Time to Decompress!

Are you overeating and/or falling off the Paleo bandwagon? Experiencing headaches? Losing sleep? Feeling depressed or socially withdrawn? More than normal fatigue during workouts? Anxiety? Stomach upset?

Well.........I ask these questions because I have found myself the last couple months experiencing some of these things. And I have boiled it down to that nagging threat, STRESS! This enemy can come on out of nowhere (not really, but it appears to) and typically occurs due to external factors such as financial issues, work, relationship issues, etc. And even worse, sometimes it just compounds from one external factor to another making it feel impossible to tackle. While stress is a natural condition and one that each of us experiences throughout our lives, I've come to realize how important it is to try to recognize when stressors identify themselves so that I can take responsibility instead of letting those stressors take over control of my life.

Just to be clear stress can lead to very serious health problems including heart attack, high blood pressure and diabetes. So if you feel that your stress is not being managed, you may want to consult the help of a physician. (Mayo Clinic, 2011) Or in my opinion, just adopt a little Pomeranian and all your stress will diminish!


Okay, maybe snuggling with a Pom will only go so far. Many experts recommend adhering to a healthy diet (check. I mean.......well........I guess I'd better get back on the bandwagon), partake in an exercise regimen (check), utilizing relaxation techniques (check, time to snuggle with that Pom) and seek a friend to talk to when need be. I'm not a doctor nor an expert but I can tell you from experience that I have allowed stress to completely take over my life and then when I regain my sanity (Ha!), I look back and realize how much time I wasted mulling over things that I can not change. So as I look back at the challenges that this year has already provided - so graciously (insert sarcasm here) -  sometimes the stress I experienced felt unbearable but I realize stress is necessary as well as those challenges.

"By beginning to identify and understand the sources of your stress, you've taken the first step in learning to better manage it. Manage it, not eliminate it. Stress is a fact of life. And that's OK. You can handle it."(Mayo Clinic, 2011)

Reference:

Mayo Clinic (2011) Stress management. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research. Retrieved November 16, 2011 from http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/stress-management/SR00031/NSECTIONGROUP=2.

No Whey!

So if you are anything like me, you tend to take what other athletes and nutrition savvy individuals say in regards to proteins and protein supplements, as solid gold. However, the reality hit me a few months ago upon realizing how utterly expensive some of the popular brands are. I won't put the name out there, but it starts with a "P" and ends with an "x". Don't get me wrong, I have been using it for a year now and have been very happy with the results - recovery greatly improved especially if trying to do more than one workout in a day. So in my quest to try and save some money while also improving my recovery post workouts, I was brought to this question: "What is it about ____, that makes it so effective?"

I'm not a nutritionist, nor am I am a specialist in the realm of protein, so I'm not going to cover every aspect of protein supplements nor am I going to discuss every supplement that is available and their pros and cons. But I do think it's important for athletes to be aware of the supplement they're using, why they're using it and whether or not the results they are hoping to gain are actually being achieved. Because let's face it, CrossFit is a glorious sport - one in which I hope to do for the remainder of my life - but it's NOT a cheap sport! So let's not continue draining our bank accounts on products unless they actually do what they claim to do.

So with that being said, why do we athletes drink post workout protein "shakes"? Because we seek recovery to our muscles as quickly as possible and through drinking a protein shake versus eating a steak, the proteins will be digested at a quicker rate and therefore repair the muscles at a much faster rate. But how do we choose which protein supplement is best? This question can really only be answered by You. But here is a quick breakdown. First of all most of us are very familiar with whey, which as Mark Sisson explains is a bi product of cheese which is comprised of different proteins: beta-lactoglobulin, alpha-lactalbumin, and serum albumin (a lot of very big, college-y type words!). "Whey is naturally occuring, essential protein that satisfies the body's protein requirements." (Sisson, 2011) Secondly, what I have come to find out (because I was not educated on this until recently) that there are three types of processes: concentrate, isolate and hydrolysate. I broke them down as follows:

Concentrate (protein powder): More whole, but less protein. Less processed. Does contain some dairy. And most cost effective.
Hydrolysate: Predigested whey. Easily absorbed. Very expensive. This is the choice of many body builders.
Isolate: Fairly pure protein without much dairy. Best for those lactose intolerant. A little pricey.

In a nut shell we (CrossFitters) do not need fancy protein or post workout shakes such as those expensive products that we see a lot of athletes using.

"Drinking any kind of whey protein shake will have a beneficial effect on your muscle recovery and protein synthesis." (Sisson, 2011)

I've taken a couple pictures of the product that I use (which are the two posted above) in case you too want to give it a shot. It's a whey concentrate. It's half the price of the "fancy" stuff and seems to be accomplishing the same thing. I purchased this at Natural Grocers and will definitely be purchasing it again. I'm in no way saying that you have to use the product that I have chosen, but I will just say that I personally feel it does the job without breaking the bank.

Reference:

Sisson, M. (2011) A primal primer: Whey protein. Mark's Daily Apple. Retrieved October 19, 2011. Retrieved from http://www.marksdailyapple.com/whey-isolate-concentrate-hydrolysate/.