nutrition – Serenity Through Sweat

Thanks for joining me for another edition of the SerenityThroughSweat blog. I’ve been on a bit of a diet and nutrition reading kick lately, and I wanted to share some insights I’ve gleaned, as well as how those ideas cross over into other areas of my life.

I remember one particular group training ride when I was preparing for Ironman FL in 2013. With an on call work schedule most of my rides were solo, as my availability was different than people with “normal” 9-5 type schedules. Still I tried to get out with friends or the local velo group that met up outside the wing joint/surfer bar whenever I could.

I was joining the B group for 20ish miles at an 18-21 mph pace, and the group leader had pulled out last minute leaving another regular member to take over as the pace setter up front. This rider was already planning on joining the ride, just not leading it, but I remember her saying “I didn’t have the proper nutrition today for this”

Before we go any further I can’t introduce “proper” without the applicable wedding crashers reference.

Clearly John, Jeremy, and the hatted young lady all seem to have differing definitions of proper, so what exactly is proper, and how does it apply to our nutrition?

Back to the original story, the ride was uneventful, in fact I don’t think I could tell you anything else about it, but that comment is something I remember all these years later.

Now conventional wisdom in the triathlon community supported her assertion, that there was a right and wrong nutrition prior to efforts of different lengths and intensities. I can personally attest to the effects of having the wrong nutrition both through bonking (running out of energy on a workout specifically glucose in the brain) and a host of gastro-intestinal issues that are better left to the imagination.

Still, the idea that otherwise well fed athletes could have the “wrong” or “improper” nutrition for a relatively minor change in training than their original plan seemed farcical to me, even though I understood it and had experienced it.

I wrote a few weeks ago about metabolic flexibility, and you can read that post for more details and links to check out when it comes to alternating between fuel substrates. The cliff notes version is; not taking in the “proper nutrition” for a mundane training ride is not a concern for metabolically flexible athletes.

Sunny FL days at the splash pad, and daddy improvising after forgetting a dry change of clothes.

Humans are designed to function in the face of widely varying caloric inputs and outputs. Think hunter/gatherers persistence hunting for a few days before successfully bringing home the bacon (literally). I think you’ll be okay if you skip that Clif bar in-between second breakfast and elevenses (or all of those calorie consumption opportunities for that matter)

Missing a snack or even a meal shouldn’t leave you phoning it in for the rest of day. As Vick’s reminds us, Mom’s and Dads don’t take sick days, nor do they get to omit parental responsibilities in the face of hunger, (or sometimes hAnger)

The question remains, what then is proper nutrition? As in most cases, taxonomy is important and proper is defined as follows; “adapted or appropriate to the purpose or circumstance”. I think adapted is of particular importance. In the case of our bike group leader, her body was adapted to a specific level, type, and timing of caloric consumption, and thus her nutrition could have been improper for the circumstance. (We’ll give her the benefit of the doubt anyway)

Whereas we are all genetically capable of high functioning without caloric input, if/when our bodies are adapted. In our bike ride example the adapted part of the definition of proper is mostly focused externally (on the nutrition/fuel), when it should really be focused internally (on the body/engine).

If you could only fill up your car’s gas tank from one particular pump at one particular station and it only held a few gallons, your everyday errands would be logistically challenging. Yet, that is the paradigm of “proper nutrition” promoted by conventional wisdom like “grazing” eating multiple small meals, and incessant snacking.

Whether it is in the context of an athletic endeavor, a day parenting, or working around the house, proper nutrition, is that which allows you to complete the mission without compromised performance, and without thinking about it. There are many ways to get there, but some are much more cumbersome than others.

My proper nutrition is continually evolving and changing. But there are some guidelines that help me hone in on what works. I want to enjoy and appreciate my food, rather than obsess over what, when, and how much I’m eating. I want to feel unlimited by my fuel, no bloating, no bonking, and no detrimental health effects. I’m working on being more open-minded as to what types of food and eating patterns help me meet these goals. What does your proper nutrition look like?

Thanks for joining me, stay safe and stay sweaty my friends.

Teammate training ride, MAF treadmill test, and layover morning miles in Tulsa

If this is your first time visiting, welcome, and if you are returning, thanks for joining me for another edition of Travel Tip Tuesday. All alliteration aside, today I want to talk about Amazing Grass Green Superfood supplement.

Eating a clean balanced diet is difficult no matter where you are. There are lots of different opinions on nutrition, and you can find research to back up most of those opinions. I think most people, carnivores aside, try to eat a balanced diet and get some fruits and vegetables in their diet. This is sometimes easier said than done, especially when you factor travel into the mix.

Whenever you travel whether it is at the airport or the hotel, think about what food options are always available. You can find a McDonald’s on every corner, and you can always find some form of fried chicken or a burger. But, how often can you find a restaurant where you can get some high quality vegetables and a healthy overall meal, especially if you are short on time? Sometimes it feels like an uphill scavenger hunt to get a healthy meal while traveling.

For me, this is where the Amazing Grass Green Superfood supplement comes in. It is an easy way to make sure I get some vegetables and some healthy greens in my diet. It has a variety of greens, antioxidants, and pre and probiotics. As an added bonus this helps keep me regular, because nothing makes a four day trip feel longer than being backed up.

I normally mix this up with water and chug it with my vitamins after my morning workout. While this isn’t a beverage I would sip slowly and enjoy, the taste isn’t a problem for a greens supplement. If you can’t get over the taste, adding a packet of your favorite flavor of Emergen-C is a great way to combine your vitamins with the supplement and add some fruit flavor.

The 30 serving jar fits perfectly in my suitcase and is worth every inch of space it takes up. But, if space is a huge issue, my recommendation is a ziplock bag inside your shaker cup. Put a few servings and your serving scoop in a ziplock bag and stuff it in your shaker cup in between uses and your supplement is protected and with you where you need it.

If you are looking for a way to get more greens, probiotics, and a good overall supplement, especially while traveling, I highly recommend Amazing Grass Green Superfood.

Thanks for joining me for another Travel Tip Tuesday. Stay sweaty my friends.

Tag: nutrition

Proper

Travel Tip Tuesday: Amazing Grass