Training For Life

A surprising new approach to losing weight and keeping it off!

 

FALLACY #1

A calorie is a calorie
This might be the biggest weight-loss misunderstanding in existence. For years we’ve been told that weight loss is a simple calories-in, calories-out equation, and 3,500 excess calories will put on a pound whether they come from soybeans or banana cream pie. That’s simply not true.

“There are three key types of calories: carbohydrate, protein and fat,” says sports nutritionist Cynthia Sass, MPH, RD, CSSD, creator and coauthor of the Flat Belly Diet (published by Rodale, Bicycling’s parent company). “They’re as different as gasoline, motor oil and brake fluid in terms of the roles they play in keeping your body operating optimally.” Sass says that many of her clients might eat the perfect number of calories, but they have cut their fat intake too much. So the jobs that fat does, such as repairing cell membranes and optimizing hormones, go undone, and the surplus carbs are stored as fat. By correcting her clients’ balance of carbs, protein and fat without changing their calorie intake, she says, she has helped them lose weight, improve their immune systems, gain muscle and boost energy.

The Get-Lean Fix
Eat a representative of each macronutrient group at every meal. Sass recommends getting 50 to 55 percent of your calories from carbs (fill half your plate with vegetables, fruits and some whole grains), 25 to 30 percent from fats (olive oil, avocado and so on), and 15 to 20 percent from protein (lean meats, fish, eggs and poultry). “Just be sure to skew your preworkout meals or snacks to be heavier in carbs and lower in fat and protein to fuel up properly and avoid cramps,” says Sass.

Fallacy #2

Starches are sensible fuel
At some point, starch became synonymous with carbohydrate. While pasta and bagels are carbohydrates, and you do need carbs for fuel, they’re often not the best sources, especially if you’re trying to keep weight off. Starchy carbs are easy to overeat, and any surplus goes to your fat stores. “Your brain operates on sugar, and when you eat bagels or potatoes, your body turns them into sugar and delivers them to your cells quickly, which makes your brain happy and leaves you wanting more,” says Friel. So in this case, you shouldn’t listen to your body.

Fruits and vegetables, by contrast, are rich in carbs but often lower in calories and also digest more slowly. You’re less likely to plow through so many berries and carrots that you end up with more fuel than you need. As a bonus, plant foods are loaded with vitamins, minerals and immunity-boosting phytonutrients that make you healthier and stronger, so you can ride better and burn more calories.

The Get-Lean Fix
Choose carbs wisely. Eat starchy, quick-digesting carbs only during and right before and after training rides or races, when it’s important to get food that can be quickly digested and converted to fuel. Otherwise, get your carbs from fruits and vegetables.

How much is enough? If you’re eating considerably more than Sass’s recommended 50 to 55 percent, especially from starchy sources, then you risk changing your metabolism, says Friel. “When I see someone who has started eating lots of starch,” he says, “they not only have gained fat, they’ve also changed their metabolism from fat-burning to sugar-burning.” It doesn’t happen over one plate of pasta, but the body is adaptable. “Over the course of a few of months,” Friel says, “it will switch over to burn whatever you’re feeding it most.”

When possible, pair your carbs with some protein. Lean meats, nut butters, fish and eggs slow digestion, so you feel full sooner, get more even energy from your meals and stay full longer. The amino acids in protein also help repair, build and maintain muscle tissue.

It’s no coincidence that Americans got heavier as fat consumption went down. For years, the government preached low-fat, carb-heavy diets. “This wasn’t only misguided; it was flat-out wrong,” Friel says.

Fallacy #3

All fat makes you fat
As your body becomes more conditioned, you become a better fat burner. You need ample amounts of healthy fat, which, contrary to widely held belief, won’t make you fat. In fact, starchy foods turn to stored fat far more quickly. What’s more, evidence is stacking up that healthy unsaturated fats are essential for firing up your fat-burning metabolism. In a study of 101 men and women, Harvard researchers put half the group on a low-fat diet and half on a diet that included about 20 percent of calories from monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs). After 18 months, the MUFA-eating group had dropped 11 pounds; its low-fat-eating peers had shed only six. Fat is also slower to digest than carbs, so it helps you stay hunger-free longer.

Fat will help you ride longer so you can burn more calories, says Friel. Research shows that athletes who get about 50-plus percent of their diet from fat produce better average times to exhaustion in exercise tests than those eating typical low-fat, high-carb diets.

The Get-Lean Fix
Add healthy fats to every meal. Sass recommends getting about 20 percent of your calories from MUFAs, or about 55 grams per day at 2,500 calories, which is what most cyclists eat as training ramps up. “Because most athletes don’t have time to count fat grams, the simpler message is: Include small portions of good fats, like almonds, avocado and olive oil, with all meals and snacks,” she says. Try nuts and seeds, olive-based tapenades and even the occasional chunk of dark chocolate. Some healthy portions to shoot for:

• Nuts and seeds Everything from pecans to pine nuts, almond butter to tahini. A serving size is 2 tablespoons.
• Olives Black, green, mixed or blended in a spreadable tapenade. A serving is 10 large olives or 2 tablespoons of spread.
• Oils Canola, flaxseed, peanut, safflower, walnut, sunflower, sesame or olive. Cook with them; drizzle them; eat them in pesto. One serving is 1 tablespoon.
• Avocado As guacamole or just slice and serve. One-quarter cup equals one serving.
• Dark chocolate Go for one-quarter cup of dark or semisweet, or about 2 ounces.

Fallacy #4

Food comes from a box
Many cyclists who think they’re eating healthfully often consume far more sugar and sodium than they realize because they eat so much pasta, cereals, energy bars and other processed foods. “The vast majority of grocery-store foods are packaged junk,” says sports nutritionist and exercise physiologist Tavis Piattoly, RD, LD, of Elmwood Fitness Center, in New Orleans. Some items also contain trans fats—the kinds of fats you want to avoid. The sugar is also troublesome for weight loss because it causes the body to step up its production of insulin, which in turn blocks hormones that control appetite. As a result, the food you eat is quickly stored as fat—and still, you’re always hungry.

The Get-Lean Fix
Eat mostly whole foods that are part of an animal or plant, Piattoly says. Fill most of your cart with foods from the grocery store’s perimeter first; that’s where the fresh produce, meats, fish and other whole foods are found. Then go down the center aisles to fill in the rest. That should reflect the proportion of processed foods you include in your diet.

Fallacy #5

Skipping breakfast is fine if you need to drop a few pounds
Eat breakfast. That bit of essential advice is food gospel. Still, according to a survey by the International Food Information Council Foundation, fewer than half of us eat a morning meal. Breakfast is the key that starts your fat-burning metabolism. Without it, you go into an energy deficit that not only leaves you ravenous (and more likely to overeat) later, but also suppresses your calorie-burning furnace, so what you do eat is more likely to go into storage. Research shows that people who skip breakfast are 4 1/2 times more likely to be overweight than those who don’t. “It’s one of the biggest fueling mistakes almost everyone makes,” says Piattoly.

The Get-Lean Fix
Because you have a whole day of activity—usually including a ride—ahead of you, try to eat about 25 percent of your daily calories at your morning meal. That meal should include protein, healthy fat and fiber-rich carbs like fruit. A British study found that exercisers who ate a breakfast high in fiber burned twice as much fat during workouts later in the day than those who ate less fibrous foods.

For a power breakfast that’ll sustain you well into the day, try two eggs any style; cup whole oats, cooked; 1 cup yogurt; a cup of mixed berries; coffee; and orange juice.

Fallacy #6

You can eat the same at age 40 as age 20
Muscle is the engine that powers your pedals, but it also drives your calorie-burning metabolism. The more lean tissue you have, the more calories you burn and the leaner you stay. As we age, we naturally lose muscle and thus gain fat. Cycling and strength training help stem that loss, but the right foods are more important for muscle maintenance than most people realize. Because of age-related kidney changes, our blood becomes more acidic and we excrete nitrogen, an essential component of muscle protein, faster than we take it in, Friel says. “Essentially we end up peeing away our muscles,” he says. And with a net loss of nitrogen, you can’t form new muscle.

The Get-Lean Fix
Turn the tide on nitrogen loss and preserve muscle mass by increasing the alkalinity of your blood to neutralize the acidity, says Friel. One way is with supplements like Acid Zapper, but you can also eat foods that enhance alkaline. Fruits and veggies are the only foods that offer a net increase, says Friel. Fats and oils are neutral. All other foods, including grains, legumes and meats, have an acid-producing effect. If you don’t get most of your carbs from fruits and vegetables, Friel says, you’re losing muscle mass as well as calcium from your bones, which also gets leached away in an acidic environment as you age.

Fallacy #7

You’re never hungry… or you’re always hungry
Most diets treat hunger as the enemy. But it’s actually your closest ally, says Piattoly. “Once you start the fat-reduction process, you’ll be a little hungry, but not starving,” he says. “The trick is balancing the two, so you’re losing weight, but not setting yourself up for a binge.”

The Get-Lean Fix
Try to eat every three to four hours, says Piattoly. “Eat breakfast, then wait until you feel hungry and eat just until you’re no longer hungry,” he says. “That’s where people usually go wrong. They eat past the point of satisfaction until they’re ‘full.’ Eat only until you’re no longer hungry. If you don’t feel hungry again in three to four hours, you ate too much earlier.” Once you get the hang of it, weight loss and maintenance is much easier.

Where the Carbs Are
Fruits and vegetables are a more substantial source of carbohydrate than most people realize.

RAISINS, seedless (1/4 cup) 32g
BRUSSELS SPROUTS, cooked (1/2 cup) 7g
PEAS, cooked (1 cup) 25g
STRAWBERRIES (1 cup) 11g
SPINACH, cooked (1 cup) 7g
SUCCOTASH, cooked (1 cup) 47g
CARROTS, cooked (1/2 cup) 8g
ORANGE (1 medium) 14g
COLLARD GREENS, cooked (1 cup) 12g
CORN, sweet, cooked (1 ounce) 7g
CANTALOUPE (1 cup) 15g
SQUASH, winter, acorn, cooked (1 cup) 30g
SWEET POTATO, baked w/ skin (large) 44g
ARTICHOKE, cooked (1 medium) 13g
WATERMELON (1 cup) 11g
GREEN PEPPER (1 cup) 10g
BROCCOLI, raw (1 cup) 4g PEACH (1 large) 17g BANANA (medium) 30 g

Pasta & Grains
SPAGHETTI (1 cup) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .40g
SPAGHETTI, whole wheat (1 cup) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37g
TAGLIATELLE (1 cup) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44g
WHEAT BREAD (1 slice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12g
RYE BREAD (1 slice) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15g
MIXED-GRAIN BREAD (1 large slice) . . . . . . . . . .5g
FRENCH BREAD (5 inches) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18g
PITA BREAD, WHITE (6-inch diameter) .. . . . . . . .33g
LONG-GRAIN WHITE RICE (1 cup) . . . . . . . . . . . 45g
SHORT-GRAIN WHITE RICE (1 cup) . . . . . . . . . . 37g

 

Arturo Espitia Certified Personal Trainer Everett, WA always has openings for you.

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

The problem with dieting is that it has to end. Look at your nutrition plan as one with the potential for a way to eat for a lifetime. Finding the balance between healthy eating, exercise, and the foods that you love will result in lasting health and high performance.

Low Carb Diets

Several popular diets advocate that you steer clear of carbohydrates, and that’s one way to lose a lot of weight in a hurry. After all, for every gram of carbohydrate you eat, you store 3 grams of water. But that’s a good thing since it keeps us hydrated and satiated.

If you go on one of those diets with very minimal carbs, it’s like taking a sponge and wringing the water out. You’ll lose the water weight, but as soon as you eat carbs again—and you will at some point, because you need energy to function—then the sponge is going to fill up with water.

Research shows that the weight will come right back, and with a vengeance; people often gain back all the weight they lost while following a diet that severely reduces carb intake—and more. As with dieting, you’ll likely lose some of your lean mass in the process.

Bottom Line

Carbs are an important part of your diet when you consume them relative to your activity level and within the context of the glycemic index and glycemic load. Problem is, most people eat far too much for their activity. Your best strategy is to always include protein and healthy fats with any carbohydrates you eat.

Raw Food Diets

The raw food diet (also called the raw diet) is based on consuming unprocessed, organic, whole, plant-based foods, at least 74 percent of which is uncooked. The foods consumed as part of the raw diet include: fresh fruits and vegetables, nuts, seeds, beans, grains, legumes, dried fruits, seaweeds, sun-dried fruits, other organic or natural foods which have not been processed, fresh fruit and vegetable juices, purified water and coconut milk.

Raw and living foods are believed to contain essential food enzymes. The cooking process is defined as heating foods above 116 degrees. The raw diet emphasizes enzymes from the food we eat are essential, and provide enough so the body does not have to produce digestive enzymes. It is also thought that the cooking process destroys vitamins and minerals. Cooked foods are said to take longer to digest. The raw food diet claims to increase energy levels, improve skin, improved digestion, and promote weight loss.

Detoxification effects may be experienced, causing side effects such as headaches, nausea, and mild depression for a short period of time.

The raw diet contains little or no saturated fat, low sodium, and is high in potassium as well as fiber, aiding in the reduction of heart disease and some cancers. However, the raw food diet poses many restrictions on foods and can decrease caloric intake and nutrient intake, leading to nutritional deficits in iron and/or calcium. Lack of protein and B12 can also be seen in those following the raw diet.

Some nutrients will be lost in the cooking process. Some research has shown, however, that some of the phytochemicals present are more easily absorbed by the body when the vegetable has been cooked or processed. One example is lycopene in tomatoes. Rui Hai Liu, M.D., Cornell assistant professor of food science, notes, “research demonstrates that heat processing actually enhanced the nutritional value of tomatoes by increasing the lycopene content—a phytochemical that makes tomatoes red—that can be absorbed by the body, as well as the total antioxidant activity. The research dispels the popular notion that processed fruits and vegetables have lower nutritional value than fresh produce.”

The raw food diet can be pricey after the purchase of a durable blender, a juicer,and a food processor. it is also relatively time consuming.

Bottom Line

A restricted food plan such as the raw diet leaves out key nutrients such as protein as well as vitamins and minerals such as iron, calcium, and B12 and can lead to overall caloric intake decreases. The emphasis on fresh fruits and vegetables, however, is the raw diet’s strong point. No matter what eating plan you’re following, consuming a variety of fruits and veggies is always a good idea.

Blood Type Diet

There are many great aspects to the blood type diet, such as eating clean, natural foods and eating often. But there is not ample science that correlates diet with blood type. With that said, your body can tell you a lot about the foods it likes and doesn’t like. If you have any type of GI issues (gas, heartburn) after eating certain foods, your body probably doesn’t like them. Avoid or remove them from your diet. The best diet is one that fits you and your lifestyle—and that you will stick with for a lifetime.

Please feel free to comment or email questions or comment to Arturo Espitia Personal Trainer Everett, WA

 

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

Stoke your body’s metabolism, lose weight. But how? Our culture promotes the idea of eating three square meals a day, avoiding between-meal snacks, and not eating between dinner and bedtime. No wonder we’re facing a global obesity crisis. Stoke your metabolism with the right strategies and you’ll build lean muscle, burn fat, and stay energized.

The Thermic Effect

When the body has to digest food, it has to work to get it broken down into a usable form. The term for this is the thermic effect. It means that every time you eat,

your body has to rev up the furnace to break that food down. This does not mean you should eat huge meals or grab something from the drive-thru every three hours. You should eat a combination of high-fiber carbohydrates, lean protein, and healthy fats every three hours, in portions that are correct for your size and activity level. When it comes to the number of meals, less is not more. In fact, more meals, means more metabolic revving, so eat wisely, but eat up.

Strategies to Boost Metabolism

Grazing

Forget what you’ve been taught. If you want to control your appetite, regulate your blood sugar level to stay energized and alert, and build lean muscle mass, you need to more often, not less. Aim for five to six small- to medium-size meals or snacks each day. That equates to eating, on average, every three hours. Think of yourself as “grazing” all day, instead of sitting down for three massive feedings.

It’s possible to fit in six meals a day regardless of your job or lifestyle. Remember that six “meals” should not be long, sit-down affairs. A few could be, but three of those meals should just be snacks; one or two of which might just be shakes before and after your workout. And since you’re eating more often, your traditional breakfasts, lunches and dinners probably will be lighter.

Benefits:

• Controlling blood sugar levels improves concentration and helps regulate appetite. If you can do those two things, you’ll be in much better control of your body. After all, having consistent levels of blood sugar gives you consistent energy and makes you feel good, since you’re avoiding huge swings in hunger and mood.
• Over the course of the day, your mood, concentration, and energy levels go up and down. Aside from the stresses of your day, this is partly a function of your blood sugar levels. When these levels go down there’s a tendency to grab the first food available, and that’s usually not something good for you.
• Frequent eating is like constantly throwing wood on the fire. Digesting food cranks up your metabolism and burns more calories every time you eat. By not eating often, the fire smolders and dies. A hot fire, on the other hand, burns wood continuously. Those six smaller meals keep the fire hot. And since you know you’ll eat in a few hours, you’re less likely to overeat.

Eat Breakfast

When you wake up in the morning, your metabolism is running at the lowest metabolic rate of the entire day. Basically, your body is running on fumes. The second you eat something, your body cranks into gear and metabolically starts working at a higher rate. Your morning shower may wake up your mind, but breakfast wakes up your metabolism.

Build Muscle

Many people try to get thin by not eating. They deprive their bodies of nutrients, and while they might look healthy, they have dangerous blood profiles and a high ratio of fat to lean muscle. Their bodies are what we call “skinny fat”.

The last thing you want to do is lose lean mass. After all, you train hard to build muscle, which produces power, stabilizes joints, promotes movement, and is critical for optimal performance throughout life, not to mention on the athletic field. Moreover, the average person loses a pound of lean mass per year, so it’s imperative to take action to maintain your muscle.

What’s more, every pound of muscle you pack on requires approximately 20 additional calories. So add muscle and more of your food will go towards sustaining your physique.

If you don’t eat often, the most readily available substance for the body to consume is muscle. There’s a misconception that the body first eats away its fat. But the body is remarkably resistant to fat loss and will turn to its lean muscle first, a process known as catabolism, keeping stored body fat in reserve as long as necessary. In other words, eating less often can actually waste muscle.

Fuel with Protein

You should include a lean protein source with every meal. Protein has the highest “thermic effect” of all the macronutrients. To use the analogy that frequent eating is like throwing wood on a fire, when you eat protein, it is like throwing lighter fluid onto that fire. So include a lean protein source with every meal to get a little extra burst of metabolic power.

– Research by Evan Gray

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Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

AMERICANS LIVE LARGE. If a big car is good for shuttling kids to school, a McMansion on wheels must be better. We’re the same way with food. Amino acids build muscle? Bring on the 96-ounce sirloin. “But any food, even healthy food, in excess won’t only pack on pounds, it can also hurt your performance,” says sports nutritionist Tavis Piattoly, R.D., who counsels athletes at Elmwood Fitness Center in New Orleans. In extreme cases, it can even make you sick. Here are five foods health-minded riders can easily overdo.

 

Soy
Hot dogs, ice cream, burgers and other junk-food classics can instantly become healthy treats if they’re made with soybeans, right? Not so fast. Soy protein may help lower cholesterol, but it’s questionable whether or not it fights cancer, as once believed. In fact, some researchers think superhigh soy intake might trigger some cancers. Most Japanese eat only about 8 to 10 grams of soy protein a day, whereas American soy fanatics get 40 grams. Healthy limits: Scientists agree that two to three servings (about 25 grams) of soy foods, such as soy milk, soy burgers and tofu, are safe. But if you’re pouring soy milk over soy cereal and stuffing a soy-based energy bar into your pocket to eat later, you may be overdoing it.

 

Water
At some point recreational athletes began worrying about dehydration so much they started drinking themselves to death. Hyponatremia, dangerously low salt levels that lead to swelling of the brain, is a rare but growing concern at endurance events where racers OD on H2O—sometimes drinking more than a liter (32 ounces) per hour for four or five hours. Performance-wise, less can be more. In a recent study, South African researchers asked runners to drink at three different rates: according to thirst (13 ounces per hour); at a moderate rate (4 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes) or at a high rate (10 ounces every 15 to 20 minutes). After two hours of exercise, there was no difference among the groups in core body temperature or finishing times, but some high-rate guzzlers had stomach distress.

Healthy limits: bicycling advises drinking at a moderate rate (about one 16-ounce bottle an hour). But let your thirst be your guide. If it’s a hot day, drink a little more. Just don’t force down gallons of liquid because you think you have to. For rides lasting more than an hour, pack a sports drink; the electrolytes help prevent hyponatremia.

 

Protein
Many athletes think protein is the wonder nutrient, so they eat protein-fortified foods, says Piattoly. “But your body can process only about 4 to 5 grams of protein per hour, so the 50 grams you got from that protein bar and shake will take about 10 hours to digest and absorb.” Your body needs protein to repair and build muscle, but eating excessive amounts won’t do the job better. Some people fill up on protein and don’t eat enough carbs, says Piattoly. Some experts believe excessive protein also stresses your kidneys. Healthy limits: Active cyclists need one-half to three-quarters of a gram of protein a day per pound of body weight, typically about 90 to 135 grams a day for a 180-pound man and 70 to 105 grams for a 140-pound woman. A three-ounce serving of chicken delivers 25 grams and a glass of milk another 10 grams, so it’s easy to get enough through a healthy diet.

 

Fish
Though fish contains healthy omega-3 fatty acids that help fight heart disease, and maybe even Alzheimer’s, it also contains heavy-metal toxins such as mercury (especially in large fish, such as tuna, swordfish and shark), which when eaten regularly can remain in your system, and in large amounts can lead to serious health and cognitive problems, including heart disease and reduced memory and concentration. Healthy limits: Choose cold-water fish known to contain less mercury, such as Alaska wild salmon, herring and sardines, which are high in omega-3s. Or, limit yourself to two meals of fish per week.

 

Fiber
Most Americans eat about 12 grams of fiber a day, but we should be topping out at around 25 to 30. High-fiber foods lower cholesterol, help manage blood sugar and digest slowly so you feel full longer and don’t overeat. When you’re fueling for a big ride or race, though, timing is everything. “Two bowls of high-fiber cereal, such as Kashi or Raisin Bran, right before a ride might not sit right–or might sit longer than you want,” says Piattoly. A big dose of fiber before exercise can lead to nausea, constipation and other GI upset. Healthy limits: About an hour or two before exercise, eat easy-to-digest lower-fiber carbohydrates such as bagels, bananas and energy bars. Avoid foods that have more than 5 grams of fiber per serving.

Arturo Espitia Personal Trainer Everett, WA Send me all your health related questions.

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

 

Spending your entire day at the office shouldn’t limit your snack choices. Come to work prepared with healthy snacks, and you’ll improve focus, increase productivity, and avoid packing on pounds.

Here are five snack foods to help you stay satisfied.

 

Walnuts

Health benefits: Walnuts are high in heart-healthy omega-3 fatty acids and antioxidants.

Snack tip: Pair a handful of walnuts with a piece of low-fat cheese, your favorite fruit, or a bowl of oatmeal for a fiber-rich morning snack that will help you feel full longer.

Apples

Health benefits: Apples are loaded with pectin, which helps suppress your appetite.

Snack tip: Eating an apple mid-day helps control blood sugar and may aid in weight loss. Have it with a spoonful of nut butter (cashew, peanut, almond) to add muscle-building protein and healthy fat.

Greek Yogurt

Health benefits: Greek yogurt has twice as much protein as regular yogurt. Plus, it contains healthy bacteria, known as probiotics, to keep your digestive tract healthy.

Snack tip: Top 6 to 8 ounces of Greek Yogurt with ¾ cup of berries for a mid-day snack.

Green Tea

Health benefits: Research has shown that green tea helps lower cholesterol and decreases the risk of diabetes and stroke. What’s more, it boosts metabolism to help you burn fat.

Snack tip: Drink two to three cups of green tea throughout the day to reap the benefits. If you’re sensitive to caffeine, don’t drink green tea after 3 p.m.

Beef Jerky

Health benefits: Beef jerky is a great source of protein and comes in a bunch of flavors for variety. Opt for the 96% fat-free jerky when possible.

Snack tip: Eat 1 to 2 servings of jerky with a piece of fruit, such as an apple or pear, for a balanced snack.

Michelle Riccardi August 3, 2011

Arturo Espitia Personal Trainer  Everett, WA Always has an opening for you.

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

If you are like many endurance athletes, you prefer to train first thing in the morning. One of the most common issues I address with the athletes I coach around the world is their pre-training fuel (or the lack thereof). A number of athletes choose not to eat or drink anything prior to their early morning workout. In questioning athletes over the years on why they choose not to eat prior to exercise, they respond by saying; “I am just not hungry in the morning.” “My stomach gets upset if I eat anything.” “I am trying to lose weight, so if I do not eat before exercise, I will lose more weight.” “I am only going to train for 45 minutes to one hour, so I do not need calories for this workout; I will just drink water.”

So, what is the best way to handle your pre-workout…to fuel or not to fuel?

When we ingest carbohydrates, glycogen is formed. Glycogen, which is fuel for our body, is then stored in our muscles (some is stored in our liver). Now, let’s go back to last night’s dinner. Following a nutritious, balanced dinner that included carbohydrates, protein and fat, glycogen is formed and stored in our muscles and liver. Our muscle glycogen tank is now topped off. Following dinner, we sleep 7-8 hours. Upon awakening, we are normally slightly glycogen depleted and slightly dehydrated. When we deplete our body of glycogen, our body becomes less efficient, and our performance will be hindered in training. So, if we choose to workout at this point, and we are not properly fueled, we will continue to deplete muscle glycogen. The return on our investment at this point is not nearly as good as it could be.

The solution to the above scenario is to top off your tank. We want to top off our glycogen stores upon awakening. When you train on a full tank of gas, your performance will be that much greater (as will your recovery; better recovery leads to better performance). You will notice that you will be able to train harder at lower heart rates, you will feel more “alive” during your workout, and your post-training soreness will be minimized. You may still question the whole “upset stomach issue” with pre-training nutrition. Well, just as you have trained your body to run, bike, etc. for certain distances, you can train your GI system to handle pre-workout fuel as well.

Let’s examine some pre-training fuel that will take your workouts to the next level. If you are not accustomed to fueling before workouts, no worries; let’s crawl before we walk. Liquid calories are a great place to start. These tend to be easily tolerated by one’s digestive system. Ideally, you want to find a pre-workout fuel that contains carbohydrates as well as some protein and dietary fat (the amount of total calories will vary based on your body weight, gender, length of workout, intensity of workout, etc.). One big advantage to liquid calories is that you can ingest these liquids just minutes prior to your workout without any gastrointestinal (GI) distress. Many athletes have an ‘iron-gut’ and can handle a variety of pre training fuel sources. Solid fuel works very well; for example, a bagel and peanut butter will help to power you through a workout.

As an endurance athlete, you want to spare glycogen in order to facilitate fat as your primary fuel source. In order to spare glycogen, you must load and reload your muscle glycogen. When your body begins to spare glycogen, your body’s efficiency will increase.

In time, you will find yourself training longer, harder and faster at the same or lower heart rates.

If you are already fueling prior to training, you are to be commended; keep up the good work. If pre-training nutrition is foreign to you, no worries; you are not alone. Just as you train your body to swim, bike, and run, you can train your body to properly handle pre-training nutrition. Start with the liquid fuel and you will soon notice enhanced early morning workouts as well as improved recovery for the next days training session. Enjoy the new pre-training fuel, top off your tank, and take your training and racing to the next level!

 

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Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

A foam roll, or foam roller, is a useful training tool to use as part of your recovery or regeneration plan. Sizes vary, but this cylindrical piece of tightly packed foam is roughly 5 inches in diameter and typically between one and three feet long.

How It Works

Foam rolling uses deep compression to help roll out muscle adhesions, or knots, that develop over time. Think of your muscle as a shoelace. It has a certain length to it. If it gets in a knot and you pull both ends of the shoestring, the knot gets tighter. You need to work the knot out with your fingers to restore the original length of the shoelace. The same goes for muscles. Sometimes stretching is not what you need. By working out those knots in the muscle, which often arise from inactivity or repetitive activity, you’ll be able to restore the muscle to its original length, thus making it more pliable and functional.

Technique

You can use the foam roll for all your major muscle groups.

Glide your body over the foam roll to work each area individually, such as the backs of your legs or your lower back. Pause at any tender points for 10 to 30 seconds before moving on to the next region. Only apply as much pressure as you can tolerate and build up the amount of time you spend foam rolling. Your muscle tissue will begin to get used to this new sensation and be more and more willing to accept the new form of self massage that you’ve implemented into your routine.

Benefits

Foam rolling is like a massage. The compression causes your nerves to relax, loosens muscle, increases blood flow, and helps your body recover. In other words, foam rolling can alleviate soreness and make your muscles feel better.

When to Use It

You can use a foam roll anywhere or anytime. Many people enjoy rolling while watching television or before bedtime. Others do it at the start or end of a training session or after sitting in the same position for hours. Don’t limit yourself to the areas targeted in your training program. Use the foam roll anywhere you feel tight and in need of a massage.

What It Feels Like

You’ll probably enjoy the foam roll routine—everyone likes massages. Still, there’ll be some uncomfortable moments, as there would be during a professional massage. The first time you use a foam roll, it might be a little painful, but that’s just a sign that you stand to benefit greatly from using it. Once you’re past the first few weeks, though, it’ll get considerably easier and more comfortable. The foam roll is a great barometer of the quality of your muscle and connective tissue. The better it feels, and the less it hurts, the higher the quality of your tissue.

Alternatives

In a pinch, you could use a basketball instead of a foam roller. Tennis balls and lacrosse balls are also effective, but foam rolls are better suited for beginners since they’re less dense. The massage stick is a great tool to use in conjunction with a foam roll. For example, you may want to use a massage stick when traveling, or to more closely target tight areas, while using the foam roll at home or in the gym for a general massage all over.

 

Feel Free To Contact Arturo Espitia Personal Trainer Everett, WA With All Your Fitness Questions!

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

One pound of stored body fat converts into enough energy to fuel a six-hour spin. Even the most sinewy pro stockpiles about 31,500 calories’ worth of endurance energy in the form of fat.

 

Fat helps us absorb essential antioxidant vitamins such as A, D, E and beta-carotene, as well as vitamin K. Our bodies use it to build nerve tissue and to produce hormones such as estrogen and  testosterone. Without enough fat, we’d be sickly and slow. Too much, however, especially the wrong kind, can also make us sickly and slow.

 

“Endurance athletes, such as cyclists, are very efficient at using the fat stored in their muscles, so keeping those stores stocked is essential for performance and recovery,” says Carmichael Training Systems sports nutritionist Kathy Zawadzki, coauthor of Food for Fitness: Eat Right to Train Right. But, she says, you don’t want to eat so much calorie-rich, fatty food that you start putting it away in other places–like your gut. Also, not all fats are created equal, and when it comes to health and exercise performance the quality of fat you eat is just as, if not more, important than the quantity. Heart-healthy fats keep your cholesterol in check, and may even raise your protective HDL levels, while others increase “bad” LDL cholesterol and clog your circulatory system.

 

Your goal: Eat enough of the right kinds of fat to stock your muscles without getting it stuck in your arteries or around your waist. Here they are, from best to worst.

 

UNSATURATED
The fats that come from plants and fish are good. They slide through your arteries without gunking up the works. There are two varieties. Your number one choice is monounsaturated. These fats lower LDL cholesterol while raising or maintaining HDL. Great sources: nuts, avocados, olive oil and canola oil. Polyunsaturated fats are also generally healthy, but they slightly lower HDL levels, so they’re considered a small step down. Prime sources:_ seeds, most vegetable oils (corn, sunflower, soy) and fatty fish such as salmon. Omega fatty acids (omega-3 and omega-6) fall into this category. Most health experts agree that we get too much omega-6 (mostly from vegetable oils) and not enough omega-3 (fish and flaxseed). So go easy on foods from the fryer and eat more from the sea.

 

SATURATED
These fats are less healthy, but not all bad. Mainly animal fats, they’re found in meats and dairy foods such as burgers, butter, lard and cheese. (Coconut oil is saturated, too, but scientists say for unknown reasons it acts more like an unsaturated fat in your body.) Some saturated fatty acids may actually improve your cholesterol profile, but on the whole they tend to raise your heart-disease risk, so it’s best to keep your consumption of them in check.

TRANS FATS
Evil. Forget the “there are no bad foods” BS and get these out of your diet. Trans fats occur in very small amounts in nature (mostly in animal foods), but for the most part are a product of food processing that solidifies vegetable oils. Trans fats are found in fried, processed and packaged foods such as crackers, cookies and chips, as well as in shortening and margarine, and have been linked to heart disease. Read your labels and steer clear of buying or eating foods that contain trans fats. Note: A food can contain up to half a gram of trans fat and still be labeled as containing zero. To know if you’re about to buy or eat something evil, look for the words “hydrogenated” or “partially hydrogenated” on the ingredient list. And as a general rule, avoid eating these foods as much as possible.

 

YOUR ACTIVE ALLOWANCE: A Daily Approach To Fat Intake
Fat is calorie dense and stores easily, so a little goes a long way. To get the benefits without the bulge, experts recommend capping your daily fat intake at about 30 percent of your total calories. So an active cyclist eating 2,000 to 2,500 calories a day can eat up to 600 to 750 of those calories from fat. That’s about 65 to 80 grams, one-third to one-half of which should come from plant foods, with the rest coming from lean meats and low-fat dairy. Here’s a snapshot menu of a good-fat day.

Breakfast
6 ounces orange juice 0 grams fat
2 eggs, scrambled 10g
2 pieces toast w/ 2 pats butter 3g

Midmorning snack
8 oz. low-fat yogurt 3.5g

Lunch
Tuna sub (1 can) w/1 tbsp. light mayo 21g
Salad w/1 tbsp. olive oil & vinegar 7g
8 oz. skim milk 0.56

Midafternoon nibble
1 oz. nuts 14.5g

Dinner
4 oz. chicken breast 4g
1*2 to 1 cup mixed vegetables 0g
3 to 4 small roasted potatoes 1g

After-dinner treat
2 tbsp. peanut butter on 1 piece toast 16g

Grand total: 71.5 grams

 

Personal Trainer In Everett, WA Arturo Espitia is always to answer any questions you might have.

Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting

Overview

Not long ago, guidelines for what to eat and drink following rigorous exercise or competition consisted of vague suggestions like, “Be sure to drink lots of fluids,” or “Eat a banana.” Few people were certain about which types of fluids or foods were best for recovery, not to mention how much or how often they should be consumed.

Recovery nutrition has evolved into a science that combines carbohydrates, proteins, fluids, and electrolytes to ensure the body is refueled, re-hydrated, and has the raw ingredients necessary to repair and rebuild muscle tissue. It’s not a one-size-fits-all solution. The amount and ratio of nutrients varies with the athlete, and recommendations should take into consideration age, gender, body size, physical condition, duration, nature of events, and environmental factors such as temperature and altitude. Although it’s essential to consider all these variables, we now have enough research to propose simple guidelines that you can apply to your training and competition.

Recovery Nutrition By The Numbers

15-60 minutes
The amount of time during which you should begin your recovery nutrition routine following training or competition

20-24 oz
The amount of fluid you want to take in per pound lost during exercise

2:1
The minimal carbohydrate to protein ratio you want to consume after activity to jumpstart recovery (the literature supports 2:1 to 4:1, depending upon intensity and duration)

How Recovery Nutrition Works

An easy way to keep recovery nutrition as simple as possible is by remembering the three R’s:

• Refuel
• Rebuild
• Rehydrate

Each of these critical recovery concepts calls for a different combination of fluids, electrolytes, carbohydrates, and protein—each playing a specific role in the recovery process.

After training, practice, or competition, the body is left dehydrated, drained of fuel, and broken down.  The body is in a stressed state, and the proper blend of nutrients can jumpstart the body’s recovery process to help you come back stronger and healthier.

The First “R” of Recovery: Refuel

The first “R” of recovery stands for “Refuel,” and it starts with carbohydrates. Carbohydrates provide our bodies and brains with the fuel needed to perform. Our body stores carbohydrates as glycogen to be used during activity. As we exercise, we burn through our glycogen stores. The longer and the more intense the session, the more we use. Glycogen recovery is most important for those athletes who are training multiple times per day, have back-to-back events, and for those athletes who may not be getting the carbohydrates they need throughout the day.

Clyde Williams, Ph.D., of Loughborough University in England, has studied the body’s recovery needs and finds that athletes who train twice a day or compete in sports that involve two or more games, matches, or events during the same day have to recover quickly or risk poor performance.

Recovery strategies depend on the specific sport or type of exercise, but whatever the activity, the three essential requirements for successful short-term recovery are:

1. Resynthesis of the body’s carbohydrate stores
2. Rehydration
3. Rest

So how many carbohydrates does it take to recover your fuel stores? Consume between 0.8 and 1.2 grams of carbohydrates per kilogram of body weight as quickly as possible after your training session. Take your body weight in pounds and divide by 2.2. This gives your weight in kilograms. If you had a lighter session, then figure you can aim for the lower end (0.8). If you had an extremely hard or long session, go for a higher factor (1.2). Carbohydrates are only one part of the recovery equation, but this is the key component that recovers your fuel stores.

The Second “R” of Recovery: Rebuild

The second “R” in Recovery stands for “Rebuild” and it begins with protein. Protein is the nutrient that drives your body to create and repair damaged muscle tissue. Protein helps you recover following training sessions and competition by aiding the synthesis of muscle protein, a key process for building muscle.

Consuming protein with carbohydrates during recovery from endurance exercise appears to promote recovery best. This is because you’re replacing glycogen with the carbs while providing the body with amino acids (building blocks of protein) on signaling pathways that control muscle protein synthesis (process of muscle building). It is now generally accepted that protein needs to be included in the post-workout meal or shake.

The amount of protein needed in the post-workout period is often overestimated. There are certain levels of protein that are needed to aid in the rebuilding of the muscle. More protein in the post-workout protein shake does not always equal more muscle building. You should include about 0.3 to 0.4 grams of protein per kilogram of body weight in your post-workout shake, meal or snack.

This protein can come in the form of whole foods, but certain types of proteins have been found to have more beneficial properties than others. Athletes’ Performance uses a blend of whey and casein protein. If you’re lactose intolerant or have an aversion to dairy products, soy protein seems to work well.

It’s important to switch up your proteins on a regular basis in order to prevent any potential intolerance from developing.  There is a lot of promising research on protein synthesis with essential amino acids, in addition to carbohydrate. Six to 9 grams of EAA with about 35 grams of carbohydrates has been shown to significantly stimulate protein synthesis.

To create the perfect post-workout blend, go for your carbs and protein in the form of food, a shake with whey, casein, and/or soy, or in the pure elemental form of essential amino acids.  Many experts agree that the protein needs of an athlete are higher than the average person and ensuring protein as a part of the post-workout meal/snack/supplement will help to meet those needs. Martin Gibala, Ph.D., writing for the Gatorade Sports Science Institute, says, “The added protein acts to 1) repair damage to muscle fibers, 2) promote training-induced adaptations in muscle fibers, and 3) replenish depleted stores of energy.”

Combination Foods and Drinks

A surprising low-tech drink—chocolate milk—might be a recovery food option for those who want to combine carbohydrates and protein. The International Journal of Sport Nutrition and Exercise Metabolism reported that athletes who drank chocolate milk after an intense bout of exercise were able to work out longer and with more power during a second workout compared to athletes who drank sports drinks.

“Our study indicates that chocolate milk is a strong alternative to other commercial sports drinks in helping athletes recover from strenuous, energy-depleting exercise,” says Joel M. Stager, PhD, professor of kinesiology at Indiana University. “Chocolate milk contains an optimal carbohydrate to protein ratio, which is critical for helping refuel tired muscles after strenuous exercise and can enable athletes to exercise at a high intensity during subsequent workouts.”

In addition to its ideal combination of carbohydrates and protein, flavored milk contains seven other essential nutrients that are important for an athlete’s health, including calcium. Another recent study, this one published in the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, concluded that cereal and non-fat milk is as good as a commercially-available sports drink in initiating post-exercise muscle recovery.

Keep in mind what recovery means: in addition to glycogen synthesis and performance benefits, a reduction in soreness, promoting quick adaptations to training, and enhancing muscle repair. Most of us spend our time training, not competing. The goal of recovery is to replace our fuel while rebuilding our muscle. So, in regard to recovery nutrition, a small amount of protein in addition to carbs may enhance the body’s adaptation to long-term training. This great combo can come from foods, supplements, and chocolate milk.

The Third “R” of Recovery: Rehydrate

The purpose of fluids is simple: restore the fluids (and electrolytes) lost in sweat. How do you know if your fluid tank is low? One way is to monitor the amount and color of your urine. If you are excreting a large amount of light-colored urine, you’re probably hydrated. If it is dark and being produced in smaller amounts, you are probably dehydrated.

The second way is to keep track of what you weigh before and after exercise sessions. If you weigh less than you did before exercise, you did not meet your fluid need during that session. The goal is to try to match your pre-training weight or to try to prevent a fluid loss greater than two percent of your body weight.

So, if you weigh 150 pounds, losing three pounds of fluid or more is going to lead to a decrease in your performance. If you weigh more than you did before your workout (after drinking fluids), you may be drinking more than you need. If you do lose weight during your session, it is really important to replace the fluid lost before your next session.

What to Drink When

To stay hydrated, drink about 20 ounces of fluid in the hour or so before training, take four to six gulps of fluid (6 ounces) every 15 minutes, and then drink about 20 ounces of fluid for every pound lost during activity.

Keep in mind that there are factors that can increase the amount of fluids lost.

They include exercising at high altitude, working out in hot weather, clothing choice, the amount of sweating (some people sweat more than others), and the nature of your exercise. Athletes who participate in endurance and high-intensity sports may lose more sweat and need to drink more to offset the loss of fluids.

Fluid needs should be thought of in two separate categories:

1. Everyday needs
2. Performance needs

Everyday needs are often overlooked, but are incredibly important. Many athletes enter their training sessions dehydrated. Making sure you enter your session hydrated will help to improve overall performance. For everyday needs, aim to drink 0.5 to 1 ounce of fluid for each pound that you weigh. If you weigh 150 pounds, you should be consuming 75 to 100 ounces of fluid per day. (33 ounces = 1 liter) Here are some choices for meeting your everyday fluid requirements:

• Water (should be your #1 choice)
• Naturally non-caloric drinks such as brewed unsweetened green, black, and white teas
• 100 percent fruit juices in moderation (6 ounces = 1 serving)
• Watery foods (watermelons, grapes, soups, vitamins, potassium)

If you are out in the heat and participating in heavy exercise longer than 60 minutes, or are engaged in high-intensity exercise for a shorter period, and if you feel underfueled or dehydrated to start with, choose a sports drink that will provide you with not only fluid, but also electrolytes and carbohydrates.

Electrolytes

Fluid is not the only thing lost in sweat. Minerals (electrolytes) such as potassium and sodium are needed to help the body function normally, and they can be easily replaced by the foods and fluids you eat after a workout or an event. Many people link muscle cramping with potassium or may have heard to eat a banana if they are having cramping issues. Recent studies have shown that cramping is often linked to sodium loss. A pound of sweat also contains 400 to 700 milligrams of sodium, although those who have adapted to hot conditions lose less than those who are not acclimated. Regardless, you should take note to see if you are a salty sweater.

If after exercise your skin tastes salty, your clothes have a white salt rim to them, or if you seem to be prone to cramping, you need to ensure that you get the sodium you need in the foods you eat and in the sports drink that you consume. During activity, you want a sports drink that has at least 110 milligrams of sodium per 8 ounces. However, specialized formulas with additional sodium, like Gatorade Endurance, may be a better fit for you. Sodium-heavy foods include yogurt, muffins, pizza, spaghetti, pretzels, crackers, and soup, but sprinkling extra salt on your food might achieve the same goal. Even though potassium may not be involved in cramping, the body still loses quite a bit of potassium, which is involved in many bodily functions.

“A pound of sweat contains about 80 to 100 milligrams of potassium,” says Nancy Clark, author of the Nancy Clark Sports Nutrition Guidebook. “During two or three hours of hard exercise (expending 1,200 to 1,800 or more calories), a person might lose 300 to 800 milligrams of potassium.” Recovery foods containing potassium include potatoes, yogurt, orange juice, bananas, raisins, pineapple juice, and sports drinks, to name a few.

Take-Home Message

SCAN, a dietetic practice group of the American Dietetic Association, summarizes the goals of recovery nutrition:

1. Restore fluid and electrolytes lost in sweat. Weigh before and after exercise, then replenish what was lost.
2. Replace muscle fuel (carbs) utilized during practice or competition.
3. Provide protein to aid in the repair of damaged muscle tissue and to promote the growth of new tissue.
4. Begin your recovery nutrition program with a snack or meal within 15 to 60  minutes following practice or competition.

In the real world, we may not be able to get the exact ratio, but you want to make sure you eat and drink something, and as quickly as you can after your workout or game. A little planning goes a long way—try packing a recovery snack cooler with any of the following:

• Yogurt with fruit and cereal
• Juice with a scoop of whey protein
• Turkey sandwich with 20 ounces of juice or sports drink
• Pasta dish with at least a cup of cooked pasta and 3 ounces of your favorite protein

Recovery Nutrition Shake Recipes

At Athletes’ Performance, we use a variety of EAS products to help our athletes recover. Below are some of the recipes that we use to ensure that recovery is not only optimized, but also tasty.

Each recipe below contains approximately 390 calories, 22 grams of protein, 55 grams of carbohydrates, and 10 grams of fat.

Tropical Smoothie

• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup ice
• 1/2 cup pineapple chunks (canned in own juice)
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 tsp Berry Burst Metamucil
• 1/2 cup low-fat cottage cheese

Orange Cream Smoothie

• 1 cup vanilla soy milk
• 1 cup ice
• 1 packet Orange flavored Metamucil
• 1 scoop EAS vanilla whey protein
• 1 medium pealed orange
• 8 oz 100% Orange Juice

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

• 1 cup skim milk
• 1 cup ice
• 1/2 cup pumpkin pie filling
• 4 oz low-fat cottage cheese
• 1 tsp Metamucil (unflavored)
• 1/8 tsp cinnamon
• 1/8 tsp nutmeg

Chocolate Covered Strawberry Shake

• 1/2 cup chocolate skim milk
• 1 cup frozen strawberries
• 1 tsp Metamucil (unflavored)
• 1 packet Myoplex Lite Chocolate meal replacement

Blueberry Banana Smoothie

• 10 oz vanilla soy milk
• 1 cup low-fat blueberry yogurt
• 1/2 cup frozen blueberries
• 1/2 banana
• 1 tsp Metamucil (unflavored)

Source: core performance,Amanda Carlson-Phillips October 19, 2009

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Posted under Cardio, Diet, Fitness, Health, Lifting