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Thursday, February 27, 2014

Food First!

A few weeks back, okay, last summer I asked Kristen of Elite Nutrition and Performance on Devine Street, to write a guest post. I held onto it waiting for the right time to post it. I have come to realize there is no right time. Something always comes up weather it's buying a house, getting sick or getting caught up in every day life. 

With that said please welcome Kristen and her helpful insight! 


Food First!
Supplements Second

People often ask me what supplements should I be taking to help me excel in my sport, gain muscle, lose weight or just feel better. What always amazes me is that their diets are usually are filled with fast food, prepackaged foods and “junk” foods! Therefore, they have no business thinking about supplements and should be thinking about how to improve their diet.

What someone eats on a daily basis far more determines how his or her body responds and ultimately produces the results they are looking for. I always remind my clients “garbage in, equals garbage out.” Meaning, if you fill your body with junk food, you will get poor results from your body. Supplements are not meant to be a healthy diet in a pill; they are simply what they say they are…a supplement. They are meant to supplement your diet that is already filled with whole foods that come from the ground.

Eating a diet based on a whole food diet has many benefits, such as:

·         It’s more nutritious
·         Ingest more fiber
·         Food is better digested, absorbed and utilized
·         No hidden sugars, preservatives, chemicals or ingredients we can’t pronounce

Let’s compare eating a real banana versus a Gu Energy Gel during a training session.


Banana
Gu Energy Gel
Ingredients
Banana
Maltodextrin (Glucose Polymers), Filtered Water, Fructose, GU Amino Blend (Leucine, Valine, Histidine, Isoleucine), Sodium And Potassium Citrate, Natural Peppermint Extract, GU Antioxidant Blend (Natural Vitamin C And Vitamin E), Citric Acid, Calcium Carbonate, Sea Salt, Contains Preservatives [Sodium Benzoate, Potassium Sorbate], Fumaric Acid, Gu Herbal Blend [Chamomile, Ginger], Pectin.
Calories per serving
89 calories
100 calories
Carbohydrates
22.8g
25g
Sugar content
Total: 12.3g
Glucose: 4g
Fructose: 2.3g
Sucrose: 6g
Total: 5g
Maltodextrin: 70-80% (3.5g)
Fructose: 20-30% (1.5g)
Fiber
2.3g
0g
Protein
1.1g
0g
Benefits
-Contains fiber
      -prevents certain cancers
      -time released energy
-Contains vitamins B6, C
-Contains manganese, an essential mineral
-Contains potassium, an electrolyte
-Contains water (~75% of banana is water)
-Contains some protein (amino acids), which helps to time- release energy from food
-More palatable than Gu
-Portable
-Research supports bananas as just as good or even better than sports supplements
-Cheap (~ ¼ the price of GU)
-Can buy anywhere
-Contains electrolytes
-Some contain caffeine
     -quick, extra boost of   energy
     -can lead to heart palpitations in those with heart conditions
-Contain some amino acids (protein) for time released energy
-Portable

This of course is just one example of a sports supplement vs. real food. However, you should always be doing your homework when considering taking a supplement. Things to ask yourself should include:
1.     Is it safe?
a.     A number of supplements are tainted with ingredients they shouldn’t contain, such as prescription drugs and steroids
b.    Check out www.consumerlab.com or http://www.nsfsport.com for help with this one
2.     Is it effective?
3.     What are the ingredients and can I pronounce them?
4.     Are there any real-food options that are comparable to the product?
a.     Remember, real food will be absorbed and utilized better than supplements!
5.     What is the cost?
6.     Is the manufacturer making to good to be true claims? If so, this is a red flag!

Most athletes get sick of the super-sweet taste of sports supplements and don’t favor the aftertaste and “film” that’s left in their mouth afterwards. If this is you, consider making your own “supplements!” A few favorites of mine are Homemade Sports Drink and Gluten Free Energy Balls!

Kristen Tice-Ziesmer, MS, RD, CSSD, LD
Sports Dietitian, Certified Personal Trainer
Owner of Elite Nutrition & Performance

Wednesday, February 26, 2014

A Quick Spaghetti

A Quick Spaghetti

Turkey sausage, basil, garlic (fresh), onion, rosemary, two small tomato sauces, a teaspoon of sugar (to counter act the acid build up in the can) salt and pepper, and I plan on popping some portabellas in after a bit :)


Serve over pasta!  
 
Everything is to taste so start with less and stop when you find your blend. 

Monday, February 17, 2014

Medusa Peas



  Remember about two weeks ago, when we had that one beautiful day? No?  That's okay, I'm pretty sure I would have forgotten to if I hadn't planted some Amish Sweet Pea's.


  The kids and I were so excited to get a jump on seeding that we couldn't resist the temptation when the sun was in full effect. We started about twelve of the peas and twelve of the tomatoes. I made a small area available in the house for them. I mean after all it was only the first day in February. It was kind of a given that I couldn't just toss the seeds in the beds and expect everything to magically grow.


  What I did 't expect was the craziness that took place over the last two weeks. Rain, ICE and Earthquakes? Yeah that happened, but what got  me was how quickly everything was growing! I had a Medusa plant hanging out on my kitchen table. And two eager mini-me's trying to investigate them every two minutes. We have a few starts that I'm pretty sure aren't going to be joining us in the spring months. If need be I can always call on Ariel over at Humble Farm, LLC and join her new CSA program.



Thankfully, yesterday I was able to pull together more leftover wood from the remodel and build a vine climber.  I'm not sure if that's what it's really called or not but that's how I'll be referring to it. I also was able to transplant the peas into yet another temporary bin.  The new contraption and bin combo does make it a bit tricky to haul in and out of the house, but at least I can baby them for another few weeks.

It was fairly easy to put together. I just made some feet, attached the legs and added a cross-bar. I strung a bit of twine and transplanted the starts. I am always thrilled when I get to re-purpose materials around the house. Find the materials list at the bottom of the page.

Materials

Two equal length 1x1  wood pieces (I used about waist high)
two equal  length 4x1  wood pieces( iused about 4 inches) 
one additional 1x1
four screws or nails
Twine

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

Who's YOUR'S?

I am doing my first ever presentation on where to find local food next week. I know where I find it, and know the farmers I buy from, but I also know that there are a ton of other farmers that I haven't made it around to, yet. I don't want to leave them out.

These last few years I have met some really great people in the farming community that value life in the same matter that I do. I have found a number of people that care where their food comes from, and how their dollar can benefit our local economy. I am confident you are one of the same.

 My time has very limited as I have two children that demand (and rightfully so) most of my attention. Thankfully I have integrated them into my calling and they help me along the way. But today they cannot help me, so I come to you from my laptop that is missing 13 keys, to ask for your help. As a comminity, a loving friend or someone that just knows...I ask who's your favorite farmer?

Help me, help people to want to support our local farmers.

Yours Truly,
Sherree