BETWEEN-MEAL SNACK Good: 8 oz low-fat yogurt with fruit Better: 8 oz low-fat cottage cheese, 1 oz mixed nuts WHY: Between meals, you want a decent dose of slow-digesting protein to steadily supply amino acids to your muscles until your next major feeding. Low-fat yogurt is not the best choice, as it only provides about 9 g of protein. In addition, fruit yogurt contains about 42 g of carbs, the majority being fast-digesting sugars. You could switch to low-fat plain yogurt and increase the serving to 12 ounces for about 18 g of protein, but a better option is low-fat cottage cheese. This will provide almost 30 g of slow-digesting protein. Adding a serving of mixed nuts will add another 5 g of protein and provide healthy fats that will serve to further slow down protein digestion. LUNCH Good: 8 oz lean hamburger on plain hamburger bun Better: 8 oz deli turkey breast on whole-wheat bread, salad with olive oil and vinegar dressing Why: Believe it or not, the “better” lunch is not superior because turkey is a leaner protein source. The fat in beef is important for testosterone production, so if you want to swap the turkey for lean beef, it’s still a better lunch. The second meal is the way to go because of the slower-burning carbs in the whole-wheat bread. These longer-lasting carbs provide steadier energy throughout the day. A plain hamburger bun (white bread) burns fast, possibly leading to an energy crash later in the day. Another benefit of the latter option is the phytonutrients from greens and vegetables like peppers, carrots, onions and tomatoes. Salads have been shown to boost blood flow, which will be critical to your pump come workout time. And no, fat-free dressing isn’t the way to go — an olive-oil-based dressing provides healthy fats, which research shows will help you better absorb the phytonutrients (such as antioxidants) that will also boost muscle recovery after a workout. PREWORKOUT Good: 20-g whey protein shake, 3 slices of white bread Better: 20-g whey protein shake, 1 large apple Why: What’s the difference? Both have whey protein and a carb source, right? A big hint: it’s the type of carbs. White bread will give you almost 40 g of rapidly digesting carbs. You might think that you need a quick source of carbs for quick energy before training — you’d be wrong. The energy you use during your workouts comes from the stored energy, such as glycogen, in your muscles. Furthermore, a fast-digesting carb will spike insulin levels, which could blunt fat burning during a workout. The better option is an apple, which gives you 30 g of slow-digesting carbs that won’t spike insulin and will be available as fuel toward the end of your workout, when you may need the extra energy.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Dec 2014 12:00:00 +0000
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