October Staff Wellness Newsletter A word from the Wellness Committee: Have you ever wondered which potato is better for you? Well, we have too! Let s challenge the spud and the sweet potato to a dual. Don t forget to view the two healthy fall recipes at the end of our newsletter and the insert from our athletic trainer. Happy Fall! Regular Spud vs. Sweet Potato Let s battle it out to see who this winner is! Energy Regular spud Mash fights back with its higher vitamin B content, which will help you suck the energy out of the other foods you eat with the potato like the beans and cheese you slop on a baked one at lunch. So the rule is... if you re eating a spud on its own go sweet, but if you re eating other foods with it then go white. Sweet potato Weighing in at an average 100g this energy baron punches out a whopping 20g of carbs, which is 2g more than a garden-variety spud of the same size. What s more, if you ve got the guts to eat them with their skin the sweet potato also has more fiber that ll put extra energy in your tank. Need the oomph for a hectic workout? Go for the red head. Muscle Regular spud Even a large white potato only coughs up a meagre 7g of protein so you ll need to eat it with a protein source, like a good chili con carne, to include it in your muscle-building arsenal. To stick to the 4-5g carbs per 2lb of body-weight guideline that means a 180lb bloke should scoff one large spud after training.
Sweet potato Both varieties roll in with a pitiful 2g of protein per 100g. Luckily their carbs give them a reprieve because eating 4-5g of carbs per 2lb of bodyweight after a training session will maximize your muscle building potential, found a study in the journal Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise. In potato language, an 164lb bloke should go for a medium sweet potato after training rather than the pale imitation. Recovery Regular spud What it lacks in beta-carotene it makes up for in Vitamin C. A 100g potato will give you 33% of your RDA of vitamin C. A good dose of which taken after a heavy workout makes your muscles less sore, found research at the University of North Carolina. Unfortunately for their rating here, white spuds are mildly inflammatory which is not good for recovery. Sweet potato Even a small sweet potato will give you 284% of your RDA of the antioxidant beta-carotene. This is useful after a heavy workout because it will karate chop any post-training stiffness, found a study by researchers at the Osaka Gakuin University in Japan. 2 Yummy Healthy Fall Recipes!!! The Brown s Favorite Sweet Potato Side Ingredients 2-3 large sweet potatoes cubed 1-2 Tbsp. olive oil Pepper to taste Dash of salt 2-4 sprigs of rosemary 2 Cloves of Garlic pressed ½ medium yellow onion chopped Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9x13 baking pan, spread out cubed sweet potato pieces. Add salt, pepper, rosemary, garlic, and onion. Drizzle olive oil over the top of the potatoes. Mix to coat. Cook potatoes for 20 minutes, take out, mix, and then cook for 20 more minutes. Enjoy! They are soooo delicious! Autumn Salad with Maple Balsamic Dressing Ingredients Salad Dressing 1/4 cup olive oil 2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar 1/4 cup maple-flavored syrup 2 teaspoons country-style Dijon mustard 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh garlic 1/2 teaspoon salt Cook bacon pieces in 8-inch skillet over medium-high heat until crisp. Remove from heat; drain fat from skillet. Immediately add pecans and brown sugar to hot skillet with bacon pieces; stir until well mixed. Set aside until serving time. Place all salad ingredients in large bowl. Drizzle half of dressing over salad; toss to coat. Sprinkle with topping mixture. Serve immediately with remaining dressing. Topping 5 slices thick-cut bacon, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup chopped pecans 1 tablespoon firmly packed brown sugar Salad 8 cups fresh spinach leaves 2 cups shredded red cabbage 1 apple or pear, thinly sliced 1/2 cup thinly sliced onion 3 ounces (3/4 cup) shredded Cheddar cheese Directions Combine all salad dressing ingredients in small bowl; beat with wire whisk until well mixed. Refrigerate until serving time. A word from our trainer: Every month, Jessica Slavik, our high school athletic trainer has agreed to provide tips for our staff for staying healthy and active. Thank you Jessica!
Packing Protein- A Guide to Protein Drinks Protein beverages are everywhere, and most of them are marketed to athletes. Smoothies, shakes, powders, and ready-to-drink beverages are all out there to gain athletes as consumers. With so many choices and different types, it is important to gain the right information. Studies have found that protein can boost lean muscle mass gains, enhance exercise recovery, and may even help with weight loss and maintenance. For lean muscle gains, maximizing these gains requires a quality strength training program and a proper diet. To get this proper diet, athletes must increase their daily caloric intake (1.500-2,000) by 500-1,000 calories a day. The athlete also needs to increase their daily protein throughout the day. For an athlete wanting to gain strength and muscle mass, they will need to have 1.4-2 grams per kilogram of body weight per day. This means having 20-30 grams of protein in a sitting, every 3-4 hours during the day. Knowing that protein can help build muscle mass, an athlete needs to know what kind to get. There are many different choices out there as to which type of protein they should be getting. Milked-based protein powders usually provide 15-30 grams of protein per serving and can be mixed with milk, juice, or water, or blended into a smoothie or shake. Whey protein is a great option because of its high biological value. It contains very high doses of essential amino acids, making it a good balance for an active athlete. Casein is another common protein and makes up about 80 percent of milk proteins. This type of protein drink can be taken before bed, allowing for a slower digestion of the amino acids in the drink. When looking around at all of the different options for drinks, it is important to follow a few suggestions to make sure you are getting the best product. Look for those that have been certified by governing bodies, such as NSF International Research the products Research the company Check with the manufacturer for quality assurance & safety information Make sure the product has a nutrition label & has been marketed as a food Check the ingredients for banned substances The fewer the ingredients the better Look for high-quality proteins
It is important to not completely rely on a protein drink as a diet. Making sure athletes use the drink to supplement after workouts or before bed and not skipping larger meals is important. These drinks can also be great as a snack throughout the day. It is key to continue eating a well-balanced, nutrient-rich diet. References: Men s Health Land O Lakes The Brown s box of recipes Jessica Slavik, Willmar Senior High School Athletic Trainer