Working out on an empty stomach can boost your overall health and fitness.
Simply skip breakfast and exercise first thing in the morning and then have a protein recovery meal 30 minutes after your workout. Whether you choose to exercise on an empty stomach or not, your post exercise meal is crucial to stop the catabolic process in your muscle and shift the process toward repair and growth. An example of a catabolic process is knowing that your muscles actually endure a break down phase because of hormones released during each workout, and that you have the ability to counteract this process by consuming high-quality nutrient sources before, or after your exercise sessions.
If you fail to feed your muscle at the right time after exercise, the catabolic process will go too far and can potentially damage your muscle. The correct time to eat is within 30 minutes after your workout. Your meal should include fast-assimilating proteins, such as a high-quality whey protein shakewith no sugar added.
Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey Protein Powder (Vanilla)
If you cannot exercise in a fasted state due to fatigue, or simply opt not to for some other reason, you can also consume whey protein before exercise. It’s an excellent breakfast choice. A 2010 study published in the journal Medicine and Science in Sports & Exercisedemonstrated that consuming whey protein 30 minutes before resistance training can boost your body’s metabolism for as much as 24 hours after your workout.
Certain amino acids, such as leucine found in high-quality whey protein activate certain cellular mechanisms which promote muscle protein synthesis, boost thyroid, and also protect against declining testosterone levels after exercise. They have also have been found to improve performance in high intensity exercise.
Leucine helps you lose weight and builds muscle when dieting
Leucine triggers muscle growth. Leucine is an essential amino acid, which simply means our bodies cannot produce it and we must get it from dietary sources. Researchers have known about leucine for decades, but exciting new research has shed a new and broader light on this important health-promoting amino acid. Much of protein’s benefits may be attributable to leucine due to its ability to stimulate protein synthesis, help turn on the body’s switch to build muscle and spare muscle when dieting.
Whether you’re interested in building muscle or preventing muscle loss that normally occurs during dieting and aging, stimulating protein synthesis is absolutely key. Most people know that consuming protein induces an increase in muscle protein synthesis, which is why protein supplements are popular to consume after exercise.
A large number of studies have shown that high protein diets help spare muscle loss during dieting and weight loss. Researchers at the University of Illinois conducted studies that examined weight loss diets containing 10 grams of leucine per day and 125 grams total of protein per day.The groups consuming high leucine diets had greater weight loss, greater fat loss and better preservation of lean body mass. In these studies, the high leucine diets also resulted in better glucose control.
The best food sources of leucine include any proteins from animals that naturally contain all the essential amino acids. The protein source with the highest leucine content is whey, which contains about 10% leucine or 10 grams per 100 grams of protein. If you drink a whey protein shake that has about 25 grams of protein, you would get about 2.5 grams of naturally occurring leucine.
Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey Protein Powder (Chocolate)
Eating too many carbs in relation to protein and fat is a big mistake
Scientists have found that as you age, the ratio between protein and carbohydrates is critically important. Research shows that a high-protein/high-fat/low-carbohydrate diet is most effective both for muscle building and weight loss. In order to build muscle, you clearly need calories, but there’s compelling evidence showing that calories from fat are far better than calories from carbohydrates.
To maximize the benefits of exercise, you’ll want to avoid fructose and other sugar drinks, unless you are engaged in intensive and prolonged cardio exercises that will allow you to burn these sugars and not store them as fat. Most casual exercisers and those seeking to mostly improve body composition and optimize health and fitness need to stop using energy drinks, sports drinks, like Gatorade and most energy bars that contain fructose and even “healthy” drinks like vitamin water.
These fructose laden drinks sabotage your exercise benefits by tricking your body into gaining weight by turning off your body’s appetite-control system. It’s also important to realize that consuming fructose, including that from fruit juices, within two hours of your workout (before or after) will also decimate your natural human growth hormone (HGH) production.
If you are doing high-intensity interval training, such as CrossFit, a major benefit of such exercise is an increase in your HGH, HGH is also known as “the fitness hormone,” and some athletes pay a lot of money for HGH injections. But the combination of eliminating fructose and doing high-intensity interval training while fasting is a natural and the preferred way to optimize your HGH.
Dr. Mercola Miracle Whey Protein Powder (Chocolate)
Juicing has been used for years to rid the body of toxins, promote physical well-being and encourage mental clarity. Since 95% of vitamins come from the juice of fruits and vegetables, no amount of synthetic medicines or supplements can ever match the power of the healing properties in leafy green vegetables and fruits.
When I heard my friend, Holly’s story then I was really convinced of these healing powers firsthand. She had been a vibrant athlete who found herself stricken with an at first undiagnosed disease which took a terrible toll on her body. Only through juicing did she find a way to heal herself of this disease.
Here is her story….
“I started martial arts at the age of twelve, and have remained in it to this day. I have practiced seven different styles, achieving a black belt in Taekwondo and also Choy Lay Fut Kung Fu. Aside from hiking, biking and rock climbing, I played rugby in college, and also for the Berkeley All-Blues.
Up until 2002, I was always super fit and healthy, or so I thought. In July of 2002, I developed a relatively rare auto-immune disorder called Mixed Connective Tissue Disorder or MCTD. My life as I knew it was over. This illness has every nastiness one could imagine. I developed chronic fatigue, fibromyalgia, Reynaud’s syndrome, scleroderma, trigeminal neuralgia, facial numbness, acid reflux, difficulty swallowing and loss of motility and digestive capabilities. My life was filled with one misery after another, and it seemed each day brought a new type of pain or suffering. My brain was in a fog, and I couldn’t distance myself enough from my misery to formulate a healing plan. I took many harsh western drugs. Methotrexate, prednisone, morphine, and neurontin, to name a few.
I felt my body wasting away and my life energy leaving. Realizing that the Western drugs were only speeding my descent I discarded them in 2004, but I continued to spiral downwards. In 2005, I was at a lifetime low, the epitome of misery, and I came within a hair’s breadth to ending it all.
Holly – Before, During & After her illness
In trying to end my life, I had to give up, completely. In that moment of letting go, I opened myself to receive guidance. I realized I wasn’t finished with this life yet, and I wanted to stay. My guidance revealed the universal truth that led me to know I could change things. I took responsibility for creating my life as it was, and resolved to manifest a new one. I embarked on an inner journey of exploration in order to change my outer journey.
There wasn’t much left of my physical body, I had gone from 148 lbs. of solid muscle, to 115 lbs. of skin and bones. I couldn’t digest solid food, but knew I needed intense nutrition, lots of it, and fast. I consulted with a nutritionist and put together a juicing program, along with protein shakes. For an entire year, I stayed on my super nutritious liquid diet, drinking 48 to 64 oz. of my juice every day.
I noticed improvements in pain, inflammation, and energy within days of starting. When I was strong enough I added my herbal formulas back into my wellness program. I opened myself to receiving help from people, experiences, and from spirit. I discovered treasures of healing: a useful tip overheard; watching someone accomplish a task; a line in a song; a book reread that I had forgotten about; a workshop that inspired. If what I learned helped me, I kept it, if it didn’t, I moved on. Slowly, inch by inch, I made progress. It was hard work, and sometimes it seemed as if I moved backwards. I learned to be grateful for all the little miracles, celebrating my successes. All the while, I did not let anyone tell me I could not be well again. I held tenaciously to visions of my own wellness, constantly creating positive affirmations and working to surround myself with positive inspirational objects.
Now, there is not a trace of chronic fatigue, or fibromyalgia, I have full use of my hands, having beaten back the scleroderma. My acid reflux is gone and I can eat and digest solid food once more. There were so many things that came into my life to help me become well, and each one was indispensable. But, I absolutely would not be alive right now, if I had not started drinking my ‘Juice of Life’ as I have fondly named it. It contains a cornucopia of vegetables and fruits, more servings in one glass than most people get in a month. I continue to drink it almost every day, and will continue to do so, happily for the rest of my now healthy life.
It contains a combination of the following organic fruits and vegetables: Carrots, red beets, beet greens, cucumber, parsley, spinach, celery, chard, kale, dandelion greens, zucchini, broccoli, yams, green peppers, red/orange peppers, red cabbage, green cabbage, apples, pears, kiwis, and either cantaloupe, honeydew, or blueberries depending upon availability.
I happily talk about my ‘Juice of Life’ to friends, or anyone who is curious, and now unexpectedly, I have several people who wanted in on my juice. They started buying it from me on a weekly basis, and are hooked on the ‘Juice of Life’. My clients have told me that their energy has improved dramatically, their diets have improved because of reduced sugar cravings, they feel more mental clarity and focus, and continue to see positive changes in their well being on a weekly basis.”
Need more ideas for Cooking Healthy Meals, then check out: The Healthy Urban Kitchen Cookbook The Healthy Urban Kitchen is a simple, step by step system for shopping, cooking and eating the world’s healthiest foods. It was created for busy people who want to improve health, have more energy, and prevent disease.
There are many things you can do to recover, too many to put them all in this blog, but I will list a few of my favorites for you.
1] Go to Bed!
YOU NEED REST FOR YOUR BODY TO WIN! The sooner you give yourself what you need, the quicker you will heal. It’s really that simple.
2] Food:
Eat light broth, vegetable soups with a bit of meat (like fish or chicken, not red meat). Throw in scallions and lots of garlic; they are great for fighting colds and flus. You can also have room temperature fruit like apples, pears, melons, papayas. Please no fruit juices; it’s just a glass of sugar. Your body needs access to solid nutrition without having to work hard to get it. Do not eat dairy, fried foods, or wheat products – they are mucus factories.
3] Herbal Medicinal Teas:
Besides drinking a lot of room temperature water. Medicinal teas are your super cold and flu ass-kicking arsenal.
Rosehip Plus – This tea is my personal favorite that I will start drinking immediately if I feel anything coming on. You will be amazed at its effectiveness. Drink cup after cup, the more, the better. Here are the incredibly simple ingredients. Please use organic wherever possible, since pesticides do not help you beat a cold or flu. [ How to Dry & Store Rose Hips for Rose Hip Tea ]
4 Tbsp. dried rosehip pieces.
2-4 slices of ¼” fresh ginger.
Juice of ½ a fresh lemon.
A whopping big tablespoon of raw, organic honey. (Note: Not suitable for infants.)
Boil 6 cups water and add ingredients in a steeping teapot, steep for at least 10 minutes, more is even better. Drink one cup right away, then simply reheat the tea for additional cups.
I use the same batch of rosehips and ginger slices for two teapots, and I let the second pot steep longer. Just add more lemon and honey to the second batch and off you go again.
Custom Medicinal Blend – I will make a custom blend of ingredients to address different symptoms. There are too many herbs to list them all here, but I’ll give my favorites and their functions. You can pick and choose which ones you want and create your own healing blend of tea. It’s actually fun to make your own medicine! You can put together any of the ingredients listed below, and follow the same steps as described previously for Rosehip Plus Tea. Always sweeten your tea with raw, honey which has loads of antibacterial, antifungal, antiseptic properties in it and a lot of nutrition besides. These teas are for older children 4+ and adults, do not give to infants, mother’s milk is best for their immune system.
Meadowsweet is used to reduce inflammations and fevers. Although meadowsweet contains salicylic acid, like aspirin, this herb modifies the action of salicylic acid and actually protects the digestive tract. Long use of aspirin can lead to gastric ulceration and bleeding, but meadowsweet does not show these side effects, and is actually a gently digestive remedy for acidity and some types of diarrhea.
If you have a fever add meadowsweet, it will also help to reduce the aches and pains associated with colds and flus.
I add chamomile to help reduce the stress and anxiety that comes with a cold or flu. It helps one relax and sleep, and it soothes the stomach and reduces nausea.
Dosage: 1 tablespoon.
These are just some of my favorite herbs that I keep stocked all the time, there are many more. I encourage you to do a bit of research and discover your own favorites to add to your herbal pharmacy. It’s a great feeling not to run to the pharmacy for drugs when you’re not feeling well, but instead to start a pot of a good medicinal herbal tea brewing! You can find these wonderful organic herbs offered in my cold and flu first aid kits on my website at www.inspirewellnesscenter.com.
4] Medicinal Herbal Formulas
If you do start to come down with a cold or flu, there are some fantastic herbal formulas you can use in addition to your medicinal teas. They are a MUST HAVE for your herbal medicine cabinet.
This is one of my two first line of defense formulas. It can be used as a cold or flu preventative when you’ve been around already sick people and don’t want to come down with anything. It may just stop a cold or flu dead in its tracks before anything happens. However, if you do start to feel any of the symptoms associated with a cold or flu such as fever with chills, headache, sore throat, red eyes, stiff neck and back, nasal discharge, cough, swollen lymph glands and general aching. Start taking Gan Mao Ling as directed on the bottle or package.
Gan Mao Ling is especially good to use when a cough or sinus congestion is present at the onset of a cold or flu. Gan Mao Ling is safe for children to use, but don’t use on children under four.
This formula is my other first line of defense formulas. It’s similar to Gan Mao Ling in that it can also be used as a preventative if you’ve been exposed to others who are already sick or you can even take it before you go on a plane trip as added protection from all those airborne germs.
If you come down with a cold or flu and feel any of the symptoms associated with a cold or flu as listed above in the Gan Mao Ling description you can use Yin Qiao Wan. The difference between this and Gan Mao Ling is that Yin Qiao is stronger for helping the sore throat. If you wake up and your throat is killing you, just run for the Yin Qiao Wan.
For added punch – Gan Mao Ling and Yin Qiao Wan are great to use together, no problem.
This formula is the big guns of the terrific trio. If you’re symptoms are advancing and now you’ve got a severe head cold or flu with headache, sore throat, nasal congestion, body aches, fever and chills add Zhong Gan Ling to the group. You can use it alone or with Yin Qiao and/or Gan Mao Ling depending on whether the congestion or throat is bothering you more. All three are fine to use together, the herbs complement each other.
I keep all three formulas on hand, and they are a must to bring along whenever you travel. Again, for convenience, I do offer Gan Mao Ling, Yin Qiao, and Zhong Gan Ling on my website at www.inspirewellnesscenter.com.
5] Remove stress from your environment:
To give yourself the best fighting chance to recover. Relax, let go of your worries, it’s not helping. You’re stuck in bed for the moment, so take it like an adult, and relax. Listen to soothing music, watch a movie that leaves you feeling good, or just sleep. Please no brain work outs while you’re sick. That means NO working in bed either. This is a time to surround you with a pleasant, happy, healing environment. The more you do to help yourself recover, the faster it will happen.
Cold and Flu First Aid Kits
If you don’t want the bother of trying to find the herbs and putting all the formulas together for yourself, I’ve designed several ‘cold and flu first aid kits’ that are perfect to take care of your medicinal needs. They include all the formulas and herbs for the medicinal teas that are mentioned above. Plus, the herbs are organic. They are the Cold and Flu Prevention Kit, the Cold and Flu First Aid Kit, the Deluxe Cold and Flu First Aid Kit, and the All-In-One Deluxe Cold and Flu Kit. You can pick and choose the ones you feel best suit your needs. Again, you can find these indispensable natural and holistic first aid kits on my website at www.inspirewellnesscenter.com.
Wrap-up:
Well, I hope this little cold and flu primer has been helpful for you, and gives you more tools in your wellness toolkit. One note of caution, however, is that if your symptoms persist for longer than two weeks or you feel you’re getting worse, not better, than by all means take your health care to the next level and consult an acupuncturist or western medical professional. As a special note, several of these herbs are not suitable to take if pregnant. Please consult myself, or another acupuncturist or herbalist for herbal remedies suitable for pregnancy. Written by: Holly Reese, MSOM, L.Ac. She is an acupuncturist, herbalist, wellness coach, food-healing expert, founder of the Inspire Wellness Center, which specializes in natural and holistic health alternatives for the recovery of chronic illness. Holly Reese is also author of Rising from the Abyss: My Journey into and out of Chronic Illness a gripping memoir that details Holly’s personal descent into and eventual rise from a nearly fatal auto-immune disorder using all the natural and holistic health methods that she espouses and uses for her wellness practice. Feel free to contact her at: holly@inspirewellnesscenter.com.
About to turn 49 and can honestly say lifting weights so far has given me awesome results. Yes nutrition is 70% but with dedication & commitment its all achievable. I am also currently studying to be a Personal trainer here in Australia – I want to inspire, encourage and be a role model to the over 40’s who may have doubts & need that little bit of guidance. I am really passionate about making the difference for them, working as a team 🙂
“Weight training transformed my body. I’ve been recycling 30-40 lbs for most of my life by yo-yo dieting and exercising.”
“Until recently, I have had size 14 clothes in my closet. Now I am a size 2-4. I never found something I could live with until now. I never made myself a priority on my to-do list until now. It’s been a year that I lost 45 lbs and maintaining this weight and I attribute my success to weight training and good nutrition. I lift as heavy as I can, so much that my third set has me barely being able to so 5-6 reps.
That is what I changed. I used to use pink and purple weights thinking high reps, low weight was the answer.
WRONG! And I still do cardio after I lift but I don’t do more than 30-45 minutes where before I would try for a minimum of an hour.”
Certain amino acids, such as leucine found in high-quality whey protein activate certain cellular mechanisms which promote muscle protein synthesis, boost thyroid, and also protect against declining testosterone levels after exercise. They have also have been found to improve performance in high intensity exercise.
To maximize the benefits of exercise, you’ll want to avoid fructose and other sugar drinks, unless you are engaged in intensive and prolonged cardio exercises that will allow you to burn these sugars and not store them as fat. Most casual exercisers and those seeking to mostly improve body composition and optimize health and fitness need to stop using energy drinks, sports drinks, like Gatorade and most energy bars that contain fructose and even “healthy” drinks like vitamin water.
It contains a combination of the following organic fruits and vegetables: Carrots, red beets, beet greens, cucumber, parsley, spinach, celery, chard, kale, dandelion greens, zucchini, broccoli, yams, green peppers, red/orange peppers, red cabbage, green cabbage, apples, pears, kiwis, and either cantaloupe, honeydew, or blueberries depending upon availability.
About to turn 49 and can honestly say lifting weights so far has given me awesome results. Yes nutrition is 70% but with dedication & commitment its all achiev
