpensive. You can buy chicken thighs in bulk.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

And prepping them, that's what I do. That's. I get chicken thighs.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

I throw them on the grill and I have three, four days worth.

[Justin Andrews]

I just did it last night. Last night I grilled up a whole, I mean, I don't know how many pounds I did, but it just, it tastes better again. This, what I liked you do with this list was you didn't just go, you know, calorie for calories, easy Repeater. Yeah, it's like, you know, we have to consider. Yeah. Adherence too. And I think that I've never had a problem convincing my clients to consistently eat chicken thighs. I have. I have, however, had people complain like, I'm so tired of chicken breasts. It's. They're so dry. I'm so bored. I get it.

[Adam Schafer]

So in chicken thigh again, high leucine content. So it's very anabolic source of protein, high selenium and all the nutrients. I mentioned with beef, chicken is relatively high as well. Maybe a little less than some of them, but also still pretty high. Next up. This is like a superfood. Wild caught salmon. While. And it has to be wild caught. The farm raised salmon has a different fatty acid profile. Toxins can build up in them and they're just. It's. It's not the same fish. It really isn't. If you eat wild caught salmon and farm salmon, you put them next to each other, eat them, it's not the same.

[Justin Andrews]

Don't even look the same.

[Adam Schafer]

They don't even look.

[Listener]

Are they less pink? Sometimes I feel like they dye the meat.

[Adam Schafer]

They can die. Yep, yep. So wild caught salmon, I mean, it's, it's leaner than farm raised. It's high in protein. The fatty acid profile on salmon, wild caught salmon is amazing.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Like very high in omega 3 fatty acids. Now, in the past, you've heard me talk on the podcast about sardines. I think sardines are great. I think they're so valuable. They're nutrient dense, whatever. But you. I'll get way more people who don't like sardines than salmon. Salmon is. It's probably the most. I guess most people would. Would say that's probably the best tasting fish of all the. Even. Even.

[Listener]

I like it.

[Adam Schafer]

Even you. Yeah.

[Listener]

It passes my test totally.

[Adam Schafer]

And then last is lamb. Now, lamb used to be hard to find. I remember, you know, well, my dad told me this when my parents came here from Sicily back in the, you know, late 70s, early 80s. You know, my dad said it was tough, it was tough to find lamb.

[Justin Andrews]

I found that you put this on your list. This is so the Sicilian in you. Because that's what made my list. I would have put bison, ground turkey. I could think of a couple other things that would have made my list here.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, here's why I put lamb.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, yeah. Sell me, sell me on why lamb and not those.

[Adam Schafer]

It tastes great, it's high, and it fatty acid called cla. Conjugated linoleic acid. Cla Is, I mean it's been marketed as the fat burning fatty acid.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, I remember we used to sell supplements with that.

[Adam Schafer]

They did. Now this doesn't mean. So here's why taking supplements of it was stupid. You don't just add cla to your diet and accept expect to burn body fat. What the studies showed though were if you switched out certain fats with cla, even though you have the same calories, even though you have the same grams of fat, you're leaner and you have more muscle. It's the anabolic fat burning fatty acid, cla. So. And it's very high in cla. Here's the other thing. Lamb up until now is very well raised and healthy. They tend to not be, you know, raising with conventional beef. They tend to be very, it's a very healthy source of meat and it's easier to find. Now like I said when my parents came here, my dad said it was. He'd have to go to like Italian markets to find it. Now you can find lamb.

[Justin Andrews]

Now are there other meats, Sal, that are high in cla or is that the most common? Is there? I'm not familiar with how grass fed.

[Adam Schafer]

Beef is out there. Yeah, but we already talked about beef. Yeah, but lamb is natural. It's always grass fed. Lamb's almost always, I think it's always grass fed if I'm not mistaken. So you're always getting a pretty, you know, well raised piece of meat. And lamb chops are. We have lamb chops probably three days a week in my house.

[Justin Andrews]

At least that's an Italian thing for sure.

[Adam Schafer]

Is it?

[Justin Andrews]

Yes.

[Adam Schafer]

Lamb chops. Everybody eats lamb chops.

[Justin Andrews]

I don't think so, bro. Do you eat lamb all the time.

[Listener]

Three months or something?

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, I eat lambs once every six months maybe. Yeah, lamb's hardly ever in my, my rotation.

[Adam Schafer]

It's a very, very, very common me.

[Justin Andrews]

Do you eat a lot of lamb?

[Sal DeStefano]

Not really.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, that's you, bro. It's Italian, bro.

[Adam Schafer]

Whatever. That's.

[Justin Andrews]

I mean, but it's, I don't not like it and I think it's a brown.

[Adam Schafer]

Lamb is delicious.

[Justin Andrews]

It's a fair, fair.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, yeah. No, lamb is not always grass fed. Wow. Usually it is though. That's interesting. So I, I have yet to find one that, that the ones I get are always grass fed and I don't have to look for it. Let's get to fruit. Next. Let's talk about the best fruits. Now with fruit, I put a combination of fruit in here and I added one that typically Isn't in a category. In this category when people talk about fruit, that's healthy. But I wanted to put a, an energy dense fruit in here. In other words, what fruit would you eat? If you wanted a good source of carbohydrates that was dense carbohydrates. Bananas.

[Listener]

Bananas. Great for that.

[Adam Schafer]

Bananas are great.

[Listener]

They're workout. Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Yes. High in carbohydrates. It's got. It's like one of the highest dense, you know, fruit you can get. Potassium is good there. By the way, there's studies on blood pressure that show that sodium is not that big of a different deal. It's actually potassium that makes a big difference. So for people with blood pressure issues, sometimes just eating more potassium makes a big difference. But yeah, a banana is like a. This like you. You'll get more carbs in a banana faster than you would with other sources of every other fruit. Sources of carbohydrates. So for people who don't eat, let's say if you eat paleo and you need that source of energy, bananas. And they taste good.

[Listener]

Yeah. I remember when I was super deficient with potassium. I was eating bananas and black beans and stuff like that. I had to eat it from.

[Adam Schafer]

When were you deficient in potassium?

[Listener]

When I had blood pressure issues.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh, yeah.

[Listener]

With my adrenal gland.

[American Giant Speaker]

Wow.

[Adam Schafer]

I didn't know that.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Anyway, bananas are also the best fruit to use in a smoothie.

[Justin Andrews]

It's. Yes.

[Adam Schafer]

Always add a banana.

[Justin Andrews]

That is like. Yeah, I think, I think a banana. A banana in any smoothie makes that smoothie 10 times. Always name the smoothie, add a banana. I don't care if it's a savory sweet one or it's a fruit like a fruit like tardy one. You add banana in it makes it so much better.

[Adam Schafer]

Next up, blueberries. Blueberries are a super food.

[Justin Andrews]

I would just say berries here. I think berries in general cover the.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Justin Andrews]

Cover your bases. This typically. This used to be like my go to. So the way we give. I love when we give like general simple rules for clients. I used to give them unlimited amounts of berries. The amount.

[Adam Schafer]

So funny. I would do the same thing.

[Justin Andrews]

Unlimited.

[Adam Schafer]

You would never see someone overeat berries.

[Justin Andrews]

No, you could overeat bananas because bananas are high calories. Yeah. Yeah. Those will give you a lot of calories. But good luck eating that many berries. Like you. It's and. And I just think. And that's all berries. Strawberries, blueberries, raspberries, blackberries, but especially blueberries.

[Adam Schafer]

Blackberries and raspberries yes, Those were the top ones. They're high in fiber. They're very high in fiber.

[Justin Andrews]

It's actually high in antioxidants too.

[Adam Schafer]

Yes.

[Justin Andrews]

And calorie per like they're the. One of the best.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. It was the easiest way. I remember you telling me this. Adam and I pieced it together, you know, after you said this, like. Oh yeah, I remember that. Like you want to get easy source of fiber.

[Justin Andrews]

Yep.

[Adam Schafer]

Oftentimes I need more fiber in my diet. You get, you can get some fiber from vegetables. Way easier to get them from blueberries. Yeah, you get a decent amount.

[Justin Andrews]

So really you could put a bunch like in a smoothie. Like you're saying, like you could do a. You could do. In fact, I used to love this and it doesn't sound like it would be good. Blueberry, banana, spinach, protein shake. You want a high fiber. Somebody who's like having throw some peanut butter in there.

[Adam Schafer]

Justin sold.

[Justin Andrews]

No, literally, for some reason, the blueberries, banana and spinach really go well together. And it's like want to rock someone's fiber up. Like that's like these to be my go to smoothie to send a people. And I think it tastes phenomenal too.

[Adam Schafer]

And then it's. They're high. So blueberries are high in anthocyanins, which are antioxidants that are just really powerful at reducing, you know, the oxy, the oxidation that happens in the body.

[Justin Andrews]

It's so powerful, Sal. Like this is the, the same stuff that, I mean, those of us that are probably in our 40s or more are familiar with Monavie, which was so popular and it was so popular Acai berry. Acai berries, which when you head to head next to blueberries, it's almost identical.

[Adam Schafer]

Blueberry.

[Justin Andrews]

So. And there was Brazilian blueberries. Yeah. So there was all kinds of positive things that they had tied to that, to that juice that you're getting that when you have blueberries.

[Adam Schafer]

Yes, yes, yes. But yeah, there's, there's like, you know, anti aging effects from these antioxidants. Anytime you hear, you know, studies or talk about antioxidants, like, and if you want to just really easy way to boost your antioxidant content. By the way, supplementing with antioxidants, not a good idea getting them from food. It seems to have a different effect. But if you want to boost your antioxidant intake, reduce inflammation, reduce the damage that stress can cause to your body, you just go reach for blueberries. I think blueberries don't get the credit. They Deserve because they're so common. So people just don't realize that they have a superfood available to them easily at the grocery store.

[Justin Andrews]

We go through a ton of blueberries at our house. A ton of blueberries.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh, for kids. Are you kidding me?

[Justin Andrews]

That's like the snack I throw. Blueberry. It's like the go to snack for my son. Greek yogurt with blueberries on it with a sprinkle, a little bit of granola on it. He thinks he's eating some sort of a treat. It's a high protein, high fiber, good antioxidant. Such a great snack for kids and myself. I mean it's one of my favorite snacks to have too.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. Next up. And I wanted something in the middle, right. Something that was decent amount of fiber, you know, that had some good nutrients in there, but also had some energy density. Right. Because blueberries, if you wanted enough, you want to get a lot of carbs for a workout from blueberries. Good luck. You'd have to eat like a bucket of blueberries. You could do with bananas. But I wanted something in the middle. Apples. Apples don't get a lot of credit because they're so common.

[Listener]

It's another go to for me.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

Yes. And they're apples. They've got a decent amount of fiber. There are soluble, insoluble forms of fiber in there. There are compounds in apples that you will see often in fiber supplements because of the gut health promoting benefits. And they taste good, they're convenient. It's like a go to food. Like bananas get bruised. Blueberries, like you have to keep them in a baggie. They get smashed. An apple is a pretty damn versatile food.

[Listener]

What's the highest source of fiber? Is it pear?

[Adam Schafer]

I think a pear is up there pretty high.

[Listener]

But yeah, no, I think apples is more common. And I mean I have apple trees in my backyard. It's super convenient.

[Justin Andrews]

I think that's where the apple wins. I mean to me that's the best argument for it's. It's simple as you could, you could throw it in a bag. You could throw it like. It's like you don't have. They're hearty. You can, you can carry it and eat it at the same time. You're not going to make a mess. You're not going to have a peel afterwards. It's not going to be peanut butter too. It's great. You know, it's everything, you know, that's actually Katrina's favorite.

[Adam Schafer]

Apple and peanut butter.

[Justin Andrews]

Apple and peanut butter.

[Listener]

So that's how I stave off a lot of, like, you know, sweet.

[Justin Andrews]

That's her. That. She'll. She'll take that over dessert.

[Adam Schafer]

Justin's like, I better not eat candy. I'm trying to lose weight. I'll eat 500 calories, a thousand calories a piece.

[Justin Andrews]

I know. I used to have to. I remember I had to throw against every time when she get into her, like, her diet phase, and she'd be like, trying to lean out and be like, we might want to come back on the peanut butter. The rest of the diet's pretty good. I said, but let me tell you, if you actually measure that peanut butter every time, really, it's the peanut butter. It's not the apple, Right? It's the.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, no, apples are really.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, yeah. But if you do. If you be doing gobs, a tablespoon.

[Adam Schafer]

But like I said, every time, it's nice. And in the middle, right. There's a fiber in apples called pectin. Pectin. And it's like 30% of the fiber, I think that's in apples. That is very beneficial for gut health. And like I said, if you find a fiber supplement, gut health, fiber supplement, oftentimes they add pectin to it. That's what you get in apples.

[Justin Andrews]

I didn't know that.

[Adam Schafer]

And apples are high enough in energy to where, if you're an athlete, it'll make a little bit of a difference. Again, it's not as nutrient dense from an energy perspective as bananas, but it's not like blueberries, but my favorite. And you brought up pears. I love pears. Here's the problem with pears. They're. They're messy.

[Justin Andrews]

Messy.

[Adam Schafer]

They're really messy. Juicy apples are super convenient. This is one of my favorite things I would tell a client. If they're. When they're traveling, what can I bring with me to eat? I would give them some other sources, and one of the foods would be an apple, because you pick it up, eat it, it's clean, hold it in your hand, no problem.

[Listener]

Little traces of cyanide on the outside.

[Adam Schafer]

What's that? Oh, is that the apple seeds? Yeah, yeah, that's true. All right, let's get to vegetables. So again, we're gonna start with a, you know, a nice energy source of vegetables. One that's going to give you energy. It's going to fuel your workouts, especially if you're performance driven. Sweet potatoes. Love sweet potatoes. They're starchy.

[Justin Andrews]

That's considered a veggie.

[Adam Schafer]

It is. It is. It's A star. It is a vegetable.

[Justin Andrews]

I didn't know that.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, yeah. So they're great carbohydrate source. They're starchy, high in fiber, high in beta carotene, which, you know, converts the vitamin A in the body. Here. Here's why I picked a sweet potato over a traditional potato. I love potatoes, too. But in my experience, clients, if they eat too much potato, sometimes it would give them gastro distress. Sweet potatoes seem to be gut friendly. They seem to be really easy.

[Justin Andrews]

What's the definition of a vegetable? Is it grow in the ground? Is that what defines it? What's it.

[Sal DeStefano]

We talked about this before. It's a culinary classification.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Sal DeStefano]

So it's like roots and fruits and seeds.

[Adam Schafer]

I mean, they're two.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah. Fruits always have seeds. That's how you know it's a fruit or that's the difference, right? I think so, yeah. A fruit will always have seeds.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Justin Andrews]

That's why tomato is technically a fruit. But what is the. What's the classification of a veggie? We talked about fruit, Doug. I don't remember talking about veggie and. Because for some reason, sweet potato did not.

[Adam Schafer]

Well, because you think of it as a starch.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Sal DeStefano]

So it's like I said before, it's a culinary classification. Roots, stems, leaves, flowers, those are basically vegetables.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah. And if. But sweet potatoes, not. Neither of those is it. It's a root. It is a root. Okay.

[Justin Andrews]

It grows the ground.

[Adam Schafer]

All right. Yeah, yeah. All right. Well, there you go. Sweet potatoes. So I don't know about you. So, Adam, did you ever find clients who, if they ate too many potato, regular potatoes, they would get a little bit of bloating, but sweet potato easier to digest.

[Justin Andrews]

I mean, I just had. I just. People enjoyed sweet potato better. One of the things that's awesome about sweet potato and if you compare it to potatoes, in my opinion, and or at least recommend clients, is potatoes need something on them. It's hard to eat a potato baked potato dry.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh, just with salt.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

But I can throw some butter.

[Justin Andrews]

I can eat a sweet potato dry.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, good point.

[Justin Andrews]

Nothing on it. Throw that in the. And the. Just the juices from it.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah, you're right.

[Justin Andrews]

And I can eat a sweet potato with nothing on it.

[Adam Schafer]

Sure.

[Justin Andrews]

You could add butter. Sure you could do something. But I can eat a sweet potato plain, nothing on it.

[Adam Schafer]

But for me, personally, with my clients and myself, if I eat sweet potatoes, it is like the most. It is such a great, you know, not just easy on my digestion. It's Almost like a pro gut health food for me personally, when I eat sweet potatoes.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

So I noticed that about them. Yeah.

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

All right, next up, here's something a lot of people, I don't know, some people eat them. They're easy to find. I included them because they're. They're the. They're pretty awesome in terms of how they affect the body from a performance standpoint. Standpoint. And that's beets. Beets boost nitric oxide and performance. In fact, you see a lot of beet supplements now for endurance. And there's studies on this. Beets will improve your endurance and they'll improve your nitric oxide levels or the stuff that dilates your blood vessels, gives you the pump type of deal. Way better. Way better than pro pump supplements.

[Justin Andrews]

Aren't all the pro pump nitric oxide supplements derived from beet juice?

[Adam Schafer]

No, they'll put. No, but some of them will now put beets in there.

[Justin Andrews]

Right, okay.

[Adam Schafer]

But they have high amounts of nitrates, will actually get turned into nitric oxide in the system. So beets, if you want to lower your blood pressure, increase your blood flow, get better erections because. Yes, it does that as well. Better athletic performance. Then eat beets. Eat beets now. Personally, I hate the taste of them, but I put them in here.

[Justin Andrews]

Oh, they don't bother me.

[Adam Schafer]

I don't like the taste.

[Listener]

So how would you serve that? Like powder on a salad.

[Adam Schafer]

You just eat them.

[Justin Andrews]

They're so good on us. I feel like they're so good on a salad. You don't like them like that. You could eat them straight. But I mean, I'll eat them.

[Adam Schafer]

By the way, warning. Eat a lot of beets and you could see yourself peeing red the following day. I learned that the hard way as a kid. Did you know that?

[Justin Andrews]

Yeah, yeah, yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

You can actually get that, get that to happen. I was like, ah, just the beats.

[Justin Andrews]

Add that with some asparagus, you'll be really freaked out.

[Adam Schafer]

Lastly, broccoli. I know it's. It's not that exciting. Broccoli is easy, inexpensive, good for the digestive system. Very high in sulforaphane, which is lots of research now going to this compound.

[Listener]

But it's really good for you.

[Adam Schafer]

Anti cancer. The anti cancer effects of that compound are pretty remarkable. There's a lot of studies and data coming out now talking about sulforaphane and its benefits for the body.

[Justin Andrews]

Now, that being said, Sal, is it. Is it not one of the more common vegetables? If you have an intolerance to a vegetable, isn't it that because of the stems on it. Some of that. If I heard of that part.

[Adam Schafer]

If you, if you, if you eat them raw or not well cooked. So here's a little trick for people. Sometimes eating too many vegetables will cause bloating and gastro issues. Yeah, boil the hell out of them. Yeah, boil the hell out of them.

[Justin Andrews]

You're the one that taught me that.

[Adam Schafer]

Yeah.

[Justin Andrews]

I never like you. Boy. I remember used to boil it like really boil it down.

[Adam Schafer]

Oh yeah.

[Justin Andrews]

Like right on the borderline of almost sogg. Oh yeah.

[Adam Schafer]

And you get a bowl of it and you have no digestive issues whatsoever.

[Justin Andrews]

It's such a good hack, you know.

[Adam Schafer]

Totally. And you add some olive oil to that and some salt. Absolutely delicious. So there you have it. Look, if you like the show, come find us on Instagram. Justin is at mindpumpjustin. I'm at Mind Pump. Distefano. Adam's at Mind Pump.

[Sal DeStefano]

Thank you for listening to Mind Pump. If your goal is to build and shape your body dramatically improve your health and energy and maximize your overall performance. Performance, Check out our discounted RGB super [e-mail] the RGB Super Bundle includes maps, Anabolic maps, performance and Maps aesthetic. Nine months of phased expert exercise programming designed by Sal, Adam and Justin to systematically transform the way your body looks, feels and performs. With detailed workout blueprints and over 200 videos. The RGB Super Bundle is like having Sal, Adam and Justin as your own personal trainers, but at a fraction of the price. The RGB super bundle has a full 30 day money back guarantee and you can get it now. Plus other valuable free [e-mail] if you enjoy this show, please share the love by leaving us a five star rating and review on itunes and by introducing Mind Pump to your friends and family. Family, we thank you for your support and until next time, this is Mind Pump.

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