Eating to train like a beast! (or beauty ;) )

Hello!


Phew! What a crazy couple weeks...I plan to go post crazy this weekend to catch up on all that I haven't been able to share. Hopefully including pictures...once I get this dang site to work with me!


Anyway... I have been listening to women in my office, gym, volleyball circles and I have started to notice this uneducated trend of NOT eating before or after they work out because it "burns more fat", WRONG! What you eat before and after you work out is super important. Your body needs energy to train hard, not to mention when your body thinks it starving it stores first--meaning not burning the fat. Follow your workout with a high-protein meal so you can re-fuel your muscles and help them repair.


Here's some examples of what I eat (or I would love to eat more often):

Pre workout

Before you train, have one of these meals:

• Oatmeal with almond milk and a splash of honey
• Spinach omelet with Ezekiel/whole wheat toast
• Greek yogurt with half a banana
• Cottage cheese with blueberries and almonds
• Scrambled egg whites, 1/2 whole wheat English muffin, apple slices

Post Workout

After you train, have one of these meals:

• Chicken veggie stir-fry with brown rice/quinoa
• Protein shake with 1/2 banana
• small chicken breast, sweet potato, and veggies
• Bean and Quinoa salad (I will post this recipe...its a fave at our house!)

All this talk makes me hungry, and ready to be done with work so I can go to the gym!

Train hard gym rats!

<3

Favorite food for a clean diet: Sweet Potatoes (yams)

Honestly people,


I know eating similar things throughout the week is not the "yummiest" style of eating, but you see huge results when your body is disciplined!


Wanted to post some benefits to these beautiful, not to mention sweetly addictive, veggies!


*A single serving of SP's supplies five time the daily value for beta-carotene, which is a protection from free radicals!
*High source of vitamin A and enhances the function of your immune AND reproductive systems
*SP's are good for stomach ulcers and inflammation of the colon (seen improvement even in diabetics) as it helps stabilize blood sugar level through its slow digesting and low glycemic index.
*Great for pre or post workout meals/snacks because they contain a good amount of complex carbs, vitamins, minerals and easily digestible proteins.
*Provides a lot of energy that you need throughout the day


Needless to say this should become a staple of your diet!
Either for lunch or dinner you will notice the difference!




Recipes:
Mashed SP's:
3 medium/large sweet potatoes (I peel them because I don't like the skin :/ )
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup almond milk (I used unsweetened vanilla)


boil SP's ~15 mins in salted water; mash thoroughly or use food processor to blend.
Add almond milk and continue mixing (hand mixer is what I used)
while blending/mixing add in the brown sugar.
**May need to add other seasoning for taste, but with vanilla almond milk and brown sugar it is delicious!




Baked SP Fries:

• 2 pounds sweet potatoes, about 3 large ones
• 1/4 cup avocado oil
• 1-2 Tbsp sugar
• 1 Tbsp salt
• 1-2 Tbsp spice or spice combination of your choice: chipotle powder, smoked paprika, Chinese five-spice, pumpkin pie spice, garam masala, Cajun seasoning, etc.

1 Preheat oven to 450°F. (For more crispiness, preheat your oven to 500°F--my fave!)
2 Peel the sweet potatoes and cut off the ends. Cut the potatoes in half lengthwise and then, if they are very long, in half crosswise. Cut each piece into wedges. Alternately, you can slice the peeled sweet potato into disks either with a mandoline or a sharp knife.
3 Put the sweet potatoes into a large bowl and add the oil. Mix well to combine. Sprinkle with salt, sugar and spices of your choice. Use your hands to mix well, so all pieces are coated with oil and spices.
4. Spread on to baking sheet; I use a cooling rack to cook them so I do not need to turn them half way through.
5. Bake for a total of 25 to 30 minutes (IF using regular baking sheets--After the first 15 minutes, remove the baking sheet from the oven and turn over all of the sweet potato pieces. Return to the oven and bake for another 10-15 minutes)  OR until they are well browned. Let cool for 5 minutes before serving.


Viola!
Enjoy!
xoxo
Mrs. S