The Best Post Workout Food: Gummy Bears?

Sugar has become a topic of many debates for as long as I can remember. Most of them end up coming to the same conclusion: sugar is almost always something that you want to avoid in your diet. A change as simple as removing sugar and calorie dense soda from your day can make a huge impact on your weight loss, mood, and health. Establishing that sugar, in general, is poor for your health is a simple argument to make because there is ample scientific literature to back up those claims. It is also becoming mainstream knowledge so very few people would dare argue in support of sugar. There is another topic that is just as well proven but not nearly as accepted or even known by the public: Some types of gummy bears are a great post workout snack.

Here’s why.

Your muscles store glycogen for energy and consume that glycogen during exercise. When those stores have been depleted, your body will then work to restore them during the recovery process. What is the easiest way to restore glycogen stores? By consuming dextrose, which is essentially the same chemical breakdown. What has dextrose as a main ingredient? You guessed it. Some brands of gummy bears! By consuming dextrose post workout, you are essentially jump starting the recovery process. The greatest part of this process is that, because your body is still using energy, the sugar is used immediately instead of being stored as fat. Talk about a good excuse for a fun snack!

A few considerations for implementation:

• Only some brands of gummy bears use actual dextrose. Make sure to check out the ingredients to be sure that dextrose is the sweetener used and nothing else.

• This is not an excuse to gorge yourself on gummy bears. The portion has to be in moderation, or you risk over-eating and causing the excess to be stored as fat.

• There are many different options to use other than gummy bears. Gummy bears are the most fun, but dextrose can also be found in powdered Gatorade (pre-bottled uses a different sweetener), and some post workout supplements. My favorite is Ignition by 1st Phorm. It is flavorless so it can be mixed with your post workout protein. This is great for two reasons. One, it makes all protein shakes taste better. Trust me. Two, if you take creatine, you can mix it all together and the dextrose will also help your body absorb the creatine more effectively.

Sugar is, for the most part, bad for your health and should be avoided in most scenarios. However, using dextrose as a post workout recovery snack/drink will not only not harm you, but will actually help you recover. So, grab some Ignition or gummy bears and enjoy a post-workout snack/drink within 60 minutes of training and enjoy the benefits of dextrose and a quicker recovery!

Healthy Island Breeze Smoothie

Ingredients

1. 1 cup frozen pineapple

2. 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut milk

3. 1 scoop Level-1 Vanilla Ice Cream Protein

Directions

1. Layer all ingredients in a blender from liquid to solid, then blend until smooth and think

*You can sub any similar protein for the Level-1 and we carry several other options that would work; however, we believe Level-1 is the best for this recipe for both flavor and consistency.

Healthy Berry Refresher

Ingredients:

• 1 cup frozen mixed organic blueberries

• 1 cup frozen wild blueberries

• 1 scoop Mixed Berries Micro-Factor

• 2 cups water

• 1 tsp honey

Directions

1. Add all ingredients in a blender and blend until smooth.

Healthy Homemade Energy Drink

Ingredients:

• 8oz of water or sugar-free lemonade

• 1 scoop of Megawatt (Pink Lemonade)

• Sparkling water

• 1 cup of ice

Directions

1. Mix your Megawatt with your water or sugar-free lemonade.

2. Pour over ice and top with your choice of sparkling water. Add a lemon if you would like.

Healthy Triple Chocolate Shake

Ingredients:

• 1 cup almond milk

• 1 cup ice

• 1 tsp cocoa powder

• 1 tbsp chocolate syrup

• 1 scoop Level-1 Milk Chocolate Protein
  

Directions:

1. Layer all ingredients in a blender from liquid to solid, then blend until smooth and thick.

2. Add whipped cream and/or sprinkles.

*Level-1 Protein is available at The Factory! You can sub other protein powders, but we believe Level-1 is the best to use. Try it, we promise you won’t regret it!

Basic Macro Guide

Coming up with a diet plan can be a daunting task when you are just getting started. The good news is that it isn’t overly complicated once you understand the basics. The hardest part of any diet plan is consistency. We will go over the basics of coming up with a macro plan to give you an idea of where to start.

This article is not written by a registered dietitian and isn’t intended to be used as a meal plan. It is meant to serve as the very basics of where to get started. Every individual is different and will have different needs. We recommend speaking with a dietician and/or medical professional prior to starting a new diet plan.

MACRONUTRIENTS:
There are 3 macronutrients you will need to pay attention to. These are fat, protein, and carbohydrates. Protein and carbohydrates are equal to 4 calories per gram while fat is equal to 9 calories per gram. All this means is that if you eat 100g of protein you would have eaten 400 calories. If you eat 100g of fat you would have eaten 900 calories. This is important to keep in mind because diets that are high in fat also tend to be high calorie which may not be ideal when attempting to lose weight.

1g Protein = 4 Calories
1g Carbs = 4 Calories
1g Fat = 9 Calories

Goal with Diet:

Next, you need to decide what you goal with your diet is. There are three options:

Gain weight for those looking to put on muscle
Lose weight for those looking to lose body fat
Maintain for those who are looking to maintain their current weight.

Each goal will have different dietary requirements. We will do a sample calculation showing how to calculate calories and macros for each goal.

Estimating Daily Calories Needed:

I must reiterate that this is a very basic level of calculation. We have used it successfully with thousands of clients over the years, but it is not always the best for every individual.

A general rule of thumb is to multiply your current bodyweight by 12, 15, or 18 depending on your goal. 12 for losing weight, 15 for maintaining, and 18 for gaining. To illustrate using a 200-pound person for reference:

200lbs x 12 =2400 Calories per day to lose weight
200lbs x 15 = 3000 Calories per day to maintain weight
200lbs x 18 = 3600 Calories per day to gain weight

Calculating Macronutrients:

We typically recommend the following breakdown as a starting point for most of our clients. These calculations will be based on a 200lb person who is looking to lose weight.

Protein = 1g per pound of bodyweight
Fat = .5g per pound of bodyweight
Carbs = Whatever is left

The math would be as follows:

Protein = 1g x 200 = 200g of protein
200g of protein x 4 = 800 Calories. Remember, each gram of protein is equal to 4 calories.

Fat = .5g x 200 = 100g of fat
100g of fat x 9 = 900 Calories. Each gram of fat is equal to 9 calories

Carbohydrates = (Total calories needs - Calories from protein and fat) / 4
Carbs = (2400 - 1700) / 4
*the number 1700 comes from adding the calories from fat and protein calculated above
Carbs = 700 / 4
Carbs = 175 grams.

So, the macronutrient goal of a 200- pound person trying to lose weight would breakdown to:

2400 calories
200g of Protein
175g of Carbs
100g of Fat

• The same calculations can be used for individuals of any size with any goal. High levels of protein are important for gaining and retaining lean muscle mass whether the goal is to gain or lose weight.

• Carbs are typically just enough for energy throughout the day. We recommend trying to time most of your carbs around your workout routine (within 2 hours of your workouts if possible). This will help provide extra energy needed to maximize your workouts.

• The amount of fat may seem like too much to a lot of people, but it is important to remember that fat is not the enemy and is, in fat, an important part of your diet. Fat is needed to regulate hormones in your body so ensuring that you get enough is paramount.

Conclusion:

Hopefully this will give you a good idea of how to start your diet journey in a healthy way. The numbers can be modified easily for any goal and will work for the majority of people. The hardest part of any diet plan is consistency. No matter how well planned it is, it won’t do any good if you are unable to follow it day in and day out. So, pick foods that fit your macros but also pick foods that will allow you to enjoy what you eat every day. Good luck!

*Reminder that this guide is just the basics of diet planning and was not written by a registered dietician. We recommend speaking with a medical professional or dietician before starting a new diet plan as not all people have the same dietary needs.