Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Thank you  Girls Gone Strong  for letting me share my thoughts on fueling the vegetarian endurance athlete.  As a 22-year vegetarian and 9x Ironman finisher, I had so much to say on this topic so we decided to make it a two part series and finish with a Q&A on the Girls Gone Strong Facebook page!                                                                              To read the articles:  Part 1  &  Part 2  Q&A Q: On Tuesday, in this article  you gave some guidelines   for protein, carb, and fat requirements for female endurance athletes. Do the numbers look different for women who mostly strength train, and whose goals are strength-based?    If so, how do they differ?   A: Thanks for asking ...

Have you found yourself (for non clinical reasons) recently eliminating food sources or food groups titled dairy, sugar, grains, gluten, refined foods, carbs or un-natural in an effort to eat more “clean” or because those foods are bad? It’s ok to have good intentions with diet changes as you want to better understand what foods work best for your body in motion but extreme dietary shifts in eating patterns are one of the most common red flag signs that you may be developing (or furthering) your unhealthy relationship with food and your body. Sure, improvements in any area of life require attention and perhaps some degree of obsession but when your eating/food thoughts and habits are all-consuming and have taken over your life, it’s time to re-evaluate your relationship with food. If you are a performance-driven athlete, keep in mind that rule-based eating does not take into account your personal needs, your performance goals, your periodized training plan, your lif...

Fueled by plants   With so much information on healthy eating, sport nutrition and dieting, I really enjoy writing about topics that I know a lot about from first-hand experience. When   Girls Gone Strong   approached me to write an article about fueling the vegetarian endurance athlete, I was super excited about the opportunity to introduce others to my plant strong lifestyle.  As a 22-year vegetarian and 9x Ironman finisher, I think it is safe to say that my diet is not a temporary fad and perhaps I know a thing or two about fueling the plant-strong athlete.  I hope you find that my   article   is an informative way to help you understand how to eat to be a healthy endurance athlete and how to do so, if you choose vegetarianism. This article  is not persuading you to become a vegetarian athlete to boost performance, nor is it telling you that your health and performance will automatically improve should you c...

Coconut pancakes with fruit topping 1/3 cup coconut flour 1 tbsp cinnamon 1/4 tsp salt 4 eggs (2 whites, 2 whole) 1/3 cup + 1 tbsp milk (I used reduced fat organic milk but you can use almond milk) Seasonal fruit - I used raspberries and bananas Extra crunch - chopped nuts/seeds (I used  Veronica's Health Crunch Olive oil for cooking Maple syrup Serves 6-8 pancakes 1. Mix together the first 3 ingredients in medium size bowl.  2. In small bowl mix together milk and eggs.  3. Add the wet to the dry and whisk together (you need to use a whisk not a fork) until no clumps remain. If batter is too thick, add a little water or more milk. It shouldn't be runny off the whisk but should be a slow continuous drip.  4. On a medium size skillet on medium heat, lightly coat the bottom of your pan with olive oil.  5. Place ~1/4 cup batter to form a pancake, gently smooth out the pancake with the back of a spoon to make it a little thinner....

Some of my favorite creations are created in my head when I'm training.  As I rode my tri-bike on the trainer last night for 45 minutes, I started to think about what to make for dinner. Karel is in Jax for RETUL bike fits so it was just me (and Campy).  I had cottage cheese and yogurt for an easy protein option but I wasn't sure what I could make for a meal. I wanted something light as I had a satisfying afternoon snack as well as a pre bike workout snack so I wasn't in the mood for a normal-size Trimarni creation dinner.  So, then it occurred to me...I had a few ingredients in my refrigerator that may taste great (or not) when combined together. This is always the start of a Trimarni creation....what can I combine together, without having to measure anything, and make it be healthy, yummy and taste amazing??? After tiring out my glutes with a main set of single leg drills, I cleaned up, took Campy for a quick walk around the block and got busy in...

When I was 10 years old and decided to not eat meat anymore, my choice to become plant strong was not for a body image, to get healthy or to follow the crowd. I had made a personal decision that not eating meat would be my way of showing respect to animals and thus I titled myself as a vegetarian.  Almost 23 years ago I made a dietary choice to become a vegetarianism. But unlike the brand of shoes I prefer or my favorite color, choosing to eliminate meat from my diet started a lifestyle change that had no deadline in place. Because plant strong became my new lifestyle, it required commitment and knowledge to make the diet work for my personal health and performance goals.  I have never persuaded anyone to be a vegetarian athlete to boost performance and I have never told a person that his/her health and performance will automatically improve once meat is removed from the diet.  All fitness enthusiasts and athletes must understand the importance ...

Moist, delicious, flavorful, seasonal, refreshing, fluffy, warm.  My honey pear muffins are exactly what they are suppose to be.....a tasty and satisfying muffin! Karel left for Jacksonville, FL yesterday for 3 jammed-packed days of Retül bike fits.  To make sure my hubby had some healthy/feel-good snacking options for the road trip (and between fits) I packed him a cooler of foods as well as a snack bag. I also decided to make Karel some muffins since he loves muffins and well, anything that resembles bread. FYI: we are a carb loving family.  I picked up a few pears the other day and I thought a honey pear muffin creation would be fantastic...and it was!!! I hope you enjoy the muffins and make sure to yum really loud when you eat them so others around you know how great it feels to eat a yummy creation that you made at home.  Honey Pear Muffins 2 cups white whole wheat flour  (here's a  substitution list for baking) 1/2 cup...