Originally appeared in Men's Journal

I'm honored to collaborate with the world's greatest experts in the fields of training, nutrition, and recovery.

In today's lesson, Josh Hingst, author of The Athlete’s Guide to Sports Supplements, and former head strength and conditioning coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, gave me his proven shortcuts to help you plan and prepare quick, easy meals.

He helped the Philadelphia Eagles win the 2018 NFC Championship and, after that, the 2018 Super Bowl.

One key point is that championships are built in the off-season.

And, under the guidance of Coach Josh, the team trains smart at one of the top facilities in the NFL.

He talked about these five proven rules that all of his successful athletes live by:

1. Sleep deeply. And that means quantity and quality. Aim for 7 to 8 hours per night in a cool room that is completely dark with limited ambient noise.
2. Train four sessions per week. Frequent exercise that encompasses both strength training and cardiovascular conditioning.  
3. Eat clean and unprocessed. Enjoy a high-variety diet comprised mostly from whole food sources such as fresh fruits, vegetables and lean proteins.  
4. Drink water often. Maintain a healthy hydration level with frequent water consumption. In particular, drink at least one-half of your bodyweight (in ounces) of water daily. So a 200-pound man drinks around 100 ounces of plain water every single day. Do this before 5:00PM in order to avoid messing up your sleep with frequent trips to the bathroom.  
5. Scheduled time, every day, for mental and emotional recovery. Training is cathartic, which means it's a productive way to de-stress.

Coach keeps his athletes accountable by establishing clear goals and deadlines versus yelling in their face to "motivate" them. I couldn't agree more.

I'm proud to say that, since 1996, my client-athletes have been training according to the same proven principles as the pros.

If your way is working, awesome job and keep it up. But if your way is not working, why not join our team?

I'll personally guarantee your success when you follow the proven plan.

Time-Saving Healthy Cooking Tips

You can eat better in less time. Just follow these tips.

Even the world’s greatest workout is mostly worthless without a smart nutrition plan. But eating enough to see the gains you want takes time in the kitchen.

So I grilled Josh Hingst, nutrition specialist and former head strength and conditioning coach with the Philadelphia Eagles, for his proven shortcuts to help you plan and prepare quick, easy meals.

Borrow these meal-prep tricks to build a leaner, brawnier you — and less time spent toiling in the kitchen. 

Make Faster Protein Meals

Eating 20 to 40 grams of protein five times throughout the day is optimal for building muscle and maintaining low body fat, Hingst says.

But being time-crunched is no excuse to skimp on protein, even if you’re too busy to shop and cook. “Mail-order meat-delivery services streamline shopping trips with farm-to-doorstep shipments of organic chicken, beef, and pork,” Hingst says. 

Try this nice thick cut, flavorful, and tender New York strip steak. It won't disappoint.

Make this: Baked Chipotle Chicken

On All-Clad’s stainless steel roasting pan, line up a few servings of lean protein, like organic chicken breasts. Scoop a dollop of organic roasted chipotle salsa onto each serving.

For chicken, cook about 30 minutes at 400°, or until the internal temperature reads 165° on your meat thermometer.

Double Down on Veggies

Skip the $14 juices and get smarter about your produce at home. “Super soups, like broccoli-cauliflower, are moderate in fat and extremely dense in vegetable concentration,” Hingst says.

Save time and boost disease-fighting antioxidant intake by cooking a pot on the weekend and enjoying all week long. Freeze the leftovers for next time.

Make this: Broccoli-Cauliflower Super Soup

• 1 small head broccoli
• 1 small head cauliflower
• 4 stalks celery
• 1 large carrot
• 1 large sweet onion
• 1 small bunch parsley
• 4 tbsp coconut oil
• 1 squeeze fresh lemon juice
• 1 can chicken stock
• 1 teaspoon pink Himalayan sea salt
• 2 cups water

Preheat large pot to medium-high. Add 2 tbsp coconut oil.

Chop celery, carrot, and onion and add to pot, sautéing until soft, occasionally seasoning with salt.

Chop cauliflower, broccoli, parsley, along with additional 2 tbsp coconut oil.

Sauté until cauliflower and broccoli are tender, then add chicken stock, lemon squeeze, and water to chosen consistency. Simmer on low for 30 minutes. Pair with a protein, like roasted chicken.

Makes 8-10 servings.

Boost Gut Health with Pickled Foods

Improve digestion with kimchi and ginger. Pair with grilled pork or another protein.

Pickled vegetables, especially kimchi, can promote healthy gut microbiota, according to Hingst. “A healthy gut translates into a wide range of benefits including increased bioavailability of nutrients from food and a stronger immune system,” he says.

Added bonus: Research suggests ginger may reduce delayed-onset muscle soreness (DOMS) after heavy training.

To your success,

Coach Joe

Joseph Arangio helps 40+ men and women lose weight, gain strength, and slow aging. He's delivered over 100,000 transformation programs to satisfied clients around the globe. If you want to increase longevity with the best online age-management program, or you want to visit the best age-management program in the Lehigh Valley, you can take a free 14-day trial.