Welcome to 1-3-1 Fridays, my weekly newsletter, where I reveal evidence-based strategies to get lean, strong, and create optimal health.

You'll receive one personal health insight, three actionable tips, and one concrete action step. Let's dive in.

What's in store for today:

• A secret high-protein vegan food source that 97% of veg folks aren't using (and you can amp up your protein easily with it).
• The lazy person's easy road to fat loss (without lifting one weight or tracking an extra calorie).
• This is the one fitness book I reference for fat loss and muscle-building strategies and tactics (and faster results).

I recently got in a ​Facebook discussion​ about plant-based protein.

In this post, I explained how your protein knowledge grows as you discover better protein sources.

Many vegetarians and the general public still don’t know how to get enough plant proteins. This is important for reaching goals, especially when losing fat or building muscle.

The big confusion here is beans.

Beans are mainly carbohydrates.

Yet, you could also break them down into two main groups:

• High-protein beans (primary protein)
• Carbohydrate beans (with secondary protein)

All beans have a certain amount of protein.

Yet, not all beans are high in protein.

Before I go further, let me add this important point:

You don't need to eat high-protein foods for general health or well-being.

If you're aiming to lose fat but want to keep your muscle, you need these two ingredients for this fitness recipe:

• Eat enough protein, about 0.8 to 1.0 grams for each kilogram of body weight. Aim a bit higher during fat-loss phases to keep your muscles strong.
• Lift weights 3-4x a week (this is the exercise signal that tells your body to keep your muscle). Lift within 70-90% of your max intensity (aka go for invigoration, not annihilation).

Not everyone needs to eat high-protein.

Our clients are typically 35 and older, often around 40 to 60. They lose muscle mass each year, about 1-2%. Many also carry extra weight and seek confidence in their bodies. They would benefit from the approach I described earlier.

Back to beans.

There are two groups, as I mentioned above.

Primary and secondary proteins confuse most people.

Primary proteins include:

• Soybeans
• Lupini beans

Secondary proteins include:

• Black beans
• Chickpeas
• Kidney beans
• Nearly every other bean

A simple way to know if you're eating a primary or secondary protein is to look at the amino acids. Primary proteins have all the essential ones, while secondary proteins, like beans, may not.

Look at the nutrient label on the back of food.

If the carbs are higher than the protein, then it's a carb.

If the fats are more than the protein, it’s a fat. So, peanut butter, nuts, and seeds are fats, not proteins. They do have some protein, though.

If the protein is higher than the carbs and fats, it's a primary protein.

The WFPB community is one of the best things to happen to nutrition.

It needs a bit of fitness context for those who want to be lean and strong for life.

Hope this helps. :)

Lesson: Wisdom comes from applied experience. The more you try something, the more experience you get. When you reflect and integrate this insight, you become wiser.

Here's Your 1-3-1 Friday:

1.) A secret, soy-free, high-protein source

I love tofu. And tempeh. And just about every soy food option.

Yet, soy isn't the only high-protein vegan food option.

There's a secret soy-free, high-protein source that 97% of veg folks aren't using.

It's called the lupini bean.

Lupini beans nutrient profile:

As you can see, one cup of lupini beans provides nearly 26 grams of protein.

That's a high-protein vegan food.

What I also like about lupini beans is their low fat content.

Some vegan protein options, like those with soy, contain a lot of fat. This can make it harder to cut calories, especially during fat-loss phases.

Lupini beans solve this problem.

It has a good amount of carbs, but it's mainly protein. It deserves a spot on your pantry shelf.

Here are a few recipes you can make with lupini beans:

• Vegan taco salad with lupini beans
• Italian lupini bean salad
• Vegan chili with lupini beans
• Spicy lupini bean fritters

Ideas sourced from Green Matters ​​site here.​​ 

Lupini beans must be soaked overnight. Then, wash them well for a few days.

I suggest bulk prepping them to avoid getting only a few servings per batch.

Enjoy your plant-fueled gains!

2.) The lazy person's fat-loss method

If I could only do one fat-loss exercise for the rest of my life...

It would be walking.

Hands down, walking is the most effective way to lose body fat and keep it off for life.

It's also one of the most underutilized fat-loss tools.

But the benefits are profound:

• Health Benefits: Walking lowers the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. It can also boost overall health and improve your quality of life.
• Boost maintenance calories: As you move, your maintenance calories will grow. Provided you're eating below your maintenance calories, fat loss becomes inevitable.
• Metabolic engine: The more you move, the higher and faster your metabolism becomes. Your body will be more primed for using stored body fat rather than storing more.
• Fat Loss: Walking helps reduce visceral fat, lose body fat, and shrink the waist.

Walking is the best exercise for fat loss.

For the time investment vs. benefits received, it's miles ahead of any exercise in the gym.

As a trainer and coach, I'm biased toward strength training and getting stronger.

However, I also recognize that a fitness professional knows that not every tool fits the project.

You need tools like weights, cardio, and walking to lose fat. Most importantly, you must maintain a caloric deficit. But sometimes, it also requires looking at the whole person.

There will be days when you feel lazy.

When you don't feel like going to the gym.

When you won't go work out.

Those are the days you can rely on walks.

You can go for a walk every day.

Start there if you don't know how many steps you average.

The average desk worker gets 2,000-4,000 steps per day (based on our client data).

Adding 2,000 steps can reap significant results when compounded over time.

The main theme is consistency.

Take walks to enjoy the benefits of exercise. You can appreciate the views or spend time with family and friends.

It's one of my favorite times each day.

3.) One fitness book I reference

One of the best books I reference for body composition notes is the Renaissance Diet 2.0.

Most diet books are pseudo-science and full of b.s.

RD 2.0 is different.

First off, it's not a 'diet.'

It's a whole-body approach to nutrition.

Every principle is rooted in evidence-based practice and proven science.

Science has become an interesting word these days.

Everyone references science like a religion (which it's become).

But the whole premise of science is testing, experimentation, and personal verification.

It's not dogmatic truths that we rely on others to tell us (that's a religion).

Instead, it's an evidence-based approach of testing and verifying things for ourselves.

Back to RD 2.0. Almost every principle I've shared in the HPV letters relates to this book.

• The 4:1 ratio of reverse dieting.
• When to drop calories and how.
• How to drop body fat and build muscle.
• And more...

It's a book I'll continue to reference for years.

Fortunately, you don't need to read it for yourself (unless you want to).

You can check the ​2-year newsletter bank here.​ The search bar allows you to search for any topic related to fat loss, muscle building, or fitness.

I've covered each topic in detail, along with a simple action plan for each. You can start working on it and see results in your body this week.

One final thought on the RD 2.0 book.

If you're aiming for weight loss, here's a different way to think about your fitness:

• Aim for fat loss
• Keep your new bodyweight
• Learn how to build muscle and strength
• Keep your results for life

You don't need to complicate fitness.

It's simple when you break down what you want.

Go after it.

1 Action Step

It's a new quarter, next week. What's your 90-day sprint goal going into summer? Clarify this and start working on it this weekend.

Client of the Week

Is it possible to get lean and strong even as a busy vegan?

Jennifer did.

She’s a busy student, working full-time and becoming a veterinarian.

Her schedule is typically maxed out every week.

Yet, she was keen to prioritize her health and drop the stubborn weight that had crept up.

She felt unhappy with her body and looks. Still, she wanted to be a positive role model for her family, especially after going vegan.

Her packed schedule was a challenging obstacle. However, she remained committed to her health and the changes she wanted to see.

One of the biggest shifts for Jennifer was learning how to release her perfectionism.

Getting consistent workouts in wasn't an issue.

It was learning how to be 'okay' with missing a random workout or not performing her best.

It's interesting how much of our mind is intertwined with our body.

They both hand in hand.

It's similar to training and nutrition.

They aren't two separate entities but rather two deeply connected areas.

So we got to work.

Our strategy: We started initially with 4 days of lifting and tracking her nutrition 5 days a week. In moderate deficit, we also started to work on her self-language and how she spoke to herself.

She was an overachiever and a perfectionist. Often, she was her own harshest critic, even when she improved.

We later added silent meditation. This improved her sleep and helped her release stress positively.

Our wins: She has lost 21 lbs of body fat, is at her leanest body fat percentage, and feels stronger than ever. She also set personal records, like a leg press of over 680 lbs.

While working overtime, she took care of her family during tough times. She also learned to love herself and let go of her perfectionism.

She’s a testimony to what it means to be coachable and have an open mind, even when facing difficult times.

Looking forward to seeing what she creates in 2025.

 Apply here to get lean​, strong, and healthy using plants. Deadline to apply each month is the 20th. Create your best health and body using a fitness system that's handcrafted for you.

One Quote To Finish Your Week Strong

My brother, wife, and our niece just got here.

I asked him what he wanted to do this weekend.

He said, 'Vegan food and walks. '

Guess that's what we're doing this weekend.

Until next week,

Whenever you're ready, there's 3 ways I can help you:

1. Connect with me on ​Facebook ​and ​Instagram ​and let's be friends.
2.  ​Join our free Facebook Group​. Get free trainings on how to get lean and strong with plants.
3. Want to drop body fat and build lean muscle in a fraction of the time with ease? ​Apply for Accelerator 1:1 coaching.​  

References

• https://www.greenmatters.com/food/lupini-beans-recipes