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Category Archives: Nutrition
Top Non-Animal Protein Sources
Top Non-Animal Protein Sources
Protein…..minus the meat!
Build your muscles and live a better life. Many of us rely on animal protein: beef, chicken, pork, lamb, fish etc for our protein intake.
These are some non-animal protein options which you can incorporate into your meals without worrying about your calories and heart health too much.
Meat is notoriously high in calories, cholesterol, and saturated fat. Plant proteins are easier on your gut processes.
In terms of components, there is no difference between animal and plant proteins.They are both made up of amino acids, and they both contain the same 22 amino acids.
As long as you eat a variety of foods, you are bound to get all of the essential amino acids you need.
There is no need to get all amino acids during the same meal. So, you don’t have to worry about complex protein combinations to get all your amino acids. Just eat a variety of food throughout the day and you’ll be fine.
Food Serving Sizes
We’re all so accustomed to just using scoops and visual estimations. Feel free to experiment on these portion sizes and increase/decrease a little should you need to, based on your required nourishment for your body.
Your body is a finely tuned vehicle. Fuel it well, and it will take you places.
Losing Weight With Sound Nutrition
If you are trying to put on muscle mass without putting on fat, here are some tips on how to go about it.
- Add 2 calories per pound of body weight to your daily caloric intake.
- The added calories should be mostly protein and some complex carbohydrates (sweet potatoes etc), with no added fat calories.
- Spread these added calories equally among your 5 meals daily. For example, a 150-pound(70kg) person should add 300 calories per day to their diet; over 5 meals. This equals about 60 calorie increase per meal. With intense weight training, the additional 300 calories will result in a gain of approximately 1-2 pounds of added muscle a month.
General tips of nutrition for muscle mass gain include:
- Eliminate junk food.
Most fast food restaurants along with most pastries and processed foods contain high amounts of fat, sodium, and sugar (usually simple sugars). The consumption of these foods will do little for your energy, except promote a high then a low in your blood sugar levels. In addition, they offer high levels of fat, usually of the saturated type. and they quite often contain large amounts of water-retaining sodium (salt). None of these qualities are beneficial to any type of athlete. - Drink 8-10 glasses of water each day, or more.
This ensures that you replace lost fluids during exercise. Don’t wait till you are thirsty. By then, you are in a depleted state. Drink these glasses of water consistently throughout the day, not all at once. - Determine your daily protein requirements.
Proteins that include the essential amino acids, that your body does not manufacture, are of utmost importance.Protein powder provides a great means to obtaining additional quality protein. Remember, protein are best assimilated when accompanied by some carbohydrates. - Consume high fiber foods.
Not only does high fiber in your diet help in the reduction of cholesterol; it also makes fats less likely to be absorbed into your body. - Exercise!
You need to increase your lean body weight. The more lean weight you have, the more efficient your body moves and the higher your metabolism, even at rest. By increasing your lean body weight, your bones become more dense and your muscles, tendons and ligaments become stronger. The great side efffect of all this is that it’s easier to avoid getting fat. Remember, bigger muscles burn more calories than little ones!
To be the best athlete you can be, is to know how to train properly, how to rest and recuperate adequately, and know how to choose the right foods, how and when to eat them, and when supplements are needed.
Happy training!
Post-Workout Nutrition For Runners
How much nutrients should you be consuming after your run?
Do you know?
Firstly, you need to know how much carbohydrates that you need to replenish. For every pound of bodyweight, you will need 0.5grams of carbohydrates.
E.g. If you weigh 140 pounds, you need 70 grams (280 calories) of simple carbs within 30 minutes.
Once you have consumed your carbs, add in some quick-digesting protein so that your muscles will repair quicker. Within an hour, you will need to consume a meal with a carb-protein ratio of 4:1 so that your glycemic levels can improve and get back to normal levels.
Do note that the longer you run, the blend of protein and carbohydrates will differ. If you are running shorter routes (less than 20minutes), you won’t need that much proteins as compared to a long distance marathon runner.
Some ideas of meals post-workout are, grilled chicken avocado salad, smoked salmon and sweet potato mash and also a fruit salad after a beef-vege broth.
Pre-Workout Nutrition for Runners
“What should I eat before my run?”
This is one of the most frequent questions that have been posed to me.
The base of advice is this: carbohydrates are meant to provide energy and fuel to last you throughout your run. You will need to consume some amount of carbs for that reason. Consume sweet potatoes, fruit or even an energy bar.
Stay away from foods high in fat and fiber. Both digests slower and this causes the energy transfer to the muscles to be slower, thereby your stomach is still “filled up”. During the digestion period, the body will focus blood flow to the intestines. But during your training time, the blood will disperse out to the muscles which need the energy.
A few of the best pre-runs combinations that work:
- 1 banana + some almond butter
- 1 small sized apple + a slice of bread with a few slices of avocado and honey
- 1 medium sweet potato with peanut butter and cherry jam.
Consume them at least 45mins to 1-hour before your run. Tweak some of the items as preferred e.g. raisins or cranberries instead of cherry jam.
Be creative and use your imagination!
Banana & almond butter
Apple with bread and avocado
Sweet potato with peanut butter and cherry jam
Why Black Coffee?
I am an avid fan of coffee. I prefer mine black. As it is. No sugar. No milk.
Most of the time, I’ll choose a Long Black over either an Americano, or Espresso. I do realize there will be more water content in the LB or Americano, but I guess that’s how I prefer it. Espresso can be pretty strong on the palate.
Black coffee has many benefits:
- Coffee has many antioxidants with protective benefits. Among the benefits are protection against inflammation, reduction of heart disease and Parkinson’s disease.
- Its caffeine content will help you get your heart rate up, especially before an exercise or training session. Just one cup folks. Avoid from going the extra mile on this one! A safe figure is between 200-300mg. A cup of 7oz coffee contains 85-135mg of caffeine.
- Caffeine also stimulates the central nervous system that raises the metabolic rate and increases the oxidation of fatty acids.
For now, just sit back, enjoy your cuppa, and read a good book!
Feeling Hungry?
Do you feel hungry even after a huge meal? Do you find yourself snacking on tidbits, biscuits or even chips?
Well, you may be thirsty instead of hungry!
Sometimes you would have eaten too much food, and didn’t drink enough water to accompany your meal. This usually happens during buffets and company functions where food is abundant and alcohol is free flowing!
Another reason for feeling hungry is that you didn’t consume enough protein and fat in your meal. Protein and fat are harder to break down, hence it takes longer duration for the food to pass through the digestive system. The intestines will also be processing the food to absorb all nutrients needed for the body.
So the next time you feel hungry, try drinking a glass of water! It will dissipate your hunger pangs!
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Lyn Kong 