Sugar - The not so sweet facts -

How many of you would be able to estimate how many grams of sugar you consume a day or even regularly check the foods you by for sugar content? Many of us will scan the isles for products that are low in fat without considering how much sugar may be added to make the low fat option more palatable (yoghurts and breakfast cereals are bars are notorious for this). As fighters we constantly need to make sure we are making smart food choices, not only to maintain lean physiques but also to improve performance and recovery and prevent illness.

What you need to know about sugar

Sugar can go by a number of different names depending on its chemical structure. Carbohydrates are made up of sugars and starches. Simple carbohydrates contain molecules that are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream and provide a speedy source of energy. These include fructose, glucose and galactose known as monosaccharides and disaccharides lactose, sucrose and maltose. Disaccharides require a little bit more energy to be broken down into their single components. Most foods will have intrinsic sugars such as fruit and milk however there are many processed foods that come with an abundance of added sugars usually in the form of sucrose and fructose sometimes in the form of high fructose corn syrup.

The current guidelines for daily sugar intake based on a daily intake of 2000kcal are set at 90g. They go on to recommend that non-milk extrinsic sugars should be no more than 11% of total daily calories, and that intrinsic, milk sugars and starch should be 39%. What makes it tricky to quantify is current nutritional information labels do not distinguish between intrinsic sugars and added sugars. It is a good idea to read up and be more aware of what foods contain high amounts of added sugar and avoid these where ever possible.

As a rough guide:
1,600 calories - Limit sugar to 6 teaspoons per day or 22 grams per day

2,200 calories - Limit sugar to 12 teaspoons per day or 44 grams per day

2,800 calories - Limit sugar to 18 teaspoons per day or 66 grams per day

Foods that contribute to increased sugar consumption
1. Regular soft drinks (33%)
2. Sugars and candy (16%)
3. Cakes, cookies and pies (13%)
4. Fruit ‘drinks’ (not 100% juice) such as fruit punch (10%)
5. Dairy desserts/milk products

The role of sugars in an athlete's diet

Carbohydrates are an essential part of an athlete's diet and when consumed at the appropriate times can be beneficial for performance and recovery. It would be unwise to try and remove sugar completely from the diet. Carbohydrates provide a large proportion of the energy needed for training and heavy training sessions that deplete the muscles of glycogen need to be replaced in order to promote recovery and maintain muscle mass.

Understanding the glycemic load and glycemic index of foods and paying attention to when you eat certain foods is important for athletic performance and maintaining a desirable body composition.

GI:Measures the impact that a food has on blood glucose levels. Glucose is considered to have a glycemic index of 100

GL: is a ranking system for carbohydrate content in food portions based on their glycemic index (GI) and the portion size. Glycemic load or GL combines both the quality and quantity of carbohydrate in one ‘number’

During the day athletes should consume Low GI carbohydrates that deliver their energy slowly and keep blood sugar levels stable. This is thought to help with energy levels and appetite control. During training sessions that are high intensity or long duration some fast acting or simple carbohydrates (containing more sugar) will help to deliver glucose to the working muscles. Post training simple carbohydrates combined with protein will create a spike in insulin that helps to drive glucose and amino acids back into the muscle and prevent the breakdown of lean muscle mass.

Health Problems and Concerns that may be linked to an over consumption of sugar

As an athlete it pays to understand the science behind the food choices you make as much as possible. Just because you lead an active lifestyle doesn’t mean you can compensate and eat foods high in sugars or fats. You may burn off the calories but these foods have adverse physiological effects on your body

The problem with processed foods that are high in added sugars is that they have little nutritional value and often a high amount of calories which can contribute to weight gain and may cause micronutrient dilution. In order to metabolize foods with little nutritional value the body is forced to use vitamin and mineral stores. This is why an abundance of processed foods add vitamins and minerals to fortify and reduce the effect of this process. An overconsumption of sugar is linked to a weakening of the immune system and the development of a number of health problems and chronic diseases including obesity, metabolic syndrome and diabetes.

Conclusion

So to stay fit and healthy and avoid developing colds and other illnesses that can be detrimental to training cut right back on the added sugars found in processed snacks, and consume simple carbohydrates intelligently to increase performance and recovery.

Slow and Steady Weight loss for BJJ

When designing the optimum nutritional plan for BJJ it is first important to consider the energetics and physiological demands of the sport.
I will begin by analysing the energy demands of a typical training session. Based on this I will give information on how to calculate your daily calorie, protein carbohydrate, and fat requirements. I will then briefly talk about pre and post training nutrition needs and how these differ for maintaining weight and cutting weight. Finally I will talk about the dangers of losing weight using crash diets or dehydration methods.

The Energetics of training sessions
A typical training session can be anywhere between 1-2 hours long and in most cases will involve a warm up which includes a mix of running, breakfalls, and other acrobatic and gymnastic type movements to warm up all muscles of the body and prevent the risk of injury during sparing/rolling/grappling part of the class.
15-30 minutes of this type of activity when performed at an intensity of 70-80% of heart rate maximum is likely to burn around 100-300kcal depending on size and how hard you or your coach is on warm ups.
This is usually followed by static and dynamic stretching and drilling certain techniques or movements and usually lasts 30minutes to 45 minutes often preformed at a lower intensity of 50-60% heart rate max. Again maybe 150-250 calories are burnt depending on what is being drilled.

The most demanding part of training usually occurs while rolling. It is normal to begin sparing from the knees against an opponent for an average of 5-7 minutes, this can go on for 30 minutes to an hour in an intermittent or continuous pattern depending on how fit you are/mat space.
The intensity while rolling can vary depending on sparing partners and is hard to measure with a heart rate monitor, however while browsing through studies of other martial arts including wrestling and judo it would appear that this type of high intensity activity could burn anywhere between 400-800kcal and hour.
http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/calories_burned.asp?exercise=212
Gives an average estimate based on weight bare in mind this is probably the calories burnt when sparing only.

Simply put, the demands of training BJJ are pretty high! My estimate is that after a good 15-30 minute warm up, 30 minutes of drilling and 30 minutes of rolling the energy expenditure during a typical session could would be between 600-1000kcal for someone my size possibly more for heavier guys! This type of work out requires muscle glycogen stores to be full at the beggining to avoid the onset of fatigue during training, and immediate replenishment after, espacially for those of you who are training everyday or more frequently.

Nutrition for general training
It is essential when training and competing to think of the food you eat as fuel, in order to perform to the best of your abilities your body needs to be hydrated and your muscles need a good supply of energy provided by carbohydrates. The recommendations I make are based on common principles of sports nutrition that will provide you with enough energy to have good training sessions and aid you in your recovery between the next sessions.
First step Calculate basal metabolic rate BMR

Women weight in kg x 22
Men weight in kg x 24

This figure is then multiplied by your daily physical activity level
Mostly inactive or sedentary 1.2
Fairly active (walking and exercise 1-2 times a week) 1.3
Moderately active (exercise 2-3 times weekly) 1.4
Active (exercise hard more than 3 times weekly) 1.5
Very active (exercise hard daily) 1.7

Pre and Post training Nutrition
The timing and combinations of food we eat can have an impact on how we feel in training. If possible eat a good meal containing protein, carbohydrates (2.5g per kg body weight) and healthy fat 3 hours before training. You can also eat small carbohydtate snacks such as fruit and cereal bars 1-2 hours before training begins. After training there is a 2 hour period where depleated glycogen is replenished more rapidly so if possible you should manage to eat in this time. Aim for something with around 60-80g of carbs (more carbs the bigger you are) and 20-30g protein, as this is the best ratio to facilitate recovery. Many people shun carbs after training or late at night but for purposes of a speedy recovery make sure you manage to eat at least 0.8-1g per kg of body weight after an intense training session.

So what does all the training eventually prepare us for? In competition fights can last 5-10 minutes and to get to the finals you may have to fight as many as 10 matches in popular categories so you have short intense burts of activity separated with short breaks, highly taxing on the anaerobic and aerobic systems. Not something you would want to enter feeling any less than 100% energised. Sadly many people rely on crash diets and dehydration to cut weight leaving them feeling weak on the day of competition.

Reducing weight safely

There are many studies detailing the use of extreme methods for losing weight used by martial arts athletes and I’m sure we’ve all made the mistake of trying to lose too much weight a week before competing.
Rapid weight loss and dehydration are know to adversely affect performance and can cause the following:

• Reduction in muscle strength and anaerobic power capacity
• Increased resting and sub-maximal heart rate
• Decreased cardiac stroke volume resulting in decreased ability to sustain work at a constant rate
• Lower oxygen consumption
• Impaired thermoregulatory processes
• Lower plasma and blood volume
• Depletion of muscle and possibly liver glycogen
• Difficulty of glucose homeostasis
• Altered hormonal status
• Reduced immune function

For those of you who have expericance these kind of sympotoms in competitions it is a sign that your body is not getting all the nutrients it requires.
Weight loss by achieving a negative energy balance is only one part of the equation. The foods we eat and the proportions in which we eat them are of equal importance and determine if weight loss is a result of losing fat mass, fat free mass or water via dehydration. Ideally when cutting weight we want to lose fat mass while retaining muscle as this results in better performance in weight class sports. To do this weight loss should be gradual and diet should be healthy and balanced.

Reducing calorie intake by 15% is enough to promote healthy weight loss

You can play around with percentages till you find something that works well for you but remember to eat enough carbohydrates to give you energy and aid recovery Usually 5-7g and enough protein to encourage maintenance of muscle mass 1-1.6g and aim to eat low fat products when ever possible whislt still including healthy essential fats.


SUMMARY

BJJ is a physically demanding sport, it is important when training regularly to consume enough calories and eat a diet that is healthy and balenced.
Consider what times you go to training and ensure you eat a good meal 3 hours before giving you enough time to digest.
Post training recovery is facilitiated by comsuming a combination of carbohydrates and protein in a 2:1 or 3:1 ratio with 0.8-1g of carbohydrate per kg body weight.
Set realistic and safe weight cutting goals (for most people this is around 0.5kg a week)
This can be achieved by reducing your daily calorie intake by 10-20% and moderatley reducing carbohydrate and fat intake
Do not leave it all to the last week or rely solely on methods of dehydration!


Further reading on nutrtion
(this post was based on elements of sports nutrition that are supported by most mainstream research, I personally think we don't need to eat quite so much protein or use an abundance of supliments to excell in bjj)

Jiujitsu Brotherhood: Talks about the importance of eating natuaral foods and not so much animal protein

Lloyd Irvin BJJ stesses the benefits of fruit and vegetables and setting goals for nutrition

BJJ Heroes 8 nutritional rules for BJJ

The importance of a good diet when returning to training after a break

To address this I first need to talk a little more about exercise physiology so bare with me through the sciency parts.

VO2 max, Energy pathways and Metabolism
After a long break away from training returning to class for the first time can kick your ass big time.
Physiologically speaking long periods of being less active mean the metabolism slows down and muscles become less efficient, including the muscles of the heart. This can reduce the stroke volume of the heart (volume of blood pumped with each beat of the heart)
As the hearts efficiency at providing oxygen to the working muscles is reduced so is the bodies ability to utilise fat as a fuel (As this requires a high volume of oxygen to oxidise completely).
When training at such an intense level the body has to start using carbohydrates as a fuel using up blood sugar and then all the stored muscle glycogen too.
For most people heart rate is a good way to guess what energy system is being favoured as studies have shown that heart rates of over 65-85% of estimated HRmax usually elicit a respiratory exchange ratio that suggests that energy is being derived purely by the oxidation of carbohydrate. This is where the concept behing "fat burning zones" and "cardio" heart rate intensity zones have come from.


Knowing your VO2 max can help you if you are going to do additional sessions in the gym in an effort to increase fitness and can provide some interesting information regarding your metabolic function. Increasing metabolism can help to maintain or lose weight which seems to be an eternal battle for some of us.

Diet
It is important to remember that a good nutritional plan is even more important when you start training after a period of inactivity. As failing to get a good intake of carbohydrate post training can mean recovery is slow.
Often people will not eat a good meal after training (this can be due to appetite suppression that can occur up to 1h post exercise and training finishing late at night) and if you are trying to lose weight this can be ok as long as you are getting a good intake of carbohydrate through out the day, and don't have another training session in the next 24h.

Certain foods can actually slightly increase your metabolism and include spicy foods like chilli, and green teas. 60% of the calories you burn each day are a result of your basal metabolic rate which is the calories required to maintain normal body function. On top of that you will require differing amount of calories to provide the energy for daily tasks and exercise. You can use rmr or bmr calculators online to get an estimate of this value. It is important that you are sensitive to your body's needs as the equations used by these calculators assume that metabolism is the same for everyone of a certain age.

Exercise
If you have been out of training and want to improve your fitness quickly the best thing to do is 15-30 minutes high intensity interval training daily and some light or body weight exercises and stretches to help reduce risk of injury. HIIT has been shown to improve VO2 max in as little as 2 weeks and also maybe more effective at fat burning particularly around the abdomen. To make it more bjj specific mix cardio and weights together and do 5-7 minute intervals with a 1-5 minute rest in between to mimic sparing.
Here are a couple videos for some exercise ideas both videos are a bit random but the exercises seemed well balanced and specific to bjj

Final Words
So if your coming back to training after time off here are some recommendations.

1) Make sure you eat well increased carbohydrate/calorie intake after training might be necessary at first to replenish depleted muscle glycogen stores until fitness picks up and the body becomes more efficient. Make sure you are drinking plenty of water
2) Do regular stretching and solo drills
3) Do some interval training using a mix of cardio and weights
4) Don't push your self too hard in sparing get back into things slowly avoid sparing with overly competitive people or anyone who's likely to take advantage of your less than peak physical condition (sounds bad but it happens)
5) Tape fingers (this might just be me playing too much guard but protect any areas you know are prone to injury)
6) Drill all the basics particularly escapes to get your mind focused again

Cooking with Miguel Torres

Miguel Torres love to cook, not one for the veggies I'm afraid :)

Peeling an egg super quick

Making his families recipe of caldo de res.

Tacoooos

Smart Supplements

There are a wide amount of supplements available that are specifically aimed and marketed towards fighters. It is tempting to buy the latest super supplements on the market as they tend to promise things that we are all trying to achieve in a bid to improve our performance. Here are some things you should consider before splashing the cash on various different supplements

1: Do you have a good understanding of the nutrients you are getting from your regular diet? This is important as you may already be meeting your dietary needs and supplements could be counterproductive. You should consider how many calories are you consuming a day and take time to work out the recommended intake of protein carbs and fats based on your current weight and physical activity levels. If any areas of your diet are lacking try to fix them through healthy eating before resorting to supplements.

2: Consider your current lifestyle and training regime: How many hours a week are you training, what kind of intensity would you rate training on a scale of 1-10? Are your workouts mainly cardiovascular, strength based or a mix of both? Remember supplements aren’t magical and they are named as such as they should supplement the work you are putting in at the gym to help you get the results you want. The supplements I use are quick sources of carbohydrates like Phd flapjack bars between training sessions and a recovery drink containing carbohydrates and protein after. The most important factor for me is recovery, energy for training and consuming enough calories. Make sure the supplements you are taking are useful and providing some benefit and not just done out of habit.

3: Monitor your progress and reaction to different supplements: If you have decided to start taking a new supplement actively pay attention to make sure it's doing what it promised. If you are taking a slimming of weight loss aid that means taking body composition measurements, noting changes in appetite, looking for physical signs of fat loss, I.E more defined abs.

4: Always read the label: Make sure you don't just start popping pills without an understanding of what you are introducing to your body. Even if recommended by a coach or training partner some supplements may have dangerous side effects or contain illegal ingredients. Be smart and do a bit of research on products before you start taking anything.

Some useful supplements for grapplers

Pre and post workout nutrition
If you have a heavy training regime 8-10h+ a week then be sure to get 1.4-2g of protein per kg of body weight, protein shakes can be convenient and economical way to ensure you are getting enough protein to support fat free mass (muscle mass).

Protein powder
If you are not cutting weight I would suggest BSN syntha 6 protein as it contains a good amount of protein carbohydrates and fiber. If you are trying to lose or maintain a lean physique then PHd diet whey is a good option, it also contains green tea and caffeine.

Recovery
Supplements that assist with recovery are of key importance, the energetics of grappling mean that carbohydrate sources will be low or depleted after a hard session. Phd recovery or any drink with a ratio of 2.1 carbs to protein is the best way to ensure effective recovery. Carbohydrates are very important post training as they stimulate the release of insulin which helps to deliver amino acids and carbohydrates to the muscles.

Bars and liquids are useful for on the go and can help to ensure you have enough energy between training sessions, I typically start training at 7 and don't finish till 10 so failure to get some quick energy in before and during training is really important.

Final word

Remember have your wits about you, anything that relies heavily on marketing ploys to make sales is doing so for a reason, be smart and don't be seduced into splurging out on supplements that make over the top claims. Read up on your supplements

The Paleo Diet; does it offer optimal nutrition for grappler's?

Lots of people have been talking about the Paleo diet, also sometimes referred to as the caveman diet.

What is it?
To put it simply a Paleo diet involves eating:
Fruit
vegetables
Meat
Fish
Nuts and seeds
Eggs

And avoiding the following:
Grains
Dairy products
Beans/legumes
Starchy carbs (potatoes are a big no no)
Trans fats
Alcohol

I think the allure of this diet for most people is that it combines scientific evidence with a thought provoking amount of detail about the evolution of the human species. But all that aside are they really telling you anything you don't know in terms of nutrition?

Most of us know that eating unprocessed foods and cutting down on sugars and unhealthy fats will benefit our health and that high glycemic index carbohydrates are thought to be responsible for weight gain and low energy levels. Does avoiding the foods on the second list provide any benefits outside the ones typically known and understood by us?

Research
Loren Cordain, PhD and Joe Friel, MS state in this article “A QUICK GUIDE TO THE PALEO DIET FOR ATHLETES” the main benefits of eating a paleo diet are as follows

1) Increases intake of branched chain amino acids (BCAA). Benefits muscle
development and anabolic function. Also counteracts immuno-suppression common
in endurance athletes following extensive exercise.

2)Decreases omega-6: omega-3 ratio. Reduces tissue inflammations common to
athletes while promoting healing. This may include asthmatic conditions common in
athletes. ( This was a big problem for me when I was training 10+ hours a week my joints in my hands always ached and I never completly felt recovered now I'm back in the cold my asthma has been bad)

3)Lowers body acidity. Reduces the catabolic effect of acidosis on bone and muscle
while stimulating muscle protein synthesis. This is increasingly important with
ageing.

4)Is high in trace nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for optimal health
and long term recovery from exercise. The most nutrient dense foods are
vegetables and seafood. On average, vegetables have nearly twice the nutrient
density of grains.

At first glance it would appear to be a low carbohydrate diet but the reason behind avoiding all these foods is the concept that our body’s have not had enough time to adapt to digesting them as well as the foods on the first list.

You can read more about this theory else where I wont go into too much detail but some of these foods (particularly grains) are thought to contain anti nutrients that are detrimental to our health and this is why such foods are avoided when ever possible.
www.thepaleodiet.com
www.trainingbible.com

Implications for grapplers
After a large amount of reading I have come to the conclusion that a strict Paleo diet is not something that would be recommended to athletes by many sports nutritionists as the traditional approach to diet for athletes relies heavily on a higher than average calorie intake particularly from carbohydrates and protein relative to an athletes body weight.

This provides enough energy for hard training sessions and helps to speed up recovery after and between sessions. The whole idea of behind eating Paleo is to attempt to reduce the occurrence of 21st century diseases like diabetes and heart disease not to deliver the optimum nutritional requirements for athletes, who it can be said may be fit but not necessarily at optimal health and often suffer from symptoms of over-training and related injuries.

Our ancestors would probably have avoided activities that depleted stores of muscle glycogen as this would be hard to recover without the readily available sources of carbohydrate we have today.
In terms of exercise it is thought that short interval bursts of activity and weights are recommended to provide the best health benefits and encourage the body to use fats as a ready source of energy as opposed to carbohydrates.

Clearly the Paleo diet has to be adapted for grapplers as it is acknowledged that most modern day training occurs at a higher intensity, frequency and volume than our bodies are evolutionary adapted for and a strict paleo diet would not give the body what it needs to recover quickly between training sessions.

I talked about the energy requirements of training bjj and other grappling sports before. It is a physically demanding sport and long training sessions can seriously deplete muscle glycogen stores. The body needs carbohydrates before and after for optimal performance this fact is acknowledged by Cordain and Friel who recommend sticking to typical sports nutrition principles to aid performance and recovery in very physically demanding sports and returning to Paleo eating the rest of the time.
This sounds Like a good deal to me. My main concern was that this diet is easy to get wrong especially for athletes who have very different nutrient requirements that the general population.

The main points
Avoid overly processed foods, where ever possible eat foods in their most natural state
Reduce intake of grains, beans and legumes when ever possible.
Ensure you follow principles of sports nutrition when training for long durations or at high intensities
Eat plenty of omega 3 and avoid trans fats

I don't think it is a lifestyle change I could make forever and I would need to see much more long term research carried out on the effects of this diet on athletic performance and physiological outcomes, but it may be well suited as a way of cutting weight and cleaning up poor dietary habits and giving the body a detox from all the modern day additives and nasties by getting back to a simpler way of eating.

A couple of less scientific but still interesting takes on this type of diet
Caveman diet
A fighters Diet
Cavewoman runner

Grappling Super foods

The key points for a diet that will help support your training

At least 5 servings of fruit and vegetables a day: Fruit and vegetables are packed with vitamins minerals and antioxidants that help to keep the body healthy, they also help to keep us hydrated and contain lots of fibre that will help with digestion and absorption of foods.
If you find this hard to do here is an example of getting your 5 a day. Have a fruit with breakfast and then as a snack throughout the day. Have a serving of vegetables with lunch and then 2 with dinner.

Healthy fats: We should all aim to increase our intake of omega 3 an essential fatty acid that allows fat soluble vitamins to be absorbed better and also helps to reduce inflammation and improve health. Studies have also shown that they can support and optimise weight loss efforts.

Protein: Try to ensure you get a supply of protein before and after training aim for smaller portions more frequently throughout the day so your body has a constant supply of amino acids. Remember to drink plenty of water if you are taking in increased amounts of protein at least 2-3 litres per day!

Wholegrain Carbohydrates: Carbohydrates should make up a large part of your diet as they are the bodies main source of energy. Aim to have wholegrain which means they are as close to their natural state as possible and include extra vitamins, minerals and fibre. Wholegrain carbohydrates are a good way to keep energy and blood sugar levels stable and support weight loss more than processed carbohydrates such as white rice and pasta.

Super fruits

Grapefruit

This fruit contains 50% of your daily recommended intake of vitamin C
As Vitamin C can regenerate other antioxidants and act as an antioxidant itself the need for vitamin C is likely increased in those who exercise regularly. An intake of 100 to 500 mg should be the aim.
It also contains lycopene which plays an important role in reducing free radical damage.
Free radicals are substances in the body that can cause a number of problems such as increasing the inflammation that occurs in osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis and cause most of the joint damage that occurs in these conditions.
Have a large glass after training or dilute with water and drink through training as it is particularly thirst quenching.

Watermelon
High in B vitamins B6 and B1, potassium and magnesium which are essential for energy production. Magnesium will help to reduce muscle tension, muscle soreness, muscle spasms, muscle cramps, and muscle fatigue as it it prevents too much calcium rushing into cells that can excite the nerves.
Watermelon slices are a great refreshing snack after a hard training session.

Cherries
Certain types contain anthocyanins which are used by the body to produce essential amino acids, they also act as pain killers as they inhibit the production of COX-2 enzymes which produce inflammation.
The melatonin in cherries will help you get a good nights sleep after training and good quality sleep is an essential part of recovery. Add them to your cereal or mix with yoghurt, if you want an easier option concentrated juice forms such as cherry active are avaible.

Best of the Veg

Spinach
Packed with dozens of cartenoids and flavenoids this is one of the best vegetables to add to your diet, add it to sandwiches in place of lettuce, have it lightly steamed with your dinner, add handfuls to soups and pasta dishes. The vitamin K in spinach will help to keep bones strong.

Carrots
Are a great source of vitamin A which is important for maintaining a healthy respiratory system particularly in smokers. They are also easy way to increase your daily intake of vegetables as they are easy to prepare and make a good snack try them chopped with humus or blended as a juice.

Sweet potato
A healthier alternative to potato as it does not cause blood sugar levels to fluctuate (lower glycemic index and load) Its also in my opinion full of much more flavour than potato and contains much more nutrients. Try it mashed with carrots or oven baked.

Healthy fats

Walnuts
These are packed full of omega 3 which again help to fight inflammation research also suggests that 1-3 ounces despite being high in calories and fat helps to maintain a healthy weight. Like cherries they also contain melatonin.

Avocado
Mega charged with health benefits despite being high in fat the addition of avocado to your meal helps the body to absorb a host of vitamins and minerals such as cartenoid antioxidants that are fat soluble. The addition of avocado to high carb foods can lower their glycemic index/load due to high fibre and fat content. They are also quite high in calories and so can help if you are aiming to bulk up.

Protein Power

Oily fish
It is important to include oily fish in your diet, you should aim for 2-3 servings a week to boost your intake of omega 3.

Beef
Red meat gets a mad rap as it contains saturated fats which have been linked to raised cholesterol levels. Despite this it is still an excellent source of protein, vitamin B12 and B6 which are very important is converting homocystein (an amino acid l linked to heart disease and stroke) into cysteine as recent research suggests that intense, long duration exercise raises plasma homocysteine levels it is important to get plenty of B vitamins in your diet.
It is also a good source of selenium and zinc. Aim for 2-4 servings a week, try to grill meat lightly and avoid burning the hell out of it as burnt meat is full of damage causing free radicals.

Quinoa
A vegetarian source of complete protein meaning it contains all 9 essential amino acids. It is particularly high in lysine which is important for tissue growth and repair. It also counts as a serving of wholegrain and contains fibre making it a great quick and easy meal after training. Without the saturated fats found in most complete sources of protein it is a great idea for any one trying to cut weight.

Wholegrain Goodness

Brown rice
Wholegrain rice is a great option as a carbohydrate source, it releases its energy slowly and is very filling. Full of manganese which helps produce energy from protein and carbohydrates and is involved in the synthesis of fatty acids. It is also rich in selenium and and magnesium that

Wholegrain bagel
Bagels are higher in calories and carbohydrate content than most bread products so they are great at providing energy for training as an alternative to bread for making sandwiches.

Conclusion

So there you have it hopfully given you some food for thought! Remember if your going to put your body through all kinds of hell in training reward it by eating yummy healthy foods! Try a months break from all the crazy suppliments and spend a bit extra on things like fresh fruit and vegetables and quality organic free range meat and see how much better you feel. It takes a bit of time and organising but a good nutritional plan is always worth the effort!