CategoriesNutrition

6 Nutrition Tips to Follow When You Don’t Want to Count Calories

There are many things I’d rather do than spend my days meticulously counting calories. I understand its importance given certain individual’s goals. Whether it’s to shed “x” pounds of fat or maybe for health related reasons, counting calories is often a necessity for some people.

That said, speaking personally, and in no specific order, I’d rather…

  • Talk about me feelings
  • Get a face tattoo
  • Attend another parent’s kid’s clarinet recital

…than count calories.

My feelings and preferences don’t matter much in this scenario, however.  Today’s guest post by Toronto based coach and nutritional practitioner, Marc Capistrano, helps to shed some light and offer a few bonafide nuggets of practical advice for those who are kinda in the same boat as myself, but would rather refrain from the face tattoo.

Enjoy!

Copyright: dolgachov / 123RF Stock Photo

6 Nutrition Tips to Follow When You Don’t Want to Count Calories

If you’ve ever been around a group of people talking about nutrition, then you’ve probably found yourself caught in the middle of a debate between the macros crowd (people who count macros and calories) and the “every other diet in the world” crowd.

Here’s what a typical argument in the gym locker room probably sounds like:

Bro #1: “Bro, in order to get ripped, you need to go keto, cut carbs, then at night go vegan.”

Bro#2: “Bro, it doesn’t matter what you eat, as long as you’re in a caloric deficit.”

Bro #1: Bro.

From a macros standpoint, the idea is that whether you’re following a keto, low carb, paleo or dim sum diet, you’re basically manipulating macros that either put you in a caloric deficit or surplus.

This is the foundation of weight loss and weight gain.

There’s definitely more to this statement (including food quality, digestion, and hormonal profile), but for the purposes of this post, let’s just stick with the basics and agree that counting macros is the most sustainable (depending on who you talk to) and precise way of gaining or losing weight.

However, what if you find weighing your food time consuming and you’re simply looking for a set of habits that keep caloric intake modest without having to carry your food scale with you everywhere you go.

 

The thing is, there are a lot of us that don’t want to spend our time counting calories and weighing our food.

With that being said, here are a couple of rules to implement that can naturally keep your caloric intake modest and consistent.

1. Prioritize Protein and Vegetables

The good thing about protein and vegetables is that it’s hard to overeat on these foods.

For the majority of us, we can all agree that it’s harder to overeat on a steak and some veggies than it is with a bowl of pasta or pizza. Not only does protein and veggies offer more volume of food without a crazy amount of calories, but they also provide the body with amino acids and fiber (both essential to the body).

A general guideline is to eat about a palms size of protein at each plate along with 1-2 fists worth of veggies at each meal.

2. Lift Heavy Things

This is especially important to implement on days where you know you’re going to eat something heavy/calorically dense.

Movements like squats and deadlifts promote insulin sensitivity (this makes our body more efficient at utilizing carbohydrates when we eat them).

Regular exercise creates “more space” calorically.

Think about it like paying your credit card off before making another big purchase. If you’re really dedicated, try implementing your own routine before heavier meals.

Maybe 100 Kettlebell Swings before the buffet?

 

3. Let Your Activity Level Dictate Your Carbohydrate Intake

This rule is simple.

If you’re not as active on one day, then there’s no need for as many carbs.

I always think of carbs as an expensive fuel. When we need to run the body like a Ferrari (think high performance), then put the expensive fuel in. Otherwise running primarily on veggies, fat, and protein is as efficient as running the body like a hybrid car.

Disclaimer: There are a lot of benefits to increasing carbohydrate intake (especially from a recovery standpoint), so don’t think carbs are inherently bad, we just don’t need as many as people think (especially when activity levels don’t warrant it)

4. Make Alcohol and Refined Sugar a Luxury

I’m not suggesting you cut these foods out, but instead, make it worth it when you do consume these things.

That means instead of wasting your carbs on low-quality sugar during the week, opt to save your carbs for a time where you’re at a restaurant that’s known for their sourdough bread or pasta.

Another example is alcohol.

Instead of having a beer at home by yourself while watching 90-Day Fiancé and arguing with the TV, save it for a time when you’re out with friends and make alcohol an experiential thing.

The reason for this is that these things are easy to over-consume. Placing limitations on these things make it easier to keep intake moderate.

5. Drink More Water

This nutrition tip is an overused one, but it’s an important one.

Weight loss in relation to drinking more water works on a couple of levels.

Hydrating with water promotes more satiety; it’s essential to overall body metabolism function and it also supports your performance in the gym. A general rule thumb when buying an expensive double vacuum sealed water bottle is to buy three because you’re bound to lose the first two in one month (speaking from personal experience).

6. Sleep as Hard as You Train

Our metabolism determines how effective our body is at taking in and expending calories.

Someone needs to write a version FOR adults

Sleep is the process that up-regulates body metabolism along with many other hormonal processes. Sleep helps maintain fat-free body mass and can make fat loss difficult to achieve despite being in a caloric deficit.

Before You Troll Me…

Before the hate starts in the comments section, let’s make something clear.

These principles are not bulletproof.

Despite following all these rules, you can still screw things up as far as caloric intake goes. These rules simply provide some structure that provides you with a buffer from the effects of overeating. If you have specific body composition goals or are eating for performance, then I highly suggest you quantify your food by hitting specific macro and caloric goals.

Even if this isn’t something you want to do long term, there is still some benefit in having a rough idea of what food looks like calorically at each meal.

About the Author

Marc Capistrano is a Certified Nutritionist, fitness enthusiast, and content creator. He currently works out of downtown Toronto and maintains the Live It Holistic Nutrition blog. His work has been featured on CBC Life and Stack Magazine. As a University of Toronto graduate, he completed his BA and went on to achieve his Certified Nutritional Practitioner (CNP) designation in 2016. Marc is also a self-proclaimed buffet connoisseur and listener of Drake.

Website: www.liveitholistic.com

YouTube: HERE

Instagram: HERE

CategoriesNutrition

Why You Can’t Out Train a Poor Diet: A Simple Explanation

Intro From TG: Anyone who’s read Simon Sinek’s book Start With Why will understand the significance and power behind the word “WHY.”

Before you can get at the crux of the HOW of any situation or goal (I.e., how can Tony better remember to not leave dirty dishes in the sink every night?) you need to have a firm grasp of the WHY (because he wants a happy marriage, and so that his wife doesn’t murder him in his sleep).

We’ve all heard the phrase…

…”You can’t out-train a poor diet.”

But why?

Why can’t we?

Today’s guest post from Boston-based personal trainer, Patrick Jennings, should help shed some context.

Copyright: zahar2000 / 123RF Stock Photo

Why You Can’t Out-Train a Poor Diet

There are many sayings out there that hold merit within the health and wellness industry, one of which is the aforementioned ‘You cannot out train a bad diet’ and despite its popularity it’s often lacking the substance needed to drive home its importance.

When we exercise we place the body/ muscle under acute mechanical stress.

For example a squat (with adequate load and reps) will break down the muscle tissue with the overall goal of the muscle then adapting to the stress and being rebuilt better able to deal with the aforementioned stress (you get bigger, faster, stronger etc.)

In order for the muscle to adapt and grow it is a NECESSITY for it to have the adequate materials to build from.

You cannot expect someone to build a brick wall if all you provide is a handful of feathers, the same way you cannot expect a muscle to grow if you do not provide the necessary nutrients.

This is the exact reason why you can’t out train a bad diet.

I always tell my clients we are building a body you love not destroying one that you hate.

And with that in mind, we need to determine what does the thing I love need?

Day to day living coupled with an intelligent exercise program will require a diet that facilitates the energy requirements dictated by the body.

But what is a good or bad diet?

It can certainly be difficult to separate the truth from fiction and avoid information overload and paralysis by analysis. I have been told to avoid sugar, only eat fats, avoid fats, aspartame will make me grow horns and dairy will make me sexually attracted to cows!………

Note From TG: uhhhhhhhhh

What I believe is that a good diet adheres to the following fundamental principles:

  1. Balanced Kcal consumption appropriate to goals and individual.
  2. Inclusion of all macronutrients (albeit at varying percentages and preferences).
  3. Inclusion of all micronutrients.
  4. Consistency. 

(*The only exception to these rules are anomalies, rare conditions or allergies)

One dictates body composition/ weight adhering to the scientific principles of Energy balance, two and three form the foundation of ‘vitality/ energy’ whereas four determines level of success and longevity.

When I sit down to discuss ‘diets’ with clients I am not necessarily referring to protocols, approaches or even the type of food you eat, but more so the current total composition of everything consumed and how this fits into the four foundations mentioned above.

My goal as a coach is to improve the health and wellness of each client with weight loss, improved physical adaptations and psychological adaptations being a positive byproduct.

It must be understood that, yes, you can work out and not have your nutrition dialed in and see results, the same way you could travel 10 miles walking in a straight line for 3.5 hours or do indirect loops and circles and eventually get there in 10.

A bad diet just slows down progress and in some cases counteracts the hard work you may be doing in the gym where as an intelligent, manageable and appropriate diet can streamline the journey to desired results.

What will ultimately determine success is having a true understanding of how badly you want to get to your ‘destination’ or desired state and how you willing you are to focus for an extended period of time to get there?

About the Author

Patrick is the head coach at Boston Based CLIENTEL3 personal training studio. Patrick takes pride in his ability to talk to anyone about anything and takes this diverse approach into fitness coupling the fundemental principles of improving health with clients individual needs and preferences.
For more information find Patrick on Instagram @performancehealthandhappiness
Or email [email protected]“
CategoriesNutrition

Does Vegan Nutrition Make You a Better Athlete?

Humans are very tribal, and especially so when it comes to their nutritional preferences: Paleo vs. Keto vs. Vegan vs. Jets vs. Sharks vs. Decepticons.

It’s crazy out there.

In lieu of the release of his new book, Athletic Nutrition 101, regular TG.com contributor, Travis Hansen, sent me this fantastic blog post the other day I think you all will enjoy.

Copyright: saschanti17 / 123RF Stock Photo

Does Vegan Nutrition Make You a Better Athlete?

Before we dive in I want to make it clear that my sole intention with writing this objective article is to just be, you know…objective.

There is no denying that there are some profound emotional ties with various types of diets and nutritional approaches and although the information and science presented may trigger or ruffle up some feathers, please understand that is not my intent at all.

The purpose of this write-up is to simply look at some of the brief scientific literature as it pertains to proper vegan nutrition and its role on athletic performance outcomes to either confirm or disprove its credibility as a reliable dietary strategy for athletes.

That’s it.

I think it’s best to start by breaking down specific topics of discussion aimed at providing a conclusion into whether or not utilizing a vegan approach could support you or an athlete you train into becoming a better performer on the field or court.

Here are the most common areas of concern as far as the research is concerned on vegan nutrition and performance:

  • #1-Supplementation factors-Vitamin B12 deficiency
  • #2-Adequate protein intake
  • #3-Iron and Creatine levels

Supplementation Factors

Vitamins and Minerals are absolutely critical to so many biochemical reactions and functions in the human body.

Vitamins are stimulatory in nature and satisfy specific roles responsible for improved athletic performance measures, or a lack thereof. According to one study, supra or mega-doses of vitamins does not seem to have any increased benefit on sport performance.

“In general, vitamin supplementation to an athlete on a well-balanced diet has not been shown to improve performance. However, additional research with certain vitamins appears to be warranted, such as with the vitamin B complex and fine motor control, and with vitamin E and endurance at high altitudes. Moreover, research with mega-dose supplementation may also be necessary.” (1)

Unfortunately, there is some concern regarding a vegan approach and whether or not it can deliver proper doses of Vitamin B12 without supplementation.

“On the other hand, questions have been raised by some investigators regarding unique risks of the vegetarian diet, including oligomenorrhea and amenorrhea, iron deficiency, vitamin B12 deficiency, vitamin D deficiency, and impaired mineral status.” (2,3)

However, if athletes remove deficiencies and restore normal Vitamin B12 levels then there doesn’t seem to be an issue in terms of performance.

Adequate Protein Intake

The next issue deals with protein intake. This topic definitely seems to be the most detailed and alarming, but again, if

athletes supplement and consume adequate amounts of vegan protein sources they should be just fine.

Here is a short excerpt from my nutrition book that puts it into perspective and then afterwards I want to share some important information and a diagram you can check out from the infamous Boirie study which will help you appreciate why you need to attempt to overcompensate and consume more protein than normal to ensure an adequate anabolic muscle building response in the body.

“Adequate protein intake, although more perhaps difficult to come by for vegans vs. non vegans, does seem attainable to support proper athletic development.

For example, a study from van Vliet, 2015 found that plant protein is typically less anabolic than animal protein for several reasons. 132

Some include a reduced amount of essential amino acids, in particular Leucine. Greater excretion rates, proposed digestibility issues and more. However, the author did state that several strategies could be used to improve the anabolic response of a protein based meal primarily derived from plants. Including a higher variety of plant based protein sources, supplementing the amino acids leucine, lysine, and methionine, and eating greater amounts of plant based protein sources. Gorissen et. al agrees that compensating for reduced functional protein content by eating higher quantities of plant based protein is one way to go.133 “

So, the research clearly states that it is possible to ingest enough protein if you are a vegan, but you need to be particularly aware of the types of protein that you are consuming with a strong emphasis on getting in more than normal to overcompensate for any issues in amino acid content, increased removal of this type of protein, and digestive issues associated with vegan protein sources.

The amino acid Leucine is a key regulator in muscle growth via the MTOR pathway and lowered levels of this Branched Chain Amino Acid will cause reduced muscle growth levels, so you may need to supplement here if you are electing to be vegan.

Another issue that was brought to attention compliments of leading researcher Lyle Mcdonald, is the extremely poor digestion rate of vegan based protein sources.

According to the Boirie study chart, our digestive network has an absorption rate of 3.9 grams of Soy Isolate based protein per hour!

This is insanely low compared to meat based sources.

The unfortunate reality is that protein digestion rates are markedly slow to begin with and Soy based products compound this issue and make it even more difficult. Not to mention you have to be very concise with your vegan protein food combing selections if you aren’t consuming a vegan based protein supplement.

Here is another helpful excerpt from my book:

“Let’s first take a look at a limiting factor with regards to vegan based protein sources, comparative to animal based proteins dense with complete protein. When we eat meat, eggs, and other animal sources of protein then there is no need to fret about fulfilling a complete amino acid profile. Plant based sources, on the other hand, lack one essential amino acid and need to be complemented by another source to deliver all amino acids.

For example, plant based protein sources are often guilty of being unable to deliver a single amino acid known as the ‘limiting amino acid.’

“For example, grains’ limiting amino acid is lysine, but grains are high in the amino acid methionine. Therefore, grains match well with legumes, which are low in methionine but high in lysine.”

So greater consumption of complimentary proteins becomes essential to make sure that all potential deficiencies are accounted for, while also giving some extra supply of amino acid’s since plant based proteins are only 85% digestible, compare to animal sources which scale around 95%.” 2

And here are some combination strategies if you are going down the vegan path of nutrition to ensure you get a complete arsenal of amino acids to build all of your proteins….

Plant Based Meal Combo’s:

  • Stir fried vegetables and tofu over rice (soy and grains)
  • Vegetable chili with cornbread (legumes and grains)
  • Oatmeal with nuts and soy milk (grains, nuts, and soy)
  • Spinach salad with vegetables, garbanzo beans, and sunflower seeds (legumes and seeds)

Iron & Creatine Levels

The final concern for vegans trying to optimize their nutrition and athletic development deals with keeping Creatine and Iron levels.

As many of you already know, Creatine phosphate is the primary metabolic driver for literally any activity performed at or very near maximal intensities, and Iron is critical to any aerobic based activity.

But what about the upside to a vegan approach on performance?

This wasn’t directly mentioned in the research, but upon observation it’s obvious that vegan based diets contain higher levels of carbohydrates. This topic is another article series in itself, but if you are interested in how and why carbohydrates are essential for ANY athlete looking to perform better, here is a quick primer series below, and my book goes into even more detail if you are interested.

Vegan diets do a great job of prescribing the proper amounts and types of carbohydrates which many other nutritional approaches lack, so kudos to Vegans on this front!

1. 5 Scientific Reasons to Eat Carbs – HERE

2. 5 More Scientific Reasons to Eat Carbs – HERE

3. Even More Reasons Why Athletes Should Eat Carbs – HERE

Final Thoughts

In closing, there is no magic cure for nutrition for any athlete.

Rather there is a broad range of diets you can experiment with and see how you and your performance responds.

A vegan approach, although more difficult for the few reasons I mentioned above, does seem to work, contrary to what many people say. Also keep in mind that there are indeed absolutes that need to be considered when it comes to nutrition, and once you begin to learn and understand these timeless principles it will make you and your athletes life much easier.

For example, overall energy intake regulates so much of our metabolic system and needs to be set at certain levels for proper functioning. Researchers have dialed down precisely how much protein our body’s can assimilate per meal and per day along with governors in our body that have been developed in the liver and through fullness responses. There are different ways to go about nutrition and some subtle differences between individuals, but then again there seems to be FAR more similarities and that helps simplify the topic to a high degree.

Athletic Nutrition 101

To pick up a copy of Travis’ book, which is priced at a steal given the amount of information he provides and the depth at which he goes into, you can go HERE.

Scientific References

#1-Williams, MH. Vitamin Supplementation and Athletic Performance. Int J Vitam Nutr Res Suppl, 30: 163-191, 1989.

#2-Barr, Susan I, and Candice A Rideout. “Nutritional Considerations for Vegetarian Athletes.”Nutrition, vol. 20, no. 7-8, 2004, pp. 696–703., doi:10.1016/j.nut.2004.04.015.

#3- https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12534-009-0017-y

#4- https://bodyrecomposition.com/nutrition/what-are-good-sources-of-protein-speed-of-digestion-part-2.html/

CategoriesFat Loss Nutrition

5 Reasons Your Fat Loss Has Stalled in 2019

We’re smack dab in the middle of that time of year where people start to falter on their New Year’s resolutions. It’s okay, you’re certainly not the only one and there’s no need to be too hard on yourself.

Fat loss can be tricky, and oftentimes what derails many people are simple “things” they may be oblivious to. My buddy, P.J. Striet, who’s a fantastic fat loss coach, was kind enough to contribute today’s guest post.

Enjoy.

Copyright: klenova / 123RF Stock Photo

5 Reasons Your Fat Loss Has Stalled in 2019

I know: you vowed and resolved to get all “shredsville” come January 1st.

If it’s working out for you thus far, fantastic…commence to kicking more ass.

But if you started out strong that 1st week or two of the new year, and now maybe things seem to be flaming out like season two of your favorite binge show you had such high hopes for, well…it’s no mystery as to why.

Here are FIVE likely culprits (for many it’s more than one as if one breaks down others seem to synergistically follow) and how to get back on the track to looking like Rambo or Linda Hamilton in Terminator 2.

#1: You Were Not in The Correct Caloric Deficit to Begin With

A common problem I see in New Year’s dieters (or frankly with anyone who decides to lose fat at any time) is that they take a qualitative approach. That’s a fancy way of saying they vow to “eat clean,” make better choices, exercise portion control, etc.

And hey that’s great.

That’s a positive step in the right direction for many.

However, the reality is…what gets measured gets managed.

While qualitative nutrition methods can work, I typically only see them working for a short while before someone stalls. It’s kind of a crap shoot: maybe you are in a caloric deficit on some days and on others maybe you are not. And over the course of time, you will eventually stall using the “I’m trying to eat cleaner/better” approach.

If you want to bake the best cookies, you don’t look at the box and say “Ok, I need eggs, milk sugar, oil” etc. and just start throwing random amounts of those in a bowl and mixing them up, hoping for a jaw dropping finished product. No, instead, you’d not only have the right ingredients, but you’d also measure out the ingredients-what the box calls for to get the best result-in the proper amounts.

So, if your fat loss has already started to sputter out into the new year, you may want to consider moving towards a more quantified approach.

That means setting calories somewhere between 10-12 calories/lb. of body weight, making sure protein is where it needs to be (.8-1g/lb. of bodyweight), and drawing up a meal plan for yourself which fits that mold. I can virtually guarantee you’ll start moving again.

#2: You Have A Concrete Meal Plan but Your Compliance Sucks Dog Ass

Shock-A-Khan alert: having a perfect, macro-optimized meal plan on paper means little if it’s not implemented and followed. For whatever reason, that’s a difficult thing for people to wrap their heads around but I digress.

In my experience in working with hundreds of fat loss hungry clients over 20 years, compliance to a plan has to be 90%+.

That’s the result getting range.

Fall into the 70’s or 80’s?

Expect maintenance (at best) or a little regression.

Fall below that?

Well…I don’t think I have to tell you and won’t insult your intelligence (although many are dumbfounded as to why they are not dropping doing things half the time, but, once again…I digress).

via GIPHY

Many will say “that’s just too regimented and stringent…that just doesn’t fit into my lifestyle!” Well, sorry: It is what’s required. If you want the prize, you have to do what’s necessary. Your prior lifestyle put you in a bad spot-to a point where you wanted to change and lean up-so you can’t really expect things to mesh with YOUR lifestyle…not logically.

This is now your new lifestyle.

Beyond that, 10% or so of the time, you can loosen it up a bit.

Let’s put that in perspective.

If you eat four times a day, 365 days/year, that means you can be off your plan 146 times per year and still get some great results.

That’s hardly dietary prison.

It’s just the lifestyle.

And, again, if getting leaner and losing fat (and then maintaining it) is something you say you want to do, then you can hardly moan about what it entails. You are not being forced. It’s a choice.

#3: Your Preparation Is “No Bueno”

This goes hand-in-hand with point #2.

Preparation drives compliance and compliance drives results. If your prep isn’t up to snuff, the entire thing falls apart.

Yes, meal prep is a big component of this.

There is no “ideal” way to meal prep, and different strategies work for different people based on life circumstances. Some bulk prep for the entire week. Others bulk prep for a few days or bulk prep only certain items (like cooked meats) for a few days and then do it again mid-week. Some people bulk prep some items for the entire week and prep “on the spot” for other foods. Some people do a hybrid of all what I just listed.

No matter what you do or how you choose to do it…you need to DO IT!

 

Preparation also means getting in your calendar (Sunday IS A GOOD DAY FOR THIS 🙂 and trouble-shooting the week ahead, identifying potential roadblocks, and, MOST IMPORTANTLY, plotting out your desired off plan meals/special occasions (TRUE special occasions…NOT “Wine Wednesday”).

Get in your meal adherence tracker (there are several online or just create one in excel or google sheets)) and mark it all off ahead of time, to include your pre-determined off plan meals.

I tell my coaching clients to mark every meal off for the week as 100% compliant and then back track, plotting out when they might be or want to be off plan while staying within the result getting range of compliance (90%+). Then you have the entire week laid out in front of you and you expect success.

It’s on paper.

It’s then just a matter of doing what you said you’d do and honoring the contract you made with yourself.

#4: You Are Getting Caught with Your Hand in The Cookie Jar (Extras)

If you have a sound, quantified meal plan, are following it with a high degree of compliance, are prepared…but your fat loss is stalling, or you are regressing…you might want to be honest with yourself about the extras.

The bites.

The licks.

The spoon fulls.

The hand fulls.

The four glasses of wine you forgot about last week.

The two times you finished up your kids’ uneaten chicken tenders or mac and cheese.

Just understand, a little of this + a little of this + a little of this will eventually not be so insignificant anymore and can either drastically reduce or wipe out the caloric deficit you are in on paper. I can’t tell you the number of times I’ve had to dive deep with clients who are reporting 100% compliance to a plan which has them in a large deficit but are either consistently stalling or regressing (because it’s rarely physiologically possible for that to be happening). When I start to ask them if “maybe they forgot about some things”, the vast majority of the time, well, they have.

If this is “you” …clean it up.

#5: Your Off-Plan/”Cheat” Meals Are Outrageous

As I said above, there is room for deviations from your meal plan (10% or so) while still getting great fat loss results.

That said, if your off-plan or “cheat” (and hey you are only cheating yourself) meals leave you feeling and looking like that guy Kevin Spacey fed to death in the movie Se7en…waaaaayyyyy too much.

“But I only had two cheat meals last week!” is a common thing I’ve heard from clients over the years.

When I ask them what those entailed, Joey Chestnut would have been appalled.

You can, in fact, derail all your weekly progress in a meal or two (typically on the weekends).

It’s really not that hard.

So, if you are going to be off your plan (and you can), it needs to be kept mindful. You need to act like and eat like an adult. You can’t look at these meals as a reward (are you a dog?) or an opportunity to “get it all in”.

That’s disordered, low-achiever thinking.

Wrap Up

So, after all that, if your New Year’s attack on fat isn’t going quite as you’d enthusiastically hoped for on January 1st…where are you falling short? It’s one or more of the above…trust me. Be honest and introspective with yourself and course correct.

If you don’t, you’ll be back again January 1st, 2020 vowing to do the same deal, and this whole thing stays on repeat like a bad Spotify workout playlist.

About the Author

P.J. Striet is a 20+ fitness industry veteran and the owner of Revive Fitness Systems LLC, an online coaching company solely dedicated to helping the general adult population meet their fat loss goals. His work has been featured in the likes of Shape, Women’s Health, Men’s Health, Men’s Fitness, Vanity Fair, and he has also contributed to several popular fitness industry books, in addition to authoring his own, The 60-Second Sweat.

You can find out more about him and his services at www.revivefitnesssystems.com or on his IG HERE.

CategoriesNutrition

Plant Protein Paradox

It was a pleasant surprise to have an email waiting for me this morning from Dr. Mike T. Nelson asking if I’d be interesting in posting this article up on my website?

“Does He-Man give zero shits about rocking a bowl cut?”

Of course I’d be interested.

The animal protein vs. plant-based protein debate is alive and well. Thankfully we have smart, sane, and subjective researchers in the field like Dr. Nelson to hand us the facts so we can make more informed decisions.

Enjoy!

Copyright: yelenayemchuk / 123RF Stock Photo

Plant Protein Paradox

Plant proteins are all the rage now, but should you drop all your meat consumption to save the planet at the expense of your biceps? Is there any data to prop up the idea that eating more plants helps the earth?

Hang on to your propeller hat for a short trip down the nerd chute to see if the environmental concerns have weight and how plant proteins stack up.

I don’t trust thez gunZ to plants only

Plant proteins have become more popular recently in part due to environmental concerns or ethical concerns (1, 2).  Environmental research is not my main wheelhouse, however I can read research.

Pimentel et al. in 2003 (3) analyzed the of land and energy resources devoted to an average meat-based diet compared with a lactoovovegetarian (plant-based) diet. Both diets contained the same number of calories at 3,533 kcal per person.   According to their analysis:

“The meat-based food system requires more energy, land, and water resources than the lactoovovegetarian diet. In this limited sense, the lactoovovegetarian diet is more sustainable than the average American meat-based diet.” (3).

Meat-eaters = do not pass Go and collect 200 colones (about 33 cents).

In the USA, Europe and Australia, meat and dairy provide about 80% of the daily protein intake compared to Africa where as little as 7 g of meat and 4 g of milk are consumed per capita (4).

I hear your biceps shrieking in terror from here.

In an analysis from Scarborough et al., in 2014 (1), the researchers found that greenhouse gas emission in self-selected meat-eaters was about twice as high as those in vegans. They concluded that reductions in meat consumption could lead to reductions in green house gas emissions.

Meat-eaters 0, plant people 2.

Editor’s note: Tony here, if you want to know my true thoughts on kale, go HERE.

While the above around two selections, a reduction in the consumption of meat proteins may provide an advantage for the environment; but can they provide the same physiologic response in MPS (muscle protein synthesis – aka stuffing those amino acids into your muscles to make them bigger and stronger)?

Will Tony’s biceps become baby biceps?

Science Bitches

A study by Yang et al. (5) compared the effects of whey and soy protein in older men (age 71 +/- 5 years). The subjects completed a single-leg extension exercise before taking either no protein (eeeek) or 20 grams of soy protein (sorry gonads).

The researchers sampled the men’s muscle tissue via biopsy to compare the results to the non-exercising leg. They found that consuming soy protein was better than nothing, but it did not match to the response of whey protein from previous studies (6).

Your friendly author here with Dr Jose Antonio

In another study (7), wheat protein was compared to dairy protein sources in healthy older men (average age: 71 ± 1 years old).

The subjects (n=60) were split into 5 groups where they consumed 35 g wheat protein, 35 g wheat protein hydrolysate, 35 g micellar casein, 35 g whey protein, or 60 g wheat protein hydrolysate.

Plasma and muscle samples were collected at regular intervals. They found that a 60-gram dose of wheat protein was needed to see the same MPS response as the lower dose of 35 grams of the dairy based proteins (7).

Take Away?

Even if you are using a wheat protein supplement, you need a piss ton of it to match the same acute muscle building effects as dairy based proteins. Only trying to get that much wheat via whole food sources bro?

Good luck and enjoy the masseter hypertrophy along with lower body mobility from the Wilford Brimley two-step time.

Chronic Data

I hear the Pubmed ninjas rising up from their war-torn keyboards in their Mom’s basement in a unionism cry:

“…but that is all acute data Mr. PhD Sciency pants – don’t you know that you need chronic data?”

In a chronic study from Joy et al (8), subjects were given either 48 grams of rice protein as a supplement or 48 grams of whey protein isolate after exercise. They did not see any difference between groups over 8 weeks at that dose (8).

This study provides data that while plant proteins tend to be inferior to dairy based proteins on a gram-for-gram basis, that difference in MPS can be equalized at a higher intake dose.

Summary (AKA: Too Long, Did Not Read)

In short, there is data that eating less meat may be better for Mother Earth.

Good news – if you are eating a plant protein you can up the dose (amount) to get similar effects as your meat based bro-tein consuming doooooode bro buddies with bulging biceps.

The downside is that it takes many larger serving sizes.

In the end, it is up to each person to decide their own cost/ benefits, but now you can make an informed decision without watching your biceps wither in the process.

About the Author

Mike T. Nelson, PhD, MSME, CSCS, CISSN, is a research fanatic who specializes in metabolic flexibility and heart rate variability, as well as an online trainer, adjunct professor, faculty member at the Carrick Institute, presenter, creator of the Flex Diet Cert, kiteboarder, and (somewhat incongruously) heavy-metal enthusiast.

You can find out more about him at his website at www.miketnelson.com

References (AKA: Pubmed Ninja Garlic)

  1. Scarborough P, Appleby PN, Mizdrak A, Briggs AD, Travis RC, Bradbury KE, et al. Dietary greenhouse gas emissions of meat-eaters, fish-eaters, vegetarians and vegans in the UK. Climatic change. 2014;125(2):179-92.
  2. Millward DJ, Garnett T. Plenary Lecture 3: Food and the planet: nutritional dilemmas of greenhouse gas emission reductions through reduced intakes of meat and dairy foods. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2010;69(1):103-18.
  3. Pimentel D, Pimentel M. Sustainability of meat-based and plant-based diets and the environment. Am J Clin Nutr. 2003;78(3 Suppl):660s-3s.
  4. Gorissen SHM, Witard OC. Characterising the muscle anabolic potential of dairy, meat and plant-based protein sources in older adults. The Proceedings of the Nutrition Society. 2018;77(1):20-31.
  5. Yang Y, Churchward-Venne TA, Burd NA, Breen L, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Myofibrillar protein synthesis following ingestion of soy protein isolate at rest and after resistance exercise in elderly men. Nutr Metab (Lond). 2012;9(1):57.
  6. Tang JE, Moore DR, Kujbida GW, Tarnopolsky MA, Phillips SM. Ingestion of whey hydrolysate, casein, or soy protein isolate: effects on mixed muscle protein synthesis at rest and following resistance exercise in young men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2009;107(3):987-92.
  7. Gorissen SH, Horstman AM, Franssen R, Crombag JJ, Langer H, Bierau J, et al. Ingestion of Wheat Protein Increases In Vivo Muscle Protein Synthesis Rates in Healthy Older Men in a Randomized Trial. The Journal of nutrition. 2016;146(9):1651-9.
  8. Joy JM, Lowery RP, Wilson JM, Purpura M, De Souza EO, Wilson SM, et al. The effects of 8 weeks of whey or rice protein supplementation on body composition and exercise performance. Nutrition journal. 2013;12:86.
CategoriesNutrition

Nutrient Timing Is Much Simpler Than You Think

There was a time in my life when what I ate (and when I ate it) ruled my clock. Now, granted, I wasn’t the guy bringing a cooler full of grilled chicken and asparagus to social gatherings, popping BCAA’s pills like candy, or injecting maltodextrin intravenously within 17 seconds of finishing my last set after a workout.

No, I didn’t take things to those extremes.

However I did place a lot of emphasis into my pre and post-workout nutrition, meticulously measuring my carbohydrate-to-protein ratios in an attempt to not turn into Christian Bale’s character from The Machinist.

Did it work? Sure.

Did it matter? Probably not.

In today’s guest post written by fitness trainer (and someone I hate because I am not nearly as handsome as he is), Michael Gregory, he explains how and why “nutrient timing” may not be as big of a deal as we’ve been led to believe.

Copyright: serezniy / 123RF Stock Photo

 

Nutrient Timing Is Much Simpler Than You Think

Here’s all you need to know about timing your nutrient intake:

At some point in time, you need to eat food, or you will die.

“Nutrient timing” is one of those things people love to nerd out on. But the truth is, the timing of food consumption doesn’t matter if you aren’t already doing a whole host of other things perfectly first.

Before ever wondering WHEN you should be eating your protein or carbs, it’s important to understand the amount of time food takes to digest in your body. On average, a meal takes 6-12 hours to get to the colon, and up to 40+ hours to be fully digested.

via GIPHY

With such a large window of time to play with, you may start to wonder how the timing of your meals affects your workouts. Essentially, if you eat anything within the six hours before your workout, it is somewhere in your system being actively absorbed while you are working out.

This is good news for the normal trainee. As long as you eat a meal comprised of adequate amounts of protein, carbohydrates, and fat sometime within the six hours before you workout, you will have fuel to support your training.

Why You Need Each Macro

Protein: Your body is literally built out of it. Stressors like exercise break the body down. This means that without a new supply of proteins running through your system, your body is breaking down and not repairing itself.

Carbohydrate: Carbs are what give us energy. Without them performance takes a nosedive. This is a fact. By fueling up with carbs for a workout, you elevate your work capacity and can make more gains in the gym.

Fat: Fats also give us energy, and our nervous system is composed of them. Fats make and balance our sex hormones and other crucial steroids that we need in order to function normally, they transport certain vitamins around our bodies that would otherwise just get excreted. With so many necessary functions for our bodies, fats are a vital part of our diets, and we certainly can’t perform optimally in the gym without them.

Regardless of current training status or experience, research has shown repeatedly that the number one most important dietary concern is total caloric intake with appropriate macronutrient ratios.

Just about everyone is deficient in some aspect of their diet, be it protein, fats, or some specific micronutrient.

If you are deficient in any aspect of your diet, nutritional timing will be a waste of your time.

The most common example of this I’ve seen are gym bros supplementing with protein pretty much constantly, but they haven’t touched a vegetable or a quality source of fat in a half decade. When your main food groups are protein, Red Bull, beer, and sugar it doesn’t matter when you drink that shaker cup of powder.

That’s the closest alligator to your boat. Shoot that dinosaur first.

But Wait; There’s A Catch

If you are 100% dedicated to hitting your nutrient targets and are trying to maximize gains, then you may fall into the very small portion of the population that can benefit from some nutrient timing-based practices.

Here are the categories of human in question:

  1. Endurance athletes who train multiple hours at a time
  2. Bodybuilders who train multiple hours and are trying to maximize body composition.
  3. Athletes in weight class-based sports who train multiple hours or multiple sessions and are trying to maximize body composition.
  4. Military athletes who train multiple hours or multiple sessions. (This often doesn’t get mentioned, but I come from that world and know what it’s like to cramp out in the middle of a 20 mile hike or watch someone slip into rhabdomyolysis.)

That’s four categories of 1%ers.

And this isn’t the rich kind. These are the apocalypse survivors: people who know what it means to accept struggle to accomplish a goal.

Again, notice that there are two major reasons that you would need to worry about nutrient timing strategies.

  1. If you are training multiple hours or multiple sessions in a day.
  2. If you are trying to maximize body composition.

Future Apocalypse Survivors

Congratulations, you are officially in the small pool of individuals who are ready to apply nutrient timing protocols to your workout schedule.

In three simple steps, here’s how it goes.

Step 1: Pre-Workout Nutrition

Consume a normal high protein meal with a solid source of starch or carbs, some good fat, and plenty of micronutrient-containing veggies 2-3 hours before your workout.

Protein before a workout, even hours before a workout, can help maintain and increase muscle size, reduce and prevent chronic muscle damage, and put plenty of amino acids in your bloodstream when your body is most apt to use them.

Carbs before your workout will fuel your training by putting glucose readily in your bloodstream and by topping off your muscle and liver glycogen stores. In addition, carbs stimulate insulin, which is good if you are consuming protein. Insulin prevents muscle protein breakdown and promotes muscle protein synthesis to help your muscles grow.

Fats, although they don’t seem to directly impact performance, do slow down digestion. This means you will have more energy longer because your body is slowly burning the fuel from the rest of your meal.
.
Bottom line: No need for fancy sports gels or drinks here!

Have a real whole food meal 2-3 hours before. You could also opt for an easier-to-digest shake with all the needed essentials.

Step 2: During-Workout Nutrition

Protein during a workout prevents muscles from breaking down and aids in quicker recovery. For people grinding out multiple hour runs or multiple workouts a day, this is imperative.

Carbs keep your energy substrate elevated during a workout. Once you deplete your glycogen stores, you need to refuel them to stay at a high level of performance for anaerobic activity. This is key if performance is a high priority for you.

Fats aren’t really necessary during training. Plus, they could hit your stomach like a ton of bricks. Stick to protein and carbs. Ensure you are getting your fats in your other meals of the day.

You’ll notice a sports drink here. The ONLY time you need one of these sugar bombs is when you are training like a maniac. Otherwise, it’s just destroying your teeth and body.

Step 3: Post-Workout Nutrition

A meal that looks pretty much just like your pre-workout meal is spot-on for post-workout nutrition, consumed within 2 hours after your workout.

Contrary to popular belief, you don’t have to throw a protein shake down your throat the minute you stop working out. Relax, go home, have a shower, cook a nice meal, and enjoy it.

You easily have up to 90 minutes, maybe even more, after a workout to get the nutrition your body requires.

Besides, the protein you ate before your workout is still peaking in your system. Having a full meal rather than a pure protein shake also helps slow down muscle protein synthesis, which is a good thing. It means your body will have more of a chance to get those amino acids from the protein to where they are needed most in your body.

Pre-workout and BCAAs

The bottom line on both of these is that they are unnecessary. In fact, I would go so far as to say that they are both a complete and total waste of your money.

There is little use for BCAAs, unless you are training fasted. But even then, whey protein is probably better.

Pre-workouts are one of the biggest scams in American History, right behind medical circumcisions. You would receive more pre-workout  benefit from flushing your money down the toilet and then subsequently unclogging the toilet (plunging a toilet is a full body workout.) The only “pre-workout” that is worth the money in my book is caffeine.

Everything else is false positives and fancy marketing.

NOTE From TG: CAFFEINE!!!!!! Ahhhhhhhhh.

Nutrition Timing Is Actually Quite Simple

Chances are the time of the day in which you eat a certain food item is not what needs to be fixed in your diet.

Late night carbs, the anabolic window, butter coffee, second breakfast are means to an end if they work for you. Maybe you need help putting on weight or getting adequate protein, then these methods may help in various ways.

Only if you’re a hobbit trying to put on some mass.Just remember, your body is not some precise state of the art machine that will self-destruct if one microchip is a nanosecond out of time. Your body is the result of millions of years of evolution, in which there was no guarantee of a fresh Brontosaurus steak within 20 minutes of running from a pack of Velociraptors.

In 99.9% of clients I’ve personally worked with timing related eating tactics have functioned merely as methods to get people to eat more or less of certain foods, not because some eating protocol is actually optimal for your body.

About the Author

Michael Gregory is a fitness professional and former U.S. Marine Captain who helps weekend warriors and fit pros get ready for their next challenge be that a fight, an intense military school, or beach season. You can find him in the real world on a wave in Bali or eating a cheesesteak in Philly. For more by Michael check out his Instagram @composurefitness, or his website www.composurefitness.com.

 

CategoriesNutrition

My Take On the Keto Craze

I know I may regret doing this, but here it goes.

Lets talk about “Keto.” Or, the Ketogenic Diet.

It is E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E of late and it seems you can’t have a ten minute conversation with anyone, or walk more than a city block, before it casually comes up.

It goes something like this:

“Hi.”

“Hi.”

“Man, this humidity is brutal.”

“I know, right? I wonder when it’s going to end?”

“I heard Wednesday. Say, have you heard of Keto?”

And that’s pretty much how it goes.

Copyright: designer491 / 123RF Stock Photo

This Will Not Be a Scientific Breakdown

I know my lane as a fitness professional. My expertise orbits around helping people get stronger, more athletic, move a little better, or otherwise building a bunch of deadlifting Terminators.

My strengths aren’t in debating macros, breaking down the Kreb’s Cycle, or discussing the complicated layers and intricacies of gluconeogenesis.

There’s a reason why I rarely (if ever) write about nutrition.1

That being said, I’d be lying if I said the topic doesn’t make up a large portion of my professional (and personal) life. What kind of coach would I be if I never discussed the importance of (total) caloric intake with a client who’s goal is to fat loss?, or if I never divulged the power of protein (and the many sources to get it from) for muscle maintenance and growth?, or if I didn’t go out of my way to mention dietary fat has a ton of health benefits?2

Moreover, what kind of coach would I be if I never extolled the wonders of Tupperware and the myriad of foods one can eat out of their containers at home, at work, on the train, or while flying an Apache?

Needless to say I talk about nutrition on an almost daily basis with my clients/athletes and I always attempt to answer honestly and to the best of my ability (and within my scope of practice). In addition I’ll often go out of my way to direct them towards sources and authorities I trust and respect.

To that end, I’m not going to attempt to explain the Ketogenic Diet in a thorough fashion here. There are entire websites and books you can peruse and nerd out on if you’re looking for an entertaining Friday night.

Nor am I going to attempt to sway you one way or the other, my dear reader, as to its validity and efficacy.

NEWSFLASH: I concede: It works!

Instead all I want to do is provide a little perspective and insight on how I view/interpret things when it comes to this latest health/fitness trend.

What Is the Ketogenic Diet?

This may come as a surprise to some, but “Keto” isn’t new.

It’s been around for quite some time.

To give credit where it’s due: My introduction to the Ketogenic Diet was back in the early-mid 2000’s after reading Lyle McDonald’s apropos titled book, The Ketogenic Diet (originally published in 1998).

In short, the diet is all about minimizing carbohydrates while following a moderate protein, high-fat plan with the end goal to nudge the body into a state of “ketosis” where it’s then less likely to be using glycogen (stored sugar) as it’s main source of energy.

I.e., the body runs out of glycogen stores so it then needs to find alternative fuel source(s). When this plan is followed long (and stringently) enough, the body (liver) begins to process fat into ketones which then becomes a fuel source your body can use.

NOTE: I say “stringently” because to my knowledge, it’s really, really, really, really hard to get into TRUE ketosis (let alone stay there). Like SEAL Training is easier. Even though the diet is considered a “moderate protein” approach, it’s actually not due to the insulinogenic properties of protein. Eating “too much” protein or going a smidgeon over can push someone out of ketosis rather easily.

Anyway.

The idea is that once you’re in “ketosis” you’re burning a boatload of body-fat.

Surprising to some, the Ketogenic Diet was first developed to address tough-to-address cases of childhood (and adult) epilepsy, because it was shown that ketones helped to reduce their frequency.

Pretty baller. Science and research works.

But lets pause.

Someone, at some point, was like:

“Huh, I see this diet is designed for epileptics, but I also see that these people are ripped AF. I wonder if I did it….if it would give me abs?”

via GIPHY

I’m being facetious of course.

“Keto” definitely works with regards to fat/weight loss, but it also hits the mark on some other things too.

Other “benefits” attributed to the diet include but aren’t limited to:

  • Weight Loss (weird how that happens when you pretty much omit an entire macronutrient).
  • Appetite control.
  • Mental clarity and acuity.
  • More energy.
  • Improve key markers in blood sugar, triglycerides, cholesterol, blood pressure.
  • Can walk through concrete walls.

But the question I have to ask is:

“Given all those benefits, is “Keto” a superior way to achieve them compared to other approaches?”

Well Is It?

To get to my answer I first have to share a story from this past weekend.

I was in dire need of some caffeine as my wife and I were walking around running errands with our 1.5 year old in tow. I meandered into my local GNC to pick up a quick energy drink and the guy behind the counter started some small talk.

First he asked about what I do? (strength coach), where I work out of? (my own place nearby), how long have I been doing it? (before smart phones existed), and he seemed genuinely interested in picking my brain as to what HE should be doing to put on some weight?

He mentioned protein powders, how he’s been trying to figure out the proper nutrient partitioning ratio, and a few other unimpressive words that really, in the end, mount to nothing other than him saying “blah, blah, blabidy, blah, blah. Insulin.”

It was fine.

Small talk.

No big deal.

He then looked at me and asked if I had ever heard of “Keto?”

(Cue Jaws theme music here).

“Sure,” I said.

“What do you think of it.”

“I know it’s popular now and that it works well for some people.”

“Do you like it?”

“Personally? No.”

“What do you like then?”

“I like whatever diet or approach allows people to best adhere to something long-term and matches their goals.”

SHORT ASIDE: I am not a fan of ad hominem remarks, and I KNOW this will come across as cliche because 50% of the time whenever anyone tells a “GNC story” the same description comes up. But I’m being 100% honest when I say the guy I was talking to was 6ft, 135 lbs soaking wet. Clearly hasn’t lifted a weight in his life.

“I like what you said there. But why are you against Keto?”

“I’m not against it. I just feel it’s not magic. And for all the work it takes someone to actually get into ketosis, I don’t feel there’s much benefit over all the other diets or approaches when matched for protein intake and calories.”

“My manager is a personal trainer and he’s a big fan of Keto. He mentioned the sugars in yogurt and that those should be avoided.”

“Yeah, I don’t think sugar is the enemy or all that bad.”

Now, imagine I hadn’t said what I just said (sugar not being bad) and instead said any of the following:

– “The world is flat.”
– “I’m not wearing any underwear.”
– “Jon Snow should have never been named King of the North.”

Imagine I had said any of those things and then I told him my best friend is an invisible dragon named “Derek.” Imagine the expression on 95% of the population’s face if they had heard something as crazy and blasphemous.

That’s the look I got back.

The dude’s eyes could not have widened enough.

“Wait, you mean you don’t feel sugar decays the body?”

“Fruit has sugar, is that decaying the body?”

Sensing a mental gymnastics quagmire I wasn’t going to get out of any time soon (and knowing five minutes of my life had just passed) I immediately responded with “My wife and kid are waiting for my outside dude.”

Which they were. As was Derek

He ringed me out and I left.

Keto = Not Magic

Notice I am NOT saying “Keto” doesn’t work. I think this is the second or third time I’m saying this to make it abundantly clear.3

It does, and I’m ecstatic for those individuals who have found something that works for them and has allowed them to stick with something long-term.

But what I find dumbfounding – and I see researchers like Alan Aragon and Layne Norton, who are way smarter than myself on this topic, fighting this fight often – is that there are a lot of people out there who think “Keto” is the end-all-be-all approach that will have everyone losing weight, reducing their risk of diabetes, and getting them accepted into Hogwarts.

But when matched for calories and protein….so does every other diet in existence.4

Side Note: And for every person who waxes poetic on how euphoric they feel following this diet, there’s another person who feels like garbage and wants nothing more than to kick you in the pancreas.

It seems even though the “science” backs up other approaches leading to the same results, when it comes to Keto, people become really adept at denying said science.

To use a real world example I had a friend of mine reach out yesterday who felt compelled to do so after I shared my GNC story on Facebook.

“I have a health and wellness friend who is very prominent on Instagram/YouTube/Facebook who is a HUGE proponent of Keto and he regularly shares blood panels with the message that Keto is the way and superior to anything out there.

Let’s just say that my nutrition is quite the opposite of Keto and my blood panels are almost identical to his…including panels we both had done in early spring. More proof to my belief (and yours) that it’s an individual thing for each of us.”

That last sentence is money.

I can’t understand why this train of thought is such an insurmountable hurdle of commonsense for some to fathom.

My suspicion (and that of my friend above) is that there are deeper psychological issues or disordered eating around food at play, and that one’s relationship with food (not to mention body image) are no doubt festering beneath the surface.

And, of course, we can’t deny a certain percentage of people have a financial incentive to stress the Ketogenic lifestyle.

That’s dandy and far be it from me to tell someone they can’t make a living (much less how to do it).

But can we please stop with the fantasy and proselytization of this diet?

It works.

As do others (when people actually follow them and are consistent).

It’s not fucking magic.

This is.

via GIPHY

CategoriesNutrition

How to Approach Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

I’m over in Europe being all bourgeois and stuff at the moment.

Thankfully I had a few people reach out asking if they could write some content for me while was away chasing foxes in England with the Queen.

Today I’ve got a good one from Toronto based nutritionist, Marc Capistrano, discussing a few intricacies of pre and post-workout nutrition.

Enjoy!

How to Approach Pre and Post Workout Nutrition

The goal of this post isn’t to give you the ideal plate of food that should be eaten before or after training, but rather to provide you with some insight into that immediate post workout window before your next meal.

The same goes for the odd time that occurs 30 minutes to an hour before training.

I know many of you may be rolling your eyes saying that things like “the post workout window is a myth” and that in the greater scheme of things, what you eat immediately before or after training isn’t as important when your intake of food is balanced throughout the day.

I’ll agree that this is somewhat true, but I’ll also say that the timing of your food intake in and around training can have an effect on overall performance.

Before we get into the sexy takeaways like the specific foods to eat before and after our workouts, let’s get a couple things straight. First, we need to consider a few factors to help inform our unique, individual pre and post workout meal needs:

Current Eating Habits

At the end of the day, nutrition will always come down to the individual.

What works for you may not work for someone else.

As an example, I know some people who thrive training fasted and then there’s some people who need a little bit of glucose in their system to perform. Some people are fat adapted and some people, like myself, need their carbs before training.

With that being said, don’t build around a set of nutrition rules, instead, build off of what has worked for you and upgrade that shit.

Nutrient Intake

If vitamins and minerals are cofactors for the body to support ATP production, then we need to  consider how nutrient dense our food actually is. Nutrients are more influential on energy production more than calories.

Calories aren’t the only influence on energy production.

Blood Sugar Management

If you’re counting macros, then you’ll have your food and caloric intake set for the day, but the specifics of pre and post workout nutrition takes into consideration meal timing and what types of foods you choose to eat around your workout.

Some may argue that meal timing isn’t that important. But to me, meal timing means blood sugar management. When it comes to the fine details, the time in which you eat and digest your food can play a role in overall performance.

Rate of Digestion

The rate at which we assimilate and digest our food matters. This influences how efficiently our food is used as substrates for energy production. Also, have you ever eaten at a buffet then trained immediately after?

Keep the garbage can close if you do decide to try it.

The Intensity of Your Workout

If you’re a power-based athlete then consider fueling your body with expensive fuel; aka carbs.

As for the keto people reading this, I think we can all agree that being fat-fueled is an efficient method of energy production, but utilizing fat vs. carbs prior to training is the difference between using a Hybrid and a Ferrari to win on a race track.

The same can be said for the lower carb Paleo followers as well.

Carb Consumption

Are your goals recovery-oriented?

Or are you more concerned with body composition?

Recovery methods will usually require higher carb intake before and after your workouts, while lower carb intake will allow the body to use fat as a substrate to fuel your workouts if improving body composition is your goal.

Pre-Workout Nutrition

To keep it simple, pre-workout nutrition is based around providing the body with the right amount of amino acids while also maintaining a slow and steady release of glucose to be used during your workout.

Here’s what to eat…

Have Some Fat

If you’re fat adapted this is especially important, as it’s the primary substrate of energy production for you.

Even if you’re not following a strict keto diet, I like having clients include some sort of quality fat source prior to training because of its ability to provide a slow and steady release of available glucose during your workout.

I especially like Medium Chain Triglycerides (MCT’s) because of their ability to cross the mitochondrial membrane and be used as energy immediately. Other fats require a series of events that need L-carnitine for entry into the mitochondrial membrane while MCT’s don’t.

Some quality fat options include: coconut, avocado, cheese (if dairy is your thing) and most nuts and seeds are great options. In case you were interested, below is a quick video of how I incorporate MCT oil into my pre-workout training session.

 

Just a Little Bit of Protein Bro

You’ve heard this before, but I’ll remind you that having protein and its available amino acids limits protein from being used as a substrate during exercise while keeping protein synthesis (MPS) levels steady as this tends to go down during workouts.

A full steak may be too dense of a meal immediately prior to training, but a protein shake or BCAA supplement will do just fine.

Other quick and easy protein source for pre-workout nutrition include: beef jerky, turkey jerky or a simple protein shake.

Coffee. The Original Pre-Workout

Coffee offers a jolt of energy by blocking adenosine receptors in the body that would otherwise reduce neural activity.

For a more balanced and reduced intake of caffeine, opt for a Green tea, which contains an amino acid known as L-Theanine, which balances the stimulatory effect of caffeine. It also contains far less caffeine than the average cup of coffee.

Post-Workout Nutrition

For the most part, post workout nutrition involves higher insulinogenic foods paired with adequate protein intake.

Not only does the consumption of carbs post-workout replenish glycogen stores that we tapped into or depleted during intense exercise, but as a storage hormone, it promotes the absorption of amino acids into the blood stream needed for protein synthesis.

The body also happens to be more insulin sensitive and more receptive to food right after exercise, which is why I opt to have my calorically dense meals in the post workout window.

Ketosis and being fat adapted aside, post-workout nutrition can have an effect on cortisol secretion. This is particularly important post-workout as we’ll want cortisol to gradually come back to normal levels.

Don’t get me wrong, cortisol has a very important role during training, but if chronically elevated, it can have negative effects. Post workout carbs will bring cortisol levels back to a normal range and have favourable effects on things like the immune system.

Here’s what to eat…

Fast Carbohydrates

When it comes to starchy carbs, I opt for faster digesting carbs like white rice. The fact that its fibre content is lower is beneficial in this context.

The faster it spikes insulin, the faster the absorption rate. Good post workout starchy carb sources include white rice, potatoes, rice cakes, and yes, bread. Clearly there are more fun ways of spiking your insulin (sugar, candy, cake), but lets consider gut health, long-term health and quality when choosing post-workout food options.

Fruit

Opt for fruit lower in fructose as fructose is slower to absorb. This is due to the fact that it needs to be processed in the liver first.

Fruits that are lower in fructose include blackberries, blueberries, pineapple, kiwi, papaya, strawberries and grapefruit.

Protein: Whey or Vegan Protein Powder

It’s fast, easy to prepare, and even easier to digest…making protein powders an ideal option for post workout consumption. The amino acid Leucine is particularly beneficial because of its ability to keep protein synthesis (MPS) high after exercise.

Notice that fat is excluded here?

That’s because of its ability to slow down the absorption of food.

This is beneficial from a blood sugar standpoint as this can be useful for times when we need a slow supply of glucose, but not beneficial during a the post workout meal where quick absorption and assimilation is needed. When it comes to post workout nutrition, taking advantage of the body’s insulin sensitive state is the most important note to take home.

I get it.

For some: These recommendations may simply not matter, but for someone in the dark or struggling with general nutrition, building a habit based approach to what’s eaten immediately before and after training will produce at the very least, consistency.

For the trainers out there: Providing clients with a set of go-to recommendations gives the client a feeling of purpose and direction with training and nutrition. That in itself carries value and at the very least something to take away from this.

About the Author

Marc Capistrano is a Toronto based Certified Nutritionist, fitness enthusiast and content creator. He currently works out of downtown Toronto and maintains the Live It Holistic Nutrition blog.

Catch him on his YouTube channel and Instagram page.

CategoriesNutrition

How Food Induced Inflammation Affects Performance and Recovery

This past weekend Lisa and I had friends over and we ordered a few pizzas. I love pizza. And no surprise I went a little overboard. Also no surprise: I woke up the next day feeling lethargic, bloated, and as if my mouth spent the night in a desert.

Don’t get me wrong: I didn’t feel guilty or anything. I deadlifted earlier that day, and everyone knows that pizza and deadlifts are synonymous with one another.5 But man oh man, you can bet I felt the affects all through the weekend.

Today’s guest post from Toronto based nutritionist, Marc Capistrano, helps explain a topic everyone reading has experienced at one time or another: food induced inflammation.

Copyright: klenova / 123RF Stock Photo

 

How Food Induced Inflammation Affects Performance and Recovery

We all know that stubbing your toe against the coffee table while twerking in the living room creates an inflammatory response (and it sucks!). It’s the body’s repair mechanism that kicks in when it detects damaged tissue.

The thing that people tend to forget is that this inflammatory response can kick in as a result of dietary triggers as well.

Instead of reacting to damaged tissue, the body is responding to less than optimal foods.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m not here to talk about “good” and “bad” foods (I’m really not about that life), but there are definitely foods that offer more benefit than others. With that being said, inflammation and low-level inflammation can impact performance, recovery and long-term health.

How Does Food Cause Inflammation?

Ever heard of the antigen/antibody complex? If you haven’t, here’s a brief and basic re-cap.

You eat something foreign in excess (let’s say trans-fats or arts and crafts glue for example), the body detects it as an antigen and the immune system releases an antibody to tag it and directs white blood cells to dispose of these foreign substances.

When this happens, an immune complex is formed and inflammatory by-products are released as a result of this. Normally our immune system is efficient enough to quickly handle this immune complex and move on but when we’re constantly eating these trigger foods, inflammatory by-products can deposit themselves into our tissues.

Whenever I explain this immune system reaction to someone, the person I’m talking to will either nod their head and agree or they’ll want to throw hot coffee on me for confusing them. If it’s the latter, I’ll always come back to the “car accident” analogy.

Imagine a car accident on a main road. Tow trucks, cop cars and a fire truck come to the scene and start doing their job. The fire fighters are cleaning spilled oil, the tow truck is moving cars and all of this is backing up traffic. It’s a hectic scene, but all of this havoc is a small price to pay in order for the mess to be cleared.

If you’re a visual learner, this is similar to an immune system reaction. The car accident is inflammation and the firefighters and police are the immune system coming in to clean it all up.

It’s perfectly normal and the organized mess is needed in order to get traffic moving again. The problem is, what if another accident happened 100m ahead and then another one, and then…. we’ll you get the idea. Small fender benders turn into a major backup and make a small delay become a huge one. It’s a stressful environment for everyone involved and that “stress” can manifest itself as achy joints, low energy and lengthened recovery times.

I know it may seem like an extreme picture but it also best describes food in relation to its potential crappy effects on the body. It’s not a major issue but quite possibly, the last 5% that you’ve been chasing could be found in food quality i.e. what it is you’re eating.

3 Tips for Reducing Food-Induced Inflammation

So what can we do to support recovery time and limit the overall crappy-feeling caused by food-induced inflammation?

 1. Pay What Your Body is Due

Enjoying pizza and skittles is not a bad thing but you need to earn it first.

What I mean by this is you need to pay your body with quality macronutrients and micronutrients.

Once this is paid and calories are equated, feel free to spend the rest of your macronutrients on anything of your choice (my personal favourites include gelato and hamburgers). Remember that micronutrients and minerals serve as cofactors that support the secretion and response of hormones in our body (ever heard of testosterone?)

Side Note: If you like to geek out on food quality, fancy ingredients and antioxidants, check out a video I did on my kick ass morning smoothie.

 

Pro Tip: Apply the 80/20 rule or 70/30 rule or the 60/40… You know what just keep things balanced. Enjoy your pizza and wings; just be sure to accompany it with some vegetables and protein at some point in the day. It’s hard to overeat on pizza if you’ve had some roasted vegetables and steak prior.

2. Value Insulin Sensitivity

Insulin resistance and inflammation are synonymous with each other. Insulin resistance can eventually cause sugar molecules to attach itself to muscle tissue otherwise known as “glycation” which can cause inflammatory by-products. A balanced amount of fat, low glycemic, fruit and vegetables will go a long way in preventing insulin resistance and help to maintain optimal tissue quality.

Pro Tip: If its insulin sensitivity you’re chasing, keep your denser carbohydrates in and around training. Vegetables and fat can accompany your protein for the rest of the day. This tip should be taken with a grain of salt as individualized diets depend on training volume and personal preference.

3. Balance Your Fats

An imbalance of Omega 3 to Omega 6 fatty acids can lead to an inflammatory response because of the hormone like factors known as prostaglandins.

Note: Omega 6 in excess is inflammatory. Because of the way food is processed these days, we’re getting more omega 6s in our diet than we need.

Wild caught salmon, walnuts and egg yolks are examples of great Omega 3 sources and can correct omega 3 and 6 imbalances.

Pro Tip: Oil is like your older brother, the less you piss him off, the more helpful he’ll be to you. Excess deep fried and processed foods can tip the balance between good and bad fats.

Wrapping Up

I know what some of you are saying. “This guy is trying to push detox salads and organic produce on us or else our recovery is doomed”.

Not true at all my friend.

I’m definitely not telling you that French fries and ice cream are bad for overall performance and recovery. Instead, I’m say that eating a diet that primarily consists of pizza and french fries will start to have an impact on your performance and recovery.

The take-home message is that balance and moderation is one of the most important aspects of food in relation to inflammation, performance and recovery. I’m not trying to promote any “special foods” but rather a balance between nutrient dense foods and not-so-nutrient-dense food. Building this habit will benefit you in the long run.

Take care of the housekeeping tasks (getting enough quality protein, fibre, fat and carbohydrates) and it could be the missing link in your quest for the city of Gainz.

About the Author

Marc Capistrano is a Toronto based Certified Nutritionist, fitness enthusiast and content creator. He currently works out of downtown Toronto and maintains the Live It Holistic Nutrition blog. His work has been featured on CBC Life and he is also a brand ambassador for Garden of Life.

 

CategoriesNutrition

Want Some Free Meat? You Have To Check This Out

There aren’t many things more delectable than a big, juicy steak.6

What’s more, despite what some poorly designed studies demonstrate and what a handful of agenda-centric, fearmongering books will tell you, beef (and red-meat in general) is incredibly healthy for you.

It provide a plethora of healthy fats (<– this is affected by the kind of red meat you’re ingesting: grain fed vs. grass fed) which, while having many benefits, the biggest, arguably, is helping to keep testosterone levels in check.

More to the point, it’s well established that not all beef is created equal.

There are two options: grain-fed beef (what most of us, most of the time, have been eating our entire lives) and grass-fed beef.

Grain-fed beef comes from cattle that have been fed a diet of grain, soy and sometimes even animal by-products. The cattle are pumped with hormones to expedite the growth process and hooked up to antibiotics to prevent the spread of disease in crowded feedlots.

100% grass-fed beef comes from cattle that are only fed grass their entire lives. They enjoy free range on pasture and are never put into feed lots. They live longer lives because their growth isn’t accelerated by the administration of artificial hormones. As a result you get a much cleaner piece of beef, just as nature intended.

Ethical, religious, or personal preferences aside, anyone who’s watched documentaries like Food Inc or read books like Jonathan Safran Foer’s Eating Animals (which I’d HIGHLY recommend) know full-well the atrocities in our food system they highlight – in particular the treatment of said animals.

It’s disheartening to say the least.

NEWSFLASH: I am not a vegetarian. I have zero issues or qualms eating furry animals. That said, given the choice, I do prefer to purchase meat from animals who’ve led happy lives.

Knowing the steak that’s providing sustenance for me and my family came from a cow who, at one point, was happily frolicking on a pasture grazing under the sun, makes things more “palatable” for me.

That’s my moral compass. It may not match yours – and that’s cool – but it’s mine.

And, to speak candidly, least we forget, grass-fed beef just tastes better.

So you can imagine my elation when the peeps over at ButcherBox reached out to me a few weeks ago and asked if they could send me some meat.

In the mail.

Directly to my door.

via GIPHY

The only thing that could have made the offer more baller is if they offered to deliver it in an Apache helicopter.7

I said yes, and a few days later a box arrived downstairs in the lobby.

A funny side note: I forgot to tell Lisa about it and this is what happened – close to verbatim – when the package arrived:

Lisa: “Babe, this huge box arrived today in the mail.”

Me: “Oh, yeah, I forget to tell you, this company ButcherBox reached out and asked if they could send me some meat.”

Lisa: “That’s a package full of meat?”

Me: “Yep. Grass-fed beef and steaks, chicken breast, bacon, pork chops…all humanely raised.”

Lisa: “Get the fuck out of here!”

[Cue make out session]

Okay, the make-out session didn’t happen…but everything else is pretty spot on.

 

Lisa and I are all about buying locally and try to do it as much as possible. We’ve been members of farm shares in the past and have also considered going in with friends on purchasing an entire cow.

Living in a city, however, with limited space (and small freezers) makes the latter a little difficult.

ButcherBox solves that riddle.

Each month they send you 8-11 lbs. of curated cuts of meat – steak, ground beef, chops, chicken, and other goodies – to your door, and often at a lower cost than you’d get at most stores.

Some Other Highlights

  • Did I mention you get 8-11 lbs of meat delivered to your door?
  • You get 8-11 lbs of meat delivered to your door.
  • That’s around 18-25 individual meals at 6-8oz per meal.
  • No two boxes are the same. Each month you get a different experience and ability to experiment with different cuts of meat.
  • You also get recipe cards to help out.
  • And since it’s a subscription service – for meat! – you can alter the frequency (every month, every other month, etc), and you can cancel at any time with zero penalty.8

Special Offer

This week only (ending Sunday, May 28th) all TG.com readers and fans can get $10 off their initial order + two 10 oz Ribeye steaks added by using THIS link.

In case you’re not picking up what I’m putting down: that’s FREE meat.

You’re very welcome. And don’t be afraid to invite me over for dinner…;o)