Post Workout Nutrition

I've had a question about post workout nutrition and between my husband and a really good source, as well as a bit of life experience I feel reasonably confident about answering this question:  What should I eat post workout?

I tend to be pretty laid back about these kinds of things, but if you are serious about building muscle, or losing fat, this is a pretty critical step to remember in your health journey.  This is often times considered the most important meal of your day.  Why is it so important?  Well, after an intense workout, your body enters into a catabolic state where it is experiencing glycogen depletion.  Essentially, your muscle tissue begins to break down.  To reverse this into an anabolic state where your body can then build muscle, you need a fast digesting meal as soon as you can after a workout (usually a smoothie or shake digests the most quickly).

The meal should contain a 2:1, or a 4:1 carbs:protein proportion.  While fat is a good thing to have in your meals throughout the day, this particular meal should contain as little fat as possible as this slows down absorption, achieving the opposite of what you want.  Now, pause:  There are so many advertisements for supplements and concoctions to build muscle and a million different proteins.  Forget that.  Natural ingredients are going to be your best bet, especially if your goal is for optimal health.  Many of those gimmicks are low quality and a rip off.

The best source of naturally quick digesting carbs are frozen fruits such as bananas, berries, pineapple, etc.  This will help your body repair muscle tissue and reach an anabolic state where you can build muscle and increase metabolism, burning fat.

The best source of natural protein will be a high quality natural (no artificial sweeteners whatsoever) whey protein and/or low fat/fat-free plain yogurt.  There are a lot of low quality proteins out there and the good stuff is pretty costly, but if it is worth it to you, this is an outstanding option:  http://nextfitnessevolution.com/essential-whey-protein.  Just do some research and be smart about it!  Ask if you have questions.

I typically use water or almond milk as my liquid base.  You can add any combination of ingredients including fruit (banana, strawberries, blueberries), cinnamon, pumpkin (seasonal yummy), vanilla, yogurt, etc.  There are recipes all over the place on the internet!

This workout shake will tend to be quick digesting and higher glycemic index so keep in mind that your other meals throughout the day should return to normal with slower digesting foods and low glycemic index.  Also, I want to note that a lot of people use post workout meals to gorge on pasta, bread, sugar, etc.  I don't tend to think that is a wise choice nutritionally nor should a workout be an excuse to indulge or overeat.  Don't be foolish.  You should have a post work out shake if and only if you engage in a high intensity workout session with a large portion of your body involved in muscle and resistance building activity.  A run on the treadmill doesn't really warrant a post workout shake.

That is it for now and feel free to comment with extra tips and recipes for good shake ideas!

Lazy Saturday Link Love

Matt and I have to force ourselves to take a sabbath once a week.  This is really trying, as I could work and work and work (who's with me?!).  I also find my work to be fun (gasp!), so I could just keep goin' and goin'.  Today has been a day of rejuvenation and doing whatever I want, or even nothing at all...just because I can.  I tend to think that we overwork ourselves here in America and I am certainly no exception.  I need some margin in my life and today has been a breath of fresh air.  I went stumbling today, and multiple times this past week and dug up some sites that have been especially influencial to me...


Fall is about to tumble over into winter, and the food reflecting these changes is simply delightful.

This site features not only beautiful photography, but also some divine recipe ideas that are relevant to the season *my new favorite*

I plan on making these as a healthy dessert when the cravings hit next!

Surprising my hubby for breakfast one morning: Spinach Cake

Totally agree with this.

Good tips for the holidays:  How to Eat Less Without Noticing

Successfully made recipe!

Great motivation!

Great gift ideas for your foodie friends.

Always wanted something like this...

Learned so much this week.  Enjoy your weekend and take a much needed rest by enjoying some of your favorite reads, foods, people, and places.  :)

Renewed Vigor in Purpose and Passion

I have been away at a training course in Orlando, FL as my husband and I prepare to transport our whole lives to Cameroon, Africa.  It will be about two years before we get there, which is giving us a LOT of time to learn to trust in God and his provision.  However, we are OFFICIALLY missionaries with Wycliffe Bible Translators supporting bible translations for minority languages through the arts, theatre, and music.  If you don't already know what we are up to in this side of things visit www.gentlerevolutions.org to keep updated with us on that side of things!  Here are just a few pictures of the beautiful Wycliffe:

Isn't this gorgeous?  Phillip Shipley, a fellow missionary, took these amazing photos.  If I had any fears about not having family oversees, this trip reassured me that God always provides abundantly for our needs-and that includes providing family overseas.  I can honestly say that the 43 missionaries, young and old, that I met are now some of my great friends and new family.  I have never felt happier, more at peace, and full of purpose for the kingdom of God than I do now.

Another part of life that makes me really excited is cooking and walking with my husband.  The most joyous moments in life happen when we are creating fun, healthy meals together in the kitchen.  We have gotten in this habit of trying to get at least 10,000 steps a day.  Much of our work with Wycliffe right now involves sitting in a chair in front of the computer, so this is actually pretty hard to achieve sometimes.  But we were doing really great and I figured with the holidays just around the corner, bumping the step requirement up to 12,000 would be a fun and much needed challenge-with all the festivities upon us!  This has forced us to take long walks in the morning and evenings in addition to our work outs and it is beneficial for so many reasons.  It allows us to unwind together, to meditate in the midst of nature, to have intimate discussion and talk over what is running through our minds day in and day out.  As a result, we are communicating really well and have down time together that keeps us sane when our work load seems overwhelming.  How do we keep track of steps?  This little baby: my beloved fitbit.

So I have a challenge for you:  get in BETTER shape this month and in December.  Instead of trying to stay the same throughout all the holiday cheer, make it a point to progress!  Don't forget to have a treat every once and a while, but find new joy in healthfulness, in both diet and exercise!  Here's to the beginning of a great holiday season!