With the upcoming nutrition challenge about to go down at my gym, I thought I would start sharing some tips on how to prepare so you can succeed.

GET YOUR SPICE GAME ON:  The Zone way of cooking is a bit challenging for me because I am so use to throwing around bacon lard and ghee without a second thought.  Because The Zone restricts your fat intake (monsters) I have turned to my spice cabinet for support .  Smoked paprika and curry powder are a couple of my favorites at the moment along with lots of fresh ground pepper and sea salt….be sure to stock up!  Just last night cooked up some ground bison and added a bunch of spices to help liven it up.

HERBAL REMEDIES:  Always keep fresh herbs on hand to help lift boring vegetables to a whole new level.  I would recommend buying a basil plant so you at least always have t his on hand.  Some other favorites are chives , parsley and cilantro.

OIL & VINEGAR: Stock up and invest in the good stuff.  I will add a splash of apple cider vinegar to a meat sauce for an added punch, a balsamic vinegar to a marinade, or throw a splash of sherry vinegar over a salad.  Avocado oil is my new best friend.  I will add a tablespoon over a whatever I am eating to count towards a block….it’s a good way to get the benefit of the good fat from the avocado in the case you don’t have an avocado on hand.

NUTRITIONAL YEAST:  I love this stuff.  I tell myself if Parmesan cheese and I put it on everything.  It has a nutty, cheese like flavor and it is filled with lots of nutrition including B12.  Learn more about nutritional yeast here.
Braggs is my favorite…

GINGER: Did you know that ginger can reduce muscle pain and soreness? I always have a ginger root in my freezer and grate it over veggies to liven them up or sprinkle some over a spice of salmon.  Ginger has never made something taste less delicious- FACT.

HOT SAUCE:  On everything.

GARLIC & ONION:  Pretty much every great recipe starts with sauteed onion and garlic. They add such a valuable punch of flavor to everything so be sure to stock up.

Get stocking!