EIE Nutrition Tip: How to Eat More Veggies

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Prehab

Wrist DROM
10 Scap Pushups + 5 Scap Pushups in Handstand
20 Calf raises + lowers on plate

Warm Up

Jog 200m
20 Jump & Touch to 6″ target
3 wall walks
5×5 second ring support with turnout+ 5 second negative dip + 5 seconds in bottom of dip
Jog 200m

Cool Down

Accumulate 2 minutes hanging in hollow

Fitness

Strength

12 minutes to practice Handstand Holds and Handstand Walking

Conditioning

4 Rounds of:

400 Meter Row
400 Meter Run
15 Dips
15 Pushups

Rest 2 minutes between round

-28 min cap-

Notes:  Go hard and try to finish each round under 4 minutes, feel free to scale the distance to maintain high intensity.  Prioritize full range of motion for both the dips and the pushups.  These will improve both your muscleups and handstand pushups! 

At 85% effort:

Swim 1000 Meters

Try to perform this at a moderate intensity, but avoid holding on to the sides of the pool if possible.

Mobility and Maintenance:

Choose 1-2 Thoracic Mobility Drills and spend 5-10 minutes with them
Choose 2-3 Lower Body Mobility Drills and spend 10-12 minutes with them
Choose 1-2 Upper Extremity Mobility Drills and spend 5-10 minutes with them.

– AND/OR –

Body work from a licensed body worker (ART, Graston, acupuncture, etc…)

I have been seeing a Rolfer weekly and have seen measurable improvement in the mobility of my structure and quality of movements (like running, airdyne, walking). I highly recommend finding a body worker with knowledge of both myofascia and human movement.

Inflammation Maintenance:

This could be a lot of things, but think in terms of compression, contrast baths, salt baths, castor oil packs, etc….

Don’t forget the role diet plays in inflammation! Drink your fish oil and eat your veggies. I have also found EMS (electro muscular stimulation) to be quite effective as well.

Nutrition Preparation:

Ensure that you have quality foods prepared in the appropriate quantities to fuel your efforts for the remainder of the week.

A slow cooker is key to making sure you have plenty of good foods (especially meat) convenient with little effort. You can get 7 quart hamilton beach models on amazon for about $35. If you struggle with your nutrition or planning for the week, set up an appointment with me for help.

Mental Restoration:

Different for everyone – could be meditation or could be gathering with friends; the key is to engage in activities that make your life full and help you recharge your batteries.  

I’m going to give you all a quick and dirty tip to get your veggies in! In my experience working with clients who want to improve their nutrition, I have found that my role is less “eat according to this meal plan” and more “here is how you can, within the context of your life, improve your eating habits”. I have found convenience to be the key decision making factor when it comes to our food choices.

Veggies are probably the most inconvenient category of foods. You have to cut them, many need to be dressed to be palatable, most are best consumed sauteed in bacon fat or butter- but who has the time to do all of those things every time you want a veggie? Not to mention cleaning up the spare bits, prep surfaces, and containers. Did I mention restaurants hate giving you more than a mouse-sized portion?

Its no wonder most people don’t eat enough veggies! So how do we solve this situation? The crux of the solution is a 6-quart food container (pictured above) that can be bought online, or in most food/restaurant supply stores (Smart & Final on Lincoln for example). I usually allot two 15-minute blocks per week to prep enough veggies to fill the container.

Right now I have a jicama and apple slaw with cilantro and lemon + lime juice that I can easily grab a big ol’ portion of to fill my to-go tupperware. This slaw will last me 3 days. I also often cut and prep enough greens, peppers and carrots to fill the bowl for to-go salads. The key is to add the olive oil immediately after filling the container (pour along the outside of the container to avoid having some leaves more oily than others), give it a good shake, cover it with a paper towel AND the lid and it will hold in the fridge for days. From there I put the salad in my to-go container, dress it as needed, and add any toppings (nuts, goat cheese, etc.) on demand. You can also cook up a ton of veggies in fat (oil, bacon fat, butter) and they will hold in the container for days.

The process is simple and convenient- prep veggies twice per week, fill the big container once, and fill smaller tupperware when you need to take your veggies to-go. Give this method a go, and share your twist on the implementation on the EIE facebook group!