New eats. Well-Bred

Enjoying the basil strawberry lemonade from Laughing Seed.

I have spent many, many years figuring out the role of food in my life. While I want my food choices to positively affect my health and athletic performance, I have also worked hard to discover a way that I can eat, perform well, and still function well in life to enjoy the things that mean so much to me, like being with Karel, traveling and spending time with close friends and family.
Ultimately, my diet enhances my life and it does not control my life.

Seeing that my career and formal education both revolve around food, it would be easy to assume that I am obsessed with food.
While I am passionate about food and have dedicated my life to learning about food and how it impacts the physiology and health of the human body, food is not my life. I eat when I am hungry, I feel satisfied and I move on with my life. OR, I eat when I need the energy to perform, I train to maximize my performance, I recover and I stay consistent with training.

How about you? Do you find yourself at ease with your diet, comfortable when eating out or when someone else prepares your food and happy when you eat?
Or, do you find yourself stressing, obsessing, feeling guilty, restricted or overwhelmed by food.

There are no food rules and certainly no off-limit food lists in our diet.
Neither of us have ever followed a diet plan.
In my opinion, this is food freedom. 

I feel it is important for every athlete to understand what foods work best for your body and when.
Regardless if you have a clinical reason to avoid certain foods, you want to lose/gain weight or you feel otherwise healthy, I believe that every individual should have flexibility with the diet but with enough structure that assists in reaching health goals and athletic expectations.

While this is easier said than done and takes time (and consistency), one way that I achieve food freedom and a great relationship with food is not obsessing about my weight.

While Karel and I could both probably be leaner, skinner, thinner or however you want to describe the body image, there's a line that neither of us want to cross when it comes to our enjoyment of food and what it would take with our diet to be "less" with our bodies.

If you know anything about me and Karel, we absolutely love trying new restaurants, specifically when we travel. While I try to not be too adventurous with my eating before a race to ensure a happy tummy with familiar and easy-to-digest foods, traveling (especially for a race) provides a unique opportunity to be inspired by new foods, new recipes and new creations.

While returning home from our race (Lake James 50), it took a good 2+ hours or so before either of us had enough of an appetite to eat a meal. I looked up places to eat in Asheville, NC and came across Well-Bred Bakery & Cafe.



Seeing that the name made our mouth water, we couldn't wait to eat our first "real" meal of the day (around 3:30pm)


Decisions, decisions. 


Karel ordered the Tempeh sandwich with sauerkraut and melted cheese on marble rye with a side of pea salad. 

I ordered the breakfast burrito with eggs, potatoes, beans and cheese with a side of salsa and sour cream. 

For dessert, Karel ordered (his favorite) Key Lime pie and a piece of rugelach.

We both shared each other's meal as they were both delicious and we wanted to each share the yumminess with each other.
Lucky for me that Karel doesn't mind vegetarian food options as it isn't that often that I can eat what Karel eats at a restaurant.

After the meal, we left the restaurant with happy tummies, feeling absolutely great with our food choices.

A positive experience while dining out

For Karel and myself, eating out is typically reserved for special occasions and traveling.

This pic (above) was taken a few years ago when we were in Athens, GA for the Athens Twilight Crit. Campy looks so young!

Of course, we love dining out at pet-friendly restaurants. 

I have ordered a few meals in my time that did not meet my nutritional needs and I was hungry after I ate (not a good experience especially when paying for food outside the home). I have also ordered meals outside the home that did not give me a memorable experience. 

I don't stress about eating out or try to change everything on the menu so that I can order a "healthy" meal but what I don't like is when the flavors of my meal do not meet my expectations, the presentation lets me down and I am not inspired.

And I still have to pay for it. 

No chef or menu item knows what I need as a vegetarian endurance athlete and health conscious individual, on any given day or meal. 

But this doesn't mean that Karel and I don't eat out on planned occasions and really, really enjoy our meals.

If we are going to eat out, we want to enjoy a meal that leaves a positive impression in our mind and tummy. 

I do feel strongly that eating at home (or preparing meals at home) should not be a typical daily/weekly occurrence but if you have the opportunity to eat out, make it one to remember and enjoy it!

Rather than repeating from the internet and giving you a dozen tips on how to order/eat healthy meals, here are three factors that are important to me while eating out. 

Perhaps you can carry these tips with you at your next dining out experience. 

1) The flavors - 

I'm no trained chef so my creativity in the kitchen is simply based on my learned culinary skills. I love it when I have a bite of something for the first time and it's a flavor explosion in my mouth. I read a menu option and it sounds delicious but I have no idea what it will taste like when it reaches my mouth. I just love the experience of tasting new flavors. 

2) The presentation - 

It's no surprise that I love to take pictures of my food/meals. I love to capture the meal before it meets my mouth. When eating out, I have no idea how a meal will taste yet I take a picture of it before I even have the opportunity to yum over the first bite. There's something to be said about a beautiful food presentation. 

3) Inspiration - 

Karel once told me that it is rude to tell someone that a home-cooked meal tastes like restaurant quality. Of course, I think he was speaking about someone who lives outside of the US (perhaps in Europe where he grew up with 99% home-cooking for all of his life while living in Czech). When I eat out, I love trying something that I can attempt to re-create at home. Having a trained chef at a restaurant, inspire me, is exactly what I seek when eating out. There's no need to order a plain salad when I can eat/make that anytime. Instead, I order something that sounds amazing but challenges me to find a way to prepare it at home.

4) Healthy relationship with food - 

I'm not going to enjoy my eating out experience if I go into the meal starving and I am not going to enjoy my meal if I fill my belly with appetizers before a meal. And I am not going to remember my positive eating experience if I leave a restaurant stuffed and uncomfortable. I find it extremely valuable to bring a healthy relationship with food to dining out experiences because I always want food to make me feel great when I eat it and feel better after I eat it - always. Because eating out is not typical for us, I do enjoy eating foods that I don't typically eat. But this doesn't mean that I bring guilt and anxiety with these meals. I actually order with good intentions and eat with great intentions so that when I finish my meal, I can go home and continue on with my life and not feel pressure to adjust my diet the next day. 

Tips for healthy eating when dining out

Dining out. We all do it.
Whether it is for work, pleasure, convenience, travel, an event or for really, no reason at all.
Eating out is part of our lifestyle. 

But is it possible to stay fit and healthy when eating outside of the home?

Despite close to 50% of all food spending from Americans being at restaurants, fast foods or food away from home, there was once a time when eating out was costly and inconvenient and an insult to your grandmother to compare her home-cooked meal to food served in a restaurant. 

Karel told me that when he was growing up in Czech, they rarely ate out. Eating out was reserved for very special occasions and he said that for him and his siblings, it was a chance to practice their good manners. 

Today, you don’t need a special occasion to have someone serve you, wait on you, prepare food for you and clean up after you.  Meal prep at home is far from a valued and necessary skill with available food at every street corner.  For many, cooking is a bothersome, time-consuming task that has little place in a busy lifestyle. Clean-up, dirty dishes, fear of preparing bad-tasting food and burdensome meal planning are among the most common reasons as to why many people do not make the time to prepare and eat home cooked meals. Throw in training for a triathlon and you have a list of excuses as to why you can’t find time to properly fuel your active lifestyle.

Supersized, calorie, sodium and fat laden meals are of concern for the public as health professionals continue to associate chronic diseases and obesity to our growing fast-food nation in a fast-paced, sedentary society.

No one said that eating out is a horrible thing but if your “occasional” eating out, turns into “daily” eating, consider the following tips to help you stay on track with healthy eating to support your active triathlon lifestyle.  

Tips for healthy eating when dining out

-Before spending all your energy on how to eat “healthy” outside of the home, consider working on a at-home, real-food, balanced diet for most meals per week, along with eating more mindfully - eating with a purpose. If you eat well most of the time you don't have to stress about the occasional times. It's important that when you do eat out and if it is for a special occasion (or at least has a purpose), a you can eat a meal utside of the home without feelings of guilt. If you have a really great reason to indulge, like a birthday or special occasion, enjoy it! Recognize that it's ok to say "no thank you" to the office brownies that always end up in your eye sight on Friday and saying "yes please" to a slice of cake at a family members birthday. Enjoy the cake as you cherish memories with others. 

-Don’t bank all of your daily calories for your special meal. Modify a snack or two to save 200-400 calories but avoid going into the meal starving by “saving” calories or you will risk overeating, sending your blood sugar out of control (and even your blood pressure) and heavily over-indulging at the upcoming meal.

-If eating out is an occasional treat, enjoy it! It’s not about what you eat occasionally that affects your health but rather what you eat on a day-to-day basis. Be inspired, try something new or indulge in a feel-good way. I just LOVE trying new foods/meals that inspire me to be more creative in my kitchen. Consider a day/time for eating out when you can be in the moment and enjoy the full dining experience (with feel-good food choices and not stressed and exhausted).  Be sure you savor each bite (to prevent overeating) and try to eat in a way that allows you to feel better after you eat than before. Order something that you can eat occasionally because you love it and pass on neutral foods.

-Ever consider burning calories as you treat yourself? Rather than eating out dinner and having dessert immediately after, consider driving elsewhere for something special for a treat. If roads are safe and weather is nice, bike to your closest ice cream parlor or park at least one-mile away and enjoy a 15 minute walk to and from a local bakery or ice cream shop and enjoy a small treat while walking. Perhaps the thought of driving somewhere else for a dessert may make you second guess the need/desire for the treat in the first place while at the restaurant.

-Be creative with eating out. Review online menus ahead of time so you don't have to be extremely selective and needy as you ask the chef to re-do a menu option to meet your needs, (although, many restaurants today will cater to your personal dietary needs, sometimes with a small extra price). For me as a vegetarian athlete, I know what fuels my body and when it comes to paying for food, I want to pay for happy tummy foods, with great flavor and presentation. Do your homework ahead of time so that when you eat out with friends or family, you are able to find a place that you are excited about and thus, are able to order something that is worth the money and time for having someone else prepare your meal.

-Be smart with “healthy” selections. Each restaurant will have their own definition of healthy whereas you may see a “healthy” option with “only” 1300 mg of sodium. Or, perhaps or a vegetarian meal loaded with cheese and butter and over 1500 calories. If you are going the healthy route while dining out, keep in mind as athletes, we need meals, not lettuce on a plate. Spending $15 on greens for a “meal” is not my ideal way to enjoy a dining experience and feel fueled and satisfied. Just because something is “healthy" doesn’t mean it will meet your needs. Use your skills from your developed healthy daily eating routine to better understand how to choose or create a meal outside the home (from restaurants to fast food to the salad bar) that will leave you fueled, nourished and satisfied after eating.

-Don’t be afraid to be a leader. Order first so that others around you will feel inspired by your choices rather than feeling as if you have to join the crowd. You never know who you will inspire when eating out. Also, a special request such as asking for dressing on the side, doubling the veggies, asking how the protein is cooked or asking for no salt added is likely going to make a big difference as to how you feel during and after eating. Don’t hesitate to order from the lunch menu at dinner (if possible) for a smaller portion, combining appetizers or sides for a meal, splitting an entrée or ordering one dessert for a group.

The key with eating out is that you enjoy your dining experience, and perhaps, feeling a little ore inspired to try new foods/recipes at home. As athletes, we want to eat healthy but we also deserve to indulge. If eating out every now and then is your "treat" - enjoy it!

As you apply these tips to your dining experience, always remember to leave the restaurant feeling better (satisfied) than when you arrived (hungry) and motivated to get right back to your normal healthy living routine. 

Although eating out may seem convenient, quick and often healthier than eating at home, there’s nothing more valuable for your health and performance needs than being your own waiter and chef to fuel your body with own personal “triathlete in training” menu.  

How to eat healthy when dining out

Yum....post-Ironman, day after food in Lake Placid! 

Veggie burger and fries for me and a meat burger for Karel.

These days, you don’t need a special occasion to have someone serve you, wait on you, prepare food for you and clean up after you. Close to 50 percent of all food spending in the U.S. is at at restaurants, fast food joints, or food away from home. With food available at every corner, cooking has declined in both value and necessity. Clean-up, dirty dishes and burdensome meal planning are among the most common reasons as to why many people don't make the time to eat home- cooked meals. Throw in training for a triathlon and you have a list of excuses as to why you can’t find time to properly fuel your active lifestyle.

Despite its convenience, eating out comes with many dangers. Bigger portion sizes, increased calories, sodium and fat can make frequent eating out a problem area for athletes seeking to maximize their daily nutrition,and stay lean. If an occasional habit has turned into daily occurrence, try the following tips to help keep you on track.  

But, before spending all your energy on how to eat better outside the home, here's my top tip: Consider commiting to eating a home-cooked, balanced meal for five to six of your meals per week. This will help you feel better equipped to dine more healthfully outside the home, without feeling guilty or worried about damaging your training or packing on the body fat.

Don't let a spontaneous dinner invite derail your goals. Arm yourself with these smart tips.

Click HERE for my dining out tips, featured on Ironman.com. 

Enjoying pastries and coffee in Karel's hometown of Znojmo, Czech Republic. YUM!

Other good reads:
Food pairings for better nutritional gains

Difference between healthy eating and sport nutrition

Performance-boosting superfoods

Why do you crave sweets after meals?

Hello from Greenville, SC!

On Thursday, we (Campy, Karel and I) took a quick trip to Greenville South Carolina. We have heard so many great things about this beautiful city and bike-friendly community that we decided it was a great time to go and take a little 6 hour road trip and stay until Sat.

And if you know us - we LOVE traveling!

After our morning workout (treadmill run for me and strength and trainer bike + run for Karel), we packed up for our trip.

Yummy Trail mix! I never travel without it!
Cheerios, raisins, pecans, peanuts, cashews, hazelnuts. 

Sadly, we left our bikes at home due to the high chance of rain during our trip and it was a good thing that we listened to the weather channel. Two full days of rain...but that didn't stop us from enjoying beautiful Greenville!

Grocery store salad - mixed greens in a container topped with hardboiled eggs, nutritional yeast, swiss cheese, cashews and olive oil/balsamic dressing. A simple and delicious Trimarni "fast food" creation for the road from the Grocery Store. 

When we arrived to Greenville we were anxious to stretch our legs and Campy really needed to let the downtown know that "I WAS HERE." 

We stayed with a friend of mine, Trisha, so we waited til she got off work and she gave us a little tour of this cute town. 

While we waited, Campy spotted one of the Mice on Main!

After spending time in downtown Greenville we finally arrived at our "home" for the next 2 days. It was great to enjoy a home cooked meal.
Steamed veggies and salad and tofu on top salsa, topped with jalepeno cheese.
Karel, Trish and her hubby had baked chicken (instead of tofu) and Trisha cubed tofu for me and drizzled with olive oil and tossed with herbs/spices and we put the tofu in tinfoil and then wrapped it up like a baked potato and baked in oven with the chicken for 15 minutes. 

On Friday morning, we woke up around 6am and had a pre workout snack (Trisha knows me well - WASA crackers and natural PB were waiting for me downstairs!) before our swim and strength workout at the YMCA.

After our workout, it was time to enjoy the local eats and what better than at a bakery!

Traditional European breads and pastries...to say Karel was in heaven is an understatement!! The croissants, apple strudel and Chef baguette were amazing!!! 

We had a busy day so we were out and about and ended up with a stop out at The Point Shopping Center at Zoes Kitchen for a late lunch. 

Greek salad and pita veggie pizza. YUM!!
(I had 1/2 pizza with salad along with an apple that I brought with me and saved the other 1/2 for lunch the next day)

We couldn't wait to get back to downtown and check out the local bike shops (we heard there are over 10 in Greenville!)...especially Pedal Chic -  which caters to women who are empowered through healthy movement.

Pedal Chic is the first women-specific bike shop and athletic boutique in the country, offering an unparalleled selection for the female athlete, cyclist, urban commuter, and yogi, as well as lifestyle/comfort wear in an upscale, boutique environment. The shop is a full-service bicycle shop and athletic boutique.

We are the proud dealer of Bianchi, Jamis, Nirve, and  Linus.

 I bought this cute long sleeve shirt. Now this is the sign that you want to see in the changing room!

Campy made a friend!! 

We were so excited for a dinner in downtown and we picked the perfect place! 

Chicora Alley

I had the vegan burrito which was packed with flavor! It was so delicious!!!

Well it was one exciting weekend and now we have one tired Camper. 

If you get a chance to visit Greenville, I highly recommend checking out this awesome city......be sure to bring your active wear and hopefully you will have great weather and can bike to Paris Mountain and run on the Swamp Rabbit Trail.

Thanks Greenville for the great memories....until next time........

A few more pics...