Fasted Cardio & Healthy Homemade BBQ Sauce

Fasted Cardio

What is fasted cardio? Doing cardio in the morning on an empty stomach.

What’s all the hype about? Does it really accelerate fat loss? Should you do it or not?

I’m going to try to keep this as short and as simple as possible.

Fasted cardio has gained popularity based on the idea that when you do cardio fasted, before you’ve eaten anything, you don’t have any glycogen to burn, therefore you burn fat for fuel instead. While this is true, whether you do cardio fasted or not will not have a superior effect on your fat loss. This fat burning phenomenon is only apparent DURING YOUR FASTED CARDIO, not throughout the other 23 hours of your day.

Whether you consume 2000 calories before or after your workout, IT DOESN’T MATTER. You still consumed 2000 calories and will be in a caloric deficit if your energy expenditure is 2500 (just throwing out numbers here, every single person is different). Energy in (throughout the day and week) must be less than energy out for fat loss to occur.

I don’t know about you but I know I’m able to train harder and better when I’m fed. When your training is more intense, your body burns more calories throughout the other 23 hours of the day just trying to return to homeostasis.

To do cardio fasted or to do cardio fed is really your preference. If “fasted cardio” is something that gets you up in the morning to go for a walk when you would otherwise stay in bed, that’s awesome, go for it. Obviously you’re being more active and would burn more calories by going for a walk vs staying in bed WHETHER YOU HAD BREAKFAST BEFORE OR NOT.

I’ll leave you with that, the decision is yours.

Healthy Homemade BBQ sauce

Servings: 12, 2 tbsp each

Ingredients: 1 TBSP Olive Oil 1/2 cup onion, finely chopped 4 cloves garlic, finely chopped (or you can do 4 TBSP minced garlic) 2 1/2 tsp ground chill powder 1/4 tsp ground paprika 1/4 tsp sea salt (or Himalayan salt) 1 tsp ground black pepper 1 pinch ground cayenne pepper 1 cup of organic or reduced sugar ketchup 1/4 cup raw honey 2 tbsp apple cider vinegar 2 tbsp yellow mustard 2 tbsp Worcestershire sauce

Instructions: 1. Heat oil in medium nonstick skillet over medium heat. 2. Add onion and cook 3-5 minutes, until translucent. 3. Add garlic. Cook and stir frequently for 1 minute. 4. Add chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Cook for 1 minute, stirring frequently. 5. Add ketchup, honey, vinegar, mustard, and Worcestershire sauce. Cook over low heat for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

OR if you’re like me and aren’t good at following recipes to the T; throw all the ingredients in a bowl, mix, taste to ensure goodness, and that’s it. Use as a marinade, over chicken in the slow cooker, or for whatever sauciness you choose to get into.

Have a good weekend :) Sydney