Muscle & Fitness 2018-03-01 Muscle & Fitness UK.edcoan.ir | Page 98

NUTRITION The great news is The British Medical Journal recently carried out some research that strengthens our confidence in taking a supplement of Vitamin D for defence. In a high quality systematic review and meta-analysis of over 10,000 people researchers uncovered strong evidence that not only is taking a Vitamin D supplement safe, but that people taking a regular daily or weekly dose were protected against acute respiratory infections (BMJ) So there you go, you can have all the dedication of a champion, but you are only human and when you get hit with a bug a true champion knows when to take time out to recover. Hopefully now you have the added advantage of some practical tips and steps you can take to reduce your risk of getting ill in the first place. Bug Busting Recipe Ideas. These simple recipes are great to start the day, or as a pre/ post-training meal. They pack in vitamin C and other anti- oxidants, helping you towards your 200mg of Vitamin C daily, shown to reduce the incidence of colds in athletes (PEN) , carbohydrates help counter the immunosuppressant effects of hard training (BASES) and protein aids recovery. For extra power I’ve added milled chia seed, which contains selenium and zinc, both of which are needed for optimum immune function. And if that wasn’t enough, to top it off I’ve added an absolutely awesome gem I found: Milled Flaxseed with Bio Cultures and Vitamin D (Made by Linwoods). There is conclusive evidence that probiotics modulate the intestinal and systemic immune systems (PEN) . And vitamin D is needed in our defenses against respiratory tract infections (BMJ). If you would like more personalised advice to help you stay the right side of healthy and maximise your fitness, Ruth can be contacted directly for a range of blood tests, health screening and personalised nutrition prescription service covering the whole of the UK. Instagram - @ruthmariedales Facebook - @ruthmariedales Email – [email protected] 96 MUSCLE & FITNESS / MARCH 2018 B E AT T H E W I N T E R BUG S Super Smoothie (2 servings) Fat 8g | CHO 45g | Pro 14g | per serving 200ml Cranberry juice (unsweetened) 125g Strawberries 100g 0% fat, high protein, strawberry yoghurt 200ml Skimmed Milk 20g Oats 30g Milled flaxseed with Bio Cultures and vitamin D Directions Blend all the ingredients together, chill then serve with a straw! Bug Busting Breakfast Jar (2 servings) Fat 8.5g | CHO 56.5g | Pro 16g | per serving Layer 1 20g Puffed rice Layer 2 1 frozen banana 60g strawberries 100g 0% fat, high protein, strawberry yoghurt 20g cashew nut butter 10g Milled Flaxseed with Bio Cultures and vitamin D Layer 3 ½ teaspoon spirulina 1 frozen banana 60g frozen blueberries 1 teaspoon milled chia seed 100g 0% fat, high protein, plain yoghurt Decoration 30g Frozen blueberries 1 fresh fig Directions Put layer 1 into the jars Blend the ingredients for layer 2, place half into the jars. Add half a fig to each jar and then the remainder of the layer. Blend all the ingredients for layer 3 and place in the jars. Decorate with blueberries Serve with a spoon!