How to Aid Muscle Recovery & Just Feel Better Overall

“Muscle Recovery” is a term we hear and see get thrown around in the fitness industry a lot… and for good reason! If our muscles don’t recover from our workouts, that means we won’t feel or see any results from our hard work [annoying]. What if I told you that you could enhance/speed up muscle recovery while also addressing aches and pains you’ve lived with for YEARS?! Yep.. you can! It’s called “myofascial release”. WTF is that?! Lemme tell ya:

There are many different techniques for myofascial release used by professionals like massage therapists, athletic trainers and physical therapists, but there are also ways for you to do “maintenance work” on your own! Foam rolling is one of them, [and wayyy cheaper if your insurance doesn’t cover any of the above]. Here’s a video you can follow along to if you’re new to foam rolling or want to learn some new techniques:

Eat Your Wellness: Protein Intake

Ahhh, the age-old question… HOW MUCH PROTEIN DO I NEED?!?!?

Well, it depends on your goals for your physique… so let me elaborate! The RDA, [recommended daily allowance], for the average population, [0.8g of protein/kg of body weight], is actually far lower than what up-to-date research supports - especially when you’re exercising regularly! Here’s the deal: If you’re *not* strength training regularly, research shows that, in order not to lose any lean muscle mass you currently have, you’ll need to consume 1.2-1.6g of protein/kg body weight every day. [Remember: more muscle mass = more calories burned each day in order to function, which = easier weight maintenance] Recommendations *increase* from there if you’re strength training regularly [aka following my app], so make it a priority to eat the proper amount of protein by the end of the day *every* day - even on rest and recovery days - in order to properly recovery and achieve the best results from your workouts. First, figure out which of the 2 options below best describes your goals:

If you wish to maintain your current size and/or slightly change your body composition [i.e. lean out a bit and add a little muscle mass] you should aim to consume 1.6-2.2g of protein per kg of bodyweight every day, [stay toward the lower end to maintain or go toward the higher end to gain some muscle mass].

If your goal is to lose fat while following a strength training program, you should strive to consume 2.3-3.1g of protein per kg of body weight each day in order to pull off the tricky task of not losing muscle mass while working to lose fat mass.

Now here’s how to calculate the amount of protein you need: divide your weight in lbs by 2.2 to get your weight in kg, then multiply your weight in kg by the number of grams of protein that coincide with your goals. THAT = “your number” of grams. Remember to adjust your number as your goals change! And please note: YOU know your body best! Ultimately, you should eat what leaves you feeling your best - even if it doesn’t fall exactly within the guidelines I’ve shared!

It’s worth mentioning too: if you’re not lifting competitively or body building, planning grams of protein per meal or perfectly timing protein consumption after your workout isn’t nearly as important as hitting that overall number of grams by the end of the day *every day*. Setting such specific expectations can make us feel like we’re failing before we even give ourselves the chance to succeed. [For example: if you didn’t each much protein with your breakfast, don’t give up on the day! Just be sure to eat extra at lunch and dinner to get yourself back on track.] So don’t stress about a specific schedule, just focus on hitting your number before you hit the hay ;-)

Now.. what about protein powder?? Honestly, I don’t think investing in it is an absolute necessity and I encourage everyone to put an honest effort into *eating* their nutrients. However, if you find that consuming enough protein is difficult, despite including it in every meal, using a supplement like protein powder is a helpful way to increase your intake. As with anything, read the label! I would recommend staying away from whey proteins if you’re sensitive to lactose or if you find it makes you bloated/gassy. And always make sure there’s not an outrageous amount of sugar/artificial flavors in in the ingredients so that you’re not doing more harm than good. I love using collagen peptides, [I use Vital Proteins], because they dissolve into any beverage - warm or cold - that I’m sipping on during the day! They’re a great way to increase your protein intake for muscle recovery AND improve both your joint health and skin complexion at the same time.

Eat Your Wellness: Consider Quinoa

Q U I N O A

Cooked like a grain, [think brown rice or oats], but actually a seed, this stuff is versatile AF… and is a complete protein! A what? A complete protein - meaning it contains all 20 amino acids. It’s actually super challenging to find a plant-based complete protein, so quinoa is considered a superfood for that reason. 1 cup of cooked quinoa will nourish your body with 8g of protein - that’s 3g more than a cup of cooked brown rice [at just about the same amount of calories]. Now I’m not saying to forget about brown rice! But quinoa is a great option to substitute for brown rice a few times a week to add some more protein into your meals and switch up the nutrients you’re getting. Oh, and here’s the best part: it takes just 15-20 minutes to cook. Less than half the time of rice!

Personally, I prefer cooking quinoa to rice, [mostly because it’s a HUGE time saver], but also because I find that I’m more creative with it. There are TONS of One-Pot Quinoa recipes on the internet that are SO tasty. And like I mentioned before, I can easily prep it for breakfast, lunch or dinner and it works like a charm! Here are some of my favorite ways to use it:

One Pot Mexican Quinoa Chili! I followed this recipe.

That Mexican Chili is amazing! I’ve used it:

• as pictured above

• as a side with grilled chicken

• on top of a bed of raw greens [as a healthier alternative to taco salad]

• topped with an egg for breakfast

• as a chip dip [WAYYY healthier than an overly cheesy/creamy option]

Quinoa [sprinkled with herbs & spices] + Arugula + Eggs = Bomb Breakfast!

As I mentioned above, you can throw quinoa into a salad to add texture AND protein to your lunch/dinner. And you can add eggs on top of THAT to make a killer breakfast bowl!

Quinoa Breakfast Porridge: topped with cinnamon, nutmeg, cashew butter, chia seeds, hemp seeds, dried goji berries, dried mulberries, & maple syrup.

Whenever I cook plain quinoa, I always set 1 cup of it aside before I dress it for whatever meal I’m cooking. Then I have plain quinoa on hand so that I can throw 1/4-1/2 a cup of it into my oatmeal during breakfasts the rest of the week! I love the unique texture it makes & it pumps me up to know that I’m adding more protein to my meal. Sometimes though, when I’m really not in the mood for the mushy-ness of oatmeal, quinoa porridge is the perfect switch up! I’ll take 1-2 - 1 full cup of quinoa, add just enough almond milk to give it moisture, & then finish prepping it exactly as I would oatmeal - warm it, then throw on whatever flavors & toppings I’m in the mood for that day, & enjoy!

Eat Your Wellness: Sip Your Greens

While eating your [raw] greens may not be the most exciting task at first glance… there are TONS of exciting benefits to making it a daily habit. Raw, dark, leafy greens, [spinach, arugula, kale, chard, etc], are FILLED with fiber, nutrients and enzymes that boost your body’s ability to burn fat, reduce inflammation and risk of developing countless chronic diseases, slow the process of aging and can even boost your body’s nutrient absorption in general. Yep, eating your greens on the regular could help your body absorb *more* nutrients from *other* foods you’re eating - even during different meals! Talk about more bang for your buck!

There’s no vitamin or other food you can consume daily that will do what a daily serving [or 2] of raw greens will do for you. The obvious way of consuming raw greens is to eat a fresh salad, but when you’re just not in the mood to munch on leaves ;-) making a sweet smoothie still gets the job done! I SWEAR you don’t taste the greens - though I’ll admit baby spinach is the best to start with since it has the least intense green flavor. Here are 3 of my go-to recipes:

BERRY HEALTHY

• 1-2 cups raw romaine [or any raw greens!]

• 3/4 cups frozen mixed berries

• water as base liquid [1/2 - 1 cup depending on the consistency your prefer]

[optional additions to boost nutrients & flavor]

• 1 spoonful raw cacao powder [if you’d like a Chocolate Berry flavor]

• 1-2 scoops collagen peptides protein powder [I love Vital Proteins plain or Marine]

• 1 Tbsp any Superfood powder of your choice [Acai, maca, flaxseed, etc. I love AukaLife Superfood Blends; the Antioxidant blend is perfect for this recipe!]

Blend it all together in a blender [I use my Nutribullet], and enjoy!

MOCH-AMAZINGNESS

• 1-2 cups raw baby spinach [or any raw greens!]

• 1/2 - 1 full frozen banana

• 1 spoonful raw cacao powder

• chilled coffee as base liquid [1/2 - 1 cup depending on the consistency your prefer] OR just water as your base liquid if you’re going for a straight up chocolate shake flavor ;-)

[optional additions to boost nutrients & flavor]

• 1-2 scoops collagen peptides protein powder [I love Vital Proteins plain or Marine]

• 1 Tbsp any Superfood powder of your choice [I love AukaLife Superfood Blends; the Energy or Recovery blend are both perfect for this recipe!]

• 1 tsp of cinnamon

Blend it all together in a blender [I use my Nutribullet], and enjoy!

SQUEAKY CLEAN GREEN

• 1-2 cups raw baby kale [or any raw greens!]

• 1/2 - 1 full frozen banana

• 1/2 avocado

• water as base liquid [3/4 - 1 cup depending on the consistency your prefer]

[optional additions to boost nutrients & flavor]

• 1 spoonful raw honey or maple syrup if you’d like it sweeter

• 1 tsp of Matcha [green tea] powder is a staple in this smoothie for me!

• 1-2 scoops collagen peptides protein powder [I love Vital Proteins plain or Marine]

• 1 Tbsp any Superfood powder of your choice [I love AukaLife Superfood Blends; the Detox blend is perfect for this recipe!]

Blend it all together in a blender [I use my Nutribullet], and enjoy!

100 A Day to B Strong Fitness Challenge: Day 30

It’s officially the FINAL day of #100repsadaytobstrong!!! OMG, I’m so freakin' proud of you all for staying so dedicated. This doesn’t have to be the end of your journey though! Go back & save your favorite workouts [or every workout!] so that you can refer back to them whenever you want or need to! Also, if you’re looking for MORE than 100 rep, quick workouts now, throughout the month of July, I’m going to give you ideas on how to “stack” different workouts from the past 30 days together!! So keep checking back!