Hi friends!
Here is your weekly Tri-Tip Tuesday, sharing our current thoughts on food, fitness, & travel. Please forward this to others if you think they may be inspired.
Food: what is the best pre-workout supplement?
This is a question that I get asked often, and my answer may surprise you. It's not a fruit-flavored powder you mix in a shaker cup, or an energy drink in a can. It's straight-up caffeine. Old school, black coffee, with no sugar added.
This popular drink has been linked to greater strength, power, and endurance during a workout. The International Society of Sports Nutrition (ISSN) indicates that caffeine is highly effective as an ergogenic aid and for powering workouts when consumed in doses of 0.9–2.7 mg per pound of body weight (for a 150-pound person, this is around 135–405 mg). However, sticking to the low end of this range may be ideal for the average person. For best results, drink around 1–2 cups (100-200mg) 45–60 minutes before your workout.
Caffeine tolerance is highly individual, with some people tolerating higher doses while others experience unwanted side effects after a single cup of coffee. Common side effects include anxiety, nervousness, increased heart rate, rapid pulse, irritability, sleep disruption or insomnia, and stomach discomfort. Therefore, it’s best to listen to your body and find an amount that’s comfortable for you, if you choose to consume caffeine at all.
If you find caffeine bothersome, it’s best to avoid it completely. You can still get in a great workout by ensuring you’re eating a nutritious diet, getting quality sleep, and managing your stress.
Fitness: change your self-identity
Sometimes when people start their wellness journey, one thing holding them back from success more than anything else is their own vision of who they are. Your self-identity.
In the fitness space, we have centered so much of our identity on how we look or how much we weigh, leading people to lose sight of their confidence and purpose. Those voices of self-doubt can creep up and sabotage your good intentions. "You're not fit enough, not small enough, not strong enough", the list goes on.
I challenge you to change your mindset and create your identity based on who you want to become. Once you've identified that version, fully believe that you are that person.
You ARE a strong person. You ARE fit and healthy. You ARE capable of taking the stairs, parking further away, and lifting weights because that's what strong people do and you're a strong person.
If you change your identity and believe in the new, healthy version of yourself, you'll be amazed at how much easier your healthy lifestyle will be to stay consistent with. Positivity attracts positivity. If you constantly put yourself down and fuel negative self-thoughts, who will be there to pick you up and push you forward?
Travel: best deli sandwich ever
I'm a huge foodie. I love food and trying local food while traveling. While I've been to New York City a handful of times, I never made it to Kat'z Delicatessen...until this time through in May 2024.
Deli sandwiches aren't typically on my wish list when eating out, as they are hit or miss (usually miss). Generally speaking, I'm not a fan of processed cold cuts and carb-heavy handhelds. But I am a fan of a solid Philly cheesesteak, a traditional Ruben sandwich, or a French dip...I guess that makes me a selective sandwich eater with high expectations, lol.
Kat'z Deli is known for its Pastrami on Rye. The legendary pastrami is made in-house, from scratch, using a slow process. There was a line out the door when we got there, which I was expecting. I wasn't expecting the hundreds of people inside once I got in. It was so noisy and chaotic in there...but in a good way!
It ended up taking about 35-40 minutes for me to wait in line, order my $28 sandwich, and take it outside to go split it with Aaron. We ended up riding our bikes to Central Park and enjoying the Pastrami there. We were both blown away, and this sandwich changed my world.
It was the food highlight of this visit to NYC, and I'm still thinking about it a month later. If you're ever in the Big City, please eat one for me.
Make it a great week!
Christine Irene
NASM-CPT, Senior Fitness Specialist, Precision Nutrition Pn1 + Pn2 Certified, & Avid Traveler
"Day by day, what you think and what you do is who you become." - HERACLITUS
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