December 2008 Nutrition Chat with Coach Marni Rakes

author : mrakes1

comments : 0

Discussions on sweet snacking ideas, protein ideas for vegetarians, premenstrual cravings, eating with a cold, bodybuilding to triathlete and feeling tired.

Sign-up for our chats with the coaches!   
   

[TriAya] So I'm on this medication that causes sugar cravings, and I'm trying to find ways to satisfy the sweet tooth without, say, eating Pop Tarts. Tried fruit, and it works for a bit ... any other snack ideas?
 

[mrakes1] First off, remove any sabotaging food from the house. When you get a sugar craving, the mind will know what is available to crave for. Fruit is a good choice but so is yogurt. You could try a little yogurt w/ fruit and dry cereal (or granola) for a sweet parfait.

[TriAya] Yay, yogurt, I love yogurt. Even plain sweetened with Splenda or NutraSweet.
 

[mrakes1] Also, I have been making fat-free, sugar free pudding (chocolate and vanilla) and adding frozen berries or chopped nuts. It is a nice treat in the evening.

[TriAya] THANK YOU--sometimes you just need the input to get the creative juices flowing for good replacements.

[mrakes1] You could also make a fruit smoothie w/ frozen fruit and a little juice (I recommend the low sugar juices if you need to buy them).

[mrakes1] Always start with a big glass of water when you feel hungry, are about to eat a meal or get a craving. Always combine protein w/ carbs. I love bread as well but when I have a meal, I make sure I have eggs, tofu or veggie meat to go with my bread (as well as veggies). If you aren't a vegetarian (like me) lean meat or fish is a good choice to go with bread. Just try to keep the calories low with bread by choosing lower calorie breads w/ fiber and/or protein.

[SweetK] I was a vegetarian for 4 months then went off the wagon for the holidays...starting Jan 2, back to vegetarian eating.

[mrakes1] That's great! Just be sure to always focus on protein such as cottage cheese, cheese, nuts, PB, yogurt, milk, whey protein, tofu, beans, chickpeas and veggie meat.

[mrakes1] I just got the Boca Bruschetta burger. It was interesting at first but now it is great with a veggie stir fry.

[SweetK] What about cravings premenstrual...any advice?

[mrakes1] Aside from cravings, your menstrual cycle is a perfect time to exercise. When the hormones are released during that time, the body is more likely to burn fat. However, as far as cravings it is really important to keep up with fruits and veggies (for vitamins and minerals) and to stay up with protein because the blood sugar fluctuates, the protein will balance it out. As well as drinking lots of water, it is also important to eat every few hours (snacks around 150-200 calories) to keep the blood sugar from fluctuating

[TriAya] If you have a cold, is there any reason to eat differently?

[mrakes1] If you have a cold, it is good to try to eat as regular as normal but to keep the portions a bit smaller (around 50-100 calories less) because workouts may not be as intense with a cold, you want to make sure you don't add lbs from extra water weight and calories not being used. Although you may have symptoms that make you feel lethargic, try to keep your workout schedule the same but lower the intensity a bit. Extra blood flow will help you feel better. Also, lots of water and fruits and veggies.

Sometimes it helps to have comfort food so if you feel like having a high carb meal (but still portioned controlled and heart healthy) do so after a workout . If you don't feel like working out but still want that comfort food, just be sure you aren't eating a lot that day.

What's most important is trying to eat healthy and balanced meals on a daily basis in order to fight off colds. Unfortunately, sometimes we all get sick and we just have to wait until the virus leaves

[BeginnerMan] I come from a bodybuilding background and so I'm familiar with nutrient timing and the important of pre and post workout nutrition. I started training a 16X oly plan a few months ago.  I feel like even though I've mapped my diet out to the calories, I still feel weaker than I should at times. My diet is 50% carbs 30% protein 20% fat. all clean calories more or less.

[mrakes1] That sounds like a great combination. Be sure you are timing your protein with meals and snacks and getting in whey protein post workouts. Be sure that you are getting good sources of protein like milk, yogurt, cheese, nuts and whey protein rather than bars or sports drinks. Also, even if you are 50% carbs, be sure that you aren't having simple sugars as your source of carbs.

[BeginnerMan] Exactly. So I'm doing a scoop of powdered Gatorade with 1 scoop protein immediately post exercise. I don't eat any bars or drinks except the Gatorade.  And doing a 3-1 carb to protein immediately post. Mostly brown rice sweet potatoes and green veggies for meals, that's all I eat.
 

[mrakes1] I recommend just doing whey protein post workout rather than adding in the Gatorade. Your body may be digesting the simple sugars from the Gatorade too quickly, thus leaving you tired. Because everyone eats after a workout (eventually) you will eventually get in your carbs in a meal. The body really wants the protein post workout. For workouts more than 2 hours, I recommend the 3:1 ratio. In that case, you can add fruit to your protein to make a smoothie. Hopefully this will help. Just watch your intake of simple sugars (ex. white foods, Gatorade). I recommend Hammer products or a product with maltodextrin as the first ingredient for a slower digesting carb.

[BeginnerMan] Hm ok, so if TOTAL workout is longer than 2 hours? Like weight training plus tri training?

[mrakes1] Yes, total workout.

[BeginnerMan] The only time I have simple sugars is post workout.

[mrakes1] Since a lot of us do more than 1 workout at a time, weight lifting plus training would be fine for a smoothie. But I recommend just whey protein and water (or milk) after just weight training or shorter workouts.  If the workout is more than 2 hours (continuous, such as a run or bike workout) you can give yourself a little treat of simple carbs. However, your list of carbs is great for all other times.

About Marni - See all Articles - Custom Nutrition Program
Master of Science degree in Exercise Physiology. Certified sports nutritionist through the International Society of Sports Nutrition.  Spinning class teacher and CPR certified. 2006 Boston Marathon, 2006 IMFL, 2007 Ironman World Championship finisher and qualified for the 2007 Ironman 70.3 World Championship.  

Rating

Click on star to vote

6992 Total Views  |  34 Views last 30 days  |  7 Views last 7 days

date: December 24, 2008