Why is iron so important for athletes?

 

As an athlete, you hear a lot about eating enough calories, staying well hydrated and fueling your workouts appropriately with proper sport nutrition.

Although macronutrients are very important, let's not forget about the smaller nutrients - vitamins and minerals. Micronutrients play an important role in immune function, protection against oxidative damage, bone health and energy production.

Exercise stresses many metabolic pathways and increases the turnover and loss of micronutrients. As a result, a deficient intake or absorption issue can negatively impact health, body composition and performance. Although many vitamins and minerals are of concern - like B vitamins, zinc, magnesium, calcium and some antioxidants - many athletes struggle with consuming adequate iron.

Because iron is an essential mineral that assists in the transport of oxygen from the lungs to the rest of the body, we can't expect our muscles to execute the work we ask of them if iron stores are depleted.

Recognizing how detrimental an iron deficiency (or even worse, anemia) is on athletic performance and overall health, athletes will benefit from regular blood testing every 3-6 months.

Remember: Test DON'T GUESS.

For more information about Athlete Blood Test, search HERE or you can send me an email. 

How to fuel for a training camp (or train-cation)

Disclaimer: Neither Campy nor I encourage the consumption of alcohol during a training camp.
Truth be told - I don't never drink alcohol. 

Although your racing may be on hold, your training shouldn't stop. More so, you should still feel the need to fuel your inner athlete...which means incorporating big training days, personal challenges or a heavy training week into your training regime.

Better fueling and hydration strategies before/during/after workouts give you better performances and improved health. It’s that simple. With races postponed, there's no better time than now to start (or to continue) designing and fine-tuning your personalized hydration and fueling plan. Event day is not the time to try the latest sport bar or to invent a new homemade sport drink. Instead, use your big training days and personal challenges (ex. virtual or mock races) to figure out the best sport nutrition strategy for your needs.

While the nutrition you consume during workouts is extremely important, your body performs at its best when you put energy into your daily diet. In other words, well-timed daily and exercise hydration practices will help reduce the risk of dehydration and heat illness, minimize early fatigue, improve central nervous functioning, optimize cardiovascular, digestive and thermoregulatory functioning, enhance recovery, protect the immune system, maintain energy levels throughout the day and make for a more enjoyable training session.

To learn more about what and when to eat before and after a training camp, here are four detailed blogs from Kathleen at Eat Love Triathlon (our Trimarni camp chef) who did a wonderful job explaining the meals and snacks that we consumed throughout camp (and why)....not to mention an incredible job keeping us well fueled and nourished!

Camp Day 1
Camp Day 2

Camp Day 3

Camp Day 4

Fuel for the mid-week long run

After an EZ form focused run with a few "fast feet" intervals on the treadmill on Tues evening, I made a delicious dinner for me and Karel of couscous, spiced with turmeric and salt, tossed with sauteed veggies (celery, edamame, yellow peppers, onion). Cooked tempeh was my protein of choice.

This dish didn't take too long to prepare as I was able to cook everything at once by using three of the burners on the stove. Karel was on the trainer, doing his bike workout as I was cooking, so by the time he was finished, it was time to enjoy this yummy creation, which left us with a happy tummy and well-fueled body.

After a great night of sleep (oh sleep, how I love you!), I woke up excited to run outside on Wednesday as this was the first morning in several days that it wasn't raining. Plus, I had a very specific build-run workout on tap and with a building confidence in my run fitness lately, I was excited to see what my body had in store for the morning run.

I started my morning with a cup of coffee with milk and then a chocolate chip waffle smeared with peanut butter, banana slices and syrup (yummy), and a glass of water.

After I digested my pre workout snack, I was got myself dressed in my run gear and was ready to go.

I started my run with about 10 minutes of active warming up inside the house to wake up my glutes and to loosen up my hips. I feel so much more springy on my feet when I take an extended amount of time to warm-up, before my run warm-up. After a few more minutes of dynamic stretching outside, I was ready to run.

(Karel left for his run a bit after me as we rarely run together)

With so many beautiful running routes from our doorstep, I let my legs lead the way. My run included no shortage of hills and climbing but that's my favorite type of running. After a 20 minute EZ warm-up, I stopped for a few minutes to stretch out again,  took a swig of my vanilla Clif Bar gel and a few sips of water from my hydration belt (2 x 10 ounce flasks) and then I was ready for my main set:

3 x 20 minute efforts, build from steady to strong w/ 1 min walk in between.

In reality, my workout was really 60 minutes, with the last 30 minutes slightly stronger than the first 30 minutes, but no harder than a Z3 effort for the stronger effort. But for my mind, I broke it down into 3 x 20 minutes as this was my strategy to best execute this very specific main set. Also, I wanted to include some walking to make sure that I could keep great form throughout.

I continued to sip on water throughout the main set and took a swig of the gel (about 1/3rd of it) every 20 minutes.

By the last 20 minutes, I was running strong and fast, which told me that I not only paced it well but I also fueled smart. I not only felt stronger as the run continued but my pace dropped with every 20 minute segment. I never looked at my watch throughout the run, as I went all by feel but it was fun to look over the stats when the run is complete.

After the run I had a smoothie made with milk, frozen fruit and whey protein and then it was time for breakfast (my first real "meal" of the day).

In total, the run was 1 hour and 24 minutes, 10.35 miles. 

 

It's a shame that we live in a society where so many athletes are afraid to take in calories during training, not to mention eat "enough" to support energy needs.

My body deserves calories, lots of them!

The way I look (body composition/weight) is never a focus when I eat or train. I don't train to look a certain way and I don't eat to look a certain way. The body I carry with me for every workout is the body that stays nourished and well-fueled, every day of the year.

I don't bash my body, I thank my body.

I don't workout or eat to try to look different.

And you better believe that I thanked my body a lot after the workout. I even told Karel after he came back from his run, that I was very impressed with my body that I could run so well this morning. I felt light on my feet, strong, resilient and fluent. I could not have asked for more out of my body!

This active lifestyle that I live is a fun one but it's geared toward performance. I expect my body to perform for every workout but never do I take a workout for granted. I feel incredibly lucky for what my body allows me to do and seeing that I push it, challenge it and destroy it through the many workouts that I accomplish each week, week after week, month after month, year after year, I owe it to my body to make sure that I eat and fuel smart.

I train to adapt to the stress that I intentionally place on my body. And since I want to be the best athlete that I can be (hey, genetics can only take you so far and in my situation, my body was not built for running so I have to work hard at it!), I never overlook the many nutritional strategies that I can take to help me get the most out of my body, while keeping my body in great health. 

Do you eat and fuel smart?

If not, why aren't you using your diet to get the most out of your body to improve your performance and to keep your body in good health as an athlete?

Make the effort

It feels great to be back home in Greenville, SC.

We are back to our routine of work and training and of course, back to the routine with this little golden nugget who enjoyed his "summer camp" with our dear friend Christi for almost 4 weeks.....

As wonderful as it is to be back in our home environment, I have to be honest and say that adjusting to life, without all of our meals prepared and served to us, has been hard.

We were heavily spoiled by Karel's mom, while we were in Znojmo, Czech Republic, with over 2.5 weeks of really good authentic Czech recipes, all home cooked and prepared with love.

With Karel and I continuing to train for the races that we have planned for the rest of the season (next up in August, Lake Logan Half Ironman for me and Ironman Mont Tremblant for Karel), life certainly isn't slowing down for us, with little extra time to shop, prep and cook food.

BUT, we have to make it a priority because our bodies require food to perform and to stay healthy.

Therefore, we have to make the effort.

"Knowing what to do and actually doing it" is a common statement from many time crunched and exhausted athletes.

BUT, you have to make the effort. 

Here are 10 of my tips as to how to make food prep, cooking and eating possible, despite living a busy life as an athlete.

1. Plan ahead - prepare as much as you can ahead of time so that it a meal is ready for when you get home from work or a workout OR prep your meal ahead of time for easy cooking (which is helpful when you are hungry or exhausted).

2. Never let food rules boss you around. The more restrictions you place on your diet, the more you will dread eating and cooking. With a dieting mentality, you may find that food makes you feel uncomfortable and even scared, which may lead into disordered eating or an eating disorder.

3. Always start with a recovery snack or a pre-meal snack. This works wonders as you can think more clearly and you don't use the excuse that you are "too hungry" to cook. 

4. Rehydrate before you eat. The hot weather can zap the appetite. But not eating for hours after a workout (and then overeating in the evening or the next day) is not performance enhancing. Post workout, pour yourself a refreshing glass of OJ, squeeze a juicy lemon or lime into ice cold water or blend ice and frozen fruit for a slushy drink before eating your recovery snack or meal.

5. Get help. On your busiest days, use the grocery store, a fresh and healthy delivery service or even your family members to help you out.  Perhaps one of your family members (or kids) loves to cook but you would rather grocery shop. Maybe you love cooking but despise food prep. Does a grocery store have a hot bar where you can get some items prepared ahead of time or is there a section with pre-made items that you can add to a homemade meal? 

I often find that with a team approach, you can get a lot more done and cooking doesn't feel so overwhelming.

6. Don't try to be perfect. For an athlete who strives for perfection and approaches life with a mentality that everything needs to go as planned, accept that you do not have to be perfect with your diet to reach your goals. Having too many or too high of expectations as to what you should be doing vs what you can actually do can make you feel like a failure, thus making you think "it's not worth it."

7. Have a few go-to meals and snacks. Every athlete needs a few meals and snacks that are easy and simple and fit the bill as to what you need to feel healthy, satisfied and fueled/recovered. Don't make these meals super complicated but make sure you always have the items you need ready, for when you need a quick go-to meal or snack. 

8. Get out of your food rut. Many athletes find themselves into a food rut, eating similar things over and over again because they are easy and simple. While there is nothing wrong with having go-to meals, you shouldn't rely on them day after day. Use your day off from training to get creative in the kitchen or instead of lounging on the couch when you have a few extra hours to spare, get inspired by recipes and make good use of your time by preparing new recipes or dishes.

9. Stop the excuses. If you find yourself always in a situation where you feel too busy, too tired, too hungry or too unmotivated to cook, you will find that day after day, you are simply using the same excuses over and over as to why you can't get a healthy, nourishing and balanced meal on a plate. No more excuses, make things happen. Figure out why you are letting healthy eating or proper fueling be an afterthought and if needed, reach out to a professional (ex. sport dietitian) to help.

10. Appreciate food for fuel. Your body doesn't run well when you don't feed it well. Put a similar amount of passion, focus, dedication and commitment into your daily diet, as you do with other important things in your life. Many times, when the focus is place on food for fuel and for health, the body performs better and it becomes easier to see improvements in health, body composition and performance.

A well-fueled body on the weekend

It takes a lot of food to fuel an endurance athlete.

But not every food is well tolerated before and after a long workout.

I'm constantly aware of the food that I eat around long workouts for two reasons.
First off, food is my fuel. I do not use food as reward or to control emotions. Seeing that long distance training is very stressful on the human body, I do not want to self-sabotage myself by under on my longest workout days nor do I want to throw away a great workout by eating (or not eating) food that will not help me recover and refuel. 

Secondly, I know what foods work and do not work for my body.  This has little to do with body image and a lot to do with performance.
Ironically, my body stays in good health, despite not counting calories, eating carbohydrates at every meal, every day of the week, using sport nutrition during workouts, eating before all workouts and not having a "bad" food list.
This isn't because I'm lucky, this is because I understand exercise physiology, nutrient timing and sport nutrition.

The"diet" that I follow around my workouts is my style of eating that is guided by a focus to ensure that my body performs well when I need it to perform well and recovers and refuels adequately so I can repeat the training stress the next day.

There are no food rules for how I eat but you better believe that I am going to eat the foods that work best for my body when I ask my body to train.
When I eat well, I perform well and this keeps my body in great health.
If I didn't eat well around my workouts, either my health or performance would decline.
Typically, it's one before the other but often, both decline overtime. 

I find that many athletes get confused when they hear a pro or elite athlete say "I don't eat x" before or after a workout or race. This statement doesn't mean that x food isn't "allowed" at other times in the day or this is a "bad" food.

When you are performance focused, you are going to prioritize foods that help you improve performance. If you focus on body image or something aside from performance when making food choices, it's very difficult to ask your body to perform (go harder or longer) without adequate energy and nutrients in a restrictive diet.

The issue of not fueling properly before, during and after long workouts is very common for the fitness enthusiast turned athlete who doesn't understand the great metabolic stress of going long, the athlete who struggles with an unhealthy relationship with food or the body or a chronic dieter who is training for an endurance event. 

These athletes have built a diet from healthy vs unhealthy, good vs bad foods and haven't learned or accepted that some foods that may not be "healthy" throughout the week or on lower volume/intensity workout days, but are actually best consumed before/after workouts for performance benefits....and actually keep the body healthy because metabolic needs are met.
 

And as far as those "healthy" foods that we should be eating every day, well I eat a salad every day for lunch but I do not eat my normal fiber-rich salads on the weekend, when training long.
I am not going to refuel with a salad after a 4 hour bike ride and 2 mile brick run but this doesn't mean that I have freedom to eat whatever I want or I don't eat veggies on the weekend.

As I said before, I know what works and doesn't work for a body that is training long. I have a different diet on the weekend and it's not built on "reward" food or "bad" food but instead, food designed to fuel, refuel, recover, repair and nourish.
And I never feel deprived, with an empty pit in my stomach or suffer from extreme food cravings when training long on the weekends.

I'm sure you have a list of foods that are best enjoyed on long weekends but my hope is that these foods are not for "reward" because you earned it or because you can "burn off those calories." I also hope that you are not strict with your diet because you want to lose weight through long distance training and intentionally underfuel.

I encourage you to create two different diets, with foods during the week helping to keep you satisfied, nourished, fueled and to control blood sugar and then on the weekend, to help you adapt well to longer training stress, in order to postpone fatigue and to recover the damage that is done from long distance training.
 
Be mindful that some foods will not work well before and after your short and long workouts and this is ok. It's actually very good if you can recognize this as you will create a diet that works for you and your body.

Be respectful to your body and always have a great relationship with food, especially when going long.
You can only maximize performance if you have a well-fueled AND healthy body.

Here are some of the foods that we enjoyed over the past two weekends of long training:

Fresh rustic farmer's bread, grilled cheese sandwich with mozzarella, sliced tomato and arugula. 

Tomato soup packed with sauteed veggies, beans and boiled potatoes (pretty much a bunch of leftovers added to homemade tomato soup)

Egg and veggie scramble - plenty of leftovers for two long workout recovery meals

Veggie and egg scramble with fresh rye bread and oranges

Yogurt w/ berries and oranges (this is an older picture but I eat at least a cup of Greek 0% plain yogurt every day)

Cottage cheese (2% Daisy brand) with a spoonful of fig preserves

Homemade grilled pizza made with Publix pizza dough (aka "salad" on bread)

Homemade crepes made by chef Karel (think thin pancakes with lots of surface area for topping)

Baked sweet potatoes with cinnamon and honey (served with 2% Daisy Cottage Cheese, not pictured)

Mashed cauliflower and sautéed onions and garlic, baked sweet potatoes, cooked tofu and a romaine and arugula salad with pecans, orange slices and avocado.

And in addition to all this delicious food, I still eat before ALL workouts and use sport nutrition during any workout over 75 minutes (or intense workout less than 75 minutes).

Don't destroy your body and health with excessive exercising and poorly planned eating.  

Just imagine what you can do with a well-fueled and healthy body......

Did/Will your "healthy" diet turn unhealthy?

If you have been trying to train your way to great fitness with a dieting mentality, you better believe that in your attempt to improve performance, you may actually be becoming less healthy.

Don’t assume that just because you are an athlete, that health and fitness are interrelated because for many athletes, they are not.

Just because you can run for 2 hours, swim 4000 yards or bike 100 miles, perhaps all in a weekend, this doesn’t mean that you are healthy, especially if you are not fueling and eating adequately and making smart lifestyle habits (like good sleep, good stress management, etc.).  

I have witnessed many athletes who are extremely active, look fit or are dedicated to training, yet when it comes to making smart choices with their diet, they are either too extreme and restricted or too careless and negligent.    

Have you or someone you know, experienced one or more of the following while training for an event? 

Hormonal dysfunction, poor bone health, stress fractures, decreased thyroid output, increased cortisol, impaired mood and cognitive functioning, suppressed immune function, muscle catabolism, anemia, inadequate hydration, hypoglycemia, constipation, diarrhea, anxiety, depression, chronic fatigue, interrupted sleep, inflammation, sudden/chronic loss of motivation, trouble sleeping/restless sleep, preoccupation with food, eating disorder, nutrient deficiencies, unintentional weight gain or loss, chronic muscle cramps/weakness, kidney issues, adrenal fatigue, cardiovascular stress, respiratory issues, gastrointestinal disturbances, nausea, intense headaches, skeletal, tendon and ligament injuries, thinning hair, decline in performance. 

Whereas we all know that injuries and sickness are typical health issues that affect athletes (especially endurance and high intensity athletes and new athletes), the above list features some of the health issues that are becoming more and more common among athletes, especially new or endurance athletes, due to not fueling properly around and during workouts, training too intensely or too long or due to food or calorie restrictive diets.

The physical demands of training and racing, especially in endurance events can be so extreme that it is no surprise that many athletes are unable to maximize performance and keep their body in good health at the same time. 

But, when an athlete intentionally restricts food, sport nutrition or calories in an effort to lose weight or to get leaner, you can see why health issues, beyond sickness and injuries, can occur. 

And the above list does is not a list that should be brushed off as "well, I'm training for an event and this feeling/issue is "normal".

If you do want a change in muscle or body fat for performance or health and want to ensure that your season is not derailed due to a nutrient deficiency, low energy availability or a complicated health issue, you must have an appropriate, safe plan to ensure that health is not compromised in the process of improving performance.  

If a body composition modification is a desired goal to enhance performance, the methods should not be strict, limited or extreme. You should allow for gradual weight loss (not a quick fix), without extreme food restrictions, excessive exercising, unsafe behaviors (starving, purging, laxatives) or use of weight loss supplements.   

If there is too much focus on what not to eat in an effort to be thin, rather than what to eat in order to win, an obsession and hyperawareness with food may intensify disordered eating patterns, which could turn into a clinical eating disorder and severely affect your health and quality of life. 

If you are constantly focused on the outcome, like being a great fat burner and/or getting leaner, you will find a constant struggle as to how you can actually improve your performance to be fit enough to race well on race day while intentionally trying to lose weight.

Ironically, when you put emphasis into how to train and eat in order to optimize performance, thus becoming "performance adapted", favorable body composition changes occur naturally because you are trained, fit and strong for your upcoming event.

Athletes, it is time to forget the diet mentality. Let’s make peace with food. Stop associating all of your health, performance and body issues with carbohydrates. 

Instead of trying to manipulate your diet or training regime to become better fat adapted, how about train and eat in a way that helps you become more performance adapted. 

Please love your body in motion. 

Respect it with food and exercise. 

Stop the body bashing, food restriction and overexercising.

YOU are an athlete.

Train smart, fuel smart and don’t forget to thank your awesome body.

A nutrient-rich diet fuels performance

Most sport nutrition experts try to make nutrition and fueling a body in motion as simple as possible because aside from a few of us who love biochemistry, explaining metabolism in the picture above is likely not the most practical way to understand and apply information as it relates to turning food into energy (aka metabolism). 

These days we often hear about ways to eat less. Over and over again, nutrition "experts" proclaim that to be healthier, stronger, leaner, fitter and sexier you need to fast, cleanse, detox or find a way to restrict food.
And these suggestions are not just for the sedentary, clinical unhealthy or lightly active. They often trickle down to age group, elite and professional athletes too! 

Athletes who restrict food, undereat, overeat, skip meals, underfuel around/during workouts (either intentionally or unintentionally), frequently diet or overtrain may find that the diet is negatively affecting physical and mental health just like overeating can effect physical and mental health. 

Sport nutrition is not simple but we must not forget that general sport nutrition recommendations that apply to the masses, generally work to help you stay healthy and to help take your training to the next level. And they are not super complicated. 

Far too often I find athletes struggling with their training load, feeling run-down, sick, injured or feeling "off". These athletes often feel like they don't have enough energy or the energy they use to have in training and seek dietary changes to boost energy (or to help with weight loss). 

If you consider the many metabolic processes that your body needs fuel for (through carbohydrates, fats and protein) in order to function properly at rest and during activity, if you don't consume enough energy (calories) for your activity regime, you can't consume adequate macronutrients (carbs, protein, fat). If you don't consume the appropriate amount of macronutrients, you may become deficient in key micronutrients. If your body doesn't receive the energy and nutrients that it needs, performance and health will suffer.

The problem is that athletes struggle to enjoy "healthy" eating. There is little passion to fueling a body in motion. Rather than respecting the body with sport nutrition and good nutrition practices, athletes bash, criticize and overwork the body.
Athletes often want a quick fix, hoping to make a few changes or lots of changes to get results fast. It's often the "easy" approach that athletes want when it comes to nutrition for every other approach looks hard (or appears to fail at first attempt). There is little consistency in the diet or fueling regime yet extreme dedication and commitment to training.
Sadly, you can't out-train a poorly designed diet. 

The human body works rather hard to keep you in good health. But let's get real here. 

Through in a 10-20+ hour training load on top of your daily life stresses, you can only imagine how much harder the body has to work on a daily basis to not only keep you well but also to help you get faster, stronger and fitter. Health doesn't improve overnight just like performance gains aren't achieved in 1 week of training. 

The scary part about an athlete's body is that many times, an athlete does not recognize that he/she is underfueling, underhydrating or undernourishing until it's too late. In other words, an athlete feels as if "all of a sudden" something isn't working whereas in reality, the athlete was likely never fueling, hydrating or nourishing properly and the body finally caught up (or more likely couldn't keep up). 

Did you know that because vitamin B12 is secreted daily into the bile and then reabsorbed, it can take around 20 years for a otherwise healthy person to show signs of a deficiency? 

Vitamin B12 is just one of many micronutrients that is necessary for metabolism. Riboflavin (B2) is involved in glycolsis, the ETC and citric acid cycle (all important during exercise), Thiamin (B1) is needed to convert pyruvate to acetyl-CoA during carbohydrate metabolism which is essential for the aerobic metabolism of glucose, vitamin C protects against oxidative stress and iron is utilized for many functions related to exercise. 

And don't forget about calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, sodium, chloride, vitamin A, D, E and K, pantothenic acid, biotic and choline....all necessary to keep your body healthy and to support your body during training and racing.  

If you are an athlete who intentionally or unintentionally does not consume enough energy through meals and snacks, does not use (enough) sport nutrition or hydration before/during/after workout, has a low appetite (or overeats) or chooses a limited/food restricted diet, there is a great change that you could be consuming an inadequate consumption of micro AND macronutrients which ultimately will affect your exercise performance and health. 

And who wants to put in all that hard work in training but not receive favorable fitness gains as an outcome? 

Do not overwhelm, scare yourself or stress over food. 

Just eat. Food is your fuel and your medicine.

If you make the effort to fuel/hydrate your body before, during and after workouts, consume a whole food diet throughout the day and indulge responsibly, on occasion, you will likely consume adequate vitamins and minerals to meet your needs and will likely keep your body in optimal health.

 In return, you will gain the competitive edge as you can push your body harder as you can stronger, faster and more powerful all through consuming a nutrient-rich diet. 

Happy fueling! 

Healthy eating without following a diet plan

Healthy Eating Without Following a Diet Plan

(for the original source, visit USA Triathlon multisport zone)

By Marni Sumbal, MS, RD

All fitness enthusiasts and athletes must understand the importance of consuming a balanced, wholesome diet. And above all, this diet shouldn't leave you unsatisfied, without energy, feeling isolated, requiring an excessive amount of planning and prep or costing you a lot of money. It’s time to start thinking about food for fuel and health. 

Here are six tips for eating a healthy diet without following a diet plan.

1. What's your motivation to change? If you feel the need to eliminate or add certain foods to the diet, be sure to have a really good reason to do so. A good reason would be doctor's/dietitian's orders or lab work that reflects the need to place emphasis on certain areas of your diet. Weight loss is typically a top priority for most people wanting to change nutrition habits but a better focus would be on what you can do with your body when you start eating healthier. Maybe less sick days, reducing risk for cancer, being around longer for your grandkids/spouse, having more energy, taking better care of your body, performing better, having less focus on food and more focus on living life to the fullest? Whatever your reason may be, let a change in body composition be that added bonus as your health is always top priority.

2. Create a positive food environment. Stock your kitchen with everything you need to prepare wholesome foods at home and store leftovers in Tupperware. And don't forget the foods that you want to eat as well. I recommend shopping every three to four days when you are transitioning to a more real food diet so that you do not overwhelm yourself with a lot of produce and then find yourself throwing it out after a week. Think of what you can keep in your pantry, refrigerator and freezer for easy and healthy meal prep.

3. Don't be perfect; aim for progress.
Create a very simple lifestyle log to plan your day. The diet mentality is to log your day as or after it happened and this often doesn't initiate change but instead guilt, control and self-defeat. Instead, create a plan for yourself. When you think about what you will eat before or after workouts, for your three meals and then snacking with a purpose, you have a better opportunity to set yourself up for success. Not only do you have a plan for staying nourished and satisfied but you are now forced to make sure you have those food items available which reduces the risk for overeating later in the day as well as going long hours without eating (or eating on a whim). This also helps the athlete fuel better so that pre- and post-workout nutrition isn't an afterthought.

4. Rethink your plate.
I'm all about  a plant strong plate. You can pick your protein choice. Fill up your plate with fresh foods, packed with vitamins and minerals. Your plate should never limit fats, carbs or protein so find a way to create that beautiful plate that leaves you satisfied and feeling great about your meals. If you can't do this on your own, have a dietitian who specializes in sport nutrition help you plan your diet to support your active lifestyle and health goals.

5. Get in the kitchen!
Do I even need to give you a reason as to why you should cook more? Don't find the time to cook, make the time.

6. Give it time.
Don't expect to change everything overnight. Focus on a few changes every one to two weeks so you can make that lifestyle change. Be sure to have a strong, supportive team around you who will keep you motivated and inspired to learn how to eat for fuel and for health. Also keep in mind that even though you may find yourself questioning your new or improved eating habits, your diet is created by you and for you. You have your reason for your dietary changes and you are making these changes for the right reasons. You are not chasing a body image or wanting a quick fix but instead, you are taking the time to make a lifestyle change. Enjoy this wonderful journey that you are taking your body on as you learn how to eat for fuel and for health and how to develop a great relationship with food and your body.

Marni Sumbal, MS, RD, LD/N is the owner of Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition, LLC and holds a master of science in exercise physiology, is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and a nine-time IRONMAN finisher. She enjoys public speaking, writing, plant-strong cooking and traveling. She will be racing in her 4th IM World Championship this October with her husband Karel. Learn more at trimarnicoach.com.

The views expressed in this article are the opinion of the author and not necessarily the practices of USA Triathlon. Before starting any new diet or exercise program, you should check with your physician and/or coach.

Fueling the vegetarian endurance athlete - Part 2!

Thank you Girls Gone Strong for letting me share my thoughts on fueling the vegetarian endurance athlete. 

As a 22-year vegetarian and 9x Ironman finisher, I had so much to say on this topic so we decided to make it a two part series and finish with a Q&A on the Girls Gone Strong Facebook page!

                                                                            

To read the articles: Part 1 & Part 2 

Q&A

Q: On Tuesday, in this article you gave some guidelines for protein, carb, and fat requirements for female endurance athletes. Do the numbers look different for women who mostly strength train, and whose goals are strength-based?  If so, how do they differ? 

A: Thanks for asking ! The main focus of fueling an endurance athlete is ensuring that glycogen stores are not the limited as we want to keep our bodies energized for the long haul. I am a firm believer that endurance athletes need a healthy amount of fat in the diet to stay satisfied and healthy as well as protein for recovery/repair but the carbohydrates would be on the greater range for endurance athletes compared to strength-focused athletes. There is also a timing issue because endurance athletes need to consider how digestion affects the gut so I encourage athletes to focus on more low fiber energy dense foods around workouts which should be low in fat/protein and fiber. Example, whereas a strength athlete may be fine with eggs and oatmeal before a workout, an endurance athlete may find this too hard on the gut before a long run so she may opt for cream of wheat with a little nut butter and maple syrup.

Q: If you would like to transition to eating more vegetarian meals what would you consider the core staples that can be used to make quick healthy meals and build the right nutrition behaviors for early adopters? Sorry, I know I am not a girl but I know you are the best at building strong healthy bodies!

A: Thanks for the question!  Whenever transitioning to a more plant strong diet we want to make sure a good solid foundation is in place. So if the diet is already rich in fruits, veggies, grains/starches and healthy fats then the modification to take place would be swapping out animal protein for plant strong protein. For example, if a standard lunch is a salad with a chicken wrap we could replace the chicken with any plant protein (ex. beans, lentils, edamame, tofu, tempeh) as an easy swap. If a standard lunch is just a chicken wrap, then my suggestion would be to get this meal more plant strong by adding some type of veggie component to this meal (salad or stir fry or raw veg) as a starter and then once that habit is in place, swap out the protein option.

Q: For a female athlete (or family) who is looking at having protein strong plant based meals. What would you suggest as an appropriate equivalent of protein in non animal protein sources

 A; In reference to the guidelines in the article (~1.3-1.8g/kg body weight of protein per day) this would be a nice starting point for total protein. I recommend to break up protein consumption per meal, around 20-30g is a nice range. 1 ounce of animal protein = ~7g of protein as a guideline so to swap out 4 ounces of chicken (28g of protein) this would look like 1/2 cup lentils, 1/2 cup peas and 1/2 cup cooked tempeh for around 29g of plant strong protein.

Q: A question we get a lot is whether or not endurance athletes need to strength train? Is it an important part of their overall program?  Where does it fit in? How often? What kinds? Does it ever take priority over endurance training?  How does this differ between in-season, post-season, off-season, and pre-season?

A: I actually went into this in great detail at the The Women's Fitness Summit because I think many endurance athletes do not understand the importance of strength training OR they don't make time for it. I am a firm believer that strength training needs to be part of an endurance athletes training plan but it must be periodized with the season plan. For my athletes/myself, I emphasize foundation building first to work on good motor patterns and mobility. Pretty much breaking down sport-specific movements and refining the movements. We take about 6-8 weeks in this phase while the cardio is focused more on strength (ex. using bands/buoys and paddles in the pool, heavy gear and climbing sets on the bike and slow form focused running with a few pick ups at the end of the workout). The next phase I transition my athletes to is more complex and dynamic training. Plyometrics should come to mind. Whereas the intensity and volume of the cardio training will increase a bit, the body is in a good place to accept this added stress. The goal for cardio is to keep the hard workouts hard and easy workouts easy and to plug in the dynamic strength movements that will yield favorable results to swim, bike run fitness. We call this the build phase and this will take us to the peaking phase of the season for the first key race of the year. Around 4-6 weeks before this race, the frequency of the strength increases but it is still good to keep the body primed for power in the gym once a week and then the other cardio workouts take priority as the focus is race specific workouts. There is always a continued focus on glute, hip and core/lower back strength to ensure that this is never a limiter. The #1 goal of strength training for endurance athletes is that the strength should make the athlete better at the sport she is training for. So strength training should not be designed to get an athlete strong just to be strong but to be strong, fast and powerful at her sport.

A great book for triathletes to better understand a quality approach to training alongside focusing on the strength and recovery component is from Matt Dixon with Purplepatch fitness - The Well Built Triathlete. 

Q: I'm more of a paleo eater now, but my doctor suggested vegetarian for my PMS/PMDD symptoms. Have you seen any evidence to support this or would high protein be better?

Thanks for asking Katrina Skurka Howard - I personally do not advocate a specific diet for athletes as I strive to encourage variety and balance in the diet and no food rules. But when it comes to PMS symptoms, it is important that female athletes understand how their menstrual cycle is affected (or may affect) training and fueling. Stacy Sims discussing this topic in great detail but to help manage these symptoms, I don't feel a specific diet will alleviate these issues but instead to focus on your own individual needs. You may want to start with a lab test to see your vitamin D and ferritin levels which can affect PMS symptoms if inadequate or deficient. For women who are not on the pill or other contraceptive and have a natural menstrual cycle, metabolism will be affected by the different phases (follicular and luteal) but I personally am opposed to any restrictive style of eating that eliminates major food groups. I hope this helps a little. I feel you on the symptoms, I have had my menstrual cycle naturally for the past 7 years every month so I am no stranger to these symptoms  

This is a fantastic reference from Stacy Sims.

Q: As a female endurance athlete how would you suggest balancing the nutritional needs of sport with the desire to lose weight?

A:  This is always a tough question because we want the body to be in a healthy place to tolerate the demands of training but we do not want to underfuel in an effort to lose weight. I think there are many approaches to this but it certainly can be done in a healthy way and depends on where the individual is with her relationship with food and the body. I think the focus needs to be on supporting the workout as many athletes underfuel around the workouts and end up overeating later in the day. As an athlete, making the effort to understand how to eat before, during and after workouts will help take training to the next level. I think another common issue is athletes undereating during the day which affects metabolism. Skipping snacks, not enough adequate carbs, skimping on calories/fat, etc. We need to eat enough to support the demands of training so planning out the day before it happens can be an easy way to see what the day will look like in the most balanced way possible with healthy and satisfying meals and snacks. Lastly, the evenings can be a time of overinduging or overeating so I encourage athletes to not beat themselves up if this happens in the evening but to identify any triggers during the day that may be tweaked to ensure a good balanced dinner in the evening and an early bedtime without excessive snacking. If all of this takes place and an athlete still finds it hard to lose weight, then additional modifications can be made in training to make sure that the workout routine is not too stressful for the body.

Is your nutrition performance enhancing or performance limiting?

Every athlete wants to take his/her fitness to the next level. I believe that we are all born with the trait of wanting hard work to pay off when it counts. 

As a dietitian who specializes in sport nutrition and fueling a body in motion, there's a lot of information that can be applied to an athlete who wants to take his/her training regime to the next level. It doesn't matter how you term your fitness - newbie, veteran, skilled, professional, novice - but instead, what are the goals that you aspire for yourself and are you willing to put in the hard work to meet your goals. 

I have had the great opportunity to work with many, many inspiring and motivated athletes on their nutrition, both daily and sport nutrition. Also, combing this with coaching so that a well-fueled body can go to the next level of fitness.

What's the difference between the two? Here's an article that I wrote for Triathlete Magazine that may help explain how sport nutrition is a topic that is very different from daily nutrition. 

There are similarities between the two and they do relate, but one (sport nutrition) helps the body adapt to training stress whereas the other (daily nutrition) helps keep the immune system healthy and reduces risk for disease and illness. To reduce risk for disease you do not have to use sport nutrition but to take training to the next level, you certainly have to eat healthy. 

One of the biggest issues I find with athletes is not knowing where to start in a nutrition journey. Regardless of working with a professional (ex. RD who specializes in sport nutrition) or from information on the internet, books and from friends/coaches, there's a lot of information available to athletes, some new and exciting but most of the information has remained the same for decades. 

So this brings to me to my focus of this blog post. 

If you are searching for nutrition help/advice to help take your training/fitness/performance to the next level, what category are you? 

Performance enhancing or Performance limiting. 

With so much information available, athletes are always looking at what others are doing (age groupers and pros) and trying to replicate in their own routine. Sometimes this works really well but many times, athletes are not focusing on exactly what is the reason for changing/tweaking the diet and fueling regime. 

Therefore, these are two categories that I use to help me (and my nutrition athlete) identify what are the underlying reason(s) for modifying the diet or fueling regime. Every athlete is different and I believe in a personalized approach. 

Far too many times I see athletes trying anything and everything to improve performance but not necessarily changing the right things. Often, things are changed that are working and new things are added that may not be necessary. 

 I will explain a little about both of these categories so that you can see where you fit in as you focus on the very important area of nutrition that is a critical part of an athletes training "diet". 

I find that most triathletes fit into one category more than the other, and those who feel limited by their current fueling/nutrition regime need an immediate change. Certainly, if I can help an athlete identify a red flag as to why performance is being limited, this can be addressed and practiced and almost immediately, performance will improve. And who doesn't want that?

Although I work with a wide range of athletes and I love working with the performance enhancing athlete, I would say that most athletes that I work with, are not in the performance enhancing category when they contact me for nutrition help. 

 Once you better understand if your current fueling/nutrition regime is limiting your performance, you will have less information to dive through as you discover exactly what it is that you should immediately address in hopes to modifying your fueling/diet regime to unlock great performances. 

PERFORMANCE ENHANCING

-You feel extremely comfortable with your current fueling regime. You have achieved a number of continuous solid performances this season (or in the past year) without minimal GI issues, cramping, bonking, fatigue, injuries, unintentional weight loss/gain. 

-You are looking for a safe/legal way to take your training to the next level. You are willing to make some changes in your current training and nutrition regime to see if there is something that can help you advance your fitness. 

-You are open to trying new things even though what you are currently doing is working just fine. This area of nutrition tweaking is more about individual responses to recent research that does not always works for the masses. Beet juice, tart cherries, spirulina, protein powder, fat burning, customized sport nutrition, caffeine, branch chain amino acids.....to name a few, there is research to support the use of many of these things in athletes (when used safely, guided by a professional, without any underlying health issues in the athlete). You have likely read in magazines or on forums that athletes "swear" by certain products or methods of fueling, however, it is not always necessary to help take training to the next level, especially if you are in the performance limiting category. 

-You accept that you are not an expert and that if what you are doing now is working, and you want to take training to the next level, it is going to require that you are walking on a thin line of injury/burnout/sickness. Any athlete who wants to step up performance should work with a professional who can help guide an athlete for if done alone, there are risks to trying new products to "gain the competitive edge" as well as modifying training to "step it up". Your team should involve an involved and dedicated/experienced coach to guide you with your training as well as a sport RD who can help properly fuel and recover your body so that you can be consistent with training. 

Are you looking to enhance your performance? 

PERFORMANCE LIMITING

-You commonly experience fatigue, bonking, cramping, burn out, injuries, dizziness, headaches, GI issues, plateau's, mood swings, unintentional weight loss/gain  during your training/racing. 

-You haven't yet discovered how to best fuel your body before, during and after a workout. You may not even be using any type of sport nutrition during workouts, eating before workouts or consuming any recovery foods/drinks post workout. Maybe you don't know what to do, you are scared of trying something new, you have had bad experiences in the past or you just don't know where to start. 

-You haven't yet discovered how to best nourish your body throughout the day to keep your immune system healthy and to reduce risk for disease. 

-You haven't yet discovered how to fuel for performance and fuel for health. Perhaps you have some underlying health issues that you are working on and not sure how to combine sport nutrition with your current diet (which in your opinion, is still a work in progress).

-You constantly find yourself trying something new because you read or heard about it. 

-You keep trying the same things, hoping for a different result. 

-You are extremely dedicated and passionate about your training and want your hard work to pay off in training and on race day. However, you find you are stuck in a constant circle of lack-luster performances despite putting in the work (which sometimes doesn't feel like you are gaining fitness but instead, experiencing setbacks). 

-You have great workouts but come race day, you have no idea how to fuel for your given distance/intensity or your fueling plan fails you. 

As you can imagine, with triathlons and running (my two sport areas of expertise for coaching and nutrition) growing so quickly in popularity and racing venues, it's very ease to train for a race. However, many athletes find themselves uncomfortable, unaware or confused with the area of sport nutrition when it comes to meeting the physiological/metabolic needs of adapting to applied, intentional training stress. Throw in not understanding how to eat "healthy" and there are a lot of athletes out there who feel extremely limited when it comes to taking training to the next level. 

One area I did not put into either category is body image and an athletes relationship with food. This is an area that I am very passionate about for I feel that if an athlete can improve on this area (which is extremely hard in a body image obsessed world with dozens of food trends for athletes and the masses), they can often find themselves enhancing performance and taking care of many performance limiters at the same time. 

I feel that this area can be applied to both categories and often I find that athletes seek dietary/fueling changes in order to change body composition to improve performance (or feel body composition is limiting performance). 

This is understandable for if an athlete carries extra weight on his/her frame (sometimes coaches call it dead weight but let's use a nicer word such as extra weight), he/she may be at risk for injury as well as not using fuels efficiently. However, I must say that I find that many athletes feel they are limited by their body composition but often times, develop extremely unhealthy eating/training patterns to try to improve performance when in actuality, they are not limited by their body but instead, they are just not fueling properly around workouts and during the day. The weight may be the outcome of a fueling/nutrition regime that just needs a little tweaking. Losing weight doesn't always transfer to improve performances, especially if you are not supporting your training load. 

It isn't that losing weight will automatically improve performance but instead, changing how food is timed/consumed produces a stronger and faster performance on a more consistent basis. Really, there is no point of a lean body if you can't do anything with it. 

Without guidance, an athlete who feels that she/he is limited by his/her body composition and doe not having a healthy relationship with food and the body, may produce performance destructive habits and this is certainly not a category you want to be in. It is just not possible for an athlete to take training to the next level if she/he is unable to see food for fuel and for health. Many times, athletes constantly find themselves overly sensitive with their own body imagine and when it comes to taking training to the next level, athletes are doing nothing more than sabotaging performance or not getting anything out of a training session. 

Regardless if an athlete does needs to manage body composition from a physiological, health or metabolic standpoint (which should be done with a professional), athletes should always consider if there is an underlying issue that should be addressed prior to tweaking the fueling regime/daily nutrition. There are many reasons an athlete can feel "limited" with his/her performance and if looking to take training to the next level, it is critical that a healthy relationship with food/ body and a good understanding of how to safely and properly support a training regime is in place. This is the foundation of great consistent performances. 

Do you feel as if your current fueling/nutrition regime is limiting your performance or/and do you feel that you would be able to improve your fitness by developing a healthier relationship with food and the body? If so, contact a RD who specializes in sport nutrition that can be of help. 

Fueling the busy body - a buffet of Trimarni creations

The other day, someone asked me what I eat when I am really busy.

I suppose I needed to give the reply of what fast food I order out or what's my favorite microwave dinner when I have no time to cook.

Now, there's always an exception as I do not believe that there is a perfect way of eating but you will not find a microwave dinner in our freezer and Karel and I rarely (less than 5 times a year) go out to eat (unless we are traveling). 

This doesn't mean I am good and you are bad but there's a reason why I wanted to write this blog. 

I absolutely love real food and I make time to cook, even in my busy lifestyle.

I know you can do it too. It's a lot easier than you think.

You, me.....we are all busy. Who isn't busy? If there were more hours in the day, we would find a way to fill those up as well. 

But it is because of my/your health that we are able to thrive in a world of craziness, business and never ending to do's. 

The food you eat has the opportunity to fuel your lifestyle. 

Why do you feel you are too busy too cook? 

Here are a few reasons that surprisingly, do not all have to do with needing extra time:

-No real food options in the house

-Grocery shopping takes too long

-Clean up takes too long

-Cooking takes too long

-Do not know how to cook

-Always going into meals starving (who wants to cook when starving and blood sugar is low?)

-Other, more important priorities than cooking...and sometimes eating

-Eating out is easier

-Eating out tastes better

-Not a good planner

-No fun cooking for yourself

-Crazy schedules (spouse/family/kids)

-Too busy training/exercising (if you are too busy to eat a real food meal because of this, then we need to talk :)

-No time to cook

I am busy, just like you, but if my body is not nourished, I can not do the things that I love to do and that life requires me to do. 

The food we eat has the ability to keep us health, energize our body, help us think clearly and my favorite, make us feel absolutely amazing inside. 

 So, it is important that you do not look for extra time to cook or hope for it to magically happen but instead, make the time. Carve out 30-60 minutes of your day to nourish your body and do not make meal time complicated. 

Certainly, there are a few things that help with making sure you get a health, real food, balanced meal in your system on a daily basis (hopefully three times a day):

-You can plan for leftovers

-Do a little prep ahead of time (Ex. weekends, morning)

-Get a little help from the grocery store (pre-chopped options)

-Involve the family at meal time prep

-Plan ahead

-Don't expect to be perfect

-If you are not a master chef, keep your recipes simple

-Think about the best days in your week to cook and prep

-Make compromises if you feel that there is absolutely no time during your week. Keep in mind that if you do not take time for your health (ex. nourishing your body or fueling your workout routine), you may be forced to make time for illness or injury. 

While in Jacksonville for the past few days, Karel stayed extremely busy by fitting 14 athletes on their bikes using the RETUL system. Each fit takes an average of 2 hours and Karel was on his feet from 9:30am until 5:30pm almost every day (one day until 9pm).

Needless to say, Karel was exhausted every evening on Fri, Sat, Sun and Mon and with that, his workouts were modified so that he could get good sleep on Sat morning (no workout) and Monday morning (no workout). 

It was my job (wife and RD duty) to make sure that my amazing hubby was well fed and that meant making sure that at the end of the day, he not only kept his blood sugar stable throughout the day but that he honored his hunger as he was working. Because we were staying with some friends at the beach, we had the great honor of being fed some fantastic meals and didn't have to do any kitchen. What a treat!

However, on Sunday, I was in charge of the menu and I could not wait to not only prepare a good evening meal for everyone to enjoy but one that would be balanced for each person. 

Because I believe that we should all eat similar foods but in different quantities and times, I prepared a plant strong buffet of options so that exhausted Karel could assemble his plate as he wished, I could create a plate that would help me continue to refuel from my morning long run workout (and boost my immune system) and for our friends to also feel great about what they were putting into their body. 

So I give you a beautiful buffet of Trimarni creations, all prepared in less than 40 minutes. Enjoy!

Blueberry Kiwi Almond Salad

Mixed greens

Blueberries

Slivered almonds

Kiwi (chopped)

Broccoli sprouts

Fresh Parmesan

Olive oil on the side

1. Combine in a bowl. Add as much/little of each ingredient as you wish. Mine was extra berry because I LOVE blueberries. 

Veggie stir fry 

Mushrooms (1 container, sliced)

Onions (1/2 medium, sliced)

Red pepper (1 large, sliced)

Tamari sauce (about 2 tbsp)

Garlic powder

Olive oil

Salt

1. Cook in a skillet on low heat with a tbsp of olive oil and 1-2 tbsp tamari.

2. Stir occasionally, cook until soft. Season to taste.

Herbed tofu

2 boxes firm tofu (cube, bought at Costco, can be stored in pantry until opened)

Herb seasoning (any no-salt seasoning)

Olive oil

1. On skillet on medium heat, add cubed tofu and toss in 1 tbsp olive oil.

2. Cook for 5-10 minutes or until tofu is slightly golden on edges. Lightly toss occasionally and add more olive oil to prevent tofu from sticking (or a splash of water).  Season to taste. 

Quinoa and rice mix

1 package quinoa and rice mix  (I did not use the link I attached, I used one that was in the house I was staying and forgot the name). 

1. Cook package according to directions on stove top. 

Chickpea, corn and edamame salad

1 can chickpeas

1 cup edamame

1 cup corn

Yogurt ranch dressing (or creamy dressing of your choice - I used what was in the house where I was staying)

Cracked pepper

1. Combine ingredients in a bowl (if using frozen corn and edamame like I did, you can defrost until warm and then cool in cold water and drain). 

2. Add 1-2 tbsp yogurt ranch dressing and stir until combined.

3. Season with pepper and keep in refrigerator until serving time. 

Enjoy your yummy creations by yumming with every bite. 

Remember, eating is a happy time. You should feel great while you eat and even better after you finish your meal. 

Happy Creationg Cooking!

(And yes, cooking in 110% Play Harder compression socks is very typical in the Trimarni kitchen)

Ironman fuelilng in Greenville (recipes and pics)

Despite so many life changes over the past few months, my love, passion and excitement for real food did not dissipate. I am constantly giving thanks to my body for all that it allows me to do, for I know I balance a lot and at any moment it has the opportunity to fail me. 

My love for real food has grown bigger and bigger over the years and the more I am introduced to new flavors, foods and cuisines, the more creative I become in my kitchen.
I appreciate real wholesome food just like I appreciate effective and safe sport nutrition. My daily diet nourishes my body and keeps my immune system healthy. Without my good health, I can not train. Through proper fueling and nutrient timing, I am supporting the metabolic demands of my body and ensuring consistent workouts and a quick recovery. 

Here are a few of the eats that I have enjoyed (with Karel) since we have moved to Greenville, both in and out of the Trimarni kitchen. 

The Green lettuce restaurant

Deli trays given to us by family friends, after my dad's funeral.

Greenfields Bagels and Deli

Greenfields Bagels and Deli

Greenfields Bagels and Deli

Dried fruit tray (with macadamia nuts and almonds) from our friend/athlete Wlad. 

Fresh pears from my friend Taryn. 

Tomato soup (1 can of your favorite soup) w/ cooked tortellini , fresh mushrooms and basil. 

Cook the soup and cooked tortellini together along with the fresh mushrooms. Then add chopped basil and top with a little cheese.

Caprese salad - roasted baby tomatoes, mozzarella, olive oil and fresh basil

Add a little olive oil to a skillet on medium heat and add a handful of baby tomatoes (washed/cleaned). Cook for a few minutes, then carefully toss. Continue cooking until slightly toasted.

Add chopped mozzarella (fresh, packaged) and fresh chopped basil and drizzle with olive oil

Pomegranate on main - Persian cuisine

Starter - cheese, butter, mint and radishes served with pita bread

Pomegranate on main 

Veggie kabob served with salad.

All items on the menu are gluten free and a salad can be served instead of basmati rice (I shared basmati rice with Karel from his plate and it was amazing! Karel got the Chicken Torsh Kabob)

Simple breakfast 

2 eggs + 1 egg white scrambled with a dallop of greek yogurt. Stuffed with kale and sliced tomatoes.

Toasted bread and fresh fruit.

Deli tray (we aren't sure from where) delivered to us from a family friend.

Salmon (for others to enjoy) as well as a simple salad, tabbouleh and edamame salad.

Tabbouleh and edamame salad

Arugula base topped with tabbouleh (barley and cranberries) and edamame salad (edamame, corn, black beans, sundried tomatoes, red peppers, lemon juice and olive oil).

I served this with a side of cottage cheese for additional protein.

Cabbage with tomato pesto tofu and jasmine rice

Karel made cooked cabbage which is one of his best dishes he makes for me (in a large cooking pot on medium heat, chop a green or purple cabbage and combine w/ 1 shredded potato and a little flour (about a tbsp or two for thickening), chopped onion and garlic in a little water - cooked for 40-60 minutes. Seasoned with salt/pepper to taste).

I made the tofu - cube firm tofu and in a bowl, lightly combine and then toss with 1 tbsp olive oil, pinch of salt, a few shakes of paprika and 1 tbsp sundried tomato pesto powder. Cook on medium heat in a skillet (drizzle a little more olive oil if needed to prevent sticking) for 10-15 minutes. Tofu should not be firm to the touch when finished cooking.

Jasmine rice - I typically use 2:1 ratio of water to rice. We love jasmine rice for it has a very popcorn-like smell and very easy to digest (which is why I love it when I am training for an IM or the night before a race). Topped with parsley from my garden.

I loved mixing the cabbage with the rice - this made the rice super creamy and delicious!

Clif Bar Kits Organic

I recently received a large package from Clif Bar after my recent trip to the Clif bar HQ a few weeks ago for the RD summit.  I was introduced to these bars while tasting almost every bar that Clif Bar offered. I am all about real food and you can't find anything closer to real food (in a "processed bar") than these bars. For those who are looking for a gluten free, soy free, dairy free and certified organic bar with minimal ingredients (all that you know) and at 200 calories or less, I know you will love KIT's Organic from Clif Bar.

Although I do not use solid food when I train for the Ironman (Only my custom INFINIT NUTRITION powder in my bottles - 1 bottle per hour), Karel and some of my other athletes need a tummy satisfier when they train and I will add this bar to my list of recommendations (along with hammer bars, lara bars, bonk breaker, clif bar, stinger waffle) if you are seeking a healthy choice to keep your tummy happy (I recommend around 30-50 calories as needed while riding, in addition to your liquid sport nutrition as your primary carb/electrolyte hydration source).

These bars are also a great choice when you need to carry a bar with you while traveling, running errands or in meetings. Also, if you find yourself without a healthy snack on occasion (ex. fresh fruit), this could be an alternative. There are a variety of flavors w/ nuts and/or seeds. I have not found them in stores so if you know of a place to buy them in a store, please email me so I can share with my athletes.

Potato salad

Roasted potatoes (sliced potatoes tossed in olive oil and seasoned with a little salt and chili spice and cooked at 425 degrees for 25-35 minutes).

Cooked mushrooms (on a skillet with a little olive oil) for 10 minutes.

Leftover edamame salad.

All on top mixed greens nd topped with a little shredded cheese. I added greek yogurt (Fage 0%) to this on top for my protein selection.

Tomato vine roadside market

A great selection of certified SC grown produce. (check out that ginger in the far left!)

So many choices!

YUM!

Tempeh and Broccoli stir fry

Steamed broccoli and cooked tempeh tossed with cooked jasmine rice and topped with cheese. 

Egg casserole with kale, corn and tomatoes

4 egg whites and 2 whole eggs scrambled w/ 1 dallop 0% Fage greek yogurt

Baby tomatoes, kale, corn, mushrooms, onions, garlic - as much as you want of each of these

Preheat oven to 375 degrees and drizzle a casserole dish with olive oil.

Add your veggies into your dish to fill dish 1/2 way full. Season with a little salt, pepper and your choice of seasonings.

Pour egg mixture over veggies.

Cook for 20-30 minutes or until eggs are firm. Top with feta cheese when eggs are finished cooking (oven off) and keep in oven for an additional 3-5 minutes.

Passerelle Bistro in Falls park - 

Green goddess garden baguette

Crisp cucumbers, heirloom tomato, arugula, goat cheese, shoots, Green goddess dressing (I asked for dressing on the side - both dressings for sandwich and salad were amazing!)

My handsome lunch date

Thank you Trimarni friend and athlete Lisa for the nice gift card to Karel's favorite French bakery here in Greenville, Legrand bakery. 

Trimarni egg and chickpea salad

5 hardboiled eggs (2 whole and 3 whites - chopped)

1 can chickpeas (rinsed and drained)

large handful baby tomatoes (chopped/sliced)

10 baby carrots - chopped

3 stalks celery - chopped

1/3-1/2 cup chopped onions

1/2 - 3/4 cup peas

1/3 cup 0% Fage Greek Yogurt

1 spoonful favorite hummus

Toss together and season to taste with a little salt/pepper. Refrigerate for 1-2 hours before serving.

Toasted bread (this is leftover bread from the deli but you can also thinly slice a baguette)

Place bread on pizza tray (I had my bread frozen) and preheat oven to 350 degrees. Cook bread for 5-8 minutes and if slightly brown on bottom side, flip bread (remove pan from oven first). Keep oven light on for if the bread is cooked 1 minute too long it will burn.

Fuel smart and avoid anti-inflammatory pills

April 2014 issue of Triathlete magazine

Knowing what foods to eat to fuel your training is important, but to reap the benefits of the nutrients, it’s the when that really matters. Before and during a workout, your goal is to increase the delivery of nutrients to your working muscles to maintain glucose levels, postpone fatigue and improve your hydration status. After you’re done training, the focus shifts to replenishing glycogen stores and initiating tissue repair and muscle growth so you can bounce back even stronger for future workouts.

With the following fueling suggestions, I will help you reduce risk for GI distress and help you find yourself gaining a competitive edge.

How To Fuel Before Workouts

Eating something before a training session is critical, as it will better prepare your gut for race day and help you to become more aware of how your body absorbs and metabolizes fuel in varying intensity levels, durations and weather conditions.

Note: For an individualized approach on fueling your triathlon routine and to meet dietary needs, contact a registered dietitian (RD) specializing in sport nutrition. It should be noted that recommendations for fueling around workouts should be “as tolerated” and perfected by each individual over time.

Learn how to fuel for a track or swim session HERE.

Learn how to fuel for a brick or long run session HERE.

May 2014 issue of Triathlete magazine

One of the most common setbacks for an athlete is extreme inflammation and the discomfort and restriction of proper range of motion that it causes. 

When taken occasionally, athletes should not worry about side effects of anti-inflammatories, but religiously popping a pill before or after training or during racing is not advised. Long-term use or excessive intake may increase the risk for heart attack, stroke and kidney damage.

Many triathletes rely on pain relievers during an Ironman, which may do more harm than good. 

Be sure to follow a smart training and fuelling regimen to develop a body that adapts well to training stress, instead of just swallowing a pill to mask any discomfort.

To read the entire article, read more HERE.

Eggplant pizza, mango slaw and more!

On Saturday, my body did not disappoint me. I was actually very impressed with how my body performed with 6800 feet of climbing over 85 beautiful, hilly miles. Our ride included a 45-minute (for me), 5 mile climb to the top of Ceasers Head which has an elevation of 3215 feet. And to finish off the fun, I had a good two more hours of riding behind Karel's wheel to finish off our workout.
In the past I would have called this a training camp but now it's just part of our training, in our new backyard.
I will do a separate blog on this ride soon. In the mean time, let's eat!

After our 85-mile ride and 4 mile run, we did a little resting coupled with computer work and then it was time for some meal prep for our first house guests in Greenville!
Our friends Kristen and Trent Norris (and Trimarni athletes) came to Greenville from Charleston for their own personal Trimarni mini training camp in prep for Ironman Boulder and since nothing beats a home cooked meal, I couldn't wait to make their bellies happy after our awesome morning of training (they did a slightly shorter route of around 64 miles followed by a 15 min run).
After our workout we had our first real meal of the day (glass of milk w/ whey protein and handful granola for a recovery snack and then eggs, fresh bread and fruit for a meal for me) and then snacked throughout the afternoon before dinner. Mini carb + protein meals are best for helping the body recover and repair as oppose to one large super filling post workout meal followed by several hours of not eating.

For starters, an assortment of foods to meet the many cravings of athletes after a workout:
-Sweet cravings - fresh dates
-Salty - Pretzels and Triscuits
-Carby - fresh baguette from the local French bakery
-Crunchy - Mixed raw veggies
and hummus for dipping/spreading
 

 

Pizza makes me super happy all the time so I decided to do eggplant pizzas.

Eggplant Pizzas
2 large eggplants (cut into slices)
Panko bread crumbs
2 egg whites (slightly scrambled)
Marinara sauce
Fresh Mozzarella cheese
Fresh Basil (chopped)
Pepper and garlic spice

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
2. Arrange items: plate of sliced eggplant to far right, then shallow bowl of egg whites and then shallow bowl of bread crumbs.
3. Take one eggplant and place into bowl of egg whites for a second until slightly coated (just one side) and then press into bread crumbs and then place onto non stick cooking sheet sprayed with non stick spray. Continue doing this until all eggplant slices are coated.
4. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until breadcrumbs are slightly toasted or eggplant is soft.
5. Remove pans and spread a spoonful of sauce on each eggplant and top with a pinch of fresh basil (as much as you want) and then a few pieces of mozzarella (I just broke the cheese into pieces instead of one thick slice on top).
6. Season with your choice of seasonings (I used fresh cracked pepper and garlic powder).
7. Bake for an additional 10-15 minutes or until cheese is melted. 

Instead of a salad I wanted to do a refreshing slaw that had a bit of sweetness to it.
This slaw is very versatile and you can use whatever ingredients you are in the mood for such as nuts/seeds, raisins, cranberries, dried fruit or a different flavor of yogurt. This was a delicious side to our meal. 

Mango Slaw

2 bags slaw (I purchased from Publix grocery store)
1 large mango (soft to the touch)
1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut
Pinch of salt
2 small containers of pineapple chobani 0% Greek yogurt

1. Pour slaw into a large bowl.
2. Spoon yogurt into bowl and mix with a large mixing fork until evenly combined. 

3. Add a pinch of salt (to taste) and coconut and mix.
4. Add cubed mango and combine. 

5. Refrigerate for 2 hours before serving.
(best if consumed within 3 days)

My plate made me yum a lot and my belly was super happy.
For my protein I kept it simple, a black bean Morning Star veggie burger. For everyone else, Karel made baked chicken (his own recipe).
We also had a bowl of Jasmine rice w/ onions because we LOVE jasmine rice. 

And for dessert......

Fresh cold seedless watermelon and

Dark Chocolate covered almonds from Trader Joes.

I hope you enjoyed your weekend, trained hard and smart and did some yumming with your own happy tummy "food is fuel and food is medicine" creations. 

Fueling for St. Croix 70.3!

5:30am Wed track workout

4pm Wed swim workout

It's no shocker that my busy life is filled with activity and I love challenging my body and mind with a swim-bike-run lifestyle. 

If you are a regular reader of this blog, it's likely you feel the same way about your life (perhaps maybe a different activity/sport)

But my amazing body allows me to do so much, both in life and with triathlons and I constantly remind myself that the food I eat has the opportunity to enhance my life, fuel my workouts and reduce risk for disease. 

Food is so powerful!

In October of 2011, I had the great opportunity to write an article for Ironman called "Fueling Kona: Your Daily Plate" This article was special to me not only because I was able to share my passion for seeing food for fuel and for health but also because I was participating in the 2011 Ironman World Championship and my article was featured during Ironman Kona race week. 

Here are two recent creations that I have used to fuel our active lifestyle. 

24 more days until St. Croix 70.3!!!

A beautiful spring performance boosting salad. Hydrating cucumbers, antioxidant rich sweet peppers, fermented soy protein (tempeh), heart happy avocado, gut healthy quinoa and beans and nitrate-rich arugula.

Roasted red potatoes (400-degree oven, toss raw sliced red potatoes into wedges and toss in a little olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and cracked pepper). Bake for 40-50 min or until golden brown and soft. 

Roasted veggies and toasted quinoa (cooked quinoa added to sliced onions and sweet bell peppers, cooked in 400 degree oven in casserole dish for 25-35 minutes) on a bed of arugula with roasted red potatoes (above) and a side of Daisy brand cottage cheese.

And let's not forget the yummy snacks!

Yum...pistachios.

Yum....Edamame.

A late afternoon/pre-meal plant strong snack that will make you feel great inside and only takes 5 minutes to make, is exactly what you want to crave after a long, busy day of work. 
Pre-washed mixed greens
1/4 avocado
Baby tomatoes 
Baby carrots 
Fruit slices (ex apple)
Cottage cheese (or 10g protein of your choice)
Small handful muesli for a crunch

And with your well-fueled body, how about 10-stability ball push-ups to start your day each morning?

And 10-stability ball tricep dips.

RD approved - Don't be afraid of sport nutrition

Do you have questions about sport nutrition or eating for fuel or for health?
Join me and Oakley Women on Friday March 7th, 2014 on Facebook and I'll answer all your questions throughout the day. 

Throughout the Trimarni triathlon endurance camp this past Thurs - Sun, I was rather strict on my campers to make sure that everyone fueled properly throughout the camp. Sport nutrition includes everything you are eating/drink around and during workouts.

Although I was not in control of what they ate for meals or what they put into their bottles (if choosing not to use INFINIT which was the sponsor for the event for sport nutrition), I gave very specific suggestions as to what foods to consume before/after workouts as well as as much to consume during workouts and when.
Thankfully, every athlete was open to my suggestions and we had no bonking, no injuries and minimal GI issues. There were two GI issues (one stomach cramp on a long bike and one tummy feeling a little "off" during the long run on Sat)  but I discussed these issues with the athletes to try to figure things out. In endurance racing and training, we want to minimize GI distress as well as postpone fatigue but many times, we need to know how to manage situations when they come about for the body is not perfect and it manages a lot during exercise.

Karel and I will be using a customized Infinit nutrition formula (which I created for both of us) as our sport nutrition choice for 2014 season. 

There's a lot of confusion when it comes to healthy eating and sport nutrition. I know this from my own experience in learning about the topics in graduate school while earning my Master of Science in Exercise Physiology as well as in my dietetic program as I earned my Registered Dietitian credential. But now as I work with athletes from around the world, I clearly see how confused and overwhelmed people are when it comes to eating for fuel and for health. 

Don't be! There are safe, effective and well formulated sport nutrition products on your market but you may need a little help from a professional, to figure out what works best for your body.

I could spend many blogs on the topic of sport nutrition and eating for fuel and for health and as a writer, life-long student and lover of putting words in my head on paper, I am not sure if I can contain myself in one blog post, sharing everything I know about healthy eating and sport nutrition. But, I learned when I became a RD that it is not my job to tell everyone everything I know in the first counseling session or when asked about nutrition in a group setting. Instead, learn to treat everyone as individuals and understand that everyone has different needs and goals and what works for one person doesn't always work for someone else. Science is amazing and so is research but the truth of the matter is that there is no one set formula for being healthy or improving performance. 

Health first, performance second.

If you are a fitness enthusiast or athlete, there's no denying that the body needs fuel to support metabolic processes. Many times, water will be just fine during a workout (ex. 1 hour) to keep you hydrated and through a pre workout snack you can give your body a burst of energy and avoid hunger during a workout. However, athletes must utilize "supplemental" forms of nutrition that can be effectively digested and absorbed, without GI distress, in a safe way, to meet metabolic needs during training and racing. In other words, through well formulated sport drinks you can meet your hydration, electrolyte and carbohydrate needs to reduce risk for injury, postpone fatigue and encourage faster recovery.

One issue that concerns me with our society is that we tend to lump situations together. For example:  
-I would not recommend Coke be part of your daily diet but when you are finishing an IM, an athlete can perform quite well with coke. 
-I would never recommend Gatorade for a person but if a diabetic is experiencing low blood sugar, I would run to the nearest vending machine to get a gatorade (or similar sugary drink).
-I am all for real food and encouraging our society to eat wholesome foods as much as possible. But when you are traveling or without refrigeration for hours (ex. meetings, hiking, running errands, etc.) a processed bar or food may be the best option to keep your brain and body fueled and to keep you functioning. 
-The family that is living off food stamps or does not have a grocery store within walking distance (because this family does not own a vehicle) is not going to benefit from the nutrition guru telling everyone that processed food is bad and that they should all be eating organic food, grass-fed meat and participating in cross fit or TRX classes to tone-up.
-If you tend to term certain foods as bad, perhaps it's time to rethink how often you eat them. Pass on the brownies in the office every Friday and enjoy birthday cake on your birthday or indulge once or twice a year at a fantastic restaurant with foods that your normally don't eat and feel great about it.

It's likely that you have put yourself into a bubble of like-minded individuals or you have nutrition experts that you look-up to but just remember that we all are individuals, with different goals, economic status, goals, genetics, health issues, fitness status, family/work responsibilities, etc and it's likely that we are all in different phases in improving our "health". The person who is trying to minimize eating out 10+ times per week is in a much different category for lifestyle change than the person who is wanting to eat foods only from local, organic farmers and chooses to have a garden to grow fresh herbs/spices. 

We must be careful that every situation and scenario will differ. As a professional in the health field, I do not want the fitness enthusiast who is walking 60 min a day for exercise to fuel the same as the marathoner. However, no matter what you are training for or the reason behind exercising, it's important to fuel your body properly - whether you are timing your nutrition around/during workouts or nourishing your immune system throughout the day - so that you can be the best YOU that you can be. I'm sure you have been told that you should eat to train, not train to eat but a common struggle for athletes and fitness enthusiasts is eating (or not eating) and exercising to "look" a certain way. Remember that what you eat has an impact on your performance and fitness and if you are training your body to perform at an event/race, it's important support your metabolic needs so you can stay healthy as you get stronger and faster. 

Sport Nutrition 

Rather than trying to be a scientist in your kitchen, let sport nutrition companies do what they are good at and you can spend time preparing your meals as well as real-food options for pre and post workouts. However, during a workout, there's a special science as to how products are created, the ingredients they use and how much should be mixed in water to be properly emptied from the stomach to the small intestines. There's no reason for you to spend time figuring this out by creating homemade "sport nutrition" foods or your own sport drink made from real foods.

There are plenty of great videos and textbook chapters dedicated to exercise physiology so rather than share my excitement about the kreb cycle, anaerobic glycolysis or cellular respiration, I will keep this as simple as possible. 

The foods we eat, primarily carbohydrates, gives us fuel. Protein assists in recover, repair and rejuvenation and fats assist in hormones and protecting organs. Certainly these foods offer more than what I just listed  and they all contribute to a balanced diet to keep us nourished, satisfied and healthy. Of course, depending on what you choose to eat within those macronutrient categories may and will affect your performance but I don't need to tell you that real foods are the best source of food for your active body and health. 

I find that many active individuals fear nutrition around workouts simply for the fact that they are most vulnerable to their body at that time of working out. You likely wear tight clothing (or showing more skin than in work clothes), you compare your body to others and you are very in tune with your overall body composition as you feel your heart beat and muscles work to let you have a great workout. Athletes often say to me "I don't need nutrition" or many times, they know they need to fuel with fluids, carbs and electrolytes because of low blood sugar, fatigue, injuries, etc. (for without adequate fuel, the body and it's many systems are severely compromised) but there's a "fear" of consuming products, calories or carbohydrates. 

Fuel your body when it is under the most intentional stress and when you want it to adapt to training. 

Here lies the problem with many active individuals. Whether you don't understand sport nutrition, you fear or worry about eating during/around workouts (for whatever reason) or you have an unhealthy relationship with food or the body, there can be a tendency to sabotage workouts by not fueling properly especially when you mind is thinking more about calories consume, calories burned and your body weight. There's nothing wrong with exercising or training to create a healthy body composition, especially considering that many people get involved with sports as a fun and challenging way to "be healthy." But without appreciating nutrient timing and sport nutrition, you could possibly compromise your health and workouts because of feeling as if you don't need energy dense foods around your workouts or that you don't need to fuel or hydrate during a workout. 

Isn't it interesting that around 2-5pm in the afternoon you need "energy" and you eat but when you are working out and expending hundreds of calories per hour, you can easily convince yourself that you don't need energy from sport drinks?

Perhaps you can "get by" for a few weeks or days without sport nutrition or eating before/after workouts but since consistency is key for performance gains and that training sets the stage for an effective race day, it's only a matter of time that your body will begin to break down or you will struggle with performance gains (and perhaps may even find yourself gaining weight OR losing too much weight too quickly). It's important to never overlook the importance of sport nutrition during workouts as well as fueling properly before/after workouts.  Jeopardizing your body's potential for performance gains is only the beginning of issues that can occur when you aren't supporting your body with the right foods at the right times.

Energy dense foods like fruits, potatoes, rice cereal, granola, bread, honey are just a few of the many low fiber, low fat and higher carb (or energy dense - packing a lot of fuel in a small quantity) options that can be consumed around workouts to fuel your body. The other key is low residue to avoid irritating the GI system. Thus, skip the bran and whole grains around workouts or racing and opt for those "unhealthy" foods that you are told will spike your blood sugar or that you shouldn't eat throughout the day because they are energy dense foods.
Ex. maple syrup, honey, applesauce, juice, raisins, fruit, white rice.

When it comes to pre, during and post training nutrition, here's what I recommend

-If possible, use real food before/after workouts.

Examples: 1 small banana + 2 tsp nut butter + 2 dates + 1 tbsp maple syrup or honey.
Post workout - 1/2 cup greek yogurt + 1/2 cup berries + 1/4 cup granola

This is an easy way to use real food to nourish your body and to enjoy a pre and post training snack to fuel your upcoming workout and to help you recover.

During workouts - liquids, electrolytes and carbohydrates in a bottle will do the trick to meet your needs in a safe, effective and easy-to-digest way.

This is how I eat pre workout or race. Energy dense foods.
This was my pre-race "meal" before my 3rd IM World Championship in October. (7th IM and a huge PR of 10:37 finish time).
4 light rye WASA crackers w/ smear of Smuckers natural PB, honey, banana slices and granola with raisins sprinkled with cinnamon. Coffee and water.  

This is how I eat throughout the day. Real food that is nutrient dense.
Potatoes, tofu, veggies, mixed whole grains.

So here's the deal. Health first, performance second. Enjoy real food for meals and snacks and consider the foods (real in nature) that will give you energy when your body needs the energy. 

Use nutrient dense foods on a day to day basis to reduce risk for disease and when your body is most active, support your body and brain with energy dense foods.

Your performance WILL improve with real food but when your body is compromised during training, you need to keep things simple for your body in motion. 

Considering how sedentary our lifestyle is these days (even with "training/working out" 8-20 hours a week) we spend much of our days sitting and for many, only getting up to go get something to eat. It's very common for people to reach for "energy" boosting drinks and snacks to survive the last few hours of work....sitting.  So rather than fearing calories that you need to consume around workouts, support your body when it is most active so that you benefit from your training and also be consistent with your workouts....and hopefully you will then feel more satisfied and energized throughout the day.

Of course, not everyone will fit this mold - there are people who undereat, those who can't put on weight, those who choose to underfuel/restrict and those who have a great diet. But for the most part, as a RD who specializes in sport nutrition, I find that many active individuals are not supporting workouts properly and thus overeating at certain times (ex. afternoon, before bed, after workouts) or not recovering/fueling properly when the body needs fuel (ex. to "save" calories)  to assist in metabolic processes. The goal for your active lifestyle is to be able to be consistent with workouts and not to feeling sick, exhausted and burnout or super hungry or lethargic all day, every day. 

To appreciate sport nutrition, it's important to establish a real food diet that meets your health needs and then learn how to use sport nutrition properly and to time nutrition around workouts to postpone fatigue, boost energy and help with recovery. All other times, when you are not working out, we need to think about nourishment and  feeling satisfied with food that makes you feel better after you eat it than before.

Sport nutrition is an evolving subject with much research done in controlled laboratory settings. It's important to work with a RD who specializes in sport nutrition as you remember that you are using your body to train or to improve fitness on a daily basis. Sport nutrition varies depending on the workout intensity and volume but once you figure out your individual needs, you are going to enjoy your workout routine even more so than before. 

Remember, your body doesn't have to let you do what it does and often we take for granted how amazing the human body is on a daily basis. 

Did you thank your body today?

To keep it simple - focus on yourself. You've read the articles on the internet, you have the books and you have resources. 

-Eat real foods to support your immune system
-Eat for fuel, not for a body image.
-Time energy dense foods around workouts (ex. nutrient timing)
-Fuel properly during and after workouts - focus on yourself and your own needs
-Learn about safe and effective, well formulated sport nutrition from a RD who specializes in sport nutrition.
-Keep the food easy to digest before a workout so you don't experience GI distress. Remember, pre workout nutrition is not always viewed as "healthy" to the public/media.
-Find what works for you before, during and after workouts - many times your fueling strategy will change.
-Eat mindfully and have a healthy relationship with food and the body.
-Be appreciative of what food can offer your body instead of thinking about what's so bad about food.
-And most of all, remove the pressure to eat or exercise in a certain way to "look" like an athlete. Train for YOUR goals. Your body will take care of itself as you find yourself eating for fuel and for health and living an active and healthy life. 

Thank you body for letting me finish my 7th IM and 3rd IM World Championship! I give you the right fuel at the right time and you give me memories to last a lifetime with my active and healthy body.
(video taken by my BFF, athlete and mental coach Dr. G.)

Perfecting your morning eats around early AM workouts

We all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day and can set you up for a successful (and controllable) day of eating with great mental focus, alertness and energy. 

One of the common struggles I come across with athletes/fitness enthusiasts is how to fuel in the morning with early morning workouts. 

Common concerns:

-Will I gain weight if I eat before my workout?
-I feel like I'm always snacking in the morning and never feel full?
-I have GI upset if I eat before my workout.
-I can't seem to recover from my workout.
-I do well until mid afternoon and then I can't stop eating!
-I'm always rushing to get my workout in in the morning and then get to work (take care of family).

Here are a few of my recommendations for timing your nutrition with your workouts for the early morning workouts (remember - tweak for your own individual needs and goals - log your lifestyle to reflect on what's working/not working):

-I recommend to have a breakfast meal after your workout if you are working out within 90 min of waking.

-I recommend a small snack (if tolerated) before your workout, around 20-60 min before. Water is recommended to help with digestion (8-12 ounces) and coffee/tea is fine as well.

-During your workout, if around 60-90 minutes, water should meet your fluid needs, electrolytes may be needed if you are working out vigorously. There's nothing wrong with 20-25g of carbohydrates if you feel it will help your workout.

-I recommend a small snack post workout, primarily protein (ex. milk, yogurt, egg, protein powder) of around 10-15g before your "real meal".

By prioritizing your nutrition around your workout in the morning you may find that you are more satisfied throughout the morning until your lunch. I recommend to plan a mid afternoon snack. Typically, most people go more than 5 hours between lunch and dinner meals and thus, will benefit from a planned "mini meal" snack mid afternoon to help with overeating at dinner or late-night snacking/cravings. 

Here's a sample of my morning eats on Wednesday morning: 

-5:30am - Wake-up, walk Campy, drink Coffee and glass of water.

-5:50am - 4 ounce organic skim milk w/ 1/2 cup cheerios and 1 spoonful chia seeds (or my other staple pre workout snack is 1-2 WASA cracker w/ 2 tsp natural PB w/ 4 ounce milk for shorter workouts)

6:45am - 3000 yard swim (1000 warm-up. MS: 6 x 300's. Odd swim Desc. Even paddles/buoy recovery. Rest 45 sec in between. 200 cool down). Water during workout.

7:45-8:15am - strength training. Water during workout.

8:15am - 8:45am - get ready for work. 

8:45am - Driving to hospital - 4 ounce skim milk + 8 ounce water + 10g whey protein powder + 1 WASA cracker + smear of nut butter (prepared in morning)

9:30am - At hospital, working. Oatmeal creation which satisfied me until 12:45pm (lunch). I am not one to watch the clock so when I feel like my body is biologically hungry (whether 11:30am or 1pm) I eat. 

This may look like a lot of eating (not complaining :) but Karel and I both make fueling around our workouts (and during) a priority and then once that's checked off, it's time to focus on nourishing our body for immune system protection. We really emphasize making balanced meals and enjoying those meals.

Some of the other benefits of nutrient timing (that we experience and are common for the athletes I work with)
- We are not late night snackers
-We don't experience any type of uncontrollable cravings later in the day or in the evening
-We recover well post workouts
-We don't struggle with energy during workouts (or rapid fatigue)
-We don't experience GI upset during training/racing because of teaching the gut how to tolerate nutrition before/during workouts

FYI: This routine was not developed overnight. It took a lot of tweaking, reflecting, research and trial and error to find what works for me, my goals and my lifestyle. As an athlete and health conscious individual, my goal is to adapt to training and keep my immune system healthy as I live a busy life helping others. When I work with other athletes/fitness enthusiasts, I always focus on the "lifestyle" first and the individual goals. Also, I'm a real food enthusiast as you know but "sport nutrition" has its place. My body recovers best with whey protein and as a high biological protein, it offers more to my body and health than just 'recovery'. Also, for workouts over 90 minutes, I always have a sport drink with me providing at least 25g of carbs and during my IM prep I train with around 250-300 calories per hour during cycling and always run with some type of liquid fuel off the bike (as you may know, I only use fluids/gels with my IM training and racing - no solids). 

To reap the benefits of training and to keep myself healthy, I really enjoy seeing food for fuel and for health.

1/2 cup dy oats

Handful chopped strawberries and blackberries (local)

1 tbsp unsweet coconut shredded

1 tbsp ground flax

1 spoonful chopped almonds

1 tbsp raisins

Cinnamon

10g protein powder (the other half of the scoop of protein from the morning recovery)

Water 

(I typically measure my pre-training snacks to perfect it for race day as to what works/doesn't work but the rest of my meals I just eye ball portions. I provided measurements for you to help you create a good fueling template and then tweak with your individual needs)

This wasn't my lunch today but a delicious creation I made the other night and I thought you'd enjoy it.

1 can tomato basil soup

Additions: A few handfuls kale, 1/2 container firm tofu (cubed) and 1 small package mushrooms. Add 1 can water and your choice of starch or grain (I used basmati rice 1 cup cooked) and cook on low heat for 20 minutes in large pot, covered. 

Top with cheddar cheese and yum....

Kona training update and food is fuel (yummy)

This body is not disappointing me despite pushing it to higher limits and challenging workouts. Thanks coach Karel!

Today's workout was a breakthrough. I owe it to two great recovery days last week (Mon off, Tues 3000 recovery swim) and a balanced training plan since IM Lake Placid that has allowed my body to train hard but recover harder. I still don't forget that I didn't run for 90 days in Feb  - April but I thank my body constantly. Sometimes I even do it out loud. 

Wednesday - UNF masters swim team (joined Karel who has really benefited from this group and Coach Mel's assistance with his stroke)

Main set:
100 fast, 50 EZ

2 x 100 fast, 50 EZ

3 x 100 fast, 50 EZ

4 x 100 fast 50 EZ

The goal was to get faster with the fast as the set went on (2 minute cycle) but to be consistent. I really woke up my fast twitch fibers and oh boy was my body filled with lactic acid. I went from 1:16 to holding 1:14 on the last 4 and I was done after that. Whewww.

After the swim Karel and I went for a 90 minute bike, I included 8 x 2 min "fast" w/ 3 min EZ to wake up the body before Thursday's workout.

Thursday: Brick (bike + run)

Bike main set:

10 x 3 min Z4, 2 min Z3 low (Recover in IM watts) - loved this set!

Run off the bike
1 mile EZ (8:10), 1 min walk
Main set: 4 x 1 miles @ 7:30-7:40 min/mile pace w/ 1 min walk/rest in between
1 mile steady (8:10 min/mile)

Fri - 5000
Main set:

2 x 800's IM pace w/ 1 min rest

3 x 400's IM pace w/ 1 min rest

Hip/core work

Saturday: 3:37 bike (71 miles) + 1 hour run (7.2 miles)

Bike:
1 hour warm-up (building to 15 watts below IM pace)
Main set 4x's:
35 min at IM pace (my new pace is now 12 watts higher - yippe for training smarter, less is more) w/ 4 min EZ

(this set went by super fast and my body felt strong, no residual fatigue as the set went on. Sport nutrition liquid fueling was spot on (I don't do any solid foods in my training/racing) and haven't had any stomach distress with any of my IM training in many many years.)

Run off the bike:

6 x 1 miles @ interval of goal IM pace (the focus was to run faster than goal IM pace and then walk until the goal IM pace cycle was up. My goal IM pace is 8:30 so I was running comfortably 7:57-8 min/miles and then walking 30-35 sec in between. Great set, loved it! It got hard on the last mile as I was super hot and running out of my drinks in my two flasks.

10 min cool jog down (this felt sooo good to run 8:50 min/mile pace after that)


The other day while I was working in the hospital (I work PRN as an inpatient Clinical RD) I had a patient who was admitted for Jaundice and electrolyte imbalance. This patient was also diagnosed with anorexia and bulimia.

As we all know electrolytes are vital as our nerves, cardiac muscle and skeletal muscle all rely on them on a daily basis. They also help control pH balance in the blood and body fluids. Our electrolytes are best obtained from food but as we know as athletes, we also find them in sport drinks. Electrolytes are tightly controlled in body fluids (ex. plasma, blood and interstitial fluid) and must remain in specific concentrations or else serious medical conditions may arise.

Now as a clinical RD, it is appropriate for me to let everyone know that restricting food or purging food will lead to an electrolyte imbalance (among many other issues) and may cause further stress on the kidneys and heart. 

I'm sure we can all agree that restricting food for anyone is not recommended for we can put the body into a very serious situation of poor health as well as vitamin and mineral deficiencies. 

So why is it that so many athletes feel that they don't need sport nutrition during workouts? As if the body is just fine with water (or nothing) and that dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, organ failure and even cardiovascular issues are not likely because training for a sporting event means that you are immune from these issues. 

Seeing that the body can "shut" down to try to resume balance without adding exercising into the mix when a person voluntarily restricts food (for whatever reason), this is why I am very adamant about not only consuming a balanced diet for athletes and fitness enthusiasts and learning how to fuel the body for health and for fitness/performance but also supporting the body with sport nutrition during training- when the body is under the most physiological stress. Sure, you can argue with me about fat burning and that your body doesn't need it but how about training the body to need it and then training the body so that the body takes care of itself to get stronger and more efficient?

I've said it before but I fuel before every workout, during every workout and after every workout. I never sabotage my body by not fueling it properly, especially when I want it to perform as beautifully as possible during training in order to get stronger and to recover faster.

Here are a few of my recent creations to help you continue your quest of learning how to develop a healthy relationship with food as an athlete. Remember - food is for fuel, for health and for pleasure. 

Brown Rice

Frozen Veggies

Boca veggie "meat" crumbles
Frozen edamame

Marinara sauce

Mozzarella cheese
topping: Sesame seeds
1. Microwave ingredients in bowl and top with sesame seeds.

Breakfast bread (nuts and dried fruit - Publix grocery store, made fresh daily)
Fresh fruit - raspberries, bananas
Greek yogurt (daily eats - 0% Fage)
Scrambled eggs (1 whole egg + 1 egg white)
Kale w/ olive oil (sauteed)

Roasted veggies - peppers, eggplant, onions (purple), mushrooms
Millet
Asparagus w/ garlic
Sunflower seeds
Goat cheese
Olive oil
Salt to taste
Marinara sauce
1. In 425 degree oven place veggies in large casserole and toss lightly in olive oil. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
2. Steam asparagus and then place in small casserole dish and top with chopped garlic and bake until golden brown (15 minutes).
3. Prepare millet (1/2 cup dry prepares 3 cups cooked) - 25-30 minutes
4. Place 1/2 - 1 cup millet in bowl and stir in marinara. Top with roasted veggies and asparagus and top with cheese and seeds. Season to taste.

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Pre training snack: flat bread cracker + peanut butter, banana slices, cinnamon and honey

1/2 cup oatmeal (dry)

Apples
Peaches
Raspberries
1 tbsp chia seeds
~10g whey protein powder
Almonds
Water (to meet consistency needs)
Raisins

I love supporting small businesses especially the bakers and bread makers at the farmers market. I went to the Bartram Farmers market on Thursday and as I was browsing the breads, many tables where trying to pitch me their treats/breads by what was not in the ingredients (sugar, salt, fat, gluten, etc). I guess they don't know my personal philosophy and what I am all about when it comes to eating for fuel, for health and for pleasure.
I decided on Hugo's muffins because I could tell he was truly passionate about his food and he knew I would feel great eating it.... And I did, gluten and all. Check out Hugo's story HERE!

YAY - Campy walks are the best!! The most looked forward part of my day (for both of us).

(Pampered shades from Oakley Women)

Fruity pancakes

Is it really true that my body did an Ironman just 7 days ago? I am continuing with my no-sick/illness streak which started around 2007 (or earlier), my mind is fresh and the body is not experiencing any residual fatigue. Now this wasn't the case after my first two Ironman's when it took me a good 3 weeks to feel normal again but for the past few years, my quality approach to training is a combination of going into my endurance races hungry to race but also not overtrained so that I can bounce back quickly in order to function well in life soon after a race. Also, a good daily diet and sport nutrition regime assists in optimal training, racing and recovery.
This week has been easy in terms of taking it easy because I feel no pressure to rush back into training. The only thing that is a little off is still my sleeping which I am going to bed about 60-90 minutes later than normal at night (but then again, my life is super busy all day so if I am not training, my mind is often being occupied with a lot of other thoughts and ideas). I will continue to just go by feel (gadget free) for one more week and keep everything light, fun and comfortable.
As for post Ironman, this week Karel and I did nothing on Mon and Tues after the race. Well, we walked around on top of Whiteface mountain on Tues....slowly.

Wed was a travel day (from 6:30am until 8pm) and then Thurs we were itching to do something so Karel and I swam for around 40 minutes (stopping whenever we wanted). Friday I swam again (around a 3000 I think and Karel rode for 90 minutes) and then on Sat and today, I rode my road bike for ~2 hours (no HR monitor, power meter or attention to speed/distance). Karel rode on Sat with some friends and today he jogged for ~30 minutes.
I met up with a few strangers while I was riding, asked if I could join and drafted as my legs did no work for most of the ride. I feel re-charged but will be patient before I start training for Kona for next 8 weeks (Karel is already excited to help me train for my 3rd World Championships so my Training Peaks calendar already has workouts in it for the next few weeks thanks to him :) 

But what I am reminded of the most is that life can really rush by in an instant. I remember around 8 weeks or so out from Ironman Lake Placid, I felt like it was a light-year away and as the weeks went on, it just wouldn't come fast enough. Nearing the last two weeks before the race, I wanted things to slow down because I knew that in two weeks, it would all be over. All that training for a one day event and the experience that I thought would never come was completed in less than 10 hours and 43 minutes. 

Be sure that you are not rushing life, waiting for a vacation, longing for the weekend (on Monday) or finding yourself wishing for tomorrow. Make memories, live in the moment and set goals so that you are not counting your days but instead, making the most of your days here on Earth while you have them. 

Pancakes on Sunday are always enjoyed but 7 days post Ironman, yum, yum, yum. Real maple syrup, Karel's favorite butter and many special surprises in my pancakes to ensure that you are getting lots of nutrients in your breakfast meal. No need to reach for pills and supplements to give your body vitamins and minerals as you should always start with your diet to reduce risk for disease, to help change body composition and to live an active lifestyle as you work hard for your personal goals. 

Fruity pancakesServes 7

6 strawberries (chopped or sliced)
1/2 cup blueberries
1 egg
1/2 cup packed zucchini (shredded)
1/8 tsp salt
2/3 cup oat flour (you can use any flour, I like to mix up my flours when I made pancakes, I also love soy flour and rye flour)
1/2 tbsp honey
2 tsp cinnamon
2 tbsp raisins
1 tbsp sunflower seeds
1/4 cup milk
Olive oil

1. Mix together ingredients in large bowl up until the milk. Stir with a fork to evenly combine.
2. Add milk to create a soupy batter (which will thicken as it sits).
3. Heat a large skillet to low to medium heat (in between) and drizzle a little olive oil on the pan to prevent batter from sticking.
4. Spoon 1/3 cup servings on to pan and cook for 3-4 minutes until the bottom is golden brown (you can lightly spread out pancake to be a little flatter with your fork).
5. Flip pancakes and cook other side for 2-3 minutes.
6. Serve with a serving of your choice of protein: glass of milk, greek yogurt, grilled tofu, tempeh, eggs or cottage cheese.

Hello from Lake Placid!!

Race to travel. Travel to race.

Karel and I absolutely love seeing new places and making memories together. Since we both live a very active lifestyle, the combination of traveling and racing works very nicely for us for it allows us to see new sights in a very active way.

Lake Placid was a race that we decided to do last year around June. Karel was seeking a new challenge after spending most of his teenage - adult life training and racing cycling, with the past few years as a cat 1 cyclist. Karel jumped in the water last May for his first swim "workout" and after working hard in the water for a few weeks, he was ready for his first ever triathlon in mid July. Never did I ask Karel to do a triathlon, let alone an Ironman for I believe that with two active individuals being married, they don't have to have similar passions but instead, excitement for similar lifestyles. But one day, Karel said he wanted to train for an Ironman and knowing that it would take a while, he set his eyes on a June/July race for the following year ('13) so that he could train for an entire year, primarily learning the skills of triathlon. After tossing around a few ideas, we narrowed down our choices based on logistics, timing, weather and terrain and Ironman Lake Placid was on the top of our list. We both seek challenging, hilly courses and IM Lake Placid was not going to disappoint us based on what we new about the race. Additionally, we really enjoy visiting places where the town comes together to support the Ironman. Knowing that not every town is in favor of having 2500+ athletes take-over 140.6 miles, it is very special to be in a place that thrives off the Ironman weekend.

Lake Placid it was........our first Ironman together.

It was a long day of traveling, starting with a 3:45am wake-up call to drive 2 hours to Orlando (much cheaper flights in Orlando vs Jax). Before we even left Orlando to head to La Guardia, I received a message on my phone from Delta that we would have a delay in NY before heading to Vermont. So our 5 total hours of getting from Orlando to Vermont turned into 7.5 hours. Then, we had to take a ferry from Vermont to New York and I choose the longest ferry which took an hour. But we just missed the 4:10pm ferry so we had to wait until 5:30pm - which was the last one! We killed time by heading to the local grocery store for some groceries for the morning and before we knew it we were driving on board the ferry for a very beautiful trip to NY. I enjoyed a salad from Moe's which made my tummy happy. After arriving to NY, we traveling about 1 hour and 10 minutes to Lake Placid which put us to our rental cottage around 8pm. But despite all the delays and mistakes with my travel arrangements, it was an absolutely beautiful welcome to get to Lake Placid and we purposely drove on the bike course to our cottage (3 miles from the race venue on River Drive) to check out the course. Beautiful, challenging, tough.

We went to bed just before 9pm as we were both exhausted from the day. But up early without an alarm at 6am to get the coffee going w/ a small snack before we met Trimarni Coaching athlete Laura G and her bf Duran for a swim at mirror lake.

Karel and I didn't have our wetsuits because they were packed with our gear bag with Tri Bike Transport and I was really worried that the 43 morning temps would freeze me from a morning swim. Laura let me borrow her speed suit and Karel wore a tri suit and actually, the swim felt great (albeit a tiny bit chilly but nothing that would keep me from swimming 1.2 miles in mirror lake). It was really nice to get the blood flowing as I am itching to push hard and release my contained energy but doing nothing will only get me tight and unfocused.

After warming up back in the cottage, it was time for a real meal, followed by check-in, expo exploring and grocery shopping. So grateful for Laura being a local (grew up playing hockey around Placid but now lives in NC) as she was an excellent tour guide, driving us around and explaining the course to us (which was an added bonus since I have been reviewing her training files on training peaks for the past 2 weeks since she has been staying up here with her family).

After a light lunch, we picked up our bikes at Tri Bike Transport and Karel put on our pedals and we were ready for a ride with Laura as our tour guide.

Karel and I needed to do a little climbing to wake up our legs as it is always a shock for the body to climb, especially when you don't do it for a while (or regularly). We rode the last part of the course by heading down the last climb to Wilmington to then head back up as if we were actually on the course (2 loop course). We rode from Wilmington towards whiteface mountain on Route 86 for around 11 miles of climbing, a few rollers and not a lot of flat. This course is extremely challenging and race day calls for a big chance for rain so this course certainly requires a lot of patience and love for mother nature. All-in-all, I love this course already!

After the ride, it was nearing 5:30 pm by the time we cleaned up so Karel and I each made some dinner and the rest of the evening was relaxing.

We are looking forward to a very easy workout in the morning with a very short swim in the lake at 7:30am followed by a 45ish minute "flat" ride on river road (well- as flat as you can get around here with a few rollers).

The pictures speak louder than words and I hope you can enjoy Lake Placid via my photos for we are absolutely loving it here!

(Karel's eats)