Whatcha Eatin' Wednesday

Hi, ladies!
Thanks for sharing all of your little successes from yesterday.  I loved it!
Share today what you've been eating lately!
And don't forget to check out the link on the left side bar to go to the page w/ recipes.  If you share recipes on here, I'll post them on there so we can all have access to them easily.  Or you can email them if you'd prefer.  Or if you have a ton to post, let me know & I'll add you as an author to that blog and you can post whatever you want to it.

This article written by a performance nutritionist is great Optimal Fuel for High Octane Workouts, albeit a little technical, but I've pulled out here to share the parts that I thought the most useful.  Cortisol is a fat storer.

• "Research shows that the more conditioned an individual becomes (exercising on a regular basis), the less cortisol is secreted during exercise. One more reason to adhere to a regular athletic lifestyle! Consuming the proper nutrients before and after exercise can protect both the beginning exerciser and the conditioned athlete.
• When the body is stressed, as in intense exercise, it isn’t interested in digesting food. Instead, most of the blood supply goes to the extremities, not to the stomach. You should therefore not consume a lot of solid food before intensive exercise.
• Contrary to popular belief, carbohydrates are not the best food source to consume just before training. They raise insulin levels, causing you to use glucose (sugar) as your primary fuel instead of a steady mixture of glucose and fatty acids.
• For best results and the highest growth hormone peaks, exercise on an empty stomach. If you do wish to eat before exercising, limit intake to 100 calories of easily digestible protein foods such as three-quarters of a cup of plain organic yogurt. Since the protein in yogurt is partially digested, it’s absorbed quicker than other protein-rich foods.
• After any athletic activity and especially weight training, the body requires refueling of its glycogen (stored sugar in liver and muscles) reserves. The body uses the enzyme glycogen synthetase to store sugar for future needs. Within a two-hour window after exercise, this enzyme is extra hungry. It’s the only time you can consume larger amounts of carbohydrates without worrying that they’ll convert to fat.
• Many of us make the mistake of consuming only simple carbohydrates post-exercise. This is wrong! Drinking carbohydrate beverages like Gatorade without sufficient protein after exercise will cause a drastic increase in insulin levels, bringing growth hormone and testosterone levels to a halt. New research confirms that protein mixed with carbohydrates after training allows for faster muscle recovery and greater hGH and testosterone increases.
• If solid food is your preference, consume a high-protein, moderate-carbohydrate and low-fat meal right after training. Solid food takes time to enter your bloodstream. Fat slows this process down considerably, taking away from the valuable timing of repair. Good food choices are plain organic yogurt with mixed fruit or egg whites and organic oatmeal. [Whole eggs and muesli are also excellent choices–Editor] The best fruits are from the berry family due to their low insulin-spiking effect and high antioxidant benefits. The combination allows for high hGH levels.
• An ideal way to increase the anabolic response immediately after exercise is to drink a mixture of no more than 25 grams of high-alpha whey-protein isolate and plain water in a shaker cup. The high-protein, zero-carbohydrate mix allows for a full surge of amino acids to enter the system without over-stimulating insulin levels. It also keeps hGH levels high. Up to one hour later, mix protein with carbohydrates to ensure rapid replacement of body sugars and protein for recovery.
• Combine from two to four parts carbohydrates to one part protein. The protein can again be an isolated whey protein for maximum timing and absorption value. The carbohydrates should come from berry fruits.
• Research confirms an increase in protein synthesis in the body for up to 36 hours following intense exercise (especially weight training). But the body can easily fall into a catabolic (breakdown) state if sufficient protein is not ingested at regular intervals throughout the day. Never allow more than three hours go by without a consuming a high quality protein. You’ll re-establish a proper hormonal environment that will set the body on anabolic mode, allowing for continued improvements from any exercise program."

Ok, so all that technical stuff, but still good info & still stuff we've been saying all along.  Be sure to eat very lightly before workouts (yogurt is a good choice).  Be sure to have some high protein mixed w/ carbs IMMEDIATELY after a workout (protein powder mixed w/ berries or a good cheap alternative to protein shakes is plain old chocolate milk or make an omlet).  And save your big carb intake of the day for about an hour or two after your workouts.