In a previous post I shared my Fitness Inspiration and rekindled love for working out regularly (again). My desire to blog about this really stems from the 6 Pack Fitness flash giveaway back in September, and since then I have felt this strong sense of just wanting to share what I’m up to (again!).
As I mentioned before I’m not training for a Marathon or to be the next Ms. Olympia, I’m simply enjoying ultimate healthy living and pushing my body to the limit with each workout. My big Bro gave me a kick ass strength training lift routine to do for 6 weeks consecutively (or less if I start to look like a man), which I promise to dedicate an entire post to in detail because I believe anyone who loves lifting will love this routine and benefit from it. My strength improvement has been drastic!
On a similar note, how great is this quote?
“For me life is continuously being hungry. The meaning of life is not simply to exist, to survive, but to move ahead, to go up, to achieve, to conquer.” – Arnold Schwarzenegger
I feel the same way.
I actually get really frustrated when others don’t push themselves or fail to have this “hunger” or drive to do more in life. Whether it be missing an opportunity, being content with mediocre, or a personal favorite… people who work out yet eat crap food. What’s the point? Someone please share this with me, because I.don’t.get.it!
Why would anyone work out regularly or work out hard just to eat crap food, which cancels out the previous effort of working out?! I hate even the thought of doing something for nothing, because, no, exercising does not allow you to eat or keep eating crap food!
Speaking of hunger, though — Let’s discuss the importance of food, particularly when working out regularly. Regardless of the sport (running, swimming, weight lifting etc.) if you fail to fuel your body with the proper nutrients it needs to recover adequately, the effort is wasted and can even backfire. Post workout, glycogen, (which is a carb stored in our muscles and liver) is depleted. Unless replenished, the body won’t recover properly and will hinder the performance of the next workout.
The best way to recover post workout is to consume protein and clean (complex) carbs within the first 30 minutes after a workout. The reason is because blood flow is increased and muscle cells are more reactive to insulin immediately after a workout, thus perfect timing for optimum results.
Longtime readers know I have adopted a very strict raw, plant-based/vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, dairy-free, sugar-free lifestyle over the last year and now that I’m working out (hard) regularly, eating correctly has become crucial (particularly my protein intake). In fact, I discovered I need to be consuming three (3) of these protein shakes a day for maximum results!
My favorite plant-based protein recover drink right now is chocolate Vega or Garden of Life. My Brother taught me to always try and get around 40g of protein post workout, and if I double scoop either of these proteins I’m close. When I’m on the road I mix with water, otherwise I usually enjoy mixing with 2 cups of almond or coconut milk and add anywhere from 5g – 15g of glutamine depending on the workout and how sore I think I’ll be.
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Anyway, did you know you should be eating at least five times a day? I’ve known this, but take it for granted that everyone else knows this. I also assume most people already know that only eating three times a day (or less) is a major no-no. Basically, we should be eating every two to three hours from the time we wake up and go to bed.
As a rule of thumb, always remember you should eat something (even if just a bite) as soon as you wake up. This gets your metabolism up and rolling, breaking it from fasting (hence the term “breakfast”). I will be the first to admit I don’t have to eat as soon as I wake up and I am completely content sipping my tea until lunch; however, this is not healthy and actually s l o w s d o w n the metabolism making it even more difficult to burn off fat. So grab an apple, pear, or slice of toast if you don’t have time for breakfast because you need something pronto!
Also, make sure you pair whatever you eat with a protein and that you’re consuming clean carbs. Basically any fruits and green veggies are clean carbs, while avocados, goji berries, maca, most nuts, seeds, and oils are all amazing proteins.
Some of my favorite “go to” meals include gluten-free toasted bread topped with almond butter and banana slices or coconut oil and avocado. Another fave it chopped apples dipped in almond butter or celery sticks with tahini and raisins. Kitchen-sink salads are always a favorite topped with avocado, pistachios, lemon, and EVOO. NOM!
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At the end of the day if you are not eating something every two to three hours you are hindering your bodies ability to burn fat and build muscle. Further, you should be drinking water on those off eating times as well because it makes up roughly 75% of our muscles, cushions our joints, helps our body absorb nutrients, amongst so many other vital things!
How often are you eating in a day?
How often are you drinking in a day?
Where could you improve in your daily repertoire?
Is eating and drinking an “easy” task for you?
Jenn's Adventures 