Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is a physician and one of the pioneers in muscle-centric medicine. She places huge importance on skeletal muscle in optimizing longevity, health, and metabolism. But what foods does she recommend you eat to optimize your physique, health and longevity?
Muscle-centric medicine is an approach Dr. Lyon developed that focuses on the role of muscle mass in overall health, aging, and disease prevention. She believes that building and maintaining skeletal muscle is not only important for fitness but essential for longevity, metabolic function, and disease prevention.
The Importance of Protein
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon places huge importance on protein intake. She says that: “Protein is really crucial and critical for health, wellness and longevity.”
The physician lifts heavy weights 3 times per week and takes part in explosive-style sprints once per week as part of her fitness regime. To aid muscle recovery and maintain muscle mass she has a relatively high protein intake for her body weight. She says: “I’m 5ft 1 and 108 pounds and I eat about 120 grams of protein a day.”
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon generally recommends consuming 1 gram of protein per pound of body weight per day. This calculation is echoed by many health and fitness experts, with the general consensus being that people who take part in regular exercise should aim to consume 0.8 to 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight each day. The American College of Sports Medicine (ACSM), for example, also recommend 0.8 – 1.2 grams of protein per pound of bodyweight as a daily guideline.
The physician recommends you eat 1g of protein per every pound of ideal bodyweight. This means if you are happy with your current body composition and weight you should eat 1g of protein per pound of your current bodyweight. If you are looking to lose bodyfat then you should eat 1g of protein per every pound of the target weight you want to get down to. If you wish to put on weight or muscle mass then do the same calculation for the bodyweight you hope to reach.
Red Meat
Dr. Lyon believes animal protein is the best source of protein for building and maintaining muscle mass. While she isn’t against plant-based proteins such as soy, she states that it's far more difficult to hit your daily protein targets through eating purely plant-based proteins. It would also see you consuming a much larger number of calories compared to eating lean meats and other animal protein sources, unless calculated to a high degree.
She also believes the nutrient-density of animal protein, specifically red meat, is superior to that of other protein sources. She states that: “I eat a lot of red meat. I’d say that’s my primary food intake. I think it’s a nutrient superfood.”
Dr. Lyon continues:
“A nice lean cut of steak is amazing. It has creatine, high levels of protein - high quality bioavailable protein, iron, zinc, selenium. That’s my number one food.”
For individuals who avoid meat for ethical reasons, she recommends legumes, soy, and pea protein, but cautions that more protein is needed from these sources to match the quality of animal proteins.
Fruit & Vegetables
While protein is crucial to a healthy diet, it’s equally as important to eat a balanced diet that provides a wealth of nutrients for the body. Dr. Lyon personally gets much of her carb sources from fruit. She says: “I also eat a lot of fruit. I hate vegetables, not because I’m against them, unless you can sneak them into my food then I’ll eat it!”
Fruits contain an array of nutrients and vitamins that assist bodily functions and regulate the immune system. While Dr. Lyon doesn’t consume many vegetables herself, she does highly recommend eating them.
Probiotics
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon believes that gut health and looking after your gut microbiome is extremely important. Foods classed as probiotics help to nurture the good bacteria that’s in your gut. The physician consumes probiotics such as kombucha and sauerkraut. She also feeds her children kefir, which is fermented milk.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s Nutrition Tips
The pioneer of muscle-centric medicine says her top tips for eating a healthy diet that builds and maintains muscle-mass, and optimizes health and longevity is as follows:
- Eat 30-50 gram of protein per meal
- Always select high-quality food sources. Buy fresh vegetables, fruits, meats, dairy and eggs. Avoid ultra-processed foods in bags or boxes
- Vegetable-based carb sources are a priority, with some starches thrown in around workouts or if they fit your macros
- Weigh your food. Do you have to do this forever? No, but you are training yourself to figure out exactly what you’re eating. Learn what portion size is appropriate for you. The more you visualize your eating, the better you’ll achieve your goal, and the quicker you can ditch the scale, so long as you remember what your plates typically look like
She concludes that you can deviate from the above four steps during holidays and birthdays, but ensure that this doesn’t derail your overall consistency. The physician also recommends that you should allow this to become a part of your lifestyle rather than a short-lived “diet”.
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon’s Approved Food List
Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, the pioneer of muscle-centric medicine, recommends eating the following foods to build and maintain muscle, improve your overall health and wellness, and to optimize your longevity:
- Red Meat
- Ground Meat
- Chicken
- Turkey
- Duck
- Quail
- Venison
- Lamb
- Elk
- Buffalo
- Ostrich
- Fish
- Seafood
- Shellfish
- Pork
- Liver
- Eggs
- Low-fat Greek Yogurt
- Avocado
- Berries
- Artichoke
- Broccoli
- Celery
- Leafy Greens
- Lettuce
- Brussel Sprouts
- Peppers
- Mushrooms
- Radish
- Tomatoes
- Cabbage
- Cauliflower
- Zucchini
- Onions
- Cucumbers
- Sweet Potatoes
- Hazelnuts
- Macadamia Nuts
- Olives
- Almonds
- Brazil Nuts
- Cashew Nuts
- Pecans
- Pistachios
- Cilantro
- Jalapenos
- Herbs
- Kombucha
- Kefir
- Sauerkraut
- Extra Virgin Olive Oil
- Clarified Butter/Ghee
- Coconut Oil
- Coconut Milk
- Almond Butter
- Cashew Butter
Find out more about Dr. Gabrielle Lyon here
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