On the blog today we are talking with sports dietitian, personal trainer and triathlete extraordinaire, Amy Giannotti ! We chatted to Amy about her top nutrition tips, particularly, what foods help you get the most out of your workouts and her recommendations for staying energised when exercising.

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Firstly, what is your pre-workout eating regime?

Most of my training is done in the morning, depending on my work and training schedule – either before clients or in between my morning clients. I never leave the house without fuelling with the premium petrol that is Amy’s Grains! Although I am always mixing up the way I have it. At the moment I cook Amy’s Grains in the microwave for 5-6 minutes with water then add milk, Greek yoghurt, mixed frozen berries, bananas, goji berries and sometimes a small mount of crushed nuts and seeds. This provides me with a great source of low GI carbohydrates and B group vitamins for long lasting energy and helps keep me on the ball with clients! It is also a breaky packed with calcium to support healthy bones, protein for muscle repair, and an array of essential vitamins, minerals and antioxidants to support a bullet-proof immune system. With my busy work and training schedule I can’t afford to be run down or sick!

In general I always make sure I fuel my training with carbohydrate (this is the bodies preferred fuel source for moderate to high intensity exercise) and ensure I am well hydrated. For a swim, ride or strength training I can train 1 hour post breakfast but if I am running I will give it 2 hours.

What is your post-workout eating regime?  amy noosa RR

The “30 minute window of opportunity “ is ideal for a speedy recovery. Often I finish training at about 10:30-11am so I have an early lunch. Otherwise I’ll have a protein + carbohydrate snack such as yoghurt + banana or a banana + large chai or latte (300mL milk) or Amy’s Grains Cold style will do the trick.

Glycogen and protein re-synthesis is highest in the 30-minute window after exercise, so if you are wanting to fast track your recovery process this is the ideal time to re-energise! This means the glycogen (carbohydrate stores) you deplete during training can be replenished and your muscles can be given the tools, energy and building blocks to repair themselves quickly.

What are your thoughts on the latest paleo/low carb-high fat dieting trends? Do you think these types of diets are appropriate for people who exercise regularly?

There will always be “diets” that come and go. A healthy diet is one that can a person can meet 100% of their nutrient requirements.

There are over 35 essential nutrients that all have vital functions in the body. We need to eat foods to attain these nutrients or “tools”. An increasing number of academic studies and research suggests that consuming the recommended food serves from each of the 5 food groups will help you best meet these requirements. So any diet premised on eliminating a specific food group is not a diet I will ever subscribe to or be a fan of. They stand out like red traffic lights.

There is some increasing evidence that a high fat, low carb diets can provide some advantage to endurance athletes as they become more able to utilize fat as fuel during endurance events (e.g. marathon, ultra running, iron man) and spare their glycogen (carbohydrate).

If you’re an elite athlete and been following the same plan for a long period of time and looking for that competitive edge this may be something you may want to trial, with the assistance of a sports dietitian to ensure you still support your energy and nutritional requirements. For a recreational athlete, weekend warrior, someone trying to lose weight, this type of diet is unlikely to provide any advantage and may compromise your results in training and overall health.

Would you mind sharing your top nutrition tips for living a balanced lifestyle?

  1. Aim to eat from all of the 5 food groups in the serves recommended
  2. Don’t deprive yourself of foods you love, there is no bad foods, just some foods are energy dense and nutrient poor (your sometimes foods such as fried chips, cakes etc.) so enjoy these in moderation.
  3. For lunch and dinner aim to follow the “Healthy Plate Rule” which is ¼ of the plate a low GI carbohydrate, ¼ of the plate lean meat or protein and ½ the plate non starchy vegetables or salad.

 So, Amy’s Grains – what are they and how can we get a hold of some? IMG_5302

“Amy’s Grains” are a breakfast staple I have created. They are made from a unique blend of 6 whole grains, which are oats, barley, triticale, spelt, brown rice, and rye. The grains provide a great source of low GI Carbohydrate, fibre and b group vitamins. The dairy provides protein and calcium and the fruit provides additional fibre, essential vitamins and minerals such as Vitamin C.

Amy is currently offering a FREE copy of her ebook “Fit Fabulous Foodie” when you buy 3 x 1 kg bags of Amy’s Grains. Go to www.amysgrains.com.au and use the promo code ‘sdaamysgrains’ to claim your free ebook with purchase!

Recipe

Click here to view Amy’s Thai beef Salad recipe !

 

GIVE AWAY !!!

For your chance to WIN 3 x 1kg bags of Amy’s Grains and Amy’s e-book ‘Fit Fabulous Foodie’, simply share a picture on either Facebook or Instagram of your favourite homemade breakfast meal. Don’t forget to tag @thebitingtruth and #thebitingtruthgiveaway so we can view your entry! Competition closes 1st March.