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Building muscle and staying fuller longer was a huge thing this year - introducing to you the popular Protein nominees in the Blogilates Top 5 Healthy Foods of 2012 Awards Ceremony. Although I did consume protein powder, I believe that when you can, try to get your protein from natural sources as much as possible! These babies topped my list: tilapia, edamame, chicken breast, eggs, and tofu! Now you be the judge. Which lucky protein source will get the Blogilates seal of ultimate approval? Comment now. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Winners will be announced tonight! #blogilatestop5 #protein

Building muscle and staying fuller longer was a huge thing this year - introducing to you the popular Protein nominees in the Blogilates Top 5 Healthy Foods of 2012 Awards Ceremony. Although I did consume protein powder, I believe that when you can, try to get your protein from natural sources as much as possible! These babies topped my list: tilapia, edamame, chicken breast, eggs, and tofu! Now you be the judge. Which lucky protein source will get the Blogilates seal of ultimate approval? Comment now. EVERY VOTE COUNTS. Winners will be announced tonight! #blogilatestop5 #protein

Happy Saturday!
For those of you that do P90x or are familiar with any of those BeachBody programs, you’ve probably heard of Michi’s Ladder. I actually didn’t learn about this until today when I was researching info for the meal plan I will be creating. (Sign up for the newsletter if you want me to email you a copy!)
So what is Michi’s Ladder? Direct from the BeachBody site:
“Michi’s Ladder is a simple guideline that goes from the healthiest, most fitness-friendly foods (which you should eat most frequently) to the least-healthy, most body-depleting foods (which you should only have as occasional treats, if at all). If you’re wondering whether or not to eat a certain food, this list will help you decide.”
Great! This will be a very useful guideline as I look to find favorite foods and substitutions for my meal plan. It looks like I am already only eating from tiers 1 and 2 which is a great sign. Except…whole eggs falls in tier 3! They are not bad for you  - in fact they are a great source of choline which helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Nutritionists today have also found that eating 1-2 whole eggs a day will not lead to a measurable rise in cholesterol as previously believed. But anyway, I suppose for those seriously looking to lose weight replacing whole eggs with egg whites will help you cut calories in the end.
A 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat meal plan seems to be what a well balanced diet looks like. This is what I’m getting from fitness competitor, BeachBody coach, and weight loss blogs. Of course, this is different for everyone. I must do more research and figure out what works for me.
Overall, I don’t think we need to go super crazy here counting carbs, fats, and proteins (unless you’re a fitness competitor!). A healthy meal plan is a guideline to help us stay focused or stay on track. If you’re already eating clean and love how you feel/look you probably don’t need one because you are accustomed to making the right choices. But for those of you that workout, and “think” you’re eating well but are gaining weight, chances are you’re messing up on your diet. Meal plans are GREAT for keeping us AWAY for those bad food choices that can happen more often than we think. And from excessive and mindless caloric intake.
Hope you liked, stay tuned for more research I find!
Cassey
SOURCES:
http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-eggs.html
http://faq.teambeachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1037/~/what-is-michi’s-ladder%3F

Happy Saturday!

For those of you that do P90x or are familiar with any of those BeachBody programs, you’ve probably heard of Michi’s Ladder. I actually didn’t learn about this until today when I was researching info for the meal plan I will be creating. (Sign up for the newsletter if you want me to email you a copy!)

So what is Michi’s Ladder? Direct from the BeachBody site:

“Michi’s Ladder is a simple guideline that goes from the healthiest, most fitness-friendly foods (which you should eat most frequently) to the least-healthy, most body-depleting foods (which you should only have as occasional treats, if at all). If you’re wondering whether or not to eat a certain food, this list will help you decide.”

Great! This will be a very useful guideline as I look to find favorite foods and substitutions for my meal plan. It looks like I am already only eating from tiers 1 and 2 which is a great sign. Except…whole eggs falls in tier 3! They are not bad for you  - in fact they are a great source of choline which helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Nutritionists today have also found that eating 1-2 whole eggs a day will not lead to a measurable rise in cholesterol as previously believed. But anyway, I suppose for those seriously looking to lose weight replacing whole eggs with egg whites will help you cut calories in the end.

A 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat meal plan seems to be what a well balanced diet looks like. This is what I’m getting from fitness competitor, BeachBody coach, and weight loss blogs. Of course, this is different for everyone. I must do more research and figure out what works for me.

Overall, I don’t think we need to go super crazy here counting carbs, fats, and proteins (unless you’re a fitness competitor!). A healthy meal plan is a guideline to help us stay focused or stay on track. If you’re already eating clean and love how you feel/look you probably don’t need one because you are accustomed to making the right choices. But for those of you that workout, and “think” you’re eating well but are gaining weight, chances are you’re messing up on your diet. Meal plans are GREAT for keeping us AWAY for those bad food choices that can happen more often than we think. And from excessive and mindless caloric intake.

Hope you liked, stay tuned for more research I find!

Cassey

SOURCES:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-eggs.html

http://faq.teambeachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1037/~/what-is-michi’s-ladder%3F

Strawberry Nectarine Vanilla Protein Smoothie!
Ingredients:
-260g of mixed fruits, I had frozen strawberries and nectarines on hand
-6 tablespoons of plain non fat yogurt
-1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder
-1 cup water
Nutrition info: 112 calories for 1/2 of the recipe (about 1.5 cup). 1g fat. 19g carbs. 9g protein.
It was so good! My sister said it wasn’t sweet enough, but I thought it was delicious! Didn’t use any juice, so if you want it sweeter you can use juice instead of water.

Strawberry Nectarine Vanilla Protein Smoothie!

Ingredients:

-260g of mixed fruits, I had frozen strawberries and nectarines on hand

-6 tablespoons of plain non fat yogurt

-1/2 scoop of vanilla protein powder

-1 cup water

Nutrition info: 112 calories for 1/2 of the recipe (about 1.5 cup). 1g fat. 19g carbs. 9g protein.

It was so good! My sister said it wasn’t sweet enough, but I thought it was delicious! Didn’t use any juice, so if you want it sweeter you can use juice instead of water.

Ok so some funny things while making this video. I have NEVER done so many takes ever! There was so much info and I didn’t wanna miss anything. POP Pilates (and even POP Cardio) filming is so much easier!

Also, I didn’t think it’d be so long! I guess I just like to be really thorough with all that I do so I wanted to pack in as much info as I could on the topic. Man, there’s gonna be more episodes…I can see it coming.

I did a TON of research before making the segment. I felt like I was in school again! It was great learning and solidifying what I already knew with some academic expert readings.

Umm and my intro and outro. Haha. I had fun doing that…but I think it needs some work. Kinda weird. Oh well! I thought it was a good idea before I uploaded!

K, well there you go guys! My first nutrition video. Read the transcript below for an EVEN MORE detailed understanding of what to eat before and after you workout.

Love love and keep the suggestions coming!

Cassey

What to eat before and after a workout to lose weight and tone up!

Hey guys!

Here was my transcript outline when I filmed the FOOD Bites video on pre and post workout meals. In case you didn’t catch what I said, you can read it.

Link to video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H0POjup6fOY

Love ya!

Cassey

THE BASIC FACTS:

  • A workout may last an hour or two, however dieting is 24 hours a day.
  • Eat 4 or 5 meals per day. A good breakfast, lunch and dinner, with one to two snacks.
  • Don’t starve! Not giving your body the nutrients it needs is going to cause your body to start shutting down, and this will cause it to stop burning fat b/c it thinks it is in survival mode.
  • Eating before working out: settles the stomach, reduces hunger, gives your muscles the energy needed to exercise
  • Eating after exercising and drinking plenty of fluid can help to replace glycogen (energy to workout) that is lost during exercise. Glycogen is comprised of sugars that come from the protein and carbohydrates in your diet.

WHAT IS A CARB? WHAT IS A PROTEIN?

They are macronutrients! Nutrients that your body needs a lot of. This includes carbohydrates, fats, and protein. Micronutrients are vitamins and minerals.

CARBS: USDA recommends that 45% - 65% of our calories should come from carbohydrates. Carbohydrates are the body’s main source of fuel. Carbohydrates are easily used by the body for energy. They are mainly found in starchy foods (like grain and potatoes), fruits, milk, and yogurt.

PROTEIN: USDA recommends that 10% - 35% of our calories should come from protein. Most Americans get plenty of protein, and easily meet this need by consuming a balanced diet. We need protein for growth (especially important for children, teens, and pregnant women), tissue repair, energy when carbohydrate is not available, preserving lean muscle mass. Protein is found in meats, poultry, fish, meat substitutes, cheese, milk, nuts, legumes

PRE WORKOUT MEAL:

  • Glucose is the preferred energy source for exercise, so eat something high in carbs and that’s easy to digest.
  • In general, the closer you get to your workout start time, the fewer calories you should eat. It’s important to winnow down the protein and fat content of your meal or snack as you get closer to exercise.
  • The nutrients that make up those calories should also shift. Because it takes the body: 4-6 hrs to digest fat, 3 hrs to digest protein, and 2 hrs  to digest carbohydrates.
  • You’re not going to want to eat a plate of french fries two hours before working out, because the blood is going to rush to your stomach to digest that while it’s also trying to rush to your exercising muscles.

Example Pre Workout Foods…

  • Bananas and apples. These are good choices for an energizing snack. Bananas are packed with potassium, which aids in maintaining proper nerve and muscle function aka no cramps.
  • Oatmeal. Oats are full of fiber and therefore the carbohydrates from them are released into your bloodstream gradually, keeping your energy levels constant during your workout.
  • Cereal
  • Yogurt & fruit
  • Trail mix/unsalted nuts
  • Fruit & yogurt smoothie
  • Sweet potato, yam

POST WORKOUT MEAL:

  • This meal is probably the most important meal you can eat. (And breakfast of course)
  • Your post-workout meal serves to give you the energy to recover from your workout and replace what was lost as result of training.
  • After you train your natural metabolism is burning red hot and can take much more nutrients at once and still not store it as fat.
  • The first nutritional priority after exercise is to replace any fluid lost during exercise.
  • Research is clear that eating carbs and protein within 15-60 minutes of your workout will help speed up your recovery time by replenishing glycogen stores and increasing protein synthesis (aka building lean muscle).

Example Post Workout Meal…

Chobani strawberry greek yogurt: 14 g protein, 20 g carbs. Yogurt is also EASILY DIGESTABLE so your body will soak up the nutrients immediately.

WHAT HAPPENS IF YOU DON’T EAT BEFORE AND AFTER YOU WORKOUT?

You’ll burn fat. But be very fatigued.

PRE-MEAL: If you exercise for a long time without eating, you’ll limit your ability to burn calories and maintain intensity. You won’t burn more of anything if you can’t muster the enthusiasm to master your toughest sets.

POST-MEAL: And if you don’t feed your muscles and replenish your energy stores after exercise, you won’t have the necessary building blocks for recovery.

SAMPLE MEAL PLAN:

Breakfast…

  • cereal w/ nonfat plain soymilk
  • oatmeal with apple & raisins
  • veggie omelet (egg white or whole)

Pre-workout meal…

  • Sweet potato

Post workout meal…

  • Chobani greek yogurt w/ fruit

Lunch…

  • Deli sliced turkey with hummus and baby carrots
  • Chicken salad with tomatoes, bell peppers, onions, spinach, lettuce. Rasp. vinagrette dressing

Dinner…

  • Baked salmon w/ steamed asparagus or green beans
  • Tofu with mushrooms and broccoli
  • Any veggie and a lean protein (like chicken or fish)

CITATIONS:

Macronutrients: the Importance of Carbohydrate, Protein, and Fat. http://www.mckinley.illinois.edu/Handouts/macronutrients.htm

Eating to Win. http://www.womenfitness.net/eating_towin.htm

Figure Competition Diet. http://www.modelsobserver.com/training.html

Bikini Diet: http://dustinmaherfitness.com/tag/bikini-diet/

What to eat before and after workouts to lose weight? http://www.livestrong.com/article/195384-what-to-eat-before-and-after-work-outs-to-lose-weight/#ixzz1C1V7D5O1