Maura explains what your body needs before and after workouts.
 Hi Maura,
Here’s a question: My workouts are generally mid-morning. Not quite enough time beforehand for a substantial breakfast. What should I eat? And when?
~Michele
……………….
Hi Michele,
Good question. I hear this a lot, especially since yogis are usually always advised to practice on an empty stomach. But that doesn’t work for everyone and doesn’t always apply to other fitness areas.
First of all, if you are diabetic or have blood-sugar imbalances, eat something. From there, my advice would differ depending on the workout. For a workout like gentle yoga or walking (something not so strenuous), a piece of fruit or yogurt should be sufficient. Then eat something heartier afterwards. If the workout is going to be more vigorous (like CrossFit or running), try to find something more substantial and easy to digest; breakfast quinoa or a high-protein smoothie (try adding chia seeds or tofu instead of a sugary protein powder) will provide good fuel and lasting energy. And you’ll want to eat about an hour before start time. (If you eat too close to your workout, you’ll feel sluggish or want to vomit because you’re body is using all its energy to digest your meal.)
Then post-workout (within 30 minutes of the end of your workout), if you don’t have a lot of time, refuel with some fruit with peanut butter or veggies with hummus to make sure your energy levels don’t crash. If you can eat a meal, try chicken and veggies or an omelet with avocado and greens.
For vigorous exercise, the post-workout meal is just as critical as the food you eat beforehand. It is crucial to both recovery and your ability to train consistently. Your body needs and will love a healthy combination of protein (for growth and repair) and carbs (to restore glycogen levels), with minimal fats. And don’t forget the importance of hydration. Super important. Drink up.
Enjoy the movement,
MM
Have a question for Maura? Email us, and your question could be answered in a future column! Find more of Maura’s advice here.
…………..
Maura Manzo is a yoga teacher and health coach specializing in integrating diet, health and wellness. She supports others in becoming their best possible selves. Maura is available for private instruction and coaching, as well as on-site corporate classes and speaking engagements. She is co-creator of the Beyond Asana 200-Hour Yoga Teacher Training and the Art of Letting Go: Maya Tulum Mexican Yoga Vacation. Learn more about her teaching schedule, coaching practice and yoga trainings at MauraManzo.com.
|
Residents of Manayunk and Roxborough want to bring local, healthy food to the 'hood.
As an acupuncturist at Roxborough Community Accupuncture, Dave Schiman sometimes recommends that his patients change their diets. He might suggest that they cut back on refined grains and processed meat and replace them with whole, natural foods. His clients, however, face a problem: They have no idea where they can get that kind of stuff.
Schiman is part of a group of people trying to get a Weavers Way Co-op, a food co-op with locations in East Mt. Airy and Chestnut Hill, to open in the Manayunk/Roxborough area.
“We have no other store in the neighborhood like Weavers Way,” Schiman says, adding that there are no nearby options for purchasing high-quality, locally-sourced groceries.”I just know that if we had this in our neighborhood, more people would have access to it, and more people would eat healthy.” In addition to produce, Weavers Way offers a selection of cheeses, fair trade coffee, raw milk, grains, humanely-raised meats and healthy pet food.
READ MORE
|
Calling all ladies who are fed up with dieting
 Tired of waiting around to see the efforts of your dieting regimen finally pay off? Weight-loss coach Jessica Procini is having a free teletraining that will focus on how to break away from the dieting cycle, stop stressing over weight loss and “laugh” yourself skinny. Procini will share her formula for finding the foods that are right for your body as well as adding things to your diet that will boost your energy. All you’ll have to do is sign up and tune in to the live phone call—can’t lose, right? Register and learn more here.
FREE, Tonight, April 12th, 7 p.m.
>> Have a health or fitness event you’d like to share with Be Well Philly readers? Email eleaman@phillymag.com with details.
|
With "mustard drizzle"?
• Oh the British: funny teeth, charming accents—and hot dog pizzas? TIME reported earlier this week that UK Pizza Hut restaurants are debuting a new item: 14-inch pizzas pies with hot-dog-stuffed crusts that come with mustard drizzle on the side. (I mean, of course they do.) It’s funny because I love pizza, and I’ll even have a hot dog every now and then (only from the grill, thankyouverymuch), but the thought of combining the two seems positively repugnant. It’s like how KFC’s Famous Bowls slop so many things together that they end up creating a failure pile in a sadness bowl. No word on the nutrition facts of this pizza-hot dog super-creation, but I think you’d be pretty safe betting that it’d more than put you over the top, calorie-wise, for the day. (And maybe for the week.)
• Don’t drive on Monday if you can help it: Fatal car crashes increase on Tax Day, researchers say.
• ABC News has the story of a plastic surgeon who accidentally stumbled into a cure for migraines. His secret weapon? Forehead lifts.
|
It's tough to go wrong when salmon, halibut and other from-the-sea fare is on a menu. Our dietician offers her favorite healthful picks.
When I think of fish, I think of Fish—with a capital F. That’s the restaurant that recently moved to 13th and Locust, and it fits the good-for-me bill perfectly. Sure, there are some rich, soulful options if that’s what you’re into, but when it come to fresh, colorful fare they have you more than covered. The portions are hearty so go ready to share if you really want to dive into the seasonal offerings. The colorful plates and use of produce is a true highlight; I always say the more colorful your food the more nourishing the meal.
Here are my picks:
READ MORE
|
Want to maximize your performance? Here's how to fuel up before a race or workout.
As a runner, you probably already know the healthy foods you’re supposed to be eating on a regular basis: lean sources of protein, veggies, fruits and whole grains. But do you know what you’re supposed to eat right before a workout?
Sharon Collison, a board-certified sports dietician in Newark, says that choosing the right snack can do a world of good. “If you make the right choice, eating before a run can help prevent gastrointestinal distress and discomfort, stabilize blood sugar, top off glycogen stores, and help with adequate hydration,” she says.
READ MORE
|
Yup—you can eat healthy at a steakhouse. Our dietician explains how.
 A new hot spot in Old City, Reserve is a steakhouse with an old-school feel. Slightly skeptical of the typical steakhouse vibe, I was curious to see how easy it would be to spot the less indulgent items on a menu stocked with beef and potatoes au gratin. Fortunately, the chef is more than willing to accommodate even the pickiest customers, so the options were more plentiful than I expected.
In typical steakhouse fashion, the portions on most dishes are not, should we say, small. Take that into consideration, as an appetizer could easily count as a meal. The house made bread is brought out warm and very inviting, but I promise you this: the rest of your meal will be far more tasty and worth the calories, so skip it.
Here are my picks for Reserve:
READ MORE
|
A kernel of truth for your Tuesday
 Like popcorn? Of course you like popcorn. Americans always have. Our love affair with the hard-hulled snack started with Native Americans (5,600-year-old popcorn ears have been found in New Mexico), grew with early Colonists (who strung it on Christmas trees), and went straight through to the Great Depression, when big bags of fluffy popcorn selling for a nickel apiece often served as families’ only treats.
Popcorn consumption increased during World War II, when sugar was rationed and sent overseas to soldiers. We ate more popcorn as we went to more movies; then came the microwave! (Along with reports about popcorn lung, but hey.) Today, Americans eat an average of 68 quarts of popcorn per year—more than a quart a week. And we should keep on eating it! Because University of Scranton researcher Joe Vinson says popcorn is packed with polyphenols, the antioxidants that make fruits and veggies so good for us. And they’re more concentrated in popcorn than in peppers and broccoli and cherries, because they’re not diluted by water content.
READ MORE
|
Why buy the boxed stuff when you can make your own (healthier!) versions at home?
I’d be willing to bet that if you interviewed five self-described “healthy eaters,” their diets would look radically different. For instance, was my pre-Becca husband considered healthy when he was eating four protein bars a day (but they were organic!)? Or was I healthy during my dark-chocolate, sugar-free pudding craze (only 60 calories!)?
It feels like food shopping has become a mangled mess, full of marketing scams like “all natural” and “gluten free.” I don’t want to have to do hours of research to find the right products, and I definitely don’t want to be bamboozled by a marketing department. So what’s a girl to do? Get back in the kitchen, that’s what.
Take the standard granola bar. There are hundreds of versions out there, and the one most dietitians would recommend is the one with a list of recognizable ingredients. So can’t we take those ingredients and just make it ourselves? Think about it: It would be less expensive, fresher and perfectly tailored to our tastes. There’s no disputing it; this is truly a “healthy” decision.
READ MORE
|
Locavores, rejoice!
 You live in a city. That means, you probably don’t have a neighborhood farm down the street (duh). Which is why the Philly Farm and Food Fest is so very brilliant.
On April 1st, over 100 local farmers, artisanal producers and food vendors will be showing off their goods at the Convention Center, with samples and for-sale items like honey, cheese, cured meats, jams and more. There will also be workshops if you’re looking to hone your chops with a cheese-tasting seminar and how-tos on beekeeping and urban gardening—plus, lots of opportunities to sign up for a CSA. Tickets will be available at the door, but advance tickets are being sold online at a discount. More info here.
$15 in advance, $20 at the door (kids under 12 are free), Sunday, April 1st from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Pennsylvania Convention Center, Broad & Race streets, 215-386-5211 ext. 104.
>> Have a health or fitness event you’d like to share with Be Well Philly readers? Email eleaman@phillymag.com with details.
|
