The world’s best nutritionists and dietitians answer your nutrition questions. Learn about gut and digestive health, performance nutrition, or weight loss and lifestyle nutrition from specialists like Claire Fudge, JJ Virgin, and Erin Judge.
White bread is generally lower in nutrient density, so it is not as beneficial from a nutritional standpoint as whole grain bread. Transcript: "OK. The question, why do they say white bread is bad for you? Well, if you've listened to some of my answers, you know that I'm not really a big proponent of labeling or shaming food good or bad. But white bread in general is usually a little bit lower in what's called nutrient density so there won't be as many nutrients. There's less fiber, less vitamins, less minerals. So normally, it's just a little bit less nutrient dense. You can get a lot more bang for your buck if you do more of a whole grain bread. I hope that helps."
I personally do all of my morning training fasted, and I can continue to do that after a low to moderate or even heavier workout. The best way to tell whether it's working or not is to pay attention to how you feel-- if your energy levels are good and you're improving, then it's likely working for you. Transcript: "Hey there. So the question is, the person does most of their morning training fasted, even moderate interval training. They want to know, can they keep fasting after a low, moderate bike run or run without compromising improvement, and I'll tell you my experience with that. I do all of my morning training fasted. I played tennis every day from 10:00 to 12:00 minimum, sometimes starting even earlier, so I do maybe two to three hours of tennis till noon, and I do it on an empty stomach or with bulletproof coffee or coffee with fat added to it. The most I'll do sometimes is a handful of nuts during my fasting days, and I can certainly continue to do that after 12:00. I usually wait till about 2:00 for my first big meal, but the measure that I always use the metric that I always use is how's my energy how do I feel. If I feel good, if I feel like I'm really on a roll, I'm in fat burning modem, my energy is OK, and I'm not feeling that drop in blood sugar. Sure, I can continue fasting after a low to moderate or even heavier workout. The ultimate metric for this is how do you feel. Are you improving? Do you feel energetic? Is your attitude optimistic? Are you kind of involved in and alive? Because that's the real test of whether something's working, whether it's a diet or a fasting program. It's how do you feel-- that's the ultimate arbiter. Don't deny the evidence of your own senses, because that will tell you whether what you're doing is working or not."
Magnesium and creatine are good supplements to take for endurance athletes. Magnesium helps with recovery, and creatine helps with bones and muscles. It also has benefits for brain health. Transcript: "There are loads that I could actually suggest. Magnesium is a super obvious one. But I think you know that. So I'll just leave that. Creatine is not so obvious, but that would be one that immediately springs to mind, because it helps with recovery, helps your bones and muscles. And it's not often one associated with endurance. And in fact, because of the potential for fluid gain, a lot of people avoid it. But three grams a day will saturate the cells, allow for a bit of recovery of the bone and muscle. And it's super good for your brain, too."
Apple cider vinegar can be used to help balance your blood sugar and improve insulin sensitivity. Just add a tablespoon or two in your salad dressing, iced green tea, or other meals. Transcript: "One of the most powerful things you can do for your health is to balance your blood sugar. And one of the secret weapons to do that is Apple cider vinegar. In fact, Apple cider vinegar can work like the drug metformin to help with insulin sensitivity. So all you need to do is use some Apple cider vinegar in your salad dressing with some extra virgin olive oil or put some in your iced green tea. So just a tablespoon or two can make a big difference doing this before a meal."
To boost energy naturally, look for supplements that contain ingredients like D-ribose or RiaGev, which help to protect and multiply mitochondria, resulting in increased production of ATP. Transcript: "Josh, you want to know, are there clean ingredients that are not caffeine or stimulants that can boost energy naturally? Here's why I love this question. True clean energy starts at the level of the mitochondria. These are tiny organelles found within the trillions of cells in your body that manufacture the currency of energy called ATP. And as athletes we all desire more of that, as the average individual we want more of that. How do we get more of that? You're going to hear a lot more of these AMPK boosting supplements on the market. AMPK stands for adenosine monophosphate kinase. And you don't have to worry about that, but basically what it is, is protecting and multiplying mitochondria so that you get more ATP downstream. And so you want to look for ingredients known as D-ribose, or RiaGev, and this comes in powder form. Really cool specialized type of ingredient to boost AMPK, to increase the mitochondrial output, and the divine equivalent of that currency of energy ATP."
It's best to buy uncured bacon for better health, but if you're looking for higher quality meat, you can buy lamb or beef bacon from a high-quality farm. Transcript: "Certainly, if you're going to eat bacon, you're going to want it to be uncured because cured bacon is essentially a processed meat. It falls into the category of processed meat which is probably one of the unhealthiest foods that you can eat. But an overarching question, I believe, that is worthy of discussion is are ruminant animals like lamb and cow-- are they healthier because of the fermentation of the grasses and such that they eat? And I think the general consensus is yes, this fermentation probably liberates nutrients that probably make their way into the meat. There's a better ratio of fatty acids in the meat. And so if you had to pick, you can buy lamb bacon. You can buy beef bacon. I've had both. I'm Jewish, so I've actually never had bacon, and so I don't know if it tastes exactly the same, but I've had, from very high-quality farms, I've had lamb bacon and I've had cow bacon, and they were quite tasty. So those are options if you're looking for trying to improve the overall quality of the meats that you're going to eat. Poultry and pork probably are not the best choices when it comes to eating animals but, again, obviously with everything else, you need to find that healthy moderation or healthy amount of meats and such that you incorporate into your diet."