Best foods for your adventures and workouts

Today's guest blogger is Tamara Jacobi,  Manager of Jungle Lodge and a Holistic Health Coach.  This is a woman on the go so it's no surprise that she has great tips to help us fuel our adventures and workouts.  I can't wait to pay a visit to the Jungle Lodge some day!


You can check out my recent interview with Tamara here.

Whether you’re tying on your running shoes, pumping up your bike tires, or packing your gym bag, you should also be considering how to fuel your body for your workout. What you eat before you exercise directly affects your workout: how you feel during your workout, how hard you can push yourself, how long you can go for and how you feel afterward. Particularly for those of you who exercise to keep those pesky pounds at bay, it’s important to realize that you need to fuel yourself with quality food choices in order to set the stage for sustainable weight loss. Heading to the gym with an empty fuel tank isn’t going to get you very far!

Now is a great time to take a moment to consider what your best pre-workout fuel might be. Here are simple guidelines to send your energy soaring so that you can feel great, and get the most out of your workouts and summer adventures! 

a) Timing is key. Ideally, you want to eat 45 minutes to an hour before you workout. Your body requires energy to digest your food. So . . . when your body is digesting your latest meal there is less energy available for your workout. Therefore, it’s a good idea to give your body a chance to digest before diving into your workout. I recommend eating up to 2 hours prior to your workout. You also want to choose foods that are easily digestible (read on!). If you need to eat immediately before your workout an easily digestible piece of fruit such as an apple or banana is a great choice.

b) Choose foods that are easy to digest, but also offer long lasting energy. For your pre-workout meal it's important to chose your foods carefully. A white bagel will give you a quick blast of energy, but will then cause a serious energy slump in the middle of your workout. This will also leave you ravenous after your workout. Conversely, a meal of whole grains like quality granola or oatmeal will keep your energy high for a long period of time. Complex carbohydrates such as whole grains, fruits and veggies are good choices before your workout. These foods are easy to digest so your body can devote more energy to your workout. They'll also deliver a high quality and sustainable energy to your body that will keep your fueled and satisfied during workout and beyond. 

c) Include a healthy fat in your pre-workout meal. Healthy fats such as avocado, chia seeds and quality oils will keep your body satisfied for long periods of time. Healthy fats slow down the digestion rate of other foods, which allows you to workout for longer without needing to stop for a snack.

d) Avoid high protein/high calorie energy bars and powders before your workout. When it comes to exercise many of have been taught to think protein, protein, protein. Though protein is important, you don’t necessarily want to focus on protein prior to your workout. High protein energy bars and powders can be hard to digest, which will slow you down and cause fatigue and heaviness during your workout. They’re also high in calories, which can sabotage your weight loss efforts (unless you’re an extreme athlete who’s active for many hours)

Curious to know some of my favorite pre workout foods?
Oatmeal, fruit & nuts: This is a quick and simple choice that is will digest easily well, offer long lasting energy and give you a punch of energy that will get you started on your workout. 



Whole Grain toast & Avocado: Throw some quality whole grain or sprouted grain toast in the toaster, slice up some avocado and voila, a perfect pre-workout meal! This combo will keep you satisfied and nourished for many hours. 


Smoothies: A fruit smoothie with some avocado or chia seeds is like liquid energy. Your body doesn't need to spend as much time digesting so the nutrients and energy can go straight into your blood stream.

Don't forget to pay attention to your food choices during and after your workouts too!Now that you've started to consider fuel for before your workouts it's a great time to think about your food choices during and after. I will reveal my secrets in my upcoming 30 day nourishment challenge. This series of audio classes will send your energy soaring for the summer and build your nutritional foundation so that you can do everything that you love! 

"It's important to remember that everyone is unique. Be sure to check out this FREE guide to start listening to your unique body."

 Tamara Jacobi is the Manager of Jungle Lodge and a Holistic Health Coach. To learn more about her please visit: www.tailwindjunglelodge.com, www.junglegirlhealth.com

Don't let "life get in the way"

Just about every day someone says to me some version of "I'd like to make my health a priority, have more energy, exercise, do more things I enjoy....(fill in the blank), but life just gets in the way, I'm too busy, things are crazy."

Hey, I get it.  I really do.  And I'm a work in progress just like you.  But since I'm hosting a daily radio show on balance, I got to thinking...what are the ways that you can maintain good health, do things you enjoy WHILST maintaining a busy schedule and juggling many demands.  So as I drove to work this morning, I decided to sort of analyze my day and see what choices I made to keep my eye on the prize, as they say.

Now, by no means do I do a perfect job of that every day.  And many of you will read this and say, what?  That's nothing.  You want to see busy?  I'll show you busy!   Today was a fairly typical day.  The only thing slightly out of the ordinary is that I don't usually eat both lunch and dinner out, so, even better to use today as an example of not "letting life get in the way."  I also didn't work as many hours as usual so I could celebrate my stepdaughter's 18th Birthday with her.  I no longer let work interfere with the most important stuff. 

So here's a quick recap of my Wednesday and how I tried to include healthy choices, balance, and create a day in alignment with what's important to me.

5:30 - 6:30 am - Meditate, read, catch up on Words with Friends

I've only been able to master meditating for about ten minutes.  It's a start.  Guided meditations work best for me and today I did Waking into the New Day with Aruni Nan Futuronsky. It meets my ten minute requirement and I have it easily accessible on my iPhone.  Today I used a little Scent of Samadhi which I LOVE and is so relaxing.  Reading is one of my favorite hobbies so I make sure I make time for it every day (I'm currently reading King Peggy in preparation for my trip to Ghana) and Words with Friends is my latest time suck, but it challenges my mind.  By the time I start my day, I have already done things I really enjoy, so no matter what unfolds throughout the day, I've taken time for myself.

 

6:30 - 7:30 am - Get dressed, have breakfast, take supplements,  review routines for class, pack for the day

Had delish multi grain waffles with raspberries and coffee with coconut milk (I know - I get a big demerit for no protein this morning!), BUT the key here is PLANNING.  I packed two big water bottles PLUS a protein shake made with almond milk and chia seeds for my morning snack AND a container of fruit for an afternoon snack to ensure I had plenty of water and healthy snacks for the day.  I could NOT start the day without my supplements....took OPC 3, Vitamin D, Vitamin B complex, Omega 3, COQ 10

Packing for the day

7:30 - 8 am - Commute to work

I usually listen to The Morning Zoo on the way in to get my dose of pop culture news and a few laughs with Elvis Duran. 

8:00 am - General daily and administrative tasks at the studio

8:30 - 9:30 am Teach Jazzercise

Fortunately my job includes working out, but even when I'm not teaching I figure out where I'll work it in.  After all, it's only one hour, and you could do less if time is tight. Had my protein shake ready for after class.

9:30 - 11 am - Respond to emails, delegate projects to interns, social media and marketing tasks

What can I say, you gotta do the mundane stuff some time and as a biz owner you can't let a day go by without marketing.

11 am -Leave for quick early lunch with mom and friend/customer Sandra

Usually try to eat lunch at home, but chose an Asian salad with grilled chicken. And MORE water.

12 - 2 pm - Volunteer at Soup Kitchen

For me true balance always includes giving back. Plus we laugh A LOT!  You need a good sense of humor and a thick skin for this job. I also always leave with a profound sense of gratitude for all I have been blessed with in my life.

2 - 3 pm - Drop off mom and Sandra, head to radio station, prep for show, and answer emails, plus eat my fruit salad while returning texts from friends.

I find it most motivating to learn something new as often as possible.  Prepping for guests always brings new ideas and information for me to consider. And no matter what I'm doing, there's always time for a quick text to a friend.

3 - 4 pm - On air with A Matter of Balance

4:15 pm  Meet with coaching client on nutrition program

To save time and driving, we meet at a coffee shop right around the corner from the radio station and 'cause she was running late today, I got to enjoy some tea and quiet before the session started.  It's a cool atmosphere, I can sip tea and sit on couches which remind me of Central Perk from Friends. Might as well create the best environments possible for everything you do.

5:30 pm - Drive to Westport to meet up with hubby

More time in the car!  I'm usually in the car about an hour at day (at least!).  After the morning commute, I often listen to podcasts.  Some of my favorites are Cheryl Richardson, Tranquility du Jour and Kripalu Perspectives. You can find them all on iTunes for FREE.

6:00 pm Drive to Orange for family dinner to celebrate Megan's 18th Birthday

Time with family is ALWAYS a priority.  And the drive gave me and hubby time to catch up on our days.  Had some awesome salmon and veggies (plus some celebratory wine and five of us shared a dessert sampler, 'cause turning 18 is cause for a celebration). Plus two more big glasses of water.

9:15 pm HOME!  Time to soak in the tub!!  

Thrown in a load of laundry first, (always working in chores whenever possible),  then light the candles,  grab a stack of magazines (using the Seaweed and Arnica Foaming Bath tonight from my friend Sherrylee, perfect for sore muscles -- aaahh!)

Out of the tub...draft this blog, hang up the laundry to dry and slip into bed with my book for a few minutes of reading before crashing around 11 pm. 

All in all a fairly busy day, a shorter work day due to the Birthday celebration, plus no major crises today, but focused on healthy choices during the day, doing things I enjoy, and staying in alignment with the values that are most important to me. 

Believe me not all days go as smoothly but with some planning and conscious choices you don't have to let "life get in the way."