eFitnessConnection

 

Eat your broccoli

Mom was more than right. This green is not just good for you, it's good for your training.

 

When it comes to veggies, broccoli can be billed as a training-table staple. And it's no wonder: One stalk (about 1 1/2 cups chopped) helps the body stockpile an enormous amount of vitamins and minerals that are important, not only for muscle recovery, but for maximizing metabolic functions. Here are five more reasons every active woman should eat broccoli.

 

 

 

Chromium. Broccoli has about 30 mcg chromium per 1 1/2 cups (chopped). Chromium is an essential trace mineral that the body needs to metabolize carbohydrates, fats and proteins; it also helps control blood-sugar levels by enhancing insulin's effects at the cellular level in muscles.

Calcium. A scientific review in the Journal of Pharmaceutical and Biomedical Analysis examined the nutraceutical compounds in broccoli and found it contains about 65 mg calcium per 1 1/2 cups. Getting enough of this mineral is important because it controls fat storage and breakdown. Calcium also helps increase the amount of dietary fat excreted from the intestines before being absorbed.

Amino-acid cousins. Broccoli is also an excellent source of glucosinolates - sulfur-containing chemical compounds derived from branched-chain amino acids (BCAAs) that help in cellular defense. When broccoli is chewed or chopped, the glucosinolates are converted into phytochemicals that help protect cells from stress.

Vitamin C. When you think of food sources of vitamin C, oranges are probably the first things that come to mind. Broccoli is also a good source of this antioxidant (about 120 mg per 1 1/2 cups of chopped broccoli). Vitamin C helps you recover faster from a particularly intense workout and helps ensure that the hard training session hasn't taken such a toll on your immune system that you miss your net one.

 

 

 

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