Showing posts with label nutrition. Show all posts

Mamma Chia Giveaway!

Monday, May 5, 2014

Happy Monday Friends,

I hope you all had an amazing weekend! Ours was pretty laid back as both E and I were feeling a little under the weather. But never mind that, we are going to start this week off with a bang over her on the blog!

Two weeks ago the amazing people over at Mamma Chia sent me a jam packed box of goodies to try out. As soon as I saw it on my front porch, I immediately tore into it.



I received Janie Hoffman's (aka Mamma Chia) book Chia Vitality, 2 packages of Mamma Chia seeds, Wild Rasberry and Mango Coconut Chia Squeeze packets, and Mamma Chia drink vouchers. To say I was excited was an understatement. I am already a huge fan of chia seeds and try to eat them every day, especially while pregnant. Having so many new ways to eat chia seeds made me positively giddy.

I immediately dove into Janie's book with my morning cup of coffee. Throughout the book, she discusses all the benefits of chia seeds and how they even helped her overcome her auto immune disease. It is an extremely interesting read, especially if you enjoy slightly scientific nutrition type books.


I could do a couple of posts on all the wonderful things about chia seeds, but that might get a little boring. Let's break it down a little bit.



Benefits of Chia Seeds:
· Increased energy levels
· Improved Digestion
· A better complexion – Thank you antioxidants!
· Help increase muscle tone
· Boost mental sharpness
· Help you sleep better at night
· Great source of cholesterol –free proteins
· Contain over 9 essential amino acids
· 2 tbsp contains 10.3 grams of soluble and insoluble fiber!!
· Help prevent diverticulitis
· Help curb cravings by supplying your body with necessary vitamins and minerals.
The best thing about chia seeds is you can put them in just about anything for an added nutritional benefit. I mix them in my oatmeal, throw them in yogurt, toss them in my salad, and add them to homemade protein bites and baked goods. One of my favorite ways to use chia seeds is in my Chia Power Balls.

I have thoroughly enjoyed all of the Mamma Chia products I was fortunate enough to try. The Chia Squeeze packets are an absolutely amazing snack. I have loved eating them before my early  morning classes when I need a little something in my stomach to power me through but I don't want a full meal at 5:30 AM. They are also the perfect addition to any meal for a little extra nutrition!

The Mamma Chia drinks are delicious as well. If you are a little weirded out by seeds floating around in your drink, I promise you it's not as strange as you'd think. They are incredibly delicious, refreshing, and packed with 2500mg Omega-3's, 4g of protein, and 95mg of calcium.

Let's talk giveaway! It's time for one of you to get to try out some of Mamma Chia's products!

One lucky winner will receive:
  • Janie Hoffman's Chia Vitality book
  • Mamma Chia t-shirt
  • 7 Chia Squeeze Packets (varied flavors)
  • 7 Mamma Chia drink vouchers


giveaway, chia seeds
The giveaway will be open until Sunday, May 11th at midnight and the winner will be announced Monday, May 12th. This giveaway is open to U.S. residents only.

a Rafflecopter giveaway


These products were provide to me as a FitFluential Ambassador. All opinions are my own.

I hope you all have a wonderful week! Linking up with Katie for Marvelous In My Monday, because what's more marvelous on a Monday than a giveaway!


In health,

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Spotlight on Magnesium

Monday, July 16, 2012

Howdy!

How's your Tuesday treating you so far? How did you get your sweat on yesterday? I taught a booty barre class and a Zumba class. I also busted out 100 push ups throughout the day. I am bringing back the saying drop and gimme 15! :)

E had to work late today, so it was breakfast for dinner for me! I wanted to make an egg white veggie omelet, but it turned into an egg white veggie pile! It started out all good....


Then things got a little sticky! I tried to fold the omelet in half, and all h*** broke loose. :)


You can see the steam coming off of this veggie goodness! Even though it turned into a veggie egg white mess, it was still delicious! I rounded out my meal with a Van's Apple Cinnamon Gluten-Free waffle topped with PB2!



Today, I want to talk about magnesium. Hold up, before you click out ofthis page,  give me two seconds.Magnesium is an amazing mineral that does some really important things for ourbodies. A lot of times, when we think of vitamins and minerals our bodies needto function, we think of your typical Vitamins C, A, D, E & K, plus calcium, potassium,and iron. Show of electronic hands, who knows what magnesium is responsiblefor? Probably not very many hands, but not to worry, I didn’t either until Idid a little research.

Magnesium:
  • Helps to form tooth enamel, which helps prevent cavities!
  • Improves bone integrity and strength.
  • Helps convert carbohydrates, protein, and fats into the energy we needto tackle our crazy to-do list.
  • Helps to make protein and genetic material for your cells.
  • Helps regulate nerve signals, muscle contraction and relaxation, andthe rhythm of your heart beat (very important).
  • Helps to reduce homocysteine levels, which can lower your risk ofstroke, heart disease, cancer, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s disease, and many otherdegenerative diseases.
  • Helps strengthen your immune system.
  • Improves your sleep.
  • Helps you build bigger stronger muscles.
  • Improves your flexibility.
  • Alkalizes the body, and helps reduces lactic acid buildup.
  • Hydrates – Magnesium is a necessary electrolyte which is essential forproper hydration.
  • Helps keep everything regular (if you know what I mean).
  • Enzyme Function- Enzymes stimulate almost every chemical reaction inthe human body, and magnesium is required to make hundreds of these enzymeswork and assists with thousands of others.
  • Enhances insulin secretion, which facilitates sugar metabolism. Withoutthis miracle mineral, glucose is not able to transfer into cells. Glucose andinsulin can then build up in the blood, causing various types of tissue damage.

 Convinced yet? Hopefully so! Now, how can we make sure we are gettingenough magnesium in our diet? The recommended Daily Value (DV) of magnesium for adult men is 420mg,and 320mg for women.

source

Some excellent sources of magnesium include:

Pumpkin seeds – A ¼ cup serving provides 185mg, which is 46% of the DV.

Almonds- 156mg (2oz serving)

Cashews – 148mg (2oz serving)

Whole grain Barley – 158mg (1 cup)

Oat bran – 221mg (1 cup)

Whole wheat flour – 166 mg (1 cup)

Black beans – 120mg (1 cup)

Avocado, Florida – 104mg (1 med)

Broccoli, frozen – 37mg (1 cup)

Okra – 94mg (1 cup)

Seaweed, kelp – 121mg (3.5oz)

Seaweed, Spirulina – 195mg (3.5oz

Soybeans – 108mg (1 cup)

Spinach, canned – 163 mg (1 cup)

Swiss Chard – 150mg (1 cup)

Millet – 106mg (1 cup)

Quinoa – 178mg (1 cup)

Oatmeal – 112mg (1 cup)

Halibut, broiled – 91mg (3oz)

Oysters – 49mg (30z)

Thisis just a few of the foods that contain magnesium. For a more complete list,click here.

Sources:


How did you get your sweat on today?

What is your favorite breakfast for dinner meal?

In health,

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Who needs a new challenge?

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Howdy!

How are you today?? Fabulous, I hope! Can you believe that it is almost March? Two months of 2012 have alrady come and gone, and the weather will be warming up soon! I had a great response to the Fab Ab February Challenge, so I was thinking about creating a March Madness challenge of my own.


So my question for you is, what body part should March Madness focus on?? We could do upper body, lower body, or may a trouble spots challenge..... Oh the possibilities! Since shorts and bikini season is right around the corner, what area would you pick for the March Madness challenge to focus on??? Give me a shout, and I'll start putting together our next fabulous challenge!

Monday was a nice sweaty day as always. I kicked things off bright and early with a 6:00am cardio barre class, followed by a reformer class at 9:30am. At noon, I taught Piloxing followed by about an hour of Booty Barre choreography practice! I love getting to do so many different types of workouts in one day! It's one of the best parts of my job! How did you get your sweat on yesterday?

E wanted fajitas for dinner last night, but when I went to pull out my corn tortillas, I realized they were expired. What do you do when you made fajitas but don't have tortillas...... you make a kitchen sink fajita salad of course.



I had some left over quinoa and corn from another meal so threw it on top of some lettuce with yummy black beans and grilled fajita chicken. It was quite delicious! I did not miss the tortilla one bit. :) Whenever I have 2 salads in one day, I definitely think it's safe to say I am on a salad kick. Lunch looked a bit like this.


Romaine, mushrooms, carrotts, green peas, chickpeas, and quinoa topped with a little light balsamic vinaigrette. It's the perfect filling and refreshing lunch. :)

I hope you all have a terrific Tuesday!!

What body part would you like the March challenge to focus on?

What's in your lunch box today?

In health,


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Pump up you breakfast!

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

Howdy!

How are you all today? I'm enjoying a leisurely cup of coffee as I write this post. Since I'm working a bit this weekend, I have the luxury of going in a little bit later today! :) What a nice treat for hump day.

So today, I want to talk about my all time favorite meal of the day - breakfast! By now, we all know how important it is to eat a healthy breakfast to fire up your metabolism first thing in the morning and help prevent over eating later in the day. Although eating breakfast is a good start, making protein an integral part of your breakfast can take you nutrition to a new level. Protein is a building block for the trillions of cells in your body. It is necessary for healthy skin, nails, muscles, cartilage, and blood. Protein also helps to build and repair bodily tissues (especially after you tear them down working out), and it is even used to produce hormones and enzymes. Including breakfast in your morning meal will help you feel more energized throughout the day, more satisfied, and can even lead to healthier eating habits and possibly weight loss. A happy full tummy is a healthy tummy right?

If you’ve been reading my blog long, you know I am a HUGE oatmeal/hot cereal fan. My typical breakfast would include oatmeal, blueberries, 1 packet of stevia, and 1 tbsp nut butter and look a little something like this.
 

Although this breakfast was perfectly healthy, I always felt hungry a few hours later and was normally longing for my mid-morning snack way before mid-morning. Not good! Sure I was getting some protein from the oats and nut butter, but was it enough? I decided to switch things up, and see if I felt any different. I swapped my oatmeal for 1 egg + 2 egg whites, and a gluten free buckwheat waffle topped with blueberries (each breakfast had around the same number of calories). The eggs are full of protein to keep me satisfied longer and the waffle and blueberries provide me with healthy carbs for some quick energy in the morning. This breakfast is definitely delicious, but would it keep my full for longer than my oats? After a few days of eating my new breakfast (yes, I’m a creature of habit), I started to notice that I was no longer hungry by 9:30am (I eat breakfast pretty early), and some days I would not even think about my tummy or my snack until 11:30 or so right before I went to teach my noon class. This is a pretty big change if you ask me!



You don’t just have to take my word for it. The University of Missouri did a research study and found that eating a healthy breakfast; especially one high in protein, increases satiety and reduces hunger throughout the day. Utilizing functional magnetic imaging (fMRI) the Missouri researchers discovered that eating a protein-rich breakfast reduces the brain signals controlling food motivation and reward-driven eating behavior.

Check out the breakdown of the experiment: “For three weeks, the teens either continued to skip breakfast or consumed 500-calorie breakfast meals containing cereal and milk (which contained normal quantities of protein) or higher protein meals prepared as Belgium waffles, syrup and yogurt. At the end of each week, the volunteers completed appetite and satiety questionnaires. Right before lunch, the volunteers completed a brain scan, using fMRI, to identify brain activation responses.

Compared to breakfast skipping, both breakfast meals led to increased fullness and reductions in hunger throughout morning. fMRI results showed that brain activation in regions controlling food motivation and reward was reduced prior to lunch time when breakfast was consumed in the morning. Additionally, the higher protein breakfast led to even greater changes in appetite, satiety and reward-driven eating behavior compared to the normal protein breakfast.”

So what do you think? Do you already include a good bit of protein in your breakfast? Although I still LOVE my oats, I'm loving how full I feel after eating eggs for breakfast.

Alrighty, I'm off to work. I hope you all have a fantastic Wednesday!

In health,



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What Pinterest has taught me about healthy eating!

Tuesday, January 17, 2012

Hello Everyone,

How are you today? Thank you all so much for your well wishes! I'm sad to report that my toe is still pretty large and purple, but I think it's doing a little better than yesterday. You never realize how important your toes are, or how many nerve ending are in your toes until you injure one. I feel like I am going to be very overprotective of my little piggies from now on!

I know many of you love Pinterest as much as I do, but I am still always amazed at what fun health and fitness related pictures, tips, and recipes I find on there all the time. I thought I would share a few of my favorite health and nutrition tips that I've learned from Pinterest lately!

source
Did you know that about raspberries? I totally bought raspberries at the store two weeks in a row after reading this!

source
I love swapping Greek yogurt for less desireable alternatives, so this chart is super helpful!

source

Peanut butter cupcakes? Yes, please! Why didn't I think of combining cool whip and peanut butter? Now we all know!! :)

source

Cucumber + Lemon + Ginger + Mint = a delicious sassy beverage with no artificial sweeteners, and almost zero calories. This is so refreshing and easy to make. I usually make a big pitcher and leave it in the fridge!

source

Did you know some foods helped out their friends so much? You learn something new every day, and when I'm on Pinterest, I feel like I learn something new every 10 minutes!

Although I love Pinterest, I have to be careful not to get sucked in, or 3 hours will fly by and I won't know what happened. :) Anyone else have this problem?

What is the coolest fact or piece of advice you have learned while browsing Pinterest?

In health,

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Pasta swap to end all pasta swaps

Wednesday, August 24, 2011

Hello There!!

How's your Wednesday going so far? How are you going to get your sweat on today? Yesterday, I taught a super fun kickboxing class and then climbed some mega hills in cycle!! It's was a big sweaty party! My patella tendon was acting up on Monday, so I decided to take a day off from running.

I have to share a secret with you. I have a new love.....


Kim's Magic Pop with cinnamon. They are light and fluffy with a rice cake like consistency. There is just a little hint of cinnamon that adds an extra special touch. They taste great with a little bit of cream cheese or almond butter, but their delicious by themselves for a low calorie night time snack.


Check out those nutrition facts. Only 20 calories, 0g of fat, and 4g of carbohydrates. They won't win any awards in the vitamin or fiber department but sometimes you just need a little something sweet to hold you over and these are perfect!

Dinner last night was somewhat of an experiment. I was watching the hungry girl cooking tv show on Sunday morning and she was making a pasta dish using broccoli slaw. I already love adding veggies to my pasta so I thought I would give it a try! Broccoli slaw is pretty much just shredded brocolli, carrots, and cabbage. There's no sauce on it when you buy it fresh. I grabbed some at the store on Sunday.


If you want to talk about rock star nutrition facts it's pretty hard to top these!! There is only 100 calories in this entire bag, 0g of fat, 5g of carbs, 3g of fiber, 2g of protein, plus 110% of your vitamin C, and 35% of your vitamin A! Pretty dang impressive!


I poured the entire bag in a skillet and added 1/4 a cup of water. Simply stir until the veggies become soft; about 8 minutes.


It cooked down a little bit but there was still a ton. I only ate half the bag and saved the rest for later. Top with a little marinara sauce and you have one delicious veggie and vitamin packed meal! It didn't taste exactly like regular pasta, but it will cure even your strongest pasta craving.


I made a side salad to go with my "pasta;" however, after I did that, I realized if it is possible to OD on veggies I definitely accomplished that!


Sorry for the yucky looking picture, my camera doesn't take great pictures when there is no natural light! If anyone ever says you can't get full on veggies, feed them this meal and they will sing a different tune.

If you try it, let me know! I'm off now. I hope you have a wonderful Wednesday!

Q's and A's:
Have you ever subbed broccoli slaw for noodles in pasta?

In health,






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Chocolate Protein Energizer

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Hola Bonita!

How are you today? How was your Monday? Mine was  just ehhh, you know?

It started out with a little twist on my usual breakfast. Kroger was fresh out of frozen blueberries on Sunday, so I opted for raspberries instead. I knew raspberries were pretty delicate, but I wasn't expecting for them to completely dissolve in my oatmeal, which they did. At first, I was a little disappointed but it actually gave the oatmeal a really great texture and tasted delicious!


Raspberry surprise oatmeal:
- 1/3 cup whole oats
- 1 tbsp chia seeds
- 1 packet NuNaturals stevia
- 1/2 cup frozen rasberries
- 1/8 cup peanut flour
- 1 1/4 cup water

For some reason I was dead tired most of the morning yesterday until I taught by kickboxing and barre class at noon. I had a fun and packed house which always gives me energy! Before I taught, I needed a little extra boost of energy and calories so I reached for a protein shake.


No your eyes are not fooling you, it is a tad green. I stopped by Whole Foods on Friday in search of a new plant-based protein powder. I have been drinking soy protein for quite some time now; however, after listening to Brandon's lessons on Thrive in 30, I learned so much soy protein might be causing my body even more stress! Never good! I set off down the supplement aisle in search of a plant-based, low sugar, high quality, yet reasonably priced protein powder. After much label comparing, I settled on this guy. The fact that it said energizer on the front may have swayed me slightly. At least they know their marketing techniques work!


This protein powder had some pretty impressive stats, was reasonably priced and looked interesting, so I went with it.


This is not just a protein powder it also contains energizing herbs such as gensing, and a variety of plant-source enzymes to promote daily digestive health, is high in fiber, and contains 500mg of organic spirulina in every serving.

According to the University of Maryland, “Spirulina is a type of blue-green algae that is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, and carotenoids (a type of antioxidant that can help protect cells from damage). It contains nutrients, including B complex vitamins, beta-carotene, vitamin E, manganese, zinc, copper, iron, selenium, and gamma linolenic acid (an essential fatty acid).”


 
Research shows that supirulina may:
  • Boost the immune system
  • Help protect against allergic reactions
  • Have antiviral properties
  • Help protect against cancer
As far as taste goes, it definitely didn't taste like your average chocolate protein shake. I don't know how to explain it exactly, but you could taste the vegetables and herbs in it some how. It didn't taste bad by any means, but it was not a sugar laden sweet as dessert chocolate shake either. I'm guessing it is one of those things you just have to get used to. I definitely enjoyed it and am looking forward to having it again tomorrow morning before my cycle class! I mixed mine with unsweetened vanilla almond milk and it was a great consistency. I love knowing that I am putting something so healthy and energizing into my body!

Q's and A's:
What is your favorite brand of protein powder?
Have you ever taken spirulina? Thoughts?

In health,


 

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What's the deal with MSG?

Friday, March 11, 2011

Happy Friday!

TGIF! I am one tired pup! [source]

How are you this wonderful Friday? Do you have anything exciting planned for this weekend? This weekend is shaping up to be quite eventful for me! I am celebrating one of my closest friend's birthday this evening. Eric's brother and his wife are coming in to stay with us Saturday night. Then on Sunday, I'm having lunch with another friend whom I haven't seen in so long. Talk about a fun filled weekend! I am so excited to see everyone! :)

Last week, Meredith asked if I could do a post about the mysterious MSG. We all probably know that we should avoid it, but why? What is it, and why is it so bad for us?

monosodium glutamate in crystal form [source]

What is MSG?

MSG stands for monosodium glutamate and is a sodium salt of glutamic acid, a naturally occurring non-essential amino acid. MSG is often used as a flavor enhancer in Chinese food, canned vegetables, soups and processed meats.  Modern commercial MSG is produced by fermentation of starch, sugar beets, sugar cane, or molasses.

[source]

Why is MSG bad for us?

Although the FDA has labeled MSG as a food ingredient that is "generally recognized as safe" (geeze that's comforting), the use of MSG remains controversial. Many people have reported experiencing the "MSG Symptoms Complex" after eating foods that contain MSG. It was originally called the "Chinese Restaurant Syndrome" when Robert Ho Man Kwok reported symptoms of patients who consumed American-Chinese cuisine. These symptoms include headaches, flushing, sweating, facial pressure or tightness, numbness, tingling or burning in the face, neck and other areas, heart palpitations, chest pain, nausea, and weakness. Researchers have not statistically proven a link between MSG and these symptoms; however, they have discovered that a small percentage of people may have short term reactions to MSG. Symptoms are usually mild and do not require treatment. The only way to prevent these potential symptoms is to avoid food containing MSG. What are those you ask? Let's look at some examples.

Food additives that contain MSG:

Even if MSG is not on the label of your favorite packaged food, it doesn't mean you are in the clear. MSG is often disguised as other ingredients such as monosodium glutamate, hydrolyzed vegetable protein, hydrolyzed protein, hydrolyzed plant protein, plant protein extract, sodium caseinate, calcium caseinate, yeast extract, textured protein, autolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed oat flour, and corn oil.

[source]

Common foods that contain MSG:
  • Some broths
  • Prepared stocks, stock cubes, or bouillon   
  • Some Chinese food; however, many of them now omit this ingredient from their dishes. You will usually see a sign on the window or it posted in their menu if they do not cook with MSG. If you don't see it, simply ask.
  • Condiments such as BBQ sauce
  • Some salad dressings
  • Some canned, frozen, or dried prepared food
  • Common snack foods such as flavored jerky, flavored potato chips, or flavored tortilla chips
  • Seasoning mixes
The only way to know for sure if a food contains MSG is to check the label and make sure it doesn't contain any MSG hiding under another name. Like I said earlier, there is not a lot of research that proves MSG is terrible for you, however anything that has the potential to cause chest pain, fatigue, and headaches amongst other things is not something I particularly want to mess with. If you are reading an ingredient list on a food package and can't tell if it contains MSG because you can't pronounce half of the ingredients, that product probably isn't the healthiest for you anyway. As long as you are eating mostly whole, unprocessed foods and ask at your local Chinese restaurant to make sure they aren't using MSG, you are probably good to go! I am definitely no MSG expert, so if you have something to add or more questions I would love to hear them!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Q's and A's:
Do you generally worry about MSG and try to avoid it?
Have you found it anywhere you weren't expecting?
What are your plans for the weekend?

In health,


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Don't Forget To Refuel!

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

Howdy!

How are you today? Hopefully amazing!

Yesterday was one of those crazy days at the office where I literally did not even sit down long enough at my desk to log into my e-mail until 4:00pm! I seriously feel like I pulled up to the gym, and then all of the sudden I was back in my car at 8:30pm breathing heavily from running around! The time sure does fly when you are busy!

Luckily, I got in a 5.5 mile workout in the morning, and then attended a yoga class (to film the instructor) in the afternoon. I will never complain about working out being a built in job requirement.

Yesterday, we talked all about what to eat before you workout so today we are going to discuss what to put in your pie hole after you workout! :)


source

The first thing we need to talk about is how soon after your workout you should eat. Ideally, you should eat within 30-60 minutes of completing your workout. Directly after your workout, your muscles are in the perfect state to absorb nutrients directly into the muscle instead of storing them as fat. This is the time where depleted glycogen can most easily be restored. Waiting too long to eat post workout can actually starve your muscles and make your workout less effective.

After a workout, especially a lengthy or intense one, your body needs both protein and carbohydrates to properly repair itself. Protein provides amino acids which are the building blocks of muscles, hormones, neurotransmitters, bones, and many other things. Carbohydrates are needed to replace all of the glycogen your body just used up to power you through your workout. This combination of protein and carbs has also been shown to reduce cortisol which is a hormone that can break down muscle.

Post workout, your body is practically begging you to feed it, which makes it the perfect time to eat a full meal. I always try to get in my runs in the morning so I can use a hearty breakfast to feed and reward my body after a hard workout! The ratio of carbs to protein post workout is still under debate and varies based on what your goals are and the type of workout you just completed (ex: a 10 mile run vs. an hour long strength training workout). A lot of people feel like they have to buy expensive protein powders to properly refuel after a workout. This is simply not the case. According to Nancy Clark, who is a member of the American Dietetics Association, "commercial sports foods can offer convenience — but they are not better than chocolate milk, yogurt, fruit smoothies (made with fruit and yogurt) or any other carb-protein combination."


Post Workout Food Ideas:
  • A bowl of Oatmeal topped with nut butter or a scoop of protein powder
  • A protein (whey, soy, vega etc) shake made with water or the milk product of your choice - Be sure to watch the sugar and calories in these, they can get outrageous pretty quickly.
  • Scrambled eggs with a piece of whole wheat toast
  • Protein Bar - I love Think Thin, Luna, and Larabars
  • Greek Yogurt with granola
  • Tuna and whole wheat crackers
  • Grilled chicken and brown rice
  • Chicken and vegetable stir fry
  • Peanut butter and jelly sandwich on whole wheat bread
My post workout fuel - scrambled egg whites and an orange

The options are really endless! Post workout fueling is really important after intense or long workouts; however, if you hop on an elliptical for 30 minutes or take a yoga class, you don't have to rush to the nearest smoothie shop to grab a protein shake. Although it's important to refuel your muscles, you also don't want to undo all of your hard work by eating all of the calories you just burned. If you make sure your post workout snack is equivalent to the workout you just completed, you will be good to go!

Q's and A's:
What is your post workout snack or meal of choice?
Do you carefully monitor your carb to protein ratio in pre and post workout snacks or do you just eat what feels right?

In health,

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How To Power Your Workout!

Monday, March 7, 2011

Happy Monday Everyone!

I hope you had a fabulous weekend! E and I headed home to College Station for a wedding and a wedding shower. We had so much fun catching up with old friends and celebrating such an exciting time in four of our friends lives! :)

I did manage to squeeze in a 4 mile run on Sunday morning including a few sprint segments. There was actually a 1/2 marathon going on in College Station, so I had to be sure to stay out of the runners way. I saw a few of them from a far.

Today's topic is a reader request. My friend and reader Carolyn asked about pre and post workout fueling, and if all of the chemically engineered stuff you see on TV and in the vitamin stores is really necessary to get the most out of your workout. Do you really have to take 8 scoops (slight exaggeration) of some crazy powdered stuff called jack3d to get jacked?

[source]

If you are training for an elite fitness competition then maybe you need this stuff, but for the every day athlete you can get in all of your pre and post workout fueling effectively using real food. Don't get me wrong, I consume protein powder on a regular basis, but chemically engineered madness is not required to see results from your workouts. I try to eat whole food whenever possible.

When I started doing research for this post, I decided there was way too much information to include it all in one post. I decided it would be easier to digest (no pun intended) if I divided it up into pre-workout fueling and post-workout fueling.

There are many factors that play into what you eat before a workout including, when you workout, what type of workout your doing, when your last meal was, and how your stomach handles certain foods. Fueling is definitely something that varies person to person. Something that works for your best friend might now work for you at all. It is important to try different things until you find out what works for you. I will try and provide you some general tips to give you a good starting place!

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The first thing to take into consideration is when you are working out. If you workout first thing in the morning you need to eat something that is light and easy to digest. On the other hand, if you workout in the afternoon and have a few hours to allow your food to digest, you have a little bit more wiggle room on what you eat. The closer you get to your workout, the more you want to focus on carbohydrates and less on protein and fat. Carbohydrates are broken down in the small intestine, whereas fat and protein are broken down in your stomach which can lead to indigestion and cramping.

A good rule of thumb is to keep a 3:1 ratio of carbohydrates to protein and include a small amount of healthy fat in your pre-workout meal/snack. The actual amount of food you consume will vary based on how intense your workout will be and when you are working out. If you are going for a light run in the morning, you might simply need a banana with a small dab of peanut butter to get you going. However, if you are doing a very intense interval workout in the afternoon, you will need a substantial lunch to power you through your workout. It's also ok to skip your pre-workout meal if you are doing a less intense workout first thing in the morning. If you ate a substantial dinner the night before, you will have enough glycogen stored up in your muscles to get you through a workout, especially if it's 60 minutes or less. Unless my stomach is grumbling when I wake up, I hardly ever eat before my morning run.

If you are doing a longer workout, be sure to include quick-digesting, high-glycemic carbs for energy now, and slower-digesting, low-glycemic carbs for sustained energy. It is also important to keep your fluid needs in mind. You want to be sure to drink plenty of water before your workouts and consider including a sports drink to replenish electrolytes if you know you will be sweating a lot.

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So what about caffeine before workouts? Caffeine has shown to significantly improve athletic performance when consumed before a workout.. Many people will drink a cup of coffee or green tea before their workouts, however I would not recommend downing an energy drink and then heading out for long run. This will not only upset your stomach, but too much caffeine can actually lead to increased adrenal fatigue and slower recovery times.

So with all that being said, what the heck should you eat before you workout? :)


Here are some of my favorite pre-workout snacks:
  • Banana with a tiny bit of peanut or almond butter
  • A small apple with a few almonds or almond butter
  • Small bowl of mixed berries with low-fat string cheese
  • A fresh slice of turkey and a cup of grapes
  • 1 slice of whole wheat or sprouted grain bread with a smear of nut butter
  • Low-fat yogurt (watch the sugar) and granola
  • Fruit smoothie with a scoop of protein powder of your choice
  • Homemade power snacks such as Chia Power Balls, or Raw Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
  • If whole foods are not an option, try to pick an energy bar with between 25-35 grams of carbs and 7-10 grams of protein. Also, try to watch the sugar, you want to keep this as low as possible.
To re-cap, you want easily digestible carbs, a little bit of protein, and not too much fiber or fat. Remember, it might taking a little trial and error to find your perfect pre-workout snack! Don't forget to drink plenty of water before, during and after your workout. This is just as important, if not more important than your food choices.

Q's and A's:
How was your weekend?
What is your favorite pre-workout snack?

In health,

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