When you think of the Increased Metabolism Zone, just imagine your muscles literally filling up with nutrients. You'll not only be able to feel your muscles become tighter and fuller, you'll probably notice the changes in the mirror. Why? Because you'll be replenishing your glycogen stores by eating a hefty close of carbohydrates. At the same time, this influx of carbs will raise your insulin levels, which drives even more nutrients such as the high-quality protein that you eat-to your muscles. The result is a dramatic surge in muscle growth. And even better, all of this occurs with out causing your body to store fat. The reason: Whenever you enter the Increased Metabolism Zone, your glycogen levels will be low, due to the time you've spent in the Weight Loss Zone. This prepares your body to embrace high-carb foods, without the negative consequences that occur when your glycogen tank is overflowing.

You'll probably notice that many of the Increased Metabolism Zone foods are similar to those in the Weight Loss Zone. For instance, meat, cheese, and eggs are all excellent sources of muscle-building protein, which makes them ideal for both Zones. However, since there's no need to watch your carb intake in the Increased Metabolism Zone, the approved list of high quality protein sources expands to include yogurt, kefir, and milk. The same goes for produce: In addition to the options you have in the Weight Loss Zone, you can now eat as much fruit as you want and add starchy vegetables such as potatoes, carrots, and corn to your meals. The main change between the Weight Loss Zone And the Increased Metabolism Zone is that you'll now emphasize healthy, high carbohydrate foods, such as grains and beans, and de-emphasize foods that are high in fat. But again, the key is to keep the diet simple, and you can do just that by following the nutrition tactics below.

THE NUTRITION TACTICS

1. Eat any combination of the Increased Metabolism Zone foods along with the approved condiments and beverages until you feel satisfied, but not stuffed. Again, don't over-think this; just eat. By following the general guidelines that we've laid out in our diet plans, you'll automatically avoid junk food, the universal downfall of all diets.

2. Try to eat high quality protein at every meal and every 3 hours, if possible. The goal is to provide your muscles with a steady supply of amino acids, in order to ensure that they have the nutrients they need to grow. Think of it as if you were constructing a new house: If you don't have all of the necessary building materials on hand, even the best builder can't make progress.

3. Consume carbohydrates at each meal. This shouldn't be too hard, since it's in line with the way most people are accustomed to eating. The idea is to boost your insulin levels at every meal, in order to drive nutrients to your muscles. So during the Increased Metabolism Zone, besides vegetables, you can enjoy pasta, sandwiches, cereal, and pancakes, as well as snacks such as fruit, popcorn, and pretzels.

4. Go easy on extra fats. The reason is simple: You can only eat so many calories in a day without gaining fat. And since you'll be increasing your intake of carbs, that doesn't leave a lot of room for additional calories from sources such as nuts, seeds, and butter. This doesn't mean you should eliminate fat altogether, only that your intake should be incidental. So limit your diet to the fat that's naturally found in meat or cheese, or the kind needed to cook with, like olive oil.

5. Avoid added sugar and refined grains. Primarily, this means foods that are made with sugar, regular soda, cake, cookies-or with flour that isn't 100 percent whole wheat, like white bread and white pasta. Technically, these carbohydrates are allowed in the Increased Metabolism Zone, when the purpose is to raise insulin levels. However, we highly encourage you to eat quality sources of carbohydrates. That is, carb-rich foods that are also packed with nutrients, such as 100 percent whole grain products and high-fiber beans. These are what we call nutrient-dense carbohydrates and our diet plans can be seen at the following website link.