Category — Carbohydrates

All of us have sweet cravings, but very rarely can we satisfy those cravings with something healthy that your body can actually use for sustainable energy.

Well, I recently came across a snack that can do just that. It’s from Hollywood icon Sylvester Stallone’s book Sly Moves (which is a great book on health and fitness). It’s actually a cookie he created when he was filming the Rocky movies that would keep his energy levels up all day.

So give them a try! I usually double up on the recipe because they go so fast (you can’t eat just one), and that’s okay because they’re good for you!

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
3/8 cup brown rice flour
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/8 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup Quaker old-fashioned rolled oats
1/2 egg
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons water
1/2 tablespoon molasses

Preheat over to 375 degrees. In a medium-size bowl, combine wheat and rice flour, baking soda, cinnamon, salt, brown sugar, and oats. Make in indentation in the center and add egg, olive oil, water, and molasses. Mix vigorously until the dough is moistened. Roll into tablespoon-size balls and place two inches apart on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake 8-10 minutes or until done. Remove cookies from oven and cool on wire rack. They should be soft and slightly chewy.

So we’ve covered pre-workout snacks, now let’s focus on what you consume after your workouts. This step is arguably the most important part of your workout because when you exercise you deplete your body’s glycogen (the carb stored in your muscles and liver). That’s why it’s extremely vital that you replace what you lose so you can get the most out of your hard work.

Through my own personal experience and speaking with several personal trainers, I have come up with this list of the best post-workout meals:

5.  Piece of fish and baked potato — A muscle-building packed combination of quality protein and complex carbohydrates, this meal is a great way to end your workout. Go for salmon or tilapia as these have the highest amounts of protein.

4.  Chicken breast or steak and rice — Another classic meal that will maximize your workout. If you’re buying steak make sure to pick sirloin or a lean cut which are a lot healthier. Don’t forget the whole grain rice either!

3. Protein bar — This is only third on our list because it is a solid and will take a bit longer to absorb than its liquid counterparts. However, it’s still a very effective post-workout meal. In this instance don’t go for “Low carb” bars, instead buy a protein or meal replacement bar that has plenty of calories and carbohydrates to go along with at least 30 grams of protein. I like the MET-RX meal replacement bars.

2. Chocolate milk — This surprisingly effective recovery drink was almost a unanimous pick for all the experts I interviewed. Two cups of this stuff averages about 310-320 calories, 50 grams of carbs, and 16 grams of protein. Of course the liquid consistency will allow it to be absorbed quickly and carried to your depleted muscles.

1. Protein drink with whey — The original and still the best. No other food or drink can compare to the punch this packs when it comes to optimizing your workout. Whey protein is absorbed the fastest by your body and the liquid form will bring it to your muscles that much faster. If it’s a low carb protein add in some berries or a banana to give it a boost. Optimum Nutrition’s Hydro Whey is a good pick!

All of these foods should all be taken within 45 minutes after completion of your workout for best results.

Okay so you’ve just left work and are heading to the gym, but you can feel your stomach sucking up against your spine. Your blood sugar is low and you need a jolt of energy before you start your workout. What do you do?

Ideally, a baked potato is the perfect pre-workout snack due to its high carbohydrate content. However, it’s not very practical. And although you do need carbs, it is important to mix in some protein as well so you don’t deplete your body’s stored protein during your workout.

I like to grab a peanut butter sandwich on whole grain bread right before I hit the gym. The bread is a great source of complex-carbs and the peanut butter serves as my “good fat” and protein source. Sometimes I wash it down with a glass of milk to create a real “power snack.”

Again, it’s all about finding what works for you and what leaves you feeling your best before you get into the gym. Feel free to comment and share with us what you like to down before your workouts.

One of the things about this blog that I pride myself on is the ability to speak to not only the serious, competitive athlete/weightlifter but the recreational weekend warrior, or “Joe Six-Pack” (yes, I went there). Because no matter what type of athlete you are, you will see increased benefits in your endurance and athletic performance by being smart about sports nutrition and what you put in your body.

Half the battle is what you consume on “gameday” or prior to your workouts. You have to treat your body like a machine so if you know you’re going to have a high workload, you have to fuel up. That means consuming lots of calories (maybe a bit more than normal) in order to make sure your body is full prepared for the road ahead.

Make sure you are fully hydrated and make more of an effort to take in electrolytes and carbohydrates and less protein, because protein by itself is a poor fuel. As always you should do some research or contact a certified nutritionist when it comes to calculating your specific sports nutritional needs.

In the spirit of the upcoming Olympic Summer Games Maria Noel Groves of the Chicago Sun-Times wrote an interesting article comparing the variations between cultures and their ideas of what energy foods are.

For instance, Ancient Europeans believed boiled meat, barley pouridge, and wine worked the best in increasing energy and protection from injury. While the first two were probably great we know today that the latter is probably not the best choice for an athlete or warrior — especially right before battle.

The Chinese and Japanese rely on soups and herbs as their main sources of energy. While they may be content with it, Groves says that it’s effects are still largely unknown:

Herbs believed to strengthen resistance to stress traditionally have been simmered into soups, teas and rice dishes. Chinese and American ginseng, as well as the caterpillar fungus cordyceps, have been popular among athletes and royalty for centuries. Reishi and shiitake mushrooms, lycium berries, jujube dates, astragalus and codonopsis roots also have consumed as energy foods.

Verdict: While broths and soups provide easily digested nutrients, modern research on many medicinal herbs is limited, as is understanding of how they might work.

Groves also states that while North Americans turn to energy drinks and bars as quick, convenient energy sources, they’re not necessarily the best becuase they contain high amounts of sugars and artifical ingredients. I think with any supplement it’s important not to rely only on that supplement, you have to combine it with real food and good nutrition. If you have an energy bar before going to the gym, that’s fine. But don’t rely on just a Red Bull for breakfast to keep your energy levels up throughout the day — you need substantial food.

Everybody has their own theories and methods when it comes to supplements. What they use, how much of it, and when is all based on personal experience and research. The key is to find out what works best for you. Because what might help me lose body fat, may not be what helps you.

Dr. Howard LeWine (M.D) from Harvard Medical School wrote an article a few weeks ago in which he outlines how vitamin and protein supplements are not necessarily beneficial and there is little evidence to support those claims. Now, I’m not a doctor and I’m not questioning Dr. LeWine’s credibility because I’m quite sure he can backup any of the arguments he has made. However, there’s something about being a highly conditioned athlete and knowing the limitations and needs of your own body.

For instance, a person looking to lose body fat and gain lean muscle mass needs high amounts of B-vitamins to sustain energy and convert food into energy. As Dr. LeWine says:

During exercise, more than the usual amounts of B vitamins are needed. These include thiamin, niacin, riboflavin, pyridoxine, and pantothenic acid. Enriched cereals and whole-grain carbohydrates combined with some lean meats will satisfy the needs of even the extreme athlete.

The only problem with that is when you’re trying to lose body fat and gain lean muscle you’re not going to rely on cereal and carbohydrates to sustain your energy. You’re going to limit the amount of carbohydrates (especially cereal because most of it is processed anyway) and concentrate on a high protein diet. That’s why supplementing with B-vitamins could be a good idea. The same is true for protein. You’re not going to comsume all of your protein by way of meat and nuts — if you do you’d be putting your health at risk. Instead, you supplement with protein powder and meal replacement shakes.

Don’t get me wrong, Dr. LeWine makes a lot of good points and even credits creatine as to having some value:

Creatine is the one amino acid that may have some athletic benefit. It contributes to rapid energy production and may enhance power or speed bursts that require short periods of anaerobic activity. It does not build muscle or increase endurance, and it can result in water retention. Long-term effects are unknown.

As I have discussed in previous posts, Kre-Alkalyn is the new generation of creatine. It’s a buffered type of creatine that is better absorbed in the body and doesn’t force you to retain water.

It’s true that many supplements are bogus because they don’t have to be approved by the FDA, but there are many good ones out there from reliable companies. So be sure to do your research before picking one. I agree with Dr. LeWine’s overall point that you should get the majority of your nutrition from food and not from supplements. However, there are cases when supplementing is beneficial. Especially cases where an individual is trying to lose weight and gain muscle.

Met-Rx has really cornered the market when it comes to meal replacement and protein bars. They ususally have the best tasting products and these bars are no exception. The Big 100 Colossal Meal Replacement Bars come in four flavors (Super Cookie Crunch, Crispy Apple Pie, Peanut Butter Caramel Crunch, and the brand new Peanut Butter Pretzel). You could probably pick anyone of them out of a hat because they all taste great.

Depending on the flavor each bar has 31 or 32 grams of protein via Met-Rx’s exclusive Metamyosn protein blend consisting of whey isolate, whey concentrate, milk protein, egg whites, and L-Glutamine. They also contain between 10 and 40 percent of the recommended daily value of selected vitamins and minerals.

Let it be known that this is a true “meal” bar packing 410 or 420 calories per serving. People looking to gain lean muscle mass can replace a meal with one of these bars. Those looking to bulk up and make serious gains may want to combine this bar with their meal or use it as a snack between meals.  The only drawback to this bar is that the four flavors average 14 grams of fat per bar and 25 grams of sugar. Now, if you’re consuming a well-balanced diet then it shouldn’t be a problem. However, if you’re already consuming enough fat then you may want to look elsewhere.

Overall you’re probably not going to find a better tasting bar on the market today that packs this much quality protein.

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Serving Size: (Super Cookie Crunch flavor) 1 bar, Calories: 410, Total Fat: 14 g, Saturated Fat: 8 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 43 g, Dietary Fiber: 3 g, Protein: 32 g

Leah Perrier at Healthcastle.com lists the Top 5 Super Foods for Athletes. Not surprisingly, oatmeal is listed is given the top spot. The combination of whole grains, cholesterol fighting soluble fiber, and slow burning [good] carbohydrates make this the ultimate breakfast food.

Oatmeal works to maintain increased energy levels by slowing glucose absorption in the body. Steel cut oatmeal is oatmeal in its purest form, with minimal processing and no sugar added unlike some instant oatmeals.

Try McCann’s Steel Cut Irish Oatmeal with some berries!

MHP’s Macrobolic Meal Replacement shakes are loaded with muscle building nutrients. They have an exclusive Low Glycemic Carbohydrate Blend consisting of barley, oats, and oat fiber. They also boast an Essential Fatty Acid Blend that contains 78% Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA). One shake also contains 32 grams of protein made up of soy isolate, calcium caseinate, and whey concentrate.

MHP prides itself on the 45-35-20 nutritional ratio and refects this in all of their products. This means a diet consisting of 45% calories from carbohydrates, 35 % of calories from protein, and 20% coming from fats.

The Meal Replacement Packets come in Vanilla Cream and Chocolate Fudge Brownie and it’s suggested that the packet be mixed with 10-12 ounces of cold water. Be sure to shake it up well or else you’ll be left with chunks of dried powder.

With the vast array of nutrients, vitamins, and muscle popping amino acids this shake has, the taste doesn’t quite match its contents. Chocolate is definitely the better tasting of two as the Vanilla leaves you with a bitter after taste. The saving grace of this MRP is definitely the high quality ingredients.

With less than 1 gram of sugar per packet this meal replacement will definitely provide you with everything you need for that post-workout replenishment or dinner on the run. However, the taste makes this one just average.

Rating : 3.0 / 5

Serving Size: 1 Packet, Calories: 350, Total Fat: 7 g, Saturated Fat: 1.5 g, Cholesterol: 5 mg, Total Carbohydrates: 39 g, Dietary Fiber: 6 g, Protein: 32 g