Here are some strategies to employ when you are traveling, during the holidays or otherwise super BUSY!
VIDEO BELOW!!
Fill up first: A smoothie, a large salad, a hearty soup all good ways to curb hunger and sugar cravings
-This is a duh, but knowing science behind it might help. Empty stomach>ghrelin>appetite stimulated>as stomach fills up, ghrelin drops>appetite wanes.
-Also food in stomach>nerves that monitor pressure in your stomach>also send signals to brain that you are full
Easier to decline foods and/or choose healthier foods when hunger isn’t knocking
Pack healthy snacks and alternatives: Kind Bars, Lara Bars, nuts, dried fruit, protein snack packs at the gas station
Be sure to fill up with nutrient dense foods
smoothie, soup or salad
We’ve gone over the importance of these foods a lot, but just a quick reminder, if you don’t have enough nutrients in your bloodstream: glucose, fats, amino acids, vitamins, minerals, etc. then your body will still want to eat. Why eating something like crackers beforehand isn’t a great idea (protein, fats, carbs
Make a commitment to yourself to continue food tracking, even while at the event/holiday/busy. Even notes on a piece of paper will do the trick.
Write a post it note about your goal and stick it up somewhere you can see it.
DURING AN EVENT OR HOLIDAY OUTING
PRACTICE MINDFULNESS
Wait for all the food to be on table before choosing– make your choices all at once and you will eat about 14 percent less
If at the party/meal,start by loading your plate with the good stuff, round 1 nutrient dense, fiber filled food
When ordering … make healthy choices when you can
Sit and eat, instead of standing. Distance yourself from the grazing table (Laura story)
Put fork down between bites
Chew Thoroughly
-this has scientific merit.
-It gives the hormones cholecystokinin and leptin a chance to start working. CKK is released by the small intestine and pancreas, makes eating more seem less appealing
-leptin, secreted by your fat cells, helps balance out ghrelin
Really think about/savor your meal. Where did it come from, how did it get here? Farmers, shipping, grocery store, preparation, etC
If potluck type, be sure your dish is the main one you plan on eating, so make it count 🙂
Use smaller plates if available
MORE IDEAS
Leave visual evidence of what you’ve consumed, (empty plates and wine glasses/beer bottles make it less tempting to have more), well for some people
If food still on plate, cover with a napkin – not tempted to nibble at it even after you’re full
Alternate cocktails with a 1:1 water ratio
Food pushers– three bites. The first bite is the best, the last bite is the grand finale, and everything in between is more or less the same. In 3 bites you get the full experience
Be picky with your indulgences–don’t waste calories on something you can have at anytime, if you’re going to indulge, pick something that is special and unique to the season
WORK DAY
Ride the wave
Accept the treat. No need to eat it right away, take it home
Keep healthy snacks at work (that you like) with you (car, purse, whatever)
Keep goodies out of view
GOOD GENERAL PRACTICE
Get enough sleep (keep hormones ghrelin and leptin regulated)
Eat breakfast (keep glucose levels balanced with a macro-balanced meal)
Walk after a meal (helps clear glucose out of bloodstream)
Keep up on your supplements and routines as much as possible
Let’s start off this conversation with some facts:
There are two types of nutrients. Macronutrients and Micronutrients
Macronutrients are fats, protein and carbs
Regarding macronutrients, they are all needed in correct proportions to each other. The optimal proportions for the individual are unique.
Fat free diets are being shown to be unhealthy. For example, it is being shown in medical studies that low fat diets can contribute to hormonal imbalances.
Hormones are made from FAT and cholesterol
Let’s shift to facts about fats specifically:
There are two types of fat
saturated
unsaturated
Saturated fats: Butter and coconut (solid at room temperature)
Unsaturated fats come in two forms
Monounsaturated (avocado and olive oil)
Polyunsaturated (flax seed, walnuts, salmon)
All fats are made up of FATTY ACIDS, that come in different lengths. The body uses these three kinds of fatty acids differently. All are needed. These are the basic building blocks of body fat and all of the body’s hormones.
Short chain
Enter the blood stream directly from the GI track
Take care of IMMEDIATE short term energy needs. Such as supporting the “stress response” or training in zone 4.
Produced in the GI track by breaking down fiber (humans and animals)
When cows eat grass (“grass fed cows”) they produce more short chain fatty acids, thus are a better source of short chain fats for human consumption. This is why beet fan butter from “grass fed cows” is a healthier choice.
This is the preferred food for the colon and brain.
Important for healing leaky gut
A form of short chain fatty acids has been shown to DECREASE insulin resistance in the brain, which maybe help to positively impact Alzheimer’s
Medium chain
Enter the blood stream directly from the GI track
Take care of IMMEDIATE short term energy needs. Such as supporting the “stress response” or training in zone 4.
Long chain
Get packaged up and stored for later use. They are not as accessible and utilize more energy in order to produce energy from them.
Essential fatty acids. The body can produce a lot of fatty acids it needs from carbs, fiber and protein, however the essential fatty acids the body must get from nutrition.
The consumption of Omega-6 to omega-3 should be about 4:1. However is the average diet it is about 20:1.
Neither of these are good or bad. It is the ratio that is important.
Omega-3 (alpha-linolenic acid)
Hormonal impact: Fatty fish, reduce PMS
Omega-6 (linoleic acid)
Hormonal impact: Relieve depression and headaches
The best SOURES of DIETARY FAT:
Wild-caught fish
Pasture-raised eggs
Grass-fed beef
Extra virgin olive oil
Cold-pressed, unrefined coconut oil
Organic avocados
Raw, soaked nuts and seed
Grass-fed butter
Full fat cheese and yogurt
Saturated Fats
The conversation that saturated fats are needed might be new to you, as it is still very common to hear that saturated fats are bad. However, science is showing that fats are needed to support how the body is designed to work and supports hormonal health. For example, grass-fed beef is a very good source of micro and macro nutrients. Grass-fed beef has a high concentration of short chain fatty acids which the body loves, has more micronutrients as the cow is eating “real food that is nutrient dense” and much higher levels of conjugated linoleic acid. For example on the micro-nutrients, grass-fed beef has higher amounts of glutathione, which is a powerful antioxidant.
CLA is a fatty acid found in grass-fed beef that has been shown to decrease the risk of cancer, decreasing body fat, improving insulin resistance and lowering inflammation. Studies are showing that even a small amount of CLA can reduce tumors in the body, including in the breast, colon, lungs, skin and stomach. WHOOP WHOOP.
The point to take away, red meat isn’t BAD for you. And saturated fats aren’t BAD for you. In the end, inflammation is what is making us sick. If we make cleaner food choices, inflammation goes down. Grass-fed beef is one. And we DO NEED saturated fats. That is how the body works.
Additionally, following a low fat diet makes it hard to digest and absorb fat soluble vitamins such as A, D, E and K. This can lead to deficiencies which can then lead to a host of health issues, such as hormonal imbalance issues like infertility (men and women). Saturated fats are important for the immune system and metabolism as well.
Trans fat. High Heat. Commercial baked foods, and fried foods
Rancid fats are hard to digest and increase inflammation. (think your guts are on fire on the inside, so ALL ABSORPTION of ALL your food gets disrupted). These oils are low in micronutrients and have BHA and BHT added to them to increase shelf life. Trans fat are huge with disrupting sex hormones, disrupts with fertility (male and female) and dramatically increases inflammation.
“Whew, I gained all these extra pounds of fat from eating vegetables!” Ever hear anyone make this declaration? Yeah, me neither. So damn it. Turns out mom was right again. As much as it pains us to admit, she was onto something when she told us “eat your vegetables.”
Our bodies are these crazy and incredible machines that produce billions of new cells daily. In order to create a healthy body, the body needs good, quality, material to rebuild and refuel. If you think about how the nature of training works, our progress and growth don’t come from the workouts, when we are breaking our bodies down, our progress and growth come from the time in between, when the body is rebuilding and repairing to become stronger and faster than it was before. So we get it, we need exercise to improve and to feel good. We have to break down first to get better, but yet, so many of us forget that we also have to give our bodies the nutrients in order to rebuild, feel good, be injury free and have energy. Without the right nutrients, our bodies can only go for so long (and yes, some people can abuse and neglect their bodies more than others w/o immediate repercussions, but why go there?), before something breaks down and keeps us from training. So let’s fuel our bodies right with nutrient dense, real foods, and run and train like the true Idiots we are. Below we’ve put together a super short list (guys there are soooo many benefits, we could literally write a novel) for you to take a look and be reminded of the benefits of eating nutrient dense foods, like green vegetables and fresh fruits. We challenge and encourage you to make them a staple of your daily diet and see what a difference it makes. Bon Appetit!
Fiber– Fruits, vegetables, beans, whole grains, etc. are all filled with fiber. Fiber is nature’s awesome life hack. It literally fills up a bunch of space in our stomach, making us feel full, but because we don’t actually digest it, it’s calorie free!! This is how you become a lean, mean, svelte running machine. Not to mention fiber is needed to create peristaltic action so your bowels are healthy and moving like they should be. In fact, on that note, fiber is also amazingly awesome because it pushes out any excess estrogen our bodies have, helping keep our hormones balanced and healthy.
B-vitamins– B vitamins are these crazy little coenzymes that the body must have throughout the process of glycolysis (converting our food to energy) without them, things don’t progress like they should and we end up feeling low-energy and lethargic. In fact, with extreme B vitamin deficiencies we can develop some pretty serious illnesses.
Vitamin C– Runners take note!! Vitamin C plays an incredibly crucial role in creating collagen in our body, which is what gives strength to our skin and connective tissue and acts as a glue that keeps cells together, including cartilage, tendons and blood vessels, which if you’re a runner you care about this, because we don’t want end up sidelined with an injury while our friends are having all the fun. We also need vitamin C to absorb the iron from our plant food. Fun fact, do you know we are one of the only mammals that can’t produce our vitamin C?? Making it that much more crucial that we are getting abundant amounts in our diet.
Vitamin K– You can find this vitamin in your dark, leafy green vegetables and it’s important for blood clotting, but also, it’s important (along with some other vitamins and minerals) for forming strong bones. We want our bone matrix strong and supported, so once again, we can train hard and stay injury free.
Vitamin A– This vitamin is found in nutrient dense foods like liver, but also in plenty of fruits and vegetables like carrots, spinach and sweet potatoes, is incredibly important for athletes. While it has many roles, the role of keeping the lining of our nose and lungs moist, which protects the body from bacteria and viruses, therefore preventing possible infections, helping to keep us healthy and continue training even though we might be exposed to sick family members or co-workers.
Minerals– Magnesium, potassium, calcium and sulfur, to name just a few, play several crucial roles within the body. These minerals are in part, responsible for maintaining low blood pressure, maintaining fluid balance within our cells (no one wants to end up at endurance event suffering from hyponatremia!), converting our carbs, proteins and fats to energy, and without enough of some specific minerals, like magnesium or potassium, we experience muscle weakness, muscle cramps, muscle weakness and fatigue to name a few. No one wants to suffer through an endurance event experiencing any of these symptoms
Antioxidants– These are chemicals that protect your cells against the effects of free radicals, which are substances that play a role in promoting conditions like heart disease and cancer. Plant based foods contain several different known (and probably a ton of unknown forms of antioxidants!!) including certain vitamins (like C) flavonoids, polyphenols and lignans. Which just validates even more that eating, whole, nutrient dense foods is the best route to health, wellness and some awesome Idiotic training.
Volunteering for Ironman is a super worthwhile thing to do. It will definitely enrich your life, regardless if you are not a triathlete, new to triathlon and the ironman distance in particular or a seasoned ironman triathlete. This three part series is from three very different perspectives which help to tell the wonderful story of what an ironman journey is. ENJOY
When we understand how the body is designed to work. And we understand that everyone is different … we come to the realization that fueling and supporting the body during LONG efforts is key.
Here are some things that proper fueling results in: ✅Sustained energy ✅Better Recovery ✅Improved Performance ✅Safer Heat Training
Infinite: What you need to know (and common mistakes at the bottom!!)
Coach BK and Michael Folan chat about how Infinite Nutrition is an excellent method of fueling for training and racing for endurance races/adventures.
Check out more information at www.bonniekissinger.com/trainingnutrition
Free Athlete Health Assessement at:
www.bonniekissinger.com/aha
Save $$ with discount code: “BraveSoulCoaching”
Check out Infinite Nutrition at :
https://www.infinitnutrition.us/
LOGISTICS: The Nutshell!!!
HOW TO DO A CUSTOMIZE INFINITE BLEND
COMMON MISTAKES
❌ A serving is 2 TWO (2) (TWO) scopes
❌ A serving is 2 TWO (2) (TWO) scopes :))
❌ Some people will need extra sodium in addition to Infinite, thus the HIGHLY recommended add of Base Salts (sodium/tubes)
❌ If you make a concentrate, you need to drink the correct amount of water along with it. Easily accomplished with a hydration system on the bike or fuel belt. Check out www.bonniekissinger.com/trainingnutrition1 for a great tutorial on that.
1 1/2 cups oat flour
