Archive for July, 2010

Nutrition Tip July 31 2010

July 31, 2010
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Whole Grains Whole grains and whole grain products contain some valuable antioxidants that aren’t found in fruits and vegetables.  They also contain B vitamins as well as Vitamin E, Magnesium, Iron, and Fibre. So how do you get them?  Using whole wheat flour in your recipes is one way.  You can also look for...
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Posted in Ask the Sports Nutritionist | No Comments »

The Fifth Sip

July 30, 2010
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The Fifth Sip

I remember the day very well.  It was just over a year ago, June 23rd 2009.  I was in our bedroom and my wife was lying down on the bed….out of nowhere she says, “Darryl, I’m pregnant”.  My heart immediately sunk…..Child Number 3 was on the way.  We hadn’t planned this, so I was...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 14 Comments »

Contest Time: Michelin Sweepstakes

July 27, 2010
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Contest Time: Michelin Sweepstakes

We’re giving away $100 just for entering the Michelin Bicycle, Mountain Bike Contest And the winner is: Hi, Amanda here. So, I had a really tough time choosing a winner.  I had fun reading all the posts, and I want everyone to win!! Ultimately, I had to pick just one winner.  Since I’m such...
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Posted in Contests | 28 Comments »

Life In The Big Ring

July 26, 2010
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Life In The Big Ring

If you would have asked me at the beginning of this riding season to explain the type of cyclist I am, I would have said I’m a spinner who spends quite a bit of time in the small ring.  In fact, that is exactly what I told Victor from Bicycle Lab when he did...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 15 Comments »

Nutrition Tip July 24 2010

July 24, 2010
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Agave Nectar and Stevia There are a lot of great ways to sweeten things up, and two that I’d like to mention are Agave Nectar and Stevia. Agave is often advertised as a safe and nutritious alternative that can be consumed by anyone, especially diabetics, without the potential side-effects suffered from consuming sugar cane,...
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Posted in Ask the Sports Nutritionist | 1 Comment »

TdF Friday

July 23, 2010
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TdF Friday

Two more days until the riders reach Paris and the Champs-Élysées.  Tomorrow’s time trial could very well determine who will wear the yellow jersey, and I’m really hoping it is Schleck and not Contador….but it’s kind of a long shot.  Here is my recap of this last week of racing and I look forward...
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Posted in Pro Cycling | 4 Comments »

Daily Nutrition vs Training Nutrition

July 23, 2010
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Daily Nutrition vs Training Nutrition

We are very honored to have Kelli Jennings, registered dietitian (RD) guest posting today.  I wish I had even half the nutrition knowledge she has.  Kelli’s post contains valuable information that all cyclists and athletes should be aware of. Like many athletes, you may have found yourself reading the ingredients of your favorite sports drink...
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Posted in Cycling Nutrition, Guest Post | 12 Comments »

Perspective

July 21, 2010
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Perspective

In a lot of my recent posts, I seem to be touching on the fact that when I’m out on my bike it’s the only break my mind gets during the day.  I’ll be running off in a thousand different directions and trying to juggle about 87 things all at the same time, so...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 8 Comments »

4 Good Cycling Stretches

July 19, 2010
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One of our Loving the Bike friends, @myrnacgmibus recently suggested that we do a post on good cycling stretches.  She told me that she doesn’t really know when to stretch or what stretches to do. So this post is for you, Myrna and I hope there are others out there that can benefit from...
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Posted in Stretching and Conditioning, Video Blog | 12 Comments »

Nutrition Tip July 17 2010

July 17, 2010
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Whole Foods We’re of an age where the foods available to us are becoming more and more instant, in that they are broken down so that we can cook them, prepare them, and consume them as fast as possible.  Although there is a nice surge of Organic and Whole foods being the popular choice,...
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Posted in Ask the Sports Nutritionist | No Comments »

TdF in Pictures

July 16, 2010
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TdF in Pictures

Well, we’ve only got 8 stages left in what’s sure to go down as another amazing Tour de France. There has been a lot of great racing and stories taking place over the first two weeks and I’m sure there will be more excitement in the days to come. I have to say that...
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Posted in Pro Cycling | 3 Comments »

Bonked in Vonda

July 16, 2010
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Bonked in Vonda

Yesterday morning, I set out for a nice 80km ride to a little town called Vonda.  It was a beautiful sunny day, and even the wind wasn’t as breezy as it has been lately.  I always enjoy the last 10kms into Vonda because it’s an old country road with great views.  I’ve never ridden...
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Posted in Uncategorized | 10 Comments »

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Which individual supplements should I take?

I generally eat pretty healthily and stay relatively fit but I wonder if I’m getting enough vitamins and minerals. Is there a product (available in the UK) that contains the right mixes of daily vitamins and minerals and if not, which individual supplements should I take to compliment a healthy lifestyle. (ps… I don’t want to take so many pills that I rattle!)

Kelli’s Answer:

Thanks for the question!  First a disclaimer: It’s always important to talk to your personal health care provider about supplements -some should not be taken due to medication interactions and individual conditions.

Now, my general recommendations:

Although a healthy and balanced diet is most important, I do believe that most people, and athletes especially, need a good multivitamin/multimineral, extra vitamin D, and fish oil (or another source of DHA/EPA omega-3s) in addition to healthy foods.  Mostly, I recommend this because our soils have been over-farmed (which decreases the amount of nutrients in our foods), our waters are polluted (which is one reason we can’t eat as much seafood as we’d like), and our ability to get outside and get sunlight year round has decreased with more time spent inside and at a desk.  And, there’s a lot of exciting research that supports higher levels of vitamin D supplementation than previous recommendations.

Generally, I recommend these daily supplements:

  1. Rainbow Light multivitamin (see http://bit.ly/AwnPQ1 - they have a separate multivitamin for men and women).  This is one of my favorite brands as it contains a good mix of vitamins/minerals, probiotics, enzymes and “green” nutrients.  And, it looks like you can get it online in the UK, at least, according to what turned up in my trusty google search.
  2. 1000-2000 IU additional vitamin D (in addition to the amount in the multivitamin and in addition to what you get from sunlight)
  3. 1000-2000 mg DHA/EPA (in combo, and in addition to ~12 oz. fatty fish per week).  Nordic Naturals is a really good brand – you want the source to be small, low-mercury fish such as anchovies, shrimp, sardines, etc.

Additionally, individual athletes may need extra iron, probiotics, calcium, etc.  But, these 3 pills are a good place to start for most healthy athletes.

As you look for supplements, the keys are to find ones that 1) have what they claim they have (no exaggerated claims) and 2) don’t have anything that’s harmful.  You don’t want lead or other dangerous heavy metals, and I try to stay away from colorings, flavorings, and unnecessary additives.  Since this industry is not really regulated, it can be hard to find good brands that have support from a 3rd party expert.  I often www.consumerlab.com, a completely impartial 3rd party site that tests supplements and reports on their ingredients.  They don’t have every brand, but it can be a good starting point.  I hope this helps!

Please send us your questions for our Expert Sports Nutritionist, Kelli Jennings to “Ask the Sports Nutritionist“. Kelli Jennings is a Registered Dietitian with a passion for healthy eating, wellness, & sports nutrition. For more information go to www.apexnutritionllc.com.

Nutrition Tips