Pre-workout nutrition is one of those areas where people love to lose themselves in the minutiae. They obsess over what to eat, when to eat it, and how much of it to eat. Instead of just getting into the gym or out into the world and getting active and lifting something heavy, they read blogs and watch videos for weeks, searching for the one pre-workout meal to rule them all. They end up avoiding the gym altogether because they can’t figure out the “perfect” pre-workout meal, or whether they should eat something at all.
Even when you figure out what to eat before a workout, you can go too far. You know the type of guy. This is the guy who travels with a suitcase full of powders, pills, and packaged foods. He’s so wedded to the pre-workout ritual that he can’t skip a day—even on vacation. If he doesn’t get his 40.5 grams of waxy maize, 30.2 grams of whey isolate, and preworkout blend of superfoods he can’t operate in the gym. He crumbles without the perfect, most optimal pre-workout nutrition.
Don’t be like this. Let me tell you what to do so you can stop stressing about what to eat before a workout. Let’s simplify things.
Read MoreYou know that black hole of time between work and bed? There’s nowhere to go, nothing new to watch, and a bottle of wine (or bag of chips) calling your name from the other room. Call it the pandemic happy hour or straight-up boredom, but if you’re using your after hours time in a less-than-ideal way, check out this week’s post from PHCI Coaching Director, Erin Power. And keep your questions coming in our Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook Group or below in the comments. Ann Marie asked: I don’t have a problem eating healthy during the day, but I can’t seem to control myself after dinner. I just feel ravenous, even when we’ve made a healthy meal. I try to hold out but once my husband goes into the kitchen for a snack, I’m right there with him. And once I start, I can’t stop eating!! How do I tame my late-night cravings? I think it’s safe to say that your eating cycle is off, Ann Marie. What do I mean by eating cycle? It has to do with your circadian rhythm. People used to eat during the daylight hours and fast at night. But with our new normal, there’s a good chance you’re burning the candle at both ends and just grabbing a coffee or quick bar or yogurt to fuel yourself during the day – and then feasting at night. You’ve totally moved away from your body’s natural rhythm. Why does this matter? Because your circadian rhythm controls everything from your appetite to your body temperature to your hormones – even how fast you heal from wounds. This study looked at the behaviours of night-shift workers and found that they have a 43% higher risk of obesity than their 1st shift counterparts. The culprit? Circadian misalignment. Researchers had participants who worked the midnight to 6am shift complete a self-administered questionnaire about their occupational history, socio-demographics, habits around food, smoking, alcohol drinking, leisure-time physical activity, sleep patterns, and mental stress. Of the 3,871 participants, 26.8% were overweight and 83% were obese. They were also more likely to smoke and drink more alcohol. My guess is that you’re on autopilot most of the day, totally oblivious to your hunger cues. And once your body perceives that it’s made it to the end of that day, it shifts into ravenous mode. In general, your body doesn’t have a lot of need for fuel at this time of day, so eating your largest meal at suppertime, then snacking all night is actually out of alignment with your biology. So how do you get your circadian rhythm back on track? Eat your biggest meal during the daylight hours. I like to start with a satiating protein rich breakfast. If the idea of eating within the first few hours of waking doesn’t sound appealing at all, you’re likely still full from dinner the night before, so begin tapering the size of your last meal (including snacks) for a few days and you’ll notice a … Continue reading “Ask a Health Coach: How to Stay on Track After Hours”
Read MoreHey folks! Erin Power is back for another round of Ask a Health Coach. This week she’ll be answering questions about beating the 3pm slump, what to eat when you’re hungry all the time, and strategies for speeding up a slow metabolism. Comment below with more questions or head over to the Mark’s Daily Apple Facebook Group. Pete asked: “I get so sleepy in the afternoons. In fact, sometimes, I actually have to take a nap. What can I snack on to beat my daily 3pm slump?” Feeling a dip in energy mid-afternoon is so common, a lot of offices actually have a nap room. They also have boatloads of processed snacks, sugary coffee drinks, and vending machines to help you perk back up after your carb-laden lunch. But just because it’s common, doesn’t mean it’s normal. Sure, you could be having a reaction to what you ate for lunch. Some food choices trigger a blood sugar spike and crash (think pasta, pizza, giant subs, a handful of candy). If this is the case with you, I have a better solution than doling out energy-boosting snack ideas…or napping. The lowest hanging fruit here is to manage your post-lunch sleepiness by swapping refined carbs for satiating and blood sugar stabilizing protein and fat. Maybe a Big Ass Salad or some leftover roasted chicken and veggies with butter. Even a handful of mixed nuts is better than a sandwich. It’s not always food related though. You have a natural drop in energy as part of human circadian biology. And it comes, you guessed it, about mid-afternoon. Knowing that your body has a built-in lull that happens around 3pm, the best thing you can do is anticipate it and plan accordingly. That means don’t schedule any overly draining tasks during that time. Instead, practice a little self-care and schedule in 15 minutes of stretching, walking outside, or listening to energizing music. Another possibility for your slump is mental drain. Even if your workday isn’t overly stressful, everything else in the world is right now, so again, cut yourself some slack and pay attention to how drained you feel on a daily basis. It could just be that by 3pm your brain (and your central nervous system) are so tapped that it signals a reset (i.e. you to take a nap). To avoid burnout, I like productivity apps like Focus Keeper. This one’s based on the Pomodoro Technique and breaks your day into 25-minute focus sessions, followed by 5-minute breaks. Of course, there’s always the possibility that you’re not breathing. And by “not breathing” I mean, you’re taking small shallow breaths that rob your brain of oxygen. Chances are you spend most of your day hunched over your computer, which compromises your breathing and your energy flow. Next time you feel that midday lull, think about the last time you took a good, deep breath, then sit up straight and take six slow deep breaths. Test out any of these tips and my guess … Continue reading “Ask a Health Coach: Is Snacking Okay?”
Read MoreBefore I had kids, I thought I’d be that mom who cooks and bakes endlessly with her kids. After all, I enjoy being in the kitchen, so why wouldn’t I want my sweet offspring by my side as I lovingly prepare meals for the family. Ah, to be that young and idealistic again. Every year we get busier and more pressed for time, and—in my experience, at least—cooking with your kids makes everything take three to eleven times longer. Gone are my ideas of being Betty-Crocker-meets-Mary-Poppins in the kitchen. I have new priorities now: I need to be time-efficient. I want to feed myself and my kids nutritious foods. I refuse to prepare separate meals or snacks for kids and adults. My kids should learn their way around the kitchen, which means giving them age-appropriate tasks. Most days we manage dinner together, but the rest of the day is a whirlwind. Snacking is something of a contentious topic in the ancestral community. Sincere kudos if your family can stick to set meal times with perhaps one planned snack interlude. Realistically, though, snacking happens here. Rather than fight it, I try to have quick, healthy options that check my four boxes above. These are some of my top picks. Add yours in the comments section. Instantly download your free Guide to Cooking Fats and Oils Dips & Spreads Veggies with ranch dressing. Use raw vegetables like celery, carrots, snap peas, broccoli, cauliflower, and mini sweet bell peppers, or leftover roasted asparagus or Brussels sprouts. To make a thicker dip, mix the ranch with sour cream to get the consistency you want. Frozen chicken skewers (I get mine at Costco) dipped in barbecue sauce or a quick peanut sauce. This one uses tahini, or you can use almond butter instead. Guacamole with raw vegetables or pork rinds. To uplevel the experience, try this recipe for Bacon Guacamole with Cheddar Chips. Apples, pears, or celery with nut butter. Hummus with veggies. Classic hummus is easy to make or buy pre-made if you eat chickpeas, but you can also make delicious legume-free versions like this Roasted Cauliflower & Macadamia Nut Hummus. How kids can help: Wash and cut raw vegetables and fruit with supervision and depending on age. Pour dipping sauces into ramekins. Smash avocados for guacamole. Run the food processor for hummus. Arrange the food on plates. Stuff You Can Eat with Toothpicks Cubed melon wrapped in prosciutto. Caprese skewers: cherry tomato + pearl mozzarella + basil leaf. Optional Italian or balsamic dressing to dip. Meatballs, like these kid-approved Teriyaki Meatballs. Steak “salad” bites. Leftover cubed steak topped with a few leaves of baby spinach and cheddar or blue cheese. Dip in BBQ sauce or dressing of choice. For the grown-ups, add Quick Pickled Onions. How kids can help: Cube melon or steak. Wrap prosciutto around melon. Assist with cooking meatballs. The steps are easy enough for even young kids, supervised. Assemble the skewers. Pour dipping sauces into ramekins. Charcuterie Plates Charcuterie plates … Continue reading “Keto and Primal Snacks for Busy Mom Life”
Read MoreOur 20 Keto Snacks All Under 5 Minutes has become so popular that we realized that many of you might enjoy a snack or two here and there, whether you identify as intermittent fasters, keto, Primal, Primal-keto, low-carb or other real-food eating ethos. In lieu of fasting when there aren’t any Primal- or keto-friendly food options available and you’re hungry, bringing a snack with you can get you through that long wait at the DMV, the long flight made even longer by delays, or the kids’ football game that went into overtime. Some of the snack ideas we recommend below are pre-packaged (Remember: We’re not anti-convenience here so long as the food inside the package is real and high quality.), and some are quick and easy to whip up on a moment’s notice.
Read MoreFew words exist that can elicit an immediate mouth-watering response like these: dark chocolate and bacon. As simple as cooking can get (if that’s what we’re calling baking bacon, and melting chocolate), if you’re Primal, keto, or Primal-keto, you likely have these two ingredients on hand in your kitchen most of the time. Very dark chocolate (90%) has a bitterness akin to coffee that enhances all of the flavors paired with it, and the slightly sweet, salty, smoky flavor combination of the chocolate bacon tantalizes the tongue even more than our Dark Chocolate Macadamia Bark with Sea Salt. You can guild the lily by adding toasted unsweetened coconut or finely chopped nuts to the chocolate before it sets, but we prefer this as a twosome.
Read More
Ⓒ 2023 Mark's Daily Apple
