BariAthletes Blog
Anti-Inflammatory Fats For Athletes
Jan 7th
When you think of fat, what do you think of? Greasy foods? Clogged arteries? Love handles? Often times, we have a negative connotation of fats and some have scrutinized over each gram consumed for years. But word is getting out about the health benefits of some fats and why you should include them at every meal, especially if you are an athlete.
As athletes, we use a lot of energy. Although our bodies’ preferred energy source is carbohydrates, fat is often used as an additional source, especially at lower intensity levels. Depending on what you are training for, fat can help an athlete meet their high calorie demand.
After a heavy workout or a race, inflammation in the body increases to aid in the recovery process. We usually encourage not taking non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAID: advil, ibprofin, motrin) because it can interfere with recovery. However, the lower amounts found naturally in foods have been shown to be beneficial to the athlete without impairing the recovery process. Certain fats, such as monounsaturated and omega 3 fats, have anti-inflammatory effects. Dr Weils has a great food pyramid promoting an anti-inflammatory diet: http://www.drweil.com/drw/ecs/pyramid/press-foodpyramid.html. Good sources of monounsaturated fats include; olive oil, canola oil, avocado, and nuts. Most people know fish as a good source of omega 3 fatty acids, however, flax, soy and walnuts also contain some omega 3s.
Although some fats have anti-inflammatory properties, other fats can actually be pro-inflammatory and promote plaque formation in your arteries. Such fats include saturated and trans (or partially hydrogenated oils). The fat found in meats, poultry, and dairy are saturated. Most of the trans fats that are consumed are coming from more processed foods. It is recommended to limit saturated fats and avoid trans fats due to the negative effects on our overall health. Thankfully there are leaner meats and low fat dairy available that are healthier options if you don’t want to cut these foods out completely.
Here are some tips to help increase the healthy fats and reduce those that are less healthy:
- For Breakfast:
- Swap the butter or margarine for a natural peanut butter on toast
- Sprinkle a teaspoon of ground flax to your cereal or oatmeal
- For Lunch:
- Spread hummus or pesto on sandwiches instead of mayo
- Also, leave the cheese out of those sandwiches and add in the avocado
- For Dinner:
- Try one meatless meal a week and incorporate tofu or soy
- Have a fatty fish two times a week and limit the red meat to once every two weeks or less
- For Snacks:
- Grab trailmix instead of chips
- Create a new smoothie with soymilk and flax in it
Athlete Sugar Overload
Mar 23rd
The actual molecule of sugar (glucose) is needed for energy production within our bodies. When people go on extreme diets and eliminate all types of sugars or carbohydrates, our bodies begin to break down muscle and fat to produce glucose. However this process isn’t without its side effects. When muscle and fat are broken down at that level, the body can go into ketosis. Ketosis leaves the body in an acidic state and puts excess pressure on the kidneys from all the metabolic byproducts. 
The higher the energy demand the higher the nutrient or fuel need we have. For athletes, you are constantly running your engine, so you naturally need more. However, the time, place, and amount consumed impacts our performance. This is particularly important for bariatric athletes as you are extra sensitive to the type and amount of sugar and carbohydrate ingested. Often athletes may feel justified to over indulge in sugar or sweets because of all the calories they burned and although not to the same extent, bariathletes may also tend to feel they have more freedom in this area as well. Excessive amounts of sweets and sugars can cause insulin surges which over time can inhibit fat oxidation. For bariathletes riding in centuries or running a marathon it is essential for them to maintain good fat oxidation because that is our major energy reserve. Without fat oxidation we would need to be supplementing almost every calorie we burn as we ride…talk about GI distress!
What you do outside of training can be just as important if not more important than what you do while on the course. What you do in your daily life sets the stage for what you do on the bike. Including carbohydrates as part of a balanced meal and spread them throughout the day helps your body utilize them more efficiently. Choosing more fruits, vegetables and dairy with some legumes and whole grains are a great way to get your carbohydrates in and pack in the vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and other phytonutrients. Always balance carbohydrates with lean protein and healthy fats to maintain appropriate insulin response.
On the bike gels, GUs, drinks and bars tend to be what many athletes use. They are easy to carry, consume, and they don’t spoil. However these products are often widely overused. They are often not needed for short duration or low intensity workouts. When I talk to my athletes, one of my focuses is to make sure they maintain a consistent energy level by avoid “sugar crashes” in addition to promoting metabolic efficiency. Too much of a highly concentrated sugar product can cause insulin to peak which not only inhibits fat oxidation but also causes blood sugar levels to plummet, leaving you crashing and needing more sugar. One of the best methods to assure adequate energy is to go into your workout well fuel. As I previously said, eating well throughout the day when you are not training makes a huge difference. To promote fat oxidation on long slower rides its best to not consume straight sugar product. Products that have some protein with the carbohydrate can help with a slower release and prevents less crashes. Cliff bars and Infinite are products that have a mix of carbohydrates and a little protein that works great and also help with recovery.
In efforts to cut down on sugar, many people turn to non-nutritive sweeteners. The sugar-free craze does not always leave use responsible for the amount and types of food we consume. Just because a cookie is sugar-free doesn’t mean you should have 10 of them. I would much rather have someone eat a “real” cookie, savor and enjoy it, then eat 3 “sugar-free” cookies and be left feeling not only unsatisfied but also guilty for eating 3 cookies. Another issue with non-nutritive sweeteners is that our taste buds can become desensitized from the intense sweetness. Apples and carrots no longer seem as sweet. Studies have shown that large amounts of these sweeteners over a long period of time can actually be dangerous for our health. Small amounts here and there aren’t a problem, but then again, the same is true with sugar. It all comes down to moderation again.
I am going to leave with some great ways to naturally enhance the sweetness of foods:
- Sprinkle cinnamon, nutmeg or even all spice to cereals and yogurts.
- Add extracts (i.e. vanilla, coconut) in coffee, yogurt, baked goods, cereals, and smoothies are also great.
- Squeezing lemon or lime on fruit can bring out its own sweetness. Try it on papaya, its great!
- Freezing fruit can create an enzymatic reaction that increases the sweetness of it naturally. Try throwing bananas, berries or grapes in the freezer!
- Thawing out frozen berries and adding them with their natural juices to plain yogurt or oatmeal is also a great way to add sweetness, fiber and antioxidants.
Scallops with White Wine and Garlic
Mar 9th
Great recipe from Eating Well after Weight Loss Surgery
Ingredients:
1 pound sea scallops
8 cloves of garlic, minced
¾ cup white wine
¼ cup fresh parsley minced (or 3 Tbsp dried parsley)
Directions:
In a nonstick skillet, heat cooking spray and add scallops. Sprinkle garlic and brown (2-3 minutes). Turn scallops and brown the other side. Add white wine and parsley and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes.
Sugar and Spice: Part 1
Feb 23rd
It’s been said that little girls were made with a little sugar and spice and everything nice. Sugar is rarely found to be spoken of in that positive light these days. In fact, sugar has been deemed as down right BAD and one of the culprits for contributing to America’s obesity epidemic and the rise of type two diabetes diagnoses. So how did it go from a sweet nursery rhyme to a villain in today’s society?
Let me first start by giving you a refresher in food chemistry. A single molecule of sugar is called a monosaccharide. Glucose, fructose, and galactose are monosaccharides. Sucrose, lactose, and maltose are two sugar molecules called disaccharides. Mono and disaccharides are considered to be simple sugars, where as larger chains of sugars, polysaccharides, are considered complex carbohydrates. That’s right, complex has nothing to do with “healthy” carbohydrates, it just means the chains of sugars are so long they form more complex structures. The goal is to choose more whole grains and higher fiber foods, period.
This leads us to how much confusion there is about “simple sugars”. It is often misinterpreted that people should limit all simple sugars when in reality we health professionals are really saying to limit the sugary sweets. Many simple sugars are naturally occurring in foods that are very nutritionally dense, such as fruits, dairy and vegetables. As a dietitian, I would never tell my clients to stay away from these foods because they contain simple sugars. The more appropriate message we should be giving is to limit the “added sugars” that are now found so extensively in various foods in our markets.
We see added sugar in so many different foods in the market. As Americans we consume close to 22 teaspoons of sugar (sucrose or white table sugar) a day! Check the ingredient list when looking at foods, see if sucrose or sugar, high fructose corn syrup, honey, agave, or brown sugar is being added. Food manufacturers can be deceptive in making their product seem healthier by using evaporated cane (or beet) juice, fruit juice concentrates and brown rice syrup which are all forms of added sugar.
There is a big misconception that some of these sugars are better for you than others. I have had several clients tell me they eat sugar in the raw which is the “healthy” sugar because it is not as processed like white sugar. How processed a sugar is should be the least of worries! Sugar is sugar and what it really comes down to is the amount consumed. Your body doesn’t really care if it is natural or processed, too much is too much and if you overdo sugar in the raw, agave or fruit concentrates your weight will still go up and you sill still put yourself at risk for developing type 2 diabetes.
On the other end of the spectrum, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has undergone much scrutiny for being the most evil of all the sugars. But in reality, HFCS is not all that different than honey or table sugar (sucrose). HFCS is corn syrup that has undergone enzymatic reactions to produce a higher fructose containing product so it is sweeter. The end result has HFCS yielding 55% fructose and 42% glucose, which is about the same as honey and table sugar. The contributing factor that HFCS has on obesity is that it seems to have been found in everything, even whole wheat bread! The average American consumes approximately 37lbs of HFCS in a year! I have seen several companies now advertise that their products have now been stripped of HFCS and sugar been put in its place. I have to laugh at this because there just isn’t that much difference, it’s the fact that it is being added to our food sources and overly consumed.
The take away message is sugar itself is not bad. Too much of it is. Too much sugar can lead to obesity, type two diabetes, and heart disease. And most Americans don’t know how much they are consuming because it is being added to so much of our food sources. And complex carbohydrates are not necessarily better than simple sugars. Preferably, just leave the sweets and foods with added sugars for special occasions because it’s all comes down to moderation and balance again.
Now, sugar as a fuel source is a different matter altogether, it’s about balancing the energy coming in with the energy being put out. This will be addressed in part two of this article. I’ll be addressing how sugar can be both used and abused by athletes and how to find that happy medium. And I’ll also touch on how this fear of sugar has given rise to a new generation of non-nutritive sweeteners and the overuse of those as well. You will also get some good tips on how to enhance the essence of sweetness without using sugar or sugar substitutes. So check back in a couple of weeks, and go easy on the sweets!
Aunt Di’s Asian Lettuce Wraps
Feb 13th
Ingredients
1 lb ground chicken
16 Boston or head lettuce leaves
1 can sliced water chestnuts, chopped
1 lrg onion, chopped
12 tbsp garlic, minced
1 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp ginger, chopped
¼ c Hoisin sauce
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tsp Asian chili pepper sauce
1 bunch scallions
2 tsp sesame oil
Directions:
Brown meat in large skillet. Add onion, garlic, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, ginger, vinegar, and chili sauce. Cook and then add scallions and sesame oil.
Fill lettuce leaf and enjoy!
For 6 Servings
Calories: 190 Fat: 3.5g Protein: 15g
Carbohydrate: 14g Fiber: 3g
Preventing Dumping Syndrome on the Course
Feb 1st
One of the main concerns that bring athletes to me is the nutritional management to prevents GI distress. Spending more time in the port-a-potties then on the course is something every athlete wants to avoid. Excess sugar intake in a given time is often the culprit. Yet, sports nutrition products are all primarily carbohydrates, and for good reason: carbohydrates are our bodies’ preferred fuel source while exercising. Not only are bariathletes at risk for GI distress because of the typical ‘hazards’ of the sport, but many suffer from dumping syndrome, the surgical side effects of consuming too many carbohydrates. And eating high protein and high fat foods on the course will not provide any benefit. So, as a bariathlete what do you do?
One of the key training and nutritional strategies that can help eliminate GI distress encourages our bodies to burn more of its own nutrient stores (fat) for energy rather than relying on the foods we eat. It’s about matching the fuel source and dose with the specific training regimen. Periodizing workouts and matching your foods to meet the specific demands of the workouts is key.
Some things to consider when you are training:
What’s your season look like? This is an important question because your training is helping you meet your goals. Do you have one big race at the end of the year and smaller ones along the way? Or is each race throughout the year significant? How you train makes a big difference and it ensures that you are not getting burnt out or injured along the way. Not planning it out and periodizing your work outs can have you peaking too early or not even at all.
Have you periodized your workouts and do you know the goal of each phase? Training isn’t just getting out there and doing it, nor is it simply the mileage that you put in. We have so many different systems that play a role in our fitness, we need to train each system. Periodization requires you to work on your aerobic and anaerobic systems as well as muscular strength and power. All of which plays a key role in you performance.
Do you know which system is being worked in each phase and what nutrients to give it and when? To really maximize your training, being able to feed your body the specific nutrients it needs at the specific time is key for optimal performance. When I say optimal performance, I am not just speaking to racing with a good time. In the area of working with bariathletes, this is crucial for overcoming the GI distress and dumping syndrome as well as bonking and fatigue. Optimal performance means you cross that finish line enlivened and energized without any of the cramping, the gas, or the port-a-pottie stops.
BariAthletes offers training programs that includes the periodized training plan as well as the matching meal plan. For more information, contact me today: LeaCrosetti@BariAthletes.com.
Introduction to Eating Like a Bariathlete
Dec 7th
Bariatric surgery has become more and more popular. In fact, the rate of bariatric surgeries performed has climbed more than 600% in the last ten years. Although in the effort to combat obesity related mortality rates, it may only be a short term solution. The surgery is just a tool to get the weight off more quickly than diet and exercise alone. However, after about 2 years the “magic” of the surgery begins to slow down and it is up to the person to maintain or continue to lose the weight. Being a bariatric dietitian for the last several years, I have seen how the weight loss from the surgery has allowed people to move more freely without pain and confidence builds. Some begin to explore dreams they didn’t even consider to be possible: completing a marathon, a century, or an Ironman. I have coined this inspiring population as bariathletes™.
Being an athlete myself and having my background in both bariatric and sports nutrition, I truly love working with this population and empowering them to achieve their inspiring goals. And it is a great way to keep the weight off! Numerous studies have supported this by showing that controlling food intake (surgery) is the key for losing the weight, while exercise (training) is what maintains the weight loss.
Now, here is the problem. These endurance events require a lot of fuel which most athletes obtain by consuming a lot of carbohydrates in both everyday life as well as during training and races. It’s a problem obviously because the new 1oz stomach will not be able to hold ½ of what most athletes eat. In addition, too many carbohydrates (particularly the simple sugars found in sports products) can trigger dumping syndrome, and take the place of needed protein and other nutritious foods.
I use strategies to help bariathletes™ become more metabolically efficient at burning fat as fuel which eliminates the need to carb load. This method assures that bariathletes™ get the nutrition they need without any dumping syndrome or other forms of GI distress. We are offering a 40% discount on our webinar Introduction to Eating Like a Bariathlete™. To get the coupon sign up at www.BariAthletes.com.
BariAthletes™ is here to support you! So here’s to making life your new playground. Play hard and have fun!
Ten Tips for a Healthy Thanksgiving
Nov 25th
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
We want to wish everyone a very happy and healthy Thanksgiving, and when I say healthy I don’t mean you have to skip on your favorite foods by any means. Here are a 10 tips to help you have a successful holiday.
- Thanksgiving is only one day, one day won’t make or break you! So if you have been managing your nutrition and health, then having a little more than usual this one day is completely normal and ok.
- Treat it like other days. Don’t skip breakfast or any early meals, it will set you up for overeating later.
- You can still enjoy all the foods available with moderation.
- There may be some foods available that you may only have once a year so enjoy these foods and consider skipping on the foods you can have every other day of the year.
- Don’t forget the greens. There are going to be plenty of yummy foods but make sure there are still some greens on your plate.
- Consider only allowing for one plate and no seconds. Get the foods and you enjoy and enjoy them, eat slowly!
- Consider going for a stroll after the big meal. Moving can improve insulin sensitive and keep you from getting sleepy after that meal.
- Remember why we are gathering in the first place. Focus on the people their and give thanks for having them in your life.
- Don’t not restrict or over exercise the next day. Choose healthier options throughout the next day and move your body without it being a form of punishment for enjoying yourself the day before.
- DO NOT weigh yourself the next day. Chances are you are eating higher sodium foods and you may be holding on to some fluids.
Gluten Free Athletes
Nov 15th
The gluten-free diet seems to have become the next best thing. More and more people are turning to gluten-free foods despite not having gluten allergies or celiac disease. Food manufacturers appear to be abandoning the “Low Carb” marketing and turning to “Gluten-Free” to feed this frenzy. But why? What are the advantages of going gluten-free?
First let me explain what gluten is. Gluten is a protein that is found in wheat, rye, and barley grains. A gluten free diet is recommended for people who are allergic to this protein or for those who have celiac disease. Celiac disease is a malabsorptive disease where this protein damages the intestinal lining. It is estimated that about 1 out 133 people have some type of gluten intolerance and should avoid gluten containing foods. However, those who do not have gluten intolerances or allergies can digest gluten without a problem.
Some athletes who have been diagnosed with celiac disease, like Desiree Ficker, and changed to a gluten free diet have seen improvements in their performance. Some athletes without diagnosed intolerances have followed in hopes to eliminate their GI distress and improve their performance. Claims that a gluten free diet can improve performance are based on the idea that with improved digestion, the absorption of nutrients will improve which could then lead to improved performance. Again, this can only be true if there is a gluten intolerance to begin with and that it is causing malabsorption.
What may actually be happening is that people are following a more nutritious, metabolically efficient diet. By eliminating processed breads, pastas, and cereals, athletes can focus more on fruits, vegetables, low-fat dairy, lean protein and healthy fats. Having these nutritious foods be the base of an athlete’s diet, can assure that they are not only getting adequate vitamins and minerals, but they are also promoting appropriate hormone signals.
Large amounts of carbohydrates (whether gluten containing or not) can spike blood sugars which then spike insulin. Insulin promotes carbohydrate metabolism and inhibits fat oxidation. Limiting fat oxidation is a problem because we can easily deplete are carbohydrate stores and have to rely more on supplements during training and races which can lead to more GI distress. Improved fat metabolism and improved athletic performance has been seen in endurance athletes when they follow a more balanced diet that isn’t as carbohydrate heavy. A low carbohydrate diet is not recommended by any means, but by eating more fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy, it promotes a shift in macronutrients and provides an overall well balanced, nutrient rich diet.
So gluten may not necessarily be the culprit but a typical unbalanced carbohydrate heavy athlete’s diet may be more of the issue at hand. Unless you have a gluten intolerance it is not recommended to start buying gluten free foods. To become more metabolically efficient, improve GI distress, enhance your performance it is recommended to follow a balanced diet made up of mostly fruits, vegetables, low fat dairy, lean meats and healthy fats. If you need help getting started, give us a holler! Happy training.
Twinkie Diet
Nov 11th
Being a dietitian, I have to address the “Twinkie Diet” that has recently come up in the news. Kansas State University Human Nutrition Professor, Mark Haub went on a diet to prove a point about weight loss. His point was that it doesn’t matter what you eat, but rather how much you eat: the simple math of calories in and calories out. So, he dropped his intake from 2600 calories to 1800 calories a day, however 2/3 of his diet was made up of Twinkies, Hostess Cupcakes, and Little Debbie Snacks. After two months of eating like this he lost 27 lbs and went from being overweight to normal body weight based on Body Mass Index.
Haub’s point is well taken because that is the fundamental principle to weight loss; consume less calories that you burn and you will lose weight. Losing weight and maintaining normal body weight are major ways to reduce risks of developing diabetes and heart disease. So, it makes sense that Haub’s cholesterol levels improved, because not only does being overweight directly impact cholesterol levels but he consumed less fat and calories overall.
Weight is only one indicator of health. Being at a healthy body weight while eating non-nutritious foods and taking a multivitamin to make up for it is not recommended by any means. Our bodies metabolize fresh, whole, natural foods so much better than processed and genetically modified foods. Phytonutrients are key cancer fighting properties that are found in fruits, vegetables and whole grains. We can’t just take a pill (vitamin supplement) and say we are healthy. Consider all the preservatives that are in these foods (all those huge words most people can’t pronounce). Am I saying you sound avoid these foods altogether? Not necessarily, but by no means would I ever recommend anyone follow a diet based on “junk”.
And lastly, from an environmental stand point, this diet is very harmful. Each one of those treats are in a wrapper that are wrapped in another larger wrapper, that are in a larger box or bag. That’s a lot of packaging and a lot of waste! Think about the amount of waste that can occur if people start eating like this. He consumed on average about 10 packaged food/drinks per day, that’s 600 individual wrappers and about another 160 larger wrappers and boxes for 2 months. Not very green to me!
So do your body and the environment a favor and steer clear of the Twinkie Diet, stick to moderation and avoid overeating. And don’t forget the either side of the equation….exercise! 
