You have to look at the silver lining in things. My broken ankle has been a blessing of sorts. It gave me some much needed time for reflection.

Rich Zaydel’s Broken Ankle

What a week or so I have had….crazy how life works and how so many things can hit all at the same time.  What do they say, bad things come in threes?  So, in between teaching private lessons and helping at Cota’s martial arts, I roll with one of my best friends, TC,  who has a couple years of mat time on me and 40 pounds.  I have been doing jiu jitsu since 1993 on and off and steady since 2005.  I have never had a broken bone other than a finger in my life. But, during one of our regular rolls last week with TC, I broke my ankle.  It was loud like a crack of the whip.

Our cat of 13 plus years has not been home in a week.  She is old, loyal and almost toothless.  She has been extra lovey-dovey lately and feel she walked off into the sunset or has been eaten by a coyote which happens frequently where I live.

I have or had a boss who is a bully.  I was taught to be humble through martial arts.  Some people mistake that for weakness.  I took some abuse because I wanted to learn so bad.  But when I stood up to him because I expected him to keep his word or show me an ounce of respect, he was taken back.  Bullies don’t like when they can’t intimidate you.  Since then, he has been playing passive aggressive games.  Admittedly I was doing horrible at the job.  Part of it was the bully’s lack of support.  He helped me just enough to be able to say he helped, but not enough to be effective.  But,  part of it was my fault.  Most things I pick up pretty fast. But maybe this wasn’t for me.  Maybe I found something I would never be good at and was wasting valuable time being stubborn.  I had been there a year and was not generating an income.  Sitting with my broken ankle, I had to admit I failed at this position.

At the end of the day, I put the blame on myself for my poor judgement. If you fail in life, it is nobody’s fault but your own. I think most of us are honest people, most of us, but I think sometimes its hard for us to be honest with ourselves and own our mistakes and learn from them. Good judgement is the result of experience and experience is the result of poor judgement.

Live and learn and never stop.

Good Carbohydrates, A Basic Guideline – by Rich Zaydel

There has always been a lot of confusion surrounding carbohydrates.  It really isn’t all that complicated.  There are good carbohydrates and there are bad ones.  The good ones will give you energy for physical activity. They are also full of nutrients needed for optimum health and proper brain function.  Scientific studies show that bad carbohydrates are attributed to gaining weight, diabetes, heart disease and Alzheimer’s just to name a few.

The biggest difference between unhealthy carbohydrates and healthy ones is how fast the carbohydrate sugars are absorbed into the blood stream and how much high-fiber the food contains.  Unhealthy carbohydrates are the cause of fast sugar absorption which then causes high and low blood sugar swings. Bad carbohydrates also have been highly processed and refined. This removes most of the fiber and nutritional value. And, most unhealthy carbohydrates are full of high-calorie fats, additives and preservatives. A good rule of thumb is to avoid the following list of bad carbohydrates:

• All pastries
• Bread and pasta with refined flour
• Cakes, cookies and any sweet bakery products
• Candies
• Fruit juices and drinks
• Jams and jellies
• Most custards, puddings and other sweets
• Refined grains like white rice

Making the right carbohydrate choice is essential to optimum overall health.  A healthy diet should consist of 45-65% good carbohydrates. The best healthy carbohydrate sources are:

• Raw and lightly steamed vegetables
• Legumes, beans, nuts and seeds
• High fiber 100% whole grains
• Raw whole fresh fruits
• Low fat dairy

Below is a complete list of recommended good carbohydrates from which to choose:

Carbohydrates in Whole Grains

Carbohydrates in Vegetables

Carbohydrates in Fruits

Carbohydrates in Nuts and Seeds

Carbohydrates in Beans and Peas

Carbohydrates in Dairy

Healthy carbohydrates and high-fiber foods will help in lowering cholesterol, losing weight and having much better sustained energy levels.  It will also aid in decreasing the risk of heart disease and avoiding or even reversing diabetes.  Making the right food choices will make a person feel great and have a better quality life.

Rich Zaydel is head trainer and instructor at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California.  Rich Zaydel is aNational Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and a certified Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor under Master Joe Moreira.
www.rocknrollbjj.com

Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Tournament Nutrition Basic Guidelines – by Rich Zaydel

If you are a serious Brazilian Jiu Jitsu player competing in tournaments, or, an endurance athlete of any kind, then you understand the importance of good nutrition.  And, studies show it’s not just what you consume, but how much and when to consume it.  Timing has become critical. Here are some of the pre-tournament guidelines we recommend to our competitors at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California.

RocknRoll BJJ Tournament Nutrition Works!

Many have heard of carb-loading. Technically, its called ‘glycogen supercompensation’ and its a technique used to increase muscle glycogen before an endurance event. Studies have shown that carb-loading can nearly double muscle glycogen storage, increasing endurance and performance potential.   However, it’s important not to overdo it.  Start by adding one additional carbohydrate serving per meal starting three days prior to the tournament.  Make them healthy carbohydrates like fruits, vegetables or carbohydrate-rich grains.  These extra amounts of carbohydrates will help in storing glycogen in the muscles.  It also assists muscles in holding more fluid.  On the night of the event, an extra serving of carbohydrates is recommended, such as granola and yogurt, or a bowl of cereal. RocknRoll BJJ and Fitness Good Carbohydrate List

Repeated days of intense training for an upcoming tournament can dwindle a persons glycogen stores. A high-intake diet of healthy carbohydrates will help to replenish the glycogen stores, but, timing is very important in maximizing recovery. Consuming 1.5 g/kg of carbohydrates within 30 minutes of training is recommended to maximize glycogen replenishment. If intake is postponed by as little as two hours, the results may be a decrease of total muscle glycogen syntheses by 66%. Additional meals of 1.5 k/kg of carbohydrates every two hours are recommended to completely restore muscle glycogen.

Carbohydrates should be the focus leading up to the tournament, but an endurance athlete must not neglect daily protein requirements.  Protein is crucial for forming red blood cells and increasing the number of oxygen carrying enzymes in the blood. and replacing the body’s protein stores.  Protein also builds and repairs muscle tissue, boost the immune system and replaces hormones.  Our bodies do not store excess protein as protein or amino acids, so its important that adequate protein is consumed each day.

Figuring your daily protein needs is easy.  Endurance athletes such as Brazilian Jiu Jitsu competitors  should consume between 0.7-0.8 grams of protein per pound of body weight daily.  For example, a 200 pound man’s daily protein requirement would be 160 grams because 0.8 x 200=160.

RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu & Fitness Protein From Food Chart

The need for protein is actually a need for amino acids.  All proteins are made up of amino acids which are needed to build and repair tissue.  There are a total of 21 different amino acids and all protein is made up of a combination of them.   Our bodies can make some amino acids, however there are eight essential amino acids that must come from foods we eat.  All the essential amino acids are needed in order to build and repair muscle.  A balanced diet consisting of real foods will provide the proper balance of all the amino acids.

Hydration is important.  Men require a baseline of 125 fluid ounces daily and women require a slightly lower amount of 90 fluid ounces daily.  Be sure to drink the required amount.  Don’t worry about having to drink extra.  The additional carbohydrate servings will help hold water.  However, be sure to consider how much you sweat.  If you are a heavy sweater, be sure to add a little sodium to your meals.

On the day of the tournament, eat a meal two to three hours prior to your matches.  Your meal should consist of roughly 100 grams of carbohydrates and 15 to 20 grams of protein.  Also, include 20 grams of fat and 20 ounces of water.  If you sweat a lot, be sure to add a little sodium to your meal.

Timing this may be frustrating because often times Brazilian Jiu Jitsu tournaments don’t always stay on schedule.  Adapt these guidelines to the best of your ability to the timing of your fights.

Dana Riddle, Andy Goodman, Rich Zaydel and Pete Loncarevich

If your bracket or round of fights are under an hour, then you will be fine with just drinking water.  However, consider using a sports drink in between matches instead. Sports drinks aid in hydration, replace electrolytes and slow glycogen depletion.

If you are lucky enough to compete in the finals and now you have an hour or more between your next fight, your focus should switch back to carbohydrates.  The amount of carbohydrates will vary depending on the physical demands of your prior fights.  An intake of 30 grams to 90 grams is recommended.  Whether the carbohydrates come from a sports drink or a tasty Acai bowl with granola is up to each individual athlete. RocknRoll BJJ and Fitness Good Carbohydrate List

Hopefully, these guidelines will help you as it has our RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness family.

Happy training!

Rich Zaydel is head trainer and instructor at RocknRoll Brazilian Jiu Jitsu and Fitness in Orange County, California.  Rich Zaydel is a National Academy of Sports Medicine certified personal trainer and a certified Brazilian Jiu Jitsu instructor under Master Joe Moreira.

www.rocknrollbjj.com