Archive for the ‘Nutrition’ Category:
Thanksgiving Survival Guide
2 days from now is one of my favorite days of the whole year. I’m talking about thanksgiving. I was born on this day and I love to eat…what more could you ask for!?!? However, this is the time when many people try to get through the day with only one plate with a spoonful of stuffing, one slice of turkey and no gravy. Trying to do this is like going to a buffet with an anorexic person, it just can’t be done.
However, if you are eating good and putting in the hours in the gym, you are more than likely in better shape than the average American. Now, I am a believer in moderation. The idea of moderation is key for your diet, but on Thanksgiving, this idea can go out the window. You can load up on as much turkey, sweet potatoes, stuffing and gravy as you like. Let yourself go even. You deserve it. But, like I said, moderation is crucial. You don’t want to keep eating like that for the rest of the weekend. You can easily spend two weeks trying to get back to where you were before Thanksgiving. One day is not going to be devastating, just don’t keep eating like that.
There are a few old fashion ways to keep your holiday diet under controlled:
Turkey sandwiches – An awesome way to keep that turkey from going bad. You can grab some lettuce, tomatoes and instead of mayo, use mustard. There is less fat and it will taste just as good.
Turkey and Brown Rice – The rice is a great complex carb and you can throw some broccoli or other vegetable.
Turkey Broth – Save the bones and make a broth. You can throw on some carrots, onions, celery, rice, and even cabbage. It is great for those cold days when you’re watching football.
Remember, one day of stuffing your face is not going to hurt. Just remember moderation and don’t keep eating like that. This is a time to get together with family and eat some good food. Make the most of it!
Cold Weather Hydration
It is finally getting to be a reasonable temperature here in Florida. It said it was 74o in my truck today. For the rest of the country, you guys have probably been feeling this season called “Fall” a lot sooner than I have. In Florida, it goes from hot to cold, back to hot. Everyone knows when you are sweating a lot; you need to drink a lot. But, what do you do for cold weather? Even if your pits aren’t like waterfalls, hydration is more crucial in cold weather than you think.
In hot weather, your body naturally needs to cool itself off by perspiration. This perspiration is water and a bunch of other minerals that your body secretes. It is a lot easier to get dehydrated in hot weather because you do sweat so much more. However, when it is colder out, you do not feel that need to drink as much because you are not as hot. You should be wearing long sleeves and long pants (depending on how cold it is…in layers as well). The layers insulate the body and heat it up, producing conditions much like regular, warm weather.
A good rule of thumb is to drink about 12 fl. Oz 2 hours before training and then another 12, 30 minutes before. It’s a good idea to keep drinking during exercise every 10 – 15 minutes. Remember, if you are thirsty, you are already dehydrated. If you look around the pro pits during SX, all of the riders have a water bottle and they sip on it all day long.
Get in the habit of this because you will be able to train harder and longer because you don’t have cotton mouth. A solid starting point for your hydration is to drink your 8 glasses of water a day. This will ensure that you have plenty liquid in you. If you replace your caffeinated sodas or energy drinks with a bottle of water, you will be glad you did at the end your moto.
After workout nutrients
If you flip through a body building magazine, you see those muscle heads are taking fancy nitrogen, creatine, and “mass” shakes. For the average racer, these are not necessary, at all. A simple combination of protein, simple carbs and a few other vitamins/minerals will help take your training to the next level. And you don’t have to worry about bulking up.
Your most important nutrient after a workout is protein. It rebuilds the muscles after you break them down during your workout. When you train, you slightly damage your cells and they are hungry. Your body can take the protein from your daily intake, but food takes too long to digest to get the most from the protein. Whey protein is the best help for the cells and it is digested quickly. Therefore, your cells and muscles recover quicker and take advantage of the available protein. By the time your body gets the protein from, let’s say chicken, the muscle has already recovered and missed out on the valuable nutrients.
The most over looked nutrient needed after any hard training sessions are carbs. Although, whole wheat is better for you, it takes too long to digest (like the protein). The best things to eat is a baked potato. Because it is simpler, your body can break it down faster. Whatever you do, your body needs glycogen to supply you with energy. The simple carbs replenish the glycogen quickly so you can recover quicker.
Another good idea is to take a multi-vitamin. Everyone can benefit from a multi-vitamin at any age. Having these in you can make a difference in energy, recovering, and basic bodily functions. You will feel better overall and your training will go a lot smoother. If you haven’t taken any protein before, start with a simple whey protein because it will be lower in fats and sugars. Supplements can make a huge difference in your training. A good rule to remember: take your supplements within an hour. The earlier the better.
Happy Halloween!
If you are riding, be safe and ride good. If you are trick-or-treating, have fun…just don’t devour 10 lbs. of candy at once! haha
Halloween Survival Guide
Food is my weakness; plain and simple. If I like it, I will eat A LOT. This is not a good in many different ways, especially during Halloween (which is Saturday by the way). And Halloween means candy. Candy is really just a bunch of simple carbohydrates and sugar. However, there are a few safe choices for you. If you are serious about food intake, you will take it easy with the candy!
Look for dark chocolate. This was one on the super foods list I had a while back. It contains flavenoids, which is also found in grape juice and red wine. This is the stuff that makes a glass of red wine per day, healthy. There isn’t quite as much sugar and fat. It has been shown to lower blood pressure, unclog arteries somewhat and purify blood too.
Another good candy is something minty. York Peppermints are good and are lower in calories and fat. They won’t kill your breath either. Mint has been shown to help you chill out and reduces anxiety and fatigue. Another good mint candy is Milk chocolate mint sticks from Hershey.
Almond M&Ms are a great alternative. They have chocolate and the nuts give you a little bit of protein as well. The almonds are low in fat and low calorie and have good fat in them which is good for your heart, which help stabilize all of the sugar you’re consuming.
Hard candy and fruit stuff is okay. Jolly Ranchers are great because you can have one for a while and the sugars and calories will last. Butterscotch and Carmel hard candies are the same way. For fruit, fruit roll ups and those kind of things are okay as well. But you have remember, MODERATION. If you think that since you are eating decent candy and you can have more…you have the wrong idea. Just be conscious of what you are eating and the next week of training won’t be so bad.
Bananas: the oldest race fuel
The banana was left out on my super foods list. This actually should have been at the top of the list for racers, but I wanted to see what the real deal was for these were. Everyone knows they have potassium and provide energy for a boost for snack. But, there are more to this fruit and it should be at the top of your grocery list.
Let’s get right to the good stuff. Bananas contain a great amount of Vitamin B6. Okay, so there’s like a hundred different vitamins…why is this so special? Well, B6 prevents weakness, irritability, and insomnia. With a lack of B6, most people feel weak and when you are riding your hardest, you don’t want to feel weak. Research has shown that two bananas will provide enough energy for a hard, 90 minute workout.
Remember that potassium article? Well, read it again because bananas are packed with this and potassium is critical in training. Potassium helps muscles contract properly when you exercise prevents cramping. It also promotes brain power. It keeps you awake and alert, which makes it great for a mid day snack before your second moto. They also help regulate blood pressure and help reduced the chance of stroke.
The conveniences of these are perfect for busy people. As they ripen, you can throw them in your cereal, yogurt, and smoothie. They are easily digested, so they won’t bog you down at the track. There are literally no reasons not to have a few bananas handy. Eating one before you are too hungry will help keep you going and thinking clearly. However, you have to remember moderation; one or two per day will do just fine.
