A Candid Conversation on Disordered Eating and Health

Man, where do I even start this post.

I’ve taken several months off from most of my professional endeavors to embrace the new season of mommy-hood that I’ve come into. Hubs, Lil Man, and I welcomed Baby Girl into our lives in late September 2017, and we have been rocking the “two littles” life since! Which means finding a lot of joy in our everyday, embracing days and nights without sleep, celebrating poopy diapers that don’t need wardrobe changes, and really trying to take the time to see each other every day. I try to make a point to hold each of my babies (Mr Bosco included, of course) just to appreciate how they feel in my arms. I play with Lil Man, just to appreciate how his mind is learning about creativity and imagination. I look into the eyes of my family members each day, just so I can communicate, “Yes, I see you. I am present with you. I love you.”

Workout Nutrition

I’ve had a number of clients lately ask me about the “best” things that they should be eating, especially on days when we’ll be working out. I can definitely appreciate the question; nutrition is a complex topic with as many right answers as there are people in the world. Combine that with an array of misinformation (think fad diets) and the fact that you are basically doing chemistry inside your very unique body, and the whole idea can easily become overwhelming. You may find yourself thinking, ‘Man, nutrition is really hard. I don’t know how to cook/pick healthy foods/loose weight/gain muscle/etc. I’ll just get this [prepackaged food] that says it’s designed for what I want so I don’t have to think about it…’

I get it! And I’ve been there, too! That’s why I’ve decided to write about nutrition for today’s post; so all of you can have access to what knowledge I have.

Step 1: Know Your Metabolism

Your metabolic rate, or your metabolism, is the pace at which your body uses fuel (food) to do the activities of your day (stay alive, walk the dog, work, workout, etc). This is NOT a constant and can be greatly affected by your lifestyle.

The trouble is, most of us have NO IDEA what our current metabolic rate is (or RMR, for resting metabolic rate). This information can be critical in determining the first step of eating well: eating enough calories for your body!

A lot of us, especially women, in our society are afraid of calories. We associate that word with weight gain, fat, and even lazy! Unfortunately, by not eating enough, you may in fact be sabotaging your workout and healthy weight management goals!

Your body knows how much fuel it needs to keep all of your various, complex, amazing systems running. For example, if Bobbi does not consume enough fuel in their day (or consistent fuel from day to day), Bobbi’s body will adjust its engines to conserve fuel. It will start shutting down nonessential processes in an effort to slow down Bobbi’s metabolism. This can lead to unintentional weight gain, which in turn may cause Bobbi to start eating less in an effort to slow down the weight gain. Bobbi’s body notices it’s not getting enough fuel, so it goes through the process of slowing down its metabolism again. It may start converting everything Bobbi eats to fat stores, in an effort to prepare for what is surely a famine. This is called Starvation Mode.

Fortunately for Bobbi (and the rest of us), metabolism can be changed. If Bobbi consumes a regular amount of good fuel, then their body will bring itself out of Starvation Mode and functions will start returning to normal. This process will be slow, as all changes for the body are and should be. Slow change is sustainable.

Thanks to science and technology, there are tests that can be performed to determine what your metabolic rate is. They usually run somewhere around $50-$100, and need to be performed by a trained professional or technician.

RMR, or Resting Metabolic Rate test

VO2Max test

You can also use online apps to estimate what your metabolic rate is. Bear in mind that these estimates will not be as accurate, but it can give you a good place to start your journey.

Metabolic rate calculator

**Again, using an online app will most likely NOT give you an accurate estimate, but it can at the very least tell you the lowest amount that you should be eating (as in don’t eat less than it suggests). For instance, the link above doesn’t ask for pertinent information like how active you are/if you are pregnant/etc. It’s suggestion for me is only 1/3 of what I should be aiming to get on a daily basis.

Step Two: Figure Out What You Need

Okay, so once you know how many calories (or units of energy, for those who fear the “c” word) you should be getting on a daily basis, it’s time to figure out what your particular needs are. To keep things simple, we’ll only be looking at the 3 macronutrients in this blog post, but bear in mind that an imbalance of micronutrients can also effect how your body functions. You can enlist the help of a health care provider or nutritionist to help you figure out what holes your diet has if you are looking for more information about that topic.

Your 3 macronutrients are carbohydrates, fats, and protein, and every person needs some ratio of all three of them. Often I encounter clients trying to cut out one or more macronutrient group with limited success toward their weight management goals. This is because our bodies are designed to function with all three groups, and they all have equally important roles to play for our bodies.

Carbohydrates

Eat this stuff.

I’ll go ahead and assert that most if not all people need to be consuming a majority of carbs in their diet. Now, bear in mind that carbohydrates come in more varieties than white pasta and breads. Fruits, veggies, and whole grains (including wheat, amaranth, quinoa, rice, spelt, and a whole heck of a lot more than I have time to write about) are all in the carb family.

Carbs are important because they are the only things that get turned into glycogen, which is the main fuel source for your working muscles and your brain. Choosing healthy, complex carbs is a great way to get the energy you need for your body without loading up on the empty calories that we tend to associate with all carbs in general. Complex carbs are things that take your body longer to break down; think whole grains and crunchy, fibrous fruits and veggies versus their simpler counterparts, white grains and squishy fruits and veggies.

Fats

Eat this stuff.

 

A few decades ago, a trend in food came about that said “Hey, if we get rid of fat in food then people won’t gain fat from food! Yay!” Unfortunately this was an incorrect hypothesis, but our concern about cutting all fats out of our food persists to this day.

Fat is a necessary part of every body and every diet. Fat insulates our bodies, cushions our organs, helps us process certain vitamins and minerals, makes for healthy hair, nails, and skin, plays a large role in reproductive regulation for women, and composes most of your nervous system (to name a few things). And, although critical, it’s also important that this macronutrient make up the smallest portion of our daily diet.

When choosing fats, pick options that are real fats (aka not transfats!!) and very lean. Your fat should also come from a food that’s already doing another job for you. For instance, if you eat salmon for protein, you’re also getting an awesome source of Omega-3s and other fatty acids. Nuts are also a great source of protein in addition to fat. Other options include lean cuts of meat, avacados, coconut, oils, and cheeses. As with all things in life, moderation is key. It may even help to rename this category splurges.

Protein

Eat this stuff, too.

Everybody loves this section! And most people in Western culture are probably getting enough of this very important macronutrient. Keeping your options lean and varied will give you the greatest health benefits while still providing essential amino acids. When you eat protein, your body breaks it down into different amino acid chains. These chains are the building blocks for your muscles, and since it’s a pretty involved job to break the protein you’ve eaten down into building blocks, it has the added benefit of helping you feel full longer!

If you don’t follow a carnivorous persuasion, there are many options you can use to get enough protein in your day (about 50g for women, 90g for pregnant women, and 60g for men). Nuts, legumes, certain vegetables, and dairy products all contain impressive amounts of protein. You just might have to work a little harder to consume your protein over the entire day instead of in one meal.

**If you are a person who is looking to gain more muscle mass or are more active in general, you may need more protein than the average person.

DO NOT EAT THIS STUFF.

Step Three: Eat A Balanced Meal Every Time You Eat

Maybe you like to eat 3 meals a day. Maybe you prefer to eat 6 small meals a day, so it’s more like grazing. Maybe you use a protein shake for at least one meal a day. Whatever your food lifestyle looks like, make sure that everything you put into your body is balanced. Not only does this make it easier to determine if you’ve covered your nutritional bases throughout the day, but it helps keeps your blood sugar in a happy homeostasis!

This applies whether you’re looking to eat a pre or post workout snack or planning your week’s worth of meals. A balanced meal contains all three of your macronutrient groups in appropriate ratios. Here are a few of my favorite examples, but feel free to experiment with what you like best:

Post Workout Snack

1 medium apple (95 cal; 0.3g fat; 25g carbs; 0.5g pro)

3 Tbsp natural peanut butter (285 cal; 24g fat; 7g carbs; 8g pro)

2 cups dark chocolate almond milk (200 cal; 2.5g fat; 19g carbs; 1g pro)

Total: 580 cal; 26.8g fat; 51g carbs; 9.5g pro

Morning Meal; I eat 1/2 when I wake up, and 1/2 about 2 hours later after walking the dog

2 farm fresh eggs (160 cal; 10g fat; 1.2g carbs; 12g pro)

2 cups plain yogurt (280 cal; 8g fat; 32g carbs; 22g pro)

1/4 cup frozen blueberries (20 cal; 0.3g fat; 5g carbs; 0.3g pro)

1/2 cup peaches (30 cal; 0.2g fat; 8g carbs; 0.7g pro)

2 slices gluten-free toast (160 cal; 7g fat; 24g carbs; 2g pro)

2 tsp butter (60 cal; 8g fat; 0 carbs; 0 pro)

2 Tbsp raspberry preserves (100 cal; 0 fat; 26 carbs; 0 pro)

Total: 810 cal; 33.5g fat; 96.2g carbs; 37g pro

Please be very aware that the amount I eat and the amount you eat may not need to be the same. I try to eat at least 400-500 calories at each meal, and I eat about 6 times a day. My meals always follow the same trend: mostly carbs, usually from fruits and veggies; a healthy dose of healthy fat; and a respectable amount of protein. In the above examples, I’d have ingested almost 50g protein already in my day. If I were an average, nonpregnant woman, I’d already have all the protein I need. However, because I’m pregnant, I get the rest of my 40-50g protein in my later meals of my day. This helps me stay asleep longer, since I won’t wake up hungry in the middle of the night. I’ll just wake up to use the bathroom instead. Every few hours.

Another thing I try to be consistent about is getting my sugars from fruits and other natural sources, not sweeteners or as additions to my meals. I try to limit confections as a rule, and avoid foods that have ingredients like sucralose, fructose, high fructose, and syrups. And I never, never, never drink soda. Of any kind. Because it’s awful.

There are many many many changes you can make to my examples to adapt them to your nutrition lifestyle. You can decrease the fat amount by reducing or eliminating the butter, using a different nut spread with a lower fat content, or using skim dairy products.

What are some other changes you could make to my examples to suit your nutritional needs? What are some of your favorite go-to meals? Are they balanced for your nutritional needs? Are there any gaps in your macronutrient profile?

Until next time, eat well and live with zeal!

Making It Stick (*Not Suck)

The difference is in the approach!

Hello and, again, a happy new year to you all! Now that the holiday rush seems to be settling down (and snow days on the East Coast seem to be on the rise), it’s a good time to reflect and set your sights on the goals you have for 2015.

As a health and wellness professional, I often encounter individuals with the best intentions for change and a healthier life, but the realization of these plans seems to evade them. This sort of set back or lack of direction can be disheartening and zap the motivation you had to achieve your dreams. Thus, as promised in my previous blog, I’m setting out to hopefully provide some guidance toward goal achievement!

When it comes to setting goals, the main authority on the matter is YOU! If a person feels pressured into a life change that they didn’t initiate, the motivation to achieve the change isn’t there. It can also hurt you if you actively work against your goal (consciously or subconsciously) as a form of rebellion. As such, step one for goal-setting for me is to make sure I’m the one setting the goal. This doesn’t mean you can’t take the advice from a well-meaning family member; just that they aren’t the ones making the decision here. (And if you think YOU are that well-meaning family member, well…you might want to rethink your approach).

hmmm…

Once you have a goal in mind, it’s time to make it SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Relevant, Timely.

Since I’m a wellness person, we’ll use increased wellness as our example goal for this exercise.

Let’s say I’ve decided to “be healthier in 2015.” That sounds pretty awesome, but I have no idea what that means. Further, each person will define that differently! In order to keep myself on track and focused on my desired goal, I need to be more specific. Instead of “be healthier” maybe my goal will be “lower cholesterol via lifestyle and diet changes” or “improve the condition of my joints so I can be more active” or “eat foods that have only have 5 (recognizable) ingredients or less” or, the all-time favorite of many, “lose xx pounds”.

Now that my goal is specific I can start a plan to actually get myself there, which brings us to our next step: make your goal Measurable. We’ll continue with the first example from above, “lower cholesterol via lifestyle and diet changes.” In order to measure my progress, I have to know where I am now. For our cholesterol example, this means I need a doctor’s appointment unless I know what my cholesterol is already.

Total cholesterol is made up of HDL (good aka helpful cholesterol) and LDL (bad aka harmful cholesterol), and there are desirable levels for each of them. For simplicity’s sake, we’ll just look at Total cholesterol, or TC.

Keeping your cholesterol in a desirable range helps prevent many health issues, especially those pertaining to the cardiovascular system. To be “desirable”, your TC should be under 200 mg/dol. Let’s say my latest check up shows my current TC at 280 mg/dol. Knowing where I’m starting from helps me keep my goal measurable: I need to lower my TC by at least 80 mg/dol.

Next up is making sure our goals are Attainable and Relevant, and I tend to think of these two as a complementary pair. Attainable goals are things that are possible for me to do: ie, if my goal is to fly it is NOT possible for me to sprout wings, but it is possible for me to consider things like para-sailing or parachuting. Relevant goals are things that make sense for me to do: ie, if my goal is to fly, buying roller blades probably won’t help me.

Alright, digressing back to our example of lowering cholesterol. Never going out to eat again is Attainable, and would probably help me lower cholesterol, but it isn’t really Relevant to my lifestyle now, and I would miss out on the opportunity to socialize which is in important component of overall wellness.

Having a recipe in mind when writing your grocery list can help you stay on track while shopping. Having multiple recipes in mind that use the same or similar ingredients can help you cut down on waste and keep your grocery bill low!

Making sure that I am prepared when I go grocery shopping by having recipes in mind and a list to follow will help me keep my cholesterol down when eating at home. Making sure I’m prepared when eating out means looking up menus in advance and knowing what I’ll order before arriving. I might even make a habit of calling in advance to ask about food preparation. Being armed with this information will make me a more informed consumer, and will help me feel in control of my cholesterol no matter where I am. Feeling empowered will keep me motivated at times when lifestyle changes get hard (because those times will come, no matter what your goal is).

Finally, we need to make our goals Timely. As in, it needs a deadline. Saying “I’ll lower my cholesterol by 80 mg/dol via lifestyle changes at some point” is nothing compared to stating “I’ll lower my cholesterol by 80 mg/dol via lifestyle changes by Dec 1, 2015.”

And while being very specific is essential for success, it’s also important to be flexible. Don’t expect to make a lot of changes at once, and give yourself some grace if you stumble from time to time. We’re only human, after all!

What are some ways you set goals that are geared toward success? What are some struggles you have had with goal achievement? How have you overcome those struggles? What have you learned about yourself along the way?

Happy goal-achieving in 2015!

Staying Dedicated

So, we’ve made it past the barrage of bargain-priced candy and we’re rushing full-speed toward some of the yummiest, most stressful, most celebrated times of the year!

With all of the chaos of our new normal trying to be crammed into fewer daylight hours and coordinating darker moods, it’s easy to let some things slide. And honestly, THAT’S OKAY.

It’s okay if your dishes sit in the sink a day or two longer than usual. It’s okay if you aren’t jumping right on that mountain of laundry. It’s okay to have a glass of wine with friends and really appreciate all that this wonderful season has to offer.

What’s NOT okay is completely sidelining your self-care while you do it. It’s not okay to treat your body poorly and still expect it to function well. It’s not okay to forego everything healthy in favor of everything sugar-laiden and “special”.

So how exactly can you strike a happy balance that doesn’t knock you off track and preserves the lifestyle you want?

To be honest, there is no easy answer to that question. Each and every situation and person is different, so you need to be able to introspect and figure out what works for you. To help you get started, this post features some tips that I use, as well as some ideas I like from fellow bloggers and Pinterest-ers. Here’s to inspiration!

1. Out of Sight, Out of Mind

I don’t know about you, but if I don’t have my planner in front of me, I can’t remember a darn thing. Especially when this time of year rolls around, we often rush through our days in a haze and wonder “where did all that time go?” or “am I forgetting something?” Workouts have a tendency to slip right out of our minds, especially at this time of year. To help myself remember that I have a responsibility to my health, I post my workouts where I see them every day!

2. The Closet Workout

Because you don’t always need a lot of space to do a lot of awesome.

Another obstacle, especially in colder climates, is not wanting to get outside to do your workout. Particularly when it starts getting dark outside just after lunch (or so it seems). One great way to work around this is to utilize what I refer to as “the closet workout.” Even if your home isn’t very big and doesn’t have a dedicated workout space, you can still find a place to get in a good workout and help maintain your health. If you have clear space the size of a shoebox closet (about shoulder width and about a person-length), you have plenty of space for a great workout! Use body weight exercises, and revisit the basics. A great resource for these types of workouts can be found at bodyrock.tv and grokker.com!

3. Favorite Foods, Reinvented!

Photo from Fit Foodie Finds

Some of our favorite elements of the season are traditional foods and sweets! So how can you get through the holidays without feeling deprived or guilty? This post from fellow blogger Lee at Fit Foodie Finds details how to make healthier versions of your favorite fare, and it’s not the only one out there! A quick search for ‘healthy baking substitutions’ or ‘healthy thanksgiving’ will yield hundreds of options for your viewing and eating pleasures.

4. Clean Your Plate!

Image property of John W. Golden

I know, I know, we just came off of that yummy looking Thanksgiving food post. But I’m actually NOT talking about food on this one. It’s easy to get overwhelmed with responsibilities, events, and planning one thing after the next (Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Years, anyone? Heaven forbid you have birthdays in that stretch, too!!). So instead of trying to do it all and getting really stressed out and probably choosing to nix the workout or sleep in favor of completing your task list, CLEAN YOUR PLATE. Really analyze what’s on  your list to see what you HAVE to do versus what you CHOOSE to do. Even removing one thing for a short time can help you rediscover balance and find peace. For example, I haven’t posted a substantial article in probably a month or more. I love blogging, and you have been amazing at reading it and going on this journey with me, but sometimes I need to be realistic and accept that I can’t do everything. And I’m okay with that. Just removing my weekly writing allowed me to focus on myself a little more, spend time with the hubs (finally!), and really be present for some important family events. And once I was ready to pick it up again, here we are! That’s the nice thing about these kinds of tasks that you can pick up and put down; they wait for you.

5. Decaf Tea

There are SO MANY options!

One of the things I hear most often about holiday favorites is….Warm Drinks! Whether you’re a Starbucks fan or just really enjoy your hot chocolate, drinks are a sneaky way to get too many calories. We don’t often think about hot chocolate or apple cider as a main source of calories, but it’s easy to go overboard with tasty beverages at this time of year. Help yourself out by alternating your warm beverage of choice. Warm decaf tea can provide you with all kinds of delicious flavor, without as many extra caloric “fluff”. Plus, laying off the caffeine can help your digestion, sleep cycles, mood, and all kinds of other body functions!

6. Commercial Break Workouts

**All exercises can be modified to your current ability level. Just because its written this way doesn’t mean it MUST be done this way!

Let’s face it: sometimes you’re hanging out with family for the holidays and they don’t want to do ANYTHING active. While it might seem that your only options are to either not work out or not spend precious time with family and friends, there is another option!

Okay, there are probably lots of other options, and this is just one that I’ve found works out pretty well.

While watching your favorite holiday specials on tv, do something active during the commercial break. It can be as sophisticated (or not) as you want. Walk around the kitchen until your show comes back on. Stand up and sit back down again until your show comes on. Go up and down the stairs. Hold a plank. March in place. The list is endless! If you aren’t feeling particularly creative, you can just type “commercial break workouts” into your search engine and find all kinds of ideas, like the image above which came from this blog. And who knows; you might just inspire someone else to join in with you!

7. Quiet Time

Socializing and celebrating is all well and good, and a very healthy thing to do! But no matter how social a human you are, you still need some YOU time to recharge, recover, and be your best. Whether you choose to rest, pray, meditate, draw, read, paint your toes, go for a hike, or anything else, having some time for you to spend time with just you is a necessary part of maintaining a healthy self-relationship. Check in with yourself, ask how you’re doing. Are your needs being met? Are you happy? What are you thankful for? What are you proud of? Breathe.

8. Once It’s Gone, Don’t Look Back

This one applies to a lot of things in life. Try not to obsess over things you can’t change, like decisions you made previously (why oh why did I get rid of my ugly Christmas sweaters??). Instead, try to learn from them and make the best out of whatever situation you’ve got now.

And while that is a good piece of advice…what I really want to bring up is diet changes. Once you change to a healthier, cleaner eating lifestyle, don’t try to go back to the way you were eating before, even if it is ‘just for the holidays’ or ‘just this once’. No, really. Just don’t do it. You can thank me later.

What are some ways you stay dedicated to a healthier you through the winter months? What have you been successful with in the past? What’s the biggest obstacle you face through the holiday season?

Notable Recipes: Beet Smoothie

One of my clients was out of town for a few weeks recently, and they very generously allowed us to collect their portion of CSA. Through this community agriculture project, participants receive a portion of the season’s crops. And although there is an upfront investment, the amount of organic, local fresh foods more than makes up for it. That is, of course, if you can be creative enough to use all your food before it goes bad!

In one bundle we received beets and, to be perfectly honest, I had no idea what to do with them! I’d seen canned beets in stores around Thanksgiving, and was never too crazy about them, and I also knew that the juices of these colorful roots had been used in red velvet cake…But what do you actually do with beets?

So I consulted the internet and found some recipes I thought sounded good. After a trial recipe where I followed directions, I decided to make my own recipe. Fortunately, I like my recipe even better! So here we have it, a smoothie recipe that can’t be beet!

…See what I did there?

Beet Smoothie

Two beets (greens removed and washed), cubed

One medium banana (**Since bananas are naturally so sweet, they prevent the beets from being overwhelming in this blend)

One cup blueberries

One cup frozen fruit (I used strawberries, peaches, and pineapple)

2 Tbsp chia seeds

Fruit juice of your liking (the amount you add determines the texture). I used about two cups of Naked’s Berry Blast.

Throw everything in a blender. Blend. Enjoy!! This mix yields 4 servings (nutrition info listed below is for one serving).

Not only does it look pretty, but it tastes good too! And with all that fresh produce, you know it’s an antioxidant powerhouse!

I added mint leaves to mine for presentation, but they were also really refreshing to nibble on after dinner.

177.5 calories, 1.4g fat, 35.8g carbs, 2.3g protein (415mg potassium)

What do you think? Would you try this recipe?

Pre-Race Prep: Carb Loading

Those of us who are veteran runners know that we all have some sort of ritual we go through pre-race. Something that makes us feel prepared and ready for the challenge that lays ahead of us. But for those of us who are just entering the field of racing (or any sort of competition, really), the days leading up to your “maiden voyage” can be quite stressful. How do I prepare? What if I’m not ready? What if something goes wrong? Even if you’ve competed before, pre-event jitters are an uncomfortable reality almost all of us face. The routines we go through before such events help us feel calm, prepared, and in-control (even if we’re not!).

If you’re a regular follower of my blog, you might know that I am a retired competitive runner turned fitness professional/weekend warrior. If you don’t know the full story, you can get caught up with this article I wrote on my unlikely running career. Due to my long history with running events, I’ve come up with a routine that I rely on so I know I’ll be doing my best. This weekend I’ll be facing another self-inflicted challenge: The Washington DC Spartan Sprint! I’ve been training consistently (it is my job, after all), I’ve registered, I’ve got the address in my GPS, I’ve got my Altra Lone Peak running shoes (final review on those to follow this weekend). Now there’s nothing left to do but contain my excitement and prepare myself for Saturday morning!

I’ll be writing a series to share some of my pre-race rituals, as well as the science behind them. Hopefully I’ll be able to ease some of your pre-competition jitters, and maybe help you fine-tune a ritual of  your own! Today we’ll be going over a much-misused practice: Carb Loading

Carb Loading

Many of you may know the term carb loading or carbohydrate loading, a tradition of consuming a large amount of carbs pre-race to fuel your muscles through their upcoming challenge. However, most of us misuse carbs in this context.

In high school, we would have Spaghetti Dinners and Pizza Nights before big races, where we all stuffed ourselves silly in hopes that it would improve our performance the next day. There are a few things wrong with this approach, one of the main issues being timing.

Carbohydrates are a necessary fuel source, and can be found in many foods. We mainly think of breads or pastas, but carbs are also found in fruits and veggies. However, our muscles can only make use of the carbohydrate energy when it’s been broken down and stored as muscle glycogen. The process of turning your apple or your pasta from recognizable food into usable muscle glycogen takes an average of 48-72 hours. Thus, if you’re going to be carb loading, you should plan to eat your fuel foods two to three days out from your event.

The source of your carb is also of importance. Before a big event, the last thing you should be doing is changing up your diet. Our bodies are highly reactive to changes in environment, and our gut environment is no exception! With thousands and millions of bacteria living (helpfully) in our gut, a drastic change in diet results in a drastic change of inhabitants (dormant vs active bacteria). Any sudden change could leave you running for the bathroom instead of the finish line, if you catch my drift. So if you are accustomed to fruits and veggies, don’t suddenly throw in whole wheat pasta by the plate-fulls. Trust me, you’ll regret it. And you’ll be wasting energy trying to deal with the aftermath of your meal instead of spending your energy reaching your goal.

Oranges are, actually, a wonderful source of lean energy. Image property of Wikipedia.

Your event also determines whether or not carb loading is appropriate. Short duration-high intensity events deplete muscle glycogen stores before your metabolic pathway has a chance to switch over to lactic acid and lipid fuel sources. Through training and maintaining healthy levels of readily available fuel sources, short bursts of power like this can be fueled. If repetition is required, or long term endurance, replenishing of fuel stores may be needed.

If you’re a flow chart sort of person, you’ll love the Krebs Cycle (which is the official name for what is going on here).

Krebs Cycle, aka How We Keep Getting ATP. Image property of Wikipedia.

If you prefer words, keep reading!

To break down this concept into more digestible bits, think of the last time you went for a challenging run.

• During the first couple minutes maybe you felt awesome, but then minutes 5-10 we pretty rough.
• After those 10 minutes, though, maybe you regained some energy or found a “second wind.”
• After prolonged exercise, maybe you felt like you lost all of your energy, or you “hit the wall.”

All of these subjective markers can be attributed to objective stages in the metabolism of your fuel sources.

During the first few minutes of activity, your muscles deplete their glycogen stores (a fraction of your stored glycogen. Don’t panic, there’s more in your liver!). Once the fuel is gone, you feel winded and tired and downright crummy. This sends a signal to your body along the lines of “Well, I guess we’re not stopping. Time to use that other stuff we’ve got in storage!”. But it takes a bit of time to move the fuel from your liver and change it into something that can be shared via the bloodstream and used by your muscles.

As soon as the fuel is available, though, BAM you feel good again! There’s that second wind! Fortunately for us, we also have lipid stores (aka, fat stores) that can be broken down and used as well. It takes a longer length of time to get the lipids ready for use, though, so our bodies wait until it looks like we’re going to be active longer than 10-15 minutes. Also fortunately for us, our bodies are good at multi-tasking! While our energy stores are being transferred from the liver into usable components for our muscles, our bodies are also starting the process of metabolizing lipids for even more energy. Cool!

However, we can only store so much energy at one time! Once we’ve used up our glycogen, it becomes very apparent that we are running on vapors. We hit the wall, hard, and it’s difficult to continue. Most people that I know won’t be active for this length of time. But think of your marathoners, ultra-marathoners, triathletes, iron-people…you get the idea. These competitors need to be able to keep moving. Thus, in the spirit of multi-tasking, they map out when the best time is to consume high-glycemic foods to keep them kicking!

That’s right: while they are transferring energy from their liver to their blood stream for their muscles, and starting to metabolize lipids, they are also consuming, breaking down, and storing new glycogen to be used. Go ahead, thank your body for being awesome.

Race gels, gatorade, and bananas fall into this category. Easy on the gut to digest while active, and chock-full of energy. This is also why, if you have high glucose problems or are NOT an ultra-marathon-level athlete, these refuel sources may not be your best choice (but I’ll always love bananas). This is also why bananas, oranges, and the like are available immediately following sports events; the athletes need to refuel before they get hangry (hungry+anger=hangry)!

But I digress. Eat well 2-3 days out from your event, not the night before. And stick to foods that you know work well with your gut.

Stay tuned for other pre-race preparation as I get ready for the Washington DC Spartan!

Delicious Dark Chocolate “Ice Cream”

This has become my favorite way to eat bananas! It’s incredibly easy to make, takes less than 5 minutes, and only has 4-5 ingredients.

Start out by taking those past-ripe bananas that are sitting on your counter and putting them in your freezer. Go ahead; you know you aren’t going to eat them by themselves at this point. They don’t need a wrapper because they have a peel. Forget about them for a few hours while you go about your day.

When you are ready to have some amazing dark chocolate ice cream, take a banana (for a single serving) out of the freezer.

I have learned to use an oven mit or a towel to hold onto the frozen banana. Your fingers will thank you.

Cut the banana into medallions.

Because bananas don’t have much fiber, they thaw very quickly. Don’t be hasty, but don’t dawdle either.

Since the bananas are already thawing rapidly, the peel should come off pretty easily. You can either use your knife to cut the peel off (which would be over-kill considering the knife I was using), or use your fingers.

You’re already half way done with this process!

Once they have been peeled, place the frozen banana medallions into your food processor (or whatever you are using). Then add these ingredients:

• 2 Tbsp cocoa powder
• 1 Tbsp unsweetened carob drops
• a pinch of sea salt
• ***** 1 Tbsp honey (this was a mistake on my part! I forgot that I wasn’t using avocados and just started going through the motions. Because bananas are mostly sugar already they don’t require any added sugar.)

2 Tbsp cocoa; 1 Tbsp unsweetened carob drops; 1 tsp vanilla; a pinch of sea salt; optional honey

Blend until you reach the desired consistency. Bear in mind, again, that bananas don’t have much in the way of fiber. Because of that, it will become runnier as you keep blending. I mixed mine up to “soft-serve” consistency.

This recipe yields a single 1 cup serving. Pour into a pretty little bowl and enjoy as-is, or garnish to your liking. This time I used 1 tsp shaved coconut and a mint leaf. The nutrition facts, including the coconut, are listed in the caption below.

310 cal; 64g carb; 6g fat; 6 g protein
Adding honey adds 15 cal; 4 carb; 0 fat or protein

Bon apetit!

Easy Peasy Tuna Salad

Delicious and Nutritious!
176 cal; 1.5 g fat; 36.7 g protein; 8.2 g carb

Easy Peasy Tuna Salad

• 1 can dolphin safe tuna in water (3 oz can)
• 3 red lettuce leaves (rinse ’em)
• 3 medium strawberries (rinse & slice)
• 1 Tbsp white onion (chop chop chop)
• 1/2 cup low fat cottage cheese

Throw all that stuff in a bowl! I typically put in the lettuce first, then the tuna, then cut the produce directly over the bowl. Quick mini-meal, low mess, no stress.

Eat and enjoy mindfully.

The Complicated Topic of Nutrition: Part 3

Alright, everyone, we’ve made it to Part 3 of this whole nutrition thing! If you haven’t read Part 1 or Part 2 yet, use the links to navigate to those pages and get caught up. As we move toward the climax of this discussion, I’ll do my best to be as clear and concise as possible (but no promises, since this topic is, well, complicated. It even says so in the title!).

In review, here are the three points that encompass the way I approach nutrition:

1. Food is never the problem. Our view of food is the problem.
2. Know your body, and give it what it needs.
3. Think about food in a big picture, not just what you are craving at this moment.

I would say that this third point is probably the most challenging. We live in a fast-paced society that has a compulsion to use food as a means of expressing emotion or as a reward, and we don’t even realize that we’re doing it. It is so ingrained in us that it feels natural: food is love, food is comfort, food is happiness.

Reality check! Food is food. Food tends to be wrapped up with feelings of being cared for and safe, which is great, but we need to be aware of our motivations when choosing what to eat. We need to be aware that we have other routes to obtain those very necessary components of life (feeling love, comfort, and happiness) that don’t involve food. Not that it can’t ever, just that it shouldn’t always.

At my previous job, one of my responsibilities was to be the exercise expert on a panel of experts for the Bariatric Program at a local hospital. The purpose of the panel was to bring as much information as possible to those individuals considering Bariatric surgery, and I’m proud to say that the panel as a whole did a phenomenal job of painting a very clear picture. The panel (consisting of me, a behavioral specialist, a dietitian, the physician’s assistant, and the surgeon) worked hard to educate all who came through the doors not only on our bad habits as a society, but also on the ways that we can overcome our habits. One of my favorite sections of the lectures went something like this:

“We eat food for many reasons other than being hungry. We eat when we’re lonely. We eat when we’re happy. We eat when we’re bored. We eat when we’re sad. We all know the stereotype of the high school girl drowning her broken heart in a gallon of ice cream. We love food because it’s always there. It never leaves us, never doubts us, never talks back. It’s always a comfort, and we have been taught to use food this way.

“We punctuate every life event with food. We use it to show others that we care. Everyone knows a ‘food-pusher’ in their family. Maybe it’s you? ‘I made your favorite meal, don’t tell me you aren’t getting seconds?’ ‘Go ahead, son, get some more!’ ‘I don’t want any leftovers, so eat everything.'”

The idea of food as love, or food as a reward, was bred with good intentions. But, as the hubs likes to point out, the path to hell is paved with good intentions. Our parents and grandparents have been through times of hardship, and times where living was meager. Coming out of a trial like that, there is an increased desire to provide more for the ones you love. Each generation wants to provide more for our families, and we can sometimes take that motivation to an unhealthy extreme.

I’ll truncate my ramblings on that topic for now, and trust that you catch my drift. Please don’t believe that I think parents and grandparents are bad for wanting to dote on their loved ones, because that isn’t the least bit true. What I do believe is that we need to be aware of our food culture so that we can safely navigate it and prevent lasting harm to ourselves, both mental and physical.

We need to be mindful of our different motivations for eating so that we can understand one of the most important aspects of viewing food as a big picture: Why am I eating?

Ask yourself that question. If you can determine that you are not actually hungry, perhaps a glass of water would suffice instead. The thirst and hunger interpretation centers of the brain are very close together, and sometimes we can get our wires crossed (check out this incredibly easy to understand article on thirst and hunger written by Dr Melissa Lueking of Hawk Ridge Medical Associates). If you think you might not be hungry, go for a drink instead. Try to avoid carbonated or sugary drinks, as this can confuse our brains further. Water is always a safe choice and, as over half of our human bodies are made of water, we need to be replenishing often.

Assuming that we’ve determined that we are hungry, this is when we start thinking about what makes the best meal choice. Again, I’m going to be sharing this in fairly vague terms, but it’s not because I enjoy leaving you hanging. It’s because your needs and my needs and Suzie’s needs are all incredibly different and are effected by a range of variables such as activity level, age, gender, GI conditions, and internal chemistry (just to name a few off the top of my head).

We understand that every human body requires some form of carbohydrate, protein, and fat in their diet. Carbohydrates, or carbs, are the building blocks of muscle glycogen, which is the only food for our muscles when we use them. Protein is needed to give us the materials we need to replenish our bodies, repair muscles after work, and keep our epidermis system (read: hair, nails, skin, etc) looking fresh and functioning properly. Fat is needed for reproductive systems and all nervous systems (did you know that your entire nervous system is insulated by fat?), to cushion organs, and provide long-term energy stores for the body. Your specific needs help determine the percentages of each of these categories.

Most of your calories should come from carbs. Calm down, bread haters! I’m not saying that eating grains all the time is the right answer. As original hunter-gatherer types, we didn’t have a lot of processed flours in our diets long ago (and no, I’m not supporting the Paleo diet here. I just think it’s wise to work with the digestive tracts we were given.). Though our lives have changed drastically since then, our bodies still have similar needs. Fruits and veggies are an awesome way to get your daily carbs, with a smattering of grains on the side. Fruits and veggies are high in fiber, which makes your gut happy, and it also takes up a lot of space, which helps you feel full. Because of their high fiber content, it generally costs more calories to break them down than they have inside them (ie, it burns calories to eat fruits and veggies).

There are exceptions to every rule, which may help you prioritize your fruit and veggie choices. Consider this: squishy fruits tend to have lower fiber and higher sugar. Bananas and mangoes are high on that list. Other choices are higher in fiber, like pineapples and fiji apples, while others still have highest fiber and low sugar, such as celery and broccoli. None of them are inherently better or worse. They simply specialize at different things, and we need all of those things in a balanced diet.

Protein comes in many shapes and forms, and from many sources. Meat is popular for being the highest concentrated source of protein per calorie (22 g pro/213 cal). However, animal sources of protein also come with cholesterol. This isn’t bad per se, but you need to be aware of it so you can make the best choices for your body. Some forms of animal product cholesterol, like eggs (8 g pro/78 cal), actually provide great health benefits and their cholesterol (in moderation, as with all things) is good for you. Protein can also be found in leafy vegetables like kale (2.9 g pro/67 cal), bok choy (1 g pro/70 cal), or spinach (0.9 g pro/30 cal). Beans also carry good amounts of protein, such as chickpeas (2.4 g pro/46 cal), black beans (2.6 g pro/41 cal), and legumes (8 g pro/118 cal).

Fat is a great topic, and I’ve made it my goal to help as many people as possible desist their guilty relationship with this essential macronutrient. Fat is needed! Fat is good! As with all things, it’s the moderation part that can be tricky. Remembering once more that we were hunter-gatherers means respecting our bodies as they were made. When we would track prey for miles, even days, before getting our big meals, we needed fat to keep us moving and keep our bodies functioning. Our brains are hard wired to seek out calorically dense foods to help us survive these harrowing conditions…except we don’t live like that anymore. Now we have the convenience to eat big game whenever we feel like it, sugar is abundant (and in everything), and fat flavors almost every store bought food item there is. Yet our brains are still telling us to stock up on calorically dense foods. So, to appease our brains and our waistlines, seek out calorically dense AND nutritionally dense foods. Find ways to make helpful replacements in recipes and meals. For instance, plain 2% Greek yogurt (4 g fat/150 cal) can stand in for sour cream (4.8 g fat/46 cal) in baked potatoes, avacado (21 g fat/234 cal) can replace butter (12 g fat/102 cal) or oil (14 g fat/120 cal) in almost any recipe while adding other helpful micronutrients (or make it’s own chocolate mousse, which is awesome!!), and lean nuts (45 g fat/529 cal) can add protein and fat at the same time.

With an understanding of what your body needs (majority carbs, then protein, a bit of fat), you can create an eating plan that helps you get what you need to perform best. Again, keeping a food journal can be beneficial at this stage. Here’s an example of how to use what you’ve just read (and it was a lot of reading, so thanks for bearing with me!):

I need a post workout snack to keep me fueled long term (carbs) and help my muscles repair themselves (protein). I’m trying to lose a bit of weight, so I want to get the most out of my calories. That means I want something with a good nutrient-to-calorie ratio for my carb base (not bananas). I like apples, and eating the skin can provide me with more fiber. Cheese can be a good source of protein and fat, but I don’t think I feel like cheese today. I could add meat, but that wouldn’t taste very good with apples I don’t think, and meat needs to cook so it wouldn’t be a quick snack. Nuts provide protein and fat, so I can eat almonds, which are leaner than peanuts, and that hits all my macronutrient needs. A medium apple is roughly 95 calories with 25g carbs, and 1/2 cup of almonds is roughly 265 calories with 45g of fat (mostly unsaturated), 10g carbs, and 10g protein. This is a good choice, but the fat content is a little high. I can either change my snack, or compensate by eating less fat through the day.

I’ll keep my snack the way it is, with 360 calories, 35g carbs, 45g mostly unsaturated fat, and 10g protein. As the day continues, I’ll need to get more lean protein and carbs. Beans and lentils would be a good compliment to what I just ate.

It seems overbearing at first, but it gets better with practice. Remember to think of your food in the big picture and try to make that picture diverse and balanced. If we want our bodies to remain in homeostasis, or well-balanced, we need to feed them that way, too.

I hope this series has been helpful, and I apologize for how long-winded the topic can get. It’s complicated, and can be overwhelming at times. If you’re feeling that way, I encourage you to take a step back and remember that you are doing the best you can. You will learn, but all lessons take time. You will make mistakes, just as I do, and that is okay. Fortunately for us our bodies are made in God’s image, which means they are very good at forgiving us our mistakes, too. Make sure you forgive yourself any mistakes so you can learn from it and move on.

When in doubt, talk to your doctor about any health and wellness concerns and avoid overly processed foods!