Posts in the Nutrition Category at , Page 4

Childhood Obesity and Getting Active: The answer is not in blaming pollution

Posted on March 28, 2012 by Cait — 11 Comments ↓

Oh, Runner’s World you’ve done it again. I got a really good laugh when I read their online headline screaming, ‘Is Pollution Making Us Fat?’ Seriously, could it have nothing to do with inhaling mass quantities of McDonald’s and constituting raising the spork as your daily exertion? Just saying.

At least he's moving!

Obesity is a glaring problem, the saddest part comes from childhood obesity in my humble opinion. Skinny Runner just did a great post highlighting some recent controversy regarding children and weight. Should parents be putting their overweight children on diets and making the child aware that they are, in fact obese?

I’d say that’s a much more practical approach than blaming pollution and not changing any of your lifestyle habits, I don’t care how old you are. If you want something to change you have to, well, change something.

* Input versus output. Yes metabolism and diet isn’t as black and white as plain math, there are admittedly some other things to take into consideration, but for the most part it is not rocket science. If you go out and run 20 miles you obviously need to refuel and ingest a heck of a lot more calories than a child who does nothing more than channel surf all day.

* Move it. Exercise is healthy and hardly for weight loss/maintenance purposes alone. (Yes, being entitled to scarf my weight in Pop-tarts is a perk, but hardly the only one!) Exercise releases endorphins, improves your mood and has been found to help people suffering from mild bouts of depression or ‘the blues.’ Further, taking part in sports is linked to higher self-esteem, instilling a harder work-ethic, teaching the value that comes from accomplishing goals, and a myriad of other pluses. Even for adults holed away in a cubicle, taking exercise breaks has been shown to increase productivity in the office; you come back feeling refreshed and ready to tackle that mountain of work.

Hey, she put in her sweat session and eared that cotton candy! 🙂

* Shut the trap. Being a long distance runner brings to mind willowy silhouettes and lean athletes…that comes from running lots of miles and burning tons of fuel in the process. Without getting into a totally different tangent regarding the weight/food issues; for the most part distance runners do eat much more than the average person. That said, there are plenty of instances and people who DO need to shed a few and should curb back their intake. I hate the word ‘diet’ though because that is synonymous with deprivation…just make a few modifications to your portion sizes and opt for healthier alternatives. You can still have treats but just with moderation…it’s insane how misguided the masses are when it comes to general nutrition and for the most part just wising up and learning how to avoid stepping into obvious food blunders would help. (the salad swimming with dressing, nuts, etc. could be loaded with more fat and calories than the small burger.) Here, information is key.

Rather than telling people that they shouldn’t blame themselves for putting on the pounds because of increased global carbon dioxide, Runner’s World, perhaps look to your name and remind them they could run a little more! For the children, I think helping them get back to a healthy weight is a necessity…not that parents should go all Toddlers and Tiaras on them, but just be smart.

* Small changes and substitutions. As with anything, start small and gradually build up. If you’re increasing your weekly mileage only go up 10% each week to avoid getting hurt. As for that sandwich, double up on the veggies and maybe opt out of the cheese for awhile; pick mustard instead of mayo…easy stuff.

* Take the focus of exercise off of burning calories. Working out, whatever form it comes in, should be fun and something you look forward to. If you are only running because you want to look like a skinny Ethiopian you’re probably not going to last very long. Find what you love to do that makes you move.

* Half and half. I also think the people who only look at losing weight from the diet perspective are stupid; you could lose weight by only cutting calories but you won’t be increasing your muscle tone and could still wind up jiggly and with a heart lacking the benefits of some cardio. Workout in addition to making dietary changes; and know that in doing so, more muscle mass may mean that the scale isn’t the most reliable gauge…look at how your clothes fit and how you actually look. Do you still jiggle? 😉

Tell the kids, "All the cool crocodiles eat tofu dogs!" 😉

* Parents and kids. I don’t think you always have to tell the kids WHY they aren’t eating as many french fries, if you’re afraid of damaging their self-esteem. You’re the parents, just make the changes in the household, you’ll all benefit. Take family runs or soccer games at the park…if they ask why, just say, “Because I said so.”

Weight shouldn’t be the insane focus and issue that it is; sometimes over-thinking things just make it worse. Run because you love to run…refuel your body adequately…eat wisely but for 20 mile days that includes wolfing tons of calories…be smart and just do it. 😉

1) What’s your take on the whole obesity issue in general?
For adults I think it’s more a lack of motivation to do the changes necessary.

2) What about childhood obesity? If you’re a parent, if your child was obese what would you do, if anything?
This is something I feel really strongly about, it’s so sad to see 7 year olds that are obese…I think it’s crucial to make changes before they carry that into adulthood.

3) If you’re in the position of having to lose some weight what do you do to go about it sanely?

4) On the flip side, plenty of endurance athletes have trouble keeping the weight on, if that’s you what do you do?
Pop-tarts and Ben & Jerry’s! 😉 I’m half-kidding, I look at is as first get in all the healthy staples and requirements and then add the fun foods on top of that.

5) The best reason to exercise totally non-weight related?
Endorphins baby, and trust me it keeps me sane! 😉

And a Wee Bit ‘O Luck to Ya…

Posted on March 18, 2012 by Cait — 10 Comments ↓

Yes, Happy Saint Patrick’s Day! I could also say St. Patty’s Day but every time I do it makes me think there should really be a Happy York Peppermint Patty’s Day somewhere around here too. 😉

I hope you’ve all been having a great one and doing a little celebrating yourself. I’m not a drinker, so if you are feel free to have my leftover beers. I do love everything green, though, and you could find me noshing on some green chocolate chip pancakes. (My dad used to make those for us when I was a kid on St. Patty’s Day.)

It’s a fact that my all-time favorite color is lime green and so let’s hear it for a few more oh-so cliched Irish holiday inspired items:

* Don’t steal my lucky shamrock. Do you believe in luck? Do you have little trinkets, rituals, or things you swear to others you know don’t really bring you luck but you have them/do them anyways just because, well, it couldn’t hurt? Hey, I own up to the fact that whenever I see a clock reading 11:11 I make a wish to myself. 😉

* Leaping Leprechauns! Those little guys have springs on their legs, or maybe they have just been doing a ton of plyometrics. 😉 I HATE doing those plyo’s, this girl can’t jump, but they work wonders for your speed. So get to jumping like a wee, green man!

* Corned beef and cabbage, say what? I’m not a big corned beef fan, I do like cabbage. But don’t shy away from all red meats if you do like them because they have iron, which is super important for runners! If you don’t like red meats (guilty) then seek out other iron rich foods…hey, spinach is a leafy green that contains a lot of iron. It could be cut into the shape of a clover too…maybe. Teehee.

* Pranksters! I wish I were really good at pulling off great pranks and such but I am so gullible that I usually end up being the one pranked. That said I use sarcasm like it’s going out of style and plenty of times people think I’m being serious and sometimes that gets me in a wee bit ‘o trouble.

* Spuds! I am in love with the spud, I’ll take me my fair share of potatoes and then some. My favorite is probably a big ‘ol baked potato loaded with chicken, broccoli…and actually cottage cheese. Is that last one weird? I don’t care, I like it. And for you skin haters…you’re missing out, the skin of the potato contains nearly all of the awesome vitamins and nutrients found in the potato…so choke the skin down if you have to. Jk.

* Friends and merry, good times. You picture people celebrating St. Patty’s Day and you think of parties, people, and good times. I’m all for that…whether you are a fellow sweat obsessed runner or not, you can be my friend. 🙂

Have a wonderful Saint Patrick’s Day and I think I’m going to talk to someone about instituting a York Peppermint Patty’s Day too! 😉 (naturally then, we’ll need a Junior Mints Day…just saying.)

1) What did you/are you doing for St. Patty’s Day?

2) What is your favorite St. Patty’s themed item?

3) Do you believe in ‘luck’ or do you have a lucky item/ritual?

4) Do you like potatoes? Are you a fan of corned beef and cabbage? How do you make sure you get enough iron? Pick any of those and answer…hehe.

I CAN’T Cook So Let’s Celebrate Frozen Foods Month!

Posted on March 13, 2012 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

I am not a food blogger. This much could probably be gathered in about five minutes of reading posts; I do love food, eat pretty healthy, know quite a bit about sports nutrition, but play by the ‘run hard, eat hard’ game as well…if I want me my Pop-Tarts I’m going to eat them by the package-full and have my Ben & Jerry’s by the pints.

The catch…I can’t cook. When I say I can’t cook that in itself is an understatement, I was told by my Ugandan friend, Grace, that I’ll never, ever get married because of this. (Oh, the beauty of the cultural gender gap.)

That said, I’m the microwave queen. I will find a way to nuke anything to avoid having to rope in the oven or any other appliance. Because of this frozen foods are my friend, and wouldn’t you know that March is Frozen Food Month! This itty bit of fooddom is closer to my arena so I thought I’d toss up a few beauties from the frozen food aisle.

* Frozen veggies. Fresh fruits and veggies are getting insanely expensive and interestingly enough because of advanced flash-frozen methods the frozen veggies in fact retain more of their natural micronutrients better than the fresh or canned varieties. Through other cooking methods some of the vitamins and minerals can be lost, one way to reduce how much is lost is to not over-cook things. Anyways, with frozen veggies you can toss them in a micro-safe dish, add some water, and nuke away. Tips to help retain as much vitamins while microwaving: don’t use too much water, just enough to fill the bottom of the bowl and then only heat them up until they are warm and edible, not limp and soggy.

* Frozen fruits. Same thing as above, but getting in these healthy staples are sometimes tough for people so having them in the freezer limits the excuses for not eating them. Strawberries or peaches are awesome with cottage cheese and lots of people go the smoothie route too. With frozen fruits you don’t have all the added sugars from canned versions.

* Shrimp the Bubba Gump Way. I LOVE shrimp…but dang, those babies are expensive!! Getting them in the frozen bags is a little more economical and shrimp are LOADED with protein. I could litearlly eat my weight in shrimp…bring them on, just watch out for their ~~poop~~ veins. 😉

* Boca me, Baby. I’m not a huge meat person (I like anything under the sea but as for land animals it’s really only chicken or turkey for this girl.) but the faux meats these days taste quite yummy. We should all thank the trending vegetarianism and vegan lifestyles for making companies hop on that one…hehe. Boca Burgers are my top pick because they taste great and have more protein than similar fake meat patties. Their sausage links are also making my belly happy…along with some frozen chocolate chip waffles!

* Frozen Entrees. Like I said I CAN’T cook. I do eat my fair share and then some of frozen entrees. I know it’s not the healthiest, but I do seek out the healthier versions…I’m not downing the Hungry Mans or such…honestly in the end it’s more about being an informed consumer. I’ll toss out some of my fav’s and tips here:

Szechuan Style Stir Fry with Shrimp from Lean Cuisine: I told you I’m a sea food girl and you’ll get 11 grams of protein per box. Of course one is way too dinky so go with two at a time and the Lean Cuisine brand has come a long way, they now include lots of veggies too, reduced the sodium levels, and have some with brown rice and whole grains.

Chicken Santa Fe from Smart Ones: Here is where I ‘stretch’ my cooking fortitude. This is basically spicified chicken with tomatoes, onions, and zucchinis…so I nuke this and use it for the base of my burritos or tacos. With 20 grams of protein you can then add black beans, the tortilla, rice…anything else, go wild.

Amy’s Kitchen: The whole Amy’s line is a great one for the organic shopper or for anyone with certain allergies. I don’t think you could go wrong, I particularly like the Tofu and Brown Rice Bowl and she’s got some frozen pockets as well as fruit stuffed toaster pastries.

Watch the sodium: With the frozen meals usually sodium can be an issue so do be aware of that. I’ll admit I’m not a big sodium watcher because I sweat a lot of it out but if you’ve got heart or other health issues you should be careful.

Double time: Like I said, the healthier frozen meals can be too low in calories and portion sizes for us exercise obsessed so either go for two (or more…hehe) at a time or add in other sides.

* Frozen treats. Shout out to Ben and Jerry again, my top picks are the Half Baked or Phish Food flavors. If I can’t find the Half Baked then your standard Cookie Dough will suffice in a pinch…but if you leave even a droplet of it in the pint you are a weenie and need to start training your ice cream eating abilities like you do your running. 😉 Hehe.

The thing is, for athletes and people who ask their bodies to DO things for them, you do have to fuel yourself right. I certainly urge you to live/eat outside of the frozen foods aisle but also know that can be tough for people; that’s why having frozen vegetables, fruits, meats, and healthy foods on hand can help.

I hope you can glean a bit from all that and for those who CAN cook, feel free to laugh at me, my friends and family do it already…or, even better come over and cook for me. 😉

1) What are some of the things that stock your freezer? Do you buy may frozen foods?

2) Are you a big actual cooker person and know how to work outside the microwave? What are some of your go-to dishes or meals?

3) What are some of the things you do look for in the foods you make or eat? (ie: protein, salt, calories, vegan, etc.)

Even if You’re Not Training For a Race Speed Play and Faster Workouts are Fun…Even Addicting

Posted on February 29, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

Not everyone runs to race. On the flip side I’ve known runners who really ONLY run to race. The latter are the ones that need the extra endorphin and adrenaline fix of race day to keep them motivated to put in the training and stay dedicated. Their motivation can lull in the off-season and they are the ones who may say, “The day of my last race I’m hanging up the shoes all together and gonna get as fat as humanly possible.” (No, they don’t all say this but I’ve got a friend who did and though laughing, truly meant it…haha.)

But for the people who just run to run, or if they do run a race the clock is a non-factor, I’ve gotten the question, “Why should I do anything more than my usual ‘easy’ runs? Why bother with speed workouts, or any kind of structured workouts at all?”

Valid point and I’m guilty of getting stuck in the ‘pace rut’ of going through large chunks of time where yea, I’d be putting in plenty of daily miles, but they were just ‘running’ running and hardly training running.

But let’s face it, it’s fun to challenge yourself sometimes! Yea, picking up the pace hurts but toying around with different speeds becomes addicting…and once you get the ball rolling and see improvement that builds a wave of motivation momentum.

* Surges and Striders: if you’re coming off a large chunk of time where you’ve just been ‘putting in the miles’ start integrating pick-ups, or surges, into your runs. Just pick up the pace for a 150 meters or so and feel your legs get that faster turn-over. You can also add these in after your run with strides.

* Fartleks and Relaxed Intervals: unstructured workouts, or loosely structured ones, can feel liberating while still getting you working. If you’re not exactly training for an event, or have a long time out, start with fartleks and play around with varying the minutes on to minutes off. Do sets of one minute hard, then one minute easy; you could do a pyramid style fartlek where the hard minutes go 1:2:3:2:1; or invent your own combo.

* Break-down and Progression Runs: these are runs that just start out as an easy run but you gradually get faster over the distance and by the end (depending on the run) you could be running at or near a race pace. These runs are great training tools for those actually planning on racing an event because you can structure them so that the main chunk of the run is used as a recovery day but with the end, by including some race pace or faster running you can ‘sneak in’ extra intensity that won’t take that much out of you. Thus, you’ll get in some work without leaving you too depleted to perform well in your next actual workout. These runs can be fun because once you get in the groove and the pace starts to quicken, especially if you’re with a partner or group, those endorphins kick in and pushing it feels oddly exhilarating. Yea, it hurts, but in that good way.

The point is, even if you’re not out there still planning to race yourself all out or in quest of a PR, it IS still fun to do actual workouts, be it hill repeats, tempos, intervals, or just some loosely mapped out fartleks. If you’re not in training this is where you can just be creative and do things more on the fly.

Yes, putting in the miles and running for the pleasure of it (and the liberty to eat like a runner!) is totally awesome…but sometimes even a runner for life craves a little speed play. 😉

1) How would you define your running; do you run ‘to run’, run to race, or somewhere in between?

2) If you’re not racing for a team of have seasons, do you run many races yourself?

3) Do you enjoy mixing up your runs and workouts with speed play or adding hills? What do you like to do?

4) Do you see yourself as a ‘lifer’ when it comes to running?
YES! 🙂

All About the Liquids: What to Drink and When and NUUN Hydration Review

Posted on February 22, 2012 by Cait — 19 Comments ↓

Hydration is important for runners...any athletes and even for the average ‘joe’ and ‘janet’ for that matter. But fluids and proper hydration, electrolytes and other nutrients besides just plain water, is especially crucial for endurance athletes.

The conditions you are running in can make this even more of an issue but even if you’re running in the dead of winter and don’t even think you’re sweating all that much, you ARE. You’re still sweating but you may not come back dripping in sweat stains because the cold air sucked up that moisture before it was able to get you all nice and drippy.

There are different kinds of liquids with various amounts of nutrients and depending on what you’re aiming to replenish you need to pick accordingly. Yes, water is water and we all need it to survive, but it doesn’t have any real nutritional value, there are no electrolytes, vitamins, or nutrients for energy…and if you drink too much of just straight water you can actually end up diluting your electrolyte balances (ie: potassium and sodium levels among others) and wind up with some serious issues.

Different Liquids With Different Purposes
* Water: No brainer, we all need water, don’t avoid it just make sure that you also get in the electrolytes you need too. Pee check! What color is your urine? Without becoming a toilet creeper you should check your pee and aim to get it as clear as possible..bright yellow is not a good sign.

* Electrolyte/Vitamin Waters: These are the waters, or low-calorie drinks, that tout having electrolytes in them. These are great sips throughout the day to make sure you’re not just diluting yourself of electrolyte levels by drinking too much straight water.

* Sports Drinks: In years past Gatorade sort of monopolized the market here but Gatorade of years ago was mostly just sugar water and to an extent people really didn’t need ALL of that sugar. But, I’ll hand it to the brand because their newer product line is revamped and I’d say improved on the whole offering more ‘substance.’ With these drinks, make sure whatever you have has the electrolytes you’ll want and not just loaded with a ton of sugar which will just be empty calories.

* Protein Recovery Drinks: There is a bit of a cross-over here between these and sports drinks but the difference is that with today’s advanced science there are LOADS of various endurance athlete targeted drinks. There are pre-workout, during, and post-workout variations; the first two are going to contain mostly fast-acting, quickly absorbed carbs for immediate energy but the post-workout ones you want to make sure contain adequate amounts of protein in addition to carbs to enhance your recovery. (HERE I did an article for Running Times that touches on what you want to look for in liquids depending on your workout; the nutritionist I spoke with really likes Generation UCANN and suggests it to many of her top athletes)

* Life Drinks: Here we’ve got your coffee, fruit drinks, soda’s…all that stuff. I’m not going to lie, I’d rather just EAT my calories and not drink them away…but coffee has been shown to improve workouts in some instances. Most fruit drinks you’re better off EATING the fruit because of all the added sugar, and soda, sorry, is just not that good for you and will dehydrate you.

Are you sick of putting that much thought into what you pour into your cup yet? Well, don’t be and bear with me because it’s important stuff ESPECIALLY if your training runs are long enough to warrant needing hydration along the way. Think runs over an hour and if you’re training for a marathon you want your hydration and energy plan down before the race. If you’re bonking, cramping, and feeling like you have no energy, one ‘obvious’ reason is that your fueling needs some tweaking…it can be tough to find the right strategy that works for you.
Nuun
Source
Now, I was contacted by NUUN Hydration to test out some of their products; they sent me two free flavor tubes to try and here is what my thoughts are and the low-down on NUUN. I’ve actually been wanting to try this stuff because I’d kept reading and hearing about it on other blogs and sites.

* Fall into the ‘enhanced waters’ category: NUUN is low in calories (less than 6 cal’s per tab, which makes 16 ounces) but it has all the important vitamins and electrolytes athletes will need without any added sugars.

* Quick and portable: What is actually cool about NUUN is that they come in little tablets which you drop into two cups of water and they start to fizz and dissolve…not going to lie there is the ‘fun, cool’ effect to watch.

* Taste: There are lots of flavors and I tried the Lemon-Lime and Orange flavors; I liked them because they are not overpoweringly sweet or strong but enough of a twist that it perks up that water.

* Best for: These would be best for people who don’t like to taste of just average water and need to get in their electrolytes. Tons of people pop that Crystal Light stuff, have the Sobe Lights or Vitamin Waters…I’d say NUUN would be a better pick because it will give you more nutrients and has less extraneous calories/sugars than Vitamin Water.

* Not for: If you’re running a marathon and need actual energy; because there aren’t any real carbs, protein, or calories in NUUN you’re going to want something with more substance if you’re running a long distance event or doing a marathon type workout. Here is where the various sports drinks (ie: UCANN, Gatorade) would be your better bet.

Overall: Like I said, if I’m going to drink something I want it to be DOING something for me and not just a waste of calories because I’d rather EAT me my calories. NUUN offers up essential micro-nutrients and electrolytes to balance out the water I drink. It tastes good and with 12 tabs in a tube it’s a decent bang for your buck.

Keep on sipping wisely runnerchicks and runnerdudes! 🙂

1) What kinds of liquids do you tend to drink? What are some of your favorite sports related drinks and how do you use them?

2) Have you tried NUUN, and if so what were your thoughts?

3) What do you look for in the drinks you get?

4) When it comes to ‘life drinks’ what kind of person are you? Are you a coffee addict, soda guzzler, reformed diet soda addict, or like me and usually opt to just eat more instead?? 🙂

Running the Numbers: When to Eat High and Low on the Glycemic Index

Posted on January 24, 2012 by Cait — 16 Comments ↓

Is this bagel high or low on the glycemic index? Am I supposed to be eating low glycemic foods or are it the high ones that are better? Wait, what the heck is the glycemic index anyways?

I’m a runner and I love carbs. By now I think we’ve all learned that multi-grain breads are better than the standard white and we should veer towards brown rice over white. But in the flood of ongoing studies and information shoved down our throats it’s sometimes tough to stay up to date on what the latest word is about the stuff that goes in our mouth.

I love exercise because it does make me feel like I have license to chow. The whole ‘if the engine is hot, it’ll burn’ thing, and getting too stressed about what foods are ‘good’ or ‘bad’ isn’t the best thing…and honestly there are conflicting messages; depending on who you talk to and what you read you could end up wondering if there is actually anything you should be eating!

But let’s be honest, to a certain degree we fitness folks have to be aware because part of running our best is fueling our best. So at least informing ourselves enough to achieve our performance goals IS smart. I like the saying, “Eating for performance.”

The glycemic index then rates our foods depending on the rate of which they are broken down by our body and converted to energy; it works off of a scale of 1 to 100.

High GI foods (rated 70 or more) are broken down the fastest; these are our white breads, cereals, potatoes and starchy goodnesses. Here we also have our sports drinks and foods. Think of these ones as the more processed foods.
* They offer up the fastest form of energy once eaten.
* Times to eat: during a race/workout, just prior to a race/workout (like if it’s the last thing you’re having), RIGHT after your run…within 15-30mins
* RECOVERY WINDOW: I’ll say it again because it’s this important, you want a high GI food along with a protein source within 30 minutes after your workout…miss this window and your recovery rate drops at least 60%

Low GI foods (rated 55 an under) are absorbed more gradually by the body; here are our apples, bananas, old fashioned oats, and beans. These ones are of the unprocessed variety, and usually high fiber.
* Supply gradual, sustained energy
* Keep you fuller for longer
* Times to eat: hours after a workout (post the recovery window you’ll want these guys) and throughout the entire day unless you are actually running or are about to head out

Moderate GI foods are anything in the middle and depending on your workout/running schedule choose from them according to which above category they are headed towards the most.

The bottom line is that the Low GI foods are typically your best bets but it’s important to realize that there ARE times when your body will crave that immediate source of energy. If you’re in a marathon, eating an apple isn’t really going to be doing you the favors you want it to. (and I’d like to see you multi-task that one too! hehe)

I’ve spoken with Krista Austin and in working with Dathan Ritzenhien she shares that before a race he’ll eat just plain, white rice. It gives him the quick shot of energy he’ll need, it’s a low residue food (read as not much fiber which will sit heavy in the stomach) and he knows it won’t cause him any distress. Is it plain? Sure, but he’s not eating it because it will glorify his taste buds…he’s eating for performance.

On that note, once your race or workout is done, then you can tantalize your taste buds all you want…I mean you earned it, right? 😉

————
You can read more tips on how to fuel your running in this article I did: Timing Your Fuel
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1) Do you worry about low or high GI foods? Do you try to pick one form of carbs over the other? (ie: whole grain, brown vs. white, etc.)
I do try to stick to whole grains and brown rice/pasta, but I’ll admit to not really keeping track of the GI foods all that well…working on it?? 😉

2) Which, if any, things do you ensure to eat to fuel your running best? Or that you eat because you know it’s best for your body?
Over the years I’ve gotten a lot better at upping my protein, I love eggs, cottage cheese, and shrimp the most. The carby’s I never had a problem with.

3) Thankfully when you are busting your butt you still carry that license to indulge a little more, what’s your top pick? Or, because in heavy mileage it’s sometimes straight up necessary to go for calorie dense foods (hello, Bill Rodgers eating mayo-covered pizza…it worked for him!) how do you pound the cal’s?
Said it a million times, but go to pick for treats are Pop-tarts and Ben & Jerry’s pints…there, said it again.

Nike FuelBand – New Calorie Counting Gadget on Track for Competitive Runners?

Posted on January 19, 2012 by Cait — 17 Comments ↓

Nike just came out with a new FuelBand; the guise is that you wear it all day and it’s supposed to track how many calories you burn. You can then adjust how many calories you want to take in each day; they say you set a goal and try to hit it.

Source
Good in theory, whether you’re trying to maintain, lose, or gain weight (genius from a marketing standpoint, I mean any kind of weight-related gadget in America is certain to be gobbled up). I remember the BodyBug came out a few years back with the same sort of gist.

Now, running burns a ton of calories, and depending on how much you train you could easily expend upwards of 1,000 calories after a single run. But it’s kind of a catch here because depending on the person (and the level that they run at, for lack of a better way to phrase it) they come at the whole running and calorie burn rate vs. intake and diet issues two different ways.

Bear with me; you take a gangly high schooler running cross country, new to the sport, maybe putting in 20 miles a week but with their metabolism can’t seem to keep the weight on. If it’s the first time they are getting really active they may not even have a clear idea that while they THINK they’re eating a ton they need to find ways to get in more calories…think liquid calories, like chocolate milk or sports drinks post-run, and eating more calorie dense foods.

Another case would be the obvious dieter; they see running as their best bet to burn calories, but in their mind it’s a little skewed. They run three miles and, if they aren’t really informed, they envision that they burned 1,000 calories and go to town on the Oreos. Here’s a case where using the excuse ‘I worked out today so can indulge’ took on unrealistic proportions.

Case three is the runner who’s logging 70 miles a week and in training. Now, each day they do run different workouts and mileage totals; the question becomes, do you try and finagle and adjust how many calories you eat depending on what you ran that day? (ie: less on an easy 7-miler, a little more on a day with 9 miles and a tempo in there, more on the 16 mile long run) OR, is that just over-thinking the matter and the athlete should just eat about the same every day and let the law of averages take over?

Last one; we have the person running 50 miles a week, still new to the sport and sets a goal to run a half-marathon. The catch is that this person used to be on the whole diet bandwagon and retains a bit of the mentality that they have to ‘be careful’ and watch what they eat. Their training volume goes up but they still ‘think’ of themselves as the out of shape dieter. Workouts start to feel tougher and they are struggling along…they need a clear visual that tells them they are not eating enough and that’s why they feel sluggish. Here is a case where I could see these calorie trackers coming in handy, more-so as a wake-up call.

In the end, it makes me wonder if all of this calorie knowledge is a good thing or just overcomplicating it.

* Pro: We’re a nation struggling with obesity, so obviously I’d say the majority does need to get a better grasp on how much they need to be taking in depending on their output.

* Con: I’ve done a lot of those supposed calorie trackers online and the number of calories they say I need to eat to just maintain are ridiculously low. They make me feel like a fatty. I’m sure they may be closer for other people, but just saying…

* Pro: Adequate knowledge is a good thing; if you’re training you should be smart about proper fueling habits and I could see the NikeFuel helping with that.

* Con: Obsessedo…I don’t need to go into too much detail and I’m sure we can all see that getting too wrapped up in the numbers can lead to too much knowledge becoming a bad thing.

So I toss it to you guys, what do you think about the NikeFuel and related calorie trackers? How scientific do we need to get with this all?

1) Do you do any calorie tracking things online or elsewhere? Are they ever even close to what you think you actually do/should be eating depending on your activity level?

2) Of all the cases above and in life, who do you think would benefit the most from these tools? The least?

3) Would you use the Nike Fuel or something similar?

4) How do you try and balance input/output…do you just flipping eat? 😉

All About the Iron – Low Energy? Get Your Iron Tested

Posted on January 18, 2012 by Cait — 20 Comments ↓

Running with low iron levels feels like you’ve got 200-pound dumbbells strapped to you and you’re running at a tempo effort…then you look down at your watch and want to cry because the pace is slower than you used to do your easy runs. Sounds like fun, huh?

Actually, some people aren’t able to workout if they have been anemic for quite a while. Low iron levels is not a rare problem with distance runners, or endurance athletes in general, and while women are especially prone to it, I think it’s important to understand that endurance athletes, regardless of gender, have to be careful to watch their iron levels:

* Stronger hearts and higher blood volume. This is all great when it comes to performance but with a higher amount of blood in the body it can dilute the amount of iron present.

* Healthy diets. Again a positive, but if an athlete is eliminating a lot of iron rich foods because they are deemed ‘unhealthy’ in other ways, this can lead to diminished iron stores. (ie: red meats, egg yolks)

* Running. I didn’t realize this but in each foot fall to the ground we are engaging in what is known as ‘foot strike hemolysis’. What this means is each time your foot plants it is breaking up red blood cells that carry iron. This is more so in larger runners, but we all do it.

* Blood loss.Obviously women lose iron and blood through *ahem, we know what* but trace amounts are lost in both sweat and urine too. Now, if you’re having blood lost in your GI tract, that compounds the problem but is also indicative of bigger issues you need to get addressed.

Mooo...lean red meats are high iron foods.

The thing is that having low iron levels doesn’t only effect how you feel…low energy is usually a red flag but if you go too long with low iron you’re setting yourself up for potential injuries like stress fractures. Being anemic for too long can lower your bone density and lead to osteoporosis.

How do you know if you have low iron levels, and what’s a ‘normal’ level? Unfortunately, it usually isn’t until you feel the effects of anemia that you think about getting tested. This is when you’re times start to drop and you constantly feel like you’re dragging. This is another reason why getting a blood panel done whenever you aren’t ‘feeling right’ in your runs is smart.

Runners put a lot of stress on our bodies but we are also more in tune with them than the average folks. We can tell if something is going awry; also, when we want our bodies to perform at 100%, we notice when we’re off sooner than just sofa surfers. To athletes, even a 10% drop in how we feel is a lot.

In asking Cal Poly coach Kelly Strong how she handles athletes that experience a sudden drop in performance, she answers, “For someone going through these types of situations, the first thing I would ask is about their sleep, nutrition, iron levels, etc.” For good reason, and in fact, it’s not a bad idea to keep tabs on your iron (and other important stats) every now and again to make sure everything is on the up and up.

Getting back to what are ‘normal’ levels, again it’s different for athletes. Here’s an excerpt from Pete Pfitzinger’s site:

You should find out both your hemoglobin and serum ferritin levels. Normal hemoglobin concentration ranges from 14 to 18 grams per 100 ml of blood for men, and 12 to 16 grams per 100 ml of blood for women, but for an endurance athlete, the lower end of normal should be extended by about 1 gram per 100 ml, due to our larger blood volume.

Ferritin is a measure of your body’s iron stores. Normal reference ferritin levels are 10-200 ng/ml for women and 10-300 ng/ml for men.

Dr. Martin says that in his experience with runners, training and racing performances are usually affected when ferritin levels drop below 20 ng/ml, and that when those athletes increase their ferritin levels above 25 ng/ml they experience a rapid turnaround in performance.

Personal anecdote here, I’ve had experience with low iron, and I remember being tested and having been in the low teens…it was not pretty. I actually went through a series of iron infusions (think three days of sitting with an IV drip lasting 3 hours…your mouth tastes like pennies!) to quickly boost the iron levels. From there I now always take a supplement in addition to what I eat naturally. I know of other runners who have gone the liquid iron route, I’ve never had those but they seem to get the job done too.

Again, I’m not a doctor, but when I was training at a high level it was the norm for everyone to get bloodwork on a consistent basis. We shot for our ferritin levels to be around 100. Again, yes, that is higher than what is ‘normally’ recommended, but better safe than sorry, right?

Some quick notes:

* If you aren’t feeling well in your runs and things continue to go downhill regardless of backing off and more easy days…go in and get a blood panel done. Make sure they test you iron levels and REALLY hound your doctor if you have to. Doctors are very busy but demand their attention and explain that you are an athlete. Get your coach involved (they should be already by this point if you have one) and they can help.

* DO NOT pound a ton of iron pills all at once. This will make you feel REALLY sick and it could be dangerous. I take a supplement with 65 mg of elemental iron; start with just one a day and gradually build your way up if you need to. If you’ve got a background of anemia, I’d suggest taking a supplement in addition to aiming to get iron in the foods you eat.

* IV’s and liquid iron are in more severe cases but not something to be afraid of. Talk to your doctor and a quick boost can work wonders…you’d be surprised how quickly you can feel the turn around once your levels are getting back up there.

Some high iron foods include: spinach, legumes, liver (yum!), oysters, lean meats, dried fruits, egg yolks, as well as whole grains and cereals that are iron enriched.

Things that block the absorption of iron are having tea and coffee with these foods. Conversely, having something with vitamin C in it will HELP iron absorption. Another quote from Pfitzinger, “You will absorb three times as much iron from your cereal and toast if you switch from coffee to orange juice with breakfast.”

Olive Oly chooses to go the high spinach route. 😉

So if you’re not sold on pumping the iron into your blood yet, then you may just have to figure it out for yourself the hard way. Best of luck tackling those PR’s with the 200-pound weights strapped to your back. 😉

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Stephanie Rosthstein has been making some headlines lately in talking about her struggles with not just low iron but getting diagnosed with celiac disease (which was blocking her iron absorption). HERE and HERE are two articles about how she’s gotten her issues resolved. In case you have a brain fart, she was just in the US Olympic Marathon Trials. 🙂
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1) Have you ever had low iron levels?

2) Do you make an effort to get more iron into your diet? Do you take a supplement?

3) How do you tell if something is going awry in your body? Has being an athlete given you an early heads-up and sent you in to figure out if there was something wrong?
After my fun adventures with anemia I later got to ride the wild roller coaster of hypothyroidism…fun tales for next time. 😉

Limiting the Variables for a Winning Race – Same Foods, Same Routine, Set Your Plan

Posted on January 3, 2012 by Cait — 14 Comments ↓

I have a particularly sensitive stomach. I can’t handle too much in there digesting away if I’m going to go out and run. My favorite time to run is first thing in the morning for just this reason. Yes, I know you shouldn’t run on an empty stomach and if I were actually training for something I’d be smart and wake up earlier to have something light for energy. I used to go the oatmeal route and that worked well for me before workouts.

But now that I’m not competing I just eat a big snack before I go to bed and that tides me over. I also like being able to just roll out of bed and into the shoes. I loved morning races not only because they made figuring out what and when to eat all the easier but also they were done first thing and I didn’t have to sit around all day with me, myself, and nerves.

Still, not everyone works out in the morning and races aren’t always going off in the morning hours either. With track season coming up, 99% of the time you’ll have an afternoon or later gun time. Track throws another monkey into the mix because you could be doubling, tripling, quadrupling…hopefully you aren’t doing any more than that, but you get the picture. In order to perform to your best you need to fuel your body with the energy it needs, but at the same time you want it to sit well in your stomach. You want to eat for performance.

You can read the article I did printed in January’s Running Times, ‘Timing Your Fuel’, for some pointers on the best way to go about creating a meal plan that works in accordance with your race time. Spoiler alert: you probably won’t want to wolf down those four chili-cheese dogs.

The thing with race day is you always want to limit the variables: don’t wear a new pair of shoes, eat things you KNOW will sit well, eat at the same times, warm-up at the same times, do the same warm-up routine and drills. Practice and workouts are the times when you test new things out and play around until you find what works for you.

Eating the right foods, as with training and warming-up, is unique to each person so go in with a plan in these areas just as you do a race plan.

1) What’s your favorite time to run and race?

2) What are you pre-race picks? Do you have anything in particular you HAVE to have right before?
I know it’s not nutritionally the best pick, but during high school I’d have to have two strawberry frosted Pop-Tarts…even packed them with me when I traveled to Italy. 😛

3) Do you have a finicky stomach or are you one of those lucky individuals who could wolf down the chili-cheese hot dogs and not taste them a second time through?

National Nutrition Month With a Turkey Feast?! Okay, Let’s Roll With That…

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Cait — 13 Comments ↓

Wow, I was unaware of this but apparently November is National Nutrition Month. And they lump Thanksgiving in there…does anyone else find that ironic?

I don’t like to harp on the ‘this is what you should eat’ thing too much because as I’ve said before I live by the workout hard, eat hard creed. Still, that doesn’t mean I totally throw caution to the wind and get gluttonous on only fried Twinkies and drink mayo by the tub. To be honest some of that stuff just plain doesn’t appeal to me.

Actually ice cream is totally fine by the tub!

I do have a few key things I make sure to get in every day: lots of protein because I know I need it, carbos…duh, and no problem there I could live off of carbs alone, and yes necessary fats. I actually like fruits and veggies and get enough of those in each day to meet my quota. From there, I reason: if I get the good stuff in then I can treat myself to whatever else. Hit the checklist than strap on the Pop-tart feed bag, right? 😉

You see, as with training it’s more about being consistent and the law of averages. So even if you have one gluttonous pig-out turkey day in November, it’s still okay to have it be National Nutrition Month…just don’t make every day like that or you’ll be the kid left wedged in the McDonald’s booth with ketchup crusted to his lips. Though to be honest, if you’re running 130 miles a week you could have an IV of tater-tots and probably still be okay.

Art: Cait Chock Designs

I will say two things that really made a world of difference in terms of eating (there are plenty of other tips if you are eating for fuel because I don’t want to send the message that what you put into your body isn’t important because that IS NOT true. But I don’t want to make this post epic, if you’re interested shoot me an email, maybe we could do a Q and A…again, I’m not a licensed anything but what I don’t know myself I can scrounge up someone who does)

* Eating withing 30 minutes after you workout. Seriously, even before you shower get in something, if it has to be a bar that’s fine. Look for one with a higher amount of protein in addition to the carbs though…not one of the 100 calorie bars with just 2 measly grams. 😉

Art: Cait Chock Designs

* Getting in enough protein. Look, I’m a carb-a-holic and never really thought much of my protein intake but when I did look at it, those few slices of turkey on my sandwich didn’t cut it. Runners need protein as well as carbs, aim for .75 to 1 gram per pound of body weight. It will build muscle, you’ll improve performance wise, AND not going to lie, I noticed a big difference in how I looked. (ie: saw more muscle definition) While that shouldn’t be your only reason, it’s a perk. My favorite picks are eggs and shrimp.

So in closing for National Nutrion Month, let’s let the facaccia take it away…

1) What is one tip you have that makes a huge difference regarding what you eat and how you feel in your workouts?

2) People who ONLY run because they know it burns calories are jyping themselves of way too many benefits to list and they usually don’t stay dedicated anyways; name one? Also, feel free to list one annoying tidbit regarding all of that jazz.
They are missing the fact that endorphins make for a happy Cait…sans a run I am a grouch. My annoying tidbit: the people who workout on the ‘fatburn’ zone on cardio equipment…don’t get me started there. 😉

3) Favorite food that is healthy….AND favorite food that you get because you’re cool and workout hard?
Shrimp and Pop-tarts!