A Classy Dinner at 7-11?

You've done it. I've done it. I mean really, at some point or another we have all done it. AND, from my experience working as a health coach to derby skaters world wide, many athletes grab dinner at the convenience store more often than not. We run into 7-11 and grab god knows what from frozen pizzas to the questionable tuna fish pita pockets to a Snickers bar or a Power Bar (which has about the same nutrition value as a Snickers bar BTW). We shove it in our face in the car and then get to practice and SURPRISE! We feel like crap. 

Guess what? As an athlete, you are now responsible for what you put in your mouth.Your body is a machine and, as a roller derby athlete, you expect a lot from it. So if you expect to perform, fuel it properly. The skill of pre-planning your day comes with time and habit and a little bit of nutrition know how. I have written a load of posts on here about pre-game meals and proper hydration and all that fun stuff so be sure to get back and read them! Today, we are talking about pre-planning and strategies for success.

Most of us walk out the door in the morning with NO PLAN as to what we are going to eat for the day. As you have heard 100 times in your life for many different reasons, if you fail to plan, you plan to fail. When I talk to my clients about pre-planning, the first thing I usually hear is "But Krisssyyyyyyyy, I have a jobfamilykidsresponsabilitesneedtosleepinwatchtvgethometoolate! I CAN'T possibly remember to pre-plan my meals every day!"

Well, here is the deal my friends: YOU CAN if you decide its important to you. Once you have decided that yes, you are sick of dining out at AMPM or swinging through the McDonald's drive-through, then read on for 7 tips and tricks to pre-plan daily so you can feel AWESOME on the track every night!

1. Plan 5-6 small meals for your day
Eat 3 meals and 2 snacks every day. 
Each meal/snack should be a good balance of 1/3 lean protein and 2/3 complex carbs

My day goes like this:

BREAKFAST Formula 1 shake (come on, who REALLY cooks breakfast? And if you are opting for instant oatmeal or carb-y cereals you probably are crashing mid morning)
SNACK mid morning: Usually greek yogurt or deli meats or nuts for protein paired up with a fruit or veggie
LUNCH: Meat and veggies. Usually chicken or turkey over spinach or with broccoli and 1/2 an avocado.
SNACK: Same as in the AM. Today it was a handful of walnuts and some ground turkey that I precooked this week with onions and bell peppers.
DINNER: On practice nights I drink a shake on the way to practice. No one really wants to be burping up dinner all through practice do they? This is also a great way to get easily absorbable nutrients.
POST PRACTICE: Protein and carb for recovery. I either drink a Rebuild Strength shake or I come home and have some MEAT (yes I am a massive carnivore...I even named my dog Meat!) This is him. 

2. Use similar ingredients
I like to keep using the same ingredients but mixed around to make different meals to avoid massive shopping lists. Veggies can be eaten raw as snacks, or stir fried with protein for a hot meal, or made with eggs or added to a salad! My staples are spinach, bell pepper, broccoli, red onion. A few simple ingredients mixed together in different ways can make a variety of yummy meals...I mean look at mexican food. Its basically beans, rice, veggies, and meat mixed together a hundred different ways. 

3. Have a few simple go to meals and snacks
Easy go to snacks help to keep pre-planning low maintenance. Single serving greek yogurts, almonds, or string cheese are good for this. BEWARE: Treats that say "100 calorie pack" THIS DOES NOT MEAN ITS HEALTHY. It just means they are only giving you 100 calories worth of crap.

4. Have a shopping day
I shop on Sunday night for a week's worth of food. This may take a little practice to get the right amounts of everything but once you get the swing of it, your life will be SO MUCH EASIER!

5. Have a cooking day
This is the same day as shopping day for me. I literally cook about 6 lbs of meat at once (to support my 170 lbs of lean mass!). I will pan fry a bunch of lean turkey meat and bake some chicken. Then pop it all in the fridge and use it for salads and wraps or snacks throughout the week.

6. Pack your meals at night
Pre-pack! If you are not a morning person pack your meals/snacks at night. If you are not a night person pack it in the AM but either way, get in the habit of packing a lunch bag...yup, "thanks for the sac lunch," ice pack in the insulated bag PACK YOUR MEALS!

7. Do this for 21 days in a row and it will be a habit!
Bottom line is, we are all busy but here are things we habitually do every day or week no matter what and if you can do those things (ahem, watch your favorite TV shows or shower) then you can learn to pre-plan!

As always, if you have any questions about what to eat or when to eat it or why I love all this stuff so much or you want a free nutrition evaluation or you want to know anything about supplements, Herbalife, or the meaning of life you can reach my at KrissyKrash.Derbalife@gmail.com and I would be glad to help you out!

Eat what, when, and why?!?!? My game plan for WFTDA Western Regionals

Most of us have a game day routine that we follow leading up to a bout. I get lots of skaters asking me what to eat on game day so I thought I would share how I got through an epic weekend of skating at Besterns.

Regionals this weekend could have been a challenge if it hadn't been for some good preparations and packing most of what I needed to eat with me.  ACDG had some tough teams to go up against and I wanted to be fueled and ready! I stocked up on Formula 1 sport, Hydrate, Prolong, Prepare,  "Magic liftoff cookies" as Duchess has now coined Liftoff (my healthy energy drink), and some bars and little snacks. This way I knew all I had to find was a healthy meal or two and I was good to go! We skated 2 games Friday (WASATCH and Rose City) with no crashing feeling in between them.  On Saturday we skated against Rocky Mountain and thankfully I had taken Restore Friday night because otherwise I might not have been able to walk the next day. Sunday was our final game against Sac City. Every game was challenging and I am so proud of my team and so thankful for having a kick ass nutrition program to get me through my very first Regional Tournament.

Here are the basics of what I did each day:

It took me a bit of trial-and-error with my diet to come up with a plan that works for me, there are a few key points that all athletes should keep in mind when trying to match their meals and snacks to their activity. Carbohydrates are primarily what the body relies on for energy. The body needs a fairly steady source from the diet, since there’s only so much carbohydrate the body can store – in the form of glycogen – in the muscles and the liver. This doesn't mean carb loading the night before on 7 lbs of pasta is going to make you skate any faster. Keep it healthy the days leading up to a bout but powering down massive carbs the night before is not necessary. It’s important to ‘top off the tank’ with some carbohydrate before an athletic event.  In choosing what to eat, all athletes need to consider how much time they have to digest before they start an athletic performance or event.

Key Points to remember:

• Foods high in fiber and fat delay digestion time so save them for after your bout.
• Light or liquid meals digest more quickly than solid ones.
• During continuous activity that lasts longer than an hour, athletes need to keep the carbohydrate coming in.  Specially designed sports drinks are ideal for this purpose, since they provide fluid and salts as well as the right amount of carbohydrate to keep muscles well fueled; some also provide small amounts of protein that help with muscle recovery.
• Post-exercise, athletes must consume plenty of carbohydrate to replenish the stores in their liver and muscles.  Ideally, athletes should try to eat within 30 minutes or so after their event or workout is over.  Fruits, veggies, whole grains, beans and dairy products are all terrific recovery foods. This is the time to load back up on the higher fiber carbs since digestion time is no longer a concern.
• Whey and casein – proteins derived from dairy products – are also needed after exercise to help promote muscle recovery.  A protein smoothie made with milk and fruit, a sandwich on wholegrain bread with a glass of milk, or some yogurt with a piece of fruit are all excellent post-exercise meal ideas

More than 3 hours before the game.

Planning ahead is key!  Eat a regular, balanced meal no less than 3 hours before the bout.  Just keep it healthy and avoid the heavy stuff.

Between 1 and 3 hours to start time.

If you have only an hour or two before your event, then enjoy a lighter, solid meal, maybe some cottage cheese and toast, or a bowl of low fiber cereal. I usually have a chicken and veggie wrap or snack on a protein bar. If we are getting close to game time I down a Formula 1 sport shake.

Less than 1 hour until you compete?

For athletes who have only an hour or less to digest before an event, choose something that will be easy on your stomach such as a smoothie or a yogurt. I drink Formula 1 sport before my bouts. 30 minutes prior to my game I drink 1/2 a Liftoff with 2 scoops of Prepare.

During the event?
Keep topping up – water and use a specific sports hydration drink are both important. During the first half of the bout I drink water with 1-2 scoops of Prolong to ensure my blood sugar doesn't crash before the second half. Then I drink water or Hydrate for the rest of the bout.

Just completed the bout?
Dig into some healthy snacks like fruit, raw vegetable sticks, and hummus, or a Rebuild Strength.

When you are doing strenuous exercise, paying attention to what you eat – and when – can have a big impact on your athletic performance, so don’t let eating become an afterthought.

This is Krissy Krash, signing off! You can always hit me up with questions, for advice, to give feedback, or for a free nutrition and performance profile at krissykrash.derbalife@gmail.com.  Plus, if you want to try out anything I mentioned above or you are are ready to get your ass in gear, you can get 10% off plus free 1:1 coaching from yours truly by hitting up www.goherbalife.com/krissykrash by using the coupon code AllDerbyDrills.

DO YOU EAT LIKE AN ATHLETE?

Whether you’re fresh meat or an all star, you food choices can have a huge impact on your performance.

When you’re really active, you can burn through a lot of calories – so much so, that it often seems there’s no way to satisfy your appetite.  So many skaters these days cross train, play other sports, and live an incredible active lifestyle. Pre workout and post workout can often be the danger time: when your appetite is out-of-control, it’s tempting to let yourself eat whatever you want – thinking that you will ‘burn it off’ later.  Remember though – even when your calorie needs are high, you don’t have license to eat foods with little nutritional value.

To eat like an athlete you need to think about food as fuel.

Ask yourself about the benefits of a particular food: is it protein or carb based, does it contain the nutrients you need?  You can’t let yourself be tempted by only thinking about the taste, or by constantly giving into cravings for sweet or fatty food.

Getting fueled up for activity means having the right pre workout meals, staying hydrated, and properly refueling after an event or workout.  If you’re a picky eater, vegetarian, or vegan, meeting these goals can be challenging, so think about your athletic aims and keep in mind that that a healthy diet is vital for a good performance.

An athlete’s body is like an engine – one that needs the right fuel to run properly.  Healthy carbohydrates – from fruits, vegetables and grains (like whole grain breads, rice and corn) – are the body’s preferred source of fuel, not beer and french fries... I know its hard to believe.  These good carbs help to not only sustain exercise, but they are needed afterwards to help replenish body stores.

The body also needs healthy lean proteins – from foods like lean meats, poultry, fish, milk, yogurt, eggs and soybeans – to help build and repair muscles after exercising, and small amounts of healthy fats (from foods like avocados or nuts) to help meet calorie needs.

Try these basic tips for healthy eating to keep you properly ‘fueled up’ for exercise:

Before a workout

You need to ‘top off the tank’ with some carbohydrates to provide energy.  The best choices are foods that are easy to digest like a fruit smoothie, a carton of yogurt or a small bowl of cereal and milk.  Keep meals low in fat so they’ll be easy to digest.

During exercise

Staying hydrated is key.  Water is fine if you’re exercising for less than an hour, but a hydration drink is great for extended exercise or when the weather is particularly hot or humid. High or low carb hydration drinks will depend on the duration of your workout.

After exercise

It’s important to refuel muscles with some healthy carbohydrates and protein.  A healthy meal replacement shake is an all-time favorite recovery food since it provides fluid, potassium, carbohydrates and protein – all of which the body craves after activity.  Other great post-exercise foods are sandwiches, fruits, yogurt.

Your body needs fiber, but it’s best to eat high-fiber foods after exercise, rather than before, to avoid stomach distress.  Save the wholegrain breads and pastas for after your game, race or workout.

If you have high calorie needs, make healthy higher calorie choices that are also nutrient-rich like nuts, 100% fruit juices, dried fruits, peanut butter and trail mix.

Click here to contact Krissy Krash with questions, comments, or for more info

Redbull and Cheetos and French Fries OH MY! Eating on the road when you travel for derby

Away games! YAY! Its always so exciting to travel for derby. You get to see new places, meet new people, and knock over total strangers. But what always remains constant is the ever pressing question of "Oh crap, what are we gonna eat?"

Traveling as an athlete can be tricky. Its not like that college road trip where Cheetos, Big Macs, and unlimited Mountain Dew become totally acceptable for the long weekend. Nope. You've got a game (or games) to skate and traveling alone will take enough out of you so its important to fuel yourself properly to be ready to dish out a health serving of ass kicking once you get there. 

So how the F*#k do you travel and manage to stay game ready?

One word for you: PREPLAN

Its key to preplan and pack what you're going to need for the weekend instead of hoping you can just wing it through the weekend.

My Packing list for Dust Devil last weekend included:

Formula 1  and Protein Drink Mix (2 scoops of each of these two together can be a 200 calories 24 grams of protein healthy meal anywhere you get stuck. just add water)

Protein Bars - so much better than snickers or other gas station crap. Having it packed ahead of time makes those gas stops easier to avoid making bad decisions.

Almonds and Cranberries- a great snack just don't eat the whole bag! Raw or roasted, skip the salted or sugar coated...or chocolate covered.

Celery and Peanut Butter is a great on the go healthy snack as well but again, if you find yourself licking the bottom of the jar you may have gone too far.

Apples and Cucumbers and Banannas and other easily portable fruits and veggies

Hydrate - low calories electrolytes to drink throughout the day because car rides and planes dehydrate you but you don't need the sugars from a sugary hydration drink if you're sitting around. Ever notice you get a headache when you travel? Sip a hydrate and you'll likely feel loads better.

Restore - take 2 at night to reduce exercise induced inflammation and keep you from getting super sore the next day. This is a lifesaver for tournament weekends. While your opponents wake up day two of a tourney and feel like 80 year old grannies, you will wake up ready to hip check the world!

Best Defense - Airplanes especially carry butt loads of germs. I start taking best defense before I even get on the flight and take it throughout an entire tournament weekend. You will be exchanging sweat with lots of ladies over the weekend (both at the bar and on the track) so its important to keep your immune system strong. The echinacea and vitamin C in here will keep your immune system game ready all weekend.

Prepare, Prolong, Liftoff, Rebuild Endurance my pre/during/post game ritual of awesomeness... you can read about these in my other blogs. Today we're talking about travel eating.

 I also suggest that you ask your hotels to give you a fridge and then find the nearest grocery store and stock up on veggies, fruits and hopefully fresh deli meat.  Usually the hotel breakfast is carb city with minimal protein options and its always good to try and keep your travel food routine as close to your home eating routine as possible so I will always make a shake in the room for breakfast then swing by the Hotel complimentary breakfast to grab some fruit, yogurt and granola to take to the track a mid morning snack if they have it. But, the great thing about preplanning and packing what i mentioned above is I can have a shake for breakfast, a shake pregame, a few snacks and only really have to find one solid meal out in the traveling madness each day.

This is Krissy Krash, signing off! You can always hit me up with questions, for advice, to give feed back, or for a free nutrition and performance profile at krissykrash.derbalife@gmail.com Plus if you want to try out anything I mentioned above or you are are ready to get your ass in gear, you can get 10% off plus free 1:1 coaching from yours truely by hitting up www.goherbalife.com/krissykrash by using the coupon code  AllDerbyDrills 

Food is Fuel - The Skinny on Carbs, Calories and Proteins

                                                                    

Food is fuel. 

Your body is a lean, mean, roller derby machine....or a broken down junker...depending on the kind of fuel you put in it and how long you leave it sitting stagnant in the garage (or in front of the TV). Its important that as athletes we get a combination of whole foods and supplementation in order to get everything the body needs. So how do we weed through the crap and look at nutritional facts to know whats right for what? Especially with so many high tech nutrition products on the market, its hard to know what you are supposed to take for what and why.

A lot of times when I sit down with skaters to do a free nutrition profile one of the first things I see is that their diet is very high in carbs and very low in protein (yes, you can have one too. click here and send me your info). On average a woman needs between 90-150 grams of protein depending on her height and weight (1 gram for every pound of lean body mass, not over all weight). Most women I talk to get about 30 per day. If are an active person, you need protein to maintain and build lean body mass, ward off hunger, maintain great energy, and keep your blood sugar even. One of the first things I work on with someone is becoming are of how much protein is in the food they are eating which means reading nutrition labels!

Lets compare 3 labels and talk about what a roller derby athletes should look for on a lable based on Meal, Snack, or Workout fuel.

3 main pieces to look at when you are first learning to read lables. 1) Protein 2) Carbohydrates - mainly sugar and fiber 3) Calories

Formula 1 Sport

         

Protein MEALS Shoot for about 15-30 grams of protein depending on your protein requirement  (yes, I can map out your protein requirement, click here and send me your info with PROTEIN in the notes section). Pre-workout meal I always opt for a Formula 1 sport  because I hate burping up dinner during practice. Or if making a meal 1/3 lean protein 2/3 complex carbs.

SNACKS - Shoot for 10-15 grams of protein...20 if youre a beast like me :-). The protein bars a re good snack because its not too high in sugar but greek yogurt and fruit/veggies is a good one too. 

Herbalife 24 Prolong

WORKOUT FUEL -  5 grams of protein is enough during workouts to prevent muscle breakdown. You don't want your body eating your muscle for fuel but you don't want to be gobbling down a chicken breast in between jams either.

Carbohydrates First off let me say CARBS ARE NOT BAD! You need them for fuel! If you are doing any type of long over 2 hour plus endurance exercise, you want to be sure to get upwards of 60-70 grams of carbs HOWEVER, this is NON STOP 2 hours of exercise! Like cycling, distance running, etc. 

When checking out labels know where you carbs are coming from. Are they sugars, fiber, other carbs? 

MEALS - When looking at carb contents of dinners you want 2/3 of the calories to come from carbs (ideally complex carbs high in fiber). Before I became a health coach and learned about nutrition I used to eat a box of Cheese Its for lunch...don't laugh, I did! But I was always hungry soon after and never felt energized. This is because there was 18 grams of carbs, 4 grams of protein and 8 grams of fat PER SERVING! Mind you I was eating about 10 servings of Cheese Its which is 180 g carbs and 80 grams of fat in one meal! That means 45% of my calories were from carbs and 45 from fat and only 10% from protein which left me feeling sluggish. The formula 1 shake alternatively has 13grams carbs, 9 grams protein and 1 gram fat.

Herbalife Protein Bar Deluxe

SNACKS - Watch the carb content of your snacks. Too many carbs and you are doomed for a blood sugar crash! I tend to keep the sugars low (below 12 grams) and fiber high (you need 28 grams a day!!) in my snacks. A protein bar and some veggies is a perfect snack. Or use greek yogurt as dip for your fiber packed veggies ( I add protein soup mix to mine for low carb high protein salty amazingness) Power Bars and Lara Bars are very high sugar/high carb snacks intended for those who are doing endurance workouts.

WORKOUT FUEL -   Sugars are important during your workouts. Yes I said it, you need some sugar while you work out. This is your bodies easy access fuel source. Shoot for no atrifical sweeteners/colors and also a combination of fast and slow carbs (frutose and maltodextrin) like prolong. 30-60 grams is perfect workout fuel plus electrolytes. If you are only doing a 1-2 hour workout just use 1 scoop prolong.  Most sports drinks use glucose and processed sugar which are faster absorbing sugars and wont give you a long lasting sustained energy. 

Calories MEALS 200-500 calories depending on your caloric requirement (yes, I can map out your RMR, click here and send me your info with CALORIES in the notes section). If you goal is to maintain you need to consume as much as you burn, to lose you can consume less (but only 500 calories less), to gain just eat more than you burn.

SNACKS- 150-300 calories depending on your total caloric requirement. Remember this is not a meal, its just a snack to keep your blood sugar up, tummy happy, and metabolism burning, you're not supposed to feel like you just at thanksgiving dinner.

WORKOUT FUEL A few hundred calories per hour is sufficient for derby. If you are trying to lose weight/lean out, be careful how much you over compensate. Not all calorie burned are created equal. While your body bug may say 1500 calorie burned, most of that came from glycogen (sugar) stores in your muscles as well as food you had in your system and is NOT equivalent to that burger, fries, and a beer you totally justified consuming at the bar after practice.

Bottom line is its all about balance and finding out whats right for you and your body. As you begin to eat healthier you will be more in tuned with what your body needs. You don't have to be a nutrition label reader extraordinaire right away but just start to be aware of what your are putting in your body and make small adjustments. And, as always, feel free to contact me with questions, comments, and love! krissykrash.derbalife@gmail.com

Ready to get your ass in gear? Get 10% off www.goherbalife.com/krissykrash by using the coupon code  AllDerbyDrills

A little motivational amazingness for you! Enjoy!

See more extended nutritional details

The Myth of the Burn!

"Wow! That was an EPIC practice! Judging by my sweat soaked shirt, we must have burned like a million calories!! Lets look on Ichange.com and see how many calories we burned! Ok I will enter in 2 hours of aerobic exercise. Wow look at that, it says we burned 2500 calories! We are so awesome! We TOTALLY deserve some pizza and beer now because clearly we burned at least that much during our practice!"

We all do this, either weekly or at least every once in a while. We assume that 1) the internet knows everything 2) a sweaty shirt = massive calorie burn. As a result, we decide to reward our awesome athletic workout with a bunch of trash that does nothing good for an athlete's body. Two things to watch out for as you work on building your endurance, getting lean, and increasing strength:

1. You do not burn as many calories as you think you do.
2. Crap food as a reward for a job well done.


Ok, lets talk calories out vs calories in. We do not BURN a cheese burger on the track. Our body burns carbs, fats, and proteins at different rates and I promise you, you did NOT burn enough fat during your workout to make that cheese burger and fries at the bar justifiable. Be conscious of using online calorie burning trackers. While we at Derbalife do recommend you track your calorie/food intake as part of maintaining a healthy lifestyle and nutrition program (get me as your FREE online coach and log your food by using this link www.ichange.com/user/krissykrash to track food and progress, mobile site is available to!), we want to caution you that online calorie burning programs are NOT accurate. Calories burned varies based on height, weight, exertion, rest times, # of jams skated, BMI, body fat percentage, and amount of lean body mass you carry.

According to Runners Magazine this month, running a 12 minute mile pace for an HOUR burns 470 calories if you are 130 lbs, 582 calories if you are 160 lbs, and 690 calories if you are 190 lbs.  So you can imagine that if you are stop-go-stop-go-stop-go on the track or doing drills with rest in between that you are not going to burn quite as much as you anticipated. Plus if you are actually trying to lose fat/get lean, you would want to consider that these calories are like an extra credit burn! Why eat back the calories you just worked so hard to burn off?


Did you REALLY earn THAT?!?!? We all do it. Practice is over, you head home or to the bar and you convince yourself that you totally earned that burrito, pitcher of beer, pint of ice cream, ____insert crap food here___.

But here is the deal. You are an athlete. Your body is getting beat to crap and dumping junk in after practice doesn't help your recovery time, nor does it make those lift and separates look any better in that next bout photo. So that being said, food is awesome and yummy and yes we do deserve a treat for a job well done but keep it in check. Life and health are about balance. Find things you love but that wont do too much damage if you have them from time to time. Skinny Cow is my go to treat if I want to indulge. Most times though, after practice I will mix up a Formula 1 shake with added protein, or I will have a Rebuild Strength shake because it satisfies my sweet tooth and helps my body to recover faster or if I want salty I will roll up spinach inside of Turkey Deli slices for a perfect recovery treat. YUM!

If I do end up out with my team, I order a salad with chicken if they have it or if all else fails a few protein packed chicken wings and celery are waaaay better than high fat high carb pizza or nachos.

What is all boils down to is that you are an athlete. You practice hard, you focus, and you want to stay strong and injury free. A key piece of that is keeping your self nourished. Making sure you hit your Recommended Daily Allowance of vitamins and minerals to keep your body healthy on a cellular level, getting the right balance of carbs/protein/fat, watching those calories. If you take care of your body and treat it well, you will have an amazing successful, ass kicking life in roller derby for many years to come! 




Want me as your FREE online coach with a great food log/progress tracker program? www.ichange.com/user/krissykrash to track food and progress - mobile site is available to!

Its like facebook meets food log! Great for anyone who wants to track their food, lose/gain/maintain weight, or to stay accountable.

Register for free, connect with me for a free nutrition profile, and join the All Derby Drills group on ichange to connect with other skaters around the world!

This is Krissy Krash, signing off! You can always hit me up with questions, for advice, to give feed back, or for a free nutrition and performance profile at krissykrash.derbalife@gmail.com


Ready to get your ass in gear? Get 10% off www.goherbalife.com/krissykrash by using the coupon code  AllDerbyDrills 

Nutrient Timing!

Tip #4 of Rowdy and Krissy's Top Ten Tips.....

You are WHEN you eat!

As an athlete nutrient timing is an important aspect of performance. When you eat certain types of foods is often just as important as paying attention to what you are putting in your body.


PRE-WORKOUT

Protein:
Working your muscles breaks them down and consuming protein pre-workout helps prevent muscle breakdown during and support muscle synthesis after your workouts. This being said, going into a workout with a full stomach is not the solution! When you have a full stomach your body actually sends blood flow to support in digesting food. That means less blood flow to carry oxygen to your muscle for your workout. Proteins to go for pre-practice are whey and casein proteins combined with a soy protein. The reason why is that each has a different absorption rate so you get immediate fuel and longer-burning fuel.

Carbs:
Eating something super carb-y right before practice can sometimes result in a spike and crash in blood sugar which results in your energy dropping half way through practice. This is why powering down a cliff bar right before you skate isn't always the best option **its called a CLIF bar cuz its for the cliffs and long hikes where your body requires more carbs...its not called a track bar for a reason :-) ** Carbs to go for about an hour before practice are whole grains, fruits and veggies. These have fiber which slows the absorption process and should be paired up with a lean protein.


POST-WORKOUT

Protein:
15-20 grams of protein to support in rebuilding muscle is key! Liquid nutrients are best because they are most readily absorbed into the system. Again, varying the types of proteins means different absorption rates which allows the protein to be used more efficiently.

Carbs:
Post workout carbs help replenish glycogen stores so you have energy for practice the next day and actually also helps your body to get the protein to your muscles more quickly.


MY NUTRIENT TIMING SCHEDULE:

PreWorkout (1 hour before practice)
2 scoops Formula 1 sport (varied proteins, carbs, and glutamine) mixed with protein drink mix and 8-10 oz water, plus a piece of fruit or veggie.

Directly before practice at the track
2 scoops Prepare in 4oz water (stand by for a blog about the importance of NitericOxide for athletes!)

During practice:
Prolong (fast and slow carbs plus a little protein)

Directly following practice (within 15 minutes)
Rebuild Strength (varied proteins, carbs, glutamine, and BCAAs)


While I am sure there are other whole food ways of meeting these same needs, I like to sandwich my workouts with shakes because its a simple way for me to get what I need without running around like a crazy person between running my own business and trying to get to practice. Plus, the research and development at UCLA that went into this nutrition program is second to none.

Here is the basics on the whole program I use.... John Heiss says it way better than I do :-) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nJ7ME_mDW0w

If you have questions or want more info about what to eat, when to eat it, why to eat it, how to eat it...or you need someone to make sure you eat it, hit me up! Supporting skaters with their performance and health goals is my favorite thing to do! KrissyKrash.Derbalife@gmail.com

Ready to get your ass in gear? Get 10% off www.goherbalife.com/krissykrash by using the coupon code  AllDerbyDrills  plus a free nutrition profile and weekly coaching/support to make sure you get where you want to go!

Drink up!

Whats up roller derby world! Krissy Krash here. Rowdy and I are so excited to share our Top 10 Tips for the 24 hour athlete...yes that means you! If you have a body, you are an athlete.

This week we will be covering Hydration. I learned very early on in derby that drinking water during games and practices as well as in the days and hours leading up to practice made a huge impact on how I performed both in the game/practice and the after party. In fact, after my first game, I was literally sick for 2 days because I lost so much water and electrolytes during the bout. So key point to remember, roller derby is like we used to say in college....drink early and drink often....except this time I mean water.

Why hydrate?

You are losing 2 key elements when you sweat. What does this mean for you and your derby performance?

When you sweat you lose water. Losing water results in a drop in your blood volume (yes blood is mostly water) which means that your heart will now have to work harder to circulate the blood through your body. This can result in muscle cramps, dizziness, and fatigue. Yeah, water is THAT important!

When you sweat you also lose electrolytes.

WTF do electrolytes do anyways??? Basically they are electrically charges ions/particles that are required for regulating the balance within your body on a cellular level. So not only do normal body functions rely on these little guys, but performance can be greatly impacted by a loss of electrolytes as well.

How much water are we supposed to get anyways?

Take your body weight in pounds and divide it by two. That's how many ounces of water you should drink on a daily basis. For example, I am 200lbs so I drink 100 ounces of water PLUS any additional water during my workouts.

When do I need to supplement electrolytes?

Unless you are working out heavily for over an hour, water will typically be an acceptable form of hydration. When getting your sweat on for an hour or more you may want to consider an electrolyte supplement. Current research shows there are 3 key pieces to look for in a hydration supplement. 1)Carbs 2)Electrolytes 3)Protein

Carbs:

Your body burns carbs as an easy access energy source. If you are working out for over an hour, you can sometimes get low blood sugar or what I call "Getting the stupids"...where its hour 1.5 of practice and you are scrimmaging after a hard endurance session and you feel a bit worn down and dizzy and you can't for the life of your remember you pivot's name and everything everyone does or says seems funny... this is usually a sign of low blood sugar. Because your brain also runs on glucose (sugar) you will want to get some quick carbs to replenish both your body and mind.

Electrolytes:

Keep away muscle cramps and keeping your body going on a cellular level

Protein:

Yes I said protein. Are you confused? Well here's the deal. As you workout, you damage your muscle. This damage results in muscle protein breakdown. Your body will actually start taking the protein from your muscle as an energy source. One way to avoid this is to drink protein during workouts. Doing so will minimize muscle protein breakdown during your workout and actually help to speed muscle recovery after your workout.

So where do you get all 3?

Well, you can drink a bottle of water, eat an apple, and drink a creamy protein drink, or you can do what I do. I use something called Prolong. I use a 1/2 serving during a 2 hour workout. Its an endurance drink designed by cyclists to prolong your ability to kick ass and take names (thus the name Prolong). Here is a video on why its awesome and why I use it. We are also offering a sweet hook up on Prolong for All Derby Drills readers. Email us for details.

Ready to get your ass in gear? Get 10% off www.goherbalife.com/krissykrash by using the coupon code  AllDerbyDrills 

KrissyKrash.Derbalife@gmail.com
 

KristiBravoHealthCoach@gmail.com

Let's Talk Breakfast

Hey there Everybody, this is Rowdy Roulette,

Over the next few weeks, our goal is to share with you tips and tricks and answer any questions about having a better nutrition plan to fuel your bodies as well as ours for optimum performance on and off the track.

The next 90 days Krissy and I committed to each other to achieve our personal BEST results. We both are working with trainers as well as each other to stay accountable, (yes even coaches need accountability buddies) I look forward to taking you on this journey with me/us.

So, how do you start your day off? Do you eat first thing in the morning? Do you work out? OR do you just hit the ground running? I’m curious to hear what you do. I KNOW we’ve all heard and know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day. But for most of us we are busy in the mornings, rushed for work, school, the gym whatever it is. So we just skip it and plan to make up for it later. You can’t really make up for your breakfast when you skip it.

Being a single mom with three boys mornings are so hectic at my house I have to have something fast and easy in the morning to eat. It also has to be packed full of minerals and vitamins as well as good complex carbs and proteins. I want that kick off to my day. I currently have skates on my feet a minimum of four times a week and am in the gym 4 days a week so I count on my nutrition to keep me going.

For those who like to geek out on stuff like blood sugar levels here is an interesting little read..

No Breakfast - When we skip breakfast, blood sugar drops below the normal level, leading to cravings and a drop in energy. To deal with cravings, we usually revert to snacking on simple carbohydrates, causing a fast rise in blood sugar levels and a substantial insulin emission. The insulin removes most of the sugar from the blood and turns any excess into fat. Our body, now low in blood sugar, experiences further cravings and a drop in energy. This vicious cycle constitutes one of the major reasons for diabetes, high blood pressure and extra weight.

Make sure to start your mornings with something that has minerals and vitamins, complex carbs and protein. I currently have skates on my feet minimum of four days a week and am at the gym four as well so I count on my nutrition to keep me going and that's how I start my mornings.

Each week we are going to blog about different things, if you have something specific you’d like to talk about here leave us a comment or shoot us over an email.

Hope you have a rad day,

Rowdy