Impacts of Body Dissatisfaction On Performance

As an athlete, you know you need to fuel properly to train, recover, and stay healthy.
And to help, there are apps, experts and articles to keep you accountable to eating enough.

But if you struggle with your relationship with your body, that dissatisfaction can silently interfere with your ability to eat enough, fuel your workouts appropriately and support your body with the nutrition it deserves.

In simple terms:
👉 When you respect your body, you give it what it needs.
👉 When you dislike your body, you withhold fuel.

A healthy body relationship removes emotional roadblocks so that fueling can be based on science, health, and performance. 

Holiday body shaming and food talk

 

Why do people comment about bodies and food around the dinner table?

You may be surprised to hear that people bring up body and food talk for reasons that usually have nothing to do with you and everything to do with culture, habits, and their own insecurities.

🍽️ Many people grew up in a family where talking about weight, diet, or appearance was considered normal conversation.

🍽️ Diet culture is deeply ingrained. Society has treated body size as a moral issue and food as “good” or “bad.”

🍽️ Holidays heighten food anxiety. When someone feels guilty or worried about eating, they often comment on what someone else is eating to cope or deflect.

🍽️ Unsolicited comments about health or weight are often framed as “concern.”

🍽️ For some, commenting on others’ plates or bodies is a way to feel superior or justify their own choices.

➡️ Negative comments about bodies or food are usually a reflection of the person saying them—not the person hearing them. 

Understanding that can make their words feel less personal so you respond with confidence and boundaries.

What is healthy eating?

Healthy Eating -  A way of eating that maintains or improves overall health and makes you feel good. There is no one-size-fits-all definition when it comes to "healthy eating." While similar methods and ideologies may work for the masses, every individual is on his/her/their own nutritional journey. Depending on who you are, "healthy eating" could mean..... Making homemade almond milk, grinding your own nut butter, or picking produce from your home garden Only eating GMO-free and organic foods Not eating meat, dairy or fish Doesn't eat meat but eats dairy and fish Portion control Not eating out of boredom or emotions Not restricting food in order to prevent binge eating Eating enough to support training for a long distance triathlon Making nutrition changes to reduce the risk of a cancer recurrence Making nutrition changes because a disease runs in your family Practicing intuitive eating after overcoming a decade of disordered eating or an eating disorder "Healthy eating" is not a diet plan. It's a way of eating that works for your mental and physical health, right now in your life.  Healthy eating is not..... Buying food that you don't like (or don't know how to prepare) just because someone told you it was healthy.  Following food rules and avoiding "off limit" foods. Following a diet plan, despite not liking how the "diet plan" foods make you feel Ignoring hunger cues  Selecting food with the primary goal of weight loss. Purchasing expensive specialty foods just because they are trendy As you progress in your individual life journey, be mindful that your definition of healthy eating will/may change overtime. You may go from being extremely rigid and strict in your diet to allowing more food freedom and food flexibility. Or, you may celebrate that right now, you are "at least" eating breakfast and consuming a few veggies throughout the day. Or, you may find that you are in a food rut and you are eating out a bit more often in order to get inspiration from different cuisines.  If you are trying to eat more healthy, here are a few suggestions to get you started: Create a plan for what you will eat for breakfast, lunch and dinner and snacks, before that day happens. You can keep this extremely simple by eating similar foods each day to get started. Be mindful of your hunger and fullness cues to help with portions. Don't bring a diet mentality (or off limit food list) to your food choices. Allow for flexibility and avoid having an all-or-nothing approach.  Spend 30 minutes each day planning for tomorrow's eating. Reflect on today and what worked/didn't work and make small tweaks so you feel more control, satisfied, energized and comfortable with your eating choices. The more food that you have prepped and available in advance, the easier it is to follow through with your plan.  Consider your life obligations (ex. work, family, exercise, extra-curriculars) so that eating is not too complicated, time consuming or difficult. Don't let meal and snack time become an afterthought or pushed aside because it's something you don't have time for. A well-nourished and energized body functions well in life. Give yourself time to eat a meal (at least 20 minutes). Give yourself a life pause to be present at meal and snack time. Don't rely on willpower to initiate a change. Set yourself up for successful eating behaviors.  Always maintain a healthy relationship with food and your body.

Embracing European Eating Habits

After spending several weeks in Europe, I find it challenging to adjust to the American food culture. When I return, I am quickly reminded of the dysfunctional eating habits of many Americans. Now you may be assuming that I am talking about the oversized portions, heavily processed snacks and convenient fast food that have become normalized in the USA and are commonly contributed to obsesity and health problems. Although the food industry is partly to blame, it's actually the diet industry that I despise.

As we accumulated cycling miles and elevation in the French Alps, I spent very little time on social media. When I eventually opened my Facebook app and started scrolling, I was quickly reminded of our nation's unhealthy obsession with healthy eating. After a few posts talking about intermittent fasting and low carb diets, I had to close the app as I became so frustrated to see what I was reading.

Certainly, my situation is a bit unique in that Karel's family lives in Czech so we live like a local with homecooked meals every day. But for several weeks when we are in Europe, we are fully emersed in a different style of eating - one that we grately appreciate. Not only are the ingredients and cuisines different, but the entire European eating culture is different than the typical American lifestyle. The fact that there is a grocery store at almost every corner of the town, biking is a common form of transporation and there are sidewalks everywhere for walking, says a lot about the infrastructure of the European culture versus in America. European cities are very pedestrian-friendly - regularly giving pedestrians (and people on bikes) the right of way. Sadly, our country doesn't really make it easy to naturally live a healthy lifestyle. Unless you live in a major city, it's rare to walk from place to place. It's not uncommon for Europeans to leave their office at lunchtime, often for more than an hour, to go home to enjoy a warm meal. More so, it's no secret that American's are overworked and stressed, which makes it even harder to maintain a good relationship with food.

In America, healthy eating is not just preoccupation but it is an obsession. It's not uncommon for the typical American to spend decades of life feeling controlled or confused by food. Weighing, measuring, calculating every meal to get it "right." The diet industry has made eating (which should be rather simple) extremely confusing, complicated and conflicting. Social media, healthism, fat phobia, self-objectification and the toxic diet culture have led many people to fear food and despise the body they see in the mirror.

When we were in Karel's hometown of Znojmo, Czech Republic we ate a lot. We also walked a lot. Grocery stores were convenient. Food delivery was not. It's hard to eat in the car when you drive a manual transmission. It was not common to drink your coffee on the go. Gas stations serve real food and excellent coffee. And there's even a place inside the gas station to sit down and enjoy your coffee in a real cup. Portions were always reasonable (small to American standards) but the food tasted amazing. We were satisfied after each meal. Our meals included a lot of olive oil, butter, salt, potatoes and cheese. There was structure in our day as it was expected that lunch would be served at noon - often a two course meal, starting with soup. Always served on nice dishes. Even during the Haute Route Alps, we ate on real dishes after every stage. I saw very little plastic during our event. Seasonal eating is taken very seriously in Europe. Eating strawberries after July doesn't make sense when plums are heavily in season.

Now don't get me wrong. I would have given anything to have a meal delivered to us after riding 100+ miles in the French Alps. And for the last two stages, my dinner meal was chips and cereal. 

But when I return from Europe, I'm reminded of America's relationship with food - and to be honest, it's kinda messy. People are not only disconnected from their own bodies but also disconnected from food. Instead of making peace with food and putting effort into creating sustainable healthy habits and positive eating behaviors, it's normal to be caught up in the latest diet fads - fasting, keto, low carb, etc. - constantly searching for the easist, quick fix solution. When in Europe, after eating meal after meal prepared and served with so much care and love, I struggled even more to understand why it's acceptable and encouraged to starve yourself of food. Food is meant to be enjoyed, not feared. The diet culture has taught you to feel guilty about calories consumed, to obsess over what "bad" food is off-limit or to believe that your self worth is tied to your physical appearance.

Sadly, the diet industry has done so much damage to the American body and mind. I realize this is not just an American issue but American's are deeply entrenched in dieting, food guilt, deprivation and restrictive eating.

I always try to learn lessons when I am in another country. When it comes to improving your relationship with food, here are a few lessons learned from European eating:

• Make the time to prepare meals. Enjoy the process of collecting ingredients, patiently chop and cook and take pride in the final product.
• Fill yourself with flavor. Choose the real version of ingredients to ensure your meals are of high quality. You may find that you end up eating less but feeling much more satisfied.
• Take time to sit down and eat. Eating a meal should not be a burden. It should be done at a table, with silverware. Consider a more structured eating regime so that meals don't turn into mindless snacking.
• Eat with others when possible. Not alone in the car or behind a computer desk. It's not a burden to take 30 minutes out of your day to enjoy a meal. Relax and taste your food.

If you want to make healthy eating less complicated, eat real food. Real ingredients contribute to nutritious meals.

I've learned a lot from my travels to Europe and I carry the following tips with me to maintain a healthy relationship with food wherever/whenever I eat: 

-Welcome all foods without restrictions
-Listen to your body to guide your eating choices
-Be flexible with eating choices
-See the value in food beyond calories
-Remind yourself that your value as a human is not determined by your image.

When a cookie becomes so much more than just another cookie

The holiday season is a time of socializing, celebration and reunions. It's a time when families, coworkers and friends gather together around food. For those struggling with an unhealthy relationship with food and the body, the holiday season may not be so bright and merry.

If you experience great emotional stress around the holiday season, you are not alone. Here are some reasons why the holidays can be so stressful when it come to food:

• Fear of weight gain.
• Too many food items available.
• Guilt around indulging.
• Feeling weak or out of control.
• Stress and anxiety.
• Uncomfortable being seen eating food.
• Pressure or comments when eating.
• Worry of offending others.
• Struggling with "normal" food portions.
• Remarks about body weight/size.
• Inability to recognize fullness.
• Eating on another person's schedule.

Having tools to manage triggers and unhealthy thoughts can help you maintain a healthy relationship with food and the body so you can fully enjoy the holidays.

Here are a few tips to help you maintain a healthy relationship with food and your body:

• Identify your triggers for overeating/binging or food restriction, such as going long hours without eating.
• Prepare your responses for conversations about body image, dieting and weight.
• Give yourself alone-time and space during social gatherings.
• It's ok to eat a little more than you normally would.
• Keep diet talk and body image discussions away from the table. Even the standard statement of "you look healthy" or "you look great" can be triggering. Many disordered eating behaviors stem from food control and body image/appearance.
• Avoid statements like "you’ll put on some pounds." There's no need to criticize your body or other people's bodies.
• Avoid all-or-nothing thinking. Eat with a mindset of curiosity and gratitude.
• Listen to your body. Notice feelings of fullness and hunger.
• Set boundaries and be willing to say no thank you.
• Eliminate negative self-talk. 

If someone at your holiday table is suffering with disordered eating, here are a few suggestions to make this individual feel welcomed and comfortable:

• Do not focus on what the individual is eating.
• Make the primary focus of the holiday on something besides food.
• Plan activities that don't involve food - such as games, decorating or spending time talking.
• Offer a dish that this individual would feel comfortable eating.
• Honor agreements to not discuss body image, weight loss, diets or appearance.

Similar to going on a diet, food becomes much more desirable (and craved) if it's only allowed at certain times. If you can only eat a food once a year, there's a good chance you will overindulge due to scarcity.

The truth is that special holidays make foods special. Honoring food traditions instills respect, gratitude and joy for what we are eating.

When it comes to Christmas cookies, pumpkin pie, birthday cake, ice cream or any other food that you only eat during special occasions - special foods should be savored and enjoyed.

Dieting, restriction, guilt and deprivation lead to feeling out of control over the foods you fear you will overeat. A cookie becomes so much more than just a cookie when you have an unhealthy relationship with food.

Give yourself permission. Honor your body's cravings. Taste the flavors. Trust yourself around special foods.

Developing a healthy relationship with food takes time. The holiday season is the perfect time to practice.

Every time you give yourself permission to indulge responsibility, you move closer to a place where you don't feel controlled by food. The cookie no longer becomes such desirable yet scary, worrisome and fearful food. Take your power back over cookies.

The restriction and deprivation stops. The guilt and shame goes away. The fear is removed. You feel in control and the cookie becomes just another delicious cookie.

------------

Contact the NEDA Helpline (1-800-931-2237) for support, resources, and treatment options for yourself or a loved one who is struggling with an eating disorder. Helpline volunteers are trained to help you find the support and information you need. Reach out today!

You can always leave a message for the Helpline if it is not currently available, and they will return your call or message promptly.If you are in a crisis and need help immediately, text “NEDA” to 741741 to be connected with a trained volunteer at Crisis Text Line. Crisis Text Line provides free, 24/7 support via text message to individuals who are struggling with mental health, including eating disorders, and are experiencing crisis situations.

Do you have a carbohydrate phobia?

Some people are afraid of heights. Some are afraid of snakes and spiders. 
Considering the prevalence of disordered eating in endurance athletes, it wouldn't be surprising to hear that many athletes are afraid of carbohydrates. 

Although the presence of a piece of bread may not produce the same physical symptoms as being confined in a tight or crowded space, it's not uncommon for athletes, fitness enthusiasts and chronic dieters to experience similar thoughts, feelings and physical sensations - like guilt, anxiety, panic, fear and worry - when it comes to carbohydrates. 

Primarily due to the diet industry and popular media, many athletes have irrationally demonized carbohydrates - despite plenty of good research and evidence that carbohydrates play an important role in optimal health. Not only are carbohydrates essential for athletes but regular consumption of wholesome complex carbohydrates (such as whole grains, fruits, vegetables, potatoes, beans and lentils) can help with sustainable energy and blood sugar levels - thus minimizing the risk for excessive snacking or grazing and reducing cravings for sugary-rich foods. Denying yourself of carbohydrates only contributes to overeating the foods you are trying to avoid. 

And so begins the vicious cycle:

Great danger can come from labeling food "good" and "bad." Similar to any other phobia, intense distress when faced with the source of a phobia can affect physical, mental and emotional health. For example, fear of carbohydrates can affect your ability to function normally in social settings, at holiday events, around your family or when training for a sporting event. Even thinking about a situation when you may be tempted to eat carbohydrates like pizza, pasta, a cookie, a sport drink or a bagel, may cause intense fear, anxiety and panic. As a result, you may try to do everything possible to avoid the situation. 

Carbohydrates contain essential nutrients that our bodies need to function well on a daily basis. Most importantly, our brain needs glucose. Without it, fatigue, headaches, anxiety and irritability may result. Carbohydrates are essential for keeping blood sugar from dropping too low and if/when it happens, the brain will send out neurotransmitters that drive you to crave whatever high-carb, sweet, sugar and quick digesting carbs that are available. This is why many people on low-carb diets (whether intention or unintentional) often feel out-of-control around carbohydrates. Again, the vicious diet-binge cycle results. 

Carbs are not bad. Having a black or white, all or thing, good or bad mentality around food is unhealthy. Feeling guilt and shame about eating a handful of pretzels, or a piece of pizza is not mentally healthy. Eating a bagel is not physically unhealthy. 

Prioritize wholesome real food sources of carbohydrates (alongside healthy fats and quality protein) and when you choose to indulge, do so responsibly with intention, mindfulness and with a well-fueled and well-nourished body and brain. 

Holiday eating and the health conscious athlete

If you consider yourself a health conscious individual, the holiday season may fill you with a bit of anxiety and stress. While there is much to celebrate and enjoy, you may worry about some of the uncomfortable food-related situations that you may face at family gatherings, holiday parties or work events. For example:

• Being told that you eat "too healthy."
• Feeling like you are judged for your eating habits or your body image.
• Worry about emotional/stress eating.
• Fear of overeating/overindulging.
• Having to turn down food that you don't like/can't eat.

For anyone who has experienced any of the above scenarios, it can be rather difficult to enjoy a holiday meal when you are worried about the food around you or how you will respond when people comment on your eating habits.

As an advocate of intuitive eating, consider the following "Intuitive Eating Holiday Bill of Rights" to help you feel more at ease when you are at or around the food table.

The following was taken directly from Intuitiveeating.org.

1. You have the right to savor your meal, without cajoling or judgment, and without discussion of calories eaten or the amount of exercise needed to burn off said calories.
2. You have the right to enjoy second servings without apology.
3. You have the right to honor your fullness, even if that means saying “no thank you” to dessert or a second helping of food.
4. It is not your responsibility to make someone happy by overeating, even if it took hours to prepare a specialty holiday dish.
5. You have the right to say, “No thank you,” without explanation, when offered more food.
6. You have the right to stick to your original answer of “no”, even if you are asked multiple times. Just calmly and politely repeat “No, thank you, really.”
7. You have the right to eat pumpkin pie for breakfast.

For more educational content and delicious recipes (like these Pecan Pie Bars - perfect for Thanksgiving!), subscribe to our free weekly newsletter - delivered directly to your inbox every Wednesday morning at 7am EST.

Becoming more body image positive in 2019

The New Year is flooded with ways to improve your health - specifically through diet and exercise.While there is nothing wrong with embarking on a new journey, the first step to improve your health is to learn to be kind to your body.

To start the New Year, I wanted to share a few of my thoughts on the topics that I feel athletes become vulnerable to as it relates to diet and exercise. Athletes are very disciplined, dedicated and hard working individuals but tend to function on the side of extreme. Many athletes are so focused on an outcome that they forget to be kind to the body. Most diets and exercise plans require a lot of willpower and discipline. People fall in and out of programs because they are exhausting - mentally and physically. In turn becomes body shaming, critical judgement, self-hate and unrealistic body ideals. In other words, in a quest to become healthier, you lose sight on the first step of improving your health - being kind to your body.

I hope you find these videos helpful as you explore a new journey of good health, happiness and body kindness.

New Year.....New You?
As you count down the hours until the New Year, are you once again resolving that this will finally be the year where you will take better care of your body?

Despite the many ways that you can practice self-improvement, January 1st is strongly associated with making changes to your body size, weight and looks through extreme exercise and rigid dieting.

Sadly, social media has a lot to do with your body image and relationship with food.

Here are my thoughts on how you can start the year off right, without falling victim to the New Year, New You campaign.

                                                     
                                   
Quick Fixes and Trendy Diets

We are a weight obsessed, social-media influenced, quick-fix seeking culture.

While there are many reasons why people diet, those with low self-esteem, poor body image, individuals with an addictive personality, anxiety, depression and feel pressure from society to look differently are susceptible to follow a style of eating that includes rules, good vs bad foods, strict eating regimes and social motivation.

Therefore, it's no surprise why so many people are tempted to follow a trendy diet that claims to improve mental and physical health, boost self-esteem, improve body image, eliminate cravings, boost energy levels, heal your gut, reprogram your body and achieve incredible results.

Don't be fooled! There are many physical and mental dangers of extreme dieting.

                                                    
     
Race Weight
Let's talk race weight.

We live in a society that focuses on competitive leanness. Most athletes train, eat and live with the mindset that the leaner or more defined you are, the better you'll perform in sport.

Often this mindset gets messy. Whereas the initial focus for weight loss is to perform better, athletes can easily get obsessed with the idea of achieving the perfect athletic body image but sadly, sickness, injury, a performance decline and burnout occurs.

Do you nourish and fuel your body because it's an incredible vehicle that allows you to do incredible things in your sport or are you chasing a weight/image through rigid eating, calorie restriction and over exercising?

                                                   

Gadgets and Trackers

Fitness tracking, calorie counting, body composition measuring and body weighing may not be inherently bad, unless you have an obsession with data.

An obsessive focus on numbers may encourage unhealthy attitudes, behaviors and thoughts related to your self-worth, body image, eating choices, exercise regime, athletic worthiness and self-esteem.

Are your gadgets and tracking devices doing more harm than good?

                                                      

Assessing your current relationship with food

It's getting closer to that time of the year. New Year diet fads. 

The start of the year (after the holiday season) is typically the time when people begin to "finally" get serious about the diet, in hopes of improving health, changing body composition, losing weight or getting rid of unhealthy lifestyle habits. While there's nothing wrong with a New Year Resolution, there's the tendency to take the wrong approach to changing your eating habits. Your old diet gets demolished instead of making a small renovation.

You may be wondering why I am bringing up this topic right now in early November. Well, relationships with food are complex, especially for athletes. Whether the focus is on health, appearance or performance (or a combination of all three), focusing too much on your diet and/or body image can become harmful to your health. There's never a wrong time to talk about your current relationship with food and the body.

I love my diet. It's easy, sustainable and it works for me and my health, performance and lifestyle. I'm comfortable with my style of eating, I feel comfortable eating around others and I can take my typical style of eating anywhere in the world. While I have standards as to what I want to put in my body most of the time (which makes up my "typical" diet), I never find my diet complicated or unappetizing. 

While you may feel the same way, many athletes feel the exact opposite. 

Eating is stressful. There's great fear, guilt, worry, confusion and anxiousness when it comes to food. There's inconsistency and uncertainty.  Although some athletes and fitness enthusiasts have yet to master a style of eating that is sustainable, healthy and performance enhancing, there's a large group of active individuals (from all fitness levels) who have a very unhealthy relationship with food and the body. Food is the enemy.

With a complicated relationship with food, there's the tendency to become obsessed with one style of eating that brings great concerns, guilt or fears when it comes to food. There's often something "extreme" with how these individuals choose to eat, constantly thinking about food as good or bad, right or wrong.  Interestingly, many athletes see food as the problem that needs fixing when in reality, the relationship with food and the body are the problems.

Your diet should provide adequate nutrients and calories to support consistent training, optimal health and recovery and should also help to reduce your risk for disease and illness. To achieve this style of eating, you should not have to spend an excessive amount of your time or energy thinking, stressing and planning your diet. Going to great extremes to follow a rigid style of eating may increase the risk for physical and mental health issues, disordered eating or an eating disorder.

I find that the individuals who fall victim to New Year diet fads tend to have a very poor relationship with food and the body. These individuals gravitate toward diet fads in order to feel control and gain a sense of power through an ultra-focused, extremely rigid style of eating.  In a culture that brings a bombardment of messages about how your athletic body should look and the many different extreme styles of eating that are marketed toward athletes, it's important to remind yourself that you don't need to make an extreme change in your eating habits to fix or resolve yourself to be healthier, happier or better athlete. 

Your inability to stick to a New Years diet has nothing to do with your level of self control. Diets don't work. More so, any program or style of eating that is extreme or rigid, comes with risks to your physical and mental health.

Although dieting and diet fads will always be part of our culture, this is one trend that you shouldn't be part of. Before the holiday season, take some self-care time to assess your current relationship with food and your body. Realize the impact that your past, current and future eating patterns have on your mental, emotional and physical health. Chronic restricted eating, habitual dieting, eliminating food groups or certain foods, ignoring physical hunger, compulsive/binge eating and food obsessions demonstrate a complicated relationship with food. 

Let go of the need to be, look and to eat perfect. Stop comparing yourself to a past version of yourself or to someone else. Don't make eating difficult. To love and care for your body, you need to fuel, nourish, thank and honor it for a lifetime. Now is a great time to start.

Drive for athletic leanness

Picture source

For much of my career as a Board Certified Sport Dietitian with a Master of Science in exercise physiology, I have spent a great amount of time and energy helping athletes with their relationship with food and the body. Knowing that athletes feel a strong relationship between food and body composition relating to athletic success, I have never refrained from speaking about this topic openly and honestly for many years in an effort to help athletes stay healthy throughout a sporting career (and for many more decades to come). I have even reached out to many magazines (and publishing companies) to write more about the topic of body image and athletes but my pitches are often denied and in exchange, I am asked to write about the latest diet fad or nutrition strategy to help athletes gain the competitive edge.

In light of another recent social media post involving a professional athlete discussing body image struggles and restrictive eating measures, I am reminded that I have a very small voice in the big world of athletics as it relates to being heard but I refuse to stop expressing my thoughts and concerns as to how athletes eat and fuel for endurance sports as there is a safe way to achieve athletic excellence without compromising health and performance.

Sadly, our culture is obsessed with leanness. It's far too often that an athlete is praised for being lean and competitively fit, which drives the athlete to assume that leanness is the key to athletic success, self-confidence and notoriety. On a daily basis, athletes receive persistent spoken/written/viewed messages about body composition and performance/fitness from social media, magazines, books, notable athletic figures, coaches and other experts which reinforces the need to look a certain way - often at any cost (health, performance and quality of life).

Without even the slightest disclaimer that there can be great physical and psychological damage that stems from being strict, ritualistic, rigid and anxious about eating when training for an athletic event, athletes literally feed off the reinforcement given by society when the body becomes more athletically "acceptable" in terms of body composition.

Every time an athlete is glorified for experiencing athletic success while achieving/maintaining a lean, toned and fit body composition, there's a good probability that society is rewarding unhealthy eating and training behaviors. Eventually resulting in low energy availability (RED-S), there are great health and performance consequences to overtraining and undereating.

Picture source

There's no denying that a fit and strong body is what every athlete strives to achieve come race day and to achieve a body that can survive the demands of race day, training and nutritional adaptations can be made to foster performance improvements. But without optimal health, the body image that you achieve is all for nothing if you can't do much with it on race day.

What's the point of having a lean body if you can't do anything with it when you are asked to perform at your best?  Far too many athletes are training and not eating for an image competition instead of an athletic competition.

Although more and more athletes are speaking openly about personal struggles with eating and body image, there is still a strong taboo with disordered eating and eating disorders. There are some brave athletes who openly admit to some type of body image struggle or disordered eating/eating disorder habits during or at the end of a sporting career (often concurrent with a serious health issue, debilitating injury or mental health disorder) but we can not overlook the fact that a great amount of athletes are secretly training with a very restrictive diet in an effort to change body image, often encouraged, inspired and counseled by a coach or nutrition expert.

Knowing that goal-oriented, highly disciplined and competitive athletes who like to feel control in life and base self-worth, athletic readiness and confidence on a certain body image, are at greatest risk for an eating disorder, it's critical that coaches and professional experts address their own personal relationships with food and the body prior to delivering nutrition advice. I personally believe that due to the many uncredible nutrition experts and weight-focused coaches providing unethically safe advice to athletes, athletes are led to believe that the best/only/most effective way to experience performance gains is to change body composition through dietary/fueling manipulation and training.

Because there is such a very thin line between maintaining your health, having longevity in your sport and maintaining quality of life and achieving athletic excellence on race day with a forced body composition change, if an athlete has even the most smallest struggle or occasional thoughts about body image or restrictive eating strategies in an effort to improve performance or to change body composition, it's highly recommended and encouraged to seek help from a trusted, credible and sport dietitian who specializes in your sport and understands how to counsel athletes who suffer from poor body image thoughts and a tendency/desire to intentional restrict food/fuel.

Before a serious health issue negatively affects your performance, now is the time to ask yourself....

What's driving your need for athletic leanness? 

Eat To Thrive: Is your relationship with food/body affecting your athletic performance?

        

In our recent interview with the Intelligent Racer Podcast, I talked about my passion for helping athletes with nutrition. A lot of my nutrition counseling is helping athletes with the application of using food and sport nutrition properly in order to improve health and performance. But another aspect of my nutrition services is helping athletes overcome an unhealthy relationship with food and the body in order to improve athletic performance, health and quality of life. 

From my experience, by improving your relationship with your body, you can actually improve your relationship with food, which will enhance your athletic performance. When you begin to thank your body (instead of bashing it), respect your body (instead of starving or overexercising it) and appreciate your body (instead of wishing you looked differently), you begin to make better lifestyle choices that actually promote health and performance. It is through these choices that you can better understand how to best train and eat for your fitness and health needs.

It's unfortunate, but it's the truth, that many athletes do not feel comfortable in their own skin. They train and eat for the wrong reasons. Instead of working out for performance gains and to improve skills, to dial in fueling and hydration and to stretch the comfortable zone, athletes are working out to burn calories or to work off previously consumed "bad" food or to deserve reward food. While this strategy may work for an exerciser or fitness enthusiast without significant health risks, this approach can greatly compromise health and overall well-being when an athlete uses marathon running or endurance triathlon training alongside dieting (or restrictive eating/fueling), to lose weight or to change body composition.

Whereas sport should make you feel strong, confident and healthy, for select athletes, it does the opposite when an unhealthy relationship with food and the body is in place. Working out should never been seen as a punishment (or strategy) to burn calories or to fix the body. Food should be for enjoyment, fuel and nourishment, it should never give you guilt, frustration and fear.

Thanks to social media and magazines promoting unrealistic body images and bloggers offering unsafe and impractical/unsustainable dietary advice, many athletes are not feeling motivated to train for performance and health improvements, but instead, are dealing with the constant comparisons of idealized images of "an athlete's body" or whatever dietary strategies are promoted be fit, race ready and "healthy".

I was recently thinking back to an article I wrote for March 2015 issue of Triathlete Magazine, where I discussed the topic of achieving performance breakthroughs by paying attention to current eating behaviors and thoughts about the body. Making smart dietary choices will help you reach your athletic potential so it is important to recognize if your commitment to your racing and training goals is steering your relationship with food in an unhealthy direction.

In my Eat To Thrive article, I provide you with three red flag situations and how you should address them. Of course, if you feel like your relationship with food and the body is compromising your health, performance and/or quality of life, it is important to reach out to a Registered Dietitian for help. He/she can take away the guessing so that you can start living a productive and successful life where food is not the enemy and you learn to appreciate the goodness in your body.



                              To read the article: Eat To Thrive

Chili cook-off: Lessons learned

Our local run store, Run In, hosted their first annual Chili Cook Off on Saturday afternoon. We could not pass up the opportunity to use our crock pot (and make our house smell yummy) so we entered the cook-off with our "Meat - ain't no body got time for that" chili (vegetarian).  

My only role in making this chili was soaking the bag of mixed beans/lentils over night. 

Not too hard of a job! 

Karel took care of the rest as he always makes a GREAT vegetarian chili for us to yum over.

As you can see from the picture above, he includes the traditional chili recipe ingredients, like peppers, onion and beans but in addition, celery root, parsnips and leeks (very European). He uses a mix of spices for flavor but the key is sauteing and cooking all the veggies on a skillet (with olive oil) first before letting the crock pot take over with the beans. Cooking the veggies on the skillet brings out a lot of flavor. 

While this may not be your typical chili recipe, we absolutely love the flavor and "meaty" texture with each bite. Plus, like any chili, it's very filling.  

Ingredients:
16 bean soup mix (about 3/4 bag used, soaked overnight in water)
Leeks
Parsnips
Peppers - yellow, red, cubano
Tomatoes
Celery root
Onion
Carrots
Spices

While this was a great opportunity to bring together our great community of runners in and around Greenville (chili makers and chili testers), I learned a lot from this chili cook off. 

1) Chili takes a long time to get right. You can't rush through it and hope it will taste good. Chili needs time for all the flavors to come together so you have to plan ahead and cook in advance. 

2) Chili is so versatile. Similar to stews and soups, it's hard to get bored of chili as there are so many different combinations. For example, at this cook-off, there were 9 different Chili recipes! 

3) Chili requires that you taste it. You can't eat it fast and it always tastes better the next day. It's a meal you want to savor as your taste buds always pick-up new ingredients with each bite. I love eating chili and thinking about the ingredients that I am tasting, as I am eating it (vegetarian recipes of course). 

4) Chili brings people together. Chili is one of those meals where you want to share the goodness with others. It's a very comforting meal that is best yummed over in a group setting. 

5) Chili leaves you satisfied. You don't have to eat a lot of it to feel very comfortable inside your belly. 

With so many lessons learned, it got me thinking that for any individual who is struggling to adopt healthier eating habits, you should participate or plan a chili cook off. Encourage your work to have an office chili cook-off or organize a cook-off with your training buddies or a local training club.. Chili cook-off's can be as simply as having an opportunity to enjoy a variety of chili recipes but you can also encourage monetary donations for tasters in order to help out a local organization or an animal shelter.

I feel there is so much to appreciate, learn and to enjoy in regard to making your own meal, sharing it with others or enjoying a creation that was proudly made by someone else.

If you are interested in hosting your own chili cook off, here are some ideas to get you started:

-Create a fun evite (with the date/time of the cook-off) and invite participants/guests to bring in their best chili creation in a slow cooker. The chili should be hot and ready to serve. Don't let your guests forget to bring a serving spoon/spatula.

-Be sure to have extra extension cords and several plugs for the crock pots to stay warm (you may want to consider your participants to bring an extension cord).

-Encourage chili categories (these will be used for awards): Meat, vegetarian, extra spicy, guess the surprise ingredient, semi-homemade, all fresh, etc.

-Provide bowls, small cups and spoons for tasting. Make sure you have a large enough (sturdy) table or counter top for the crock pots.

-Provide water, milk and orange juice (and cups) to cleanse the palate between tasting.

-Ask your guests to provide information before the cook off for you to print off and set-up by the crock pot of the respective creation: Name of chili, category (meat, vegetarian, etc.), heat level (mild, spicy, very hot).

-Provide toppings - chives, cheese, crackers, sour cream, corn chips, etc.

-For a side dish, offer corn bread or encourage a cook off for the best corn bread.

-Provide ballots for each taster to select the best tasting chili based on the category (and corn bread). Make sure you have a box for collecting the ballots.

-Announce the winners at the end of the cook-off. Awards can include a kitchen utensil kit, a gift certificate to a cooking store, a wooden spatula, an apron, pepto (for the very hot winner).

There are many more ideas on Pinterest.

Who's ready for a chili cook off??

Relearning how to eat normally

As an athlete, you make a lot of daily lifestyle choices which are likely not "normal" compared to your non-athlete counterparts.
Your standards for daily exercise and healthy eating are far from the norm.
For example, when was the last time you said, "I only ran 90 minutes today, but it was just an easy run" or brought a cooler of foods to a work conference because you enjoy being in control of your portions and how your food is prepared?

To reach your athletic goals, you make a lot of daily choices to maximize your performance and many times, to an outsider, your dedication to your athletic lifestyle looks absolutely crazy and unnecessary.

But when you surround yourself with your like-minded athlete buddies, you suddenly feel part of the crowd. Your decisions, actions and choices are praised, admired and sometimes needed to "fit in" among your athletic partners.
You may even go out of your way on social media to follow nutrition experts who "get you."

While it is socially accepted among your athlete friends to train and eat like you do, it is important that your food rules do not interfere with your ability to eat normally. 

Athlete or not, never should you eat with anxiety, fear, guilt or frustration.

Has your relationship with food turned obsessive and disordered?

Are food rules preventing you from having permission to eat sugar, carbs, grains, dairy or other foods or food groups?

Have you lost the ability to have an appetite to eat?

Do you feel no pleasure when you eat?

Is it difficult for you to eat in social settings without feeling judged?

Do you feel uncomfortable when someone else prepares your food?

What was once a desire to lose a few lbs or to eat cleaner, do you find yourself living an overwhelming lifestyle of feeling controlled by food?

Are your current food choices keeping you from staying in good health or performing well as an athlete?

With so many athletes being more and more misinformed about sport nutrition and healthy eating (and it is about to get much worse come the New Year, as usual), to the point of being afraid of eating the wrong foods, it's very sad to see so many athletes suffering from bone-related injuries, blood sugar swings, fatigue, low energy, unhealthy weight loss/gain, cardiovascular issues, hormonal, metabolic, endocrine and other health issues related to "food rules."

In my practice, I am not a specialist in eating disorders. However, I do work with many athletes who struggle with their relationship with food and the body. My focus is on helping athletes break down food barriers to eat normally - in life AND as an athlete - in order to reach athletic goals.

While this type of nutrition consultation journey is much more complicated and in-depth than helping athletes fine-tune sport nutrition (fueling/hydration) for an upcoming event, the end goal is for an athlete to successfully eat and fuel without food rules or negative thoughts about the body.

If you are an athlete who has been living a life controlled by food rules, often feeling a strong need to control your food intake to avoid the guilt and uncomfortable feeling that comes from eating "bad" foods, it's time to relearn how to eat.

Imagine the possibilities when you let food enhance your life, instead of controlling your life.
Life is not about calories, grams, diets, food rules and an off-limit food list.

Consider the opportunities in life when you can eat normally - anywhere, anytime.

If this blog post resonates with you, this doesn't mean that you are a bad person.
There is absolutely no shame or self-guilt to be felt if you struggle with your relationship with food and the body.

If you are ready to relearn how to eat, consult with a professional who specializes in disordered eating/eating disorders for help. 

Eating comfort zone

It's often said that traveling is one of the best ways to step outside your comfort zone. 

A new routine, a new lifestyle, new sights and perhaps even a new language that you do not understand.

Every time you travel, you welcome the opportunity to experience a new way of living.
And above all, when you travel somewhere new, there is a good chance that you will eat new foods or new meal creations that are not familiar.

Perhaps you are the individual who loves putting yourself into situations where you are forced to try new foods and adapt to new cuisines and eating traditions and customs.

But for many people, traveling can be an overwhelming experience because it requires eating foods that are not so familiar and that can make you feel uncomfortable (often more mentally than physically). 

While it is good to have a style of eating that works for you on a daily basis, if your eating boundaries are very limited, you may find extreme difficult to step beyond the place where your daily eating habits make you feel safe and secure and this can bring a lot of anxiety when you travel.

While it is very easy to say "yes" to foods within your comfort zone (or diet-approved zone) when you are at home, when you travel, you may find yourself saying "no" a lot due to a very restricted and limited food comfort zone.

While you should never eat something that doesn't agree with your body (allergy, intolerance) or goes against moral, ethical or medical reasons, living a life that is controlled by food limits is no way to live.

You may even find that you dread the thought of traveling to a new place (whether for work or pleasure) for fear of having to eat foods that you normally don't eat. Whether you are a picky eater or crave simplicity or struggle to make eating choices without nutrition fact labels, measuring cups, calorie counts or a clear understanding of how a meal is prepared, I encourage you to slowly begin to step outside your eating comfort zone. 

Over the past few years, I have become more uncomfortable eating....... in America.

While I am very comfortable eating in my own environment, my eating comfort zone is not always comfortable as I am eating in a diet and body obsessed society that has a very dysfunctional relationship with food.

This doesn't mean that I don't love the USA as I am proud to be an American but I am greatly disturbed by our culture when it comes to food and how people see and talk about food.

I love bread, yet in America, bread is bad for you - we are told it makes you fat and causes diseases.
I love grains, yet in America, only a few are "good" for you, depending on the current trends and who's giving you permission to eat what.
I love milk and cheese, yet in America, those are bad for you - We are told they are bad for you and can cause inflammation.
I love all fruits and veggies, yet in America, there's a list as to which ones are healthy and which ones are filled with the most sugar - thus making some fruits and veggies "unhealthy."

You see, when I am in Europe, I can eat in peace.
I eat all my favorite foods and new ones because the foods I love, grains, bread, milk, cheese and all fruits and veggies, are all accepted in Europe.

There's not a day in America where I don't see or hear people talking about the foods that I choose to eat in my diet, discussing all the "bad" things about these foods and all the "bad" things that will happen if you eat them.

And don't get me started on how "bad" these foods are for athletes, especially if you want to perform well, improve body composition and stay healthy.
(Would now be a good time to do a throw-back to our 2016 Ironman Austria finishes where our bodies performed so well, despite being fueled by so many "bad" foods and "bad" sport nutrition products?)

So why is it that I feel more comfortable eating in Europe than in America?
First off, I don't speak the language.
Therefore, when I eat, I don't hear anything that makes me not enjoy what I am eating.
There is no talk about carbs, gluten or sugar.
 I can taste and truly yum over my food without any judgement.

For me, food isn't complicated yet in America, it's complicated. Very very complicated.

I'm bothered by how companies market and advertise food and frankly, what people call "food" in America.
I'm frustrated by magazines, social media, TV and experts constantly brainwashing children, adults, the elderly and athletes that something on the body always needs "fixing" and the best approach to change the body image is through food restriction.
I'm saddened to hear how many athletes are abusing exercising the body, and believing that starving the body from calories is the "best" way to improve performance.
I'm upset that America is so obsessed with healthy food yet we have such an unhealthy society.

While I understand that I am speaking about our country as a whole and not discussing subgroups who may have a great relationship with food and the body, I know that there are many individuals who understand where I am coming from and you likely sympathize with me. 

By all means, you are allowed to eat bread in America!

Let's be honest - eating is a messy topic in America and unless it changes soon, our society will become more sick and ill because of unhealthy habits that can be changed by a healthier lifestyle and eating disorders (and disordered) eating will become more and more prevalent. 

Naturally, this is a very important topic for me me as a Board Certified Sport Dietitian because I want to be the change that I want to see in America when it comes to athletes improving their relationship with food and the body. 

As I enjoy my last few days in Europe (with more pictures of my Czech meals to share on Facebook), I will continue to appreciate a style of eating that I strongly embrace here in Europe.

For the last 3 weeks, I have enjoyed eating trying new foods and meal creations and welcoming any eating opportunity to try something different. 

I am not sure when it started or how it started but my diet has certainly evolved to one that makes it so easy for me to eat in Europe. 

Whether I'm eating in the USA or Europe, I never feel confused or conflicted about my food choices but in Europe, I eat among a society that appears to have a great relationship with food and the body.
And with every bite and every yum, I am happy. 

Stepping outside of America allows me to step away from a food and body obsessed culture which is heavily focused on what foods are good or bad, depending on the season, the year and the latest diet fad, research study and the loudest nutrition expert.
Here in Europe, I am not in a culture that eats in uncertainty and fear and doesn't need approval that x-food is allowed to be eaten.

Allowed by who?

I'm still wondering that same question and who you are letting boss you around as to what foods you need or should be eating to be happy and healthy. 

New eats. Well-Bred

Enjoying the basil strawberry lemonade from Laughing Seed.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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



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


Decisions, decisions. 


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

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

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

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

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

Athletes - Make peace with food

Some people exercise and some people train.
Either way - moving your body is great for the mind, body and soul.
 
Regardless if you are exercising to improve your health or training to improve fitness for an upcoming event, you know that if you eat better, you will perform better. 

For athletes, when you fuel your body optimally you have more energy, your fitness improves, you are happier, you think better, you delay fatigue, you sleep better and you have a more positive outlook on life. 

I hope that every athlete and fitness enthusiast is on a mission to be at peace with food.
Food should enhance your life and should energize your body and mind. 

I encourage you to think about your current eating and fueling habits to decide if what you are doing right now is working for you. 

It's important to have a great plan for good nutrition because good nutrition habits bring great workouts. And when you are consistent with your training, you can look forward to great race day performances. 

Sadly, for many athletes, food is not for energy.
It's the enemy. 

Are you habitually using food for reward (when exhausted, you completed a hard or long workout) or punishment (you feel fat, you hate your body, you had a bad workout)? 
Is food the awful thing in your life that keeps you from being happy?
Do you live in constant fear about gaining weight or becoming fat? 
Do you wish there was a way to stop your chaotic eating patterns and body dissatisfaction?

Do you find yourself unable to cope with day-to-day responsibilities and stressors and the only way to feel in control is to not eat, binge eat or excessively workout?

Are you constantly preoccupied with food?

Are you letting your desire to be thinner override practical eating habits and behaviors?

Are you pushing people out of your life so that you can maintain a strict eating and exercise routine?

If you are starving/restricting your body from key nutrients and energy, especially around and during workouts, you are moving further and further away from achieving attainable performance goals and you are slowly deteriorating your health.

------------------------------------------

Clearly exercise is a great thing and for athletes we must train a lot in order to adapt to training stress. But a lot can be defined in many ways. If you feel irritable, guilty, anxious or upset if you miss a workout or do not complete your entire workout and feel depressed and are worried about gaining weight (or not losing weight), you may find yourself with little energy for the rest of your life because you are addicted to exercise. 

As athletes, we must be able to turn on and off our commitment switch. That means installing great lifestyle habits to ensure that our workouts and eating habits have positive outcomes.

If you find your training excessively to burn calories or in an effort to experience an emotional high that you may think you are missing from your ever day life, ask yourself how you can achieve a more balanced life.
Address your priorities in life and bring good intentions to your workouts. 

------------------------------------------

While there is nothing wrong with the occasional indulgence, coaxing yourself to get through a workout with the anticipation of guilt-free unhealthy or excessive eating may create a dysfunctional relationship with food. 

If you are intentionally restricting calories before or during long workouts so you can "reward" yourself with "off-limit" food or food with little to no nutritional value, this will not only increase cravings for unhealthy foods but this habit undermines the importance of developing appropriate fueling and hydrating habits around/during workouts. 

If your daily diet is so unappealing, boring or awful that you feel the need to "cheat" with your diet or workout for hours in order to remove the guilt of eating something "bad", you are creating an unhealthy relationship with food and the body. Eventually, you are going to find it difficult to improve performance and/or meet healthy body composition goals.

-----------------------------------------
Restricting food or calories or excessively exercise, all in attempt to improve performance or to change body image is no way to live your life.

There are many healthy strategies to achieving your health, body and performance goals and those practical strategies won't impair performance or destroy your health.

Thinner doesn't mean happier.
Leaner doesn't mean faster.
Eating doesn't mean cheating. 

Make peace with food.
Don't bash your body for what is it not. 
Love your body for what it allows you to do.

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.

Feeling off? Common sense eating.

We all have off days.

Just because you are feeling off for a day or two, this is not a reason to make extreme or strict changes in your diet because you hear that _____ diet fixes every potential problem in your body.

But considering the timing of this post in the holiday season, if you have been eating lots of sugary foods for the past two weeks, you probably aren't feeling too good and because you have been feeling off, you will want to change how you are eating in order to feel/look better.

So, what's going to change?
Will you stop eating the cookies, cakes, brownies, pies and other sweets that were heavily consumed around the holidays and go back to your normal "healthy" eating habits OR are you going to seek a more restrictive, extreme and drastic style of eating, eliminating a massive amount of calories and healthy foods, to ensure that you will never feel "off" again and to make-up for all of the holiday overindulging?

As a board certified sport RD, this is a common area for discussion as we have two types of athletes - those who have been feeling off for a long while (not just around the holidays) and are need of a dietary intervention to improve health and performance and then the athletes who experience the occasional "off" day and want to feel better immediately with a quick fix.

The athletes who do not fit into either of these categories probably indulge on occasion, enjoy those treats and then move on. There are no physical or emotional struggles with eating.

In our quick-fix world, one of the main reasons why people start a new diet is to instantly feel better or to kick-start a lifestyle change. This often happens around the holidays as it's very easy to overindulge.

 Perhaps a change is needed in order to improve health if eating has not be healthy for several months (or years) but how many times have you felt "off" (not just around the holidays) and found yourself making a drastic change in the diet like eliminating carbohydrates from a meal, avoiding a certain foods in order to "be good" or cutting back in calories to a specific very low number because you want to feel better immediately?

A concern with the occasional "off" feeling is the rapid changes that athletes make in order to fix the "off" feeling. There is a cycle of good and bad eating where an athlete feels she/he  is eating really good, then eats something "off limit", feels bad/off and then tries to eat even stricter to be good again. This is a vicious cycle and does not have a place in an athlete's life.

There is a big difference between changing your eating style in order to feel better for the rest of your life versus changing your eating to feel better because yesterday you felt off.   

There's nothing wrong with making a dietary change to improve your health or performance but the change should be sustainable, healthy and of course, supportive of your active lifestyle.

Don't assume that by eliminating carbohydrates, skipping meals and snacks, restricting food or following any other dietary advice from extremist nutrition experts is going to make you feel better all the time AND will ensure that you will never have an off day for the rest of your life.

Can we please stop putting candy bars, ice cream, cookies and sugary snacks and cereals together with whole grains, starches, organic milk, lentils, beans and fruits and label all of these as "bad" foods and all must be eliminated to ensure that you never have a bad/off day for the rest of your life.

Come on people - we are smarter than that. Where's the common sense???

Stop giving healthy foods a bad reputation just because they contain carbohydrates.

REAL FOOD.
We all know that's what you should prioritize in the diet.

And we all know what foods are NOT helping our society (and athletes) improve health.
Fast food, added sugars and heavily processed food. 

Let 2016 be the year when you finally start seeing food differently.
Perhaps, with a better relationship with food, you won't feel like you need a drastic change with your eating and body every time you have an off day.

Because, you know what?
 Lean people can still get bloated and have gas.
Athletes on gluten-free diets can still get inflammation.
Athletes on low carb diets can still get injured and struggle with energy during long workouts.
Vegetarians can still get sick.
AND
There are many people who can follow diet plan to a T and still struggle with weight, health and performance.

Why?
Because you are allowed to have off-days and we can't blame everything on the diet.
You should have a typical style of eating that works for your goals.
Your diet should work for you, not against you.
No diet is going to make you feel amazing every day for the rest of your life.
Your body has a lot of work to do in order to keep up with all that you do.
You are allowed an off day every now and then
Give your body the credit it deserves and don't assume that an extreme dietary change is the only way for you to feel better quickly.


(If you do feel like something is off with your body, before trying a drastic diet or restrictive style of eating, consult with your doctor or a sport RD to discuss any symptoms/issues that you are having that may require further testing or a dietary intervention). 

Permission to eat

Earlier this week, we received a box of homemade Gingerbread cookies from Karel's dad. We are still waiting for another box from Karel's mom.
Every cookie was handmade, individually designed and then sewed into the paper before being shipped from Znojmo, Czech Republic to Greenville, SC.

With every bite, I yum. I can taste the ginger and just a subtle hint of sweetness from the icing.
After one cookie, I feel great. 

With so many diet fads and "lifestyle" ways of eating, we, as a society, have learned to see food as good or bad. Depending on the latest research study, expert or top media post, it's easy to have a one-sided view on "healthy" food and everything else is given a reason to avoid it. 

I can tell you that these gingerbread cookies would not taste as good in May, or February, as they do in December. Because these cookies are tied to the holidays and for Karel, they bring back a lot of memories. Furthermore, eating one cookie feels great in my belly.
Eating 10 cookies would not feel so good.
Knowing that I have permission to eat cookies any time of the year, cookies do not get a lot of attention in my diet. I don't crave cookies because they have never been off limit in my diet. I just choose not to eat them regularly because they don't have a place in my "typical" diet. I don't save my calories for cookies or make sure I eat less carbs to offset a cookie binge late at night. They are just cookies and I don't crave them. Same with most sweets.

Sure, they taste great and can be mouth-wateringly, addicting but with so much other food to eat to nourish and fuel my diet, there really isn't much of a place for cookies in my diet.
So I treat myself to a cookie or two during the holidays.
And same with any indulgence - on occasion.
With no guilt, anxiety or fear involved.

Cookies around the holidays just taste different because they have a different meaning. Yes, even homemade cookies can be unhealthy as they are packed with sugar but I assure you that nothing bad is going to happen to me if I eat one gingerbread cookie here or there over the holidays. The cookie is savored and enjoyed and it doesn't threaten me in any way.
My tomorrow diet and exercise regime is not affected because of one cookie. 

And yes, I can stop at one cookie because I have not deprived myself of cookies, sugar or sweets for the past week, let alone the last year. After many former years of understanding my biological hunger and learning how to fuel properly as an endurance triathlete, as well as working on my relationship with food and my body, I just see food differently than ever before (and probably different than much of the population - I have to thank my European for a lot of this).
And to the surprise and disbelief of many low-carb proponents, I eat plenty of carbohydrates to fuel my workouts and still don't have sugary cravings. 

If Karel buys pastries, ice cream (aka frozen recovery bars according to Karel), chips or some type of dessert (he has the sweet tooth but because he never deprives himself, he doesn't eat too much in one sitting), it doesn't bother me.
I can be in the house with all of these "sugary" items, eat my normal diet of carbohydrates, fat and protein and be fine with all of those items without the hint of wanting to indulge.
 Added sugar, sweets and treats don't really make up a big part of my diet. After so much real food, there really isn't a lot of room left for added sugar.
When the body is satisfied, it doesn't ask for more.

This relationship with food and style of eating was not created overnight. I assure you of that.
When I work with athletes on nutrition, I always address their relationship with food and the body as this can not be overlooked in athletes.
For me, in an effort to not feel obligated to follow a diet fad, to have an off limit food list or to intentionally try to control blood sugar and cravings through a low carb diet, I felt inclined to understand my body (as an athlete) and create a style of eating that worked for me so that food didn't control my life, but instead enhanced my life.

This took time but seeing how I have lived my life over the past few years, it was so worth it.
(I really do love carbs and I'm so glad I never had to give them up).

Food habituation demonstrates than when a person is allowed to eat a food, the less desirable it becomes. But certainly this can get people in trouble as a formally forbidden food, that is now allowed, can be too good to resist.

If you have an off-limit food list or you have been trying to be "good" by avoiding certain foods and you want to see if you can be good with eating only one cookie, there is a good chance that you will likely overindulge.....if you don't have a good relationship with food. And the added worry that you will overindulge, alongside ineffective eating habits (like restricting calories or carbs, skipping meals/snacks or not controlling blood sugar with protein and fat with meals and snacks), may cause anxiety when you are introduced to a food at home or at a party/event, that you have been previously once avoiding. 

This is no way to live your life.
Food is suppose to enhance your life, not control your life. 

You have to trust yourself around food.
Food should not give you anxiety, fear or stress.

If this speaks loudly to you, the first thing you need to work is having a great relationship with food and your body.  

Especially with the holidays, your day should not revolve around how good you can be with your diet  and exercise routine so that you are "allowed" to eat dessert at your holiday meal.
Or, spending the evening with the thought of how much you need to exercise tomorrow because of the bad food that you ate the night before. 

Whereas many people will claim that they feel no cravings on a restricted diet when carbohydrates are reduced, minimized or avoided all together, you don't have to live your entire life with an off-limit food list.
 I know how many people in our society eat and a typical diet is far from healthy.
You know that too. 

Avoiding carbohydrates is not the answer.
Address the real problem - what kind of carbohydrates were people eating in the first place in a "typical" breakfast, lunch and dinner + snacks diet AND was there enough protein and fat to keep the body satisfied and to control blood sugar? 

The next time you are presented with a dessert, take one bite. Savor the bite, enjoy the bite and be done with it. If you need two more bites, so be it.
Afterward, move on.

Happy Holidays. 

I give you permission to eat carbohydrates.
Just do so in a way that you feel absolutely amazingly great AFTER you finish your meal. 

Mindful eating part IV: Body image

In sports like running and triathlons, there will always be a focus on body composition and for many athletes, a desire to be leaner.

Specific to running economy, speed and aerobic capabilities, leanness in athletes, as it relates to performance improvements, is a topic that will never go away.

There's nothing wrong with athletes seeking weight loss, a decrease in body fat or an increase in lean muscle mass. This could be for aesthetics and self-esteem, to experience and improvement in performance and/or for overall health. 

Every year, I see my body composition change as I prepare for my peak races. But my race weight is unintentional as it is simply the weight on my body that I bring to race day. 

And I don't know that number because I don't weigh myself. 

I have never been against the idea of athletes changing body composition, especially if it improves overall health but there are many ways to improve performance and not always is weight loss the catalyst for performance improvements.

Health is always my number one goal when I work with athletes on nutrition or coaching. So when it comes to performance improvements, related to body composition, my strategy for changing an athlete's body composition involves no extreme strategy except to to make sure that my athletes eat a healthy diet and support their metabolic demands with proper nutrition before, during and after workouts.

Body composition changes can be a direct result of fueling your body properly before, during and after workouts, staying consistent with your training plan, getting good sleep and eating a healthy, balanced diet to support metabolic/energy demands throughout my season.  A change in body composition does not have to require extreme approaches unless you call eating before a workout, fueling during a workout, recovering after a workout and eating a healthy diet throughout the day, extreme.

In my opinion, intentional weight loss strategy like don't eat these foods, don't eat more than this many carbohydrates, fast before workouts or consume less than this many calories during long workouts are unhealthy for athletes. I believe that weight/body changes can occur naturally as a result of making sure that athletes properly fuel and nourish their body at all times.
And guess what, with this approach performance improvements happen naturally as well.

----------------------------------------------------------------

Athletes are driven. 

They are hard working, a bit stubborn at times and they love consistency.

They strive for improvements and they are willing to make sacrifices and investments in order to experience progress.

When a hard working, driven, disciplined and focused athlete is training for an event, it is normal that body composition will be on the mind of an athlete. Because you see and feel our body, often wrapped tight in spandex, with every aerobic and anaerobic effort, it is normal to assume that a change in body weight and/or body composition may make you feel better when you workout and may improve your training which may improve your race day performances. 

However, athletic performance can not be predicted by a certain weight, body composition or change in weight or body composition. Many times, athletes try to change body weight/composition and performance and/or health declines.

It is important to understand that body composition or weight changes may not be ideal for every athlete and above all, the strategies that athletes employ to change body composition may increase the risk for eating disorder thoughts and behaviors.

For age-group and professional athletes, the very same qualities that help athletes improve fitness in order to be prepared for race day may resemble the traits of athletes who are at risk for an eating disorder.

Athletes are already known to demonstrate extreme behaviors to improve performance so it wouldn't be a stretch to assume that many athletes see extreme eating behaviors as "normal".

BUT......

without the ability to eat mindfully or to maintain a healthy relationship with food, an athlete who seeks body composition changes may have the tendency to restrict too much, with the intention to lose weight quickly and can ultimately carry restrictive or obsessive eating habits throughout the entire training and racing season.

Do you have a healthy relationship with food?

Eating disorders are a serious concern when it comes to athletes as a body that is malnourished or deprived in key nutrients, energy or fluids will not perform well and will certain struggle to remain in good health. You may feel that you are not at risk for an eating disorder but instead, you are following the advice of a professional who is helping you lose weight or change body composition in a "healthy" way in order to improve performance.

Let's consider the basic strategies to improve performance:

-Follow a smart, periodized training plan

-Eat a healthy diet to keep the body in good health

-Fuel for workouts appropriately

-Hydrate the body appropriately 

-Get good sleep

-Stay consistent with training

-Strength train and work on mobility

-Focus on individual development. 

With the most basic strategies, athletes can improve performance and ultimately may experience a positive change in body composition as an unintentional side effect. If body composition changes do not happen, the athlete should not stress as performance gains will likely still occur as you will be racing with a healthy and strong, well trained body. 

Although many great athletes understand and execute these basic strategies and let body changes be a side effect of smart training and fueling, some athletes desire a more extreme approach to eating and training. For the later, it is typical that these athletes have yet to master a healthy relationship with food and may have body image issues.  Using sport nutrition, eating around workouts, planning meals and snacks - many  athletes don't even consider the basics as they want to jump to a more severe, hard core and sexy approach. 

Let's now consider some current eating trends among triathletes:

-Fasting workouts

-Skipping meals/snacks to save calories

-Avoiding carbohydrates around workouts
-Avoiding certain foods termed "bad" like dairy, legumes, nuts and grains

-Low carb diets
-High fat diets

-Intentional dehydration
-Calorie deprivation during workouts

Hmmmm. Those habits sure resemble the habits of dieters who seek rapid weight loss results:
-Fasting
-Skipping meals and snacks
-Avoiding certain foods
-Abiding by an off-limit food list
-Intentional dehydration
-Using energy drinks, energy pills or laxatives
-Extreme calorie deprivation


Let's now explore some of the primary symptoms of eating disorders:
-Intense fear of being fat
-Resistance to maintain a healthy weight
-Inability to recognize (or feel good) in a comfortable at a healthy weight
-Loss of menstrual cycle in women, cardiovascular and hormonal issues in men and women
-Distorted body image
-Feeling out of control with eating behaviors
-Lack of control around food
-Feeling ashamed by eating behaviors
-Extreme concern with body weight/image
-Obsession with calorie counting, weight control and food intake

Now I want you to imagine what happens when you take an athlete who wants to improve performance or/and change body composition, who has yet to master a healthy relationship with food, has never learned how to eat mindfully and has poor body image thoughts and now this athlete consults a professional to help improve performance and/or change body composition and that athlete.

And the professional says "I want you to workout on an empty stomach, don't consume carbohydrates during the workout, only eat x-calories per day, cut back on carbs and avoid these foods. And by following these rules you will lose weight, performance will improve and you will be healthier than ever."

These extreme habits are not helping the athlete tackle his/her primary eating/body issues but only adding fuel to the fire to make unhealthy eating and body image issues even worse. 

Because many athletes seek body composition or weight changes at some point in their athletic career, I can't stress it enough that athletes must focus on their relationship with food before even considering to change body composition.

This entire blog series on mindful eating is dedicating to the athlete who struggles with body image and feels great anxiety, concern or struggles when it comes to food.

I promise that you can reach performance and/or body composition goals with a better relationship with food and your body. And you don't have to follow extreme eating habits.

There's nothing wrong with wanting to change your body composition and not every athlete takes extreme approaches to eating, fueling and training. 

But since we live in a diet-centric culture, you must learn how to eat in a mindful way by not seeing food as good or bad but as nourishment and for fuel.

If you are an athlete who has taken an extreme approach to changing body composition or to improve performance this past year (or for many years in the past), it is time to learn how to eat mindfully.

Consult a professional if you can not do it on your own so that you can make 2016 amazingly great by improving your body image and creating a great, healthy, feel-good relationship with food.

When you master mindful eating you may learn that your entire drive for changing body composition really came from your unhealthy relationship with food or your body image struggles were causing an unhealthy relationship with food.

It is only when you master a healthy relationship with food that you will have a healthier perspective on your body and you will perform better.

It is my hope that through mindful eating and a great relationship with food and your body, that you will experience amazing performance and health improvements and you will stop putting so much energy into changing your body but instead, enjoying what your body can do in training and on race day.