Post Exercise Meals/Snacks

Thanks for all of your fantastic comments on my last post. It's true, anyone on a 1250 calorie diet should be able to lose weight. I mean, that's pretty much the lowest amount of calories you could take in, without being nutritionally depleted. It was smart of Taco Bell to take credit for Christine's weight loss, even though we all know it wasn't the Taco Bell food that made her lose weight.

On The News

Here I am on the news! It's short and sweet. Someone also told me you are supposed to add rum to egg nog, not bourbon, but oh well.

Gina's Random Nutrition and Health Tidbit
Post Exercise Meals/Snacks

I've learned a lot during the past few months while working with the Columbus Division 1 training center. In particular I have learned some interesting facts about what to eat after a workout. Here are some good tips:

• If you workout hard, for 90 minutes or more, you will have depleted some serious glycogen. If you plan on working out again on that day, or the following day, you will need to replenish your glycogen stores! There is a window of 30-50 minutes after you exercise when glycogen formation is very efficient. Make sure to consume 40-50 grams of a high glycemic index food within that first 30-50 minutes (Check out some high glycemic foods here)

• To prevent muscle soreness, and to promote muscle healing and muscle growth, try to consume 10-20 grams of protein within an hour after your workout.
  

• Whey protein is best, such as from egg whites and milk, because it has branch chain amino acids (BCAA). The BCAA are leucine, isoleucine, and valine. Unlike other amino acids, these three are metabolized in the muscle and used for energy.

• Whey protein is absorbed into the body very fast, which is another reason why it's good to consume within an hour after a workout,

Pre-Bedtime Snack

• Casein, which is a protein found in milk and cheese, is absorbed slower. Studies suggest consuming foods with casein before bed will allow for a slow and continuous supply of protein energy to the muscles, throughout the night. Greek yogurt is a good source of casein.

Another Marketing Gimmick

Have you seen the commercial for "children's" Campbell's soups, marketed towards parents? I saw it the other day and if you listen carefully you will hear them claim that they use "unique natural sea salt". This is a pretty smart strategy, I must say, as I'm sure some parents will hear this and think, "Oh wow, it's natural seas salt, it must be healthier than kosher salt!" Yeah there is a whopping 580- 880mg worth of the so-called "unique natural sea salt" in 1/2 cup, and there are two servings per can!

Bottom line: Natural sea salt is no different than kosher salt in terms of it's absorption in the body, and it's effect on fluid regulation and, potentially, blood pressure. Don't be fooled!

Giveaway Updates

Andrea of Andrea's Wellness Notes is giving away some Chobani yogurt!
Missy of Missy Mountains is giving away a hodge podge of healthy goodies!


Coming Up
Tonight is the first episode of The Biggest Loser! Anyone else watching it?? I'll admit, I'm pretty excited. I'll also admit, Nick and I watched the Bachelor last night. It's entertaining, what can I say? My two favorites are no longer on the show, but one of my favorites, Ashley, did get a rose! All of Nick's favorites got a rose; Tenley, Corrie, and Michelle (yeah, the psycho, but we voted on first impressions, and she seemed normal at first!). Anyway, my next post will have my first Biggest Loser Review of the new season, plus my first dinner for my 2010 cookbook! Thanks for reading, and have a great day.