The advice he gives to his clients like Jen: Don't think of fueling in terms of what to eat just before your workout, think about treating your body right all the time. That means, getting plenty of sleep (think: six to seven hours or more); eating nutrient-rich foods, including a mix of healthy carbs , protein, leafy greens, and bright colorful veggies; and hydrating, hydrating, hydrating.
View this post on Instagram Throughout the course of my career, Ive had the pleasure to wake up every day and do something I love with people I care about, people who share that same passion, energy, and infectious positivity for the task at hand, and to see those same characteristics transcend just the physical part of the exercise. This right here, this is very very special to me, being that it comes from one of the most AMAZING human beings Ive ever had the pleasure to have in my life . So to the hardest working, beautiful, vigorous, most extraordinary person- way to absolutely CRUSH this. Pick up your @instylemagazine September fashion issue on the stands now! Im proud of you Jen, and forever proud to be your coach . . . #JenniferAniston #Gloveworx #Fitness @underarmour @gloveworx @goodmorningamerica A post shared by Leyon Azubuike (@leyon) on Aug 16, 2018 at 12:34pm PDT
"The common misconception about hydration is that you should wait until youre thirsty, and then drink until youre full," he tells Women's Health. "But if you pound water right before your workout, youll just feel heavy and full and sluggish the entire time." Instead, plan ahead...like, way ahead. As in, "you should be drinking water consistently throughout the days leading up to your workout," he advises.
As far as food goes, Azubuike encourages Jen to go for healthy fats. "I love avocados, coconut oil, salmon, fish oil-anything thats a good form of fat is great," he says. For carbs and protein, he notes that everyone needs a different intake in their daily diet to fuel an active lifestyle. "For me, I stick to 1.7 grams of carbs and 2 grams of protein per my kilo weight to support muscle-building."
Curious how other celebs eat? Here's Madelaine Petsch's daily diet:
About an hour prior to activity (like a run, for example), "I'll go for a scoop of peanut butter, half a banana, and some bread," he says. "I know thats going to help me get me through that run. When my body needs to tap into a fuel source, that's going to get me there."
But Azubuike points out that fueling your body for fitness is very individual-and what might work for him or Jennifer may not be helpful for you.
"It takes trial and error to see what works best," he recommends. One of Azubuike's favorite ways to become more aware is by keeping a fitness journal. "Write down how certain foods you ate make you feel during a workout," he says. "And also journal what days you mentally werent checked in as well, and why, in case that made an impact. Maybe its because you didnt sleep well, it was rainy outside, etc."
But hey, when it comes to pre-workout fuel to test, that peanut butter and banana combo sounds like a pretty delicious place to start.