Nutrition4Muscle.com

One thing i’ve heard a lot about over the years in the training circles is pre vs. post nutrition, and the difference in what your body needs at both stages. It’s commonly accepted that carbohydrates before, and protein afterward is the right way to go, and it makes total sense when you see how muscles work and what they need (fuel before to give maximum energy and then foods to grow and repair afterward). So that begs the question,

Where does Energy come from?

There is one point i need to make here before we get into it, and that is to do with where real energy comes from. Energy is life, and so it comes from ‘live’ things – fresh (electrically charged, moving) air, clean mineral rich water from the source (which doesn’t mean the tap!), natural water rich foods, in general most things that grow in the earth canhelp us to grow from the life that is contained in them, in their natural raw state – it makes sense when we switch off the’scientific’ mind and just use our intuition, but science also backs it up.

From the other side of the equation, if we consume dead foods or artificial/ synthetic products to gain energy, our
body will be using more than it’s fair share of energy to try and burn through and eliminate these toxins in the quickest possible way. Just like a child would be stunted if not given the proper nutrition, our muscles will be stunted if not fed what they need to grow.

So if this is the case and we need energy to train at a level of intensity needed to get real results, what are some of
the options regarding foods that we can benefit from? When thinking of this question we need to think of what will encourage growth and general health in out body, because some people just want to build huge muscle but don’t really care about their health, but by focusing on their health they encourage their body to build stronger, leaner muscle… You can’t lose when you focus on health first – nutrition is key!

Foods for intense training

Ok, so what foods will help us to push our boundaries and hurl those weights like feathers?

Here is a basic list to get you going, and keep you going when you really need it…

• Chocolate – just kidding! although it is sometimes recommend that dark chocolate in small doses is good,but i’m going to go one step further and say the original cacao beans (if you can get hold of some), but let’s stick tothe easy stuff that you can get anywhere.

• Eggs - If you can get eggs that you know are ‘free range‘, then go for it. Many that are labelled as free range have as much freedom as a prisoner being able to walk from his cell door to the window, so make sure before you spend the extra cash. For the purposes of training it’s the egg whites that have the goodies, so easy on the yolks.

• Chicken – The same as eggs in the way of ‘free range’. If you go for this then make sure it’s a free runner, and leave the skin behind.

• Potatoes – This is one of the best there is! make them how you like them, but try not to add bacon, butter and the like… keep them lean and as natural as possible

• Wholegrain breads and grains – as a general rule, the more crumbly the bread the better it is for you (if you can press it into a ball and bounce it off the door, chances are it’s going to take a while to break down). Things such as oats are good for sustained energy in your workout too.

• Bananas – There’s Something about the potassium that aids nerve and muscle function, so you’ll want to keep these in the menu.

• Pasta & rice – Try and make it a good quality wholegrain or brown pasta/ rice, because after all, it is a clogging food so if you choose this option you’ll want to make it as easy on your body as possible.

• Lentils – ok ok, i know they take a little getting used to, but start small and just have a little bit – The benefits are well worth it.

An insiders tip: It’s a common belief that foods that are hot or spicy can give you a little extra ‘kick’ in your workout. Try adding chili or ginger to your pre workout meal, as these will aid in the thermogenic process along with the rest of the natural foods, and help with fat loss.

What has worked for me is natural but heavy foods such as potatoes before a workout (and using the general rule of one hour before your workout is a wise move), and then protein/ enzyme rich foods after to repair and cleanse, and allow the muscles to absorb as much of the goodness as possible. Remember from the last post the importance of a little salt? Water with a little celtic sea salt before the workout will assist with hydration, and you’ll need all the hydration you can get during the training!

As always, keep it natural, and your efforts will be rewarded. You’ll also save money on expensive supplements and powders, and feel so much better when your body is working as it should, with foods that complement the powerhouse you live in!

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