So I just stumbled across these two articles.

Two of the most thorough & helpful that I have yet to find online.

Will definitely help when making your choices at the Supermarket.

Might make you think twice about picking up that Gatorade though.

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/eat-this/food_additive_glossary/

http://www.womenshealthmag.com/eat-this/withheld_food_industry_secrets/

Hope training is going well for all.

Eat drink & Row Merry

Yes, I know we’re just hours away from February, but sadly I was late coming into this world from the day of my birth and pretty much have been late ever since!!! I’m a work in progress when it comes to timeliness, but I’m hoping to make up for it with some in depth information in the next few entries.

Feeding off of the last entry posted in 2008….

I thought I’d start out with a list of New Year’s Resolutions as well as practical applications to make them successful.

1)      Eat Real Food

While I know at times it may feel like this rule is really hard to abide by (especially in the US), here are a few guidelines pulled from Michael Pollan’s book, “In Defense of Food” (Penguin Press 2008) to help keep you on track:

1. Don’t consume anything that your great-grandmother wouldn’t recognize as food.
2. Try to avoid food products containing ingredients more than five in number, unfamiliar, unpronounceable, or that include high-fructose corn syrup. They are likely to be highly processed.
3. Try to avoid foods bearing a health claim. For a food product to be able to make claims on its package it must first have a package, so it’s more likely to be a processed food than a whole food. *As a general rule of thumb this is great, although I do feel there are a FEW beneficial products on the market that undergo some level of processing such as some protein powders or fortified milks where the nutritive benefits still make it worth consuming but my advice would be to READ labels carefully and be EXTREMELY selective.
4. Do NOT get your body’s fuel from the same place your car does. Gas stations and convenience stores are notorious for selling highly processed snack foods and extravagantly sweetened soft drinks.

Another rule of thumb is to shop primarily around the perimeter of the grocery store since that is where you will find majority of the fresh and least processed food.

2)      Eat Less Sodium

While not ALWAYS possible, a general guideline is to make sure that the sodium content (in mg) does not exceed the calorie content of a given product and/or meal.

3)      Eat More Protein

While it’s not exactly rocket science, here are a few simple ways to

get some extra protein into your diet:

• Low-fat or No-fat milk instead of cream in your coffee (or soup recipes).

• Try the “fiesta” version of store brand frozen mixed vegetables (they have kidney beans)

• Hummus instead of vegetable dip (If not homemade, keep resolutions 1&2 in mind in order to make optimal selections)   

• hard boil eggs are a perfect handy snack especially when on the go

• unsalted nuts instead of pretzels

• Add vanilla protein powder to plain yogurt instead of vanilla or fruit flavored yogurts

• Sprinkle nuts, flax and cheese or add meat or eggs to salads

• Natural Peanut butter instead of butter or margarine as a spread

• Quinoa is the whole-grain that provides the most protein per serving

• Yogurt instead of ice cream

• Soy crisps instead of potato chips or rice cakes

***Sugar-snap peas (or Edamame -soy beans) are great protein & fiber combo snacks (not to mention unprocessed, low calorie & sodium free) when you’re craving something crunchy too. They’re one of my favorite snacks

Finally veggie burgers, cottage cheese and certain types of soups are also other solid protein sources (Once again though, always keep resolutions 1&2 in mind when selecting varieties of these products off of the shelves. It’s a jungle out there as different brands vary greatly in their sodium content as well as the number of and content of ingredients)

4)      Stay properly hydrated

This can be REALLY tough during the winter since we tend to crave WARM beverages. Herbal teas offer the perfect solution to this problem. They are flavorful and yet calorie free. Several flavors often offer an antioxidant boost as well. 

5)      Eat until you’re not hungry instead of until you are full

Once again, not rocket science, but we often tend to overdo it at mealtimes. Some ways to avoid this include eating smaller mini-meals throughout the day as opposed to 2 or 3 large ones. Eating slower and taking breaks in between every bite also helps to decrease the likelihood of overeating in a single sitting.

So tomorrow of course is SUPERBOWL Sunday.

The biggest snack food day of the year!!!

For those of you looking to make it through the game without a belly bust,

hopefully some of the protein suggestions above have given you some ideas for guilt-free snacks such as unsalted nuts or raw vegetables with guacamole or hummus. While avocado would be considered a fat rather than a protein, homemade guacamole provides a source of healthy fats and several more nutrients than your “run of the mill” processed veggie dip.

If you’re looking for a salad, one of my latest concoctions is a quick & easy power packed combo of protein & fiber:  Meg’s “2-pt conversion” Corn & Bean Salad  Salad

     1 bag frozen corn defrosted

     1 can of black beans

     1 can of red kidney beans

     1 can of diced tomatoes, fresh salsa or freshly chopped tomatoes

Drain & rinse beans

Combine 4 ingredients

*** While fresh is always the better option than canned and I HIGHLY recommend you go with fresh or frozen for majority of your produce intake, with these particular ingredients, you can get a beneficial amount of nutrients from the canned version

especially if you opt for the low sodium versions (they FINALLY have Low Sodium diced tomatoes on the market) and make sure to rinse the beans thoroughly.

Dressing

   few tsps of chopped garlic, lemon juice, vinegar & seasonings/spices your choice (fresh is always better but Mrs. Dash has some great combo flavored seasonings also) The salad dressing mists or Good Seasons powders are also viable alternatives.

Another salad that I’ve concocted is a warm spinach & tomato salad.

While it might not score a touch-down during your Super Bowl party, it might be a tasty treat for a Valentine’s Day meal in order to allow room for a little dessert.  I’ve previously posted it on the boards here somewhere, but here it is again anyway.

1/2 bag of fresh spinach
1 tomato chunked
1/4 c. walnut pieces
2 oz crumbled goat cheese
Balsamic vinagrette or Tuscan dressingmix all ingredients & heat in microwave for about 2min so that salad is warmed but not “cooked”
(I usually add a little ground flax seed as well a little apple cider vinegar)
It’s a great source of vitamins, fiber, healthy fats & protein.
Studies have shown favorable results for goats milk vs. cows milk too.
http://substance.altmedangel.com/milkcomp.htm
http://www.crohns.net/Miva/education/ab … milk.shtml  

Once again a Belated Happy New Year, Happy Super Bowl and Happy Winter Training.

While Eat, Drink & Row Merry is ALWAYS my stand-by farewell…

especially tomorrow…please make sure to drink and/or drive responsibly too.

Cheers!!!    

By now, it should be obvious that fat loss isn’t just a matter of calories in, calories out. And while it’s a little more complex than that, you can easily use the tips in this article to ensure you’re getting the most from your dieting efforts.This article goes to show that even if you are a lightweight, you don’t have to live on celery.  As a matter of fact, dipping it in some protein & fiber packed hummus will help keep the metabolic furnace burning longer.  The same goes for fish & meat.  I started eating tilapia & seasoning it with cayenne pepper, lemon juice, garlic & black pepper the night before weigh-ins and it made a big difference this summer.  If the above rules are followed, making weight will not only be easier, but your performance should improve as well not to mention if you start making smart choices now, you hopefully will not have to be running around before your race looking like a ski bunny in the middle of next summer (or at worst for much LESS time). 

• As an endurance athlete, because you are active much more than the people this article was probably geared for, you can probably afford a bit more glucose especially on heavy training days since you will be using that energy before it has a chance to be stored.  The take-home message here is that you can have some steak, a piece of dark chocolate, a bowl of chili and plenty of other hearty food alternatives, but the fiberless carb-fat combos such as pizza, doughnuts, cookies, cakes, and brownies, are a waist-line’s worst nightmare.  While in theory, anything in moderation is ok, following the advice from above will not only improve your performance and have your clothes fitting better but it will probably boost your  everyday concentration and energy levels as well.  
• Eat, drink & row MERRY. J

I know this time of year can be tough as we approach the winter months and the Holidays. Temptations seem to be EVERYWHERE.  But FEAR NOT!!! I have some great suggestions and recipes that will keep you lean, trim & dropping that erg split while still meeting the winter prerequisite of COMFORT FOOD.

Unfortunately, I’m currently recovering from a repetitive stress injury in my wrist & forearm area with the hopes that I’ve caught it before it turns into Carpal Tunnel Syndrome.  I will Blog more about it in the future once it has healed as it has affected my rowing, but for now I’m trying to limit typing & stress to the area so I can make it down the Speedorder Course in 2 weeks.

Today though, I’ll leave you with my go-to, totally reliable, can’t fail breakfast:

Meg’s “stay-all-day” Oatmeal

(all measurements approximate & can be easily altered to your liking)

1 c. oats

1/2 c. Vanilla Protein Powder

1/3 c. ground flax

1/4 c. unsweetened dried coconut

1/4 c. walnuts

1/4 c. dried cranberries or cherries

(I’ve also chopped up an apple & thrown it in the mix as well)

Mix all dried ingredients together.  A large yogurt container will hold all of the contents perfectly.  I usually top off the container with the approximate proportions above.  All you need to add is as much water as you desire & heat on stovetop or in a microwave-safe container.   I know everyone has different ideas on the consistency of their oatmeal (pasty, soupy, etc) so I’ll leave that up to you. 

It’s a great way to get a nutrient-filled breakfast that packs just as much flavor, more fiber, more nutrients & less sugar than the instant oatmeal packets. If your boathouse has a microwave, you can eat it right there.  How many servings this will provide will probably depend on sex, wt, & activity level but I guarantee it will fill you up and keep you satisfied for hours on end.

Eat Drink & Row Merry

• Nutrition from A-Z
• A- Avocado - can’t say enough:  http://www.avocado.org/healthy-living/nutrition    
• Apples - fiber, vitamins, low Glycemic Index (GI)
• B- Berries - fiber, antioxidants
• C- Coconut Oil - healthy fat    
• Cherries - muscle recovery, low GI
• D- Dark chocolate/cocoa - antioxidants
• E- Eggs - healthy fats, protein
• F- Fish - healthy fats, protein     
• Flax - healthy fats, protein, fiber    
• Fruit - energy, vitamins, minerals
• G- Green Tea - energy, appetite stabilizer     
• Garlic – antioxidant, immune system booster 
• Goat cheese - calcium, more easily digestible than cheese from cow’s milk
• H- Herbal tea - (ginger, chamomile, dandelion, etc) help promote restfulness    
• Honey - natural sweetener
• I- Iced Tea - does have caffeine, but fewer chemicals, colors & sugar than soda & sports drinks. Sugar level can be controlled. Homemade is best.
• J- Juice - shoot for beverages that are 100% natural.  Try diluting with water to increase hydration & decrease sugar intake.  One of my favorites is also making fresh-squeezed lemonade. Looking for electrolytes??? Just add a little salt.
• K- Kale - Super green, lots of Folate
• L- Legumes - fiber & protein packed, includes chickpeas & beans. Try in soups, salads, veggie burgers & hummus (healthy dip alternative) 
• M- Meat - best source of complete protein available: chicken, beef, turkey, even pork…go for lean cuts
• N- Nuts - healthy fat, fiber: almonds, walnuts, NATURAL peanut butters
• O- Oats - high fiber, low GI, low gluten grain     
• Olive Oil - healthy fat
• P- Pumpkin - high in Fiber & Vitamin A     
• Potato - gluten free carb, make sure to eat the nutrient rich skins
• Pears- most easily digested fruit
• Protein Powder - whey &/or soy (I will address this more in the future but some research has shown that a combination of both whey & soy mixed together showed best results of free flowing testosterone) 
• Q- Quinoa - high fiber, high protein, gluten-free grain
• R- Rice- gluten-free grain, BROWN & WILD have MUCH more nutrients & less starch
• S- Soy - great protein, antioxidant, easily digestible milk    
• Spinach - Super green, Iron     
• Spices - add flavor without extra salt or sugar: Cinnamon, Curry, Cayenne pepper, Black pepper, Vanilla, Italian Seasoning, True Lemon & ginger are just a few 
• T- Turbano (aka raw) Sugar - natural sweetener, healthier alternative to refined sugar or artificial sweeteners    
• Tomatoes - filled with antioxidant lycopene
• U- Unsulfured dried fruit - Natural alternative to candy
• V- Vegetables - vitamins, minerals, fiber: ANY kind, eat as MUCH as you want, shoot for ALL COLORS
• W- Watermelon - antioxidants, prostate health        
• WATER- hydration
• X- eXtra fortification- vitamin & mineral supplements, fortified beverages, etc. Athletes can benefit from extra since we need A LOT more on a daily basis. Check out LiquidMercury’s Blog as he has a pretty thorough list.  The only one I would add is acidophilus to help with digestion.  Also, while the label might freak out those of you from the male population, if your looking for the best bang for your buck, when it comes to multivitamins, the Prenatal ones are actually usually the most comprehensive multi’s out on the market.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

***Always make sure you look up ALL of the ingredients of any supplements you take because many often possess substances banned by doping agencies.***

• Y- Yogurt- calcium, digestion    
• Yams - great easy to burn energy with relatively low GI
• Z- Zinc - mineral that helps immune system
• Ziti- not a big pasta fan but since many are…make sure to go with WHOLE GRAIN fortified varieties or alternative grains (see gluten article from previous post)   That’s all for now.

                                                                                   Eat, Drink & Row Merry

Now we’ve all heard this old cliché time & time again, but when it comes to a healthy diet, this statement has significance on multiple levels. 

The first thing that I would like to address is that if you are an athlete and you want to perform at your optimal capability, you NEED to ignore recommendations for the “average” American dietary needs.

Do you exercise like the “average” American? No.

For most collegiate & Elite athletes you’re probably doing more physical activity in one day than most people do in a week.  This type of lifestyle creates its own set of problems for both lightweights and heavyweights when confronted with making dietary choices though.

My favorite line that I hear most often is:

 “You’re so lucky. You work out so much, I bet you can eat whatever you want.”

In theory, this is true. If you maintain a diet of calories in = calories out, your weight will pretty much remain constant.  If you row to stay in shape and maintain a healthy weight then that philosophy is fine. On the other hand, if you consider yourself an athlete and are training to race, then you could probably benefit by following a stricter diet.  When I suggest “stricter” though, it is not so much a reference to quantity, but rather to the quality of your daily dietary intake.  Although quantity does definitely play a part as well.

While in theory you can eat foods such as fried chicken, nachos, ice cream and french fries, and still maintain a “healthy” weight, those foods are most likely not going to help you perform at your best.  Not to mention, I don’t want to think of what kind of plaque might build up in your arteries?

Now while I know at least most of you lightweights are probably saying well I wouldn’t go near those foods with a 10-ft pole….how many of you snack on rice cakes, microwave popcorn, diet sodas, Crystal light & 100 calorie snack packs?  Yes, they fill you up and keep your weight down*, but they will do nothing to improve your athletic performance either.

Based on my observations, both the average heavyweight AND lightweight diet could use a little reform.  The largest problem is that much of the food marketed and most easily accessible to us is both highly processed and nutrient deprived.  The human body is not designed to break down chemicals and cannot convert them into energy.  On the other hand, if you eat a diet filled with nutrient rich food, you’ll feel better, perform better and probably even look better too.  Foods such as fruits, veggies, nuts, eggs, fish, soy, lean meats & whole grains are the way to go no matter how much you weigh (or want to weigh)

Often lightweights will resort to extreme caloric restriction and then get frustrated that they are not losing weight. In theory it makes sense: eat less…weigh less and it might be frustrating if your co-worker at the desk across from you is on the newest fad diet and dropping pounds like it’s his or her job.  Everyone knows that about 2000-2800 calories a day is what is suggested for the average American adult. http://www.fda.gov/fdac/graphics/foodlabelspecial/pg44.pdf.  On the other hand, a competitive rower is going to burn a ballpark of 10cal/min of work. Therefore if you train for about 3 hrs/day, that’s approximately a loss of 1800 calories. What often happens to lightweights is that they increase the training volume too disproportionately to the decrease in calories which sends the body into starvation mode.  This is often further aggravated (esp. in women) by eating fat free foods since the body requires fat as an energy source especially for endurance. So now you have a malnourished hungry athlete who’s probably losing LESS weight than the buddy dieting because the daily caloric ratio is off too much.  Now of course the numbers above are simply rough estimate. Based on your height, weight, sex, etc, those numbers are going to vary, but the take-home point of this argument is that athletes DO need more calories than their sedentary counterparts (EVEN when trying  to lose weight).

On the contrary, most lightweights do not naturally sit at weight and DO have to eat less food(but in moderation) than they are burning on a given day.  This is when the types of foods eaten play a part. Last spring an open-weight friend of mine approached me extremely frustrated that she was being beaten by experienced lightweights & expressing that she thought the extra weight was supposed to be helping her performance. While extra weight will usually help on an erg or in an insanely strong head or crosswind, raw size is not as important as strength, endurance and fitness. The reason that some lightweights are often competitive with open-weights when in theory they shouldn’t be is partially because they have to eat less food.

The secret here is less food does not necessarily mean less energy.  A good lightweight knows that EVERY calorie counts so what I’ve found is that the ones who have figured this out  tend to make better choices in what they eat by choosing foods chocked full of nutrients such as almonds, avocados, oatmeal & yogurt. * It should be noted here that none of these foods are low calorie.  Athletes need both nutrients and calories for performance.  Foods such as the ones listed above sustain hunger, maintain blood sugar and provide both the energy & nutrients required for training & competing as well as maintaining or even losing weight.

Unlike lightweights, open-weights generally do not have the problem of under-eating, but since the caloric count is not so much of a concern, sometimes that quality of food is not so much of a concern either.  At this point in time I will refer back to my earlier statement about why you row.  Think of it this way. Take your training and natural ability and you have your raw speed. Chances are though if you had the choice to row in a 2008 Fluid or a 1989 Vega, you probably would take the Fluid.  On the other hand, if you have the choice of fruit salad & yogurt or a brownie sundae, which one are you going to choose??? The more positive food choices you make, most likely the better performance that will result.

Additionally, while under-eating definitely hurts performance, so does overeating. First of all, extra weight is only beneficial if it is muscle.  If it is not, it’s simply extra weight that you (or your teammates, in the case of a team boat) are dragging down the course.  More importantly though digesting food takes A LOT of energy.  If athletes have eaten TOO much food before training or an event, then they are actually slowing themselves down since some of their energy is being wasted on excess digestion.    

The key to both optimum performance and weight is eating nutrient rich & natural food.  Let’s take a snack. Whether you are snacking on rice cakes, potato chips, pretzels or a bagel, in any case the lack of nutrients in those types of foods is going to result in low energy due to low nutrients. You are either going to eat more due to the low energy…also resulting in excess calories hence potentially excess weight or not eat more resulting fatigue and irritability. On the other hand, a small bag of dried fruit & nuts and an apple would provide the same calories, triple the nutrients & digest much more easily.  ***Another interesting perk of eating natural and unprocessed foods is that they seem to metabolize more easily.  Therefore if you like eating (which most rowers do), based on my experience, I’m actually able to consume even MORE calories of “good” foods simply because the body digests them more easily.

The take-home message today is that you will perform best if you neither overeat nor under-eat as well as filling your diet with wholesome & unprocessed foods. Likewise every meal should be balanced with sources from carbohydrates, protein and fats. In future entries I will get into more specifics of nutrient dense super foods as well as healthy diet destroyers( did someone say transfats???), but for now I will share how I learned this tough little lesson.

After competing as a lightweight for several years and fluctuating several pounds during the winter time… I decided to race open-weight this past year, due to a number of different circumstances. While I still followed a nutrient-dense diet, I allowed myself to eat regularly and however much I wanted. I also increased my fat intake by a great deal.  As a result my weight did not fluctuate nearly half as much and at my highest weight all winter, I weighed LESS than when I had been TRYING to be lighter.  The next new discovery came during Lent when I decided that since I was not watching my weight, I would cut out all artificial sweeteners from my diet. For the most part that meant replacing Splenda with raw sugar or honey.  No, I did not lose any weight…but interestingly enough I did not gain even a pound either.  As spring grew warmer and the intensity and volume of my training increased, weight started to fall off a bit.  In the end, my open-weight racing opportunities were decreasing so I decided to switch back to lightweight.  Now I would never say that making weight is “easy” but, as a result of the few small tweaks I made to the foods I eat (primarily eating more healthy fats & less processed food), I was able to make weight with the most ease in my career thus far.  More importantly though, I raced MORE races and recorded FASTER times than I ever had before as well. 

    Eat, Drink & Row Merry

While this is only ONE story, I could probably come up with several more very similar to it (I can also recall a boat of eight rowers all sitting in a circle with giant Cinnabons) and  I’m sure many readers could provide several of the like as well. 

And so begins my quest.  It has never ceased to amaze me how often rowers in general focus so much energy on lifting and training, equipment and race plans, but give very little attention to nutrition.  As a result, I am hoping that the subject matter of this blog will be a great supplementary addition to the current mix of topics.

In no particular order, here’s an idea of subject matter that I plan to address:

- Caloric needs for a competitive athlete

- Processed foods

- The SUPER FOOD Alphabet – 26 or so foods guaranteed not to slow you down

- CREATIVE ways to eat nutritiously – quick & easy recipes

- Transfats, hydrogenated oils and label reading

- Electrolyte Imbalances - What happens with too much or not enough?

- The importance of dietary fat and what foods have healthy fats

- Dietary needs based on your sex

- Artificial Sweeteners

- Pre-race eating and proper hydration and recovery    

- Vitamins & Supplements

- The Female Athlete triad

My goal is to make this page an interactive one though. 

If readers request certain topics, I will try to address as many as feasibly possible.

            Since I’m new to this blog party, I’ll share a little about myself. My name is Meg and I just completed a Master’s in Occupational Therapy.  While I’ve only been rowing for 13 years, I’ve been a competitive athlete my whole life. COMPETITIVE???  Not to digress, but to give you an idea…I was the 6-yr old who actually kept track of the score of the T-ball games which naturally are ALWAYS supposed to end in a tie.  Of COURSE I would ask the coach why it was a tie if our team had more runs.  Fortunately for him, I was his daughter so he was able to bribe me to keep quiet with an extra ½ hour of TV and an “I’ll explain it to you later honey”.

            ANYWAY, throughout my entire athletic career, I’ve always been interested in nutrition and eating for optimal performance.  What I’ve learned though is that this is much easier said than done.  Not only is there a lot of JUNK out there, but with a society dominated by the media, we are often lead to believe that certain foods that are so-called “HEALTHY” or “good for you” are nothing but junk and actually even visa-versa as well.  In my lifetime carbo-loading, fat-free foods, energy shakes and Atkins have all been strongly encouraged as healthy forms of eating at one time or another.  My goal is to assist in weeding out the myths to help everyone optimize making more educated dietary choices.

Additionally, when I became a lightweight and had to compete at a specific weight, it presented with some additional challenges as well.  I’ve made A LOT of mistakes over the years, but learned something from every lesson. This past year in particular I learned several and came to discover how much of a difference certain nutrients can make with endurance, recovery and racing performance.  Additionally, whether lightweight or heavyweight, competitive athletes and especially rowers have different dietary needs than the average American so following something such as the South Beach diet exclusively is not going to cut it. I look forward to sharing more with you all very soon.

…Oh and in case you were wondering how we did in that race after that cheesy evening.  We came in third. A solid third. We lost to the same two teams just a couple weeks later as well. They continued to duke it out for the remainder of the regular season closing with even records against each other. And when IRA’s rolled around those two teams were deemed the favorites while we were not even considered to be in contention despite winning Gold at Dad Vail’s. On the eve of our final, we went out to dinner as a boat again after weigh-ins.  This time though there were NO mozzarella sticks.  Just salads, chicken or simple pastas. A funny thing happened the next day too.  Not only did we upset both the favorites, but we went on to win the National Championship with a new course record for the event. Did our “healthy” pre-race meal make the difference? Guess we’ll never know for certain. What I do know for SURE is that our catch timing was the best that it had been all year…but whose not to say that eating right may have contributed to that?  There’s no arguing though that the fried cheese back in early spring definitely provided no aid whatsoever.

Eat, Drink & Row Merry