It's pretty nuts how many people ask Beth and I questions about food/diet because of this blog. We are pretty dedicated to eating healthy and finding good ways to do it.
After my "transition" phase and with Vineman 70.3 coming up we decided to take it a step further and really be a little more conscious of what we are putting in our bodies. A lot of people probably think that we already eat healthy enough and there is no reason to change any thing. This is true but there are always refinements you can make to your diet.
Here's our plan.
The Nutrition Mission
THE STAPLES- these are all items we eat a lot of and have in the house right now:
leans meats and fish (as much free range/grass fed/organic as possible... but we aren't rich!)
tons of fruit, veggies
eggs (mostly whites, some yolks)
protein shakes
raw nuts
Fruits we love:
apples (mostly fuji)
bannanas
kiwi
strawberries
bluberries
raspberries
canteloupe
watermelon
veggies we got on tap:
jicama
tomatoes
broccoli
carrots
cauliflower
bell peppers (raw & roasted)
sprouts
onions
cucumbers
artichokes (whole & hearts)
hearts of palm
pickles
mushrooms
snow peas
red cabbage
broccoli slaw
Yams
salads - mixed greens, spinach, romaine hearts
homemade dressings (balsalmic/red wine/white wine vinegar, olive oil, mustard, lemon juice
all natural nut butters (peanut/almond)
-naturally more
100% fruit juice/vegetable juice
almond breeze - unsweetened
honey
stevia
100% fruit preserves
sport nutrition products (PowerBar!) - only when training long
No artificial sweeteners (soda, splenda, salad dressing, sauces, creamer, sugar free fro yo, sugar free candies- all out! (tear from beth's eye..))
No preservatives/processed foodsNo added sugar (organic cane sugar in some condiments/foods is ok in moderation... ie. organic ketchup from Trader Joe's)
No grains
No chips
No roasted/salted nuts
No dried fruit with added sugar/ingredients
Dairy- dairy sources high in protein but low in sugar/carbs allowed in moderation:
plain greek yogurt (o% or 2%)
low fat/nonfat cottage cheese
stinky cheese on salads (goat, feta, blue)
concessions:
1 small serving of frozen yogurt (only 8 - it's all natural!) a week... after a big day of training!
1 piece of dark chocolate a night
corn tortillas (in moderation) as long as the ingredients are just corn, salt, and water
wheat tortilla when I get a burritto from El Caribe... I love mexican food too much and I have never seen a burritto sized corn tortilla
alcohol:
wine is allowed... always (james).. in moderation (beth)
beer on the weekends (james).. none for beth
no liquor... you need a mixer = sugar/artificial sweetener
Now this is just a guideline on what we want to do. There are many "diets" and philosophies out there. We have gained tons of knowledge from reading Mark's Daily Apple and his Primal Blueprint. I have also done a lot reading on Paleo diets and but we think it really comes down to finding one that works for you, makes you feel good, and allows you and your body to do what you want with it.
We will of course cheat! After races, holidays, and anytime we deem appropriate, but this is pretty much our daily plan. Life is to short to not eat and drink what you want... in moderation of course.
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8 comments:
I know Beth used to use a fair bit of Splenda. It's nice to see you cutting that stuff out. I'm wondering about the stevia since it a natural extra versus man made, I believe. How do you like it? I always go with real (sugar, butter, etc) but do so with moderation. I'd like to get more sugar out of my diet and stevia interests me. feel free to email me back. Thanks!
Hey, we basically have the same nutrition plan/guidelines!!
Thanks for the tip on the Agave Nectar. Im heading down to Muncie tomorrow for a race and making some GF Road Trip Cookies (7.5 hr drive for us). We'll see how the agave nectar works in the recipe - hopefully good!
-Rob
you guys should quit working, turn pro, rip into the field, and blog about food.
oh wait, you guys are practically there!
nice post!
i love your food pyramid - that is awesome! you really have to wonder how much of the 'real one' is decided by what profits usda most. love the list as well...very helpful. i am addicted to dried fruit though - it is like crack, and i'm a bit of a crack ho.
Love the food pyramid, but I'm surprised to not see the use of beans as a healthy source of protein. I love to make a huge salad and throw half a can of black beans on it. Lentils are the shit, as are kidney beans, northern beans, soy beans (edamame), other unprocessed soy products, chickpeas, kidney beans, lima beans etc. Throw some beans on top of any salad and flavor it accordingly :)
My pyramid looks pretty much the same, except I still don't eat any meat, except for fish on rare occasions. This is why I do have to eat more beans and more whole wheat breads to get protein.
Good stuff man!
REALLY admirable you two! I'm SO weird about food! I eat healthy when compared to the general population... but MAN... sometimes I just GOTTA have my sweets! Also, I have an extreme aversion to being hungry... so I'll shove anything in my mouth to keep that feeling at bay!
I have to let you know tho.. after reading this post... and with Worlds a few months away... I took a first step...
I put Stevia in my coffee this morning!
Baby steps... baby steps.
Breathe...
Beer only on the weekends, eh? The nectar calls. A dry July with the heat kills me, particularly when I am sweating out a lot.
I am not sure the primal thing is always appropriate for the enduro person (I think Mark even posted as such). In fact, I think Mark would say that the Paleo approach is assuming you are not training your ass off for 2 hours a day. Cavemen moved a lot but they did not train for Xterra.
Sucks for them I guess.
I got to visit El Caribe.
You guys are very inspiring.. I try, but my kids kill me with all the junk they want. It's so hard lately. Fuji's are my staple though, at least 2/day. I'm on the no sugar, no processed wagon through Kona - Oct 12 is time for some serious cheating.
Keep posting, love the ideas...
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