Olympic Nutrition and Nutrition for Us Mortals

The summer Olympics are my favorite, have you been watching? I love it because I get to live vicariously through the athletes and imagine myself running as a Team USA marathoner or as one of the tri-athletes. Ah, one can dream right? So you know when it comes to excelling at athletics 3 things must align: genetics, nutrition and training. There’s nothing you can do to change your genetics, so when it comes to making team USA it is all about training and nutrition.

Team USA has a whole crew of registered dietitians (RD) who are also certified specialist in sports dietetics (CSSD) who track the intake of and plan the meals of all of the athletes. It is based on science because there is no room for guessing when it comes to the food and hydration necessary to fuel these athletes. Even a miniscule drop in performance can be the difference between winning the gold and finishing third or fourth in an Olympic event.

Specialized Support

There is no one-size fits all approach to nutrition. Each athlete has unique needs influenced by the demands placed on their body of their respective sport. The dietitians must ensure that the athletes eat and drink the right type of fluid and fuel at the right time and in the right amount. They also assess the needs of the athletes to see if any supplements are warranted and appropriate. Supplementation is an area that is under great scrutiny especially at this level, and only supplements that are tested to be free of banned substances are used. There are very few select supplements that are supported through research and legal in the Games, two of which are creatine and caffeine in controlled amounts. There is a published list of prohibited substances that can be found on the World-Anti Doping Website http://list.wada-ama.org/prohibited-all-times/prohibited-substances/ and it includes substances such as anabolic agents, diuretics, and blood doping agents to name a few. They also break it down by sport. The IOC takes a hard stance on supplementation and doesn’t accept inadvertent doping (using a supplement that was contaminated) as an excuse. But from what I have learned from my esteemed colleagues who work with Olympic athletes, the emphasis is ALWAYS on food first and supplements second and only when necessary and where warranted. 

Hydration

Hydration is another key area for athletes. Even if an athlete is in the pool or running in cooler temps in the rain, just a mere 2% loss of body weight via sweat can mean a significant decrease in performance. At the Olympic level athletes will most likely have individualized hydration plans developed for them based on their calculated sweat rate.

Tips for Mere Mortals (myself included)

If you are outside this summer getting those workouts in despite the intense heat and humidity you will want to be certain that you following the lead of the champions and make sure you are hydrating adequately. Exercising in the heat decreases your efficiency and as you become more dehydrated you rely more heavily on your stored fuel, aka stored glycogen. This means you will tire faster due to the buildup of lactic acid (that nasty burning sensation you feel in your muscles).

If your workout is longer than 60 minutes then you will want something that includes electrolytes like a sports drink. Check the label - you want to have at least 100 mg of sodium, 30 mg of potassium, and 14 g of carbohydrate per 8 ounce serving. If you prefer electrolyte chews, they generally have more carbohydrates and less sodium but are still a good choice. Wash them down with at least 8-12 ounces of water. Electrolytes are important for fluid balance and for allowing nerve impulses to travel throughout the body. When we take a look at food sources of these minerals we find that sodium is most commonly found combined with chloride, in what we call table salt. Generally speaking, our bodies are very good at regulating our electrolyte balance. If you are not out exercising in the heat and eat a lot of processed foods then you might get too much sodium and too little potassium. But if you are out there sweating it out, then you may need a bit more salt and just about everyone could use more potassium.

The Daily Value for sodium for adults is 2400 mg, about the amount in one teaspoon of table salt. Take a look at your food labels to gauge your intake. You can also check to see if you are a heavy sweater by looking at your workout clothes for some white lines which are actually the salt from your sweat If you aren’t getting enough your body will trigger a salt craving. The Daily Value for potassium is 4000 mg and one banana has 400 mg, which means you need to be diligent about getting your fruits and vegetables every day. Good sources of potassium include fresh fruits and vegetables like spinach, kale, oranges, potatoes, tomatoes, dried beans, honeydew, bananas, and cantaloupe.

Make sure you are getting at least the minimum amount of sodium in your diet and to increase your potassium aim for at least 5-9 servings of fruits and vegetables a day and drinking plenty of water throughout the day.

Now back to the Games!

July is Blueberry Month!

I love berries – all sorts of berries, but since July is National Blueberry Month I want to highlight the benefits of this nutritious fruit. July was proclaimed National Blueberry Month in 1999 by the United States Department of Agriculture. Blueberries are one of the few fruits native to North America and were introduced to the pilgrims by Native Americans.

This miniature fruit is chock full of nutrients and is a superstar when it comes to antioxidant properties. In fact, according to data from the USDA Human Research Center on Aging, a serving of blueberries provides one of the highest levels of antioxidant activity of all fruits and vegetables. This is due to the naturally occurring levels of vitamins C and E, and the phytochemicals which include anthocyanins, proanthocyanidins, myricetin, quercetin, resveratrol, and ellagic acid. For athletes in particular a high intake of dietary antioxidants can help to reduce damage to cells resulting from the free radical damage produced during strenuous activity. For the less active in the group, nutrients in blueberries have been found through research to have a litany of benefits including lowering the risk of urinary tract infection, protection against cardiovascular disease by lowering total cholesterol and bad or LDL cholesterol, improving eye health, acting as an anti-cancer nutrient, and even improving cognitive function by decreasing short term memory loss (http://www.blueberry.org/Antioxidant.pdf ).

Another good thing know to about blueberries is that blueberries have a fairly low Glycemic Index (GI) score and are in the range of 40-53 out of 100, which means they have a favorable effect on blood sugar. Foods with a low GI help to maintain even energy levels because they are absorbed more slowly into the bloodstream than foods with a high GI such as bananas (60-70) and honey which has a score of 87 (http://www.glycemicindex.com/). One cup of blueberries (at around 84 calories) has about 4 grams of fiber which adds to their beneficial effects on blood sugar.

Whether you eat fresh or frozen blueberries, wild, highbrush, lowbrush, or rabbiteye it doesn’t matter as long as you eat them! Research has shown that freezing does not decrease their antioxidant activity, however exposure to heat does so add to uncooked dishes like smoothies, yogurt, and breakfast cereals. If you can, buy organic since blueberries retain a fair amount of pesticide residue due to their delicate nature. They rank #10 on the “Dirty Dozen” list of foods highest in pesticide residue developed by the Environmental Working Group (http://www.ewg.org/foodnews/summary/).

For a new twist on a super nutritious fruit in combination with a super nutritious grain, try this breakfast recipe courtesy of The World’s Healthiest Foods: Quinoa Cereal with Fresh Fruit http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?dbid=245&tname=recipe

Enjoy!

Rooibos (Roy-boss) Tea

In the morning I have to have a couple of nice, dark cups of coffee, but in the afternoons and evenings, I am a tea drinker. I prefer to drink caffeine-free organic teas and at any given time I have a variety of both loose leaf and bagged herbal teas on hand. Lately I have been drinking rooibos loose leaf tea as my afternoon pick-me-up which is purported to have a host of health benefits, so I thought I would see if there was any scientific evidence to support the claims. Rooibos (Afrikaans for “red bush” and pronounced Roy-Boss) is the national drink of South Africa. And it isn’t actually a tea but an herbal infusion made by fermenting and sun drying the leaves and twigs of the rooibos plant (Aspalathus linearis). It is this fermentation process that gives the tea its characteristic red color.

According to the Natural Medicines Comprehensive Database (http://naturaldatabase.therapeuticresearch.com/home.aspx?cs=&s=ND), red bush tea contains polysaccharides, flavonoids, a low amount of tannins, and a relatively high amount of vitamin C. Some evidence suggests that daily intake of the acid polysaccharides found in the extracts could suppress cancer and delay age-related changes to the central nervous system, however to date there is insufficient scientific evidence to support these claims. A PubMed search turns up data on the antioxidant, immune enhancing, and cancer protective properties of this herbal tea in animals, with limited studies completed in people.

In the athletic world, the tea is gaining popularity as a healthy antioxidant rich fluid and electrolyte replacement drink. Having an antioxidant rich diet is important for maintaining health in general and especially for athletes who are engaged in regular physical activity. Physical activity creates oxidative stress in the body and some of the negative effects of this stress can be offset by including foods and beverages that are rich in polyphenolic compounds that fight free radicals like rooibos tea.

While many of the claims have yet to be supported by scientific studies, this tea tastes fantastic and incorporating it in your diet on a regular basis is a great way to reap the benefits of its antioxidant content.

Pumpkin Muffins – Yum!

I have certainly been getting adequate vitamin A/ beta carotene this November since I have gotten back into baking. My mom sent me an easy pumpkin recipe a couple of weeks ago and I have already made 3 versions, each one turning out to be very tasty! Making muffins is one of my favorite things to do when it comes to cooking. But I can’t seem to make a recipe without modifying it to put my personal spin on it and then testing out several versions. So that is what I have been doing with this pumpkin recipe. All of the ingredients I have been using except for the baking soda, powder, and Splenda® are organic. I found organic canned pumpkin at Trader Joe’s for the reasonable price of just $1.99 for a 15 oz can which is just a few cents more than the cost of conventional canned pumpkin. The organic flour and fruit can also be found at any health food store. The version I am posting is made with the addition of a chopped Braeburn apple. The other versions I have made so far include substituting fresh organic cranberries for the apple and one where I added some organic tahini. I really think the sky is the limit in terms of making modifications as long as you keep the wet to dry ratio fairly similar. In general this recipe makes a lot of batter so I have gone back and forth between making mini muffins and making regular size muffins. I also always add a scoop of organic soy protein powder because I like eating the mini muffins as a post-run or post-gym snack but you can leave that out or use non-fat skim milk powder to boost the protein content.
Have fun with this recipe and enjoy eating them as they are super nutritious and super low calorie and of course super tasty!

Ingredients
2 cups organic whole wheat pastry flour
½ cup Splenda®
1 tbsp baking powder
½ tsp baking soda
½ tsp salt
½ tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp nutmeg
15 oz canned organic pumpkin
1 medium chopped organic Braeburn apple
28 gm vanilla soy protein powder (optional)

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.
Mix flour, Splenda, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon, and nutmeg in a large bowl. Add pumpkin, ½ cup of water and stir until just mixed. Spoon batter into oil-sprayed muffins cups filling to just below tops. Bake 25 to 30 minutes until tops bounce back lightly when pressed or when knife inserted comes out clean. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes to cool. Store in tightly sealed container or freeze.

This particular version made 11 good size muffins.
Calories: 90 (about 80 without the protein powder), carbs: 18 gm, fiber: 3 gm, protein: 5 gm

Pumpkins: A nutrition powerhouse

Pumpkins are here! I am most likely in the minority as I have never cared for pumpkin pie, but I do love a nice warm pumpkin muffin on a cool fall morning or a creamy pumpkin smoothie. Pumpkins are a nutritional powerhouse and are high in carotenoids, lutein, and zeaxanthin, all of which are antioxidants that can neutralize free radicals. This fruit, yes it is technically a fruit, is also a very good source of beta carotene/vitamin A, vitamin C, riboflavin, potassium, copper, manganese, dietary fiber, vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, vitamin B6, folate, iron, magnesium, and phosphorus. One cup of mashed pumpkin has just 50 calories, zero fat, 12g of carbohydrates, 3 grams of fiber, and 2 grams of protein. Wow!

Eating pumpkin pie is probably not the best way to include more pumpkin in your diet since it is traditionally made by combing pumpkin with heavy cream and whole eggs. When cooked in a “standard” pie crust, a slice gets ~50% of calories from fat. Healthier ways to add pumpkin into your diet are easy to do by utilizing canned pumpkin and it is actually one of the only canned foods that has no added salt or sugar. If you have the time to cook a whole pumpkin simply peel off the outer skin, cut it into pieces and boil. The seeds can be scooped out and roasted in the oven with a bit of oil for 30 minutes or even eaten raw.

Some easy ways to eat more pumpkin include: adding canned pumpkin to ready-to-eat butternut squash soup, stirring canned pumpkin into oatmeal, spreading pumpkin butter on bread and muffins, and snacking on pumpkin seeds. Pumpkin seeds, also called pepitas, are high in copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, and zinc. Pumpkin seeds are also high in phytosterols which are thought to strengthen the immune system. The seeds can be added to salads, hot or cold cereals, cookies, even homemade veggie burgers.

Pumpkin also makes a great, creamy smoothie and nutritious breakfast or post-workout recovery shake. There are endless variations on this smoothie recipe so have fun experimenting with other ingredients like yogurt, frozen bananas, etc. Pair this shake with some whole grain toast with peanut butter and you have a perfectly balanced breakfast/recovery meal chock full of vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, fiber, and protein.

Pumpkin Recovery Smoothie
6 ice cubes
1 cup light vanilla Silk soymilk (or rice, hemp, almond, cow)
1/3 cup canned pumpkin
1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or substitute nutmeg and cinnamon)
½-1 Tbsp honey (or substitute stevia or splenda)
¼ tsp vanilla extract
1 scoop vanilla soy protein (or whey, rice)

Blend all ingredients in a blender until smooth. Makes 1 serving.
Nutrition analysis:
236 calories, 3 g fat, 24 g CHO, 3 g fiber, 30 g protein

The versatility of this fruit makes it a great addition to your diet, adding powerful antioxidants, vitamins, minerals, and fiber without a lot of calories.

KNS adds a blog!

Ok if you haven't noticed from my previous blogs I am new to blogging. I took some downtime yesterday and tried to tackle a giant stack of journals and magazines and came across an article titled "Ten Rules for Better Blogging" in my American Dietetic Association journal. After reading it I came to the conclusion that so far with my posts I have broken all ten rules! So let's try this again. Koslo's Nutrition Solutions now has a blog and I want to use this forum to have a conversation with you, the athlete, the casual exerciser, the health conscious about how our food choices affect our health. I like to keep abreast of the research so I will focus on the latest findings on food and supplements and their effects on health and performance. But I want this to be a conversation so please comment on my posts and I promise to be a better blogger in the future.
Jennifer

Three Cheers for Cherries!

Cherries are one of those delectable fruits of summer that not only taste good, but have so many health benefits that they should be an essential part of any endurance athletes’ nutrition plan.
There is a significant body of research suggesting that cherries are one of the most nutritious foods you can eat. Cherries contain anthocyanins 1 and 2 which are powerful antioxidants that not only give cherries their distinctive red color but also have an impact on relieving muscle and joint soreness similar to how non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs act. Cherries are the highest in these compounds compared to various other berries including strawberries and blueberries and they also contain a hefty dose of beta carotene, vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate. One cup of fresh cherries has just about 90 calories, no fat, 22 grams of carbohydrates and 3 grams of fiber.
Additionally, cherries are one of the few food sources of melatonin, an antioxidant which helps to regulate the body’s natural sleep patterns. Eating cherries can be a natural way to increase melatonin levels in the blood acting to hasten sleep and ease jet lag. New evidence also links cherries to heart health and weight management.
So how many cherries do you need to eat to get the benefits? While there are no established guidelines as of yet, experts suggest that consuming 1-2 servings of cherries a day can provide some of the health benefits identified in the research. Examples of what constitutes a serving includes: ½ cup dried; 1 cup frozen; 1 cup 100% juice; 1 ounce concentrate.
Try these tips to help speed your recovery:
• Drink 10 oz of tart cherry juice pre-workout
• Make a post-workout smoothie with frozen cherries
• Add dried cherries to your post-workout oatmeal
• Have dried cherries as a good grab-and-go snack
• Add dried cherries to a spinach salad with walnuts
• Create a yogurt parfait with vanilla yogurt, granola and dried cherries
• Swap your soda for 100% cherry juice