Nutrition

The Best Snacks to Eat After a Workout

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After a tough workout, it’s tempting to reach for a huge meal. You deserve it, right? And your body can quickly metabolise all those calories, right? Think again. You can certainly reward yourself with some snacks, but be particular about them. What you want are foods that can help your body quickly repair muscle tissues and replenish glycogen stores (stored carbs). What you don’t want are foods that will undermine all your hard work, especially if you’re working to lose weight or gain muscle mass. So, the next time you feel like reaching for a post-gym burger, try these healthier but equally tasty snacks instead.

Chocolate milk

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Your favourite childhood afternoon drink can now be your favourite post-workout drink. Experts have pointed out how chocolate milk has just the right ratio of protein to carbohydrates to replenish your energy and facilitate muscle repair.

Peanut butter banana smoothie

There’s nothing like a refreshing smoothie after all that sweating. Make your next one with peanut butter, banana, almond milk, protein powder, and a dash of cinnamon. It’s a sweet and protein-packed snack that will make sure you don’t crash after your workout.

Grapes

Carry a bag of frozen grapes in your bag for a terrific source of electrolytes. These will help maintain fluid balance and muscle function. Plus, they make for a quick and refreshing treat.

Watermelon

What’s more refreshing than some cool watermelon after a workout? This fruit can easily rehydrate your tired body as well as refill depleted glucose stores.

Apples or bananas with almond butter

Almond butter is rich in protein and healthy fats, and much yummier when coating a slice of apple or banana. Bananas, in particular, are low in calories but high in potassium. This combination can help with not only your tired body but brain as well.

Popcorn

This whole-grain source can replenish all that lost energy. For even more energy, sprinkle your popcorn with some flavoured protein powder.

Sweet potatoes

Sweet potatoes are a great source of just the right amount of carbs along with some nourishing vitamins, iron, magnesium and potassium to fuel you up.

Hummus with whole wheat pita

Hummus, made from pureed chickpeas, are rich in carbs and protein. Pair it with whole wheat pita for a quick, healthy and energy-boosting snack.

Tuna and sardines

Tuna and sardines are wonderful sources of protein. You can pair sardines with some whole wheat crackers, while you can create a healthy tuna roll-up. Just mix tuna with Greek yoghurt, lemon juice, dill, salt and pepper and roll it up in tortilla.

Turkey and cheese

Lean turkey and soft cheese (like part-skim mozzarella) make for a tasty combo. They’re also easy to assemble and contain the right amount of carbs and proteins to boost your energy.

Greek yoghurt with fresh berries

Greek yoghurt is rich in amino acids that help build muscle. It’s also a nice, cool treat after a tough workout. Throw in some berries to make it even yummier.

Night-time Habits

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There’s a lot of pressure put on getting your morning routine right. The early bird catches the worm after all, right? However, your night-time routine should just as be as important as your morning routine. In fact, having a solid night regimen could just as be as important a predictor for your following day. If you’re truly serious about leading a fit and healthy lifestyle, the start of each day shouldn’t be your only consideration. If you want to know how you can make the most out of your evening and ensure a better morning after, then read on.

Review the day

Planning your day ahead also means looking back at the one that’s just finished. Reflect on what you accomplished and what challenges you faced since you woke up, particularly in relation to your health and fitness goals. Did you drink enough water? Was your lunch lacking protein? Did you take the stairs instead of the lift? Think of this as guilt-free exercise to simply take stock of your day. There’s no need to mentally beat yourself up if you think you made a mistake. Use your positive insights to bolster yourself and the less than positive ones to make a more solid plan for the next day.

Early to bed

How can you tell when’s the perfect time for going to bed? We’re supposed to get eight hours of sleep, so if you need to be up by 6 a.m., then you should be in bed so that you are asleep by 10 p.m. the night before. You could be under the blankets on the dot, but that doesn’t mean you’re completely asleep. In fact, it takes 30 to 60 minutes for our brains to fully relax and allow sleep to set in. This is why some people have difficulty falling asleep. If you’re one of those, try to see exactly how long it takes for you to doze off. It takes the average person 14 minutes to get to sleep once relaxed in bed. You then should be able to figure out your own perfect bedtime.

Mindful eating

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Should you eat after 6 p.m.? Stay off late-night snacking? There’s plenty of debate surrounding eating at night, especially when you’re about to go to sleep. For some people, a light, hot snack can make them feel ready for bed, while others cope with digestive issues. There’s no simple answer to nighttime eating. Follow your body’s signals. This means being mindful of when you’re hungry and when you’re full.

Setting an intention

Once you’ve gone over the day, think about how you want the next day to be. Note what’s the most important thing for you tomorrow. This shouldn’t just be limited to diet and exercise. Maybe you want to catch up with an old friend, finish a report early at work or spend 30 minutes less on your phone.

How To Deal With Sugar Withdrawal

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You may not be aware of it, but you are addicted to sugar. Even if you don’t have a huge sweet tooth, you’d be surprised to learn just how much sugar your system consumes daily through various foods and drinks. It’s not just about sweet stuff you get from desserts and pastries, you can get sugar even from the (seemingly) healthiest food sources. Some surprising sources of added sugar are bread (even whole grain), salad dressing, yoghurt, pasta sauce, sauces, canned and frozen fruit, and nut butters.

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Sugar addiction, though, is very real and has debilitating consequences, both physically and mentally. Cravings, irritability, mood swings, flu-like symptoms, aches, fatigue and general malaise are just some of the motions one can go through upon completely quitting sugar. Some studies have even observed that sugar withdrawal and impulsive behaviour are linked.

According to experts, sugar can act like a drug in the body and building a dependence will lead to strong symptoms when the withdrawal begins. Like drugs, sugar can spike the release of the neurotransmitter dopamine, which can bring about feelings of pleasure. Eventually, the brain becomes tolerant and needs increased dosage to attain a “sugar high.” If you feel like you’ve become much too reliant on sugar to feel good, there are some practical ways to combat this along with speaking to a doctor.

Go cold turkey

First, you need to learn how to quit sugar. Like any addiction, there’s no better way of quitting than by quitting completely. Simply reducing one’s sugar intake risks bending the rules. This doesn’t have to mean forever, though. Start out with three full days of no sugar and see how it goes from there. The first three days are usually the most grueling when it comes to eradicating an addiction. Also, be aware of hidden sources of sugar, like fruit and dairy. Other sweet sources that don’t appear to be sugar, but really are, include: corn syrup, maltose, fructose, dextrose, molasses, agave, brown rice syrup, cane sugar, cane syrup, and evaporated cane juice. Also, be aware of eating out at restaurants. You will need to be very selective as to what you order.

Combat cravings

Prepare for urges by stocking up on foods that can fight off your need for sugar. Spicy, savoury food can actually help with this. Load up your dishes with herbs and spices as well as onion, garlic and lime. Vanilla extract, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and cardamom are great, flavourful additions to any drink or dish. These bright and bold flavours can ease your body’s worries that all that it’s consuming is bland, terrible food. Keep yourself energised through healthy fats, such as avocado and nuts. Lean protein like eggs, turkey and legumes will also aid in preventing the rise of blood sugar levels, which leads to those sugar cravings.

Switch to natural sugars

Slowly but surely, you can incorporate sweet stuff into your diet, but this time you should stick to natural sugars. A serving or two of an apple or banana can help you ease back into the swing of things. If you previously enjoyed flavoured yoghurt with bits of fruit in them, go for plain full-fat yoghurt instead. Avoid artificial or chemical sweeteners like Splenda, because you’d simply crave more afterwards. Eventually, the withdrawal symptoms should ease and your body will get used to natural sugar only.

How to Get Picky Eaters to Eat Healthy

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Are you a parent struggling to get your kid to eat healthy? Picky eaters in any household can be a headache, for both child and adult. Some kids don’t like certain tastes and textures or they simply refuse to try anything new. At dinner time, it can be exhausting to get them to eat their veggies and you probably just want to give in and give them fried chicken. To avoid stress for you and the child and to make meal time fun again, here are some steps you can consider.

Don’t just say, do

Sure, you’re telling your child to finish his veggies but are you doing the same? Children are more observant than adults give them credit. They see and pick up our own habits towards food. Are you eating foods rich in fibre? Hydrating enough? Complaining about weight gain? If you want to fix your kid’s attitude towards healthy eating, make sure you’re doing the same for yourself.

Start small

Get your child acquainted with new, healthy foods at a gradual pace. It’s not like you can serve your kid a bowl of kale salad and fully expect them to give it their stamp of approval. Quite literally, try “Tiny Tastes.” This is a tasting game in which children try small bites of foods they don’t normally like and they receive stickers for it. After a nibble or two, they’ll get used to these foods and soon, even like it. It takes a lot of patience, but you and your kid will get there.

Sweet veggies

Is your child ready to try arugula? Are you? If vegetables are not regular meal components, you can start out with sweeter and starchier vegetables and save the bitter greens for later. Some great examples are potatoes, corn, carrots, peas and sweet potatoes. Offer up a small serving at meals and soon, they’ll be ready to level up to bitter veggies.

Get sneaky

Body Transformation ChallengeThis method is also helpful for adults who are picky eaters. It’s not as helpful or as honest as genuinely getting picky eaters to try out new, healthy foods, but it could be good way to get things started. Sneak vegetables and other healthy foods into favourite dishes, such as making a vegetable puree and adding into other foods.

Dips and sauces

Not a fan of fruits? Maybe some apple slices with nut butter could make snack time easier. Dips, sauces, dressings and toppings can seem to magically turn the most boring of foods into something fun and delicious. Broccoli with melted cheese, green beans with bacon and carrots with hummus are just some simple, but tasty ideas you could try out. Soon after, you’ll be able to get picky eaters to enjoy them without these additions.

Involvement

Get those picky eaters involved in the kitchen. Kids especially get motivation when they feel like they’re involved. It also serves as extra family bonding time. They can do something as simple as stirring, sorting or washing. When they see the healthy meal they’ve helped to prepare, they might just be excited enough to eat it.

Are All Sugars Bad For You?

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You’ve made the promise time and time again to cut back on your sugar intake, to swear off soft drinks and save that slice of cake for your cheat day. Sugar has always been the bad guy for anyone attempting a dietary change, but why? Surely our bodies could benefit from a little sugar, right? Moreover, where else can sugar be found aside from sweets and confectionary?

Sugar is a carbohydrate and carbs, despite their bad rep, play a role in a healthy, balanced diet. However, not all sugars are the same. Common sugars are sucrose, fructose and lactose, containing only one or two sugar molecules. Starch and fibre are complex carbohydrates, made up of hundreds of sugar molecules. Sugars and simple starches are easily digested by the body, but sugars that cause a rapid spike in blood sugar levels and are often considered “bad sugars.”

During digestion, these sugars and simple starches are processed into glucose, which is your body’s primary source of energy. Most dietitians recommend at least 130 grams of daily carbohydrates, along with 38 grams of fibre for men and 25 grams of fibre for women.

Weight loss kenmoreSimple sugars can be naturally found in fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and whole grains. These can pack a range of vitamins, minerals, proteins, and fibre. Fibre is vital since it slows down and moderates the absorption and impact of sugar. Meanwhile, all the beneficial vitamins and sugars in added sugars will typically have been refined away. Again, balance is key. If added sugars can’t be avoided, counter it with fibre and other nutrients.

Aside from weight gain, bad sugars also increase the development of Type 2 diabetes and heart disease. Bad sugars are essentially empty calories. In a 355 ml can of generic soft drink, there are about 33 grams or 8 teaspoons of sugar, which is 128 calories. Counting calories aside, when sugar enters your bloodstream, your pancreas releases insulin, which enables sugar to move into cells and be stored as fat. Extra sugar also causes an increase in triglycerides, which contributes to cardiovascular disease.

It’s important to keep an eye out for seemingly healthy foods and drinks with added sugars. In many ways, fruit juices, for example, aren’t any healthier than soft drinks. In fact, they can be worse. The sugar in fruit juice is fructose which can stress the liver as well as possibly cause greater weight gain than glucose. Also, added sugar winds up in a lot of unexpected places, like soup and pizza.

So, what are some acceptable and natural sources of sugar? You can indulge in fruits like apples, avocado, bananas, dates, grapes, grapefruit, lemons, limes, oranges, and pears. Vegetables are great such as artichokes, asparagus, beets, bell peppers, cabbages, carrots, cauliflower, celery, brussel sprouts, corn, cucumber, eggplant, lettuce, kale, mushrooms, onions, and spinach. Don’t be fearful of starches like beans, whole grain bread, oatmeal, peas, quinoa, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, squash, and turnips. For snack time, reach for rice cakes, plain yogurt or nuts.

Caffeine Alternatives to Perk You Up

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A hot cup of coffee can sometimes be the best reason to wake up in the morning. However, for some people, highly caffeinated beverages are not an option, particularly those derived from coffee beans. Physiologically, caffeine’s short-term effects are stimulating the brain and spinal cord. While many get their needed rush from coffee, others experience dizziness, anxiety and acid reflux. Bean-derived caffeine has also been found to be addictive and withdrawal symptoms include headaches and fatigue.

You also need to be aware of synthetically produced caffeine, which can be found in energy drinks and powders. Synthetic caffeine works faster, but also has a quicker crash. Being synthetically produced, it lacks the plant-based vitamins and nutrients found in caffeine found in cocoa and coffee plants. These energy products may also use other, cheaper substances, like sugar, to mimic the effects of caffeine.

Nutrition for Weight LossIt’s true that consuming caffeine has many benefits, such as increased metabolic rate, improved physical coordination, and even reducing the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Although, caffeine has its risks, like sleep deprivation, which could lead to cardiovascular and brain function issues. Other problems include vasoconstriction, heart palpitations, gastric distress and urinary problems. Coffee beverages causes the stomach to produce hydrochloric acid to aid in the digestion of the coffee. On an empty stomach, this acid can cause problems from discomfort to ulcer.

If you’re ready to move on from caffeine–natural or otherwise–there are plenty of options that you can try out to get your energy fix.

Green tea

In the morning, brew a cup of green tea instead of your usual cup of coffee. Green tea has slightly less caffeine and has powerful antioxidants and potent disease fighters.

Nutty smoothies

Nuts are high in protein and fiber and can help elevate blood sugar levels. Give yourself energy in the morning or mid-afternoon with a smoothie of cashew milk, protein powder and nut butter.

Ginseng

Derived from the ginseng root, this can increase blood flow, reduce stress and has a stimulating effect. You can take ginseng as a tea. Set off the bitterness with a bit of honey.

Gingko Biloba

This herbal extract boosts blood flow to the brain and extremities and is used to treat asthma and other circulatory diseases. You will find this can come as a capsule, tincture or tea.

Wheatgrass juice

Wheatgrass is easily digestible, making it an energising drink. It also comes with plenty of essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients.

Lemon water and a B12

A glass of water infused with lemon with a B12 is a simple but effective way to get your body going for the day ahead. Infused water makes it a great antioxidant. Meanwhile, B12 provides mental clarity, energy enhancement and melatonin production (for healthier sleep cycles).

Apples

Fructose from a fresh apple will get your body to produce energy and the act of chewing opens up neural and muscle pathways.

Sources: https://ubiquinol.org/blog/caffeine-good-bad-alternatives

https://www.fitday.com/fitness-articles/nutrition/healthy-eating/5-caffeine-substitution-ideas.html

https://www.shape.com/healthy-eating/healthy-drinks/15-creative-alternatives-coffee

Why So Many Diets?

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You’ve just decided you want to go on a diet and you tell yourself you’ll stick to it this time. But a after few minutes of browsing online, you’ve become overwhelmed by all of the different diets you’re supposed to (or think you’re supposed to) go on. The first question to ask is why are you going on a diet? What do you need to take out as well as add to your daily food intake and how will these changes affect your body? Most people’s answer would be their goal is to lose weight. The next question is, which diet is best for you?

If you want to be one of those who have found genuine results through a new diet, there are a few things you must know as to why diets “work.” First of all, diets have clear rules. This requires a change in both your caloric and nutritional intake. You will also have to make some changes beyond your body, like cleaning out foods going against your dietary guides. Lastly, you will also need to modify your behaviour. The latter has been found to be highly important. A heightened self-awareness allows you to make more informed and effective choices, whether it’s taking the time to read ingredients and nutritional facts when grocery shopping or passing on a sugary midnight snack.

Personal Training near meWhat about failed diets? Why do so many people falter? The reasons why people fail on diets include that they’re unrealistic, unscientific or too drastic. The person may also not be complementing the new diet with other lifestyle changes like more sleep and regular exercise. Some people also lack a support system of friends or family who can keep them in check and are aware of their new dietary needs.

Not every diet will work for everyone. Sure, there are plenty that have devout followers, but it’s important to know which ones are backed by research. Diets are usually seen as a “quick fix” targeting weight loss, but the reality is that an actual dietary change takes knowledge, time and commitment. There is also the misconception that going on a diet means cutting down calories (essentially starving yourself) or going on a “cleanse.” Either way, it’s best to consult with a medical professional or a dietician if you are serious about going on some form of diet, whether it’s low carb, high-carb, vegetarian, vegan, pescetarian, dairy-free, gluten-free, paleo, and so on.

Health enthusiasts and scientists agree there is no one specific diet you should adhere to. There is no “best” or “most effective” diet for everybody. You can read a compelling argument for the ketogenic diet now, but then read an equally stirring article on veganism the next. Research shows the habits of people who successfully lose weight are those who restrict their calorie intake, stay away from high-fat foods, watch their portion sizes, and exercise regularly at varying degrees of intensity. These people also tend to eat breakfast and add diversity to their meals.

Overall, losing weight and maintaining your ideal weight can seem intimidating, mainly due to the impossible standards society has up to measure one’s success. It is recommended that quick diets are a no go, but rather committing instead to long-term lifestyle changes.