Eating to Make Your Workouts Better and Body to Look Fantastic: Part II

What I’m about to share with you is not new ground-breaking knowledge. Rather it’s the simple truth behind nutrient timing.

Post-Workout
Consume a drink containing carbohydrate and protein in a 2:1 ratio within 15 to 45 minutes after exercise.

Most carbohydrate ingested during and immediately after exercise will either be used for fuel or sent to the muscle and liver to replenish stores. The post exercise period is marked by a dramatic increase in fat metabolism, it should be clear that even a whopping carbohydrate and protein drink will not directly lead to fat gain. Just be sure to account for this increase in carbohydrate intake by decreasing your carbohydrate intake during other times of the day (if you are trying to lose weight).

Rest of the Day
Before bed 18oz water
Wake up 18oz of water

Breakfast

• To lose weight: More protein (60%) and fats (30%) minimal carbs (10%).
  
• To gain weight: Even out the proportions to protein (40%), fats (30%) and carbs (30%)
  
• All other meals and snacks: protein (50%), fats (30%) and carbs (20%)—to lose weight.
  
• However to gain weight try: protein (40%), fats (30%) and carbs (30%).
  
• And of course to gain weight eat more and to lose weight eat less, simple math here involving calories eaten vs, calories burned.

From this discussion it should be clear that, using the principles of nutrient timing, one can load up on carbs during and after the workout while reducing them for the remainder of the day.

It’s important to continue to feed some carbohydrate and protein but definitely begin to reduce the total amount of carbohydrates ingested per meal while increasing the amount of protein ingested per meal, a ratio closer to 1:1 might be optimal now.

Also, you're going to start chewing real food rather than slurping down drinks. If we assume you'll be drinking a post-exercise drink immediately after training and you train in the morning or early evening, you'll have time for about two food meals consisting of slower digesting proteins (meats, cottage cheese, yogurt, etc) and low glycemic carbohydrates (fruits, vegetables, beans, ancient grains like quinoa, etc).

Since the Rest of the Day is marked by normal physiology, the food you eat during this phase should be adapted to what you know about your tolerance to carbohydrates and fats in the diet. For example, some of you may have relatively poor carbohydrate tolerance and insulin sensitivity. As a result, you should be eating mostly protein and a blend of fats during the Rest of the Day. Others of you might do better on a higher carbohydrate diet. As a result, you should be eating more protein and carbohydrates during the Rest of the Day (as long as you don't neglect getting your dietary fat, especially your essential fats).

“Paying attention to what you eat or drink and just following a good basic diet and supplementing at the right time may not sound all that exciting, but solid scientific research says it works and yields increases in muscle mass, strength and endurance, break through plateaus and suffer less soreness and stiffness after workouts. It can even protect your immune system and keep you from getting as many colds and upper respiratory ailments,” says Dr. Ivy who is an author on the subject of nutrient timing.

The Seven Habits to Follow for Nutrient Timing Success:

1. Eat every 2-3 hours, no matter what. You should eat between 5-8 meals per day.
   
2. Eat complete (containing all the essential amino acids), lean protein with each meal.
   
3. Eat fruits and/or vegetables with each food meal.
   
4. Ensure that your carbohydrate intake comes from fruits and vegetables. Exception: workout and post-workout drinks and meals.
   
5. Ensure that 25-35% of your energy intake comes from fat, with your fat intake split equally between saturates (e.g. animal fat), monounsaturates (e.g., olive oil), and polyunsaturates (e.g. flax oil, salmon oil).
   
6. Drink only non-calorie containing beverages, the best choices being water and green tea.
   
7. Eat mostly whole foods (except workout and post-workout drinks).
   

Note: Artificial sugars or “sugar free” products have no place in your lifestyle. Look for more on this topic in another discussion.