| More Than Meat for Recovery

Author / John

Pop quiz, hot shot. You have to prepare a meal. What do you do? I’d be willing to bet your first response was “something-something-beef”. Burgers, meatloaf, steak, or meatza, we all lean on the animal we know and love and for good reason. Meat is delicious. It’s easy to prepare, a complete protein, great for recovery, and simultaneously combines the sweet taste of heaven and the excitement of a party in your mouth.

carl-s-jr-commercial

So what’s wrong with loving meat more than the other animal protein sources on our “Eat With Abandon” list? Nothing. It’s great to have favorites- favorite team, favorite movie, favorite child -but with great nutrition comes great responsibility. There must be balance.   Our good friend and performance expert, Dr. Tom Incledon of Human Health Specialists, encourages Power Athletes to eat the colors of the rainbow which includes diverse animal proteins. However more often than not, we see diets laden with beef and lacking in other hugely viable protein and fat sources. Remember that if it has a face, a mother, and a soul, it’s fair game. Let’s talk about a species that more than meets this criteria but is regularly neglected.

[s2If !current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]

You don’t have permission to view the rest of this article.
Log in or visit our Membership Options page to see which plan fits for you!

[/s2If]

[s2If current_user_can(access_s2member_level1)]*Premium Content begins now, please consult with the author before publicly using any of this information.*


If you haven’t caught on, let me reel you in (I am so sorry). Fish is one of the most underutilized recovery foods in our diet. Fatty fish such as salmon, lake trout, and herring, contain excellent amino acid profiles and are rich with omega-3’s, one of our best defenses to inflammation. But, with it’s distinct flavor and laborious reputation, you may be asking yourself, “Is the fish oil worth the squeeze?”.

Studies have shown that eating 12oz of fatty fish per week (that’s two 6oz servings) can reduce your risk of dying, DYING, of heart disease by one third. Other findings conclude that consuming omega-3’s improves brain function and reduce depression. As athletes, we are all probably most interested in it’s ability to improve recovery. In autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis where inflammation is rampant within the joints, fatty fish have been proven to blunt and even prevent our body’s inflammatory response. Similar results can be observed in moderate cases where inflammation has occurred due to exercise.

How and why are omega-3 fatty acids so effective at reducing inflammation? Basically, the body’s ability to recover, fight disease, and prevent disease can increase from ensuring a healthy ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 acids. While the Western diet is largely 1:15, with extreme examples reaching 1:40, current research tells us that a homeostasis or even a greater ratio of omega-3’s to omega-6’s is ideal. Avoiding foods high in polyunsaturated fat like vegetable oils while maintaining or even increasing omega-3’s will swing the ratio to your advantage.  You can achieve this by eating a diet rich in good fats and also supplementing with fish oil.

The dietitians at Theralogix break it down this way:

Specifically, omega-3s inhibit cyclo-oxygenase (COX) and 5-lipoxygenase pathways for metabolism of arachidonic acid (AA), an omega-6 fat.  The AA pathway constitutes one of the main mechanisms for pain and inflammation. By inhibiting these pathways, omega-3s lead to the production of less inflammatory compounds, which may reduce muscle soreness and pain after intense workouts.Taking a high-quality omega-3 fish oil supplement, in addition to eating a healthful diet, will help to balance your ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 intake, and should result in better recovery from your toughest workouts.

8282932

Eating fish is definitely not a trap.

“Teach a man to fish” or in this case, how to cook fish, and he’ll eat for a lifetime. No matter the preparation (fresh, canned, jarred) salmon, trout, herring, and sardines are great options when sourced locally or wild caught. Although tuna is also rich in omega-3’s, you’ll want to stay away from the inexpensive canned variation to get the full benefit of the fatty acids. When cooking any of the suggested varieties of fatty fish, be sure to not to overcook – you can lose up to 50% of the omega-3’s. Sounds like a great excuse to get after some sushi.

Time to get your feet wet.  Here are a few of my favorite recipes to get you better acquainted with preparing fish.

Bourbon Glazed Salmon

A recipe that calls for alcohol is bound to pique the interest of any landlubber.  Keep the glaze for up to a week and use on brussels sprouts.

  • 1 pound fresh salmon
  • 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
  • 3/4 cup bourbon
  • 2/3 cup brown sugar
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tablespoon worcestershire sauce
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground mustard
  1. Salt and pepper the salmon on both sides.  Broil 5-6 minutes on both sides on a baking sheet.
  2. Combine all other ingredients in a sauce pan.  Bring to a boil.  Simmer for 8-10 minutes until thick.  Remove from heat.
  3. Brush cooked salmon with bourbon glaze and consume.

SONY DSC

Ahi Tuna Poke

If you haven’t had poke, you haven’t lived.  I tried this for the first time when I was in Oahu for a CFFB Seminar.  This recipe takes me back every time.

  • 2lbs fresh ahi tuna, cubed (sushi grade)
  • 1/2 cup GF soy sauce OR coconut aminos (GF and soy free)
  • 3/4 cup chopped green onions
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • 1 tbsp crushed red pepper
  1. Combine all ingredients in a non-reactive bowl (glass or ceramic works best) and refrigerate for at least 2 hours.
  2. Eat it.  Eat it over sushi rice.  Eat it on thinly sliced cabbage.  Eat it with corn tortillas.  Or eat it plain.

SalmonwDill

Karolin’s Cured Salmon

My nearest and dearest Swede introduced me to this recipe almost 5 years ago.  I pretended not to know how to make it for the duration of our friendship.  Then I moved and got desperate.

  • Fresh wild caught salmon filet (How big? ABAP)
  • 2 tbsp fine sea salt per 2.2 lbs salmon
  • 3 tbsp sugar per 2.2 lbs
  • 2 tbsp freshly ground white peppercorns
  • 1/2 cup chopped fresh dill (or enough to cover the top of filet)
  • 2 bricks (yes, like construction bricks)
  1. Pat the filet dry.  Combine dry ingredients (salt, sugar, pepper) in a bowl.  Lay a large piece of plastic wrap on a baking sheet.  Pat the entire filet with the dry mixture, additionally putting a small layer on the sheet where the fish will lay skin side down.
  2. Apply remaining mixture to the top of the filet liberally.  Cover the entire top of filet with the chopped dill.
  3. Encase the salmon by taking the excess edges of the plastic wrap and wrapping the filet like a gift.  A delicious, delicious, gift.  Place another flat object (baking sheet) on top and weigh it down with the bricks.
  4. Refrigerate for 24 hours.  The salmon will cure with the salt and should slice easily off the skin.  Slice thinly and enjoy in eggs, on salad, or on it’s own.

Try one or all of these out and post your thoughts or modifications to the comments!

Be sure and take advantage of our trusted fish oil provider, Theralogix, by using the exclusive Power Athlete Membership discount code: PWRATH here after selecting your preferred dosage.

[/s2If]

 

Share this article
FacebookTwitterLinkedInShare
AUTHOR

John

John Welbourn is CEO of Power Athlete and Fuse Move. He is also creator of the online training phenomena, Johnnie WOD. He is a 9 year veteran of the NFL. John was drafted with the 97th pick in 1999 NFL Draft and went on to be a starter for the Philadelphia Eagles from 1999-2003, appearing in 3 NFC Championship games, and for starter for the Kansas City Chiefs from 2004-2007. In 2008, he played with the New England Patriots until an injury ended his season early with him retiring in 2009. Over the course of his career, John has started over 100 games and has 10 play-off appearances. He was a four year lettermen while playing football at the University of California at Berkeley. He graduated with a bachelor's degree in Rhetoric in 1998. John has worked with the MLB, NFL, NHL, Olympic athletes and Military. He travels the world lecturing on performance and nutrition for Power Athlete. You can catch up with John as his personal blog on training, food and life, Talk To Me Johnnie and at Power Athlete.

5 Comments

  1. Ingo B on October 21, 2014 at 10:20 am

    The cured recipe is remarkably simple. Always thought it took more than that.

    Wild caught fish tends to be more expensive than beef, esp in light of options like buying a whole cow, CSA’s, etc. Any suggestions for sourcing in bulk?

    • CALI on October 21, 2014 at 12:34 pm

      The cured recipe is SOOO good. It’s my favorite.

      Here is what I’ve found when sourcing fish. It’s not necessarily something you want to buy in bulk. A few reasons – fresh is always preferable to frozen, especially when you will reap most of the nutritional benefits from fatty fish in it’s raw state. Raw recipes will never call for previously frozen fish.

      Another reason I love the cured recipe is because after you make it with fresh fish, you can freeze it in separate portions. That would be one way of “buying in bulk” and maintaining the integrity of the recipe and health bene’s.

      Good fish is expensive. Medical bills, also expensive. The Legoland Star Wars exhibit – wallet rape. And razors? Those will be currency when the world ends. The point is, all of the above will improve your quality of life and you can’t put a price on that. (Except that you can. Just buy fish, ok?)

  2. Dub C on October 22, 2014 at 8:12 am

    I try to eat salmon often, but a staple of my diet is canned sardines. Now, before you wrinkle up your face in disgust, canned sardines have come a long way. The wild ones I buy from my local natural foods market come in various flavors, ranging from olive oil with lemon to marinara sauce to cayenne pepper.

    These cans typically cost between $2-$4, come fully cooked, and are actually quite delicious – MY GO TO FOOD WHEN TRAVELING. Somewhere around 300 calories per can and 30g of protein with quality fats and eatable tiny bones.

    Easy work lunch – salad greens with chopped avocado and canned sardines.

    There is good canned salmon available, too – but it usually costs a bit more.

  3. billpain2 on October 22, 2014 at 1:13 pm

    Great article and I will try that cured salmon for sure!

    Like Dub C, canned sardines are my travel goto food. When I was in the arctic for 3 weeks last winter with no fresh food, I lived off canned sardines and white rice. Not the best diet but I didn’t get skinnier! Plus no one wants to sit beside ya when your eating them.

  4. Gavin on October 23, 2014 at 1:28 pm

    hot chick photo. check.
    Star Wars meme w/ photo. check.
    delicious food photo. check.

    Love me some fish.

Leave a Reply Cancel Reply





SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER

Never miss out on an epic blog post or podcast, drop your email below and we’ll stay in-touch.

  • This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.