Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Ooey Gooey Double Chocolate Teff Cookies (gluten and vegan free) The holidays can be overwhelming, especially if you have dietary restrictions. For all my vegan or dairy/egg allergy friends/followers, there's a good chance that you will feel deprived of the many delicious desserts offered to you, filled with ingredients that you can't (or should not) eat. While your reasons may be for ethical, religious, moral or health, the holidays are for everyone, regardless of your dietary needs. Everyone deserves to yum! In my recent issue of Food and Nutrition (Nov/Dec 2017) on pg. 23, there was a great article titled "Mastering Vegan Baking." I wanted to share a few ingredient swaps from the article, to help you make eight traditional desserts, vegan friendly. Whipped cream - Combine full-fat chilled coconut cream, powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Tiramisu - Extra-firm tofu blended with raw cashews, sugar and lemon juice. Flan - Extra-firm silken tofu paired with ...

History has taught us that plants were commonly used for medicinal reasons, either to cure or reduce symptoms from an illness. Still today, there's no denying that food can be our medicine. Back in the 1600's, in ancient Egypt, Rome and China, celery was medicinally used to treat health issues, like arthritis and indigestion. Rich in water and a good source of Vitamin K, Celery provides antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects, thanks to it's many phytochemicals (ex. phenolic acids, flavones and flavonols). Although commonly recognized as a "diet" food, with every crunch, you are also providing your body with a great dose of nutrients, like vitamin C, potassium, folate and vitamin B6. I love celery as each stalk provides a nice crunch. And despite containing only around 35 mg of sodium, somehow the slight bitterness tricks the taste buds to make you believe that you are eating something salty. Whether you enjoy your celery as "ants on a log" or cho...

When Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition LLC became an official business, I was given a lot of advice about starting a new business - some advice was helpful, a little was discouraging and a lot of it was overwhelming. But the best piece of advice that I was given was "don't try to do everything. Ask for help." Many people do not like to ask for help as it can be seen as a sign of weakness, there could be fear of rejection or feelings of not being good enough. Some people just don't like to ask for help due to pride or ego. But this piece of advice encouraged me to focus on what I was good at (ex. coaching and nutrition) and to let others help me in the areas that I knew nothing about (ex. accounting). Still today, I don't mind asking for help as I like to collaborate with professionals who specialize in areas that I am not an expert in and I can learn from others. There's nothing foolish or inadequate about not knowing it all. Asking for help, whether it...

For athletes, there are many challenges to navigate around during the holidays. It can be difficult to stay consistent with training because you are off your normal regime and your healthy diet is sabotaged by so many oh-so-good family tradition eats and treats. While some athletes have no trouble skipping workouts and indulging in sweets during the holidays, it's common for athletes to feel anxious about the many changes in the normal routine. While your frustration is not understood (or supported) by your non-athlete family members, you still feel that it is important to meet your expectations during the holidays.  So what's an athlete to do?  Do you say good bye to all good habits and let loose until the New Year? Do you refuse to change your routine because you need the control and stick to strict eating and structured training? Because every person should dedicate time to exercise for health on a daily basis and should focus on eati...

Back in early August, on day one of the Purple Patch Greenville camp, Karel was shown a new cycling route by Greenville locals George Hincapie and Christian Vande Velde, accompanied by  Cadel Evans and two other PPF campers (Duncan and Emily). Although a beautiful route, I aslo remember Karel telling me that this route was the "the hardest climb in our area....and he is so excited to show it to me." I guess it's more fun to suffer together than alone. Well, a few months passed by and Karel kept telling me about the really "fun" cycling route that he really wanted to show me. I figured it couldn't have been that bad as Karel, Duncan and Emily covered the climb on their triathlon bikes and I do love to climb (especially on my road bike) so eventually, I told Karel that it was time for us to check out this climb. On Friday morning, Karel and I drove to Hotel Domestique for the start of our ride. The weather was cool but the wind was strong. We dressed ...

The other evening, I spoke to a group of recovering addicts on the topic of nutrition therapy and the role of proper eating habits assisting in long term sobriety. For my presentation, I had to dig out some of my food props from when I was working as a clinical dietitian at Baptist Medical Center Beaches in Jacksonville, FL. While I love specializing in nutrition for athletes, I learned a lot about the human body when I worked as an inpatient dietitian. Speaking to the group of addicts was very rewarding and powerful. Although it was out of my comfort zone to speak to non-athletes, I always appreciate the opportunities where I can share my passion of healthy living with others. And as an athlete who embraces a healthy lifestyle, I can't stress it enough that athletes must establish great lifestyle habits in order to improve chances of athletic success. Without good health, you don't have a strong platform to support your fitness goals. For individuals with a current or pas...

Many professional athletes are supported by a "team" of professionals to help with athletic performance. Some are seen regularly and others are available as needed. Wouldn't it be nice if you could expect a massage every time you finished a race or have a doctor or physical therapist on speed dial to squeeze you in anytime you experience a niggle? While it may sound too good to be true, I do believe that every individual who is training for an athletic event, whether it be a long or short, should have a team of professionals to assist in the training journey. Although you may question the money that you would need to spend on these professionals and then claim that your sport is only your hobby, consider it an investment to your overall enjoyment in your sport as you also take care of your health. It's far too common that athletes will experience an issue, whether it's gear, health or training related and then frantically search for an expert to be of help or st...