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Showing posts from August 16, 2009

Acclimatization

There are a few HOT and HUMID long distance races in the next few months and a very important race for myself (and many of my athletes who I have helped with nutrition) in 9 days (OH MY!). In addition to fluids and electrolytes during training/racing, acclimating to the hot and humid temperatures is another way to assure yourself of reaching the finish line at your next long distance event. If you've been training in the heat and humidity, it’s likely that you will lose a lot of sweat during your training sessions. However, seeing that it is August, if you've trained in the heat, you are probably used to the heat. If you are from an area of dry or cool temperatures in the summer or prefer to train before the sun comes up, it is likely that you are not adjusted to the rising temps which easily reach 85% humidity and 84-degrees by 8am here in Florida (this was the temp and humidity on Thurs when I was working out). Extreme heat may cause athletes to lose up to 2-3 L/hr of sweat,

Salt and the endurance athlete

Skip the popcorn, chex mix, salted nuts and pretzels and put down the salt shaker. Ironman athletes often feel overwhelmed by nutrition before the big day. I don't think Ironman athletes have trouble eating carbs so the second biggest focus in the diet is Sodium. Due to an overwhelming amount of nutrition-related articles, athletes are lead to believe that they need to eat everything salty before the race and add extra salt to all food. In hot weather, the more fluid lost through sweating, the more likely you are to deplete sodium and electrolyte stores. Sodium is one of many electrolytes used during endurance exercise, in addition to potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium and manganese. Table salt is 40% sodium and 60% chloride. According to the RDA (recommended daily allowance), the recommended amount of sodium per day is around 2,400 mg, however it is also recommended that all individuals consume no more than 1,500-2000 mg/day. Although sodium will provide a balanced quantity

Mexican Couscous

How about a 5 minute dish? Couscous is the easiest grain to prepare and super healthy for the inner athlete in all of us. You can certainly buy the seasoned, boxed versions of couscous but I prefer to buy the original/plain 31.7 oz container so I can make many different options of couscous depending on my taste buds for the day. Couscous is a staple food in North Africa and the Middle East and you can often find it in Moroccan and Mediterranean cuisine. Couscous is relatively inexpensive made from wheat. The only ingredient in plain couscous is Unenriched Durum Semolina, which is a type of wheat. There are other varieties of couscous which include barley, corn and ground corn meal as the primary ingredient. Couscous is very versatile and it can be prepared in a sweet dish (ex. with cranberries and apples), a vegetarian dish (ex. with peppers, tofu and mushrooms) or in a meat dish (ex. with chicken or salmon). Here's the nutritional breakdown of 1/4 cup couscous: Calories: 150 Total

Sunny side up, two bean and rice salad

I wasn't sure what to make so I searched the fridge and pantry and well, put everything together. This meal is super easy to prepare and affordable. Even with the rice, you can make this meal in less than 20 minutes and that includes prep! With the protein from the beans and egg and carbs from the rice, this is one balanced and healthy meal to keep your muscles strong and to help you properly recover after workouts. There are so many health benefits in the ingredients in this salad but I'd like to give some attention to beans. Chickpeas (garbanzo beans) - excellent source of molybdenum and a good source of fiber, manganese, folic acid, protein, iron, zinc, copper and magnesium. 1/2 cup - 130 calories, 2g fat, .5g sat fat, 22g carb, 9g fiber, 6g protein. Beans - cholesterol lowering, excellent source of molybdenum, loaded with antioxidants, may help protect against cancer, decrease risk of heart disease, stabilizer for blood sugar (beneficial for diabetics) and packed with pro