Recovery is the time when the body adapts to the “good stress” (eustress) of physical training by developing new muscle mass and restoring glycogen levels. The period directly following an intense workout is particularly important for athletic training because the body is especially drained and vulnerable to injury and exhaustion. Giving your body the nutrients it needs can make a huge impact on your ability to recover post-workout.
Eat a Recovery Diet
The recovery diet should be rich in two macronutrients: lean protein and complex carbohydrates. It’s important to eat carbohydrates and protein together because the carbohydrates increase protein absorption. Try consuming these post-workout to help your body bounce back quickly and avoid injury:
- Chocolate Milk: A pint of low-fat chocolate milk has about 300 calories, 50 grams of carbohydrates and 16 to 20 grams of protein, making it a perfect post-workout recovery drink.
- Lean meat and brown rice: Chicken or steak plus rice delivers a protein punch, along with fiber and complex carbohydrates. Also, the protein/rice combination increases the feeling of being full, helping make sure you eat only what your body needs to recover and don’t consume excess calories.
- Fish: Salmon, tuna, tilapia and other white fish are all terrific low-fat, high-protein choices. Add a sweet potato or high-carbohydrate steamed vegetable like broccoli or cauliflower, and you’ll get plenty of omega-3 fatty acids, complex carbohydrates and fiber to replenish your glycogen stores and rebuild muscles, while stopping inflammation.Learn more about athletic training and nutrition in Health Is Wealth: Performance Nutrition.
If you’ve ever attended a high school or college reunion, you probably noticed something interesting: While everyone in attendance was roughly the same age, some looked five, 10 or even 15 years older. The healthy, fit people appeared to have aged gracefully, while those who were unhealthy or out of shape showed clearer signs of aging.
What causes such drastic differences? The answer has nothing to do with a potion or procedure—it’s mostly due to activity. Put simply: People who exercise regularly age better than their sedentary counterparts. Frequent movement contributes to a lower “biological age,” or the measure of age based on how the body functions, as opposed to “chronological age.” This is partly because people who exercise consistently produce greater amounts of Nitric Oxide (NO), which keeps them looking great on the outside, and functioning well inside, too. Of course, a healthy diet, plenty of sleep and rest, and low stress levels are just as important, but we’ll focus on exercise for now.
Consider what goes on inside the body as you move. Movement creates “shear stress” on your blood vessels, which stimulates your endothelium, the organ that produces NO. As blood flows over the endothelial cells, the cells come to life and produce higher amounts of NO. Since blood flow is at its maximum and NO levels are high, oxygen and nutrients are more effectively delivered to your exercising muscles. The best part? You are not just increasing NO production during your workout; regular exercise causes your endothelial cells to continuously produce more NO all day long. NO keeps you healthy and fit on the inside by making your blood vessels smooth and flexible, allowing them to dilate and contract as needed, keeping the vessels free of plaque buildup, and helping blood flow smoothly. That means that going out for a 30-minute run does more than just make your clothes fit better—it also actively helps prevent heart disease.
Along with improving body function, NO also helps you look young. In fact, recent research published in Advances in Gerontology referred to NO as the “‘anti-aging’ molecule.” Part of NO’s role is as a skin protectant; it helps protect the skin against damage from UV radiation, and promotes local blood flow and warmth to the skin. And, perhaps most importantly, it has been shown to reduce the expression of the genes that cause aging. That means that NO literally slows aging. Incredible!
So, don’t buy into the ads for night cream or hair dyes. Instead, lead a healthy, happy lifestyle. You don’t have to be a world-class athlete; you just have to be consistent. If you’re not in a state of vitality now, why not start getting healthy today? Six months to a year from now, you might just look in the mirror and wonder who that young person is looking back at you.
The texture is part of what makes avocados extraordinary. Their high oleic acid content gives them a buttery consistency that’s perfect for spreading on bread and using as a cheese substitute in dishes like burritos. And, of course, avocadoes are also wonderful when combined with tomatoes, onions, some chili peppers and cilantro, and turned into guacamole.
Here’s the “super” behind this super food:
Calories—Half of a typical avocado contains about 150 calories, most of which come from good fat. Since avocados are a calorie-dense food, eat them with restraint.
Nutrients—Avocados are rich in fiber, folic acid, potassium, vitamin E and magnesium. They are also one of the best natural sources of monounsaturated fats, one of the types of fat that’s beneficial for health. Several clinical studies have found that a diet rich in avocados can reduce “bad” cholesterol levels while increasing “good” cholesterol.
Shopping tips—The Cadillac of avocados is the Hass, a black-green variety commonly grown in California but shipped nationwide. Look for fruits that are still green but just beginning to turn black, and that are firm and only slightly yielding to finger pressure. Store them at home in a paper bag to speed ripening. Use within 48 hours of turning black.
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- One of the key factors determining the quality of your sleep is your cortisol rhythm.
- Cortisol, a hormone produced by the adrenal glands, is involved in many body functions, including muscle contraction, heart function and fat metabolism. It’s also the hormone released when you’re under stress.
- Elevated nighttime cortisol levels lead to poor-quality REM sleep, leaving you feeling fatigued.
- Supporting the adrenal glands—the producers of cortisol—through nutrition can help manage high cortisol levels, which can lead to better sleep. Vitamin B6, vitamin B5 (pantothenic acid) and vitamin C all contribute to proper adrenal function; these same nutrients are often depleted during stress.
- Eating low glycemic index foods like fish, poultry, eggs and vegetables, while minimizing sugars and refined grains, can keep cortisol levels low and improve sleep.
- Eating low glycemic index foods can also reduce your risk of developing Type 2 diabetes.
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