| You train day after day after day, but you just can't | | | | pasteurized organic honey, date sugar, or other |
| seem to get more muscular, leaner, faster or | | | | organic sugar sources. |
| stronger. "How is that possible?" you say to yourself, | | | | Eat good quality food, grown in organic soil without |
| "I train all of the time!" | | | | pesticides or fertilizers. Your local farm market and |
| Congratulations! If you are one of these people, you | | | | many grocery stores now sell fruits and vegetables |
| just answered your own question! You don't rest and | | | | from rich soil. These soils are rich in vitamins and |
| recover properly! OR enough. You may be over | | | | minerals, as are the foods that grow in them. Soils |
| trained and possibly undernourished. Quantity of food | | | | with pesticides and fertilizers are not as rich in |
| and proper nourishment do not necessarily correlate. | | | | vitamins and minerals, nor are the foods that grow in |
| This is not a matter of weight, rather a matter of | | | | them. On top of the lack of rich nutrients you are |
| lacking the important vitamins, minerals and nutrients | | | | ingesting the chemicals used in the soils. So try to |
| that our body needs to heal. So, let's take a look, are | | | | stick with fresh grown, organic fruits and veggies. |
| you getting the proper recovery? | | | | Eat 3 meals a day and snacks. You want to keep |
| First of all, let me explain to you what happens every | | | | your body fueled with energy. Eating once a day |
| time you go to the gym or do your endurance | | | | causes blood sugar fluctuations and muscle |
| workouts. You are tearing your muscle fibers, | | | | breakdown. |
| thereby damaging them. The more stress you put on | | | | Don't drink a lot with your meals. Drinking a lot with |
| them, the more damage. Don't worry! It's not a bad | | | | food can dilute your body's digestive enzymes and |
| thing! But you do need to fuel them properly in | | | | you will not benefit as much from all of that healthy |
| between workouts in order for your muscles to build | | | | food you are eating! Try drinking within half an hour |
| back up and be stronger. Usually this is the purpose | | | | before or after meals. Sipping to clear your throat |
| of training. So the harder you train, the more rest | | | | during a meal is okay. Most people who chew their |
| and recovery you need. | | | | food and eat slowly don't find the need to drink with |
| So, what do you do to help repair the tissues you | | | | meals. |
| have damaged? There are several things to help you | | | | Eat protein, depending on your size there are many |
| recover, so we will cover a handful now. | | | | recommendations, the general one being to eat.8g |
| Sleep. If you are always on the go and your body is | | | | per kg of body weight. This varies depending on your |
| always tired, it will not repair itself, and this will | | | | size, activity level and goals. Protein contains amino |
| interfere with your strength gains. There are NO SET | | | | acids which help rebuild that damaged muscle tissue |
| amount of hours that anyone needs to sleep. The | | | | that I referred to earlier. Remember that complete |
| key is that you wake up feeling RESTED. What does | | | | proteins are only found in meat and dairy. You CAN |
| rested feel like? You do not feel groggy when you | | | | make complete proteins from combinations of |
| wake up. You slept through the night. You did not | | | | legumes, grains, nuts and seeds if you are a |
| NEED an alarm to wake you up, you were just | | | | vegetarian. Some combinations include beans and rice, |
| awake (this may require going to bed earlier). You | | | | cereals and milk, nuts and grains or whole grain |
| feel ready to take on the day. | | | | breads and legumes. Yes you can still be a superb |
| There are many physiological benefits of sleep. The | | | | athlete without meat. |
| following are two of the most important to your | | | | Take digestive enzymes. If you have been eating a |
| health; a strong immune system and Human Growth | | | | lot of processed food for years it is likely that your |
| Hormone. | | | | digestive system has become lazy. Digestive |
| When you sleep your body is recovering and | | | | enzymes help to break down your food so that your |
| generating a lot of white blood cells which improve | | | | body can use it as energy. If you are a big meat |
| the strength of your immune system. They help to | | | | eater the enzymes are especially helpful with tough |
| keep you from getting sick by fighting off the "bad | | | | proteins such as steak. |
| guys" such as viruses and bacteria. Therefore you do | | | | If possible, don't eat within 2-3 hours before sleeping. |
| not have to stop training and lose your fitness | | | | The benefit of this is that your body can recover |
| because you are in bed trying to get over a cold or | | | | while you sleep rather than focus on digestion, which |
| flu. Rather you keep your immune system strong | | | | requires a lot of energy from the body. If you have |
| with a good night's sleep and proper nutrition. | | | | to eat late eat fruit as it digests quickly, usually within |
| The other important reason to sleep that I | | | | 20 minutes. The body only likes to do one thing at a |
| mentioned above is because of its effect on your | | | | time. When you sleep you detoxify your body, and |
| Growth Hormone levels. I will keep this short and | | | | this is very important to recovery. Don't interrupt |
| simple as this is big topic, but here are the basics. | | | | that quality sleep with a big meal. |
| Growth Hormone helps proliferation of myoblasts | | | | Drink lots of water. Water is the means that |
| (precursor of muscle) and stimulates the uptake of | | | | nutrients are transported throughout your body for |
| amino acids (which make up a protein) and protein | | | | use. Water helps to detoxify your body and helps to |
| synthesis in muscle and other tissues. It helps | | | | clean your liver. The rule of thumb is to take your |
| utilization of fat by stimulating triglyceride use. | | | | weight in pounds and divide it by 2, this is how many |
| Growth Hormone helps with carbohydrate | | | | ounces of water you should drink a day. Divide that |
| metabolism by playing a role in maintaining blood | | | | by 8, this will give you how many 8 ounce glasses |
| sugar levels. How does this fit in with sleep? In | | | | per day. Everyone is a different size; everyone does |
| children and adults, basal concentrations of Growth | | | | not drink the same amount of water. If you exercise |
| Hormone in blood are very low. The most intense | | | | very strenuously, consider that you should increase |
| period of growth release is shortly after the onset of | | | | the amount of water you drink. You can get up to a |
| deep sleep. So your body needs to produce Growth | | | | liter of water into your body from eating fruits and |
| Hormone for muscle recovery and to build Growth | | | | veggies! Water makes up 60% of your muscles and |
| Hormone we need a good night's sleep. | | | | is important to their recovery. A hydrated muscle is |
| The next big factor in your recovery is digestion of | | | | stronger muscle. A hydrated muscle is said to be |
| the food you eat. CHEW YOUR FOOD. Digestion | | | | more resilient to lactic acid build up. |
| starts in the mouth, and if you do not digest, what is | | | | STTRRREEETTTCCCHH! There is much controversy |
| the point of paying so much attention to healthy | | | | over whether stretching helps you recover. My |
| food? Good digestion equals better nutrient | | | | opinion is, yes it does. When you work out and |
| absorption. This is what truly matters. | | | | contract your muscles you are shortening them |
| There are enzymes in your mouth that start the | | | | every time they contract. They stay shortened for |
| breakdown of carbohydrates (amylase). Therefore | | | | hours after you workout. By stretching you can bring |
| by simply chewing your food into smaller pieces you | | | | your muscles back to a lengthened state. There are |
| have improved digestion in the stomach and | | | | physiological and psychological reasons why this is |
| intestines, as well improving your body's ability to | | | | important. Physiologically a long muscle is a strong |
| absorb nutrients. Don't simply throw food down the | | | | muscle. If you take an elastic band and stretch it as |
| hatchet. CHEW it. Take your time. It will pay off. | | | | far apart as you can and then let it go...you get a |
| The timing of when we eat is important as well. | | | | fast strong SNAP!!! Now take it again and only stretch |
| When we have done strenuous exercise we should | | | | it half way, look at the difference in strength in that |
| eat within 30-60 minutes. I suggest eating a | | | | elastic popping back into original form. Your muscles |
| carbohydrate source that is easy to digest and high | | | | work the same way. So keep your muscles long and |
| glycemic in nature. The purpose of this is to top up | | | | strong. Stretching, especially yoga, also promotes |
| your glycogen (stored carbohydrate) stores which | | | | circulation. Good circulation is very important to |
| you have depleted during exercise. You can eat a full | | | | recovery because blood supply has oxygen and |
| meal an hour after your snack or whenever feels | | | | nutrients, promotes healing and transports toxins |
| right to you, but be sure to eat within that 30-60 | | | | from metabolism away from the body. |
| minute window as it is proven that physiologically the | | | | Psychologically, if stretching makes you feel better, |
| body can uptake more carbohydrate during this time. | | | | well that is half the battle. Feeling good, you work |
| An enzyme named glucose synthase is most present | | | | out harder, bottom line! The mind is a powerful tool. |
| in the bloodstream 30-60 minutes after intense | | | | Lastly, try a massage. Massage therapy helps to |
| exercise. Glucose synthase is an enzyme involved in | | | | move a lot of toxins in your body out through the |
| converting glucose to glycogen. Take advantage of | | | | lymphatic system. Post massage drink lots of water |
| this window to boost recovery from training. | | | | to flush your body of toxins and get rid of them! |
| Next, try eating live foods. Eat foods with natural live | | | | Massage also helps to relax the muscles that are |
| enzymes which help break digestion of the food so | | | | always in a contracted state. Active release massage |
| that your body can better use it as energy. These | | | | therapy helps to stretch your muscle fascia which |
| foods include mostly fruits, vegetables (starchy ones | | | | can twist, shorten and contract and inhibit circulatory |
| as well, such as squash and potatoes), whole grains | | | | and nerve processes. This can be very good for |
| and sprouts. Live foods are full of vitamins and | | | | recovery. Massage also helps to get blood flow to |
| minerals that will help your muscles repair and your | | | | the muscles so that your muscles are brought the |
| body to work optimally. They are "nutrient dense | | | | important nutrients and oxygen they need to |
| foods." By this I mean that per calorie they have | | | | recover. |
| many nutrients to offer. Versus say a chocolate bar | | | | These are some of the tools you can use to help |
| that has many calories but few nutrients. Live foods | | | | with your recovery. Surely you have found some of |
| = Nutrient Dense foods. | | | | your own over the years that already help you feel |
| Along similar lines, eat natural foods that are not | | | | better and stronger, so keep on with what you |
| refined or processed. Most refined foods have been | | | | already know works too! |
| robbed of their vitamins and minerals and contain a | | | | Until next time, put your legs up and let that hard |
| lot of chemicals. We should try to avoid sugar in its | | | | work settle in while you REST WELL. |
| refined form and eat live sources such as non | | | | |