Basically, the sooner you eat after your workout, the better it is for you.  Ideally, you should be eating within half an hour to an hour after you finish working out.  This is because your body needs nutrients to replenish itself after exercise and you’re still in calorie-burning mode.  Eating the right types of food during this time window can really kick start your metabolism.

So what should your post-workout meal consist of?  In a nutshell, it should be fairly high in protein with a moderate amount of carbs and little to no fat.

The extra protein will help prevent all that muscle you’ve been working for from breaking down, especially after aerobic exercise.  Typically, high protein whole foods are ideal for your regular diet.  But they are digested more slowly by your body than liquids.  So by the time your body begins digesting those eggs, you will have missed your post-workout “window.”  While normally I’m a huge advocate of eating whole foods to get the nutrients you need, this is one time where I’ll say that a protein shake comes in really handy.

Carbs are needed to replenish the energy you just used up and get you ready for your next workout.  If you do not have enough carbs to refuel, your body will start using muscle tissue for energy instead.  Simple carbohydrates & sugars are best right after workout for the same reason as protein shakes – they are digested more quickly than whole, unprocessed foods.  You can add about a tablespoon or so of pineapple juice to your shake.  This will give you the sugar carbs you need – and the acidity will help numb the usually unpleasant taste of many protein powders.

Fats are needed and should be a part of your diet.  However, they slow down digestion and this is basically the opposite effect you’re probably after. If you want to maximize the amount of calories you can burn right after your work out, avoid fat in your post-workout meal.

Your best bet is to bring the powder with you in a shaker to the gym and fill it with water before you leave to sip on the way home.  Or if you live close enough, you can make your own shake at home with a blender.  You can get the carbs and sugar you need by adding in some pineapple juice and fruit, like bananas and strawberries.

Adding a post-workout meal or changing your existing one is a great way to charge up your body’s ability to burn fat.  It will also help you recover before it’s time to hit the gym again!

Your muscles need the full and proper range of motion in order to really grow.  If you’re not working out correctly, you could actually be hindering your progress.  Practice correct form with lighter weights than you would normally use.  In the case of bench presses, move the bar slowly so you can get a feeling for the full range of motion.  You can find various videos on proper form and techniques on many different bodybuilding and fitness websites.  These are great tools and you should definitely check them out if you strength train with free weights.

Another major reason for choosing proper form over heavier weights is to avoid the possibility of injuries.  If you’re form is already incorrect, and you’re piling the weights on, you could really hurt yourself.  While it may not necessarily be permanent or very serious, it could set back your progress as you’ll most likely have to stop (or seriously limit) lifting until your injury heals.

So pay attention to your form to make gains and avoid hurting yourself.  And don’t forget to “listen” to your body – because if it feels wrong, then it probably is!

As spinach is very nutrient dense, it is packed full of vitamins, minerals and other “goodies” while still remaining low in fat and calories.  You’ll be getting a super healthy dose of vitamins without ruining all the time you’ve been putting in at the gym.  Vitamin A, vitamin C, potassium and iron are just some examples of what you’ll be getting from spinach. 

The nutrients found in spinach can benefit your body in many major ways: 

Cardiovascular Health:  Vitamins and other antioxidants found in spinach help keep bad cholesterol rates down.  Some of these antioxidants have also been known to aide in slowing the progression of cancer cells.  Another nutrient known as folate can be found in spinach and has been known to help prevent hardening of the arteries which can lead to heart disease.

Gastrointestinal Health:  Spinach is loaded with dietary fiber, which is something that everyone could stand a little bit more of.  Aside from aiding in regular bowel movements, fiber can also prevent some diseases like colon cancer by helping remove toxic substances from the bowels.  Additionally, many of the antioxidants found in spinach can help protect the colon from damage.

Brain Function:  It has been studied and shown that green leafy vegetables can help slow the decline in brain function over time as you get older.  The prevention of the hardening of your arteries that folate provides can also aide in combating strokes.

Other benefits include: anti-inflammatory properties which can help with conditions such as asthma & osteoporosis; the presence of lutein which protects against some eye diseases; and providing more iron than red meat – without the fat and calories!

Spinach can easily be incorporated into your diet as it can be eaten alone or as a part of soups or other dishes.  When eaten raw, it is much more nutritious than lettuce, but can also be lightly cooked and still retain its nutritional benefits.  So do your body a favor and make spinach at least one of your daily servings of vegetables!

 A small but helpful step is to start parking your car a bit further away when you go to the store, gym, etc.  Now, I’m not saying you need to do this in a blizzard or other unpleasant weather conditions.  But if it’s nice out, why not walk?

 I do enjoy the signs a local grocery store has begun to put out in their parking lots recently (yes, Wegmans).  In front of a few random parking spots that are a bit further from the building are signs stating that this spot is reserved for those who would rather park a bit farther away and get a bit of exercise walking to the store.  While this might put some off, I find it rather brilliant! 

 While I am certainly guilty of circling parking lots looking for a closer spot, I have tried to start parking further away whenever possible.  After all, a little bit of extra exercise certainly couldn’t hurt!

If you’ve ever shopped for multivitamins, you are most likely aware that there are tons of choices out there.  There are all sorts of vitamins geared towards specific goals or lifestyles: women’s health, men’s health, seniors, children, bodybuilders, athletes – the list goes on and on.  So, how do you pick the one that’s right for you?

 First off would be to figure out what your specific needs are from a vitamin – other than the obvious choices listed above.  There are many men’s health vitamins out there and they have a wide range of ingredients, brands and prices available! 

 As a bodybuilder or athlete, you definitely want to pick one with all of the essential nutrients in it listed in my previous post.  You want to be sure to optimize all of your effort and time spent in the gym.

 If you’re like me, then you are also trying to shed some excess body fat.  Certain antioxidants such as green tea, acai berry and other digestive enzymes are perfect for keeping your metabolism revved up.

 The most important thing to realize is that you don’t have to break the bank with designer or brand name vitamins.  They often have the most advertising to get you to buy their products – which typically turn out to be some of the highest priced supplements on the market. 

 Once again, it is imperative that you read and compare ingredient labels – yes even on vitamins.  Take a look at how many servings you get per bottle and divide the price by this number.  You should not be paying more than $1 per serving – and that’s a high maximum.  I bet you’ll find that some of the “off brand” vitamins have comparable ingredients and at a fraction of the price.

 So, what do I take?  I am currently taking MHP Activite Sport.  It contains all of the essential vitamins and nutrients I am looking for in a multi.  It also contains an antioxidant blend as well as several digestive enzymes.  I feel better and have more energy when I take them, and I can definitely tell they have aided in my digestion.  And I can purchase them online for only $.76 per serving. 

 Now, I am not telling you that you all need to run out and by this same multivitamin right away.  What I am telling you is that you should seriously consider taking a multi and you should definitely do your homework before deciding which one is right for you.

Our bodies definitely require several vitamins and nutrients in order to perform at optimum levels.  Among other consequences, nutrient deficiencies can result in poor digestion and muscle growth.  However, multivitamins are often overlooked and underestimated as a necessary supplement.

 I don’t care how well or how much you eat, it simply may not be possible to ingest the amounts of all the vitamins & minerals your body needs to stay healthy – simply because we need to keep our bodies nourished with several of these essential nutrients to keep fit.

 B vitamins such as Thiamine, Riboflavin and Niacin are typically widely discussed as they are essential for healthy digestion and metabolism.  These can be found naturally in animal proteins, legumes, bran and several vegetables.

 Not to be overlooked are natural minerals that are essential for body functions.  Calcium (found in dairy products and some greens) is important for bone health and aids in activating enzymes needed to convert food to energy.  Phosphorous is also essential for strong bones and is necessary for metabolism and nerve & muscle function.  This naturally occurs in dairy products as well as chicken & nuts.  Zinc is necessary for several enzymes to properly aid in metabolism & digestion and can be found in some seafood, beef, turkey and whole grains.

 Antioxidants are another important group.  Some studies have linked antioxidants to aiding in prevention of some types of cancers.  The two most common essential antioxidants are Beta Carotene (which can be found in carrots, squash & green leafy vegetables), Vitamin C (citrus fruits, strawberries) and Vitamin E (most commonly found in brown rice & soybean, vegetable and corn oils).

 While I have mainly touched on the vitamins and nutrients that most directly impact your fitness progress, there are many more that are equally as important for other body functions.  Because of all the reasons listed above (and many more), I feel that taking a multivitamin may really be an integral part of your fitness lifestyle.

 Since health experts everywhere are telling us that this is the way to go, I decided to give it a whirl.  It’s really all about making sure you’re eating the right things in the right portions.  So I overhauled my eating habits and started eating 5-7 small meals a day.  I really think that this is one of most important changes I made that has helped me drop some fat.

 Our bodies are programmed to store fat when we are not eating on a regular basis.  This used to be necessary because food was not always as readily available as it is now.  So when there is longer than a few hours in between meals, our bodies assume food is not going to be available soon and begin to store the fat to use as energy.

 This body process is really no longer useful for our society as food is readily available for the vast majority and we can eat whenever we want.  However, the body doesn’t know this, and will still continue to store fat for use during times of famine or food scarcity.  The trick is learning how to use this process to your advantage and help you lose weight.  You can do this by eating before you start feeling hungry and stopping before you feel full.  Eating frequent, small, nutritious meals keeps our metabolism geared up all day long.  It can also help keep blood sugar levels at an even rate. 

 I am now eating several times a day, and I always have some sort of snack handy.  This is a typical day of eating for me: breakfast before work, a snack in the morning, lunch, an afternoon snack, a protein shake after the gym, dinner and then possibly another shake before bed.  I have to tell you that it has really worked wonders for me.  I’m never starving and I have definitely shed some fat!

 It can be difficult to get started in an exercise program, especially if you’ve been fairly sedentary and/or you have a significant amount of weight you want to lose.  It’s always the best idea to start it off slow at first.

 An easy way to get your blood flowing for a few minutes a day is to walk in place.  Since most of us spend way too much time in front of the TV as it is, why not make good use of some of that time? 

 So, the next time your favorite show is on, start walking in place in your living room.  There’s no need to go fast or set a record or anything.  Just start at a steady pace that you can keep up for a few minutes (which is good advice when starting any sort of cardio activity) and just go as long as you can.  After awhile, start trying to walk longer than the last time and set records and goals for yourself.  Keep this up and little by little you’ll be able to start pushing your body a bit harder and go a bit faster.

 Between this and my severe lack in hydration, I was retaining water like I never have before.  My body was rebelling against all the sodium I was taking in.  Hopefully, my arteries have started to unclog by now!!

I immediately started cutting out any excess salts in my diet.  No more salty treats – or at least, no more excess of salty treats.  Like anything else, a bit of sodium is okay in moderation.  But I was taking in way too much.

 I would say that within a week, I really started to feel the difference.  I was also drinking extra water, and I literally felt less bloated all the time.

 Now I’m to the point where I’m listening to my body again, and I can feel it when I’ve taken in too much salt.  So now I just watch how much I sodium I eat and make sure to cut it off before I get that feeling.

Among other things, my grandparents and father brought over their eating habits from Italy – for better or for worse!  One of these habits was serving salad with or after the meal.  I just thought they didn’t want the food to get cold, and maybe they didn’t even know why they did it.  It could be just that’s how they were taught by their parents and so on.  Who knew what they were doing was actually great for you?

 Once again, the magical power of eating your greens comes into play.  That lettuce is going to help your body properly digest all that food you just took in.  Somewhere along the line, one of my grandparents or great grandparents, etc. knew this and incorporated this into their meal. 

 Of course, Europeans have been doing this for quite some time, so who knows when it actually started in my own family.  Something we as Americans might want to give a second thought to.  Eat your salad after your meal, and I guarantee it will improve your digestion!!