These are complex times we’re living in.
While the great lockdown has resulted in some of us paying better attention to our mental health, our diet and have taken this time to learn something new, the same can’t be said for a vast majority of us.
Many of us and I’m guilty of it too have been over-indulging on foods we know we shouldn’t eat or stay away from, and the results of that you can see ever so vividly.
Weight gain like nothing else.
Rapidly losing muscle.
And not to mention, our mental health taking a huge hit during all of this.
Because the food we put into our bodies become fuel for our mind.
Eating the right stuff impacts the way we think and how we feel.
Going by that, it’s never been more important to make sure we’re eating the right stuff.
Common logic right?
But how often do we follow that?
I’m guessing not too many times.
Before you know it, it’s 2am and you’re emptying out a jar of peanut butter.
All-natural of course.
So with the gym reopening again, here’s some great foods that you should add to your diet to get your life back on track.
MCT Oil
I’ve actually been using MCT oil for quite some time now, and I’ve got to say I never felt better.
I usually take it with my cup o’ joe in the morning, with some added benefit of Gingko Biloba for that extra memory boost.
By maintaining that regimen for about 6 months now, I was able to focus for longer periods of time.
Before that, I was a very distracted person.
I could barely sit still for 10 minutes.
It was that entrepreneurial spirit kicking in.
But after taking it, I was able to focus and complete my work for about 90 min at a time.
I’d call that a major step-up.
But the reason why it works so well is because MCT is made up by separating the shorter chain fatty acids in coconut oil from the longer chain fatty acids.
Through this process, it’s able to form a liquid that is quickly absorbed and metabolized by the body.
Gaining the full benefit of each nutrient in coconut oil.
It’s worth noting that regular coconut oil when ingested is not recommended at all.
It’s pretty high in saturated fats, which are the bad kind of fats, and it actually has more of that per serving than cheese.
And cheese as we know, in big amounts, is pretty bad for you.
Try MCT oil and witness the benefits for yourself.
Cocoa Powder
Another great addition to re-launch your diet.
It may not seem like it at first, but cocoa powder has a lot of health benefits to it.
Now, I want to be clear.
When I say cocoa powder, I don’t mean chocolate.
That’s clearly bad for you, but what I mean is cocoa in its purest form.
Well, second purest next to the actual bean.
A great thing about cocoa is that it contains a lot of polyphenols.
Polyphenols help to increase blood flow to the brain and by doing so, it helps to boost brain function.
Not to mention that because of its high nitric oxide levels, it’s able to open your blood vessels allowing oxygen to flow more freely, effectively reducing high blood pressure.
Cocoa powder has also been shown to improve mood and alleviate symptoms of depression.
And we all know that we need that after this lockdown when we’re more down in our dumps than ever before.
But why this positive effect on mood?
Well, a large portion of it can be attributed to cocoa’s flavanols.
These flavanols, which are chemical compounds inside the nutrient, help to convert tryptophan into serotonin.
These two are very important, because if there is little tryptophan in the body, it can result in mood disorders like chronic depression.
Serotonin on the other hand is like the happy hormone.
By working together, these 2 hormones can greatly impact your mood, and cocoa will make sure it happens in a positive way.
Another great thing that cocoa can do for you is manage your weight.
I know, it sounds crazy, especially considering this is the same nutrient that’s used in chocolate but hear me out on this.
Cocoa helps to regulate your use of energy, satiate your appetite, and increase the oxidation of your fat cells. Not to mention, it also increases feelings of fullness.
There is studies to back this up as well.
a weight loss study using low-carbohydrate diets found that a group given 42 grams or about 1.5 ounces of 81% cocoa chocolate per day lost weight faster than the regular diet group. [3]
Starting to see how cocoa powder can get you back on track to reaching your fitness goals?
Himalayan Pink Salt
Ah, the infamous himalayan pink salt.
For years, and I mean years!, I could not for the life of me find out why so many people were obsessed with it.
Until I started to try it for myself.
I’ll admit it, for the first month or two, I didn’t really see the hype about it.
“Overpriced garbage” I thought to myself.
But then, I started to notice things.
Well actually, my doctor did.
He did a blood test on me and he had said that the pH levels in my blood reduced significantly since last time.
Normally that would be nothing to scoff at it, but I had very acidic blood before--according to the doctor.
So now my blood was more alkaline which is a good level to be at I hear.
Naturally, I attribute this to my sudden fondness for pink himalayan salt!
Another great thing about pink himalayan sea salt is that it helps to boost energy.
Thanks to its many antioxidants and electrolytes, it helps to improve the oxygenation of your cells which means it supplies more oxygen to the areas in your body that need it the most.
By doing so it can help strengthen the muscles and activate the brain for optimal performance.
And there you have it!
These are some great foods you should definitely start adding to your diet to give you the fuel you need to power through the toughest workouts.
Speaking of, if you do need that extra bit of firepower to power through the toughest workouts, I do have something that may help and that's my supplement, SUNFIRE.
All-natural & Paleo-friendly, this supplement was MADE for CrossFitters.
So that they can power through the toughest workouts.
Without crashing with fatigue & tiredness halfway through...
Learn more when you check out the link here:http://www.apollosupps.com
References
Sean James is a passionate and driven young CrossFitter from Toronto, Ontario.
He created Apollo Essentials with a guiding vision.
That anyone from anywhere could become an athlete. That's what his company strongly believes and he'll do whatever it takes to see it through.
Throughout his life, he's always enjoyed fitness and nutrition. You could even say it saved his life. With him being over 200 pounds in the 12th grade. But he took a long look at himself and became a dedicated fitness enthusiast. Who knows where he'll go?
After many, many months of research, he decided to hop into the supplement industry and started to create his own supplement, SUNFIRE.
The 1st, all-natural & Paleo-friendly pre-workout made exclusively for CrossFit beginners & driven athletes.
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