Monthly Archives: October 2014

What does your body really need after a workout?

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  • CARBS/SUworkoutguyGAR – after a strength session, ladies aim for 15 grams and guys 30 grams. After an intense cardio session, ladies aim for 20-30 grams and guys 30-45 grams.
  • WATER – is needed for everyone and every type of workout. Most people need 20-32 ounces.
  • PROTEIN – most people need 10-20 grams based on the type of workout and body mass. After an intense strength workout, ladies aim for 10-15 grams and guys aim for 15-25 grams. After an intense cardio session, everyone aim for about 10 grams.
  • ELECTROLYTES – only if you are a very salty sweater, have issues with cramping or are exercising for more than 90 minutes.

These suggestions are dependent on the intensity and length of the workout. Don’t add calories where they are not needed but after a 30-45 minute high intensity workout, this nutrition is needed. After a 45-60 minute moderate to high intensity workout, this nutrition is needed. If you have a regularly scheduled meal or snack within 30 minutes of the workout, then just have that. However, if your next meal/snack is not for one to two hours, then add a small post-exercise snack within 30 minutes of the workout using my guidelines.

Have more questions or looking for additional information, visit GATC’s Nutrition Services page.

Kristin Burgess, GATC R.D.

Healthy Hydration

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Here are some answers to common hydration questions/concerns:

How much water should I drink?

  • Your goal is to drink half your body weight in ounces of water daily. Water consumed during or after a workout does not count.

It’s hard to drink that much. How do I do it?water

  • Carry a reusable 32 ounce (one liter) bottle everywhere you go. My favorites are the small mouth nalgene bottles because they are very convenient to carry on a finger. Make your goal measurable. If your goal is 100 ounces, drink two bottles before lunch, one in the afternoon and plenty of water with meals. This is easier than keeping track of how many glasses you drink.

Does coffee, tea, juice and/or soda count towards my goal?

  • Only unsweetened (this includes sugar substitutes) liquids count.

I don’t like water. What can I add for flavor?

  • Frozen fruit, lemon, lime or ginger are a few ideas.

Does coffee dehydrate me? I’ve heard it’s bad for me.coffee

  • Coffee only dehydrates if it is consumed inconsistently. For example, if you head to your local coffee shop for a random afternoon latte, that afternoon/night/following day you will be dehydrated. If you drink less than 12 ounces every morning, then no.

When I drink that much water I’m always in the bathroom.

  • That’s a good thing! Your kidneys are a filter. When your blood volume is not optimal, your kidneys do not get enough blood and therefore do not function properly. This affects your heart health and your metabolism. Going to the bathroom every hour or so is good! To prevent waking in the middle of the night, stop drinking water after dinner.

How does adequate water help me with energy and/or weight loss?

  • Your muscles are made of water and protein. If you don’t give them what they are made of, they can’t be built. Being fully hydrated on a daily basis means you have optimal blood supply to all of your working cells, tissues and organs. In turn, this means they are consistently getting adequate oxygen, vitamins, minerals and other nutrients. We burn fat when there is adequate oxygen supplying our metabolism.

Have questions on healthy hydration? Or looking for some information on nutrition? Contact Kristin or visit the GATC Nutrition Services page.

Kristin Burgess, Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer

15 Minutes To A Great Start To Your Day!

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These four yoga poses done in the morning will wake you up, elevate your mood and alleviate pain. Designate a spot in your home to set up your mat. In a pinch you can do these poses without a mat.

  • Child’s Pose (Balasana) – five minutes
    Bring your knees wide and your toes to touch, sink your hips to your heels and extend your hands out to the front of your mat. Rest your forehead on your mat or a towel if it does not comfortably reach the floor. Move a little to get comfortable; pressing your palms, fingers and forearms into the mat massaging your forehead by rolling it side to side. When you have settled in to this posture, take deep, full breaths and exhale completely.
  • Table Top to Cat/Cow – move through the following in about three minutes
    Move into Table Top from Child’s Pose on your exhale. Set your wrists under your shoulders and your knees under your hip bones, aligning your joints. Look at your hands and spread your fingers energetically and press into your palms equalizing the pressure throughout your hands. From Table Top, drop your head and close your eyes moving organically through the hips, swaying from side to side or moving hips around in a circle. Come back to neutral spine and inhale to Cow by lifting your chin and tailbone up. From Cow-exhale to Cat by arching your back and gazing at your belly. Repeat by inhaling to Cow and exhaling to Cat, five times. Make sure to take deep long breaths and move into Cat and Cow slowly, letting your breath lead the way.
  • Down Dog – three minutesyoga_downward_dog
    Move from Table Top to Down Dog. From Table Top, move your knees back about two inches, tuck your toes under and push the floor away from you as you move into an inverted V position. In Down Dog, peddle your feet out, drawing your heals to the mat and move through your hips. Your hands are shoulder width distance apart and your feet are hips width distance apart. Actively push the floor away from you, lengthening from the crown of your head to your hips. It may be necessary to bend your knees slightly to create the inverted V or 90 degree angle in the hips.
  • Rag Doll – four minutes
    From Down Dog, bend your knees and walk your hands to your feet. Start with slightly bent knees and rest fingertips on the mat. Relax your head and neck. Grab opposite elbows and hang out here in stillness or sway from side to side. Release your hands back to the mat and bend knees so you can comfortably clasp your hands behind your back. Squeezing your shoulder blades together and expanding through the chest.

Release your hands back to the mat, slowly roll up to standing and have an AMAZING DAY!

Remember to check out Greenwood’s yoga schedule, where you’ll find 8 different yoga styles and over 30 yoga classes offered each week.

Marda Zechiel, GATC Yoga Manager

Cut The Starch For Heart Health

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New research is showing that in addition to trans fats, having too many of the wrong type of carbs will also raise cholesterol and cause heart disease.

UNHEALTHY CARBS:
-White bread (this includes almost all breads at restaurants)
-White ricebread
-Crackers
-Bars
-White tortillas
-White pasta
-Too many (frequency or portion size): potatoes, whole grain pastas, rice, bread and any other whole grain product

CHOOSE MORE:fruit
-Fruit
-Veggies
-Nuts and all natural nut butters

LIMIT:
-Limit whole grains to two servings per day
-Dairy limit to two servings per day

Kristin Burgess, Registered Dietitian and Personal Trainer