Wowza I am sore today. Triathlon training kicked my butt Tuesday night and I swam and did weights a few times this week. My swim stoke is finally improving, THANK GOD so I'm feeling better about that. Practice makes perfect right? Our brick training on Tuesday consisted of one hour of spinning inside, a 45 minute run outside (in the freezing cold), followed by core work and I was SPENT. Our teacher has participated in various triathlons and a lot of the people in the class had completed Ironman's etc so it was quite motivating actually. It's definitely more fun to workout in a group from my perspective. If you're tired or just not feeling it, seeing other people work hard and have fun is infectious in a good way. Do you prefer working out in a group or on your own? At times it's nice to just get into the gym and do your thing but having that extra motivation can also take your workout from good to great. Thinking twice about doing your workout happens to the best of us, but positive habits form from taking ACTION. Just get up a go!
Our instructor on Tuesday chatted a lot about proper hydration and fuelling your body for these intense workouts. Once you hit the 45 to an hour mark, your body will begin to burn your carbohydrate stores and you will need to replenish to maintain your energy levels. I was never one for sports drinks/gels but some may have their place if they are not loaded with sugar. I'm going to discuss supplementation in this post and some of the things that I use to enhance my workouts and overall health. This is just what I do and it's important to remember that everyone is different. Your needs will be different based on your activity level and goals but these are a few I suggest:
Vitamin D: The sunshine vitamin :)
With winter fast approaching, I think vitamin D is especially important because of our days getting shorter and lack of sunlight. Have you ever heard of SAD? According to wikipedia.org: Seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also known as winter depression, winter blues, was considered a mood disorder in which people who have normal mental health throughout most of the year experience depressive symptoms in the winter or summer. Symptoms of SAD may consist of difficulty waking up in the morning, morning sickness, tendency to oversleep and over eat, especially a craving for carbohydrates, which leads to weight gain. Other symptoms include a lack of energy, difficulty concentrating on or completing tasks, withdrawal from friends, family, and social activities, and decreased sex drive. SCARY!
Since the majority of us want to hibernate in the winter, our Vitamin D levels are even lower as we generally receive it's benefits from the sun. I definitely suggest trying to spend at least 15 minutes outside each day to give you body the sunlight and fresh air it craves but also try supplementing with at least 1000 IU per day of vitamin D.
CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid): is basically a mixture of different forms of linoleic acids that our body can not produce enough of.
Numerous medical studies have shown the benefits of CLA including; an increased metabolic rate, providing a positive benefit for our thyroid, especially hypothyroidism. It can also assist in decreased abdominal fat by helping balance out our hormones, and also enhances muscle growth. I just purchased some CLA after my research so I'll keep you posted on any results!
Ultima Replenisher: Naturally replenishes the electrolytes we all need to feel and function at our best according to ultimareplenisher.com. Too many drinks are loaded with sugar and salt, preservatives and/or coloring so I was pretty happy when I found this and it tastes great! It is sweetened with Stevia a naturally derived sweetener and so far I haven't had any stomach issues from it at all. It you workout a lot and don't feel your plain water is cutting it, give this a try. I bought mine at Planet Organic but I've seen it at other health stores around the city as well.
The next three I'm going to mention focus more on Intestinal health and assist in digestion and healing your gut lining. So good I promise.
Probiotics:
Magic pills are what I refer to them as. Most (almost all) diseases start in your gut. So the old saying "trust your gut" brings this to a whole new level. Our stomach's are made up of fluids, acids and bacteria, some good, some bad. When are bacteria levels are off due to stress, poor eating habits, etc an overgrowth of yeast can occur and we get a stomach ache or something worse can happen (autoimmune diseases are on the rise).
According to http://foodmatters.tv/articles-1/6-healing-benefits-of-probiotics, each of us has more than 1,000 different types of bacteria that live in our digestive tracts, helping us to break down food and absorb nutrients. But when we take antibiotics -- medicine that is designed to kill destructive, illness-causing bacteria -- the drugs can also kill the healthy intestinal flora that helps us digest. About 30 percent of the patients who take antibiotics report suffering from diarrhea or some other form of gastrointestinal distress, according to the recent JAMA study on probiotics and antibiotic-associated diarrhea. As a result, doctors commonly prescribe taking probiotics to "repopulate" the digestive tract with healthful bacteria. The study found that it was a viable solution for many.
But probiotics can also help with other types of digestive issues. Research has shown that probiotics can be helpful for people with irritable bowel syndrome, or IBS -- a hard-to-treat condition that can have a range of intestinal symptoms, such as abdominal pain, cramps, bloating, diarrhea and constipation. In one study, female IBS patients experienced some alleviation of symptoms like abdominal pain and irregularity when they were given a supplement of the bacterial strain, Bifidobacterium infantis.
Even for those without an urgent problem, probiotics can help with overall digestive management. Challa argues in his book, Probiotics For Dummies, that good bacteria help "crowd out" bad bacteria. That's because the intestine is lined with adherence sites where bacteria latches on. If the sites are populated with good-for-you microbes, there's no place for a harmful bacterium to latch on.
I can't say enough good things about probiotics. Please try them!!
Digestive Enzymes:
You know the feeling you have after a big meal? Stuffed, uncomfortable, tired...all of these can be eliminated quicker with the help of enzymes. They assist your body in breaking down your food instead of leaving it in one big lump in your stomach. They ease digestive complaints, including gas, heartburn and symptoms that could be caused by of irritable bowel syndrome.
Aloe Vera Gel (Yup I drink it):
Aloe vera has natural, cleansing abilities that help your stomach feel amazing. Its sooths heartburn, indigestion, constipation and other digestive ailments. All you need is about a tbsp each day or night and you will notice a difference. It's not just a plant you keep in your house! Aloe also has anti-inflammatory properties and many of the daily vitamins we need such as vitamin A, B, C, E and Folic Acid.
I also in the winter months take 1000mg of Vitamin C per day to help fight off the cold season. Vitamin C is a strong antioxidant to aid in eliminating free radicals accumulated in our bodies and is also great for your heart. Iron is another supplement which I discussed in a previous post.
I know this may seem like a lot, but it's really not. You can't put a price on your health and although we try and eat as healthy as we can, it's impossible to receive all the nutrients our bodies require from our food.
Next post I will be discussing a few meal replacements I use when I'm in a hurry and meals/snacks you can have prepared when you need to grab and go.
I am off to Banff again for the weekend to be a bridesmaid in one of my best friend's weddings at the Banff Springs Hotel. I will post pictures soon! Hope everyone has a great weekend.
Sending you lots of blessings and love,
Sam xo
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