The Perfect Weight Loss Diet for Athletes
Losing weight can be the easiest way to improve race performance. No athlete wants to drop pounds at the expense of losing muscle, however, which is the case when drastic calorie cuts are made. But when calories are reduced by only 10% or so, weight loss progress feels like the last 2 minutes of a marathon. Painful, and you just don’t seem to get to the finish line.
The fastest way to cut body fat still means capping calories at a slight deficit, but new research shows the focus needs to be on where they come from. First, no question a higher protein diet of 30% of calories, vs the usual 15% is necessary. Nix the beef and chicken, and instead, eat fish 5x per week in 3-oz portions to see a weight loss over an 8-week period by about 4 pounds more. Fat loss can be increased by consuming low fat dairy products as part of the daily protein intake. Lastly, given the same calorie level, the consumption of whole grains in place of processed grain will give you the edge once again on reducing fat, instead of losing muscle.
So make it a grilled fish sandwich on a whole grain bun with low fat yogurt for dessert. Fast lunch, and faster performance with super taste.
Spinach & Garbanzo Bean Soup
Few Americans meet the recommendation to eat 9 servings of fruits and vegetables daily. Produce provides phytochemicals that enhance recovery from hard exercise, protect against UV sun damage, and pollution. Here’s a delicious recipe that can boost your intake.
Spinach & Garbanzo Bean Soup Serves 4
Gluten-free Vegan High Fiber Lactose-free
This is a super easy recipe that works with any diet. All of the main ingredients can be kept on hand in the pantry and freezer.
2 Tbsp olive oil
2 leeks, sliced
Saute above ingredients and cook for 5 minutes, stirring constantly. Then add:
2 garlic cloves, minced Read More
Triathalon Wisdom: IRONWARS TELLS THE RIVETING STORY OF SCOTT & ALLEN
Published in print before the 2011 Ironman(r) World Championships in October, Iron War is Fitzgerald’s riveting epic about how Mark Allen and Dave Scott drove themselves and each other through the 1989 Ironman(r) World Championship, the most awe-inspiring race in sports history. Driven by one of the fiercest rivalries in triathlon, Scott and Allen raced shoulder to shoulder through the Ironman 2.4-mile swim, 112-mile bike race, and 26.2-mile marathon. After 8 punishing hours, both men would demolish the previous record-and cross the finish line just 58 seconds apart. The race would redefine the limits of human endurance and the role of mental toughness in sports. Iron War goes beyond the pulse-pounding race story to offer a fascinating exploration of the lives of the world’s two toughest men and their unquenchable desire to succeed. For more information, please visit www.velopress.com/ironwar.
5 No Fail Ways to BOOST POWER and SKI FASTER
DOWN WIND SPORTS – COUNTDOWN TO NOQUE! PRE-RACE CLINIC: Join Jeff Stasser, Down Wind Sports expert wax clinician, and Donna Marlor Sports Nutrition for the first of 2 clinics to get your Noque training full speed ahead. Learn easy nutrition tips to: • Boost Energy • Build Stamina • Stay Healthy • Get Leaner!
Try Jeff’s expert waxing tips at Monday nite DWS ski lessons before the race.
Time: 6 pm, Thursday, Jan 5th, Cost: $10.00 Price includes nutrition tip sheets and raffle prizes. FREE Clif Bar and PureSport hydration and recovery drink samples!
Make this Noquemanon your best race ever!
Fat burners: nutrition supplements that increase fat metabolism
’Fat burners’ are the most popular supplement group on the market. What exactly is a ‘fat burner” ? Manufacturers apply this term to describe any supplement that increases fat metabolism or energy expenditure for a short time period, increases weight loss, increases the use of fat as a fuel during exercise, or somehow causes metabolic changes that promote the use of body fat over a long time period. While there are thousands of fat burner supplements available for purchase on the market, few have any human studies to back up their claims. Supplements that have been tested on humans include caffeine, carnitine, green tea, conjugated linoleic acid, forskokloin, chromium, kelp, and fucoxanthin. Of this list, only caffeine and green tea have sufficient data to back up their claims, and the effects on fat metabolism are small. The other supplements, while showing some promise, need further testing to warrant recommendation for use.
The Feed Zone Cookbook Isn’t How the Pros Eat-It’s Much Better
When Dr. Allen Lim left the lab to work with pro cyclists like Levi Leipheimer and Christian Vande Velde, he found a peloton weary of food. So Lim set out to make eating delicious and practical. His journey began with his mom, took him inside the kitchens of the Tour de France, and delivered him to a dinner party where he met celebrated chef Biju Thomas.
The Feed Zone Cookbook provides 150 flavorful recipes that even the busiest athletes can prepare in less time than it takes to warm up for a workout. With simple recipes requiring just a handful of ingredients, Biju and Lim show how easy it is for athletes to prepare their own food, whether at home or on the go.
The Feed Zone Cookbook strikes the perfect balance between science and practice so that athletes will change the way they think about food, replacing highly processed food substitutes with real, nourishing foods that will satisfy every athlete’s cravings.
The Feed Zone Cookbook includes
* 150 delicious recipes illustrated with full-color photographs
* Allen Lim’s take on the science and practice of food
* Portable whole foods, including Lim’s famous rice cakes and more
* Dozens of quick-prep meals for before and after workouts
* Shortcuts, substitutions, and techniques to save time in the kitchen
* Gluten-free and vegetarian alternatives to favorite dishes
Get Leaner on High Anti-Inflammatory Meal
Athletes sometimes do need to cut some weight but they can’t afford to miss training days from getting sick. Nor do they want to lose muscle! It is easy to reduce the calorie count in a meal by about 15%. That does not mean you won’t feel full. Research by Barbara Rolls, PhD, at Penn State University showed that by decreasing the amount of grains and meat portions, and subsituting low calorie vegetables, subjects in the study consumed fewer calories. Even better, they didn’t really notice the amount of calories was reduced. The bonus of swapping out some greens for grains was a boost in anti-inflammatory nutrients. If part of your dinner plate is sugar or grease, then replacing more veggies for these foods can have an even higher payback.
Immune Boosting Ginger Chicken Soup
Prep: 10 minutes Cook: 3-5 hours crockpot Serves 8-10
Chicken soup is the staple when it comes to recovering from a cold or flu. I make the traditional recipe with a little Asian twist. By adding fresh grated ginger root the taste is enhanced along with the immune boosting power. This recipe calls for the addition of cabbage, onions, and carrots, but do not be afraid to toss in squash, potatoes or leeks. The whole idea is to maximize the amount of phytochemicals available in a single meal.
Hydration with soup is very effective due to the presence of potassium from the vegetables, and sodium, which are essential electrolytes. I like to make a large batch, and then freeze some of it for quick recovery meals.
Ingredients:
1 (2-3 pound) whole chicken, or cut-up; remove skin
2 tsp. grated fresh ginger (put through a garlic press for quick prep)
Read More
Faster Muscle Recovery: Supplements vs. NSAIDS
It is frustrating to have a great day training and then wake up the next morning too sore to workout again. Many athletes avoid using NSAIDS because of the potential risk of bleeding, ulcers and kidney damage. Natural anti-inflammatory supplements are regularly marketed as safer and effective, but do they really work? The jury is still out, with some researchers getting positive results, and others not. If you do chose to use a natural food based anti-inflammatory supplements, here are some guidelines.
1) Take a supplement that contains a mixture of ingredients. The concurrent ingestion of flavonoids increases their effectiveness. 2) Use the supplement consistently for at least 2 weeks. Popping a natural supplement the day of a race is not likely to be effective. To date, two of the supplements that have shown effectiveness include black currant berries containing 240 mg anthocyanins, or and a combination of quercetin mixed with isoquercetin, EGCG, fish oil, vitamin C, and niacin.
Technology Can Help Boost Success at Weight Loss and Exercise
When I suggest to a client that the best way to insure success at reaching their weight goal is to keep a daily record of food intake, it’s a suggestion usually met with resistance. Exercise logs don’t fare much better. But if you are having problems staying motivated for more than a couple of weeks on a weight loss program, then monitoring with a personal digital assistant (PDA) might be the answer. Research has demonstrated that when self-monitoring of daily diet and exercise was done using a PDA, after 6 months the group using the PDA technology had more weight loss, and had a higher number of self-monitoring entries than a comparison group using a paper record. Perhaps just as important, the PDA group that also received a feedback message ate fewer calories and less saturated fat than the other groups (paper record or PDA only).
It should not be a surprise that frequent monitoring of goals and messages that encourage us to keep trying make it easier to reach health goals.
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