Therapeutic dosages of Nitric Oxide precursors

[Encephalon]

All you Bad-asses out there, male and female, may have flirted with NO supplements, worked out, and then preened in front of the mirror for an hour. It turns out that it's basically useless for building muscle mass, and extremely effective at sucking money out of your bank account. However, according to the book "NO More Heart Disease," by Louis Ignarro, NO is extremely effective at reversing and preventing heart disease, mostly by its rejuvinating effects on the vascular system (one of the same effects attributed to Chi Kung by Daniel Reid).

 

OTC NO products are a waste of time. Here are the dosages the good Doctor recommends. I'm planning on taking this regimen, along with the Dean Ornish Heart Flush Diet, for one year, starting on my 50th birthday, which is 9 months away. This regimen would easily cost $40 a month, but I think it'll be worth it to me when the time comes.

 

L-arginine 4-6 grams/day

L-citrulline 2mgs-1gram/day

Vit. C 500 mgs/day

Vit. E (alpha-tocopherol) 200 IU/day

Folic acid 400-8-- mcg/day

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) 10 mgs/day.

 

wouldn't it be cool if these amounts did in fact help with gaining muscle mass? The price is competitive with all the other stuff on the market, and the dosages are much higher.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcIWX8C91s4

Edited January 16, 2010 by Blasto

[Taomeow]

All you Bad-asses out there, male and female, may have flirted with NO supplements, worked out, and then preened in front of the mirror for an hour. It turns out that it's basically useless for building muscle mass, and extremely effective at sucking money out of your bank account. However, according to the book "NO More Heart Disease," by Louis Ignarro, NO is extremely effective at reversing and preventing heart disease, mostly by its rejuvinating effects on the vascular system (one of the same effects attributed to Chi Kung by Daniel Reid).

 

OTC NO products are a waste of time. Here are the dosages the good Doctor recommends. I'm planning on taking this regimen, along with the Dean Ornish Heart Flush Diet, for one year, starting on my 50th birthday, which is 9 months away. This regimen would easily cost $40 a month, but I think it'll be worth it to me when the time comes.

 

L-arginine 4-6 grams/day

L-citrulline 2mgs-1gram/day

Vit. C 500 mgs/day

Vit. E (alpha-tocopherol) 200 IU/day

Folic acid 400-8-- mcg/day

Alpha lipoic acid (ALA) 10 mgs/day.

 

wouldn't it be cool if these amounts did in fact help with gaining muscle mass? The price is competitive with all the other stuff on the market, and the dosages are much higher.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DcIWX8C91s4

 

This is a very interesting substance, one of the two my own world of nutrition and supplementation revolves around (the other one being dopamine). I researched a while back. Here's a brief summary of what I learned way back then (mostly from Japanese and Russian studies rehashed here and there):

 

predominance of a particular choice of stress-mediating hormones in an individual body is genetically linked to one's blood type antigen;

types A and AB produce more cortisol than other types for the purpose;

type O, more adrenaline than other types;

and type B runs on nitric oxide for the purpose, producing less cortisol and less adrenaline but more NO and utilizing it for the same tasks extra cortisol is used by As/ABs and extra adrenaline by Os.

 

Practical outcome:

if you blood type is B, go for it, it's all-around beneficial since you'll be supplementing your first line defense against stress;

if it isn't, exercise caution -- you might be stressing out the system beyond its capacity to cope, since you're hard-wired for lower levels of NO.

 

The classic muscle-building-without-steroids protocol that was developed earlier than the blood type research doesn't mention whether it will increase NO and is designed to release HGH (the real muscle builder), but I know at least two type As who had dizzy spells and lowered mood on it, so caution is advised. This one I experimented with when I wanted to tone up but didn't feel like working out. It works like a charm (and is very useful if one has an injury to heal too), but I wouldn't recommend it as a continuous lifestyle for reasons too numerous to go into. For a short/temporary boost, here it is:

 

arginine/glutathione 4:1 or arginine/NAC (n-acetyl-cysteine, NOT cystine)/l-glutamine 2:1:1, starting low (500 mg arginine) and gradually increasing the dosage every 3-6 days (you can go very high if you like but very gradually -- I never went over 6 g of arginine but 20 is not unheard of)

and throw in some antioxidants accordingly (you can go high with these too but gradually) to clean up the metabolites -- notably vitamins A, C, D, E, the complete B group, beta-carotene, selenium and zinc. Other stuff is useful too but costs start building up, besides it's better to rotate your antioxidants than to take the same things all the time. Never discontinue vitamin C abruptly -- climb off gradually. (That's because your metabolism will be set on higher rates of elimination if you take high doses, and if you drop it suddenly, the body won't have a chance to adjust accordingly and you might wind up with mild scurvy!)

 

In my experience, it is cheaper to put together your own formula and modify it from time to time than buy a ready-made one. I learned this stuff years ago from Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute and Life Extension Foundation. There's been a few changes to their basic drill over the years, but the main rule still stands -- you use arginine or ornithine (the latter costs more and works marginally better) plus either glutathione or what converts into it that will supply mitochondrial energy. Pure glutathione is pricey, but NAC/L-glutamine convert nicely. Importantly, take this away from protein meals.

[Encephalon]

This is a very interesting substance, one of the two my own world of nutrition and supplementation revolves around (the other one being dopamine). I researched a while back. Here's a brief summary of what I learned way back then (mostly from Japanese and Russian studies rehashed here and there):

 

predominance of a particular choice of stress-mediating hormones in an individual body is genetically linked to one's blood type antigen;

types A and AB produce more cortisol than other types for the purpose;

type O, more adrenaline than other types;

and type B runs on nitric oxide for the purpose, producing less cortisol and less adrenaline but more NO and utilizing it for the same tasks extra cortisol is used by As/ABs and extra adrenaline by Os.

 

Practical outcome:

if you blood type is B, go for it, it's all-around beneficial since you'll be supplementing your first line defense against stress;

if it isn't, exercise caution -- you might be stressing out the system beyond its capacity to cope, since you're hard-wired for lower levels of NO.

 

The classic muscle-building-without-steroids protocol that was developed earlier than the blood type research doesn't mention whether it will increase NO and is designed to release HGH (the real muscle builder), but I know at least two type As who had dizzy spells and lowered mood on it, so caution is advised. This one I experimented with when I wanted to tone up but didn't feel like working out. It works like a charm (and is very useful if one has an injury to heal too), but I wouldn't recommend it as a continuous lifestyle for reasons too numerous to go into. For a short/temporary boost, here it is:

 

arginine/glutathione 4:1 or arginine/NAC (n-acetyl-cysteine, NOT cystine)/l-glutamine 2:1:1, starting low (500 mg arginine) and gradually increasing the dosage every 3-6 days (you can go very high if you like but very gradually -- I never went over 6 g of arginine but 20 is not unheard of)

and throw in some antioxidants accordingly (you can go high with these too but gradually) to clean up the metabolites -- notably vitamins A, C, D, E, the complete B group, beta-carotene, selenium and zinc. Other stuff is useful too but costs start building up, besides it's better to rotate your antioxidants than to take the same things all the time. Never discontinue vitamin C abruptly -- climb off gradually. (That's because your metabolism will be set on higher rates of elimination if you take high doses, and if you drop it suddenly, the body won't have a chance to adjust accordingly and you might wind up with mild scurvy!)

 

In my experience, it is cheaper to put together your own formula and modify it from time to time than buy a ready-made one. I learned this stuff years ago from Cognitive Enhancement Research Institute and Life Extension Foundation. There's been a few changes to their basic drill over the years, but the main rule still stands -- you use arginine or ornithine (the latter costs more and works marginally better) plus either glutathione or what converts into it that will supply mitochondrial energy. Pure glutathione is pricey, but NAC/L-glutamine convert nicely. Importantly, take this away from protein meals.

 

I'm on it. Thanks.

[Andrei]

I am an A type and that is why I couldn't build muscles too much. Also I have herpes and whenever I supplemented with arginine I had an outburst, then I found out that the cold sores are triggered by NO, so I suggest for whatever reason someone would like to have a NO treatment should take care of these factors too. Anyhow instead of suplementing with pills one should have a balanced diet like this: http://www.herpes.com/Nutrition.shtml

The most concentration of Arginine are in nuts and seeds. Citrulline obviously is in watermellons.

[Taomeow]

I am an A type and that is why I couldn't build muscles too much. Also I have herpes and whenever I supplemented with arginine I had an outburst, then I found out that the cold sores are triggered by NO, so I suggest for whatever reason someone would like to have a NO treatment should take care of these factors too. Anyhow instead of suplementing with pills one should have a balanced diet like this: http://www.herpes.com/Nutrition.shtml

The most concentration of Arginine are in nuts and seeds. Citrulline obviously is in watermellons.

Oops... forgot to mention that l-lysine has to be added to the formula if people have or suspect they might have the dormant herpes virus. In fact, one of the orthomolecular protocols to eliminate it is to use large doses of arginine to bring it out into an acute flare-up, then zap it for good with large doses of l-lysine.

 

The protocol is not "pills," it's a version of the natural approach ('natural substances in unnatural amounts,' something you would use with an herbal formula too), e.g. vitamin C becomes a "natural drug" in doses way above anything you can get from food, and at these dosages eliminates the common cold within 3 hours or the flu within 24, something a healthy diet can't accomplish. Witch's fish oil for sexual enhancement is another example.

 

Besides, what passes for a healthy diet these days is usually the latest fad, a party line, or a knee-jerk reaction to a snippet of a fragment of information. A healthy diet is, in reality, an individualized diet. There's absolutely no one diet fits all deals out there, these are designed to sell books.

[IMPERIAGO]

I just wanted to clarify that the purpose of NO precursors was never to build muscle in the first place, but instead to enable the body to produce more NO which is a naturally occuring hormone. NO simply triggers the release of other hormones like vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)- which along with NO serves to dilate the blood vessels as well as stimulates new growth thereof-, IGF-1, insulin & various other hormones-the collective purpose of which are to help the body force cellular waste out and bring blood, oxygen, water & nutrients in when oxygen in the body becomes depleted; ever notice how much more dilated your blood vessels become during standing chi kung than seated? The amount of muscle one builds mainly depends on one's diet & the type of training regimen one follows-except so called "hard gainers" who are genetically predisposed to not building much muscle. Just check out getthepump.com

[ralis]

I have been using l-arginine for years and works wonders for me. Keeps weight off my waist and is great for the libido.

 

Here is my morning recipe:

 

16 oz. rice milk

blueberries 8 oz.

lecithin

45 grams whey (Isopure brand that is 100% lactose free)

almond butter 1 spoon full

banana

l-arginine

honey

 

Blend and enjoy.

 

ralis

[witch]

Fish oil. Fish oil, fish oil, fish oil. Fish oil is an NO precursor and also what we evolved eating.

[witch]

The protocol is not "pills," it's a version of the natural approach ('natural substances in unnatural amounts,' something you would use with an herbal formula too), e.g. vitamin C becomes a "natural drug" in doses way above anything you can get from food, and at these dosages eliminates the common cold within 3 hours or the flu within 24, something a healthy diet can't accomplish. Witch's fish oil for sexual enhancement is another example.

 

My recommended fish oil intake actually is exactly what a person would get from eating a healthy diet, if by healthy diet you mean the diet humans evolved eating--no grains, almost all calories from eating wild game, seafood, and/or bugs. The amount of omega-3 fatty acids I recommend for a 130-pound person are about the equivalent of a salmon steak for lunch and dinner every day.

 

Of course you can't eat like that now because the oceans are too polluted, you would get mercury poisoning. But fish oil has the mercury removed, so it's safe to consume in the amounts our ancestors got from their diet.

[witch]

BTW, don't take fish oil and l-arginine together, they can interact.

[Taomeow]

My recommended fish oil intake actually is exactly what a person would get from eating a healthy diet, if by healthy diet you mean the diet humans evolved eating--no grains, almost all calories from eating wild game, seafood, and/or bugs. The amount of omega-3 fatty acids I recommend for a 130-pound person are about the equivalent of a salmon steak for lunch and dinner every day.

 

Of course you can't eat like that now because the oceans are too polluted, you would get mercury poisoning. But fish oil has the mercury removed, so it's safe to consume in the amounts our ancestors got from their diet.

Agreed we were supposed to get all that fish oil (and other animal fats!) naturally, but the same can be argued for many substances currently used as "supplements." Linus Pauling asserted it is normal to have 10 g (sic) of vitamin C daily in the human diet from natural sources, it's just that even 1/100th of that amount is problematic for most people to get from food today. And animal fats have been bad-mouthed by the media prompted by the pharma ISO new diseases to disseminate in the population to the extent that many won't touch them and make a face at the very mention, though in reality their benefits are just about as common as Tuesday. Fish is not thought of as an animal by an urbanite, fortunately. If you told them that a slab of pork lard will complement their fish oil diet nicely, providing much of what they're missing and no, not clogging their pathetically misguided arteries, they'd laugh at you or recoil in horror. Take heart, my trusty prostaglandins! Your time will come.

 

Every kid in Russia had to swallow an obligatory daily spoonful of fish oil for general health when I was growing up, and in my medically slanted family, also three spoonfuls of rose hip syrup (a megadose of bioavailable vitamin C). The yuck of the former and the yum of the latter is a childhood memory many of us share. Much of cutting edge nutrition being "discovered" by nutritional "dissidents" here and now is "old school" elsewhere...

[ralis]

BTW, don't take fish oil and l-arginine together, they can interact.

 

What is the interaction?

 

ralis

[Trunk]

I bought and have been using the Niteworks powder that Dr. Ignarro promotes. Guess I've been using it for about a week, maybe a little less.

 

I had bought and returned an NO product from GNC after seeing that it had caffeine and yohimbe in it. Niteworks is supposed to be taken before sleep (other times, too) and so I figured it wouldn't be rev'ing: I was right.

 

I find the results to be mellowing. I sleep deeper. (Never had trouble with sleep, but just wake up and feel that my sleep was especially deep and satisfying.) I tend towards stagnation and this has been relieved significantly: my breathing practices have moved fwd big time. I can do all sorts of breathing for longer periods (before, I'd have to stop after a certain pt because things would "jam"). Stuck parts are resolving much better w/ Niteworks.

 

Given the above, my very short experience with his product supports that it's good for general vascular health.

 

I've tended to always be a little sexually charged, and the Niteworks is mellowing me out some - kind of a relief . Sexual tension dissipates more easily, undoubtedly because of better circulation.

 

- Trunk

[mantis]

Taomeow - I've said this before and I'll say it again I really enjoy your posts but I have a request of you - a diet thread. Nothing fancy, just things you recommend that are neither here nor there (as in they'd be generally recommended as safe) such as supplements you take, personal no no's, etc.

 

You and witch seem to be advocates of no/low grain diets, how do you feel about carbohydrates? By carbohydrates I mean avoiding grains but eating fruits and vegetables, and perhaps oats and legumes (for slow-digesting & low gi carbohydrates). My current diet is far from ideal as I just got a job and the cheapest food is usually the worse for you but I plan on following a diet like the above soon. Plenty of good fats (fish oil, olive oil, etc), lean meats and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

[Taomeow]

Taomeow - I've said this before and I'll say it again I really enjoy your posts but I have a request of you - a diet thread. Nothing fancy, just things you recommend that are neither here nor there (as in they'd be generally recommended as safe) such as supplements you take, personal no no's, etc.

 

You and witch seem to be advocates of no/low grain diets, how do you feel about carbohydrates? By carbohydrates I mean avoiding grains but eating fruits and vegetables, and perhaps oats and legumes (for slow-digesting & low gi carbohydrates). My current diet is far from ideal as I just got a job and the cheapest food is usually the worse for you but I plan on following a diet like the above soon. Plenty of good fats (fish oil, olive oil, etc), lean meats and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Hi mantis,

 

thanks! I'll keep your request for a diet thread in mind.

 

As for grains: I advocate a diet of no gluten-containing grains and no corn. The rest of the complex carbs are wonderful in most cases for most people (of course the ideal diet is always individualized, but for now, just the general principles). Eat plenty, but don't eat them completely away from oils and fats.

The grains to avoid (and all products made of same) would be wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, but you have to keep in mind that 99% of everything you can buy as a ready-made product is either wheat or corn, or both. You would have to give up on all pasta, bread, cereal, cookies, pastries, pies, muffins... are you up to the challenge? Eventually you would find replacements made of some of the OK carbs I'll list below, but it's going to be an adventure. Many of the replacements, even if you find them, are chock-full of other unwanted stuff (like xanthan gum and what not) and are a whole new world to venture into. You might have to explore an Asian market. Or just give all that stuff up and cook from scratch -- the way I do (with the exception of pasta, which is easy to find in its rice incarnation at any HFS, and in its tapioca, mung bean, but also mostly rice versions at an Asian market.)

 

So -- you do need carbs or you will be always fiending. Rice is wonderful and versatile, I would suggest you learn to cook many dishes with it, don't eat penitentiary bland bowlfuls of rice alone, it gets boring fast... Brown rice is usually touted, and it's really good, but many people are finding it hard to acquire a taste for it and really really enjoy it (food must be enjoyable or else it's not healthy). So -- white rice would be my first choice if you want a carb staple that is not much inferior (provided you have other sources of B vitamins in your diet and don't try to subside on white rice alone) yet much more versatile and easier and faster to prepare and all-around practical. Next, include buckwheat (it behaves like a grain but isn't, it's actually related to cabbage -- and the name doesn't mean it has "wheat" in it, it doesn't), quinoa, millet, rotate, experiment, find out what you like and what you don't. Remember these and buy them for your carbs, and you should see benefits... which benefits, you tell me after you've tried it, I've seen all kinds in many people!

 

OK, oils and fats will be the next entry sometime... please stay tuned.

[ralis]

BTW, don't take fish oil and l-arginine together, they can interact.

 

Just Googled and I could find nothing to substantiate your claim. I always take fish oil when I take arginine in the a.m. No problems here.

 

ralis

[Encephalon]

I bought and have been using the Niteworks powder that Dr. Ignarro promotes. Guess I've been using it for about a week, maybe a little less.

 

I had bought and returned an NO product from GNC after seeing that it had caffeine and yohimbe in it. Niteworks is supposed to be taken before sleep (other times, too) and so I figured it wouldn't be rev'ing: I was right.

 

I find the results to be mellowing. I sleep deeper. (Never had trouble with sleep, but just wake up and feel that my sleep was especially deep and satisfying.) I tend towards stagnation and this has been relieved significantly: my breathing practices have moved fwd big time. I can do all sorts of breathing for longer periods (before, I'd have to stop after a certain pt because things would "jam"). Stuck parts are resolving much better w/ Niteworks.

 

Given the above, my very short experience with his product supports that it's good for general vascular health.

 

I've tended to always be a little sexually charged, and the Niteworks is mellowing me out some - kind of a relief . Sexual tension dissipates more easily, undoubtedly because of better circulation.

 

- Trunk

 

Great feedback. I'll probably end up buying the stuff straight from him too. Cardio health is my family's only risk factor, so I'm really looking forward to using this therapy along with the Dean Ornish diet for a year, and who knows how long after that.

 

I welcome the downshifted sexual energy. One of the greatest reliefs I ever had was when I went on an SSRI for a few months while working at a gym. Having the switch in the "off" position was a welcome change. I've also noticed a remarkable cutback in libido since my crown and brow chakras started pulsing about a month ago.

 

Thanks for all the fish oil advice too, ladies.

[witch]

Just Googled and I could find nothing to substantiate your claim. I always take fish oil when I take arginine in the a.m. No problems here.

 

ralis

 

I should say don't take the massive amounts of fish oil I recommend and l-arginine. It's because they act similar, so it's like taking aspirin and a blood-thinner together. If you are taking low amounts of both it shouldn't be a problem.

[sasblamthanb]

[Encephalon]

[sasblamthanb]

[mantis]

Hi mantis,

 

thanks! I'll keep your request for a diet thread in mind.

 

As for grains: I advocate a diet of no gluten-containing grains and no corn. The rest of the complex carbs are wonderful in most cases for most people (of course the ideal diet is always individualized, but for now, just the general principles). Eat plenty, but don't eat them completely away from oils and fats.

The grains to avoid (and all products made of same) would be wheat, rye, barley, oats, corn, but you have to keep in mind that 99% of everything you can buy as a ready-made product is either wheat or corn, or both. You would have to give up on all pasta, bread, cereal, cookies, pastries, pies, muffins... are you up to the challenge? Eventually you would find replacements made of some of the OK carbs I'll list below, but it's going to be an adventure. Many of the replacements, even if you find them, are chock-full of other unwanted stuff (like xanthan gum and what not) and are a whole new world to venture into. You might have to explore an Asian market. Or just give all that stuff up and cook from scratch -- the way I do (with the exception of pasta, which is easy to find in its rice incarnation at any HFS, and in its tapioca, mung bean, but also mostly rice versions at an Asian market.)

 

So -- you do need carbs or you will be always fiending. Rice is wonderful and versatile, I would suggest you learn to cook many dishes with it, don't eat penitentiary bland bowlfuls of rice alone, it gets boring fast... Brown rice is usually touted, and it's really good, but many people are finding it hard to acquire a taste for it and really really enjoy it (food must be enjoyable or else it's not healthy). So -- white rice would be my first choice if you want a carb staple that is not much inferior (provided you have other sources of B vitamins in your diet and don't try to subside on white rice alone) yet much more versatile and easier and faster to prepare and all-around practical. Next, include buckwheat (it behaves like a grain but isn't, it's actually related to cabbage -- and the name doesn't mean it has "wheat" in it, it doesn't), quinoa, millet, rotate, experiment, find out what you like and what you don't. Remember these and buy them for your carbs, and you should see benefits... which benefits, you tell me after you've tried it, I've seen all kinds in many people!

 

OK, oils and fats will be the next entry sometime... please stay tuned.

 

I've been looking for quinoa for a long time in the grocery store - always to no avail, I'll have to order some online. How do you feel about fruit and dairy products? I know you said the milk here in the US is awful.

[Taomeow]

I've been looking for quinoa for a long time in the grocery store - always to no avail, I'll have to order some online. How do you feel about fruit and dairy products? I know you said the milk here in the US is awful.

Do you have a HFS nearby? they always have quinoa.

 

Fruit -- no problem for most people. With IBS or ulcers or colitis or any kind of stomach upset, it's better to use cooked fruit, not raw. With diabetes or weight issues, watch out for the sugar -- most fruits on the market had been selectively bred for high sugar content. The pop nutrition idea that it's bad with yeast infections is w/o merit though. Dried fruit is incompatible with MAOI. I eat only green apples (Granny Smith) because the rest of those currently available are too sweet for me. I always eat apples, and rotate the rest of the fruit.

 

Dairy -- mostly horrible, but not inherently horrible, if you have a cow or a goat who have never been injected with anything and milk them yourself, that's wonderful... but if you don't, even what they label "organic" or even "raw" at a HFS, on top of costing an arm and a leg doesn't behave like real milk (I know real milk -- if you don't refrigerate it, it sours, turning into an edible and delicious product, but if you don't refrigerate the store-bought kind, it rots!) Fermented organic dairy is somewhat better -- kefir or yogurt -- and goat and sheep products better than cow products (no offense, CowTao). Never go for fat-free or low-fat varieties (calcium in natural unmolested dairy is made bioavailable in the body in the presence of fat and fat-soluble vitamins A and D, without fat it behaves like a handful of sand sprinkled over your kidneys and clogs the body with calcium deposits everywhere, arteries to brain to joints. I don't think there's anything more conductive to chronic degenerative disease, with the exception of perhaps wheat selectively bred for high gluten content -- an immune system scrambler -- and of course chemicals.) Organic clarified butter (aka ghee) is wonderful. The offending parts (proteins) have been removed, which makes it fine to eat even for "lactose intolerant" individuals. It's an Ayurvedic staple, they think of it as the most beneficial food good for most people at most times. I use a combo of ghee and coconut oil for cooking (don't use olive oil for that, by the way, use it for salads but only heat saturated fats and oils -- a ghee-coconut combo is perfect, and the secret of world-famous French chefs too. )

[mantis]

I'm not sure of any HFS around here, but I just moved here a few months ago so I'll keep my eyes peeled. I lift a lot so I'm thinking some type of quinoa/chicken breast combo for breakfast, a nut + raisin combo for lunch (a sandwich bag with almonds and raisins, for example), salad a few hours later, and some rice/bean/chicken or fish for dinner with some whey protein added in later, how does that sound to you? I take a fish oil supplement with 500 dha/250 epa per capsule and I take saw palmetto as well (excess DHT on scalp = hair loss).

[Taomeow]

I'm not sure of any HFS around here, but I just moved here a few months ago so I'll keep my eyes peeled. I lift a lot so I'm thinking some type of quinoa/chicken breast combo for breakfast, a nut + raisin combo for lunch (a sandwich bag with almonds and raisins, for example), salad a few hours later, and some rice/bean/chicken or fish for dinner with some whey protein added in later, how does that sound to you? I take a fish oil supplement with 500 dha/250 epa per capsule and I take saw palmetto as well (excess DHT on scalp = hair loss).

Sounds pretty good. A few more suggestions:

 

don't choose chicken over red meat, the latter is another innocent victim of bad PR -- our ancestors only ate chicken when they ran out of bison, boar or mutton. If they're both organic, red meat is vastly superior to chicken or turkey; if both aren't, they are equally screwed... hard to tell which one is screwed worse;

 

rotate what you eat periodically, try to stay away from eating the same things over and over again; variety prevents deficiencies and a build-up of toxicities should a food item have something wrong with it due to the way it was produced or for whatever reason; also rotating foods keeps all your digestive enzymes activated nicely, while if you eat monotonously, many of them will shut down so you won't digest something occasionally new properly;

 

don't overlook root vegetables and squashes -- particularly if you lift weights -- and especially in winter -- these will give you endurance (they are "slow yin" and "rooting") and cardiovascular health (coenzyme Q10 in the yellow squashes, pumpkins and yam, blood-cleansing and blood-building goodies in beets, etc.);

 

and if you learn to cook some soups, consider yourself covered on all sides. Studies that don't know why but know their statistics have shown that people who eat soup regularly are overall healthier than people who don't, all other dietary factors being equal.