Is there a great time to consume carbs? Surprisingly, there is!

     

     

        You would be kidding yourself if you said you have never craved those wonderful carbs, especially sugary treats, throughout your day. The majority of people are craving carbs almost 24/7, including us. What a lot of people may not know is that there is an optimal time of day when it's best to eat those carbs you spend the whole day thinking about.  This time of day is the time surrounding your workouts, especially after!

        No, this isn't just somebody trying to trick you to workout so that you get to eat some sweets. It is all due to the physiological response of your body to moderate to high intensity exercise lasting approximately 30 minutes.  Moderate to high intensity exercise...That's the key to this secret. You need to perform exercise that gets that heart rate going in order to indulge in some of those carbs afterwards. These types of muscle contractions are what is needed for this to work.  The worst thing you could do is walk for a few minutes, without sweating, without an increase in your heart rate, and then consume 12 snickers bars after.  If we go and do that, we end up consuming more carbs then we are burning, which leads to what we all try to avoid...fat. (Science can be brutal, I know). But, that is not what we are discussing here. By increasing the heart rate, getting the sweat going, the glucose (simple form of carbohydrates) that is saved up in your body will start to be used for physical activity.  Glucose is your FUEL. Glucose is what provides you with energy throughout the day (especially necessary for brain function!), and especially throughout workouts. The glucose that accumulates, and is stored in your body, is known as your glycogen storage.  When this storage is depleted, it needs to be replenished. Hence, why we get to eat some of those delicious carbs after our workouts :)! 

        Now diving into this a little deeper.  The physiological response of the body deals with your insulin sensitivity and especially your glucose transporters known as the GLUT 4 transporter.  The job description of this GLUT 4 receptor is simply to transport glucose from outside the cells to inside muscle and fat cells.  During a normal day, the GLUT 4 receptors hang out and relax deep within muscle and fat cells, which makes it harder for the glucose to be absorbed.  Fortunately for us there is a phenomenon where the GLUT 4 receptors move to the outer parts of the cell, which in turn makes it easier for glucose to be absorbed. This is called GLUT 4 translocation. During this time, the receptors are ready to soak up some consumed carbs.  These receptors don't remain on the outside of the cell for hours though, minutes is more accurate..it is safe to say that one should consume carbs no longer than 20 minutes post workout. Anytime after that, you are risking that these receptors have made their way back to the middle of the cell...so take advantage of it!

        A few key points: Yes it is actually beneficial to consume carbs after your workout! Make sure to not take advantage of this process. There aree better carbs to consume than others:  

Carbs to avoid:

• Crazy unhealthy carbs like candy bars, high sugar drinks like  
• Doughnuts, baked goods....dang it (unless they are the protein doughnuts posted earlier- woot!)
• High fat foods (high fat and high carb foods- not ideal)

Carbs to choose:

• Plain yogurts
• Fruits (especially bananas- contain loads of crucial vitamins to maintain muscular health!)
• Sweet potatoes
• Protein shakes (my love)
• Don't forget about water before, during and after!

       A few numbers to think about: A variety of research has been done regarding the amount of carbs that should be consumed after a workout. Livestrong states approximately 0.5 grams to around 0.7 grams per pound of body weight should be consumed, whereas I recall hearing from other sources 0.25 grams to 0.4 grams should be consumed.  For me weighing around 205, 0.25 grams per lb would allow me roughly 40 grams of carbs after workout. To put that into perspective a 16 oz gatorade has a little over 30 grams of carbs in it; so that would almost be about it for me after workout. Lastly...DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOUR PROTEIN.  This entire post is about carbs, but protein is necessary after your workouts as well. Your body needs protein to continue the process of protein synthesis, and building up those muscles.  Try and shoot for around 20-30 grams of protein!

Carbs aren't always the enemy, after an good workout.. they can actually be our friend!!!

#trips

The Scoop on Protein Powders

Now a days, there are TONS of different protein powders on the market. The most popular would be whey powders, which are part of the milk protein family. Others types include rice, egg white, may different plant based and even beef protein! (I've tried that once and it was actually very tasty- I expected it to taste like a hamburger, but it was straight creamy chocolate!).

I generally stick to protein derived from milk: whey and casein. They seem to be the best tasting, most reasonably priced, and some of the highest in nutritional quality. Here is a brief breakdown of the different proteins derived from milk:

When I look for a protein powder, I usually look for ones that have minimal carbs. Carbs are without a doubt important to consume post workout, but my thought is that if I want carbs in my post workout drink, i'll put a banana or something in it! Am I right? Anyway, here are the protein powders I currently have on the menu:

Side note: I am lucky enough to have Arron, who is a PA Amish Country local. Well, once in a while at the Amish Markets will be gold in the form of really really cheap protein. The two Optimum Nutrition proteins above (ProComplex and 100% whey) were found there for around $10 a piece. Yes, they may be expired, or close to expired, but I'm not complaining as a college student who doesn't want to drop $40 on a thing of protein. All three of these proteins taste delish, and have pretty good PRO/CHO ratio if you ask me.

Lastly, I have this yellow pea protein. I got this because a lot of protein baked goods call for it! If anyone has ever made protein powder goods with whey, you may have noticed it turns out quite dry. This pea protein leaves the finished product more hydrated, and more enjoyable to eat as a result. Do I recommend drinking this in a shake with water? Ehhh no. It tastes like plants, despite the 'vanilla blast' flavor it claims. I have yet to find a plant based protein that tastes amazing. With that said, I would definitely recommend using it in baking!

 Now, I am definitely an advocate for getting all your nutrients from real, whole foods. Protein powder anything shouldn't be a replacement of any meals with whole foods, rather, a supplement if you need it. After lifting workouts, to meet a protein goal for the day, etc, absolutely!

More protein powder treats coming soon :)

#Stix

Donuts...enough said.

I have come across a dilemma. I am a sucker for sweets, but I also really like nutrition and staying in control of what I put in my body. So, now, I am on a quest to find some delicious, 'healthified,' recipes to satisfy my sweet tooth.  

One major thing I like to tweak when brewing up a 'healthified' desert is the sugar content. I try not to add any if possible! (if the taste buds agree). Sugar, a main ingredient in all mainstream sweets, and even worse, high fructose corn syrup, acts negatively in the body. It all has to do with insulin and blood sugar- I will get more scientific about this in a future post.

I'm going to try not to be long winded here and get right into the donut recipe. Arron and I have made these together, and both give them a thumbs up! They are almost as fun to make and decorate as they are delicious. We tried to make them as unhealthy looking as possible so it would feel like we are eating a real donut (mind tricks work sometimes).

The recipe...

The yield is approx. 6 donuts each with the following estimated macros:

Not so bad for a tasty treat!

I should mention that these pans are very hard to find anywhere in stores, so I recommend ordering it online if you want one:

Are you drooling yet??

#stix

Take a Rest.

       

          Sunday is the day of rest after all, so why not take today off and let your body recover? Many people today don't get too excited at the fact of working out. On the other end of the spectrum, there are people may that may enjoy working out too much, and workout too often in result! I include myself in this category sometimes.  It's crucial for the recovery of one's body to have AT LEAST one day off a week; a day with limited activity.  There's even been research done saying 2 to 3 days off a week is ideal.  I'm a firm believer, though, that there isn't one right answer when it comes to fitness. Everybody has something that works best for them.  Anyways, back on topic; I have ventured down the trail of "I want to lost weight fast," or "I want to get ripped- up fast" which can lead you to think you have to workout everyday to achieve that goal. This is not true. Again, rest is necessary!

           Your body needs its rest to fix all the muscular damage you did during the workout as well as to replenish the stores you depleted.  During your workout you break down so many muscles fibers, which need to be repaired or replaced, in order to improve.  Now wait, when you say it like that it doesn't sound so good does it? The breaking down of muscle fibers IS normal and they need the proper time for repair.  As muscle fibers repair and others get replaced, they get thicker and stronger and increase in number, leading to a bigger and stronger you. Without this rest time, your body won't have the necessary time to regenerate and in turn it won't have the ability to adapt to lift heavier weights, and honestly you'll probably be constantly sore and won't feel too good either.

           Bodybuilding.com actually listed an interesting study done on people who overtrain. What they found was an increase in cortisol levels. Cortisol is a hormone that gets released during stress (emotional and physical) and has the ability to break things down (catabolism).  So it would make sense that overtraining would lead to higher amounts of cortisol.  Due to the high amounts of cortisol though this can lead to a hormonal imbalance within the body, leading to muscle breaking down instead of building (anabolism).  On top of this bodybuilding.com even listed more baggage that high cortisol brings to the party: craving carbs, which can spiral out of control, an increase in fatigue, depression, vitamin and mineral depletion. That's just a few, which can lead to other negative side effects such as a disruption in protein synthesis.

         All in all, give it some thought! Me personally? I could probably work out twice a day and be satisfied and go to bed with a smile on my face.  I know I can't do that though. The body doesn't work like that. It needs its rest!  I find no better day than Sunday, the day of rest, relax, let that body heal, and let those muscles grow.

Gotta do it...

#trips

Booty Workout

I know we all like a good booty workout once in a while! Here's one that incorporates heavy weight while keeping the heart rate up and sweat dripping! Choose a tough weight for those 50 barbell squats and rest no more than 10sec at a time when needed during those reps. Have fun and do work!

#stix

Post Workout!

This is a great time to replenish the carbs lost during workout. Try to consume them no more than 20 minutes after your workout tho-- easy access to the muscle cells during that time 👍.. Here is a simple protein smoothie combo, feel free to be creative!

#trips

Quick but Intense

Need a quick workout? It will take approximately 15 minutes to complete either one of these, and that's including rest periods! Pick a weight that's tough but that allows you to finish without dropping the weight; a nice test on your grip strength and a great full body workout!

One using a barbell....

And one using DB's....

#trips

The Breakfast that Can't Disappoint

A morning with eggs and bacon always leads to a great day. Not only is it delicious but it leaves you satisfied. This is my favorite breakfast combo and there are several ways to tweak it according to macros and preference.

This morning I had my usual. 1 whole egg and and 3 egg whites with 3 pieces of uncured turkey bacon and some green tea. Never disappoints. Macros: 232kcal I 4gCHO I 13gFAT I 25gPRO. This is a great low carb/ high protein option. One way to add carbs and volume is to include a piece of whole grain toast or a serving of fruit. Want to make it even healthier and reduce the sodium and preservatives that come from the bacon? Try some seasoned ground turkey meat either on the side or in the omelet itself! As for the green tea- some caffeine in the morning is always nice, along with a host of other health benefits-- maybe a post for another day.

Uncured Bacon vs. Cured Bacon. Let me be a nerd here for a second. First off, most bacon and other processed meats (deli meat, ham, etc.) are 'cured' unless it says otherwise on the package (as seen in the bacon package wrapper pic below). Curing is a process that meats go through to preserve their shelf life, color and taste. A common ingredient found on the label that indicates curing is sodium nitrate (usually one of the last ingredients in the list). When sodium nitrate is exposed to amino acids (building blocks of protein therefore very high in meat) at a high temperature (such as what you do when you cook bacon), nitrosamines may result. The nitrate from the preservative ingredient binds up with the amino acids from the protein in the meat. Whats so bad about nitrosamines? They are scientifically proven to be carcinogenic (cancer causing agents). SO, long story short, whenever possible, try to grab the uncured while picking out bacon and other processed meats. Like other things, everything in moderation is a-okay, so if you've been chowing down on cured bacon, chances are you'll be just fine. But, it's never too late to make a change for the better!

#stix