"Is
it okay to run for 30 minutes after weight workout? Or is it
counter-productive?"
Great
question and, like usual, a relatively complicated answer to a relatively
simple question. Here goes-First we need to know what the goal of the
cardio is. If the goal of cardio is conditioning and "wind",
like in the case of an athlete or someone who is training to be faster,
to last an entire basketball game, to complete a stairclimb or 5K, that is a
different story than someone who is doing cardio to lose weight or lose
fat. The second factor is if that someone is following The PROGRAM Nutrition
Protocol. Let's assume that someone is on The PROGRAM. Cardio for conditioning
and sport needs to be of high intensity (ie: sprinting, boxing, jump rope)
and can be performed just about anytime, including post-workout. If the goal
is weight loss and body fat loss, then the cardio should be done in a low
glucose, low insulin state, like first thing in the am before food and
done in a relatively low intensity fashion (ie: incline walk, slow jog).
I've been
getting some cramps at night in my feet and calves. What's that all
about?
Cramping
is usually a combo of dehydration and mineral/vitamin deficiency or imbalance.
So, we need to stay hydrated (hence the importance of the Week 1 Success
Challenge of 2 glasses of H2O first thing) and we need to eat a variety of
foods (especially greens and fruits) to get all of our nutrients and take a
whole-food based multivitamin/multimineral. Remember, fruits are ok as
this is NOT a no carb diet. It is a reduced or restricted carb diet, so many of
your snacks and meals can have a small piece of fruit or berries, etc. Here is
a list of some common vitamin/mineral deficiencies associated with reduced carb
diets and sources to get those vitamins and minerals.
Thiamin
- The best source is pork - a 3.5 ounce serving provides a day's supply of
thiamin. Other excellent low-carb sources are nutritional yeast, tuna, lamb,
and sunflower seeds. Other good sources include asparagus, soy beans and other
legumes, and some nuts. Also, a wide variety of foods contain smaller amounts -
this is true for most nutrients.
Folate
- Basically, "green stuff" - spinach, collards, lettuce, other
greens, broccoli, asparagus, avocado, cabbage, and artichokes.
Vitamin
C - Many non-starchy vegetables and low-sugar fruits have high amounts of
Vitamin C, including broccoli, red Bell peppers, Brussels sprouts,
strawberries, cauliflower, kale and other greens, cantaloupe, and raspberries.
Vitamin
E - Sunflower and other seeds, nuts (especially peanuts and almonds), peppers,
broccoli, olives, pumpkin, and, yes, greens.
Iron
- Organ meats (e.g. liver), wild fish, clams, beef, spinach, soy beans, pumpkin
seeds, and chard.
Magnesium
- Fish, spinach (and other greens - I'm not kidding when I say greens are
nutritional powerhouses), flax seeds, sunflower seeds, almonds, other nuts and
seeds, soybeans and other legumes, squashes and their seeds (including pumpkin)
and (yippee!) chocolate.
Moral
of the story: Eat a variety of foods; load up on greens, fish, and broccoli;
include nuts and seeds.
What
about these "Quest" protein/meal replacement bars? Are they good? Can
I eat them on The PROGRAM?
Great
question. First off, based off of the label, these look pretty good, as
good as a processed food bar can look. Good ingredients, with the exception of
Isomalto-Oligosaccharides (Prebiotic Fiber). Why do I say that is the
exception? Because I don't know what the hell that is or how to pronounce it. A
good rule of thumb is that if you don't recognize the name or can't pronounce
it, probably not a good thing to put in your body. So, assuming that is not
going to kill us, I'd put the Quest bar as an "ok", but not
recommended. Good to keep in your bag or at your desk in a "once in a
while" situation, but nothing to eat regularly. The best way to eat is to
think this way- The goal is to eat nothing processed. That means, if it is
available in nature, 1000 years ago, eat it. If not, don't eat it. I don't
think we could find a Quest bar in the woods. Now remember, before you think
I'm a big downer, my goal for all of you is for you to be f*cking awesome and
incredible, not ok. So, if you want to be f*cking awesome and incredible, don't
eat that crap. Eat real food. If you are ok with being ok, then that's a
different story but I know I want to create the best "you" possible.
Now go get after it and have an incredibly awesome day.
