Healthy Beginnings

As writers and editors, it's about time us Gold Coast magazine staffers hit the blogosphere. Each with our own area of "expertise," we plan to give you an array of information – sometimes useful, sometimes useless, but, hopefully, always entertaining. 

My personal passion is – and always has been – health and fitness. (I even lied about my age when I was 12 to join a gym – the minimum age was 13 – and have been a dedicated workoutaholic ever since.) Trust me, it doesn't show. But I'm trying... and will continue to do so until I find what works for me. And until then, I'll take you all along for the ride: testing products, trying new workouts (my P90X system is en route to my doorstep thanks to eBay), modifying my diet, etc. But mostly, I'll just be researching and learning more about the world of health and wellness like I always do (check out Gold Coast's "Balance" page every month), and sharing my findings with you in a more timely manner.

One such topic that's been on my radar for awhile now is the "glycogen window."  This is the "window of opportunity" after a workout where the body can convert carbs into muscle glycogen at two to three times the normal rate. I actually wrote about it in our "Balance" page last year, but have yet to truly test it out for myself. 

According to the expert that I interviewed – Jupiter-based ACE-certified personal trainer Kelly Hardersen – the window lasts for about 30 to 60 minutes after a strenuous workout, and we must eat high glycemic index foods that break down quickly during digestion. The Glycemic Index rates foods on a scale of 0 to 100, depending on how your body's sugar levels respond to the food. And when I heard the phrase "high glycemic index," I was immediately confused. Typically, we are told to stay away from high glycemic index foods such as white bread, soft drinks and candy bars because they increase the body's sugar levels rapidly, leaving you hungrier sooner. 

So my response to Hardersen was, "So what you're telling me is, if I eat a donut after my workout, it's actually beneficial?" Here's what she said: "Although I'd NEVER tell any of my clients to eat a donut after a workout, that's actually very close to the truth. A high glycemic carb really only has a place in our nutrition plan during this 30-60 minute window of opportunity post exercise. So, in fact, a bad carb becomes a good carb during this time frame." 

Hardersen recommends drinking a whey protein shake (liquids are digested much quicker than whole foods) with extra added dextrose (a type of sugar) after your workout. She suggests consuming somewhere between 0.25 to 0.50 grams of carbs per pound of body weight from dextrose (a 150-pound person should consume 35 to 75 grams). 

You can order dextrose powder online from Amazon.com and Bodybuilding.com, among other websites. As for the protein shakes, I've heard Myoplex is the "whey to go." (Get it??) But I'm open to suggestions. What do you think is the best/best tasting protein shake around?