Vegetarians and vegans don't need supplements
and protein shakes to rage through a power work-out. Just eat these maximising
foods, macrobiotic guru Shonali Sabherwal says
About seven months ago, Shonali Sabherwal, a
macrobiotic health nutritionist, shifted from the mild yoga, pilates and
swimming to a strenuous Crossfit regime. Being vegan and a careful eater,
Sabherwal wondered if her diet would power her through the pullups, push-ups,
sprinting, dumbbells, ketllebells, barbells, rings and burpees that Crossfit
demands.
She got through the workouts with ease,
dismissing the myth that you need a protein rich diet and artificial
supplements for high performance levels.
"Two things I have done for the last eight
years which lay the foundation for coping with this regimen," says
Sabherwal, "One, I focus on nutritionally efficient foods and do not eat
that which makes my body go into 'stress' mode. My diet has consisted of only
what I call 'nutritionally-dense whole foods which focus on cellular
regeneration and giving you abundant vitality."
The foundation
Foods that get assimilated by the body give us more energy, as they require lesser energy for digestion (as opposed to refined, processed foods). Also, the body demands less of nutritionally whole foods as the brain turns off the hunger signal once it recognises a bunch of nutrients.
Foods that get assimilated by the body give us more energy, as they require lesser energy for digestion (as opposed to refined, processed foods). Also, the body demands less of nutritionally whole foods as the brain turns off the hunger signal once it recognises a bunch of nutrients.
Also, everything we eat comes with a nutritional
'stress' component if the body does not utilize it or takes time to digest it.
Nutritional stressors are: coffee, tea (chai with caffeine and tannic acid),
soft drinks, aerated beverages, or alcohol (minimal) and sugary starchy foods
(everything made from refined white flour and yeast), meat, dairy, wheat or
gluten, simple sugars and anything preserved or processed.
The nutritional stressors create an acidic
environment throwing the body's pH balance off. People with high acidosis
fatigue faster and their sleep patterns are affected. So while you may be on a
diet, high-stressor foods will affect post exercise recovery. Here's how to
maximise your energy, while maintaining a vegetarian and dairy-free diet.
Eat Alkaline
A bulk of your diet should comprise whole grain, vegetables (lots of greens), quinoa, amaranth, sprouted seeds, fruits, beans, nuts, some sea weeds and spirulina. Fats can come from avocado, nuts, coconut and sesame oil (cold pressed) and coconut meat (garri). "I increased my intake of vegetables by almost 40 percent and decreased whole grain to 20 percent in the last seven months," says Sabherwal. "Beans and legumes such as quinoa and amaranth formed 25 percent of my diet and fruit formed fruit 10 percent. These help my blood condition to stay more alkaline, and also cause 100 percent assimilation of nutrients, contributing to high performance levels."
A bulk of your diet should comprise whole grain, vegetables (lots of greens), quinoa, amaranth, sprouted seeds, fruits, beans, nuts, some sea weeds and spirulina. Fats can come from avocado, nuts, coconut and sesame oil (cold pressed) and coconut meat (garri). "I increased my intake of vegetables by almost 40 percent and decreased whole grain to 20 percent in the last seven months," says Sabherwal. "Beans and legumes such as quinoa and amaranth formed 25 percent of my diet and fruit formed fruit 10 percent. These help my blood condition to stay more alkaline, and also cause 100 percent assimilation of nutrients, contributing to high performance levels."
Befriend enzymes
Another secret is to keep the enzymes active in all foods, so focus on lighter cooking styles. Over cooking destroys enzymes and also nutrients. Good quality fermentation also supplies an abundant amount of enzymes — quick pressed salads, pickles made in brine, miso paste. The recovery post exercise depends a lot on the body's enzyme levels.
Another secret is to keep the enzymes active in all foods, so focus on lighter cooking styles. Over cooking destroys enzymes and also nutrients. Good quality fermentation also supplies an abundant amount of enzymes — quick pressed salads, pickles made in brine, miso paste. The recovery post exercise depends a lot on the body's enzyme levels.
Consume chlorophyll
Green, leafy vegetables and cereal grasses such as wheat grass support energy levels and provide my body with the extra ability to help oxygenation, which is vital for cellular regeneration. This also increases the body's pH levels.
Green, leafy vegetables and cereal grasses such as wheat grass support energy levels and provide my body with the extra ability to help oxygenation, which is vital for cellular regeneration. This also increases the body's pH levels.
Assimilate protein
Whey and protein isolate powders usually involve chemicals, their net protein is lower and they can be also acidforming. Sprouts, nuts, seeds and legumes [not over-cooked, as this makes them acid-forming], spirulina, wheat grass and leafy greens are plant sources of protein with a high pH.
Whey and protein isolate powders usually involve chemicals, their net protein is lower and they can be also acidforming. Sprouts, nuts, seeds and legumes [not over-cooked, as this makes them acid-forming], spirulina, wheat grass and leafy greens are plant sources of protein with a high pH.
Workout and eating tips
When you've taken care of your diet, focus on meal timings and work out ethics. Pre-workout, eat something that will burn fast, such as like dates. This simple carbohydrate heads straight to your liver to give instant energy. Fruit sugars are good for this. "I have cold-pressed coconut oil as it has medium-chain triglycerides that give instant energy," says Sabherwal. "This is good for intense workouts and the ones that last for shorter span of time." For something that lasts longer and needs sustained energy, protein can come from quinoa, good fats from seeds or nuts, with a dash of dates for simple carbohydrates.
When you've taken care of your diet, focus on meal timings and work out ethics. Pre-workout, eat something that will burn fast, such as like dates. This simple carbohydrate heads straight to your liver to give instant energy. Fruit sugars are good for this. "I have cold-pressed coconut oil as it has medium-chain triglycerides that give instant energy," says Sabherwal. "This is good for intense workouts and the ones that last for shorter span of time." For something that lasts longer and needs sustained energy, protein can come from quinoa, good fats from seeds or nuts, with a dash of dates for simple carbohydrates.
Do not restrict calories in the quest to lose
fat. A post-workout snack should have some good fat, protein and a little
simple carbohydrate. A green smoothie with ½ an apple (fruit sugars), spirulina
(for protein) and some nuts will do. The liquid form helps the blood move
freely to transport the nutrients. After a workout, the blood works to clear
out toxins and lactic acid build-up — we don't want to take the blood away from
this activity to the stomach for digestion, and liquids help do this.
Artificial vitamins
and supplements inhibit recovery. Those who exercise feel that their body
will throw out what it does not need. It's quite the opposite: while water
soluble vitamins and minerals get thrown out, fat soluble minerals go straight
to the fat cells, causing fatigue. When the body is trying to recover from the
workout, you don't want to pressurize it to throw out stuff it will not
utilized from supplements.
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