Issue 136

December 2015

Seasonal strategies you need for the holiday season to ensure your nutrition doesn’t get TKO’d before New Year

The holiday season presents a minefield of temptation that threatens to derail even the most relaxed of nutrition programs. To help you avoid the potential for a period of festive blowouts, FO has some advice to ensure you can eat like a heavyweight without making an enemy of the scales. Use these all-day tips from sports nutritionist to Olympic athletes, Matt Lovell, to stay in shape without becoming the taste bud Grinch.

Breakfast

Set up a day of healthy eating by getting stuck into one of these on Thanksgiving or Christmas morning. They’ll help you eat less later on: 

1. Three scrambled eggs with 100g smoked salmon, one slice of rye toast.

2. Two poached eggs with tomato and 80g bacon. 

3. Three sausages and two eggs. 

Mid-morning snacks

Keep clear of the candy and tuck in to limitless quantities of these during the morning: 

1. Carrot sticks with hummus.

2. Almonds and mixed dried fruits.

3. Prawn cocktail.

The feast

Many of us only eat turkey a few times a year, which is a crying shame because it’s a very low-calorie protein source with next to no fat. However, there’s always room to make the good even better. 

“Avoid eating the skin to minimize your calorie intake,” says Lovell. “Also, cook the meat on a rack so that the fat drains off and the meat isn’t sitting 

in it.”

The trimmings

Eat as much as you like of the following veg. “Try steaming them very quickly (3-5 minutes) to retain more nutrients,” says Lovell. “You can even use pastes like pesto, harissa or curry to spice up the flavor.”

1. Cabbage

2. Brussels sprouts 

3. Broccoli

4. Cauliflower 

5. Green beans

Eat the following vegetables sparingly – no more than one large serving spoon: 

1. Carrots

2. Peas

3. Turnips and rutabagas

4. Pumpkin

5. Parsnips

6. Roast or mashed potatoes 

7. Yams

The dessert

Feeling full? You should be, so give your stomach a little time to settle down before you tackle the sweet stuff. “This will help balance your insulin levels,” says Lovell. “When we overeat, carbohydrates get broken down into sugars and your body produces insulin to remove the sugar. The insulin then sets to work converting that excess sugar into fat.” 

By eating consistently throughout the day you produce less insulin, which makes you store less fat. You’ll eat more and weigh less. 

Calories in your roast

Turkey 140

Lamb 279

Pork 248

Chicken 298

Beef 199

All values according to United States Department of Agriculture for 100g with the fat trimmed

Mike Dolce

MMA nutrition guru and owner of the acclaimed Dolce Diet program replies to readers’ social media 

posts and questions

Go nuts for milk!

The best ways to rehydrate in and out of training camp

Q. With so many types of milk now available, which one is best for a training diet – cow’s, goat’s, sheep’s, coconut?

A. Typically, cow’s milk causes an array of digestive issues, making this the least favorable of the group. Goat’s milk does not cause these issues but the flavor is, well, kind of gross. Our preferred milks come from coconut, hemp and almond, the latter of which is probably the easiest to get a hold of. Most supermarkets stock almond milk these days. Personally, I prefer the coconut milk, especially in smoothies and coffee.

Q. Are energy drinks a safe way to replace depleted sodium after training?

A. We try to avoid commercial energy drinks at all costs. If you’re looking to spike your sodium, simply drop a pinch of salt in your gallon of water, which you should carry with you everywhere. Avoid the energy drinks, especially if they’re to supplement electrolytes, which can be found in far more efficient whole-food sources.

Q. My joints regularly ache after training. What can I eat to help with the problem?

A. A great anti-inflammatory benefit can be gained from fish oils. Our first recommendation would be to ensure you are eating wild-caught fish at least three times per week. Scientific studies indicate that fish oil supplementation can have a similar anti-inflammatory effect as traditional non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like ibuprofen, while being much safer.