KimFitOnline.com

No Joke Lifestyle with Kimberly Isom at WBFC June 5, 2010

2011-01-23T15:04:00.000-08:00

In the Presence of Glory by Kimberly Moore| Lulu Poetry

2011-01-20T05:41:00.000-08:00

In the Presence of Glory by Kimberly Moore| Lulu Poetry

In the Presence of Glory

by Kimberly Moore

As I slowly walk on the dusty brown paséo, the aging wood screeches to every anticipating step. While searching for an intriguing creature to captivate my attention, I come to an abrupt halt and ponder the purpose of my journey.

A red shoulder hawk sits on its perch conjuring a motive, motionless and gazing upon the wetland. A tree gently sways from left to right in the wind, and the sun begins to dance with the leaf’s shadow on the earth underneath my feet. There are distant harmonic echoes of avian conversations in the distance.

A breeze crawls over my face with the allusiveness of serenity. With absolute gratitude of its divine power, I lose all feelings of existence as the warmth of the sun holds me in its arms as my mother would hold me when I was a child, protecting me from life’s mysteries, which I have come to discover.

My head tilts to stare up to the heavens. The dreadful fiery glare pressures me to look away and step into a world filled with turmoil and chaos. External entities in devil’s flesh attempt to stir me away from my Father’s covenant. He cast them into an abandoned dessert and protects me from incorporeal harm.

Copyright © Kimberly Isom 2010

How to Eat for Top Performance | Page 2 | Active.com

2010-07-22T06:42:00.000-07:00

How to Eat for Top Performance | Page 1 | Active.com

By Chrissy Wellington M.S., C.N.S., L.D.N., C.P.T

As an athlete, you must perform at your peak every single day. To reach optimal performance, your fuels sources must be top quality. You also have different nutritional needs. Your daily nutrition must support all of the energy that your body gives out. Consuming the right type of nutrients at the right time can make or break performance and energy. Whether you participate in recreational exercise, an endurance sport, or in building lean body mass, the correct timing of nutrient intake can increase your stamina and help you obtain faster results.

Performance

Athletes have created anecdotes which lead them to showcase bizarre dietary habits as they keep looking for the competitive edge. Athletes are presumed by many to be the epitome of physical health and their nutritional status is presumed to be superior to the non-athletic population. Smart sports nutrition has a goal of decreasing injuries, increasing reaction time, enhancing muscle power, boosting strength and endurance, increasing concentration and, of course, increasing enjoyment. Food is the fuel to help obtain this goal. The current dietary recommendations for athletes are similar to the recommendations for the general population.

Metabolism, in scientific terms, is the sum of the chemical reactions in the cells of our bodies that maintain life. When we say metabolism, we often mean metabolic rate which can be quantified as "calories burned" or "energy expended."

Understanding metabolism and having a sense of your own metabolic needs can help you find an approach to performance. Improved performance is based on the number of muscle fibers contracted at one time. Greater energy output equates with greater performance. The amount and type of energy transferred from food will tell the muscle how much to contract. When we ask our bodies to do more work, we are essentially asking it to increase its metabolism. The demand for energy causes the body to break down energy stores in the form of carbohydrates and fat.

Macronutrients

Fat is an adequate energy source in the body. It is the preferred fuel for lower intensity level activities such as sleeping and eating, but it is also used for endurance activities such as marathons or long-distance cycling. Well-trained muscles are optimum fat burners; untrained muscles rely on glycogen. Greater glycogen use results in quick fatigue.

Using fats for energy spares glycogen, therefore increasing an athlete’s stamina. Cells begin to utilize fat approximately 20 minutes into a workout.

Carbohydrates are the preferred energy source for all activities in the body. Having adequate carbohydrate stores allows for greater blood sugar regulation preventing early exercise fatigue. Exhaustion is reached quickly if an athlete is following a low carbohydrate diet (<5 percent carb intake). Therefore, the type of activity that an athlete is performing can determine the percentage of carbohydrate intake daily.

More than one study found that cyclists, ice hockey players, and runners performed better when they ingested a higher carbohydrate diet. Athletes who train exhaustively on successive days or who compete in prolonged endurance events need to consume a diet containing 60 to 70 percent of total calories from carbohydrate.

The protein requirements for athletes in certain strength sports such as weightlifting are still controversial. Protein is needed to build and repair muscle, help produce hormones, boost the immune system, and replace red blood cells.

Athletes need slightly more protein than the average American to build new muscle tissue as well as repair the damage done during intense training. The metabolism of protein during exercise is multifactorial. This process is altered by certain stimuli, such as intensity, duration, and type of exercise, as well as training environment, protein and energy intake, age and sex of the individual.

How much protein does an athlete need? The truth is that no scientific evidence has proven that protein intake exceeding 0.9 grams of protein per pound of body weight will provide an additional advantage. Excessive protein is oxidized and is stored as a triglyceride.

Timing

The most rapid use of fuel regardless of intensity occurs during the first 20 to 30 minutes of exercise. Before and during exercise the goal of an athlete is to provide him or herself with quality carbohydrates to sustain the activity. Athletes need carbohydrates to prevent the depletion of glycogen stores, increase the immune function, minimize muscle damage, and prepare the enzymes for a faster muscle recovery.

Immediately after exercise (within 30 minutes) the goal of the athlete is to provide the body with carbohydrates and protein to shift the metabolic activity, speed elimination of waste by increasing blood flow, replenish glycogen, initiate tissue repair, prepare for muscle growth, reduce muscle damage, and improve the immune system. The body will stay in a catabolic state (muscle break down) if food is not supplied. Animal studies show that those who are fed within 30 minutes of exercise completion have a 6 percent increase in lean body mass, fat oxidizing enzymes are increased by 70 percent, and abdominal fat decreases by 24 percent.

Daily Menu

So what should a training diet look like? Approximately 60 percent of an athlete’s diet should steam from carbohydrates with a mix of vegetables, fruits, whole grains and small amounts of low fat, organic dairy. About 30 percent of an athlete’s diet should come from lean proteins, fish, poultry, lean meats, beans, and low fat, organic dairy. Another 10 percent of an athlete’s diet should come from quality fats, olive and canola oils, nuts and nut butters, seeds, and avocados.

Smart nutrition goals for every athlete are to always enjoy a nutrient rich, mostly plant-based diet. Always fuel before, possibly during and after exercise. Balance energy by eating small, frequent meals throughout the day and be sure to hydrate adequately with water, herbal teas and natural juices. Good nutrition will always enhance exercise performance. Never let poor nutrition be a limiting factor.

The following recipe is great example of a balance between healthy fats, lean proteins and quality carbohydrates.

Lobster Macaroni and Cheese

3 cups elbow macaroni

1/2 cup diced onions

1 tablespoon canola oil

Pinch ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

1 bay leaf

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 quart 2 percent milk

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1 1/2 teaspoons sea salt

1/2 teaspoon white distilled vinegar

2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, about 8 ounces

1/4 cup Parmesan cheese

12 ounces cooked lobster meat, chopped

1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs

1. Cook macaroni according to package instructions.

2. Preheat oven to 375º. Lightly coat a 9 x 13-inch baking pan with canola oil.

3. In a large saucepan, sauté onions in canola oil until translucent. Add cloves, black pepper and bay leaf.

4. Mix cornstarch with milk in a large bowl. Add to onion mixture and bring to a simmer. Simmer for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Add Worcestershire sauce, garlic powder, salt, pepper and vinegar. Add cheeses and stir until melted. Remove bay leaf. Stir in lobster and macaroni and mix gently.

5. Pour into baking pan and top with bread crumbs. Bake for 25 to 20 minutes or until bread crumbs are golden brown. Cut into 12 squares.

Makes 12 servings, each containing approximately:

275 calories

28 gm. carbohydrate

10 gm. fat

48 mg. cholesterol

18 gm. protein

541 mg. sodium

1 gm. fiber

Website Launch

2010-01-06T09:13:00.001-08:00

Hi Everyone: I just wanted to announce the launch of my personal training site, www.kimfitonline.com. Learn more about my services and contact me for affordable rates or just check back to keep up with progression, contest, and the happenings. From time to time, I'll post workout tips and nutrition advice. Feel free to post any comments!

-Kimberly
www.kimfitonline.com

Recovering from a bug...

2010-01-06T08:46:00.000-08:00

Has anyone every had a stomach virus? I had the worst!! It started on New Year's day. Occasionally, when I'm eating clean, 98% of the time - if I eat something outside of those limits, I get sick. I had a wonderful New Year playing the Wii with my Fiance, Vincent, you'll hear me mention him a lot, and his Aunts, Uncles, and family friends after a delicious feast. I developed a slight headache, but I figured it was all the excitement of the games.

Later that night, as I tried to rest, I jumped up and headed to bowl, from my mouth out came what I had eaten. I'm thinking it's normal, but couldn't imagine just what I had eaten to cause this.... After all, all I had was turkey, cabbage, collards, black eyed peas and cornbread. You know it's just not a New Year's feast without the collards and black eyed peas; right? Anyways... I just couldn't figure it out. I cleaned myself up and tried to rest once again..and I was up back at it again..I won't get to graphic, but this would be the scene for the entire duration of the night into the morning, and onto the next day. Yes...all day! I had horrible stomach cramps and pains, with a rumbling tummy that just wouldn't quit!

I dropped 7lbs - would have been nice, if I didn't look so scary. I and was weak and was at a lost for food. Yes, you know I had to be sick!

Vincent took such good care of me. Kudos to him..he was a fab caregiver. He barely left my side. I need to get sick more often..NOT!

He prepared all my food, drinks, home remedies....and brought it to me on a tray. At this time I couldn't lay down and had to sleep in the recliner for a much better feeling on my stomach.

I had soup and crackers, and loads of ginger ale and gatorade. Pepto, aspirin...the works. No matter what I ate or drank it was coming out from one end or the other.

Saturday night around 10pm, I felt a little better. Vincent and I watched a movie. The Soliost. Very heartfelt.

Still had the bubbleguts, but I was determined to get better. Vincent was very encouraging.

Sunday, I tried to eat a bit of eggs and toast and to the bathroom I went. I had decided I wasn't going to church...but the God in me, wouldn't let me just stay home. I took a nap before going, still very tired and weak, but God gives me breath, so I give him praise.

I made it through service, barely. I took a trip to the restroom before taking my seat. My count down was on, but I did pay attention to the message. The Pastor preached about having a New Life. And the scripture reading came from Colossians. See, I was paying attention; despite the odds.

When we got home from church, I just took it easy, and why did I try to eat some potatos and turkey? Now that was a big mistake and jacked me up. I couldn't stay off that toliet. Seemed like every 5 mins...

Later in the night, Vincent got sick, too..Poor thing. He had the same symptoms. I felt so bad, but I was too weak to care from him, as he had for me. I just mumbled to him from the bed. He was up all night..as I had been previously.

We were both a mess!

Monday morning, I was on the phone with the insurance company trying to find a doctor in my network. Luckily there was one that I had previously gone to. Perfect!

I took one trip to the toliet, showered, and headed to the doctor.

At first I was told it was food poising, just by the symptoms I described alone. After the testing, to detemine if it was bacteria or viral...viral won!

A prescription was sent to Walgreens and I was given my dietary recommendations for the remainder of the day. While picking up the prescription, I grabbed more ginger ale and chicken noodle soup for both Vincent and myself.

When I arrived home, we ate and drank and took those meds. We were knocked out. That's some good stuff. Fixed us right on up. We were inside, literally snoozing all day and night. We woke up approx every 8 hrs to eat, drink, and take more meds.

What a treat, that bug....