I overheard someone explaining the other day that a Fuji apple is better in comparison to some other apples for supporting muscle growth. It was recommended that "everyone should eat a Fuji apple before weight training”. #broscience
To be fair, there is research linked to the ursolic acid found in apple peel being able to assist in reducing fat accumulation and support muscle gain, so it wasn’t totally unfounded advice. (I had to dig quite deep to find this research, so please don’t start thinking you have missed something and this is common knowledge!)
Before you rush to buy all the apples, here’s my take:
Hopefully you are all familiar with the Rock, Pebble and Sand philosophy, but I’d like you to take a listen to refresh your memory before reading on: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v5ZvL4as2y0
Worry about your rocks first!!!
It’s really easy when we have so much information available to us at the click of a finger, to become overwhelmed and misinformed about our health, fitness and nutrition, even down to the recommendations on the type of apple to eat! You only have to Google “headache” to see a whole list of possible causes and conditions, and within a matter of minutes you can diagnose the newest illness or disease you think you are suffering with! The worldwide web may be many types of awesome, but just because it appears online, doesn’t mean it’s actually true or applicable to your life!
The thing is, for most of us, it doesn’t matter which acid in which apple peel is most beneficial for fat loss and muscle gain. Most of us struggle to find the balance in our nutrition on a day-to-day basis, just trying to juggle it with work, family, friends, social occasions……
My recommendation here is to focus on the bigger rocks. Get those right and you’re 90% of the way there. THEN you can worry about the pebbles. And then sand (which includes whether you need to change the apple you eat!)
So what are the big rocks?
Move more. In a world built to support a sedentary lifestyle preference - get up and get moving! It doesn’t have to be “exercise”. Go for a walk, clean the house, do some gardening, dance around the kitchen, walk home from the supermarket. It will all help keep you active and mobile.
Sleep more. 1 in 3 people is suffering from lack of sleep right now. If you are not sleeping between 7-8hrs per night, you are putting yourself at risk for profound consequences on your health, including bad moods, lacking focus, obesity, heart disease and diabetes. Do you really need more reasons to spend more time in bed?!
Eat more protein. It's the building block of our bodies, and is fundamental for muscle maintenance, growth and overall organ and blood health. Most of us don’t eat enough. It keeps you fuller for longer, so you are less likely to snack on the cookies and cakes you may be struggling to avoid!
Eat more fresh (or frozen) fruit and vegetables. Do you actually get 5 a day, every day? Count how much you have had today, and then aim to increase it by at least one portion tomorrow!
Drink more water. Its estimated 37% of people mistake thirst for hunger. Keep a bottle with you wherever you go and aim to drink 2-3 litres a day
Make a plan. If you want to lose weight - make a plan. If you want to build muscle - make a plan. If you want to improve your performance for endurance sport - make a plan. Speak to an experienced practitioner or coach, and make a plan.
Stick to the plan. If you have a goal, a big rock is a plan, a bigger rock is the “doing”. You need to do the work to get the results.
As always, I am here to help each of you figure out those rocks, pebbles and sand. You don’t need to get caught up in the small details - you just need to get those big rocks in place!