What I eat in a nutshell...Part 2

 Today is my rest day from the gym and thankfully so as I wasn't feeling too well. I have been pushing myself super hard lately and I think it's important to remember that the body does need some time to rest and repair!

Rest days are actually implemented in many professional training plans, even those of Olympic athletes, in order to allow the body time to recuperate. (Sarah Gibson, certified personal trainer) As we work out, overtime we place greater strain on our muscles, tendons, ligaments, bones and joints. Our immune system is activated when there are muscle tears or joint strains, but if we don't give our bodies a break, our immune system doesn’t have the time to catch up and start repairing muscle fibres. Thus, if you’re building muscle, you should take a day off from lifting the same region so the body has time to repair the muscles you’re working. This is why bodybuilders often focus on one muscle group a day for example legs, shoulders, or back. In saying this is it still beneficial to take a day of rest and not train anything in order for your body to rest and catch up. If there are any nasty bugs or viruses you may be fighting off this rest day will give your body time to recover as well. This will prevent burnout and overtraining. Sometimes I should take my own advice. I think it's all about having that balance... the ability to be motivated but to also know when you know your body really needs a break!! Some people prefer to take one day of full rest and one day of active rest. An example of active rest would be doing a lower intensity yoga class.

 I don't normally eat protein bars unless I find myself stuck. It's just as detrimental not to eat as it is to overeat so sometimes when I am busy at work and cannot get my breaks in I will scarf down one of these babies: Quest bars! I think they are one of the better choices for a protein bar as they contain 20 grams of protein per bar, minimal carbs and sugars and believe it or not they taste great! They also have sooooo many flavours. Everything from cinnamon bun to chocolate brownie to strawberry shortcake. The texture was a little and for me to get use to in the beginning but now I kinda like it. They are quite chewy.

Here are some pictures of the foods that I eat on a daily basis. As I mentioned in part 1 I eat every 2-3 hours. I always include protein in every meal. I mainly stick to chicken, fish and shrimp. I love shrimp in a kale salad with avocado. I usually pair my chicken or fish with rice or quinoa. The last picture displaying the fish (they are still frozen by the way) is a picture of the brand highliner tilapia. It is a packaged item but it is amazing. There is no added breading or fat just a really nice combination of spices. I think you will be pleasantly suprised if you decide to try it. Its great with rice and a side of broccoli, asparagus or even a kale salad! Delish!!! and filling too:) Protein is so important for building muscle and muscle burns fat so making sure to include protein in all your meals is so important. The other great thing about protein is that it keeps you full longer. A combination of protein and fats will keep you full even longer as fat takes the longest to digest of any macronutrient.

Since I eat A LOT of chicken I have quite a few chicken recipes so I will post those overtime. Most are super easy to prepare and when I do my food prep I prep in bulk so I have my meals prepared for the week.