Over several years working as a personal trainer, I have overheard many conversations on what people are eating or supplementing with before or after their workouts. The gym is often a place where people are first exposed to the health and fitness world and consequently a lot of information that they receive may be misinterpreted. What may work really well for someone else may not work for you. Fortunately, as a naturopathic medical student and physical trainer, I am well-educated on the topics of nutrition and exercise and I am here to help you navigate the confusing realm of how to properly fuel your workout.
 
Firstly, it is important to note that nutritional recommendations should always be highly individualized and the following factors must be considered: the age, sex, fitness level, medical history and dietary restrictions of the individual, as well as the type, volume and intensity of the exercise. The information provided in this post are general recommendations for how to integrate proper nutrition into your exercise regime.
 
Let’s talk about strength training. Whether it’s weight lifting, circuit training (HIIT) or basic body weight exercises (e.g. yoga, pilates, etc.), here are the answers to some common questions you may have if you are looking to optimize energy and performance during a workout, increase fat-free mass by optimizing muscle protein synthesis (MPS), or optimize post-workout recovery.
 
Q: When is the appropriate time that I should consume protein? Before or after a workout?
 
A:  The timing of protein intake is an aspect of sports nutrition that has been studied extensively. The research looking at the effects of protein intake before versus after a workout has shown that there are minimal differences with respect to muscle protein synthesis (MPS). It is ultimately up to your individual preferences. However, if you decide to consume protein after your workout, the ideal time window is immediately to 2 hours post-exercise. Additionally, you want to ensure you are eating adequate protein throughout the day, and not solely focusing on supplementing around your workout.
 
Q: What type of protein is best?
 
A: The answer to this question is very dependent on your fitness goals and dietary preferences/restrictions. However, protein containing high amounts of the essential amino acid leucine is correlated to the greatest increase in muscle protein synthesis (MPS). Whey protein has the highest leucine content and has consistently out-performed soy and casein protein when it comes to stimulating MPS. However, whey protein is an animal-derived food product and therefore may not be ideal for vegans or vegetarians. Soy, pea, rice or hemp proteins are all great options for those who are vegan or sensitive to dairy products. Pre- or post-workout meals with a complete amino acid profile and a high leucine content include free-range chicken, beef, salmon, chickpeas or beans.
 
Q: How much protein exactly?
 
A: When it comes to protein, more is not necessarily better. If you are adding an extra scoop to your post-workout shake, or doubling up on your chicken consumption, you may be wasting your money. MPS will plateau at an approximate dose of 20g of protein. Most protein powders contain about 18-25 g of protein per scoop, an average chicken breast contains about 25 g of protein, and if you are utilizing plant sources such as chickpeas, 1 cup contains about 26 g of protein. Body weight is another important factor to consider. The adequate dose of protein per meal is about 0.25-0.3 g/kg of body weight. In conclusion, when it comes to the amount of protein you should be consuming around your workouts, being mindful of the protein content per serving is important.
 
Q: What about carbohydrates?
 
A: Carbohydrate intake is critical when it comes to endurance training. It is surprising how many people will reduce their carbohydrate intake while increasing their exercise intensity and duration, and expect to perform optimally. Your body depends on carbohydrates as fuel for this type of workout. Research has shown that consuming carbohydrates 30-60 minutes before endurance exercise can increase exercise capacity and performance. Having a carbohydrate-rich meal is also important for enhancing recovery and restoring post-exercise muscle glycogen levels. It is best to choose whole grain carbohydrates such as quinoa, buckwheat or steel-cut oats if you prefer to exercise in the morning.
 
Q: What is a “pre-workout” supplement and does it actually work?
 
A: Many individuals will use a “pre-workout” supplement to help enhance their workouts. There is a lot of variability in the ingredients and types of pre-workout formulations available on the market. The majority will contain caffeine, a variety of B-vitamins, electrolytes and creatine. Unfortunately, a lot of these formulas contain additives, sweeteners and food colourings, so it is important to carefully read the ingredients label before selecting a product. When it comes to enhancing your workout performance, creatine and caffeine are a couple substances that have been extensively researched and proven to be effective. So drinking one cup of coffee prior to your workout may be just as effective as taking a pre-workout formula. One cup of black coffee contains approximately 100 mg of caffeine which is equivalent to the majority of doses in a pre-workout formula, but costs a lot less.
 
 
In conclusion, research has helped us to understand the basics of when (30-120 min before or after a workout), how much (20 g protein) and what (foods high in leucine, caffeine) we should be eating to properly fuel our workouts. However, there are numerable variables to this basic formula that are very dependent on your personal health, preferences, fitness goals and type of training. Talking to your Naturopathic Doctor is a great place to start if you are looking to create an individualized nutrition plan to help meet your fitness goals.
 
Thanks for reading!
Sophie (3rd Year Naturopathic Medical Student)
 
References:
 
Kerksick, C. M., Arent, S., Schoenfeld, B. J., Stout, J. R., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C. D., ... & Willoughby, D. (2017). International society of sports nutrition position stand: nutrient timing. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 14(1), 33.
 
Goldstein, E. R., Ziegenfuss, T., Kalman, D., Kreider, R., Campbell, B., Wilborn, C., ... & Wildman, R. (2010). International society of sports nutrition position stand: caffeine and performance. Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, 7(1), 5.
 
 
 
 

Most people fall into two very distinct groups when it comes to how we feel about Valentines Day; we either delight in the chance to celebrate partners and be doted on by loved ones, or we’re annoyed by the pressure to buy expensive gifts and by the commercialism of the whole holiday. Love it or hate it, I think Valentine’s day is the perfect time of year to prioritize someone in your life who deserves a bold demonstration of love: yourself.

The most important aspect of self care is to personalize what you choose to do in a way that makes sense for you. What you find restorative within the pillars of self care may not be the same as myself, or someone else. For example, most people love lighting candles as a way to relax and unwind, and they’re often part of self care rituals seen on social media. Yet, a friend of mine has acknowledged that candles stress her out - remembering to blow them out, being paranoid about the flame catching anything nearby, the thought of the candle running out - all distract from any attempt at self care! Below are some practical tips to help you find what works for you.

Gratitude
Practicing gratitude is a great, affordable (free!), and easy thing to do that encourages a positive mindset.

• Journal 3 things a day you are thankful for
• Send a thankful email to a friend
• Write a card to someone who has helped you out

Practicing gratitude is the perfect way to gently remind yourself of the unique and beautiful things that make your life special (no wonder it’s proven to boost your mood) (1).

Meditation and Mindfulness
Taking a moment to be still with ourselves is a rewarding break from the stresses of life. How much time are we actually making to only be with ourselves; not thinking of anything or anyone else in our day? Not only is meditation a great form of perspective building for our busy schedule. By perspective building, I mean the ability to take a step back and look objectively at what is going on. Sometimes we are too close to the issues or events of our life and we need to mindfully step back and look at things with less emotion and attachment. Practical ways to incorporate meditation and mindfulness into your life include:

• deep breathing exercises
• sitting quietly for 2, 5, 10 minutes at a time
• Box breathing techniques
• If classic mindfulness and meditation is not for you, a yoga class or more movement based meditation practices might suit you better.

Again, find what works for you, and feel OK about taking time that is devoted just to you, valentine!

Self compassion
Self compassion starts with examining our internal monologue, or way in which we speak to ourselves. Kristin Neff, the lead researcher behind this movement in psychology, points out that we often speak to ourselves in a much more negative way than we would ever speak to a friend.(2)

Changing this internal dialogue, can be challenging for a variety of reason. First off, it can be hard to take a step back and recognize we are doing it. When beating ourselves up with negative phrases becomes a habit we don’t even notice, it can be hard to kick.
​
Here are some steps how to build greater self compassion:

• Reflection
  • Journal, or simply write down the top “sound bites” you have about yourself
  • Write down a story of who you are as a person. Read it from a place of perspective, is this negative? Would you write this about a friend?
• Shift the phrase
  • If you have identified that you use negative phrases about yourself - try shifting some of these to neutral ones (even before jumping to positive)
    • “I’ll never get it right” → “I’m trying my best”

If you are struggling with wanting to improve your self talk, I recommend working with a team of practitioners you can trust and who you form a good relationship with, including your MD, therapist, or someone in naturopathic medicine (learn more on how to book with us at the end of this article!).

Give your physical heart some love
There are endless benefits for both mood and health to exercise! Often exercise gets a bad rap as something we have to do, instead of something we get to do. Forget traditional methods of exercising if they don’t jive with you and go off of this: exercise can be any fun way we elevate our heart rate.

• Walk, dance, run, skip, skii - move, and get your heart rate up
• Play a sport or game
• Make it fun!

Serve up some love
The ultimate form of self love for your insides is a well balanced meal. Healthy food can be easy to make, and taste great. Start with small, gradual changes by identifying the meal of the day that has the opportunity for the most improvement, and work on modifying that (replace the morning croissant with a healthy breakfast, and go from there).

Some general recommendations to get you started include:

• Aim to fill half your plate with (colourful) veggies
• A quarter of your plate is for protein (lean or plant based)
• Some good fats (olive oil, avocado, nuts and seeds)
• A small amount of grains
• As little processed foods (packaged) as possible

If this feels overwhelming to do alone - ask for help (see our booking information at the end of this blog). Nobody became a health expert or chef overnight. It takes time, practice, advice, and at least a few bad smoothies to figure it out.

Laughter really is the best medicine
Are you having enough fun? Laughter and joy are an important part of life, and a great way to show yourself love.

• Watch something funny
• Play a fun game with others
• Spend time with people who are fun and funny

Tune in to what YOU need
“One of the best guides to how to be self-loving is to give ourselves the love we are often dreaming about receiving from others.”- bell hooks (I’m a huge fan of her book, All About Love). Think about how you envision caring of others in your life - is it a thoughtful gift? Then gift yourself something and really savour and enjoy it! Is it to hearing validation and kind words? Then repeat to yourself a kind phrase you might say to someone else, or record a voice note of a positive affirmation. If it’s physical hug, really tune into the next good hug that comes up. Take note of what makes you feel loved and then create more of it!

Doing something hard, but necessary
One trend in the self care movement I really enjoy is the art I found by @makedaisychains on Instagram that focuses on what she calls “boring self care”. It’s often touted as small actions that aren’t glamourous, but that depending on the person and their situation, can be challenging to do. I love the fact that these illustrations celebrate small accomplishments (booking a doctors appointment you’ve been avoiding, refilling your medications, cutting ties with someone who is causing you pain). Dedicate the necessary time and energy to tackle your to do list.

Ask for help
Finally, being a beginner in any of these areas is not something to be ashamed of or feel overwhelmed by. We are all beginners at something at some time in our lives. Asking for help in any area of your life is a natural thing, and we weren’t meant to do things alone. This is why we have family, community, and even people who study different things to gain different expertise!
If you are looking for more help in implementing aspects of self-care into your lifestyle, or if you would like to discuss any other health concerns please book an appointment with some of our wonderful interns on our Tuesday night shift at the Robert Schad Naturopathic Clinic by calling this number: (416) 639-2459
The idea of celebrating when we do something hard but necessary can relate to many of the different ways to practice self care listed in this article (exercise, meditation, healthy cooking, changing habits). Taking actionable steps towards improving the way we treat our self is not always easy, but it is necessary. These steps, even when “small” and “boring” are something to be celebrated! We are all on different paths on this journey, and the aspects that are most challenging will look different for all of us. I hope this serves as a starting point to find practices you can add to your life that make you feel loved and appreciated, and remember: making these habits a part of your routine and caring for yourself is the ultimate act of self love.

Happy Valentines Day!

​Love,
Madeleine

References

1. Layous K, Chancellor J, Lyubomirsky S. Positive Activities as Protective Factors Against Mental Health Conditions. J Abnorm Psychol. 2014 Feb;123(1):3-12. doi: 10.1037/a0034709.
2. Warren R, Smeets E, Neff K. Self Criticism and self compassion: Risk and resilience. Current Psychology. Vol 15, No 12. Dec 2016.
3. Hooks, bell. All about love: new visions. Harper Collins. 2001