Supercharge your body: Gluten free diet for athletes

Can going gluten free boost athletic performance?

Djokavic loses the gluten and gains some abs: The Ultra Beauty detox
diet plan hows you why healthy eating begins with the right choice of carbs

For radiant skin and a smoking hot body, we at Ultra Beauty mainly eat gluten-free grains. For exercise though, we’re often told to eat wholewheat sandwiches or pasta to get those carbs in - so how do you make the switch to gluten-free alternatives?  Whether you’re intolerant to wheat or just want to perfect your skin, lose weight and increase your concentration and mood, choosing gluten-free options to wheat, barley and rye can have real benefits.  

The science between gluten free and enhanced performance 

Read this for more info on why GF grains are best for optimum beauty and health

It seems that going gluten-free can really help athletic performance as well as natural beauty:  Novak Djokovic became the top tennis player in the world after giving up gluten. Djokovic claims that going gluten-free gave him more energy, sharper focus, and an improvement in the asthma that had compromised his ability to win long matches.

For optimum performance in sports, it’s logical that if a gluten-sensitive athlete is experiencing fatigue, lack of mental focus, and other symptoms, such as stomach and joint pains, that he or she is likely to perform better gluten-free. But even if you're not gluten-sensitive, going gluten free may give you an energy jolt, since the body utilizes extra energy to digest gluten, which can detract from your performance and just generally slow you down.

Here are some good alternatives to that wholewheat sandwich:

Soba Noodles. These Asian noodles are made from buckwheat, which despite its name, is not a type of wheat and does not contain gluten but does contain a hit of vitamins and minerals. They're a great alternative to traditional wheat pasta. Check the ingredients of your favorite brand to make sure it's made from 100 percent buckwheat, since some brands also use wheat. I like Eden Organics 100% Soba Noodles.

Soba salad with peppers and ponzu dressing, from The Perfect Pantry. Click here for the recipe!

Quinoa. Unusually, this grain contains both carbs plus 8 grams of protein per cooked cup, which helps preserve lean mass and build new muscle tissue after a strenuous run. Check out Rainbow Stuffed Peppers here or the delicious quinoa, pomegranate and mint salad below:

White and brown rice. Whole-grain brown rice provides slow-burning carbs and plenty of fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Low-fibre white rice is ideal the night before a long run or race for easily digested carbohydrates. Sushi is my snack of choice when out and about!

Beans. They are an all-in-one source of carbs, protein, and fiber. Beans also contain iron, which is needed to boost a runner's endurance.

Popcorn. A healthy snack that's high in carbs, popcorn is a whole grain that also supplies LOADS of antioxidants. Choose plain and lightly season it yourself with a bit of oil and herbs and spices. 

Click here if you need a recipe!

Essential power foods for cardio fans: max your workout and win races

Add these healthy eating foods to your beauty detox diet plan 

and get Ultra Beautiful in no time

Beauty foods for runners and cardio enthusiasts

Everyone knows that cardiovascular exercise is great for your heart, lungs and mood – but another reason to get moving is that exercise is one of the keys to beautiful skin.  Include long sessions of running, cycling or power walking into your beauty detox routine and you’ll not only burn fat and tone muscle, but also stimulate the circulation to pump oxygen and nutrients to the skin cells, flushing out cellular debris and plumping and smoothing the surface of the skin.

Running is a brilliant type of exercise, and pounding the pavement really helps your face and body shows its true beauty: putting on your trainers and getting out in the fresh air (or treadmill) a few times a week makes your heart and lungs fitter, your immune system stronger, stress levels fall, plus it burns around 500 calories an hour.  If you see a runner on her way back from an outing, you’ll notice that she has a glow in her cheeks and a real radiance. 

To maximize the benefits, you need to eat the right things to make sure you’re feeding your muscles and your skin.  Whether you’re a recreational exerciser or a competitive racer, there are certain things you can eat to really improve your performance, stave off injury and boost that fat-burning.

Before exercise:

Oats

I call oats the perfect 10.  Sports nutritionists recommend that runners and gym enthusiasts get 60 percent of their daily calories from carbohydrate to maximize performance. Choose the right type and you’ll also get a skin-friendly boost, such as the anti-ageing, anti-inflammatory chemicals naturally found in oats - which help to keep your skin looking smooth, youthful and without red patches or irritation from the cold weather.  

That's not all: old-fashioned porridge is a high-fibre, low-glycemic index food, so the energy it provides is long-lasting. A Penn State study found that men were able to exercise significantly longer after a breakfast of old-fashioned oatmeal than after a high glycemic index breakfast of puffed rice. Just make sure you choose rolled oats, not instant oat cereal which doesn’t have the same effects!

Cherries

Cherries are the most antioxidant-rich fruit on earth. They contain particularly large concentrations of a type of antioxidants called anthocyanins. Antioxidants provide a host of beauty benefits, maintaining healthy blood vessels and therefore glowing skin, and slowing down the ageing process and wrinkle formation. Not just a pretty face though; they’re also good for athletic performance. In one study, the addition of cherry juice to the diet of competitive rowers significantly reduced the amount of strength loss and muscle soreness they experienced after a strength test designed to cause muscle damage compared to a group of fellow rowers who received a placebo. 

They’re one of my favourite fruit because they taste really sweet but are actually very low in calories plus have one of the lowest GI scores ever – a rock bottom 22!  Low glycemic index (GI) foods mean the carbohydrate in them is released slowly into the body. Low GI foods can help control blood sugar levels and therefore your appetite, and may enhance performance because of their steady release of energy.

Dip cherries in dark chocolate for a nutrient-packed dessert (see below for dark chocolate’s angelic properties).

Salmon

You probably know already that I love salmon for its supreme beauty-enhancing properties, so I’ll keep this short. Salmon is the king of fish. Besides being an excellent source of high-quality muscle-building protein, salmon is one of the best food sources of omega-3 fats. These essential fats balance the body's inflammation response and massively slow ageing - especially important when your muscles and joints are put under regular stress, not to mention the damage that the outdoor elements can do to your skin!

Tea with honey

Your body loses electrolytes when you sweat, so when you’re running a long race, or planning an hour-long gym session, you need to replenish them by drinking something other than water. Don’t buy expensive sports drinks which are full of skin-dulling sugar; just mix black or green tea (which contains caffeine, a stimulant) with honey (which contains sodium and potassium) and you’ll create an effective endurance drink.  Green tea is especially good: A recent Colorado State University study found that the brew’s main antioxidant (EGCG) can help raise your VO2 max, a measure of how well your body uses oxygen. Other studies have shown that green tea reduces free radical damage to muscle tissue during exercise.

Performance boosters: Before a race

Coffee

Ok ok I know that I am against regular coffee drinking for it’s skin-unfriendly properties – but if you’re running a race and want optimal, peak performance – strong coffee before a race has been shown repeatedly to increase endurance and speed. Caffeine boosts performance in races of every distance by stimulating the nervous system and reducing perceived exertion, which simply means that you don’t feel as tired. Strong black coffee is my drink of choice before running in any competition, over and above the usual water and certainly instead of sports drinks.  It’s my secret weapon along with one or two ripe bananas pre-race. Add almond or soya milk if you want.

Raisins

Dried fruit is easily digested into the simple sugar glucose, which is the most important sugar in human metabolism and what your body needs to sustain exertion. And raisins are an especially good option because they’re so small. (Dried mangos and apples can also work.) A new Louisiana State University study found that when cyclists ate raisins, their finish time, power, and perceived exertion weren’t any different from when they ate Jelly Belly Sport Beans, a speciality item.  (For every day, they strangely also help to steady blood sugar levels.  An alternative is a banana which I call "nature's power bar", and deserves its reputation in the fitness world. Bananas are loaded with potassium and rich in vitamins C and B6, as well as fibre, which gives them an edge over sports drinks when it comes to boosting performance and balancing electrolytes.

After a workout or a race

Sweet potatoes

These orange root vegetables should be on the plates of runners year-round. Just a single 100 calorie sweet potato supplies more than 250 percent of the recommended daily allowance for vitamin A in the form of beta-carotene, the powerful skin-friendly antioxidant that we love for the way it gives the skin a natural glow without fake tan. Sweet potatoes are also a good source of vitamin C, potassium, iron, and the two trace minerals manganese and copper. Many runners fail to meet their manganese and copper needs, which can have an impact on performance since these minerals are crucial for healthy muscle function.

Canned black beans

One cup of these beauties provides 30 percent of the RDA for protein, almost 60 percent of fibre (which is important to keep the digestive tract moving, flushing out toxins), and 60 percent of folate, a B vitamin that plays a key role in heart health and circulation.

Eggs

One egg fulfills about 10 percent of your daily protein needs. Egg protein is the most complete food protein short of human breast milk, which means the protein in eggs contains all the crucial amino acids your hard-working muscles need to promote recovery. Eat just one of these nutritional powerhouses and you'll also get about 30 percent of the RDA for vitamin K, which is vital for healthy bones. And eggs contain choline, a brain nutrient that aids memory, and lutein, a pigment needed for healthy eyes. Choose omega-3 enhanced eggs and you can also increase your intake of healthy fats.

Berries

Your legs can take a pounding from high-impact activities like running; soreness you feel after a hard run may be caused by micro-tears in the exercised muscles. That's why, in addition to their high fibre content, berries are a good option for endurance exercisers: the vitamin C and potassium they contain help the body repair itself.  Read this to find out more about the super-skin nutrients that make berries an Ultra Beauty favourite.

Soya yoghurt

Running, power walking and other weight-bearing exercise can help you improve your bone density. But calcium is essential part of the equation, and many people don't get enough. One cup of yogurt contains a third of your recommended daily intake of calcium. Plus, soya yogurt has protein - important for building muscle and recovering from tough workouts.

Soy to replace protein shakes

Ultra Beauty followers may be wondering how to replace whey-based protein shakes with a non-dairy alternative.  Luckily, soy is a great source of post-exercise protein to promote muscle recovery. Researchers at the Ohio State University recently published a study showing that soy protein is as effective as whey protein in promoting muscle growth in response to training. Soy is a bona fide superfood and is incredibly versatile – think tofu, edamame and soya milk.  It is also an excellent source of a type of antioxidants called phytoestrogens which are very important for skin. Phytoestrogens keep skin producing collagen (the stuff that makes it looks plump, elastic and defined) as you get older and is extremely important for menopausal women whose skin typically reduces production of this key nutrient. 

Finally… Dark Chocolate

Here’s an indulgence you can feel good about. Chocolate contains potent antioxidants called flavonols that can boost heart health. In one study, a group of football players had lower blood pressure and total cholesterol levels, and less artery-clogging LDL cholesterol after just two weeks of eating chocolate daily. Other research suggests that the chocolate flavonols ease inflammation and help prevent blood substances from becoming sticky, which lowers the risk of potential blood clots – and keeps your skin glowing. But not just any chocolate will do. Dark chocolate (I dare you to try Lindt 99% Cocoa) contains more flavonols than milk chocolate, and less dairy.  Watch out for the amount of caffeine it naturally contains – I have to avoid dark choc in the evenings if I want to get any sleep!

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Start the week's diet right: 8 foods that’ll make your face and skin look better

Add these healthy eating foods to your beauty 

detox diet plan and get Ultra Beautiful in no time

Add these eight beauty superfoods to your diet this week!

1. Skin-plumping strawberries

As well as being yummy, strawberries are a vital food in the Ultra Beauty diet.

Strawberries are truly glow-foods for your skin, since they’re packed with skin-plumping vitamin C, antioxidants, flavonoids, minerals and fibre.  

The antioxidant properties of vitamin C and its role in collagen synthesis make vitamin C a vital molecule for skin health. Studies have shown that vitamin C may help prevent and treat sun damage.

The vitamin C in strawberries helps the body grow and repair its tissues, according to the University of Maryland Medical Centre. It also helps to make collagen, an important protein needed by the skin to give that plump and youthful look, preventing wrinkles and sagging.  In fact, if you don’t get enough vit C you can get scurvy which is what happens when collagen is so low that connective tissues break down. 

Vitamin C also limits the damage induced by ultraviolet light exposure, says studies at Oregon State University.  Although the vitamin isn’t a “sunscreen” (because it does not absorb light in the UVA or UVB spectrum), its antioxidant activity protects against UV-induced damage caused by free radicals.

Being water-soluble, vit C is not stored in the body so it is essential to make it a part of your daily diet.  

Other potent sources for snacking on or putting in salads are kiwi fruits, oranges and red peppers.  

2. Vitamin E power in almonds

Saying no to those Krispy Kremes in plain view of your desk is much easier if you have a yummy alternative in your drawer. Stash a bag of almonds for the afternoon munchies and you’ll be giving your body a huge dose of protein, calcium, Omega-3 acids and vitamin E that together promote a lean body and luminous skin. 

As we know, Omega-3 acids regulate blood sugars, reduce blood pressure, help reduce body fat, maintain muscle mass, increase energy levels and skin radiance. Your body can't make these essential fatty acids and, after walnuts, almonds are the best nut source.

Almonds are a brilliant source of a major nutrient that the skin needs: Vitamin E.  It is the most abundant antioxidant present in the skin but is easily destroyed by pollution – that’s the reason why people who work in cities can have a greyish look.  

Almonds also contain magnesium which, in addition to helping cells produce energy and protein, is believed to counter the effects of stress hormones, which can make you age faster and exacerbate acne.

3. Avocado for soft skin and weight loss

This Pret salad with avocado and crayfish is perfect

There’s more to avocado than guacamole. The fats in avocado will help to improve skin tone, keeping it smooth and soft. Avos contain over 25 vital nutrients including vitamins (A, B, C, E, and K) and minerals such as copper, potassium, iron, magnesium and phosphorus.

Omega-9 fats help reduce redness and any irritation, and these super fats are also important for repairing damaged skin cells.

All these wonderful things combine protect your skin from wrinkles and other signs of ageing; and in addition, the vitamin E helps guard against photo-aging from sun exposure, and the high levels of vitamin C which, as we said above, is involved in the creation of elastin and collagen for maintaining your skin’s elasticity and firmness. Step aside, oranges!

If you’re one of those people who avoid avocados in salads because they’re high in fat, then you’ll be surprised to find out that they're actually good for weight loss. Research has shown that the monounsaturated fatty acids in this superfood are more likely to be used as slow burning energy than stored as body fat.

4. Green tea for detox energy

Once a rare specialty item associated with Chinese herbal medicine, green tea is now a staple in the coffee and tea aisle at your local supermarket. Swap your coffee for a cup of green tea and get a load of skin-and-bod-loving benefits.

The medicinal properties of tea are attributed to flavonoid phytochemicals called polyphenols. The polyphenols found in tea mainly belong to the subtype called catechins. Green tea has more catechins than black tea (about 25% versus 4%). The main catechins in green tea include gallocatechin (GC), epigallocatechin (EGC), epicatechin (EC), and epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG).

Current research indicates that EGCG can prevent collagen breakdown and reduce UV damage to skin.  

The drink’s catechins help fight damage caused by free radicals.  Free radicals are molecules that are missing an electron - they are inherently unstable, and always trying to steal an electron from the other molecules around them.

Free radicals can form in your skin for a variety of reasons, including exposure to toxins. However, the most common cause of free radicals in skin cells is UV radiation from sunlight, which causes up to 90% of all signs of premature aging.

If you’re worried about those years of sun tanning, the good news is green tea’s antioxidant effects may help prevent skin cancer. A 2003 study published in the American Chemical Society discovered that green tea prevents skin cancer by blocking a harmful enzyme, the appropriately named junk-2. A 2007 study revealed that those who drank two or more cups a day had a 65% lower risk of developing squamous cell carcinoma. Interestingly, the same study noted that drinking tea with lemon boosts its anti-cancer properties.

If you’re trying to lose weight, definitely start sipping tea as part of your program: Overweight or obese exercisers burned off three more pounds and 7 percent more belly fat when they drank green tea instead of another beverage with the same calories, according to a new multicenter study. 

Getting rid of excess water weight is one way to lose weight, and provide a slimming effect. The diuretic effects of green tea have been used for centuries to help the body get rid of any extra fluid it’s not using, helping you to get that slim silhouette and light feeling.  

Green tea boosts exercise endurance – those catechins are at it again! Here they’re helping the body to burn up fat as fuel, so your muscles can take more punishment at the gym. Being able to exercise more means you’re burning more calories, leading to a caloric deficit, and an increase in lean muscle mass. 

Green tea will make you jump for joy in a sea of balls

One of my favourite brands - Clipper

The EGCG in green tea also helps to fight inflammation in the body, and therefore diseases and conditions that are brought on by it.  As Ultra Beautiful followers know, inflammation is our number one enemy of the skin, responsible for a range of grievances like sagging, uneven tone, dull skin, and wrinkles – as well as a range from chronic conditions like arthritis to cancer. That’s why it’s a good idea to combine green tea with a diet that is high in anti-inflammatory foods. 

5. Salmon – the all-round wonder food

Salmon contains essential fats and powerful antioxidants such as the carotenoid, astaxanthin (that gives it the pinky red colour), that have important anti-inflammatory properties. Salmon is also probably the world's most healthy source of protein. It is rich in long-chain omega-3 essential fatty acids - the most beneficial kind - which protect heart health, inhibit inflammation, act as natural anti-depressants, increase feelings of well-being, and help keep skin young, supple and radiant.

Women are notorious for not eating enough protein, and the first place this shows is in the face. If you at lots of stodgy white carbs, this will make your skin dull and puffy.  

Wild salmon is better than farmed because it is leaner, and contains more of the omega 3s, and no added chemicals.  Personally though, I think farmed is better than nothing (and much cheaper), so I make sure I drain off all the fat from baked salmon, and for smoked, I blot it on kitchen roll before serving. 

Salmon sushi makes a great lunch

Salmon, along with the humble sardine, are the source of these wonderful beautifying benefits:

• Radiant, glowing skin
• Contoured cheeks and jawline – for high cheekbones!
• Strong hair and nails
• Decreased body fat
• Improved brain function
• More energy
• Reduce acne, and acne scarring
• Reduced symptoms and severity of chronic skin conditions such as eczema

Baked salmon, lemon and asparagus is
PERFECT for your skin

6. Pineapple to heal

So you’re grabbing lunch in the local supermarket to take back to work, and dithering over a dessert that probably goes something like this - yoghurt? Banana? I really want a bag of Percy Pigs!

Pineapple is yummy and easy to buy from most supermarkets' chilled sections

Do your skin a favour and pick up one of those little pots of pineapple chunks, and you’ll end your meal with a nutrient powerhouse of vitamins A and C, antioxidants, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, iron, sodium, potassium, dextrose, sucrose, and the enzyme bromelain. 

Fresh pineapple is the main source of bromelain, a combination of digestive enzymes and proteins that will fight inflammation in the body. Bromelain helps accelerate the healing of wounds and sports injuries, because of its healing effects to the cells.  

The same principle applies to your skin – its boosts production of collagen, firms and sloughs off dead skin cells. It plumps and smoothes, making wrinkles less visible.  Eat it every day and you’ll see age spots and uneven skin tone reduced. Plus, the water content and vitamin C makes skin more elastic and look hydrated.

7. Oats – the best beauty grain

Top with berries for extra vitamins

Forget expensive muesli, turn to old-fashioned rolled oats for a

double whammy of skin calming nutrients and slow release energy. You probably know that oatmeal's a fibre-rich superfood that does an all-star job of sopping up cholesterol and speeding it out of the body – but its collection of iron, manganese, phosphorus, calcium, Vitamins B and E, and silicon also promote glowing skin.  Silicon is crucial for healthy skin to maintain collagen levels.  Oats have also been found to contain a chemical which helps cells renew themselves and promote anti-ageing activity, and has huge calming properties – great if you have redness or irritation.

Simple rolled or old fashioned oats are best

Top with cinnamon or berries for extra antioxidant power!

8. Orange foods for a natural glow

Baked sweet potatoes are EZ and a great winter dinner

Orange coloured foods are another group of champions on the skin health front. Pick 'n' mix doesn't come into the equation here, though!  It’s orange coloured fruit and vegetables only, and they will give your skin a beautiful, natural colour that no amount of fake tan will achieve!

                                   

Do away with bronzer and get the glow naturally

A compound called beta-carotene gives the orange colour to foods such as carrots, sweet potatoes and mangoes, and that also goes straight to your skin, mildly colouring it with a gorgeous glow. The beta carotene also serves to protect the proteins in our skin that keep it supple, which adds a nice anti-ageing benefit to the mix too. Increasing your intake of these foods will help keep the skin smooth, as well as provide a natural SPF to protect from the sun.

The great thing about many of these foods is that they are portable or quick and easy to prepare. Snack on raw carrots during the day or bake some sweet potato wedges in the oven at night. Simple, quick, and easy!

To really enhance the positive effect of orange foods, combine them with something fatty. A little humous with raw carrots, or some olive oil drizzled on a sweet potato, will go a long way in aiding the body's absorption of the beta carotene.