Here are 5 Simple things we can do each morning to get us going on the right path for the rest of the day. I'll explain each one in more detail below.
1- Drink Water. This is probably the simplest and easiest thing you can do, and has quite a few benefits. Since you probably haven't had any water since before bed, you're definitely due for a glass or two. There's a tonne of claims out there saying that drinking water first thing will do everything from give you nice skin, to burn fat to cure cancer. Since I can't find any sources on these I won't bother claiming them as truth. What I do know is if you are dehydrated, you will feel tired far quicker, you're more likely to have digestion problems and your brain, heart and lungs will have to work harder. Your cardiac output can be reduced by 5- 10% if you're only 3% dehydrated.(source) Most people need about 1 liter of H20 for every 25 Kilos (roughly 50lbs) they weigh. That means a 150lbs person needs roughly 3 liters of water (which can also come from other sources). Get a jump start on that and get it in first thing! 2. Bullet Proof Your Coffee. "What the hell are you talking about?" is what you might be thinking. It's quite simple Bulletproof Coffee: - Take the best coffee you can find (some buy the real deal from The Bulletproof Exec), add organic grass fed butter and MCT oil, blend it and enjoy. I personally use local Organic Coffee (Salt Spring Island Beans) and since I can't find grassfed butter here I use organic Coconut Oil instead. I also put a bit of cinnamon for flavour and organic dark cocoa (helps prevent caffeine leaching iron from you system) into the blender as well. It's delicious, give you a tonne of useful energy (we mostly need fat for Oxidative system) and promotes fat loss, and brain function! And did I mention it's delicious? If you want to learn more about it click the Bulletproof Exec link above 3. Exercise- I know getting out of bed can be tough enough, but a brief exerices session first thing can do wonders for you. In can help your body burn extra calories throughout the day, get your blood pumping (which will help wake up your foggy brain) and if you don't make it to the gym that day, at least you got something in. you don't have to start off with a crazy intense session, either. A quick jog, some burpess, even just doing some push ups to start. Once you make it a habit slowly add a few more reps or rounds. One of my favourite is to do TABATA a couple times a week. It's quick (under 4 minutes) and will kick you butt! TABATA: Now this won't be for everyone, and I can't say everyone should do it, but if you're a healthy adult (as in a doctor says so, not what you think) who has been exercising for awhile already there's no reason why you can't. Except that it's hard and kinda sucks, but in a good way. The protocol is simple. Work as hard as possible for 20 seconds, rest for 10 seconds, and repeat 7 more times. So 8 Rounds of 20W:10R. And by work, I mean full effort, running for your life work, not lazy ass jumping jacks. Personally I think that Burpees are the best exercise to use, since they require no equipment and pretty much use the full body. They also don't require much skill, so when you get tired (and you WILL get tired) you don't need to worry about your form being off and potential injuries. If you can't do Burpees, then omit the push-up. If that is still to hard, then skip the jump and just do Squat Thrusts. For variety, you can incorporate Mountain climbers, Squats, Kettle Bell Swings or any other full body intense exercise. What are some benefits? Well, other than it's only 4 minutes
NOTE: If you are already training hard for more than an hour a day, then the Tabata protocol should be considered with your coach before adding to your workload. 4. Make a Shake- If you're already eating really healthy then this might not be necessary, but for me (and many people I know) this is a great way to increase the amount of quality nutrients you get. I keep mine simple - almond or coconut milk (natural and unsweetened), a bit of fruit (one banana, or half a banana and some berries) a handful of spinach, half an avocado and some Vega protein powder. Sometimes I add some cocoa in as well. I am not vegan or anti dairy, but there is some research out there that shows milk consumption may effect the bodies ability to absorb other nutrients such as flavinoids and phytonutrients from berries and chocolate and anti-oxidants from Spinach. I am not sure what it is in milk that does this exactly, so I just avoid all Dairy (including Whey and Greek yogurt) all together when I am eating my veggies! This is great way to get 2-3 servings of fruit and vegetables, protein, and help with maintaining hydration. 5. FIsh Oil- Fish Oil is the bomb! It helps your body metabolize fat, increases function in the brain and eyes, increase protein synthesis, decrease protein breakdown, enhance immune function, improve insulin sensitivity, improve nutrient delivery to cells and best of all reduces inflammation! Unfortunately most people do not supplement with it, and those who do, are not usually taking enough. On the bottle of Jameson Brand it says to take 3 caps (or 3 grams) a day. The bottle of Kirkland (Costco) I have it says to take 4 a day. This seems about right, except that I don't need 3-4 grams of oil, I need about 2-3 grams of EPA and DHA. Now one capsule of Kirkland only has 90mg of EPA and 110mg of DHA, That means I need take about 20 a day! That's a lot. The Jameson brand is a bit better as it's EPA (the one that helps with inflammation) has 180 mg, but i still need about 12 grams a day to get the 2 grams of EPA. Whichever brand you buy, or type of oil (krill, salmon, anchovies) you take, make sure to check the amount of EPA/DHA and adjust your intake accordingly. Start small, and slowly add a few more grams per day over the course of a few weeks. See if there is any unwanted side effects before going all out and eating 12-16 caps a day. That said, I recently started upping my intake and I have noticed a quite a bit of difference, mainly in how my knotted muscled are less sore and my recovery from training is better (though that is purely anecdotal). I take 4 in the morning, 4 in the afternoon and 4 more before bed.
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AuthorDan Slobodin - Archives
February 2024
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