Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Oh do I L-O-V-E oats. I find myself being really creative with oatmeal and not just eating it for breakfast. I typically use instant oats and add in fruits, raisins and nuts. I've never used Steel Cut oats but I'm always open to trying new things. Although any food that undergoes processing will be lower in certain vitamins and minerals than a highly processed food, I am not suggesting that you have to use steel cut oats over instant. For most of us, we choose from 3 different types of oatmeal. While oats provide a number of health benefits, some oatmeal's are better than others. I found this on Chow.com: For every type, the oats first undergo cleaning, hulling, and conditioning, which removes the outer shell (called a hull), leaving the inner kernel or oat groat. The groat is then brushed clean in scouring machines. Next, a kiln heats the groats to about 215 degrees Fahrenheit to deactivate their enzymes, which limits how the oils present in the germ can react with oxygen,...

Last night I spoke to 25-30 members of the TRILEWIS triathlon club in Largo, Florida. The talk was geared towards Long-Distance Fueling. I created a detailed hand out regarding the specifics of pre, during and post training calories and timing of sports nutrition products so that I could spend the bulk of my talk (50 minutes) discussing the WHY's to pre, during and post training rather than just telling everyone to consume x-calories. It's really important to me that others understand how to be an efficient long-distance athlete. Because there are a million articles in magazines and on the internet regarding sports nutrition, I believe in educating people about the body during exercise (in non-complicated terms) and how certain products/foods can hinder or benefit performance. I was thrilled to answer so many fabulous questions by such a passionate group of triathletes. The best part of the talk was walking into a packed room and seeing 3 of my recipes for the members to try. E...

No matter how much info is on the internet, I think people will always be confused on portions and serving sizes. A portion is how much food you choose to eat. A serving is the amount that is used to calculate a food's nutritional value. The Food Pyramid tells us to eat 6-11 servings of carbohydrates/day and 2-4 servings of fruit a day, for example. The following are suggested servings of carbs and fruit that I found on the internet: *1 slice bread *1/2 whole grain/wheat bagel *1/2 cup pasta (choose whole wheat more often) *1/2 cup brown rice or bulgur or couscous *3/4 cup cooked oatmeal *2.3 ounce sweet potato or white potatoes *3/4-1 cup cereal (although servings of cereal vary) * 1 small fresh fruit (4 ounces) * 1/2 cup canned fruit * 1/4 cup dried fruit (2 tablespoons) * 1 cup melon, berries * 2 tablespoons raisins * 1/2 cup fruit juice Here is a less complicated and more accurate guide to serving sizes from Consumer Reports on Health: 1 serving of cereal, milk, yogurt, raw l...

What do these products have in common? They all come with claims: Cheerios - helps lower cholesterol DanActive Yogurt - boosts immunity Subway - subs w/ less than 6g fat Chocolate - special antioxidants to neutralize free radicals While there is nothing new about these products, one would think that these health claims are backed by double-blind, placebo-controlled, scientific data. Sure, there is a tremendous amount of long-term research showing the association of soluble fiber with cholesterol and active culture foods (probiotics Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus) boosting the immune system. There is no arguing those claims. So with a zillion products on the market NOT backed by the FDA, why would you be hesitant to try a line of products like this.. I mean, if Kim Kardashian uses this product, it must work? Who needs scientific research when you can boost metabolism, jump start weight loss and cleanse in only 14 days? I have a stack of journals and magazines on my desk so I thought ...

7am came early. I bundled up for a chilly 11 mile run but with beautiful skies, I was actually quite toasty. Karel left for his race around 9:45 and my parents, Campy and I left around 10:45. The race was on-time (YAY!) so we arrived just in time to wish Karel and Jeff good luck. Karel was pumped...yet calm. In my opinion, he looked super confident. As I mentioned in the previous post, this crit course is really technical and has a reputation of being fast and dangerous. For Karel, this course fits his need for speed. The Pro 1,2 race started at 12pm. The race was 70 minutes + 5 loops. This criterium loop (each loop took around 1 minute) had 6 corners, cobblestones and one really HOT corner. If you have never witnessed a crit race, it can be scary and exciting all at the same time. Tactics and strategies are in play for 70 minutes and depending on how teams work together during those 70 minutes, the last 5 loops allow racers to prepare for the final sprint. Karel didn't sit back du...