Author: readingandexceeding

Why You Should Have a Spoon of Honey After Your Workout

So I’ve done my due diligence on this topic being an avid runner.  We’ve all had those workouts where once we’re done we take a shake and then 2-3 hours later we’re starving.  That’s when I grab my car keys and seriously contemplate getting Taco Bell before I slap myself.  I did some research and found that honey is great post-workout.

Honey?  Isn’t that just carbs and sugar.

It is, but it is the right kind of carbs.  See, when simple carbohydrates (Google it) are consumed post-workout it results in a heavy spike followed by a heavy drop of your blood sugar.  This is called hypoglycemia.  That’s why you’re hungry and you end up overeating.

Honey does not result in a hypoglycemic state and keeps your glucose levels in your blood steady and will gradually increase your blood sugar.  I take a spoonful (1 tablespoon) after a heavy workout.  You can also use it before and during to balance your glucose levels and keep fatigue from taking over.  Give it a shot!

Essential Cooking Spices (Low sodium)

So if you really like to cook at home and are looking to spruce up your spice selection, I’ve found the following to be great to add to your cabinet:

-Curry Powder: adds nice spice, low in sodium, great cancer-fighting spice

-Turmeric: same as curry powder, not too spicy

-Black/White Pepper: white pepper has a kick to it, so be careful

-Paprika: great on bland fish and chicken

-Garlic and Onion Powder: great on everything

-Dry Mustard: mustard seed is great for the body, helps with acne, fights diabetes, reduces risks of cancer

-Dill Weed

-Ground Ginger

-Oregano

-Cinnamon: keeps blood sugar leveled

 

I could go on and on, but these were my favorites and are everyday staples in cooking.  Try to utilize these spices more when cooking.

Coconut Macaroons for Omega-3’s

So I made this yesterday and they turned out pretty good.  I read an article about George Lockhart, the UFC nutritionist, and he mentioned he makes these and serves them 2 or 3 at a time to his fighters.  They are high in healthy fat, but have a lot of essential Omega-3 in them and will fill you up.  Omega-3’s are great too because they help moodiness (cough cough…girlfriend).  Here’s the recipe I used:

 

Omega-3 Coconut Macaroons

1 7oz bag of shredded coconut (natural, not sweetened)

1 can light coconut milk

3 tablespoons of chia seeds

2 tablespoons of flax seeds

2 tablespoons of honey

2 heaping tablespoons of coconut flour

Preheat over to 375.  Mix all ingredients together in large bowl.  Make golf-ball-size or smaller balls and place on greased baking sheet (or wax paper).  Cook for 25 minutes.

 

Don’t expect these to taste like candy, but I think they’re pretty good.  Only critique I have on them is to maybe toast the coconut first then mix that in with the other ingredients.  Two of these will fill you up.  I estimate calories are around 200-220 per macaroon.

The Nick Saban Boring/Crazy/Not Crazy Diet

I just read that Alabama was the last team that made it into the College Football Playoff.  While I’m pissed reading this, as I am an Ohio State fan, I have always had great respect for Nick Saban.  A man dedicated to his craft and someone who I’m pretty sure is superstitious.  Like he cringes every time he steps on a crack or makes a quick U-turn if he even thinks there’s a black cat ahead.  Why do I say this??

It’s been pretty well-documented, but the man eats THE SAME DAMN THING EVERY DAY FOR BREAKFAST AND LUNCH!!!

Quoted directly from GQ:

“Saban is a fit 61, owing in part to regular pickup basketball games with staff, a frenetic pace on and off the field, and a peculiarly regimented diet. He doesn’t drink. For breakfast, he eats two Little Debbie Oatmeal Creme Pies; for lunch, a salad of iceberg lettuce, turkey, and tomatoes. The regular menu, he says, saves him the time of deciding what to eat each day, and speaks to a broader tendency to habituate his behaviors.”

Oatmeal cream pies and an iceberg lettuce salad?  It’s like a 10 year old and an adult New Year’s Resolution got together and said “Let’s make a diet!”  While I’m just getting frustrated reading this, I have to respect this just because it clearly works.  Powerhouse team he coaches and is probably the biggest celebrity in the entire state of Alabama.  I don’t recommend this diet, but at the same time I’m kind of thinking I would do it just based on his success.  I’m ending this article, purely out of confusion and frustration.

How to make chicken breast less boring

So a lot of my articles currently and going forward will have chicken breast as a staple of the diet.  It’s low in fat, high in protein, and easy to cook.  However, eating chicken breast every day can seem like a fucking nightmare.  I decided to post some of my favorite videos on how to make chicken breast less of a nightmare to eat.

c/o Fit Men Cook

c/o Bodybuilding.com

c/o HASfit

c/o FlavCity

 

Put the gun down and watch the videos so you don’t give up on your diet.

Ben Affleck Batman Diet

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With the recent release of Justice League, I thought it would be appropriate to write about Ben Affleck’s diet in preparation for his role as Batman.  While not one of my favorite movies this year, I always find it interesting to dig up what the diets were of the actors in superhero movies.  Here we go:

BREAKFAST

Affleck started his day off with egg whites and oatmeal.  Egg whites are awesome because they contain no cholesterol, high in protein, low in calories, and aid in fat burning.  Paired with a slow-burning carbohydrate before a workout and you have a better 1-2 punch than Mike Tyson in his prime.

LUNCH

Chicken and veggies, chicken and veggies, chicken and veggies.  I can’t lie this is the staple for any superhero diet, but it’s clean and high in nutrients.  If you want to look good, pack on muscle, and lose that fat sometimes the boring stuff is the best solution.

DINNER

Chicken/Fish and sauteed vegetables.  The higher in fiber the better (cleanse that body of all the toxins and feed it the good stuff).  Also look at ground turkey and a lean sirloin steak as alternatives for protein. NO CARBS AT NIGHT!!!

OTHER NOTES

Keep the sodium low throughout the day and steer clear of dairy.  Both have negative effects on the body’s appearance and if you are looking for visible result you’ll want to cut these two out or down.

Rinse and repeat every day for 4-6 months and you’ll have to go buy a cape and mask!

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