News flash: Most of the fuel you use during exercise doesn’t come from the food you’ve recently eaten! It actually comes from the carbohydrates (called “glycogen”) and fat that’s stored in your muscles, liver, and fat cells. That’s enough to fuel 1-2 hours of very intense exercise or 3-4 hours of moderate intensity exercise.
This means that if your overall diet is adequate to keep your fuel tanks topped off, you may not need to eat anything before you work out. So, if eating before exercise upsets your stomach or you like to exercise first thing in the morning or at a time when eating first isn’t convenient, don’t feel like eating first is a must.
Some people do have a hard time exercising without eating first, especially if it’s been a long time since their last meal or snack. These individuals often are more sensitive to changes in their blood sugar levels, which fall during the first 15-20 minutes of workout. That drop in blood sugar can cause tiredness, mild dizziness, or even faintness—especially if your blood sugar was already low, but eating something beforehand can help prevent this. If you have health issues like diabetes or hypoglycemia that can cause low blood sugar, you’ll probably want to eat before your workout. If you get very hungry during a workout (and it interferes with your energy levels or focus), or become so ravenous after an exercise session that you end up overeating, try eating before you hit the gym to avoid these problems.
Now what to eat:
. Eat a small (100- to 200-calorie) snack about 30 minutes before you work out. This snack should include fast-digesting (high glycemic index) carbohydrates and very little fat (which digests slowly), so that you digest the meal quickly and the fuel is available during your exercise session. Here are some ideas:
- Fruit juice
- Fruit smoothie
- High-glycemic fruits like pineapple, apricots, banana, mango, and watermelon
- Sports drinks
- Pretzels or bagels (but not whole grain varieties, which digest slowly)
- Energy bars (look for 3-5 grams of protein, at least 15 grams of carbs, and very little fat)
Eat a nutritionally balanced meal 1-2 hours before your exercise. This is the best option for many people. The larger the meal, and the more fat and protein it contains, the longer you may need to wait before exercising. Ideally, try to eat enough calories to equal about half the calories you expect to burn during your upcoming workout. So if you burn about 600 calories during your workout, aim for at least 300 calories during this meal — or a little more if your exercise is “high intensity” (over 75% of your maximum heart rate). At least 50-60% of these calories should come from carbohydrates, which should keep your blood sugar and energy levels fairly stable during your exercise session. Include some protein to help prevent the breakdown of muscle for fuel and give your muscles a headstart on recovery after exercise. Some good food choices and combinations for this kind of meal include:
- Fruit and yogurt
- Nuts
- Oatmeal
- Cereals (with more than 3 grams of fiber) and milk
- Trail mix with nuts and dried fruit
- Hummus and raw veggies
- Hard boiled eggs (or egg whites)
- Cottage cheese and fruit
- Half a peanut butter or turkey/chicken sandwich on whole grain bread
- Whole grain crackers with nut butter or cheese
- Whole grain fig (or fruit) Newton cookies
- Milk (especially chocolate milk)
- Tomato or vegetable juice
- Yogurt smoothie (with added protein powder, if desired)
- Most protein/energy bars
As a moderate exerciser, you have a lot of flexibility when it comes to timing your meals and choosing your foods. The most important things are getting to know your body and how it responds to exercise, so that you can give it what it needs to perform at its best. Eating the right foods at the right times before you work out is essential to keeping your energy up, your workout performance high, and your body in fat-burning mode.
Now get out there and DO WORK!
So you've had dinner about 2 hours ago and all the sudden your hungry again. Why does this happen?
It could be that you did not eat something nutritious. It works like this:
Your body eats to absorb nutrients and vitamins and carbs and etc.
If you have eaten a lot of junk food, then you are deprived of this, but your body still needs it. So it causes you to continue to be hungry, so it can get those nutrients.
Here are some foods that will keep your body full longer:
- Chicken, Vegetable Broth
- Romaine Lettuce, Spinach, Mixed Salad
- Apples, Blueberries, Cantaloupe, Grapefruit, Oranges, Peaches, Strawberries
- Asparagus, Broccili, Carrots,Cauliflower, Celery, Cucumber, Tomatoe
- Oatmeal, Whole Grain Bread, Whole Grain Pasta, Lentils, Legumes
- Lean Proteins Chicken, Seafood, Low Fat Dairy
- Peanuts, Almonds, Cashews, Walnuts
- Water!
Fiber contains only 1.5 to 2.5 calories per gram, while other carbohydrates contain 4 calories per gram. Fiber-rich foods also necessitate more chewing and slow the passage of food through the digestive tract. The fiber in carbohydrates helps prevent those peaks and valleys in blood sugar levels that can cause cravings and poor food choices. They also may stimulate a satiety hormone in the brain.
Chose smart foods to keep you powered throughout the day, and through your workouts. Eat a good breakfast, lunch, and dinner with a few snacks throughout the day.
Nowadays it seems as though everyone struggles to get through a full day and then get a workout in due to no energy. Have you ever reached for a five hour energy? Check this out....
They seem to have everything you need to keep on going, but what still has me concerned is the 2000% daily value of B6 and the 8333% of B12. All other ingredients including the amino acids are in amounts considered to be healthy, but what about the amount of B Vitamins? The 5-Hour Energy website has a nice explanation for those that are concerned about taking a large dose of Vitamin B. They simply state that the B Vitamins in their supplement; B6, B12, B3, and B9 are water soluble, any amount that is not absorbed is “expelled with no toxic effects.” They even go on to say that those on B vitamin therapy take even higher doses. Sounds convincing right? What they fail to explain is that water, an essential ingredient that is needed to expel unused B Vitamins, should be mega-dosed to offset the mega-dose of B Vitamins in a 5 Hour Energy shot. Contrary to belief, it is possible to overdose on Vitamin B. Overdosing on Vitamin B happens when intolerable amounts are taken over a long period of time which can result in headache, dizziness, fainting, yellowing of skin, and temporary nerve/brain damage that can last 3 months to 3 years. I could not find a consistent number defining a toxic amount, as it seems to be different for everyone. One case for toxicity reported 5,500mg for one dose, while another reported 500mg over a period of time (3 months or so), which happens to be the equivalent of B12 in one bottle of 5 hour energy. The recommended daily dose for B3 is 6mg, .8 for B6, and 30mg for B12. The amount of B3 in a 5 Hour Energy drink is 30mg, 40mg of B6, and 500mcg of B12.
It seems the number of ingredients in 5 Hour Energy shots work together in more ways than I can piece together. In my assessment I did find that the amount of B Vitamins could potentially lead to an overdose. In the most extreme case, if taken daily and over a period of time 5 Hour Energy shots could very well cause temporary nerve/brain damage (in the most extreme cases). Symptoms such as numb hands and feet are signs of toxic levels. Aside from that, the combination of ingredients and a healthy amount of water should result in 5 hours of energy if fatty acids and carbs are available for synthesis, and the user has not desensitized themselves to the effects of caffeine.
TRY FOOD! HERE ARE SOME FOODS TO ENERGIZE YOU INSTEAD OF REACHING FOR THAT MAN MADE CRAP.
Whole grain bagel with cheese
- Cereal with fruit and yogurt
- Whole-grain toast with peanut butter and fruit
- Hard-boiled egg sliced into a whole-wheat pita
- Scrambled eggs, toast, and fruit
- Oatmeal with raisins
- Almonds, Cashews, Peanuts
- Lean pork, Chicken, Turkey
All of these are far better choices than some chemical substance, also stay hydrated. Now start your week off right and get it done!
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