Being anti-inflammatory has been the talk of the town in the world of nutrition. The real question is, what does it mean to be anti-inflammatory and what is inflammation. Inflammation is part of the body’s response to defending itself. The immune system will recognize stimulants that are harmful and unfamiliar in the body then fight it to undergo a process of healing. It all comes down to the two types of inflammation: chronic or acute. The biggest difference between the two types of inflammation is the time span of the […]
RESOLUTIONER OR NOT?
Time to Chime on the Time to Shine Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD As we start off a new decade, many are making resolutions for the new year and the new “you” and then many become “resolutioner” haters simultaneously. I have been seeing both sides and wanted to chime in with my own $0.02 worth. There are many polls that throw out stats of how many people tend to make new years resolutions (it so happens an average of ~50% of Americans make new year’s resolutions based on weight, fitness […]
FUEL YOUR WORKOUTS!!
Did you know that most recreational athletes that sign up for an endurance endeavor with a main goal for weight loss, are in fact flabbergasted that even with the increased physical activity, weight loss does not come easy, in fact many even gain weight. There are a number of reasons for this: 1. the positive reason is because the new athlete may be losing fat, but gaining muscle fiber. Muscle being denser than fat, offsets the scale from budging, but the athlete is getting leaner… HOWEVER, this is not the […]
POWER MUFFINS
Another great muffin recipe from my sports nutrition kitchen: FLOUR, ALL-PURPOSE 1/3 cup WHOLE WHEAT FLOUR 1 cup OATMEAL, DRY regular or instant 1 cup PROTEIN POWDER, VANILLA 3 tbsp SUGAR, BROWN packed 1/2 cup SUGAR, GRANULATED 1/2 cup BAKING POWDER 1 tbsp BAKING SODA 1 tsp CINNAMON, GROUND 1 tsp SALT 1 tsp ALLSPICE, GROUND 1/2 tsp CARROT grated 1 ¼ cups RAISIN, SEEDLESS 1 cup MILK, 1% 3/4 cups BUTTERMILK, LOWFAT ½ cup RICOTTA CHEESE, LIGHT ¼ cup SWEET POTATO, MASHED canned ½ cup CANOLA OIL ¼ […]
Bone Injury in Athletes with Inadequate Calcium Intake
A Personal reflection! As many of my friends and clients know, I have been dealing with a broken finger on my left hand. I have had multiple surgeries, the last being at end of 2017. Not happy with the result. First words from orthopedics mouth were my bones are in a disastrous state. Really, me, fitness model (well almost, right, lol), nutrition expert (we all know what that means, right?) and even “the professor.” Well, needless to say, pain and bone issues are persistent. My checklist of appropriate solutions has […]
Electrolyte Balance for Endurance
Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD INTRODUCTION Sodium is an essential mineral for life. It’s biochemical functions include normal cell function, blood volume regulation, blood pressure/body fluid regulation, pH homeostasis, and heart function. Because sodium in excess can result in increased blood pressure there is a fine line between balancing athletic electrolyte intake to replenish sweat values, and the dietetic recommendations on sodium intake to reduce heart disease. Most medical organizations recommend low or moderate sodium intake for the general population. Above and beyond the general population, are endurance athletes, whose […]
Tips to avoid gastrointestinal distress for training/racing
Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD If you think you are alone when your first focus for any race is gastrointestinal distress, you are not. Are you always plotting your day based on where the bathrooms are going to be (even the ones along the course), or always having to get to races early knowing that you will be standing in the line multiple times, and do you plan your training days around where the pit stops have to be. Believe it or not, athletic GI distress affects more than 60% […]
Culinary herbs and spices : Can they interact with your medicine?
Ilana Katz MS, RD, CSSD One of the major responsibilities a dietitian/nutritionist may have is to analyze an individual’s intake and ensure most appropriate and healthy solutions to goals and needs. For people who regularly take medications, even over the counter products, this can become quite challenging. So then, can some ingredients in various dishes have a pharmalogical interaction? Specific examples best defines what a pharmalogical interaction is: Combining a statin drug (most likely prescribed to lower cholesterol) and a daily dose of grapefruit juice may likely cause too much […]
