Many athletes wonder whether they should work out on an empty stomach or whether it’s crucial to have a snack beforehand. As “fasted cardio” gains popularity, some are opting to skip the pre-workout snack altogether. But is this no-fuel strategy advised for athletes? The short truth to the story is… (Are you ready for it?) it depends! There’s not a one-size-fits-all approach to nutrition and fueling for sports performance. There may be a time and a place for skipping that pre-workout meal or snack; however, whether or not you should do it depends on many factors. While traditional sports nutrition guidelines promote carbohydrate-rich fueling strategies, there may be a benefit for some athletes to go against the grain, pun …
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Banana Buckwheat Pancakes & Compote
Feast on these amazing banana buckwheat pancakes from The Wheatless Kitchen! Each nutty pancake has chunks of sweet banana and is topped with an irresistible blackberry compote. Buckwheat flour is a great gluten-free option plus it makes for dense pancakes so if you prefer lighter pancakes mix buckwheat flour with another flour of your choice. Print Banana Buckwheat Pancakes & Compote Ingredients For the pancakes 1 1/2 cup buckwheat flour (certified gluten-free if necessary) 1 teaspoon baking soda 2 teaspoons cinnamon 1 large banana, mashed 2 large eggs 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 cup unsweetened almond milk (or milk of choice) For the blackberry compote 1 1/2 cups fresh or frozen blackberries 1 tablespoon coconut (or granulated) sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/2 tablespoon water Optional: 1/2 teaspoon arrowroot powder (to thicken) Directions Preheat a large skillet over medium-…
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These 5 At-Home Butt Exercises Help Prevent Knee Pain
Having a strong butt is really, really important. That’s because knee pain is often traced back to weak hips and glutes. So targeting these areas and focusing on strengthening your hips, thighs, and butt can help prevent pains. Plus…your glutes are involved in almost every athletic activity from running and jumping to plié-ing, dancing, and pulsing. So working on your backside can help lead to improvements in future workouts. So add any (or all!) of these bodyweight butt moves below to your regular strength routine. 1. Rainbow Down Dog — do two sets of 10 reps on each side Start in a downward dog position. Shift weight to left and extend right leg to right with foot pointed. Lift right leg up and over, creating a semi-…
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Wake-Up All 5 Senses Every A.M.
Think morning workouts are just a pipe dream? Something your ideal self would do before reading the paper and organizing the closets? You’re not the only one. We’re all just trying to negotiate how to wake up — and stay up. There are alarms and apps by the hundreds, but we think paying attention to our physicality is the way to nail the wake-up-and-work-out line item on our to-do list. Here’s how it really works: Tap into your five senses. The body has a rhythm, a pattern and a prewired way of working. Consider honoring and paying attention to these instincts as you encourage your body to get on board and go. Touch: Put Your Feet on Cold Tile The sensation of …
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How to Enjoy Your Morning
Some mornings there’s nothing more horrifying than an alarm blaring in your ear. You’ve dreaded it since your head hit the pillow: That onus to stagger into sneakers and punish yourself until the time’s up, because then you can relax and know that you’re sticking to the Schedule. You hate that alarm, but that’s the cost of being better, right? Right? We live in a workout culture defined by the need for “cleansing,” where in order to feel good about your body you first have to rid it of all its accumulated gunk. The punishment of strict diet and painful, efficient exercise is part of this purge. It’s tough not to want to get it over with as soon as possible, with your reward being to …
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The Beginner’s Guide to Strength Training
Just about everyone would love to be able to run faster, jump higher and hit harder. With that said, most of us would also like to be able to climb a flight of stairs without getting winded, haul groceries without becoming fatigued and complete other daily activities with ease. Whether you’re looking to jump into the ring, sign up for a 5K or simply live a healthier life, strength training plays a big role in improving your ability to complete every one those things. The challenge is figuring out how to approach strength workouts, and finding the motivation to do so. To get you started, we’ve rounded up some of the proven benefits of strength training, along with methods on how to to implement such a program. …
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5 Protein-Packed Breakfasts Under 500 Calories
You eat breakfast, make sure to balance your meals and snack sensibly, but you are still hit with mid-afternoon munchies or late night cravings. What gives? The key to keeping your appetite in check throughout the day may very well start at breakfast—but it might not just be whether you eat breakfast or not, but instead how much protein you eat. A recent study found that eating a higher protein breakfast (with around 30-35 grams of protein) reduced post-meal cravings more than just eating breakfast alone. (Plus: Eating protein at each meal throughout the day is the best way to reap its lean muscle-building benefits.) Check out these five high-protein breakfast ideas to get you started. 1. Breakfast Bento Box Place one large hard-…
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9 Low-Carb Breakfast Egg Muffins Under 300 Calories
Reinvent your morning routine with a genius kitchen hack: the muffin pan. This plus a couple of eggs and tasty ingredients are all you need for easy breakfast egg muffins. And, get this: You can freeze these pre-portioned bites, so all you have to do is thaw, and pop in the microwave to reheat. Try out these low-carb recipes at 300 calories and 15 grams carbohydrates or less per serving. 9 Low-Carb Breakfast Egg Muffins Under 300 Calories 1. Spaghetti Squash Egg Cups | MyFitnessPal’s Original Recipe Spaghetti squash is a yummy way to fit veggies in for breakfast. Green onion gives these egg cups their flavor, but you can personalize this dish with your favorite spices instead. Serve with a side of sauteed spinach to increase the fiber, …
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How to Break Free of Emotional Overeating
Sometimes we turn to food not because we are physically hungry, but because something is “eating us” emotionally. Many of us were taught that food can “soothe a mood,” and that by eating something when we’re upset, we will find comfort. Can you remember being a child when you fell down and scraped your knee and your mom gave you a cookie to make you feel better? Even into adulthood, we continue to use food to soothe our moods, only now with negative consequences: We realize that we still haven’t dealt with what was bothering us in the first place after we’ve consumed an entire tub of ice cream, plus we’ve eaten way more calories than our body needs. And we usually end up getting mad …
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Quinoa Chicken Salad
Packed full of nutritious ingredients, this quinoa chicken salad by Food Fanatic makes a quick and easy side or main dish that can be served hot or cold. Protein-packed quinoa and chicken contribute to a whopping 27 grams of protein in a single serving! Cut down on prep time by using leftover chicken or store-bought rotisserie chicken. Print Quinoa Chicken Salad Ingredients 2 cups cooked quinoa (certified gluten-free if necessary) 1 (15-ounce) can black beans, drained and rinsed (certified gluten-free if necessary) 1 (15-ounce) can corn, drained and rinsed (certified gluten-free if necessary) 1/2 medium red onion, chopped 1/2 medium red bell pepper, chopped 1 cup cooked chicken, diced 1/4 cup fresh parsley 1/3 cup prepared vinaigrette dressing Directions Place the quinoa in a large bowl, and add the …
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National Volunteer Week Spotlight: Ava Zebrick
Ava Zebrick Today we’re happy to share a volunteer who found inspiration in the advocacy work of the OAC and wanted to turn her passion into purpose by becoming an advocate for change! Ava Zebrick is an OAC member who has been involved with the organization since the 3rd Annual Your Weight Matters National Convention in Orlando, Fla. She found out about the OAC from a visitor to her support group, and later become more involved with the organization herself as an advocate for obesity awareness. Ms. Zebrick also returned to her alma mater, the University of New Orleans, to pursue a master’s degree in healthcare management, and is serving on the project management committee for a study on obesity at Pennington Biomedical Research Center. She also…
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Message in a Bottle: Beware of Post-Operative Alcohol Use
Alcohol use disorders are a common and especially dangerous form of transfer addiction following gastric bypass surgery. In a web-based survey of more-than 300 bariatric surgery patients, it was found that 83 percent of patients who responded consumed alcohol either occasionally or regularly, and 28 percent of these individuals said they felt they had a problem controlling their intake. Roughly 8 percent of bariatric patients will experience transfer addiction that is serious enough to require inpatient treatment for alcohol abuse, and treatment centers are seeing a rise in patients who have had bariatric surgery. It should be noted that more than half of people who develop serious alcohol use problems following bariatric surgery did not have issues with alcohol use prior to surgery. Therefore, it is ill advised for …