9am With a big day of strength training planned, I start the morning with a breakfast omelette made with three eggs and filled with ham, capsicum, spring onion and cheese.
12.30pm I relax a little before going off to the gym for my main strength session. After training for 90 minutes, I head home to have a post-workout protein snack of blueberry yoghurt and muesli.
Australian cricketer Ashleigh Gardner shows great form ahead of the Ashes series.Credit:AAP
4pm After another big gym session, I need a caffeine hit, so I have a mocha to last me through to dinner. I’m not a huge fan of straight coffee!
6.30pm My favourite cuisine is Asian, so dinner comprises duck pancakes and a mix of dumplings.
8.30pm I finish off my day with some dark chocolate for dessert.
Dr Joanna McMillan says …
Top marks for … Getting plenty of protein both before and after your main strength-training session. Ensuring you have amino acids – the building blocks of protein – in your bloodstream maximises your ability to build muscle and recover after training. The muesli added carbohydrates which stimulate insulin, required for this process.
If you keep eating like this you’ll … Probably get away with it while you are young, but you are lacking in both vegetables and fruit. These contain a plethora of protective antioxidants and anti-inflammatory factors that we need for optimal body functioning. Your body will wear and tear faster without them.
Why don’t you try … Swapping the blueberry-flavoured yoghurt for Greek yoghurt with added fresh berries, whipping up a smoothie made with a mix of vegies and fruit as an afternoon snack, and adding a vegie stir-fry to your Asian-style meal.
Ashleigh and the Australian women’s cricket team are set to host Sri Lanka in a home series
of T20 and one-day internationals, starting on September 29.
This article appears in Sunday Life magazine within the Sun-Herald and the Sunday Age on sale September 22.
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