USING MILK TO REFUEL, REHYDRATE AND REPAIR A GREAT OPTION AFTER WORKING OUT
Sports dietician offers advice on why milk has so many benefits for athletes
Milk and chocolate milk have been getting increased attention as go-to recovery beverages of choice for those who workout, but are they really as great as so many people believe? St. Vincent Sports Performance sports dietician Sigornie Pfefferle says absolutely.
So what makes milk so great? It's all about refueling, rehydrating and repairing:
Refuel
"During a workout, our muscles primarily use carbohydrates, which are stored in our bodies as glycogen, as a fuel source," Pfefferle says. "Well, just like gas for a car, as you work, those fuel stores get burned leaving you on empty at the end of a workout. In order to recover quickly, you have to refuel/refill the tank with carbs, and milk, especially chocolate milk is a great source of carbs."
Rehydrate
"It is essential to replace the fluids and electrolytes, primarily sodium, lost via sweat post-exercise," Pfefferle says. "Milk not only helps replace the fluid lost, but, because it contains about 150mg/cup of sodium, it can help replace some of the electrolytes lost in your sweat, too."
Repair
"Intense, long workouts break down muscle; in order to repair muscle, you need protein," Pfefferle says. "Milk is an excellent source of high quality protein needed to repair and rebuild muscle. In fact, research has shown that consuming protein and carbs, both of which are contained in milk, immediately post workout leads to a six times greater rate of protein synthesis vs. waiting 3 hours to refuel."
Pfefferle says milk not only covers the three R's of recovery, but it's also packed with other vitamins and minerals essential to everyday health, most notable are calcium and vitamin D, both essential to bone health.
"So next time you are looking for a post workout recovery option, go for a tall glass of milk," Pfefferle says.
About St. Vincent Sports Performance
St. Vincent Sports Performance has supported and helped develop world-class athletes since 1987. The first and largest hospital-based program of its kind in the United States, St. Vincent Sports Performance employs over 60 Certified Athletic Trainers, sports medicine physicians, certified strength and conditioning specialists, licensed sports psychologists and registered sports dietitians. Together they have trained athletes at every level from middle school, to Olympians, to the NFL and NBA, to Motorsports and NCAA athletes. Learn more at
definingsportsperformance.com.
Coco Joy - Enjoy the Holidays Without Sacrificing Those Classic Treats
The holiday season tends to be filled with delicious food, family gatherings and endless indulgences. It can be easy to overindulge on tempting sweets, so this season try something new with a fun, healthy twist on the classics by using coconut oil, coconut water and milk water from Coco Joy, first all-natural portfolio of coconut products.
- Coconut Oil: Deemed a superfood, coconut oil is the perfect substitute for butter, margarine or shortening and also (melted) in any recipe that calls for oil. Coconut oil is almost 90% saturated fat, but don’t let this scare you. The saturated fat in coconut oil is called lauric acid, a medium-chain saturated fatty acid that appears to have a more neutral effect on heart health when compared to longer-chain saturated fats found in meats and dairy products.
- Coconut Water: Coconut water provides nutritional values while also being a more satisfying alternative to plain water. Because coconut water is rich in potassium and magnesium, and naturally loaded with electrolytes, it is a great alternative to unhealthy sports drinks as well. Compared to other coconut water brands, Coco Joy is fat and cholesterol-free and has fewer calories, less sodium, no added sugar and no preservatives.
- Coconut Milk: For those with dietary restrictions, coconut milk is a delicious alternative to traditional milk. Coco Joy Coconut Milk contains no dairy, lactose, soy, gluten or casein and is vegan friendly, thus a perfect substitute ingredient in recipes and equally satisfying on its own.
Below is a round-up of delicious holiday treats using Coco Joy Coconut Oil, Coco Joy Coconut Water and Coco Joy Coconut Milk,--
Hot Coco {Joy}
Ingredients:
1 ¼ cup Coco Joy Coconut Milk; Divided
¼ cup Unsweetened Natural Cocoa Powder
¾ cup Coco Joy Coconut Water
3 tbsp. Sugar
½ tsp. Vanilla Extract Pinch of Sea Salt
½ tsp. Coco Joy Coconut Oil
Directions: In a small saucepan, whisk together cocoa powder, coconut sugar, salt, coconut oil and half of the coconut milk until well blended. Whisk in the remaining coconut milk until smooth, then whisk in coconut water until blended. Bring mixture to a simmer over medium low heat, whisking occasionally. Whisk in vanilla. Divide between two mugs. *Add ½ cup of Coconut Rum to spike your hot chocolate!
Santa’s Helper Eggnog
Ingredients:
4 cans Coco Joy Coconut Water
6 eggs yolks
½ cup sugar
2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
8 oz spiced rum
Ice
Cinnamon
Coconut flakes
Directions: Bring coconut water to a simmer in a medium pot over medium high heat. Whisk together egg yolks, sugar and vanilla in a bowl until smooth and pale. Gradually whisk half the hot coconut water into the egg mixture, then pour into pot with remaining coconut water. Cook over medium heat, stirring, until thick and mixture nearly coats the back of a wooden spoon, 2-3 minutes. Pour through a fine strainer into a bowl. Stir in rum and refrigerate at least 3 hours and up to overnight. Pour into a pitcher, serve over ice and garnish with coconut flakes and cinnamon.
Jolly Santa’s Cookies
Ingredients:
¼ cup Coco Joy Coconut Oil
2 Eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup Desiccated Coconut Flakes
2 tbsp. Brown Rice Flour
1 ½ cup Peanut Butter
1 tbsp. Coco Joy Coconut Milk
¼ tsp. Sea Salt
100g Dark Chocolate, cut into chunks
¾ cup Sugar
Directions: Preheat oven to 320 degrees Fahrenheit, and line a baking sheet with baking paper. Combine Coco Joy Coconut Oil and coconut in a small frying pan over medium heat. Cook, stirring often, until coconut is light golden brown. Set aside to cool for at least 10 minutes. In a large bowl, combine peanut butter, white sugar, coconut sugar, eggs, Coco Joy Coconut Milk, brown rice flour, and salt; stir until completely combined. Add coconut mixture, mix well. Drop by tablespoon onto prepared baking sheet. Press a chunk of chocolate onto each cookie. Bake until cookies are golden on the bottom, 10-14 minutes. Let cool on baking sheet for a few minutes before transferring to a rack to cool completely.
Naughty (Almond) and Nice (Apple) Cake
Ingredients:
1 ½ cup Whole Almonds
2 tsp. Almond Extract
¾ cup Sugar
½ cup Coco Joy Coconut Oil
1 tsp. Cinnamon
½ tsp. Sea Salt
½ Red Delicious Apple; thinly sliced
2 tbsp. Brown Rice Flour
½ cup Sliced Almonds
2 tbsp. Corn Flour
2 tbsp. White Sugar
1 tsp. Baking Powder
3 Eggs
Directions: Preheat oven to 356 degrees Fahrenheit. Grease an 8-inch spring form pan with coconut oil and line bottom with greaseproof paper. In a food processor, combine almonds, sugar, and salt. Blitz until almonds are very finely ground, about 30 seconds. Add cinnamon, brown rice flour, corn flour and baking powder; pulse until they are mixed through. Add eggs and almond extract; process until a think batter forms. Pour in coconut oil and process until batter is well combined, about 20 seconds. Scrape batter into prepared pan. Arrange apple slices over the top. Sprinkle evenly with sliced almonds, then with white sugar. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean, 45-50 minutes. Let cool in pan for about 20 minutes before serving. Run a knife around the edge of cake before removing sides.
Snowball Truffles
Ingredients:
¾ cup Raw Unsweetened Cacao Powder
2 cup Raw Almonds
¼ cup Raw Cashews
½ cup Maple Syrup
¼ cup Coco Joy Coconut Water
1 Heaped tbsp. Coco Joy Coconut Oil
Pinch of Salt
Coating Options: Crushed Almonds; Cacao
Directions: In a food processor on high speed, combine all ingredients and blend until you have a thick batter. Shape into small balls about 1 inch in diameter; roll in desired coating; place on a plate. Cover and keep in the freezer until ready to eat.
Silk Meatless Monday Night - Take the Challenge! #MeatlessMondayNight #SidelineMeat
Hey Everyone! Its Alicia Bell here from Train It Right! This post was sponsored by Silk but the opinions are solely my own and do not represent those of Silk. It has been a long wait but it is finally football season! Get ready for NFL Monday night football with your family and friends by hosting a Meatless Monday Night. Myself and Silk are inviting you to take the challenge along side of me. You can use this to kick start a family tradition, and you also can win a giveaway from www.silk.com when join the challenge.
Why join the #MeatlessMondayNight Challenge?
My personal reason for trying the Silk #MeatlessMondayNight Challenge is this football season is because plant based foods keep you active during sports, fitness events and day to day living. There are many benefits of plant based foods but some of the most interesting benefits have been known to include:
1. Lowering your blood pressure
2. Helping with blood sugar levels
3. Lowering your risk of developing cancer
4. Lowering cholesterol
5. Linked to weight loss
And I think those are all good reasons to increase the amount of plant based foods in my diet and so should you. For my very first Silk Meatless Monday Night #MeatlessMondayNight I plan on making a smoothie. You can make your own Silk #MeatlessMondayNight recipe or make mine. Make sure to post your photo and recipe and hashtag #MeatlessMondayNight
Train It Right's Silk Meatless Monday Night Smoothie
Ingredients:
2 Cups Silk Almond Milk (unsweetened) Or Silk Product of Choice
1 Cup Kale
1/2 Frozen or Unfrozen Banana
1 tsp Matcha Powder
1 Scoop Vanilla Protein of Choice (I use Sun Warrior)
1 Cup Ice
Instructions:
Pour Silk Almond milk in first and add in all other ingredients with protein being last. Blend all ingredients into a blender until smooth. And serve with or without a straw!
Happy #MeatlessMondyNight Challenge
Use our store locator to find Silk products in your area.
Visit www.silk.com/sidelinemeat (Live September 14th, 2015) for more recipes and and a chance to win a giveaway. www.silk.com
This conversation is sponsored by Silk. The opinions and text are all mine.
The Uses Of Coconut Oil
Coconut oil has many uses. Not only is it good for you but it is also affordable. You can use it as lotion, hair treatment and you can even cook with it. It is available at most local grocers, walmarts, health food stores and even some pharmacies.
According to Dr. Oz “Studies have show that intake of coconut oil can help our bodies mount resistance to both viruses and bacteria that can cause illness. Even more, it also can help to fight off yeast, fungus and candida.” He goes on to say that “one 2009 study found that women who consumed 30 milliliters (about 2 tablespoons) of coconut oil daily for 12 weeks not only did not gain more weight, but actually had lowered amounts of abdominal fat, a type of fat that is difficult to lose.” These are all very good reasons as to why you should add coconut oil into your diet. The following are some of my favourite uses for coconut oil:
Lotion – Coconut oil is very moisturizing. It absorbs well and it also has anti-bacterial properties that are good for the skin.
Baking – Slight coconut taste but its not harsh. It is less fat and full of good omegas. That makes it better for your stomach.
Frying – Much healthier to fry foods with coconut oil. It works as a better medium than butter, and it has a higher smoke point than animal based fats.
Butter Replacement – It makes a great spread. Wherever you put butter you can put coconut oil. Eventually you won’t even notice the difference.
Infections – When applied directly to injury sites, it provides a barrier from additional debris/dust/jerms to aid healing.
Energy Booster – Coconut oils contain and excellent source of Omega-3 fatty acids which are great for boosting energy. Just put some on a table spoon and enjoy.
Hair Mask/Conditioner – Coconut oils can work as a great deep conditioner for the hair, and you can use it daily, as a rinse out; or weekly as a leave-in, under heat.
Sunscreen – Coconut oil actually contains roughly 5 SPF so if you don’t require a high SPF you can definitely lather on the coconut oil.
Base for Body Scrubs – If you mix coconut oil with sea salt it makes a great exfoliating scrub.
Toothpaste – Mix coconut oil, baking soda and mint extract together. Place a dab a little of the mix on your toothbrush and brush.
Deodorant - You can use coconut oil alone as a deodorant. However, it is more effective with combination of cornstarch/arrowroot powder and baking soda.
Follow Alicia on Twitter: www.twitter.com/trainitright
How do you know what almond milk is best? Sometimes almond milk can be full of preservatives, added sugars and other chemicals. To avoid these and sometimes outrageous prices sometimes I make my own. I simply blend soaked almonds, water, vanilla extract, cinnamon and sometimes add dates. I don't really measure them out I just measure by estimates. I have never gone wrong with the test for the end result. Once blended I strain the contents through a cheesecloth into a container and voila...ALMOND MILK that is free of bad things and cost efficient.
