Diet, Nutrition & Health

   Well this would seem like a straight forward topic, but anyone who has looked into this at any length knows all too well that is gets murkier and more confusing the deeper you go. With opinions from medical professionals, nutritionists and anecdotal evidence from everyone else it get difficult to decide where to place your beliefs. 

   I'll begin by giving a disclaimer of sorts. I have studied and read about nutrition and basic anatomical functions of the body for a few years now. I have a good understanding of what macro nutrients such as protein, fat and carbohydrates do to the body, as well as micro nutrients like vitamins and minerals.  I have looked into all kinds of diets, but here I will be focuses on athletic nutrition. More specifically the diet I use to maintain my stamina, build muscle mass, lean fat and boost recovery. I am by no means a dietitian by any stretch of the imagination and do not promote my diet or nutrition ideas to others. I'm simply stating what I've learned works for me and how I use food and supplements. I will however state emphatically that I practice what I preach. To be serious as an athlete, specially past your thirties you need to pay attention to what you put into your body.

Diet & Nutrition

   The use of the word diet here is not as some think. It's not a period of low caloric intake, cutting out certain foods for a short time or any other passing fad. It refers to a consistent way of eating. For me there are no cheat days. I have a diet that I enjoy and I have not cut out all the foods i like. I have however had to make specific choices as to what works for me and what I can live without. 

   Here is my basic diet day to day. The weekends change a little and I add a bit more variety as I simply have more time to cook and eat. I no longer count calories because with the amount of training I do I basically eat as much as I can without overloading in one meal. Also numerous small meals throughout the day help keep your blood glucose levels more even, encourages weight loss and is generally a better way to consume calories. I will get into a few of the key items in my diet which I feel are a little out of the norm and have shown to do great things for the body.

Weekdays

5:30am:          1/4 bottle lemon & chlorophyll water (to alkalize)

                        Oatmeal with dried fruit & chia seeds

                        cold brewed coffee (less caffeine & acidity)

7:30am:          breakfast bar

                        1/4 bottle lemon & chlorophyll water (to alkalize)

9:00am           1/2 peanut butter & honey sandwich on whole grain bread

                        water

10:30am         frozen fruit, chocolate almond milk & protein powder smoothie

                        homemade banana bread or cookies

                        unsweetened applesauce

1:00pm           1/4 bottle lemon & chlorophyll water (to alkalize)

                        low sodium soup (winter) or fresh greens & veggie salad (summer)

                        whole wheat pita wrap with spinach & fresh greens

                        - salmon salad, egg salad or bean salad

                        raisins (alkalize)

4:00pm           granola bar & apple juice

6:00pm           chocolate almond milk

(Pre-               peanut butter & honey sandwich

workout)         1/4 bottle lemon & chlorophyll water (to alkalize)

                        apple or fresh fruit

Post-               recovery drink:

workout           lemon juice, chlorophyll, honey, salt

8:30pm:          banana, chocolate almond milk & protein powder smoothie

                        Dinner:

                        Vegetable: omelet, rice stir-fry, corn or rice pasta

Supplements: multivitamin, greens plus, alpha lipoic acid 200mcg, selenium, 200mcg, probiotics,  biweekly B complex 100mg, Vitamin D 3000mg (winter only).

   I have done my best to remove processed, prepackaged foods from my diet. I have had stomach issues for a few years now and recently found what seemed to be the cause, chronic gastritis. This lead me to researching an alkalizing diet. From what I learned acidity in the human body is a killer, literally. Everything from the common cold & flu to the worst diseases like cancer thrive in an acidic environment. I was sick for almost 3 months late last year with a cold to a sinus infection and finally it transformed to a throat infection. When I look back at how horrendously acidic my diet was it was obvious to me. Within a few days of switching to a highly alkalizing diet all of the symptoms began to disappear and my energy began to skyrocket past what it had been before I became ill. It was proof enough for me.

   In the next few blog posts I'll explain a few of the highlighted items so I don't overload this one.  I'll explain what they are and how I feel they have truly benefited me in my health and athletics. Besides who doesn't love a good cliff hanger!