Wednesday, March 10, 2010

You Should Eat After Your Workout

Our main goal for doing exercise and workout routines is to have better health. This is regardless if you are trying to lose or gain weight. However, there is a common tendency to starve oneself after exercise, especially when trying to lose weight. This should not be the case.

I do my short walk/jog/run workouts daily in the morning, six days a week. I do my exercise before having my breakfast.

I came across this short article about the direct effect of eating after exercise:

"Many of the improvements in metabolic health associated with exercise stem largely from the most recent session of exercise, rather than from an increase in ‘fitness’ per se,” researcher Jeffrey F. Horowitz of the University of  Michigan says in a news release. “But exercise doesn’t occur in a vacuum, and it  is very important to look at both the effects of exercise and what you’re eating after exercise.” (What You Eat After Working Out Matters, article via the WebMD website)

The study in the article showed that having a low-carbohydrate meal after exercise enhances insulin sensitivity. Increased insulin sensitivity makes it easier for the body to take up sugar from the bloodstream and store it in muscles and other tissues where it can be used for fuel.

What are the common low-carbohydrate food stuffs? Here is an image of the low-carb food pyramid (via CarbHealth.com):

low carb food pyramid
Here are some suggestions of low-carb meals: Scrambled Eggs with Tomatoes, Broccoli with Garlic and Olive Oil, Sake Steamed Salmon. You can get the recipes of these, and other meals at the FoodFit.com website.

This made me think: maybe I should eat more meat, eggs, and cheese in the morning? Nana knew it all along! She often makes me some ham and eggs after my morning workout. (During her surprise visits. Lol.)
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