What to eat BEFORE you workout

Whether you are a casual walker, runner, marathoner, weekend warrior, or fitness fanatic...what you eat and when you eat it will make a BIG difference in the success of your workout.

For all your hard work, it's important to do everything you can to get the most out of your workouts!

And, yes, it’s true, healthy nutritional choices before your workouts will ensure your diet will efficiently fuel your exercise — and not slow it down.
 

I recently finished my 9th 1/2 Marathon. This distance is a challenge for me, but I have learned many tips to help me not only push through, but continue to PR.  I've learned to listen to accomplished athletes in the sport and to trust clinical studies as there is a lot of hype in the fitness industry.  Since my first 1/2 marathon in 2012, I have been able to take more than 30 minutes off my pace. At 48 years old, and never been a runner before 2012, I am extremely pleased with my results and very happy that I continue to cut time off my training runs and races.

Here’s a look at just 2 parts of my training diet that have helped tremendously to optimize my performance:

• Fluids help maintain normal body temperature and deliver energy and nutrients to muscles; this is important because well-hydrated athletes can perform better and longer.

• Carbohydrate is the fuel of choice for all athletes because it is the most readily available fuel source for working muscles.

Timing the consumption of your food and drink before and throughout exercise can improve hydration, energy, recovery, and the quality of your workouts. 
                      To get the most out of your workout, follow these BEFORE tips:

BEFORE:
Before doesn't just mean the few minutes before the actual workout or athletic activity...before also means several hours and even days before.  After all, what you put into your body is exactly what you will get out of it! This is a great time to remind us to cut back on junk, fried and processed foods, etc. but especially avoid them before your workout.

Hydration:
The American College of Sports Medicine recommends prehydrating with 2–3 cups of clear fluids in the hours before exercise.Beginning your workout hydrated is essential as our bodies are made up of 60% water!  In addition, staying hydrated isn't just for race day...staying hydrated every day is essential for our overall health. Be sure to drink plenty of water throughout the day, every day. 

Carbohydrates:
By far the most important fuel source for your workouts as they help to build muscle! Carbohydrates are converted into an immediate energy source for when the body needs it and carbohydrates are the key to turning fat into muscle. In addition even at rest the body uses approximately 25% of stored carbohydrates. So it is essential to eat healthy carbohydrates throughout the day and especially the night before, and up to several hours before your workout. As suggested for a healthy diet, avoiding the "white" carbohydrates will give you sustained energy and help to avoid those sudden glucose crashes. So avoid white bread, white sugar etc. Instead choose healthy carbohydrates such as whole-grain breads, pasta, cereal foods, salads, fruits, and vegetables. 

Several Hours Before:
Many people choose pasta, salads, and whole grain breads which are great, and here's another healthy carbohydrate choice for several hours or the evening before a heavy workout--A bowl of oatmeal with fruit. This offers a great amount of healthy carbohydrates as well as a great source of B-vitamins. B-vitamins help to convert carbohydrates into fuel. in addition, they also help the nervous system!

Up to 2 Hours Before:
Consider enjoying a light meal, a nutritious sports bar, or meal replacement shake that provides a good amount of carbohydrates in a rapidly digested form. Especially if you are planning to work out for 1 hour or more. I absolutely love the Shaklee sports products as they are clinically proven to work and offer NO additional artificial, banned, or unhealthy ingredients.

30 Minutes Before:
Chew it!
Stay focused and motivated! Consider caffeine :)  Just 1 cup of either Coffee or Green Tea have been proven to enhance concentration, focus, and mental alertness.  In addition, Green Tea also offers additional health benefits as it includes the amino acid L-theanine which has been proven to improve performance, improve mood, and sustain energy. I have fallen in love with the energy boost I get from the Shaklee Energy Chews. They are an easy to take along, a delicious citrus flavor, full of energy boosting ingredients, including green tea, and offer nothing artificial.

 Drink it!
Athletes have been using Resveratrol for years to combat inflammation and oxidative stress caused by prolonged exercise.  Although resveratrol itself is very good at relieving inflammation it
 will not, by itself, increase the number of mitochondria in muscle cells nor increase their output.  Only Shaklee's Vivix has been shown to do both.
Whether your exercise of choice is Jazzercise, Pilates, Spinning, Running, Triathlons, etc., regular use of Vivix will increase your energy output and make whatever you do to stay in shape more fun and productive.  Putting a teaspoonful of Vivix in your water bottle during your chosen form of exercise will relieve exercise induced inflammation and will help you recover faster with less soreness. Want to learn more: Click Here

  
What to Avoid:
When fueling your workouts remember to read your sport product labels as cautiously as you do your food labels. There is NO need for unnecessary/unhealthy ingredients to be added to your body. Unfortunately, many of these can be found in sports products on the market.
  
I would suggest avoiding these:

• Artificial Colors
• Artificial Flavors
• Artificial Sweeteners (Ace-K, Aspartame, Sucralose)
• Artificial Preservatives (Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate, EDTA)
• Brominated Vegetable Oil (Also labeled BVO-it's a poison)
•  
• To Learn more about the Shaklee products and/or the Olympic Athletes who use Shaklee, 
• Click link below~
•  
• http://gaskell.myshaklee.com/us/en/products.php?sku=20158 

Make Your Goals Stick This Year #makeitstick

Happy, Healthy New Year! 

 A little recap:  This past year I aged to a speed limit; I turned 45!  2013 was a year of personal reflection and taking inventory of my beliefs and desires. There seems to be one simple theme which consistently comes to the forefront of my thoughts, “Being Thankful!”   2014 marks the 25^th year I have been using Shaklee products. I am so very thankful someone shared Shaklee with me all those years ago!  Both the Shaklee products and the business opportunity have given me and my family countless blessings. 


What goals do you have for this New Year?  

If you’re like most, getting healthy, losing weight, traveling more, and earning additional money are at the top of the list. 
 

 For many, setting a goal may be the easy part; the difficulty comes in making it stick!  
And #makeitstick is Shaklee’s theme for 2014.  Our goal is to help people achieve both their health and wealth goals.  Made a goal to get healthier?  Share it on the Shaklee 180 Facebook page and enter to win Shaklee 180 products or iPhone 5S!  This Year, #makeitstick.  
 

Make Your Weight Loss Goals Stick

Delicious things are in your future! 
What if your life could get a little sweeter and a lot healthier?  How does, Mango Smoothie, White Chocolate Cinnamon, Chocolate Coconut, and Cherry Almond sound?  These delicious new flavors have been added to the already yummy Shaklee 180 product line!  You will find the smoothies and bars are packed with all the nutritional needs to keep you healthy, and the mouth watering flavors to keep you satisfied!    Whether you are looking to maintain, or lose inches, Shaklee 180 will help you #makeitstick 

Goals & the 2014 Winter Olympics!

Creating goals and making them stick are certainly activities that Olympians must work at every day in order to achieve their dreams.  The Olympic athlete pushes not only their minds but their bodies to the extreme in order to achieve the extraordinary.  However, many Olympians will choose NOT to use supplements as they are concerned with unhealthy, and even unsafe ingredients.  At Shaklee, we are thrilled to not only provide support, but also provide Shaklee products to many Olympians over the years.

Shaklee Pure Performance Team member, Matt Emmons, a three-time Olympic medalist for the USA in marksmanship has this to say,
"On the morning before I competed in the 2012 Olympic Games in the three-position rifle event, I knew I'd shoot well and would win a medal. As a result, I also knew I'd be tested by the anti-doping committee. I have so much confidence in the purity of Shaklee products that I absolutely stuck with my supplement program every day before and the day of my event."

 

Shaklee-powered athletes have won over 100 medals at both the summer and winter Games.  To learn more about The Shaklee Pure Performance Team and the athletes to watch in Sochi, visit:  http://athletes.shaklee.com/us/en/
I am passionate about helping people achieve their goals and dreams!  Whether you're looking to improve your health or your wealth, please feel free to contact me as I am truly happy to help. 

Wishing you countless Blessings in 2014~
Denise Gaskell
Gaskell Healthy Solutions
www.gaskell.myshaklee.com
gaskellwellness@comcast.net

Too Busy to Cook? Quick & Healthy Tips

Nutritious & Delicious Time Saving Meal Tips~

Whether you're on the crazy, busy school schedule, the crazy busy work schedule, or both...below are several easy tips to help make dinnertime quick, nutritious & delicious!

Before we dive into the tips and meal suggestions.
What are the essentials of every meal?

The basics essentials for each meal:
1.Carbohydrates (vegetables, fruits, grains)
2. Proteins (animal and plant)

3. Fats (animal and plant)
4. Dairy (for calcium)


As you can see from the, USDA they recommend we fill our plates with a great amount of vegetables and fruits along with grains, protein, and dairy. In addition, you'll notice the plate is colorful--that is intentional! Fill your plates with colorful foods.

                                                         
A few of our favorite nutritious & quick meal ideas:

Salads-Chock full of...everything!

A dinner salad certainly doesn't simply mean a chunk of iceberg lettuce, tomato and dressing.
To make a meal out of a salad, include cooked chicken, shrimp, tuna, avocado beans, tofu, cheese, and/or hard-boiled eggs for protein.
Add in loads of  fresh vegetables, and even fruits. Instead of loading up with dressing, place your favorite dressing in a small dish next to your salad and simply use as a light "dip."  Gathering, washing, and cutting (supervised of course) are fun for the kids too. For additional nutritional benefit, make your salad colorful and top with a small handful of seeds, nuts, or even unsweetened cereal like Enjoy Life's Perky's Crunch Flax. Yum!

Sandwich Night ~ get creative!

Every family might think about making sandwich night a weekly tradition~ if for no other reason, let's give the cook a break!
Got creative kids?  Let them gather up all of your family's favorite sandwich fixings & go to town.  It may not be your idea of a delicious meal, but you might be surprised what your family comes up with.   And think outside the breadbox:  Consider offering flour or corn tortillas, English muffins, bagels, pita breads, large whole-grain crackers, etc. Or no bread at all:  red, yellow, green peppers, large mushrooms, or thick sliced apples make great customized sandwich "ends"-fill with nut butters, hummus, cream cheese, natural lunch meats & sprouts. 
One of our family favorite quick bites are mini home-made pizzas on whole-grain bagels or English muffins. Simply place a spoonful of pizza sauce on the bread and top with your favorite pizza toppings.  Bake & Enjoy.

Plug It In ~ Smaller Appliances
If you're craving a hot meal, (I totally get it...its about this time of year I crave a bowl of my home-made chili! (Click here for my chili recipe)
Don't forget about those smaller appliances. An electric griddle, wok, toaster oven, or panini maker. We love our panini maker...sometimes it sits out on the counter for days as we fill our favorite breads or pita with everything from left-overs to veggies & cheeses.  One of the beloved kitchen appliances of all time is, The Crock Pot! There are literally thousands of simple and healthy recipes on-line or in cooks books for crock pot use. You will find recipes for your favorites foods, including homemade applesauce, lasagna, and of course soups & stews.  So easy!...just throw in the ingredients, turn it on, and walk away. Cooking Light offers 105 Favorite Slow-Cooker Recipes on their website: Click Here.


Go Raw  ~ Not everything needs to be cooked!

More than just a trend, studies now show many benefits of eating more raw fruits and veggies. Even if you don't want to commit to a raw foods diet long term, pick up a raw food cookbook and experiment with some of the recipes or visit  Meatless Mondays to learn the many reasons we might want to avoid eating meat at least once each week, and review/try their delicious recipe ideas.


Mix It Up ~ in a blender
In a super pinch for time? Why not create a super healthy smoothie! There are many smoothie recipes available that include fruits, veggies, nut butters, yogurts, and the list goes on. One of my very favorite super quick meals; "The healthiest meal on the Planet" according to Dr. Jamie McManus, the Shaklee 180 Smoothee!  Very easy to mix up, absolutely delicious, and packed with 1/3 of all your daily nutrition requirements...simply shake and enjoy. It really doesn't get any easier! I enjoy one of these smoothies every morning, but have been know to enjoy them for dinner on those nights when cooking just isn't in the cards.




Go Outside~to grill that is

Many people might only use their grill in the summer months, but good news, gas or charcoal grills work year round! And hey, maybe you can talk someone else into barbequing dinner!  Grilling your entire meal including, meats, veggies, tofu, fish, kabobs, and even some fruits, etc, outside on the grill will allow you to  create packets of meals ahead of time, or as mentioned, pass the cooking job on to the, "grill-master!"
Check out the Weber website for winter grilling tips.

Whatever way you choose to make your meals, be sure to include all the food groups.  As shown on the above chart, our plates should be full of a variety of mostly vegetables, some fruits, grains, and protein, with a bit of dairy (or calcium is what I like to say).  
Make it fun, enjoyable, nutritious, and delicious.

 Want some additional time saving tips or help getting organized? Here are tips from the USDA as well:

Prepare Healthy Meals

Kitchen Timesavers 

Try these kitchen timesavers to cut back on time and make less work for you. By taking the stress and hassle out of cooking, you’ll have more time to enjoy it and to spend with your loved ones. Click on the hyperlinks below to see quick videos.

1. Organize your kitchen. Keep frequently used items such as cooking oils/sprays, spatulas, cutting boards, and spices within easy reach. This will save you from having to search for them later.
2. Clear the clutter. Before you start cooking, clear off your counters. This allows more room for prep space.
3. Chop extra. When chopping up veggies for a meal, chop more than you need. Take the extra, place in a reusable container and freeze. Then next time you need it, you can skip a step.
4. Have everything in place. Grab all ingredients needed for your meal – vegetables chopped, spices measured, and meats thawed. It will be easier to spot missing items and avoid skipping steps.
5. Double your recipe. For your next casserole or stew, try doubling the recipe and freezing the extra. You’ll save time and make cooking next week’s dinner a snap!
6. Clean as you go. Fill up the sink with soapy water and wash the dishes as you cook. It’ll make clean up go much smoother!
7. Save some for later. Freeze leftover soups, sauces, or gravies in small reusable containers.
   

  To your health,

Denise Gaskell
Gaskell Healthy Solutions
gaskellwellness@comcast.net

Overfed and undernourished

OUR S.A.D. DIET IS A BIG, FAT PROBLEM

The Standard American Diet (S.A.D.) is causing a plethora of health challenges. Believe it or not, the United States ranks 37th in longevity behind countries such as Cuba, Chile, Costa Rica, and Greece, even with all of the medical technology and pharmaceutical innovations available today. A major consequence of our S.A.D. is the obesity epidemic, which affects even our children! In fact, the American Academy of Pediatrics issued a statement recently that suggests, unless current trends reverse, one-third of all children born today can expect a shorter life than their parents due to type 2 diabetes.

Our super busy lifestyles drive us to make compromises of convenience with regard to what we eat, when we
eat, and how much we eat. And many products that are marketed as “healthy” foods are filled with sugar, fat, and artificial ingredients. Fast food sales have increased nearly 2,000% over the past 30 years. One-third of our total calories come from fast food, which is lacking in good nutrition. Not only does high-fat, high-carbohydrate fast food deliver a lot of calories, but the latest research shows that it also may result in acute inflammation. And consuming these high-fat, high-calorie fast food meals regularly may lead to chronic inflammation, which may put you at risk for many diseases linked to inflammation, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, certain cancers, and Alzheimer’s disease.

•  Our foods are fast and our metabolisms are slow

• Our drinks are soft and our arteries are hard

• Our nerves are fried, and so is the junk we put into our bodies 

Fast food sales have increased nearly 2,000% over the past 30 years. One-third of our total calories come from fast food, which is lacking in good nutrition. Not only does high-fat, high-carbohydrate fast food deliver a lot of calories, but the latest research shows that it also may result in acute inflammation. And consuming these high-fat, high-calorie fast food meals regularly may lead to chronic inflammation, which may put you at risk for many diseases linked to inflammation, including heart disease, diabetes, arthritis, certain cancers, and
Alzheimer’s disease.

EATING RIGHT ISN’T AS EASY AS IT SEEMS

98% of Americans do not eat the recommended seven to nine servings of fruits and vegetables each day. What might surprise you even more is that, even when you try to do the right thing, the nutritional value of our produce isn’t what it used to be. In fact, a 2004 study of 43 crops showed a decline in the nutrient content of up to38% over the past 50 years.

Next post I'll share: How & Why Supplementing, Proper Nutrition and a Healthy Lifestyle can prevent many major diseases 60–90% of the time.

~Every day you make choices that will either improve your health or harm it.  Which will you choose today?~