Suzy Eats

Tuesday Toast with Jen Gilbert: http://jenwellnessforlife.blogspot.com/
Jen is a blogger who was diagnosed with Crohn’s disease in January 2010 and Gastritis in November 2009, all in the midst of a very important year in school.. She shares her story to inspire you and your loved ones to believe that healing is possible, and that you can recover and find wellness in your life just like she.

Running, biking, swimming, dancing, walking… everyone knows about the endless ways to exercise and get your heart rate up. However, not everyone knows the proper foods to eat before and after exercising.

No matter what time of day you choose to exercise, always eat breakfast within one hour of waking up. If you like to exercise first thing in the morning before eating breakfast, it is still important to eat within one hour of waking.

If you exercise later in the day, it is recommended to eat a snack one hour before exercising. The best snack choices before exercising are a long-acting carbohydrate and protein. The long-acting carbohydrate fuels the body with energy during exercising, and the protein helps muscles repair tissue. Snacks that meet the pre-exercise requirements are chicken with rice and cooked veggies, pasta with sauce that contains ground chicken, or a whole-wheat wrap spread with peanut butter and rolled around a banana.

Certain foods should be avoided before working out, as these foods cause gas, and will make you feel uncomfortable when working out. Avoid high fibre muffins and cereals, fresh veggies, beans and lentils, and fruits that may cause gas (for example, apples).

Post-exercise food should be a quick-acting carbohydrate, plus a protein (about 10g of protein). An example of post-workout food is rice milk with whey protein powder.

One last piece of advice – it’s extremely important to stay hydrated throughout the day, and especially during your workout. The rule of thumb is to drink two cups of water two hours before your workout, and one cup of water for every 30 minutes of working out.

Have a happy workout!

*All information comes from the Registered Dietitian Services Professional Nutrition Solutions in London, Ontario