Who doesn’t love a taste of pumpkin in the fall? Today Jtab training is bringing you one of our favorite seasonal recipes packed with healthy proteins to keep you full and fueled. Check it out:
peri-workout nutrition
Protein, Protein Everywhere!
Protein. There isn’t a day that goes by that I don’t mention the word or talk about how important it is for all health related things. Fat loss, muscle mass gain, bone density, bone strength, general health… protein can be a huge player in all these. I will spare you with all the science about Protein but trust me it’s really important.
Most people reading my blogs are looking for better body composition, am I right? And by “better” I mean more muscle/less fat primarily. Protein not only builds those nice shoulders and glutes that everyone wants, it ALSO keeps you fuller longer. This is a game changer because if you are “full” your mindless snacking will most likely be significantly reduced, cutting calories and lbs.
In the meantime to help you obtain all the protein you “need” for that body you want, enter protein shakes (powders). And although I agree that having a big steak is more “filling” than a protein shake, the steak also comes with lots and lots of fat (albeit mostly good fat but fat nonetheless). I am NOT saying steak is bad, I’m saying it is high calorie so to get all your protein from steaks you would probably take in WAYYY too much fat.
All about Protein Powders:
There are 2 major types of protein powders that we can talk about. Whey (Dairy based) or Vegan plant based, (non-soy). Whether we talk about Whey or Plant Based, I always recommend getting a powder with natural sweeteners and the fewest ingredients possible. Why do I only recommend more natural powders? I feel if you are using it daily or a few times a week don’t you want cleaner nutrition? I sure do. If a food item is a once a month thing then it’s probably less important the quality, but something that I (or in this case you) take on a regular basis, I would hope you are trying to get the best quality you can find. The difference in pricing is not as much as it used to be, yet the difference in quality can be huge.
Most of the choice between the 2 styles is just preference, unless you vegan or dairy tolerant (notice I did NOT say lactose intolerant, I’ll explain). The amino acid profile for vegan protein has come a long way and now rivals that of the original “gold standard”, whey protein. So the difference comes down to taste, allergies, or vegan preferences. It does make sense to switch it up now and then though if you can tolerate both forms. Variety is the spice of life!
Whey Protein:
The Whey proteins I recommend are only Whey Isolate, which means the lactose is removed 99% (strained more hence the higher price). Whey protein powders are generally 25grams of protein per scoop making it a high protein meal/snack. Double that and you’d have to eat lots of steak to match that or about 2 chicken breasts in one sitting (which is pretty hard to do).
My favorite Whey Isolate Protein is About Time. You can pick it up here on my Amazon page.
Vegan Protein:
Vegan protein powder I recommend is usually made from a myriad of plants/rices (brown rice, hemp, quinoa, cranberry, etc). Benefits of these protein powders are of course lactose free, animal free, dairy free and usually free of any allergies. These tend to more “organic” and most vegan proteins are naturally (stevia/monk fruit) sweetened, so you don’t have to look at the ingredients as much. Some, not all, vegan protein powders I recommend act more of a meal replacement because they have a “greens” blend and probiotics in them as well. This isn’t necessary if you are getting enough greens in elsewhere. There are some that are solely protein also and usually are 15-22grams that I have found. Yes, that means a little less protein but most of the time better assimilated or digested (even if you tolerate dairy pretty well).
My favorite Vegan Protein Powder is Sunwarrior and you can get that here.
My favorite Vegan Meal Replacement is Nutiva and you can get that here.
Keep an eye out for my next blog with some of my favorite smoothie recipes utilizing protein powder!
High School Athlete's Nutrition
Here we are 2015. High School athlete are training more and more and pushing harder and harder. That's the good(great) part. Lifting weights to become strong(er) to jump higher, throw harder, run faster, hit harder, hit further... and doing smart strength based conditioning ie:sprints, ropes, kb swings, etc. Awesomeness!
The "other" part of the equation is the recovery and nutritional component. I have seen and chatted with many young athletes and their parents to really see enough of the picture(think a very sad looking puppy face).
Some of my young athletes do not know what a veggie or fruit(who doesn't like fruit??!?!!) are. Enough is enough. This is the harder part for sure. Until now. Jtab Training has partnered with Purium to bring only the best organic nutrition to help fuel recovery and have more "Awesomeness" on the court or in the field. Jtab Training has put together monthly packages that when used as directed will help young athletes achieve more with less soreness, recovery time and potential for injury. Note: although these products are all whole food and organic based, we still need allergy info for athletes beforehand.
PURIUM Athlete Packs
The Varsity Pack $145/month
Best Recovery/Nutritional Support - High Level
1) Super Amino23- Organic Legume(non-soy) Protein Pills for muscle recovery, muscle mass and preventing muscle breakdown during season and during lifting sessions. 30 servings(5 pills/serving)
2) Power Shake(Apple Berry)- Organic Greens Shake combining many organic superfoods give you sustained energy during games/lifting. Added benefit for those that don’t like veggies it will count towards your daily veggie intake. Energy, endurance and strength preworkout/pre-gametime. 15 servings
3) Super Xanthin- Organic Astaxanthin, nature’s highest antioxidant superfood. Will prevent muscle tissue damage, buffer lactic acid accumulation, improve recovery time. This is a game changer! 30 servings
4) LOVE Supermeal- Organic high protein, high nutrient meal replacement to further aid in workout/game recovery. Purium’s L.O.V.E. Super Meal(TM) is composed of 36 pure, premium, natural, whole food ingredients. It contains 12 green foods, 10 vegetables, 9 sprouts, and 5 mushrooms - and only 2 grams of naturally occurring sugar. It can be considered 7 products in 1: Weight Loss Formula + Protein Drink + Fiber Supplement + Essential Fatty Acid Supplement + Super-Antioxidant + Immune Support Supplement + Energy Drink(non-stimulant, from natural energy)! 10 servings/container(20 half servings/container)
The JV Pack $115/month
Best Recovery/Nutritional Support- Medium Level
1) Super Xanthin 30 servings
2) LOVE Supermeal 10 servings(20 half servings)
3) Super Amino23 30 servings(5 pills/serving)
The Freshman Pack $70/month
Best Recovery/Nutritional Support- Basic Level
1) Super Xanthin 30 servings
2) LOVE Supermeal 10 servings(20 half servings)
To Be Added to Any Pack: Apothe Cherry- Purium’s Apothe-CherryTM is made from Montmorency Tart Cherries, which are nature’s most nutritionally dense food. They contain a wide variety of antioxidants and phyto-chemicals, and each serving contains 7,000 ORAC (Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity) units. $25/16 servings(32 half servings)
Simply come visit Jtab Training here in East Greenwich, RI and place your order or ask any questions about components. You can contact me(Joey of Jtab Training LLC) 401-529-5089, via Facebook(Jtab Training LLC) or on this website(www.jtabstrength.com).
Things I've Been Digging Series, Part 1 Anti-Soreness Nutritional Support
Here is the first installment of things I've been "digging" (Yes, I was a H.S. and college volleyball player and H.S. coach back in the day, so theres a little volleyball humor for you). These days my cousin and I have been crushing an intense bodybuilding program called Super Hero Muscle. I would usually be sore each week (lifting 4 times a week can do that to you). About a year ago I was introduced to a great line of organic nutritional components called Purium (PURe and PremIUM). Recently I tweaked my peri (pre and post) workout nutrition to match my recovery needs and have been seeing great results. Here is my exact routine:
Preworkout: 2 scoops Power Shake (organic greens and slow release carbs), 2 Super Xanthin (see below info on Astaxanthin), 4 Super23 Aminos (organic vegan protein amino pills).
Postworkout: 2 Super Xanthins (see below), 4-5 Super23 Aminos and a serving of LOVE Supermeal Protein Meal Replacement Shake.
Ever since, I've been doing this almost to a T every lifting day and have had no muscle soreness and can actually function the next day. Years before finding this organic nutritional support there were days after lifting I wouldn't be able to move well and this does not bode well when trying to show exercises to clients.
Sound like a lot? You could say so. Important to note A) I live for intense lifting (stress relief for me) and setting personal records, and B) My body is a walking billboard of my business. While you may not have the same lifting goals (or needs) that I do, we could all benefit from a little more nutrition and a little less soreness in our lives, can't we?
This doesn't happen to me anymore!
Super Xanthin
Bye-bye, lactic acid. Hello, better body!
- May protect muscle tissue from damage
- May provide some protection for the skin from UVA and UVB damage
- May reduce lactic acid build-up and improve recovery time
- May support eye health
Purium`s Super XanthinTM is made from nature`s most powerful antioxidant, which studies show is 550 times stronger than vitamin E. It helps combat free radical damage to muscles and helps reduce the buildup of lactic acid that causes post-workout soreness. We recommend combining this product with our Super Amino 23 so you can get the most out of your workouts.