Carbo loading as part of a Runner’s Diet – Defined

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Marathon season is almost in full swing, and those of you training for fall marathons are probably doing long runs in the mid to upper teens at this point. I find the most common question I get from endurance athletes relates to the traditional pasta dinner the night before a marathon. For one thing, does it really increase performance?

I thought I would share my knowledge and experience on carbo-loading, whether it is just tradition, or if it really does offer the performance benefits sought by many athletes. Furthermore, now that there are so many different types of pastas on the market, I wanted to give you the low down on what may be best for your individual needs.

To lay the foundation, I define carbo-loading as increasing your intake of carbohydrates so that muscle glycogen is maximized, which boosts endurance for distance.

Healthy Runner’s Diet – Carbohydrate Loading Defined

The traditional method of “carbo-loading” involves a stage of prolonged exercise and an exceedingly restrictive diet called depletion, which is then followed by intense carbohydrate loading. More recent research suggests that intense exercise during depletion followed by excessive glycogen storage could lead to muscle trauma. This in fact would impair the storage of glycogen rather than enhance it. Other side effects that follow this method include bloating, added pounds, which not only causes you to feel drained and uncomfortable, but also increases injury risks. Personal records could be compromised under these conditions.

A more modified approach would begin a carbo loading regimen one week prior to the event, by tapering training mileage and shifting more of your total calories to carbohydrates, decreasing the amount of fat and protein as the week progresses. In other words, two days prior to your endurance event, you will not be eating mostly carbs and very little fat and protein. Carbo loading means simply shifting the percentage of the macronutrients to a higher carb intake. It  does NOT mean load up on every carbohydrate you can lay your hands on. The reason this modified approach works is because the tapering in exercise simultaneous to an increase in carbohydrates boosts glycogen storage as effectively as depletion and loading, but without the negative side effects.

So to answer the question whether the pasta dinner the night before is optimal or not Continue Reading »

White Flour = Empty Calories

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History of White Flour

Prior to 1900, most bread was baked at home with fresh flour. Our grandmothers and great grandmothers would go to the miller and buy fresh flour, or they would mill it at home themselves. In the late 1800’s however, food processors discovered if they sift away the BRAN and the oil-laden GERM from the flour, they’d have a product that would not spoil. (see diagram)
Steel rolling mills quickly replaced the local miller, and in 1910, white flour became food for the masses. Immediately epidemics of beri-beri (Vit B1 deficiency, nervous disorders), pellagra (GI disturbances) and mental insanity broke out. I like to tell people that you know if you are not getting enough oxygen because you can’t breathe. But when something more subtle, like Vitamin E, is removed, you don’t know it and the consequences of eliminating it from your diet are devastating.

So America was struggling and eventually researchers traced the epidemics back to the nutrients removed from the bread. They went back to the millers to urge them to put the BRAN and GERM back in the bread. However, they chose instead to “enrich” the flour by returning only four of the original 30+ nutrients removed.

A simple wheat berry is packed with vital nutrients. The wheat berry consists of 3 parts: the bran, germ, and endosperm.

BRAN: hard outer layer of the wheat berry that protects the nutrients within and is our richest source of fiber. Once this protective layer is cracked, the nutrients begin to oxidize immediately. The purpose of fiber in our diets is to cleanse; we have a remarkable sewer system, but it needs fiber to perform. The job of fiber is to absorb water. As it absorbs water in the colon, fiber increases in size like a sponge. This increases the bulk of our stool, which causes pressing on the walls of the colon and gives us the urge to eliminate daily. A diet without fiber results in no absorption of water, no increase in bulk of the stool, no urge to eliminate. This leads to constipation and a build up of toxins in our body that need to be eliminated.

GERM: life of the seed, where sprouts come from, rich in oils (wheat germ oil)and Vitamin E. The sole purpose of Vitamin E in our body is to protect our cells from being destroyed in the presence of oxygen (oxidation); Vitamin E is an anti-oxidant. Excessive oxidation in your body takes its toll, yet Vitamin E can neutralize the damage to your cells. When Vitamin E is deficient, cells break down or are oxidized faster than the body can reproduce. Vitamin E is needed by EVERY cell of your body to prevent disease.Yet with the complete stripping away of the perishable wheat GERM in 1910, the diet of western man lost its only single source of Vitamin E.

ENDOSOPERM: mostly protein and starch, devoid of any real nutritional value. This is basically the “white flour” we eat and was created by God, but He never intended it to be separated from the rest of the seed.

Important note: Unfortunately the American diet has very little BRAN fiber or Vitamin E. Even whole wheat bread and whole wheat flour we buy in the store has the GERM removed. The secret ingredient of healthy bread is the flour. True fresh-milled flour spoils very quickly. Once milled, the nutrients begin to oxidize and if not used, the flour smells like rotten eggs in 24 hours. Fresh milled breads do not have a long shelf life and must be refrigerated.

Source:  Full Cup Bakery, Atlanta, GA

W.O,D – Ilana’s Challenge!

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Elliptical, treadmill and stationary bike rotation

– 45 minute work out

 

(starts with treadmill, then elliptical, and ends with bike)

 

Treadmill:  20 straight minutes.

Form: long strides and squeeze glutes at end of each stride.

Min 0 – 10: set at a pace of ~ 4.0 at 0% grade.

Min 10 – 20: 12% grade and pace at ~ 3.5, maintaining stride form

 

Elliptical:  15 minutes.

set program that is most like a consistent running stride.

Set level (resistance) at moderate (should be about 160 – 180 strides per min)

 

Cycle: 10 minutes

manual setting 3. Pedal hard (feel your hamstrings) for straight 10 minutes

 

 

Quick review on Anti-Inflammation Nutrition

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I have recently been asked many questions on whether the anti-inflammation diets really work. So while such diets may not target weight loss exactly, there is evidence that they aid in anti-inflammation, and weight loss may even be a secondary benefit. This makes sense because inflammation foods, such as processed or refined foods, sugary foods, white breads, and hig fat (particularly trans or saturated fat) foods are eliminated for anti-inflammatory responses.

I put together a quick summary to answer these basic questions.

Inflammation affects individuals differently.

From research, the main points taken out for a general anti-inflammatory diet include:

Eat plenty of fruits and vegetables

Minimize saturated and trans fats, but include mono/poly fats (eg olive oil, avocado, nuts, seeds)

Eat a good source of omega-3 fatty acids (Fish: particlarly salmon/tuna, flaxseed, chia,               walnuts, pine nuts, and/or omega 3 supplementation)

Avoid any processed food in particular white carbs ( pasta, white ricem refined grains).

Include whole grains and sprouted grains(brown rice, bulgur wheat, quinoa, ezekiel).

Eat lean protein sources such as chicken; cut back on red meat and full-fat dairy foods. (as a pesco-                   vegetarian, you are doing this already, thought ide mention, since including non-fat greek yogurt is fine)

Include herbs and spices, in particular, ginger, curry, and other spices can have an anti-inflammatory tumeric, chilli powders, cumin.

Dark chocolate is a good substitute for sweet and unusual cravings 😉

Is their research related to diet reducing Inflammation?

There is current research that does say it can, but they acknowledge that the anti-inflammatory diet needs to be studied more extensively to prove that it actually reduces disease such as heart problems.

A lot of the research show a correlation that the Mediterranean diet, has been and is associated with improved cardiac outcomes.

There is also evidence of disease risk reduction in the Mediterranean-style of eating, as well as how Asians typically eat (replacing red meats with more vegan/vegetarian style proteins)

Where some people are confused, is the ratio between the different Omega fats. Example, diets high in omega-6 and low in omega-3 is associated with increasing levels of cytokines — proteins released from cells that trigger inflammation — thus getting this balance is important with the ratio of Omega 3s outweighing the Omega 6s.

Guide: Omega-3, in doses of 3 grams or more per day, has been found effective in reducing morning stiffness and joint health.

Guide for Omega 6 foods to keep in plan, but lower than Omega 3s:

Soybean oil, most vegetable oils, but coconut oil , palm oil and olive oil are all relatively low in Omega-6.

Sunflower, Corn, Soybean and Cottonseed oils very high in Omega 6. (should be avoided if you want to get the ratio right)

Nuts and seeds are pretty high in Omega-6, but they are whole foods that have plenty of health benefits and are absolutely fine to eat. Many grain-based foods particularly processed foods, also contain significant amounts of Omega-6.

Bottom Line: The most important thing you can do to reduce Omega-6 and increase Omega 3 intake is to eliminate processed vegetable oils from your diet, as well as processed foods that contain them. Yet include the fatty fishes, nuts and seeds, olive oil, avocado.

 

 

Supplementation: the good, the bad and the ugly

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Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD

 

Food is the best medicine, something I have made my followers note long before I came across a famous quote from Hippocrates for the first time:  “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” Therefore, I too could have had a role in the history of westernized medicine, (chuckle). Well seriously, I am constantly harping on the fact that  the ideal way to get most needed nutrients is from foods. Naturally occurring nutrients are more compatible and thus more bioavailable than their supplement counterparts. Eating a rainbow a day, keeps the doctor away… yes another ilanological saying.

 

Don’t get me wrong, there may be a place for supplementation in someone’s diet, and I will get to this shortly, but my point is: Nowadays, everything from bottled water to basic milk and bread seems to have souped-up levels of vitamins and minerals added. This is often a bureaucratic or political decision poured into our food source which will supposedly cover nutritional needs. And if that is not the case, then it is often a marketing ploy that banks on the gullibility of the masses, especially if their diets are less than stellar.

The burning question thus trickles to the forefront: “So is there a possibility then on overdosing on vitamins and minerals, especially when the food source may be beyond individual control?” There are a couple of pointers to highlight with this in mind: One – some people believe that if a little provides benefit, then more provides a greater benefit, especially when it is taken in pill form. Two – can our food source be killing us?

Let me start by saying, most of us, even the gullible ones, are not in danger, since it is unlikely that we are overdosing. Even if you may be consuming fortified cereal for breakfast, have a protein packed meal replacement with extra vitamins and minerals as a snack, enjoy some enriched pasta for dinner, and still taking a daily multivitamin you are safe. Yes you may very well be over the daily recommendations of various nutrients, but that will not harm you.

However there is such a thing as megadoses. This means one that is routinely taking large doses, particularly in supplemental form, believing that more is better. Routine megadosing can have its own set of consequences. Some examples include:  too much Vitamin C or zinc could cause nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps. Surplus vitamin A could induce nausea, blurry vision and dizziness. Too much selenium could lead to hair loss, flaking skin, gastrointestinal upset, fatigue, and even nerve damage. Too much calcium can cause kidney stones and with that megadoses of vitamin D can calcify bones. With this said, it is rather difficult to get these dangerous doses from food alone.

This leads one to ponder whether you should or should not to take daily vitamin supplements at all or even why so many people do in fact take them. A recent study was published to answer this question. Results showed that 45 percent of those taking vitamins do so because they believe they will improve their health. Other reasons were to maintain their health (33 percent), improve bone health (25 percent), and to get more energy (11 percent).

 

Here are some observations that may help you to make that personal choice:

  • There is general agreement that women of reproductive age should take folic acid supplements to help prevent spinal or neural tube defects. Some studies have also showed that folic acid taken during pregnancy may reduce the risk of autism in the child.
  • Taking vitamin D and calcium supplements have long been recommended for older women in order to help prevent bone fractures. However, peer reviewed research has questioned the that the benefits of already healthy women taking calcium and vitamin D are overstated. Furthermore doses not required may even be hazardous to health, increasing the risk of developing kidney stones.
  • Fifty-five to 60 percent of all women over age 60 are presently taking vitamin D and calcium.  Many of them have osteopenia or osteoporosis, but many do not.

In Summary:

Vitamins are not a medical panacea except in certain, very specific situations. For most people, when it comes to vitamins, the reasoning, taking more is better, can lead them into a host of medical problems. There is also no need to fear taking too much if these basic directions are followed. Most multivitamins have a wide margin of safety that even when you are combining them with fortified foods will not cause you to keel over.

If you are one of those that requires supplements for various reasons (eg. Diet is not stellar, certain dysfunctions or allergies, immunity needs boosting) then some pointers of note may include:

Whole food supplements such as juice plus, are more bioavailable for absorption than vitamin and mineral supplements, therefore if it is of need to supplement your food source, consider the whole foods form.

When it comes to vitamins and minerals, more is not necessarily better. In fact more not only delineates the benefits but increases harm.

Check the dosages.  Supplementation should be no more than the daily value. This information is readily available on the labels. There is no need or benefit to take more.

Uncertainty can always be confirmed with a registered dietitian or your physician. Tell them about any supplements you may be taking, including vitamins and minerals, and their doses. The professionals will ensure you keep it in the safe range.

Individuals who take megadoses of vitamins are at risk of developing various types of medical maladies. However, most people who take just one multivitamin a day are safe, the only risk for those who do not necessarily require multivitamins or are taking one of poor quality (not whole food) is expensive pee.