What should I eat after a workout?

After your workout you want protein and a high sugar carb as soon as possible. The high sugar carb will speed up the protein but skip the fat as that will only slow the meal down. I suggest a

shake because liquid will get into your system quicker. You can use a scoop of protein or other sources of protein such as milk, greek yogurt or, eggs are fine. Make sure you get enough protein

for your size. For the high sugar carb, berries work really well. This is just your after workout meal and you will need to eat a regular

meal an hour after this. Try a frozen banana in your shake, you'll love it!

How important is sleep to staying physically fit?

We all know how important nutrition is to recovery after our workouts, but we don't seem to put as much importance on sleep for recovery. We spend all this time and money on making sure we are getting enough protein for our muscle growth, but maybe neglecting the fact that sleep plays a role in protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is a complicated process in which food is turned into muscles. So if you put your time and effort into building a strong body, sleep should be on your daily check list. Those days at the gym when you were lacking some serious sleep... maybe you weren't working at your full potential. Maybe you could have added some extra plates to your

sets or ran another kg. You could be working against yourself and your immune system. And what about naps? I say go for it if it doesn't affect

your night time sleep. If it does, try setting your alarm for 15-20 mins for a power nap. Just enough time to feel more alert and improve your thinking skills. Besides who doesn't like to sleep?

How do I get my partner to be healthy?

He's always complaining that he needs to get in shape, but when I tell him to go to the gym or put down the chips, he gets very angry. What can I do?

It's very tough to get started on a routine or nutrition plan when you don't know where to begin. Even though you're trying to help, telling him things he already knows may be adding to the guilt he already feels. This will cause him to feel pressured and overwhelmed. Try a different approach. Find some physical activities you both like doing once or twice a week. Offer to do the cooking or grocery shopping. Follow a nutritional meal plan yourself and he will probably join you. Trying to take on everything at once is not realistic and will usually cause you to fail, which adds a blow to the ego. Positive reinforcement works every time and remember, nobody wants to be unhealthy so, he will probably respond well to the help. After he sees results with the small steps, he might want to consider enlisting the help of a Personal Trainer.

Good luck!