Issue Date: January 18, 2009
Mussels for your muscles
Maintaining lean muscle is critical to keeping your metabolism charged and your body in fat-burning mode. One of the best ways to ensure that your body maintains enough lean muscle is to make sure your diet has plenty of the No. 1 muscle-building material: protein. One source of protein that's often overlooked is one of the simplest and best-tasting: mussels.
When cooked, the shellfish provides 20 grams of protein per 3 ounces (about seven mussels). Not only are they lean protein, they also deliver selenium, an antioxidant containing cancer-fighting properties, and vitamin B-12, which is essential for cellular metabolism.
Martha Stewart, who wrote "Martha Stewart's Cooking School: Lessons and Recipes for the Home Cook," praises mussels as the perfect foundation for a simple, quick and healthful meal. In her book, Stewart -- who keeps on top of her own wellness by doing yoga and Pilates and drinking fresh vegetable juices -- pairs mussels with the aromatic spice saffron, which is another antioxidant that improves immune health and general mood.
Go to jorgecruise.com, Cruise's new video blog, to watch a video of Martha Stewart teaching him how to cook mussels. Plus, get a free copy of his "belly fat cure" report.
Want to know more about how to build muscle? Click here.
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