A question I get asked frequently is how can I speed up my results training. An essential checklist of the right nutrients is the answer. Here are the top 10 nutrients you need to include in your diet to optimise your health and streamline your results exercising:
1. Whey Protein
The building blocks of a healthy body and metabolism, protein will give you energy, tone and shape as well as curb those 3pm cravings. When we crave sugar, it’s our bodies way of telling us we haven’t had enough protein over the course of the day. I like to prioritise my protein with each meal which has the effect of making it hard to overeat because it promotes satiety and also keeps you full and away from the vending machine.
The best sources are wholefoods like lean chicken, fish such as snapper, tuna, prawns, eggs and sparingly red meats such as beef and lamb. If you’re short on time and want an easily and quickly absorbed protein and opt for protein powder, make sure it’s clean (preservative and sugar free with no fillers) and at least 90 grams of protein per 100g.
2. Omegas 3 Fatty Acids
Omega-3 fatty acids or essential fatty acids (ALA, DHA and EPA) help build cells, control our central nervous system (CNS), strengthen our cardiovascular system, stop us from getting colds and being sick, and help our bodies absorb the nutrients we eat. But the best thing about these are they actually improve our bodies response to how we react to insulin. The more insulin sensitive we are, the better our bodies respond to carbohydrates, insulin..and what we care about, losing body fat. The bottom line is this: the more insulin sensitive we are, the less resistant our body is to holding onto the carbs we eat and the quicker we metabolise them, which makes sustainable weight loss a whole lot easier.
The best way to get Omega’s into our diet are through eating deep sea fish such as wild caught salmon (way more omegas than farmed plus sustainable for our environment), walnuts, flaxseeds, sardines (perfect if you’re on the Ketogenic Diet), scallops, prawns, linseed, a good quality olive oil and gras fed beef, which has 6 times more omega’s than grain fed. That’s why those grass fed eye fillets are so expensive! 😉
3. Iron
I went through a stage where I wasn’t eating much meat and wasn’t really replacing it with anything else. I felt lethargic, run down and constantly tired. I went to get a blood test done, and discovered my iron levels were in a critically low range. I was making it hard for my red blood cells to carry oxygen around my body which was making me feel tired, weak and really annoyed at everything and everyone.
There are heaps of foods you can get iron in naturally that don’t contain red meat such as soybeans, pumpkin seeds, oysters, liver if you’re into offal (very healthy but a very acquired taste), beans, lentils, spinach, brown rice, watercress, kale, nuts, swiss chard, asparagus and spices like cumin, turmeric, oregano, pepper and basil.
Note: If you decide to take an iron supplement, vitamin C is the gateway nutrient that allows you to absorb it much more effectively so make sure you take both of these in combination with each other.
4. Vitamin C
Vitamin C is used in a lot of skincare as it’s an antioxidant that helps protect cells from free-radical damage from the pollutants in our environment, promotes good immunity as well as actually helps lower our risk of certain types of cancerous cells from forming and boosting our bodies production of vitamin E.
Spoiler alert: those delicious, chewy orange vitamin C tablets are pretty useless. Instead eat some kiwi fruits, strawberries, oranges, cantaloupe, broccoli, grapefruit, brussels sprouts, cauliflower or kale and garnish with lemon and parsley to get your daily intake.
5. Vitamin A
Vitamin A is what promotes good vision (yes, carrots have lots of vitamin A in them!), bone density and nice teeth and skin. It protects us from infections, boosting our immunity.
Get your Vitamin A in by eating ; carrots, sweet potatoes, pumpkin, spinach, papaya (my fav!), watermelons, kale, peaches, fresh apricots (avoid the sugary dried variety), tomatoes, beans, lentils and broccoli.
6. Vitamin E
Vitamin E comprises of eight antioxidant compounds. Vitamin E is very effective in protecting our body especially our skin from environmental pollutants like UV rays and free radicals like car fumes and gases. Vitamin E has also been found to protect against prostate cancer (tell the men in your life you care about!) as well as Alzheimer’s.
Some foods that have bounties of vitamin E are green leafy vegetables like spinach, asparagus, chard, and sunflower seeds and almonds and cayenne pepper which is also great for the metabolism!
7. Fibre
A nutritional approach high in fibre helps control blood sugar levels, encourages healthy bowel movements, lowers your cholesterol levels, and helps lower the risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease and some cancers.
Some foods with a high fiber content that are low GI are quinoa,, barley, wild rice, millet, black beans, chickpeas, oats, flaxseed, eggplant, raspberries and even cinnamon which is also good to aid recovery after training.
8. B Complex Vitamins
The B Complex vitamins consist of the following; B1 (thiamine), B2 (riboflavin), B3 (niacin), B5 (pantothenic acid), B6, B7 (biotin), B9 (folate) and B12. This group of vitamins which are said to be natural mood enhancers, help the body to produce energy and form red blood cells. They are also known to have many additional benefits ranging from reducing anxiety to alleviating skin conditions, regulating digestion, producing hormones and the healthy function of our nervous system.
Some good food sources of these B complex vitamins are green leafy veggies like spinach, asparagus, broccoli, asparagus, citrus fruits, eggs, bananas, cauliflower, as well as parsley, beetroot, lentils, cabbage and good ol’ lettuce.
9. Calcium
We need calcium for the normal development and maintenance of our skeleton, neuromuscular function and cardiovascular health.
Ladies, listen up. Osteoporosis, or low bone density which is mostly prevalent in western cultures (funnily enough where we consume the most amount of dairy, more on this HERE) is one of the major causes of morbidity amongst Australian women, especially our sisters over the age of 50. The lack of three things cause osteoporosis; calcium, vitamin D and exercise which is known to strengthen bones especially resistance training. Yes, this means weighted exercise like squatting and kettlebells.
Tuck into green leafy vegetables which will give you more calcium than commercial dairy, so things like kale, broccoli, edamame, bok choy as well as white beans, oranges, almonds, figs and sardines will deliver your required dose of calcium.
10. Carbohydrates
Depending on who you speak to, carbohydrates are a very polarising essential macronutrient that I consider essential to the functioning of a healthy human being. However, I am a big advocate of making sure one deserves to eat the amount of carbohydrates one does which I calculate from a client’s overall muscle mass and current body fat percentage, the amount and intensity they are training at and their insulin sensitivity which gives me an indication of how well their body responds to carbohydrates.
Unsurprisingly, our consumption of carbs is incongruent with our lifestyles. If you are frequently training only, you need to replace your glycogen levels post workout. This is in the form of three nutrients; carbohydrates, plus rapidly absorbed protein like whey protein and a low fructose like fruits such as berries, kiwis, pineapples or even maple syrup.
If you are eating carbohydrates for e.g. with a meal such as dinner low GI carbohydrates are ideal such as sweet potato, quinoa or brown/wild rice.
Join my 6 Week Challenge and learn about nutrition and how to quickly and easily get the right ones in your diet for your training and lifestyle.
As always I welcome your thoughts, feedback and questions in the comments below.