Ready to pump some iron? Not so fast! While many of you probably skip a pre-workout snack, it’s extremely important that your body has the right combination of protein and carbs to provide a steady stream of energy during any kind of exercise. Not sure what to eat? Below, we’ve listed ten snacks (great for those on the go!) that are sure to give you the fuel you need before your workout.

Bananas: Bananas are rich in fast-acting carbohydrates that provide energy while you workout, while the supply of potassium maintains muscle and nerve function. For an extra kick and quick supply of protein, add some peanut butter.

Oatmeal: Oats are packed with fibre, which help the release of carbohydrates into your bloodstream. This steady release of carbohydrates gives you the boost you need before you exercise. Traditional oatmeal not your thing? Pair the dish with some sliced fruit to give the oats some flavour.

Greek Yogurt: Greek yogurt not only contains substantial protein and carbs, but contains less sugar than the regular, packaged kind. It’s also easy on the stomach, which is ideal before intense exercises that require rigorous physical activity. Add fruit, honey, or some oats for an extra kick.

Caffeine: Caffeine has been shown to aid a workout by helping you generate more energy, as well as slow fatigue and increase the rate of fat being burned. Drink a small cup of coffee or add some shots of expresso to your protein for a quick boost!

Fruit Smoothies: Smoothies are a great pre-workout snack because they’re filled with high-quality protein and can be easily digested, providing a steady release of energy as you exercise to prevent you from burning out. Mix some of your favorite fruit together and enjoy this cocktail on the go.

Whole Grain Bread: A slice of whole grain bread is an excellent source of carbohydrates and, of course, can be paired with almost any type of food. Top it off with some honey or jam for more fuel or pair with sliced hardboiled eggs for a burst of protein.

Trail Mix: Great for those on the go, this tiny snack packs a huge burst of energy. The healthy sugars from the dried fruit provide a quick energy boost while the seeds and nuts help sustain energy, warding off any feelings of fatigue. Keep in mind, a little goes a long way. Seeds and nuts are particularly high in fat, which means they take longer to digest. Eat too many and you’ll feel as sluggish as you did while rolling out of bed this morning (yawn!).

Carrots: You can’t forget the veggies! Carrots contain complex carbs that give energy to muscles, while potassium controls blood pressure and any kind of muscle contractions.

Chocolate Milk: While a little unconventional, drinking chocolate milk can actually do wonders to your workout. Rich in bone-boosting calcium, getting a dose of this important nutrient before you exercise keeps you from losing too much calcium through sweat.

Avocado: No, we’re not talking guacamole. Slices of avocado sprinkled with lemon juice serve as a great pre-workout snack. The healthy fats they contain not only provide long-burning fuel during your workout, but the pair also keeps your eyes, skin, and heart healthier in the long run.

 

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Article Courtesy: http://beautyhigh.com/

If you want to lose weight and get healthy, low-carb is the way to go, there’s no more effective way to take off pounds.

Yet, embarking on a low-carb journey can be tough, especially when you don’t see that extra weight coming off right away. I often receive emails from patients who say, “I feel good, but I’m not losing any weight! What’s up with that?”

If you’re experiencing the same frustration, know this: When your body gets totally healthy and you ditch the sugary high-carb foods that cause blood sugar swings, inflammation and gut damage, you will eventually begin to lose weight naturally. You just need to give your body time to flip its fat-burning switch to “on” so you become a natural fat burner. The magic will happen!

In the meantime, if you’ve been eating low-carb for a while and feel you still haven’t “taken off,” here are some troubleshooting tips. The first tips focus on what you’re eating, and the last few are all about your lifestyle.

Are you …

1. … eating too much fruit?

Eating too much fruit is easy to do. You push all the junk off your plate in your new eating regimen and replace it with an overload of fruit. Just because fruit is natural doesn’t mean you can go to town. Fruit has fructose, and although some fruit can be very nutritious, consuming too much high-carb fruit can create havoc in the insulin department. A good serving size is a closed handful of berries or chopped fruit, and half of a larger piece of fruit like a grapefruit or a large apple.

2. … eating too many nuts?

Just because nuts are on the low-carb “yes” list doesn’t mean it’s time to scarf! A nut serving size is a closed handful. Period. Not half a bag. Nuts will pile on the pounds if you crunch away on them mindlessly. Also, many nuts have an off-balance omega-6 to omega-3 ratio, which won’t help you move toward health.

3. … keeping foods on the “no” list in your kitchen?

I think you know where I’m going with this. Don’t keep chips and cookies and other high-carb stuff in your pantry or fridge for a rainy day. Donate, or, better yet, toss them. No need to explain this one.

4. … indulging in low-carb treats too often?

I’m glad you’re eating foods with healthy ingredients. Bravo! And if you want to eat low-carb packaged cookies, breads, treats and sweets once in a while, go for it. Just don’t make it routine or the pounds will start creeping on. Low-carb pancakes, breads, muffins, and cookies are totally yummy, but make sure you’re aware of how much you’re actually eating.

5. … skipping the fat?

Many people have ingrained in their minds that fat is evil. Some fats may be, but healthy fats like coconut oil and avocado oil are anything but evil. Adding the right quantities of fat to your diet actually helps you lose fat. Try it; you’ll see.

6. … eating too much healthy fat?

Again, quantity is an issue here. I love coconut fats, olives and avocados, animal fats, nuts and nut butters. They feed our bodies deep nutrition. But when I first started eating low-carb, I downed too many coconut chips and nuts, and was way too liberal with my drizzle oils. When I adjusted the quantities, I adjusted my weight.

Here’s a good guideline: A serving size is no more than two teaspoons of fats and oils (including coconut oil, coconut butter and drizzle oils like olive and avocado oils), or a closed handful of coconut chips, olives or nuts. Count one-half of an avocado as a serving. Full-fat coconut milk is best, and one-third of a can is a serving size.

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Article Courtesy: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/

Think of all good, nutrient-dense foods as superfoods — ingredients you want to incorporate into your diet frequently to keep your system running at its very best. These good foods are the foods you want to commit to, the ones you should cuddle up with every night and marry.

1. Greens

Green leafy vegetables give you the most bang for your buck of any food out there. They’re extremely affordable, and eating a wide variety of them every day gives you basically every micronutrient your body could ever need. Greens in general have been proven to fight cancer, diabetes, arthritis, Alzheimer’s, heart attack, stroke, high cholesterol, and heart disease.The high quantity of antioxidants in greens is especially important for your skin because antioxidants fight free radicals.

But they also contain high levels of vitamin A, which fights acne and repairs damaged skin, as well as folate, beta-carotene, B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium … all of the beauty vitamins and minerals. Greens are also high in anti-inflammatory flavonoids, which can act as antihistamines and antimicrobials in your body. They’re like steroids for your immune system.

2. Fruit

Lots of us are starting to think that fruit is as damaging for our waistlines and skin as Twinkies and soda. But fruit is second only to greens as the most nutrient-packed beauty superfood. It’s true that fruit contains a lot of sugar (in the form of fructose), but the key difference between the sugar in fruit and the sugar you stir into your coffee is fiber.

Fiber is what helps your body process all of the food you eat and expel all of the waste you don’t need. Fiber lessens the negative impact of sugar on your body, and the large amount of fiber in fruit helps your body in a variety of ways. It fills you up, keeps your energy level stable, and aids digestion.

Fruit is also extremely hydrating and filling, and a nice fruit snack is a super-effective way of dealing with sugar cravings. It can be hard at first to swap out your sugary favorites for a nice apple or a few chunks of melon, especially when you’re used to the Franken-sweets that your brain and body are slightly addicted to, but once you start eating fruit regularly, you’ll find that you crave it.

3. Fat

Eating fat is absolutely essential to maintaining good health, and it is crucial to having amazing skin.

The body can create some of the fats it needs to survive, but there are other fats essential to life that you can get only from food sources. These are called essential fatty acids (EFAs), also known as omega-3 and omega-6 fatty acids. These fats are critical to helping your body produce healthy cells, including skin cells.

They also aid in the production of sebum, which, as you know, keeps your skin hydrated and looking youthful. If you’re not getting enough fat, you will experience both dryness and inflammation. You will also be more sensitive to sunlight, more prone to breakouts, and more likely to develop psoriasis.

The only way to get EFAs is through your diet, which means that you are in complete control of how much of this critical building block your body is getting. But it’s important to note that EFAs have to be consumed in the right ratio for your body to get what it needs. Processed foods are full of omega-6s, and when you consume too many omega-6s and not enough omega-3s, inflammation runs rampant in the body. And you remember our chat about inflammation, right? Not only is it linked to many deadly diseases, in skin terms, it is the underlying condition for acne, psoriasis, rosacea, and many others.

4. Fermented Foods

Do you eat cheese? Sourdough bread? Yogurt? Drink beer or wine? Before our society got pasteurization-happy, even more food was just swimming in bacteria. And that food was better for us then than it is now.

Healthy, thriving bacterial ecosystems that live on our skin and in our intestines are part of what keep us healthy. People missing these crucial bacteria in their gut have digestive problems and allergies. There are actually trillions of microorganisms in your gut, making up what is known as your microbiome. Your gut flora support the healthy functioning of everything from your digestive tract to your immune system and from your heart to your brain.

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Article Courtesy: http://www.mindbodygreen.com/