Exercise nutrition tips

I was watching all the gym-bunnies tonight whilst playing ‘sharks’ in the pool with the kids (equally exhausting!) and I thought it was about time I wrote something about nutrition specific to working out. After all, this is the peak time of year for gym memberships so chances are many of you are hard at it..

Carb loading is counter-productive for atheletic perforamce, weight management, energy and long term health.

When you eat an excess of carbohydrates such as pasta, bread, bagels, cakes, biscuits or any refined flour-based foods, too much sugar enters your bloodstream all at once. This triggers a release of insulin that stores that sugar away into cells since excess sugar damages drain and body cells. Guess what? Now there is not enough sugar in your bloodstream so your brain assumes you are in a time of famine and sends an alert to your adrenals to release adrenaline and cortisol. Adrenaline releases energy from sugar stored in your liver and muscles and, crucially, cortisol breaks down your own muscle mass to turn it into sugar. In short, because you have supplied your body with a very poor energy source, i.e. refined carbohydrate, it is forced to undertake a series of biochemical steps to ‘protect’ itself. Putting the body under this strain promotes weight gain (even if your body type is naturally thin these eating habits will eventually cause weight gain around the middle, often in the 20’s) poor performance and lowered immunity.

IT IS IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THAT A DIET OF REFINED CARBOHYDRATES IS NOT NATURAL IN ANY WAY TO THE HUMAN BODY.

If you are in the habit of ‘carb loading’ for your workout or snacking on refined carbohydrates then your adrenals will be continually called upon –which can in the long term lead to adrenal fatigue, exhaustion and eventually burn out. Long term results of adrenal fatigue include decreased muscle mass and increased fat around the middle, lowered metabolism and accelerated ageing.

OPTIMUM DIET FOR WORKING OUT

A regular diet of WHOLE FOODS (if you can’t pronounce what’s on the label, you shouldn’t be eating it!) with a combination of protein (good quality meat, fish, eggs and pulses – can supplement with whey powders); good fats from oily fish and flax / linseed oil blends plus moderate amounts of naturally rich foods such as nuts and nut butters, seeds and if liked, avocados; lots of green vegetables – the most nutritious foods for athletes and non-athletes alike and moderate amounts, 3 servings of complex carbohydrates a day (1 serving = 2 slices of wholemeal / rye bread, large cup of brown rice, bowl of muesli, whole-wheat pasta (small bowl), starchy foods such as sweet potatoes are also fine.

ACTIONS

CUT DOWN ON 80-100% of refined carbs – keep as ‘treats’ only for after meals
EAT NATURALLY – think about the difference between an apple and ‘apple flavoured sweets.’
CUT OUT ADDED SUGAR
DO NOT DRINK FRUIT JUICE OR IF YOU DO, DILUTE 3 TIMES TO WATER (fruit juice is very high in sugar with no fibre)

Get out and about to tackle the winter blues, says Amanda Hamilton

According to Craig McQueen in last week’s Daily Record on Amanda’s involvement in the Visit Scotland Winter White promotion – THE early months of the year can seem like an endurance test for many of us now the festive season is a distant memory. Beating the winter blues can be difficult on top of dealing with the weather and clearing credit card bills.

Researchers claim today is the most depressing day of the year, which makes it tempting to pull the covers up over your head and stay in bed. But, according to nutrition guru Amanda Hamilton, the key is to tackle things head-on rather than hiding away in the first months of the year.

The Something For The Weekend presenter is urging people to get active by braving the conditions and heading outdoors for some exercise.

She said: “It’s much more interesting than going to the gym. Gyms in January tend to be packed as well. “Going out for a walk, such as climbing a hill, or doing something active at the weekend, will allow you to get much more out of it. It’s also something you can do with friends and family so it has a lot going for it.

“There are a minority of people who suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder, but for the majority of people, the problem is that they avoid going out when the nights draw in and it’s cold outside.

“We need about 30 minutes of natural sunlight a day, so we need to be outdoors in order to boost our health. It’s an essential component of living a healthy, balanced lifestyle, but too many people want to hibernate and don’t eat as well as they should or get enough exercise. “

You do feel better once you’ve done it, so if you stop protecting yourself from the weather and go out and enjoy it a bit more, you will get over that sense of winter blues.

“You get the endorphin rush after exercise which makes you feel better, and it’s a really good way to deal with stress, which a lot of people have to cope with at this time of year.

The answer is definitely to get out and about rather than staying in the house.

“Even if you’re not bothered about your weight or about getting fit, the psychological benefit of being outdoors is important. “It opens your mind up and takes you to a slightly different place.”

The 34-year-old, who married partner Crawfurd Hill last month, is also keen on practising what she preaches.

“I do things like skiing, mountain biking and walking,” she said. “Living in East Lothian means it’s easy to go to the beach, but I also go to places like Loch Lomond quite often.

“We’re completely spoiled here, and there are a lot of activities you can do when you’re a complete beginner, learning things over the weekend.

“I recently took up mountain biking, which is a great way of spending a day being active outdoors. “It was a bit terrifying at first as my husband took me on a course that was too advanced at first, but then I went back to the beginners’ course and I loved it. It’s a case of finding your level.

“You can hire mountain bikes too, which means it doesn’t cost a lot of money, so you can just give it a try. “It’s one of the reasons why I still live in Scotland rather than moving down South. It would make my life easier in a lot of ways, but I would miss having so much stuff on my doorstep.

“I’ve now got two step-kids and a little one, and you need to keep them entertained. Kids are at their best when they’re out, they’re busy and they’re having experiences, rather than sitting in the house developing cabin fever. “It opens up their mind to possibilities in the future as well.”

And, according to Amanda, being healthy in the New Year doesn’t have to be expensive either. There’s no need to take out an expensive gym membership to get fit, while eating healthily can also be inexpensive.

She said: “In January, it’s natural for people to talk about not having enough money, but a lot of activities are really cost-effective or are free. “If you get out and about like that, and maybe add in a nice pub lunch somewhere, you can find that you’re not spending any more money than you would be at home.

“We often hear about people eating too much stodgy food at this time of year too, but the sort of food that really appeals to people is food that is warm and nourishing, such as a bowl of scotch broth with some wholemeal bread.

“The problem is that too many people are likely to go for something like macaroni cheese first. “That’s a shame, as although it’s the wrong time of year for salads, there are loads of seasonal vegetables out there and there are plenty of meals you can make that are both easy and cheap as they use basic ingredients. “I’m cooking for the family now, and I tend to cook batches of food and freeze half of it, so that’s a meal for another night taken care of. We’ll have soup just about every other day as well.”

Amanda is keen to see more people opting for a healthier lifestyle in 2009 and making the most out of the food and the things to do on their doorstep. She said: “The one key thing about all of this is that it’s not expensive. You can get out and do things very cheaply, or treat yourself by spending a little bit more.

“As a nation, we’re more aware of what is right for us. We’ve got the knowledge about what we need and what’s available. “The next step is being brave enough to get out there and do it.” For more information, visit www.visitscotland.com/white ‘You get the endorphin rush after exercise which makes you feel better, and it’s a really good way to deal with stress”.

Copyright Daily Record 2009