Soy Fit: Post-Workout Snacks Restore Energy and Build Muscle

Soy Offers High-Quality Protein and Nutrients to Fuel Active Lifestyles

ST. LOUIS– For many women, all it takes is thinking about the consequences of a sedentary lifestyle: expanding waistbands, escalating health problems. Whatever motivates you to the gym, studies confirm that, when it comes to weight loss, programs incorporating diet and exercise are superior to dieting alone. That’s because they preserve muscle – the key to keeping your metabolism in high gear. But after juggling all of life’s commitments to get those precious 30 to 60 minutes of intense activity, many women forget to eat a healthy snack right after a workout.

Whether you are a casual exerciser or endurance athlete, replenishing the body with fluids and nutrients after a workout is an essential – and simple – way to restore energy and regulate hunger before your next meal. For nutrient density, convenience and versatility, soy packs a powerful punch toward preventing the post-workout slump.

Your most important meal of the day

Having a snack before exercising provides energy for a performance-enhancing workout, but what you consume afterward impacts how your body recovers and may also affect long-term fitness goals. Think that eating right after a workout cancels out the calories you just burned? This is not always the case. Having a post-workout snack does not necessarily equal weight gain, especially if you stick to satisfying, nutritious foods.

All types of exercise use carbohydrates for energy – from the sweat-filled spinning sessions to restorative walks and yoga lessons. Workouts often deplete muscles of the carbohydrates (stored as glycogen) used during exercise and increase the rate of protein breakdown in muscles. Even if you feel revved up after an intense workout, exercising can leave your body feeling sore and fatigued; this may be caused by elevated levels of lactic acid and temporary inflammation from tiny tears in your muscles. The ideal post-workout meal helps restore lost carbohydrates and provides protein for muscle repair and growth.

Step up your workout with soy

Don’t waste your workout by reaching for comfort foods. Instead, seek out foods that balance protein and carbohydrates to keep you satisfied until your next meal. Soy provides multiple benefits for those who are looking to replenish nutrients and boost energy following exercise. Soy protein is a complete protein, containing all the essential amino acids needed for healthy muscle growth. In addition to being a readily available, cost-effective source of dietary protein, soyfoods are relatively low in fat, with no cholesterol and free of lactose. Complex carb foods such as edamame – young soybeans – combine carbs and protein in the same package. Unlike simple carbs such as refined sugar, complex carbs help stabilize blood sugar, keep energy at an even level and leave you feeling satisfied longer. Other options, such as soy protein shakes or soy protein bars, come in a range of unexpected flavors and textures to suit every taste, without skimping on nutrition.

Nutrition expert, Joy Blakeslee, RD, explains, “Soy protein shakes are popular among athletes and people who exercise for a good reason. They are quick and easy to make, plus they contain the essential nutrients that the body needs to recover from a workout.”

Eating soyfoods not only aid post-workout recovery, but may promote fitness in other ways:

• An evidence-based review by Dr. David Allison and Dr. Mark Cope at the University of Alabama at Birmingham and Dr. John Erdman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, found that soyfoods are equal to other protein sources in helping to battle weight by promoting fat loss. This comprehensive review, published in the November issue of Obesity Reviews, examined current research on animals, human populations and clinical trials related to soy protein and weight control, and found that individuals lost equivalent amounts of weight and, in some cases, equal inches of fat around the waist, using soy protein, dairy milk meal replacements, beef or pork at equal calorie levels.

• New research suggests that high-protein foods may be better at curbing a key “hunger hormone” than either fats or carbohydrates. In a preliminary study of 16 healthy adults, published in the January issue of the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, researchers found that a high-protein drink was more effective than either a high-fat or high-carb drink at suppressing an appetite stimulating hormone called ghrelin. Lead researcher Dr. Karen Foster-Schubert of the University of Washington noted that the results support further research into whether popular high-protein diets do suppress ghrelin well, and subsequently spur weight loss. Soy protein powder and isolates are two simple ways to spike protein content in your favorite foods and beverages.

Research shows Americans recognize the importance of good nutrition and try hard to make healthy food choices. According to the United Soybean Board’s 14th Annual Consumer Attitudes about Nutrition study, 85 percent of Americans rate soy products as healthy, and an increasing number specifically seek out products containing soy for health reasons.

About the United Soybean Board (USB):
The United Soybean Board is a farmer-led organization comprised of 68 farmer-directors. USB oversees the investments of the soybean checkoff on behalf of all U.S. soybean farmers. For more soy and health information, please visit www.soyconnection.com.

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EASY TIPS FOR EVERYDAY WELLNESS

Got 10 Minutes?
Plan physical activity into your daily routine. Even if you’re short on time, it’s possible to add activity to your day without crowding your already busy schedule.

If you have a job that doesn’t allow for much movement, plan a short walk during your break. Ask others to walk and talk rather than sit.

Making small changes daily and weekly will build a lifestyle of healthy habits without adding time and stress.
[Source: American Dietetic Association]

Snack on This!
Savor the benefits of your workout with garlicky-cool Edamame Hummus. When served with wholegrain crackers or pita bread, you’ve got a protein and fiber-rich snack that looks and tastes like the color of health. Plus, it’s one more way to stay satisfied until your next meal.

Explore the exotic, lightly sweet flavors of the Mango Banana Soy Smoothie, and you’ll be ready to tackle the next move of your day. This creamy smoothie provides quick energy and replaces lost fluids and potassium – vital nutrients for all athletes.

For recipes, click here:

Mango Banana Soy Smoothie

Edamame Hummus

Sabotaging Your Weight Loss Efforts?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the average U.S. woman (aged 20-74 years) is 5’4” and 164.3 pounds.

By consuming an extra 100 calories per day, a woman who weighs approximately 164 pounds in 2008 could weigh 214 pounds within the next five years. This is 70 pounds over the highest healthy weight for a woman of average height.

By 2013, the same woman considered “overweight” in 2008 would now be categorized as “obese.”

The bottom line? To prevent gradual weight gain over time, it’s important to make small decreases in food and beverage calories and increase physical activity.
[Source: U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U. S. Department of Agriculture.]

Consider this: If you eat 100 more calories a day than you burn, you’ll gain about 1 pound in a month. That’s about 10 pounds in a year.

Build Muscle with Soy!
The soy protein in soyfoods contains all the essential amino acids for the repairing and building muscles. After the body undergoes significant endurance exercise, protein production in the muscles is depressed. Consuming protein along with carbohydrates after exercising can kick protein production back in gear.

Optimize the Benefits with a Post-Workout Snack

Refuel within 30 minutes to one hour of completing an endurance workout. This maximizes energy restoration and aids total recovery time.
Soyfoods are a smart way to refuel following a workout. They provide a balance of carbohydrates, protein and healthy fats — and are rich in potassium.

Benefits of a Post-Workout Snack:
• Replacing nutrients
• Refueling & maintaining energy
• Staving off hunger
• Preventing binging

Protein and fiber-rich foods such as edamame help stave off hunger, keeping you feeling full and satisfied. Most soyfoods are not only rich in protein, but, like all plant foods, are also cholesterol free.

Nutrient Density Matters
Make each calorie count by looking for foods that offer up a multitude of benefits per bite. Foods such as tofu, edamame and soymilk are loaded with nutrients and tend to be low in fat and calories.

More Quick & Easy Ideas

Fix it Fast in the Kitchen
• Soy butter, honey and banana toasted sandwich
• Soy yogurt topped with fresh kiwifruit and crunchy low-fat granola
• Glass of orange juice with soy protein powder
• Bowl of soy protein-fortified cereal or oatmeal with soymilk and fruit
• One serving of frozen edamame, zapped in the microwave and sprinkled with spices

Grab These and Go
• One soy protein energy bar
• One serving of a flavored soy protein shake
• Glass of chocolate soymilk
• One-to-two ounces of dry or honey-roasted soy nuts
• Handful of dark chocolate-covered, dry roasted edamame or soy nut trail mix