Snacking During Breaks

Think. Yes, right now. When was the last time you had practice? Now think of all the cool (or not so cool) stuff that you did. Ok, now I want you to try and remember what you ate for snack. Was it healthy? Did it fuel you enough for the rest of practice? It seems that every day I'm at gym, at least one person on my team may have a snack that is delicious, but not good for her. So while things like TGI Friday's' "Potato Skins" chips may look good you might want to swap that one out for some trail mix. 

BAD

Of course, You have to start off with the obviously bad stuff. Things like cold pizza, cake, and burgers. One of my old coaches actually had a teammate that had a McDonald's burger at snack once, and they all had to run until she threw up (it only took 30 minutes). There's also things like chips, candy, and other "junk" type foods that probably shouldn't be on your snack time menu. Those granola bars that are covered in chocolate and deliciousness? Yeah, you should probably supplement them with something better if you really want one. Always, always, always make sure that those fruit snacks are really beneficial, too. Labels that contain weird names like polydimethylsiloxane probably aren't that good for you either. 

(By the way, polydimenthylsiloxane [PDMS] is used in foods at some of your favorite fast food restaurants as well as in Silly Putty, dry-cleaning solutions, silicone and head-lice treatments AND it's also a bonding agent. Eat up!)

GOOD

Good foods are almost as easy to find as the bad. Things like nuts and meats give you the protein you need to maintain your energy throughout your practice. Fruits and Vegetables are low in fat while still filling you up and giving you the  essential vitamins and minerals, fiber, and other substances that you need. The best thing to remember when choosing a healthy snack is to balance your food groups. Just protein is great, but you're missing those vitamins, and just fruit is delicious, but it's not going to hold you up for long. Some awesome choices for the best of both worlds are things like apples in peanut butter, fruit and nut granola bars (check the ingredients for artificial sugar content. Usually things that end in -ose), fruit filled yogurt, and other things of that sort!

Recipe!

Homemade chewy dark chocolate cherry almond granola bars

Ingredients:

1 2/3 cups rolled oats 

1/3 cup raw honey 

1/3 cup whole wheat pastry flour 

1/2 tsp salt 

1/2 Chocolate Bar, crushed (chocolate chips are also fine)

1/2 cup dried cherries 

1/2 cup slivered almonds 

1 tsp vanilla extract 

1/4 cup coconut oil 

1/4 cup organic brown sugar

Directions:

1. Butter or oil an 8x8 baking pan.

2. In a large bowl, combine all ingredients. Mix thoroughly. 

3. Place the mixture onto the prepared baking pan and pat down firmly so that it's 1/2" thick. 

Tip* When using a larger baking sheet, scoot the mixture to one side and cover the exposing edge with a thin piece of foil to prevent it from getting hard in the oven.

4. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes or until the top is golden brown.

5. Allow to cool before cutting.

Tip* The coconut oil gives these bars a hint of coconut flavor. If you’d like more, feel free to add 1/2 cup unsweetened coconut flakes.

I don't know about you, but these sound DELICIOUS to me! They also sound pretty easy to make, that way people who have a busy schedule will have time to make them too :)

Bake on my hungry Internet gymnasts!

~Joanna

Information on polydimethylosiloxane found at: http://science.discovery.com/life-earth-science/10-common-weird-ingredients.htm

See more recipes at: http://www.spain-in-iowa.com/2012/08/homemade-chewy-dark-chocolate-cherry-with-almond-granola-bars/#sthash.K7lOd4aF.dpuf

Buns, Ponytails, and Hairspray... Oh My!

Hey girls and -possibly- guys!

Sorry I haven't posted in a while, I was hoping life would slow down for me during winter break. No such luck. Anyways, one day 'till school and here I am, sitting with time on my hands, ready to give my readers a brand-new post! Hooray! (better late than never... am I right?)

Anyhow, I had my second "real" meet just yesterday. At my gym, all the girls on my team have to wear a high bun that is smashed into our heads with absolutely NO hair falling out. After we do that, it is a requirement for us to spray so much hairspray onto our doo so that our hair feels like styled barbie-doll hair.

Even with that much hairspray and even bobby pins, reaching towards seamless security, it still seems that our hairdoos are not good enough. At our meet, I couldn't help but noticing about half of the girls on our team had hair bob up and down and up and down and- well, you get the picture. This made me wonder if it is really worth it to put so much stuff in your hair in the first place. Sure, it looks nice at first, and it is harder for the hair to get in your face, but I'm sure that buns are not the only hairdoo that can do that for you. Not to mention the fact that all the hairspray caked onto our head can lead to other problems with dryness of the scalp and hair. 

With this question I ventured into the internet. What I found was not totally shocking. There are actually a few web-articles about different ways for gymnasts to do their hair. There are even some websites (like this one http://www.livestrong.com/article/549267-the-best-ways-to-do-a-gymnasts-hair/) that give different hairstyles for different lengths of hair and even different looks, like sleek or fun. It turns out that there are many different hairstyles to choose from. If you are still set on your bun, I'm sorry to say that I couldn't find any other ways to do it other than the recommended, gel it and spray it. There's still hope though because I learned that you don't actually have to worry about the whole dry scalp as long as you wash your hair as soon as you can and you don't wear the spray too often. I also found that there are actually specific ways to spray hairspray to get the most out of your product. For instance, you should start by looking at what the bottle of spray says it's for. For more secure doo's, look for bottles that say ultra-strong hold or something along those lines. 

What doo's are you going to try for your next meet/event? Let me know in the comments!

Doo on my fashionable internet gymnasts!

~Joanna

P.S. How am I doing? Comment \/\/\/

P.P.S. Hairspray facts found at http://www.schwarzkopf.com/sk/en/home/hair_repair/tips_and_tricks/styling_tricks/how_to_use_hair_spray_properly.html and http://www.skin-remedies.com/hair-products.html

Hydration. Hydration, hydration, hydration... You should be taking notes.

(beautiful edit by me :3)

Hi everyone!

For today's post, I'm going to look into the problem of dehydration during practices. As it turns out, drinking is a sort of a science when it comes to workouts. I found whole websites telling me what to drink, how much to drink, and even when to drink it for the optimal performance. Anyways, here's what I've learned!

Water Tip #1: Drink regular water!
They suggested straight water, not Vitamin Water or Gatorade for a post-workout drink like I was told by others. Even though after a workout you may want to grab for that yummy dragon-fruit drink to re-hydrate and re-energize, the better option may actually be water. Water is vital for maintaining things like body temperature and chemical reactions.

Water Tip #2: Drink electrolytes!
Practicing less than 45 minutes may point you to water, but if you are working out for more than 45 minutes, the suggestion still stands. The electrolytes in low sugar energy drinks can help replace the ones lost when sweating and fueling muscles.

Water Tip #3: Thirst is NOT an indicator.
You really need to remember that thirst alone is not a good indicator of how much you need to drink. This is because thirst can be quenched by small amounts of liquid. In addition to that, once you are thirsty, you are already well on your way to dehydration.

Water Tip #4: Drink A LOT.
I read that for every 10 to 20 minutes of a workout, you should drink eight ounces of water. For a four hour practice like I have, that adds up to about 280 oz or 6.5 bottles of water. To me, that sounds like a huge amount. (I've got some more water to drink...) Never fear though! People with shorter practices do not necessarily need that much water.

Representation of 280 oz or one gallon in 20 oz bottles.

Water Tip #5: Make it happen!!
Just thinking about drinking something really doesn't work. Trust me, I've tried. Make an effort to actually drink during practice, even if your lockers or the water fountain are way over there. Drinking can do a wonders for the athlete! That is, as long as they do it. :)


Quench on my possibly dehydrated internet gymnasts!
~Joanna





p.s. information from http://goaskalice.columbia.edu/best-thing-drink-workout-after

Spikey Ball!

Hi everyone,
Today's going to be a kind of short post. I'm just want to share this neat little thing with you!
Anyways, I went to the physical therapist for my foot today (it was a tragic accident involving a hockey puck... yeah.) and they showed my this weird little ball with spikes all over it. I have had to roll my muscles out before at gym, but only with a giant foam cylinder. When I saw  it, I thought it kind of looked like a play bouncy ball or a practice rugby ball. It was really weird. Then he had me roll my foot out with it. It hurt at first, but then it was awesome. We ended up getting one because I have tight everything, and he told us (me and my mom) that it was good for just that. 

If you have tight muscles, make sure to find a spikey ball. They're super awesome. Foam rollers are pretty cool too, but I feel like the spikey ball was better. 

Anyhow, Here's a link to where you can get one: http://www.amazon.com/Perform-Better-Spikey-Ball-Maasage/dp/B0029ODBEC/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1386702156&sr=8-1&keywords=spikey+ball . They ARE a little expensive, but others have said that, it helps in the long run. 


Stay loose my wonderful internet gymnasts!
~Joanna

Splits! (No, not the banana kind. Sadly.)

Hi everybody!
Sorry I missed you yesterday... Yah... Anyways, here's today's post!

So, Splits. I don't know about you, but these are a big thing for me to work towards. I have my left and right, but middle splits? ugh. I hear things every day like, just do them during commercials when you're watching TV! Do them while you finish your homework! Do them when you blog! (OK, maybe i'm trying that last one...) The thing is though, when I do homework or watch TV, I don't tend to feel like doing the splits. Call me lazy, but that's how it is. Not to mention, aren't commercials already painful enough. Surely the number of people who can endure both the weird commercials and the pain of ripping your muscles apart is very low. That got me thinking. What are some ways to stretch most efficiently? My mom always tells me that it won't happen overnight, but what if it could? After posing this question to the internet, I found five tips to help you better stretch splits. Here they are!


Tip #1: Heat up!

Ever wondered why we usually do a 'warm up' at practice before we stretch? Well, warming up your muscles helps them relax more, making stretching slightly less painful/hard. This is an activity you can try at home by running, taking a shower, hot-tubing, etc.

Tip #2: Do an engaging activity

Play a board game, watch TV (so maybe I shot this down earlier...), talk on the phone, use your laptop. Do these things while you practice splits. The distraction of the activity may just take your mind off of the discomfort of stretching.

Tip #3: Stretch at night

Whoa, that's not random. Actually, it's not. Stretching at night is actually quite easier because your muscles have been loosening up all throughout the day. Ever noticed how stiff you wake up? Muscles pulling, joints popping? This is because when you sleep your body stiffens up. Then, your day is spent loosening up, making the end of the day the loosest part. 

Tip #4: Wear socks

Well, this was different. Usually when I practice my splits, I take my socks off right away. Anyways, wearing socks not only makes your feet nice and cozy warm, they force you to slide down further. If you hadn't noticed, bare feet aren't very good at sliding. Seeing as how sliding is usually painful (especially when you can't stop it, *ouch*) I suggest that you try this tip with one of the ones before, too. (# 1, 2, & 3)

Tip #5: Take breaks!

OK, this one is a little hard for me, believe it or not. Those last two Inches, grr, I've got to get them RIGHT NOW. Sadly though, that is NOT a good idea. Actually, after stretching for some time, your muscles will actually start to tense up. Think about it, all stretching is is tearing your muscles apart so they can heal longer than they were before. Talk about mega ouch. Tensing up is just your muscles saying "Hey, stop that!" Taking breaks is good because it gives them time to recuperate. Lets face it, nobody likes to be sore. 


Keep tearing those muscles, tough internet gymnasts!
~Joanna




p.s. I got this information from http://beginnerballerina.blogspot.com/2009/07/10-tips-make-splits-much-easier-to-do.html and http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20090330221235AAIm7dX

Chocolate Milk: Real or Myth?

Hey everyone! 
I know it's a little late, but I really want to do this post! Anyways, I've heard from multiple sources that one of the best options for an after-practice drink/snack is chocolate milk. As well as hearing the positives, I'm also asked, "what's so good about chocolate milk?". Well, this is a very valid question. I mean, chocolate milk has "chocolate" in the name, and people all over consider it a "candy". Why not just regular milk? Now here's where I come in. I did some research to find if chocolate milk is beneficial like they say, or just a hoax to make people feel better about drinking it. 

Alas, I found a website that informed me of the truth. Dr. Charles Smith, UAMS family medicine doctor, shares that it may be more beneficial than you think. Apparently, the chocolate in the milk contains as much as 11g of protein. That's just about as much as  A 50-gram commercially prepared protein bar. In relation to only drinking this milk after practice, experts suggest that you should have between 15g and 25g of protein after a night at the gym. This would be the equivalent to either An 80-gram protein bar from a national candy company, which usually contains a surplus of sugar (see my other post "The Candy Bar Scandal"), or about 200ml of chocolate milk, equivalent to one cup. 

Now, it seems that the answer is clear, I'm gonna have chocolate milk after practice! With it, an athlete will have the protein they need, and not the extra sugar they don't.

Are you going to drink chocolate milk after workout more often? Why or why not? Tell me in the comments!     \/ \/ \/

Tumble on, my majestic internet gymnasts.
~Joanna


p.s. information from http://www.uamshealth.com/?id=5453&sid=1 and http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/much-protein-protein-bar-have-6571.html

The Candy Bar Scandal

Hi everyone!

I'm here to inform you of a secret undercover sugar spy, looking to infiltrate your healthy lifestyle... Nutrition Bars! Come on, you say? They say "Nutrition" in the name, right? Wrong. These "Nutrition" bars tend to contain low-quality protein and are high in sugar. Did you know that Some of the most popular "Nutrition" or "Energy" bars in supermarkets have more than 20 grams of sugar each, which is really just as bad as eating a packet of candy. 

So, if you ever feel the need for a candy bar, but are worried because it's "not healthy enough" don't worry. Eat the candy bar or packet of candy without any guilt. It's just about as healthy as anything else you would put in your face.

As a result of this finding, I searched for a recipe for a health bar that is actually healthy. Go ahead and try it! I know I will.

Ingredients:

1/2 cup vanilla whey powder

1/4 cup flaked coconut

1/4 cup coconut flour

1/4 cup milk

30 g melted 85% dark chocolate

Directions:

1. Mix the protein powder and coconut flour with milk and shape the batter into bars.

2. Melt the chocolate in a glass bowl on top of a pot of boiling water. Once melted, dip the bars in the chocolate. 

3. Place the bars in the freezer for 30-45 minutes.

4. Enjoy

Nutritional Info:

Calories: 212

Protein: 17 g

Fat: 13 g

Carbs: 9 g

Sugars: 3 g

Best for:

Muscle building and circuit training. Consume 30-60 minutes before exercise.

Bake on my strong internet gymnasts, and remember, if we work together we may be able to stop the candy bar scandal!

~Joanna

p.s. the recipe was from http://www.askmen.com/top_10/fitness_top_ten/24c_fitness_list.html and the information was from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/09/14/the-sneaky-sugar-in-your-candy_n_3924136.html