Did you participate in the
Oakley Women chat on Friday? If not, no worries!
I will be back next Friday to answer your questions on another great nutrition topic in honor of National Nutrition Month.
You can check out all of the great questions and my responses on the
Oakley Women page but I wanted to share some of the questions and my responses on my blog that I felt would apply to all of you athletes and fitness enthusiasts.
Thank you everyone for your great questions and for taking time to pick my brain!
Q: Hi Marni - Is there a big difference between
peanut butter and almond butter? I have always eaten peanut
butter, but I've been told that almond butter is healtier. Any insight you can
provide there (note: I have a crazy addition to PB! hahah).
A. don't
worry - a peanut butter addiction is a good one to have. I recommend a
natural PB (ex. Smucker's Natural Peanut Butter) but any nut butter is fine. The key is just the nuts and
salt as the ingredients to avoid added sugars. Nuts are rich in heart healthy
fats but they are calorie dense so portion around 1 tbsp per sitting. Enjoy!
Q. I have heard that peanut
butter can be an inflammatory for some people while almond butter certainly is
not. Any truth in this?
A. Great question - I try
to not dissect food too much for I feel a varied diet is the best way to avoid
eating too much of any one thing. Peanuts (being a legume) offer great mono
unsaturated fatty acids for heart health but depending on what brand, they can
be rather processed so avoid hydrogenated oils and added sugars.A great snack
is to choose raw nuts over butters as another option. If you prefer almond or
cashew butter there will be a different fatty acid profile which may be a bit
better than peanut butter but which ever nut butter makes you the happiest,
that would be the one I would recommend.
Q. Hi Marni! I travel a lot for work and have a
hard time keeping healthy and fresh items stocked at home for when I'm in
between travels. Often times I can't keep enough fresh produce on hand because
I am on the road so much and it goes bad before I can enjoy it. Can you offer
some advice of a few go-to products that I could keep in the kitchen to help
make healthy meals an easier option?
A. Great question! My
best suggestion for someone who travels a lot is to keep frozen foods handy for
when you need them. Either make meals ahead of time and freeze them or you can
stock up on frozen veggies (and fruit), proteins and then freeze cooked whole
grains (or you can use quinoa which cooks fast or 10 min whole grain mixes) for
a quick and easy meal. Also, the meal right when you get home (whether
breakfast, lunch or dinner) doesn't have to be extravagant so as long as you
have something like oatmeal, chia seeds, nuts/seeds and frozen fruit, nut
butter, yogurt, banana, honey and Ezekiel bread or eggs and frozen veggies you
can get some real food in your system and then go for a grocery shop to get a
few options before your next trip. Here's a helpful link from Cooking Light magazine - Best freezable recipes
Q. Regarding salt tabs - is there an all
inclusive tab that keeps from having to use both salt stick and amino acids! I
get lost trying to keep track of which tabs I need to take next!
A. Great question. For
endurance athletes seeking both electrolytes and amino acids, the best strategy
is to try to get everything in your bottle through a sport nutrition powder to
make it efficient and easy to meet your fluid, electrolyte and carbohydrate
needs. I recommend my endurance athletes to have at least 400 mg sodium along
with other electrolytes like potassium, chloride, calcium and magnesium. For
BCAA's - most research studies mgs per kg so weight comes into play so to
figure out your individual needs, consult a RD who specializes in sport
nutrition. But a drink like Infinit
Nutrition will cover the electrolyte and BCAA needs. There are
other products for pills on the market like Hammer endurance aminos, liquid
add-ins like eletewater and fizz/nuun electrolyte tablets that can also be
used. For my racing (and my athletes) I try to keep things as simple as
possible - everything in a bottle through liquid sport nutrition.
Q,. Do
you agree with the suggestion of using at least 0.6 grams of carbohydrate, per
hour, per pound of body weight, on the bike and ~0.3 on the run during IM?
(source: Race-day nutrition)
A. That's a good general suggestion to help
athletes get started. But I feel that many things can affect that guideline so
always good to met with a RD who specializes in sport nutrition to assist in
individual needs. We need to consider the fitness level of the athlete
(efficiency), type of energy systems being used during training, weather,
terrain, intensity, duration. The best suggestion (aside from metabolic testing
- although I would rather use real world settings than controlled lab) is to
monitor training files and calorie expenditure and then to use that as a
guideline - generally we can replace around 30-50% what is expended through
sport drinks (if properly digested and absorbed).
Q. Practicing
hot yoga, and running in NYC during these cold months... What is the best way
to stay hydrated ...besides just water????
A. Since
you will still be losing water through breathing in the cold air outside as
well as hot yoga (sweating) I recommend an electrolyte tablet such as FIZZ
( Hammer Nutrition)
or Nuun Hydration.
1/2 tablet per bottle per hour. Also, think about hydrating foods
(fruits/veggies) as well as smoothies and soups to keep you hydrated throughout
the day.
Q. Hi Marni! So lately I've been
told by some friends and various media sources (like magazines and health
websites) that I need to stop eating dairy. Am I harming my body by consuming
these kinds of products? What are your views on this?
A. From a health perspective, there are many
great benefits in low fat dairy, specifically yogurt and milk. Depending on
your dietary preferences or ethics, you can choose organic or non organic (I
recommend organic). You will find probiotics as well as quality amino acids and
protein (and other nutrients like calcium, potassium, sodium) which make for
great recovery snacks from workouts as well. Every human body is unique so if
there is an intolerance of milk, there are many alternatives to meet calcium
and protein needs. Soy and lactose free milks will give you calcium and protein
whereas almond milk will give you only calcium so if needing the extra protein
(~7-8g) a protein powder can be added or real-food source. Some of my favorite
(and daily) dairy products are Daisy Brand 2% cottage cheese, Chobani or fage
0% greek yogurt, cabot cheese (any kind) and milk (skim or soy).
Q. Hi Marni! Lets say I really forgot to plan,
am short on time and am looking to fuel up at a grocery store after a workout.
I often have a hard time finding something quick and easy to grab that I don't
have to cook and that I know will help supplement my workout. I have a bit of
an allergy to dairy (so don't normally consume it) and really not a fan of all
the sugary 'protein bars' and often a handful of nuts just isn't enough! Any
recommendations??
A. Great question! A few options for
you - I always recommend to keep a bar (store bought like LARA or KIND or
homemade) and protein powder (Ex. whey or vegan) on hand in the case of a
"oh no I need something now" moment after a workout to help with the
recovery process as a snack. If you are needing a quick meal from the grocery
post workout, I recommend edamame, avocado, brown rice (10 min or less) and
frozen veggies and you can make a balanced vegan/vegetarian meal super quick
when you get home. Also, a soy based yogurt with granola is also an easy snack
from the grocery. For those who do not have an intolerance to dairy, greek
yogurt or cottage cheese with chopped fruit from the grocery and raisins can
make for a great recovery snack. Hope this helps!
Q. I have a
question about avoiding getting headaches and dizziness, It usually happens the
day after a tough workout or if I don't eat for a few hours... Is there
anything in my diet that could be triggering ? I don't eat any
processed sugars, 98% of my diet is what I wash,chop,cook at home.
A. Thanks for this
question. It sounds like your symptoms are from low blood sugar and/or
dehydration. I would recommend to perfect your pre-training snack so that it is
high carb and not fat so that you are fueling your brain and muscles for the
workout. You may benefit from a sport drink or at least an electrolyte tab like
FIZZ or NUUN during your workout (if over an hour, I do recommend additional
carbs from a sport drink powder). This is a serious thing and something you
want to tackle as soon as possible so if the nutrition suggestions I recc do
not help, discuss with your primary physician to talk about the health of your
kidneys, blood pressure and blood sugar. Typically, it's the fueling
around/during workouts that can help with these symptoms during/after workouts.
Also be sure to keep yourself hydrated during the day but don't overdrink. aim
for at least 8 ounces water per meal/snack and around 16-20 ounces water
between meals. 20-28 ounces water during workouts.
Q. Can you tell me if a drink says it is
sweetened with fruit juice concentrate, if there are hidden added sugars? I
have been letting my kids drink these and I'm skeptical.
Bolthouse beverages
And as a follow up question, would this be a good recovery drink after a long
workout? I know people drink chocolate milk and I feel like this would have to
be a better choice? This would not be in place of a healthy meal.
A. If the kids are needing to drink this
drink to boost fruit/veggie intake because they have not yet appreciated the
goodness in fruits/veggies, then this brand is a great choice. When you read
the ingredients, if any form of sugar is in the list that means that sugar has
been added. In the case of juice concentrate with added sugar, the sugar is
coming from the fruits/veggies so it is natural sugar and this is what we want
in our diet (same thing with milk - lactose is a natural sugar just like
fructose).
The concentration process works to hold on to the nutrients
found within fruits and removes water which will then dilute the overall
mixture. I will also recommend real food over juices if trying to eat a heart
healthy diet but there are some cases when a drink like this will come in handy
either traveling or to fill in nutritional gaps. Just be aware of portions for
the serving size is generally 8 ounces so even if sugars are natural, they will
still add up if the kiddos drink the entire drink.
Here's a great read from my favorite magazine Nutrition
action on sugars: Sugar by any other name
Part 2: when it comes to recovery drinks the important components are protein
and carbohydrates and typically in a ratio of 2:1, 3:1 or 4:1 of carbs to
protein (Ex. 20g of protein 40-80g of carbohydrates). But the key is what type
of protein. With the bolthouse smoothie drinks which would be better than a
juice post workout because of the protein, they use whey concentrate. It's
recommended to use whey isolate, a more purified form of whey. Also the key to
recovery drinks is leucine (a BCAA) which works with insulin to maximize
protein synthesis with carbohydrates. Leucine is also oxidized at high rates
during activity. This is why chocolate milk is shown to be effective (milk is
20% whey and milk also contains leucine). My suggestion is to focus on a high
quality protein source such as 20-25g whey or vegan protein powder and you can
mix with 8 ounces of this juice for carbohydrates after a long (2+ hour
workout). Chocolate milk is fine but I do find it's hard to find a quality
chocolate milk.
Q. Signed up for my very first 10K race on March 15th? Is there
a good meal plan I should stick to for this next week?"
A. Here's
a TV segment on did on nailing your pre-race run nutrition, I hope this is
helpful.
Pre race run nutrition
Q. I've been hearing
some talk recently about the benefits of using creatine to help increase speed
and aid in recovery. I'm not sure if this is a "nutrition" question,
but have been dying to ask you if you feel that creatine would be of any benefit
for an endurance athlete.
A. Creatine monohydrate is actually one of the
most studied supplements for a very long time and is actually one of the safest
supplements to consume (I learned a lot about it while in graduate school as it
was a popular supplement for our researchers to use in studies). In terms of
taking supplements, we always want to address what is the reason behind the
supplement? Many times we supplement what we lack in the diet or for athletes,
supplement to gain the competitive edge. In the case of creatine, it is most
beneficial for power/strength which even for endurance athletes, there should
be time in the training cycle for the athlete to benefit taking creatine post
strength training workouts. For endurance athletes the research has not be consistently
clear if taking creatine will make you a better athlete and most of the
research says no because as aerobic athletes, we generate our energy (ATP) by
oxidizing glucose (and fats) which is much slower than through the anaerobic
systems in which creatine is needed to help keep ATP levels elevated.
I do not take creatine through a supplement (Karel does)
but here is a blog that I wrote in 2010 discussing creatine. If you are
interested in taking a supplement, always discuss with a RD specializing in
sport nutrition as well as with your primary physician.
A. Absolutely - romaine is a great
pick because of its high water volume and is very nutritious as well with a
high vitamin K content. The darker the green the more nutrient density but all
greens are great sources of vitamins, minerals, and fiber. I personally enjoy
arugula because it is rich helps produce nitric oxide to increase blood flow.
It also has a nice peppery taste. Here's a blog I did discussing the many types
of greens: Going green-er
Q. What
do you think of salt tabs or sodium intake during a marathon? Last year I
started craving salt halfway trough the marathon but only had gels (which is
what I trained with). Would you suggest adding in something salty while
training and on the course? Salt tabs okay?
A. Every athlete needs electrolytes but it's very tough to
understand exactly how much of each electrolyte you need which depends on what
you are losing through sweat. I find that many athletes are not meeting their
hydration needs because the nutrition consumed during training/racing is not
being properly absorbed and digested. Because we need sodium and water to empty
contents from the GI tract, it's important to consider the osmolality of a
drink (or sport nutrition) to ensure that it empties quickly from the stomach
to be absorbed in the small intestines. For hotter races, you want a low
osmolality drink (low carb concentration closer to 4-6%) and to drink it every
10 min or so to ensure you are getting adequate energy. Instead of taking 1 gel
per hour or every 30 min, I recommend gels mixed with water (ex. planning 1-2
gels per hour)so that it's easier to take a swig of your gel mixture and to
help postpone fatigue. Through gel/sport drink or salt tabs, give yourself at
least 300-400 mg of sodium + 100mg of potassium per hour (+ the other
electrolytes I mentioned above) or NAPALM which is a powder from Infinit Nutrition which is like a concentrated sport drink that can be mixed with water
and then you can take in water at aid stations. I also recommend to stick with
liquid sport drinks (pass on the solid food) to ensure that everything you are
consuming for "energy' is being used by the muscles.
Q. If
you have difficulty eating really early in the morning...What might you eat
before an early morning workout that starts at like 5:45/6 am
A. Great question! I just tackled this question in the recent issue
of Triathlete Magazine where
I talked about different workouts and timing food with workouts. For an early
workout, we still want a pre training snack but let's keep it low in
fiber/residue and energy dense. In other words, high carbs but low in volume. I
posted a pic on my TriMarni Coaching and Nutrition FB page this morning with some
of my favs like WASA crackers, seasonal fruit, honey, maple syrup, dates. A few
others: BUDDY FRUITS.PowerBar Fruit blends. Applesauce. Granola. Juice. Rice based
cereal w/ milk/yogurt. For a 90 min or less workout, aim to start with around
25-40g of carbs around 20-45 min before the workout to find the best foods that
work for your body. From there, if you need to add a little fat/pro to keep
your tummy happy during the workout (since your muscles will be getting the
quick digesting carbs), aim for around 5-8g of pro/fat.
Q. Hi Marni,
My fiance and I have been wanting to juice for dinner, but
I usually work out after work/before dinner. Is juicing (kale, spinach, apple,
mixed berries and apple juice) enough nutrient after a high intensity work out?
If not, what could we change or add to our current mix to make it enough to
refuel my body?
A. Great
question! Your ingredients sound delicious but I recommend to use juicing
to compliment meals - example, a homemade juice with your choice of protein,
whole grains/starches and heart healthy fats so that the juice is not the star
of the meal but provides the veggies/fruits that you'd like to help you create
a plant strong meal. Example, a juice with your choice of protein (ex.
tofu/tempeh or chicken/fish w/ olive oil or avocado and brown rice or quinoa).
To help you recover (when the magic happens) after a workout, we don't want to
slack on protein as well as carbohydrates (we need both post workout as well as
at meals) to refuel the muscles for consistent workouts. So a better option
than juicing after a workout (or for a meal) is to make a smoothie as a meal.
This way you are able to add fats and protein (which will leave you more
satisfied as well) to your veggies/fruit. I have several smoothie creations on
my blog but here is one you may enjoy for a meal to share with your
fiance
Q. Hi Marni! I became a vegetarian a few years ago and
although I feel like I've been eating a pretty well balanced diet and I
definitely feel that I get enough protein, I'm wondering if there are any
supplements I should be taking or anything I should be making sure to get in my
diet that may be lacking now that I'm not consuming meat?
A. that's
great about your plant strong diet! I have enjoyed my plant strong diet (lacto
ovo vegetarian) for almost 21 years. I would recommend to use nutritional yeast
to make sure you are getting adequate B vitamins (depending on what types of
protein you choose most regularly - eggs are rich in B vitamins as well as
dairy). You can add a serving once or twice a day to help meet your
needs.
I
would focus on your omega's - either from plants or a capsule. The key omega's
are EPA and DHA and you want to aim for around 1mg a day (Min - depending on
your cardiovascular risk) .
I also use fortified foods like cereals to increase my
intake of iron and B vitamins - check the label but you want to aim for at
least 50% (some cereals have closer to 100% of vitamins and minerals). There
are other ways to increase iron absorption (non heme iron) like adding citrus
to dark greens or using a cast iron skillet.
Lastly, the key is aiming for around 20-30g of protein per
meal (for every diet) for best absorption.
Hope this helps.
Q. What do you recommend to blast stubborn belly fat? I have
been running, just started cross training and do protein shakes and
supplements.
A. Thanks
for asking. I think some of the other posts may help with this as a lot of the
info may apply. The two main focal areas : consistency and progress.
For consistency - think about an exercise routine that you
can maintain and move the body often. I encourage individuals to move more
rather than to continue to "restrict" calories (especially heart
healthy nutrients that will boost the metabolism). For progress, think about
small changes in the diet that will help you focus on a more real food diet (if
that applies) as well as making sure your meals include protein at each meal
(to keep you from losing bone density with weight loss). The combination of
consistent workouts and progress with the diet will help you tone up without
feeling restricted or deprived. As for protein shakes and supplements, I don't
know enough about your lifestyle, health, diet and goals to make any
recommendations so I would focus on a consistent routine with exercise and
wholesome balanced diet. Hope this helps thanks for asking!
Q. Hi Marni,
I'm riding in a century tomorrow morning. Would you give me an idea what i
should eat before, during and after the race?
A. Best
of luck at the century! Since I don't know anything about you, your fueling
regime and fitness routine, I will pass along this blog I wrote and a few
recommendations:
-Be sure to have a satisfying energy rich pre ride snack
with a little pro/fat.
-Be sure to have a sport drink with you to sip throughout
each hour (every 10-15 min)for electrolytes, carbs and fluids.
-If there are sag stops, you can refill your bottle with
water/sport drink. There's the tendency to overeat at these stops and then feel
a bit lethargic after the stop when you get back on the bike but if you are
feeling the need to eat, keep the snack low in fat/pro/fiber and easy to digest
carbs.
-Pace yourself, if you are comfortable drafting this will
reduce energy to help you postpone fatigue.
-If it's a "race" and you are pushing yourself
and there are no stops, be sure to stay consistent on your fueling with your
sport drinks and if you need a tummy satisfier, take pieces of bar/gel as
needed for a little extra energy. Hope this helps - have fun!
A. What % P/C/F do you suggest for daily
requirements? I hear so many conflicting ideas. What do you eat post
2&3 hr w/o?
Q. Yes,
a lot of conflicting info and it really depends on your activity level, if
there is a goal for weight loss or body composition changes as well as your own
personal lifestyle and often clinical issues. Through a diet that emphasizes
real food, I recommend around 50-55% carbohydrates (ex. fruits, veggies,
grains, starches), ~30% fat (heart-healthy fats like olive oil, nuts, seeds,
avocados, nut butters and cheese) and then for protein, around 1.1-1.5g/kg/bw
for most individuals. There's no magic formula so when I work with athletes I
first try to get a meal balanced so that it is not lacking one macronutrient
group and then depending on hunger/fullness, lifestyle, activity I can then
tweak how much in each meal (I find most people benefit from a bit more pro/fat
to feel satisfied, especially with plant strong meals filled with
fruits/veggies). After a 2-3 hour workout, it depends on the intensity, but I
typically start with something small like a glass of milk with a handful of
cheerios or granola or if more intense, a smoothie with whey protein (check my
blog for my many smoothie creations) and all the add-in's. after my recovery
snack/drink I enjoy a meal. Here's an article I did for USA Triathlon on
some of my creations that helped me fuel my IM training.
Q. Looking for a good way to eat to help the ab
section become more defined with healthy eating?
A. Thanks for the question! Two parts -
first is from a fitness POV - try to make it a routine to devote 10-15 min of
core work daily - key exercises like planks, leg drops, superman and stability
exercises (ex. BOSU) will help with a stronger core. Second part - if it
applies, read labels on processed food to reduce/eliminate sugar alcohols and
focus on real food that is easier for the body to digest and absorb. Think about
hydrating foods (as well as drinking water) and reducing added sodium in the
diet (primarily from fast/restaurant food and processed food) that can assist
to reducing any extra water, naturally. Some of my favs: chia seeds, fruit,
yogurt (probiotics), leafy greens, oats, veggies, ginger.
