Trimarni Coaching and Nutrition

Brrrrr, it's cold out! When the weather makes your bones cold, you know it's time to get out a big pot (or crockpot) so you can make yourself a big bowl of chili.  I love chili. And this is coming from a vegetarian! When it comes to making chili, here are a few tips to consider when making your favorite chili recipe: -Soak your bean mix (I use Goya 15-bean mix) overnight. Although this step isn't necessary, especially if using a pressure cooker, soaking the beans will decrease overall cooking time (without sacrificing flavor) and will make beans more digestible (reducing gas/bloating).  -To enhance the flavor of chili , s autée  onions, mushrooms, peppers and garlic in a skillet before adding to the pot. You can still add raw veggies but this step will really take the flavors up a notch.  -Season early. Although it's hard to know how much herbs and spices to add to give the chili the right flavor (without it being overloaded), you are l...

As I was swimming the other day, I started to think about the many, many years that I have changed out of warm clothes and into a swimsuit, cap and goggles, only to jump into a cold pool, to swim back and forth for thousands of yards at a time. Even after starting competitive swimming at the age of 10, I feel so lucky that I still love to swim. However, I can't say that over the past 23 years, it has always been easy to drive myself to a pool, get excited to go from perfectly dry to soaking wet and stay committed to a swim workout. Of course, when there is a coach on deck and your teammates are working hard, you don't make excuses, you just do the work.  But the pool is still my happy place. I love the way my body feels when it is non-weight bearing and the fact that I can get a great cardio and muscular workout in the water.   Now that I am in my 10th year of endurance training and racing (and 23rd/24th year of being a competitive athlete - wow, that is a LONG t...

I'm not a fan of fad diets that promise "too good to be true" health or weight loss results or require extreme, restrictive eating choices but I'm all about food trends that encourage healthy eating. If it wasn't for food trends, you probably wouldn't be eating so much kale, avocados or chia seeds! If you've been a long-time  Trimarni  follower on Facebook or Instagram, you've probably noticed that most of my meals are eaten from bowls. Well, wouldn't you know that it is now trendy to eat a meal out of a bowl??? I love the idea of eating out of a bowl for several reasons: -Flavors are enhanced when combined -You can incorporate a variety of nutrients into one dish -You can see what you love to eat -You can hide what you don't like to eat -You are forced to sit down and eat with silverware When I plan meals, I always focus on a template for every meal: -Plants (fruits or veggies) -Protein -Starch or grain -Fat Withou...

Whether it's traveling, life stressors or multiple events occurring in a short time period, it's easy to feel off track with your diet and workout routine.  A common tendency for athletes is to see the next "normal" day of life as an opportunity to get back on track.  With an intense desire to "be really good" until life feels normal again, there's nothing wrong with this, right?  Well, it's a problem if your "normal" lifestyle habits are so extreme that you can not function well in life when you feel a loss of control over every situation relating to your diet and workout regime.  For athletes who don't feel safe with their thoughts, choices or feelings when they can not control normal life situations, getting back on track may require an extremely disciplined and restrictive style of eating and going a bit longer and harder with training for the next 48-72 hours, all in an effort to regain control over what didn...

Every morning, Monday through Friday, my alarm wakes me up at 5:45am. You probably have a similar routine. First thing in the morning, BEFORE my workout, I have my ME time. Even though I do not start my morning workout until 7-7:15am, I intentionally get up early so that I have at least an hour to myself before I train. No matter how tired I feel, I need that one hour. Even though my bed is cozy, I really look forward to me ME time. Seeing that I spend my entire day, every day, taking care of my coaching and nutrition athletes and Campy, I look forward to the opportunity to do something in the morning that makes ME feel good. I feel it is important for everyone to have ME time everyday. You will work, function, think, love and take care of others better if you give time to yourself. But ME time should be more than just carving out time for a workout each day. ME time should also include time to tune into your thoughts, goals, interests and emotions. ME ...

Do you ever make a dish, question whether or not it will be tasty and then find yourself non-stop yumming over it?  Earlier this week, I found myself doing just that.  Yumming with every single bite. I love it when that happens. This avocado edamame creation started before a bike-trainer workout on Tues evening. I often find myself preparing meals in the 30 minutes that I have to spare before an evening workout because prepping a meal and then waiting for it to cook  after a  workout isn't the most fun when you are hungry, tired and ready to eat. (plus, many times, a hungry and tired body isn't very good at making "healthy" post-workout food decisions). Because I had a very, very, very soft avocado, I wanted to do something with it besides smashing it up or chopping it on a salad. I decided to get creative in my kitchen with a big bowl and a few simple ingredients in my refrigerator and here is what I came up with.... I think you will yum over i...

We have all heard the question that starts the age-old vegetarian protein debate "Where do you get your protein from if you don't eat meat???" If adequate energy and an assortment of plant foods, rich in essential amino acids, are consumed throughout the day, physiologically processes shouldn’t be compromised in a plant-based diet.  For all athletes, diet variety and adequate energy consumption are both key to ensuring that your body stays in great health. This includes eating a variety of carbohydrates, protein and fat. Depending on your dietary protein choices, consider a variety of animal and/or plant protein sources in your daily diet as each protein source has more than just protein to offer to your body. Vegetarian athletes should make an extra effort to consume nutrients like calcium, iron, zinc, omega-3, vitamin D, B12 and niacin, particularly if the diet is lacking in food variety.  Understanding that many essential nutrients are required in ...