Men\'s Health UK - 10.2019

60 MEN’S HEALTH

Rule 01

Protein Is Paramount

GET COOKING

SEARED DUCK

BREAST

Quick and simple

to cook, this dish is

the perfect autumn

warmer and will plate

up more than half of

your day’s protein

requirements, along

with fatigue-beating

iron. Splash out on

wild meat for even

more nutrients

INGREDIENTS

SERVES 1

Duck breast, 200g

Brussels sprouts, 100g

A small sweet potato

01/ Salt and pepper

your duck breast to

taste, then place it

skin-down in a cold

cast-iron skillet. Turn

the heat to medium.

The gradual increase

in temperature will

melt the fat, so you

don’t need to add

any oil. Leave it to

cook undisturbed,

until the skin crisps.

This should take

8-10 minutes.

02/ Flip it, and let it

continue cooking

until it’s seared on

both sides – about

three minutes more.

Slide the duck into

a 180°C oven until

medium rare. Use

a thermometer: the

thickest part of the

meat should be 50°C.

03/ When

it’s cooked to

perfection, serve

with roasted Brussels

sprouts and mashed

sweet potato with

a knob of butter.

Why You Need It

It’s good for more than just muscle, you

know. Protein supports a spectrum of bodily functions.

It decreases hunger, fortifies your bones, improves brain

function, aids your immune system – and, yes, it can

help you on your way to transforming your biceps into

precipitous peaks, if that happens to be your thing.

How Much You Need

Most experts advocate consuming

1.2-1.6g of protein for every kilo of your

target bodyweight. So, an 84kg man who wants

to maintain his current weight would need roughly

100-134g a day, or six palm-sized portions of protein-rich

foods. That’s about 30g at each meal and an additional

20g in two snacks. Sure, a chicken breast will get the job

done at dinner, but so will chicken thighs, tofu, salmon,

pork, shellfish, lamb, tempeh... You get the idea.

Q: I’m struggling

to hit my target.

What’s the best

way to top up

between meals?

A: Presuming you’ve

had your fill of meat,

eggs and beans,

your next best bet

is a shake. Many

fortified foods –

yogurts, cereal

snacks, cookies – fall

short of the protein

you need and come

with added sugars.

Bars work, too, as an

occasional treat, but

a simple shake made

with whey or vegan

powders is still the

smartest way to^

hit the mark.

Brian St Pierre, nutrition advisor

WHAT MAKES

A PERFECT

PROTEIN

POWDER?

It’s minimally

sweetened.

Look for 5g of sugar or

less per serving. When

it comes to artificial

sweeteners, stevia is

your smartest bet.

Isolate beats

concentrate.

Buying dairy? Whey

isolates are high-quality

proteins, with all the

amino acids you need

for repair and growth.

Keep tabs on

the calories.

If you want to cut

back rather than bulk

up, aim for 150kcal

or fewer for every

25g of protein.

CHEMISTRY

LESSON

Amino acids are the building blocks of

proteins, and many can only be obtained

from your diet. Here are the four to know

1 QUESTION 1 ANSWER

Leucine

Your p rim e

muscle-builder,

found abundantly

in eggs and

organic meat,

particularly

game animals

Glycine

Linked to

improvements

in sleep patterns.

Get your fix from

pork belly and

bone broths

Tryptophan

Helps to build

mood-balancing

hormones.

Crustaceans and

oily fish are

excellent

sources

Tyrosine

This brain-

sharpener increases

motivation and

alertness. Stock up

on tofu, cheese

and turkey

Our Top Picks

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Rich in muscle-

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Bulk Powders

Informed Whey

Inexpensive and

fortified with

digestive enzymes

and probiotics.

Innermost the

Health Protein

Vegans’ best buy

for complete

proteins, from pea

and brown rice.