Innate WINTER wellness - week 12 nutrition plan
Hello and welcome to week 12! This will be the final week of the nutrition plan. I hope you have enjoyed the journey and made some changes to your diet? Nutrition constantly evolves and the goal posts move readily. Ultimately you should enjoy what you eat and make sure it's nutrient dense!
For our final week, we have another great little piece from Nutritionist Lisa - this time on post workout nutrition. Enjoy the read!
From a nutritional perspective, it is important post workout to refuel as soon as possible. Ideally this would be within 30 minutes of your session ending. This can be in the form of a snack or your next meal, depending on what time of day you train. As far as specific nutrients, the most important is carbohydrates. This vital macronutrient is often neglected but is the primary fuel source for most people during exercise. Protein is the other macronutrient that is essential to consume in the post-workout window. Whilst protein is not (usually) utilised as a fuel source itself during training, it forms the building blocks to muscle regeneration and adaptation.
Quality is key over quantity: so enjoy a meal with a good source of protein, some vegies and some dense carbohydrates such as potatoes or grains. This is the perfect post-workout meal.
As far as micronutrients are concerned, sodium is the one lost in greatest amount during exercise. So don't forget to add a little quality salt to your post workout meal, particularly if you're a heavy sweater! This will also assist in re-hydrating (assuming you're also taking in water).
Whilst many people (even elite athletes) are tempted to consume junk food after training as a reward for their hard efforts, this is the most crucial time to feed your body with good quality nutritional ingredients.
Happy training!
Enjoy week 12!
BREAKFAST
LUNCH
SNACKS
DINNER
DAIRY AND VEGAN / VEGETARIAN ALTERNATIVES
More about Kelly Nicholas
Kelly Nicholas holds a Bachelor of Health Science Degree in Paramedicine and currently works as a Paramedic for Ambulance Victoria. Kelly is also a qualified personal trainer, having studied a second degree in Exercise Science. She has continued to evolve her passion for health and fitness over the years by completing many short courses, the latest being a specialisation in nutrition for exercise professionals. Kelly and her business partner Louise Moss, run Change it up Training - a small business running group exercise classes that helps motivate others to be the best/healthiest version of themselves.