Nutrition

Today, I want to discuss something just as important as the training in preparation for my 3700 mile bike ride. Nutrition is an important aspect of health in general but is very important when fueling workouts and recovering from up to 15 hours of training a week. Daily meals, nutrition during longer or intense workouts, and supplements all play a role in keeping your body ahead in regards to performance. Nutrition is also an area I constantly research and would be happy to expand upon anything I mention during this post to support why I eat like I do and what changes I'm working on.

Today I'm going to focus on my daily meal plan. Daily meals is the 1st thing to focus on when developing a nutrition plan. If this is not consistent then your workouts and nutrition during workouts will also be inconsistent. I also believe taking supplements when your daily nutrition is not up to par is a waste of money and ineffective in improving overall health. I try to follow a higher fat diet, full of saturated fats, consisting of foods such as eggs, whole fat yogurt, avocados, nuts, butter, olives, fish, and coconut milk. I believe the leading cause of a lot of chronic illnesses and obesity is due to the over consumption of carbohydrates causing increased inflammation in our gut and blood vessels, the constant fluctuation of our blood sugar, and the rapid conversion of carbs to body fat. A lot of people think that it is just the sugars in sweets, sodas, and "junk food" that cause the previous problems but more evidence shows that foods full of gluten also have these negative effects on the body. In contrast, once adapted to a higher healthy fat diet your body begins to have prolong, constant energy without the crashes from sugary foods. I definitely do not follow this as strictly as I should and know most people believe "in moderation" is key to nutrition. However, I believe the food industry today embraces this thought and is able to use our habits to making us addicted to foods that are becoming more and more toxic to our body every year.

Here is my daily meal plan when I am really keyed into nutrition. A full day of this plan happens only a couple times a week but I am able to keep most of it consistent with only 1-2 exceptions a day. I start out each day with a greens supplement drink that I take on an empty stomach. This is jammed packed of dozens of vegetables, full of vitamins. I take this in place of a manufactured multivitamin, knowing I will get more absorption from natural sources and get some hard to find nutrients from  sources such as chlorella and spirulena. Then 30 mins later I have breakfast, which is always 3 eggs, whole fat yogurt with LIVE and ACTIVE cultures, along with berries mixed in. I try to do all organic for breakfast which decreases the toxic load on your body from pesticides, harmful manufacturing practices, growth hormones, and traces of antibiotics. Whole eggs provide lots of the healthy fats and protein to give you the sustained energy to last throughout the day. Eggs also contain tons of vitamins such as Vitamin B12, selenium, riboflavin, and phosphorous. I prefer mine hard boiled or scrambled with organic butter and coconut milk (even more healthy FATS!). The less the egg is cooked the more nutrition it will retain for your benefit! My plain yogurt with the cream top adds even more fats along with the probiotics from live and active cultures. Check the ingredient label to ensure your yogurt has these. This addition is proven to prevent gastrointestinal infections, boost your immune system, prevent certain types of cancer and osteoporosis. People that are lactose intolerant can usually even tolerate organic yogurt with these added cultures. Now this yogurt is pretty bland so the addition of berries add a sweetness and are full of antioxidants that will protect your body from the daily damage you put it through. I also don't do much sugary drinks but when I need a boost  in the morning I add cinnamon and coconut milk to my coffee mug and fill the rest up with coffee. The cinnamon sweetens the drink and aids in leveling out blood sugar levels.

Lunch is generally eaten in the hospital's cafeteria and more days then not it is a large fresh salad full of spinach, peppers, onions, olives, cucumbers, broccoli, you get the point.... anything and everything on the salad bar really. I try to use oils as dressings but several places do not have this option so I cheat and use whatever is available. Vinager and pure olive oil, not extra virgin, is the best bet when topping off your salad. I'll also place chicken on top or add whatever meat is offered for the day to the side of my salad. Have you noticed my lack of gluten, and any carbs at all up to this point with exception to the berries?  Even without this "instant" energy I feel great throughout the day. Then there is dinner. My favorite, ideal dinner is a a piece of fish, usually salmon, with a sweet potato covered with more butter and cinnamon, and another salad with avocado mixed in. The fish should be wild, not farmed, and supply lots of omega 3 fatty acids that helps normalize several blood levels. My workouts are usually right before or after dinner so the starches from the sweet potato really helps me out.  When eating out quick I try to pick one of the burrito restaurants, ordering it naked with most of the toppings. These places usually have fresh produce along with their meats being from farms that practice good farming habits. My dinner can vary widely though with dinner plans always being inconsistent from dinner at home, to eating out, inviting friends over, and going to a gathering at another friends house. My main weakness is definitely giving in to the carb loaded dishes, especially Italian. The instant energy it provides often tempts and overcomes my self control due to all the energy I use on workouts.

Snacks are important of course! I enjoy a handful of nuts a couple times a day to curb my appetite  These are my go to, either almonds or walnuts. I also enjoy avocados, hummus, and homemade guac (I'm currently eating guac and carrots as I type this).  and My new favorite dessert that I can't get enough of is whipping up a bowl of cream and throwing in berries and nuts. It's definitely a lot tastier than the popular Fro-Yo.

And there is my general daily meal plan. The only other nutritional trick I employ is a fast on the weekends if I can wait till later in the day to do my workout. After dinner on Friday and Saturday I'll shut off the gut for the night and wait till later the next morning to eat my breakfast. This incorporates anywhere from a 12 to 16 hour fast a couple of days a week which boosts metabolism and fat utilization.  I'll talk about my workout and race nutrition in a follow up post as this was starting to get quite long. If you have any questions about anything in this I would love to answer them so please share.

Also I am still in need of donations for my ride. The deadline is a month from now and I am in need of quite a bit of help still. Please considering donating by contacting myself or clicking here.