Nutrition Tip October 23 2010

23
Oct
2010

Chronic Inflammation is an enemy of your body.  It is correlated to cell damage, cholesterol plague, hardening arteries, and chronic disease.

To reduce inflammation (as an athlete and for overall health), try to eat foods that are:

  1. Whole-food rather than processed.
  2. If a grain product, choose 100% whole grain rather than refined (for example: 100% whole grain bread, brown rice, 100% whole wheat couscous, etc).
  3. Low in saturated fats (fat from animal products…buy lean meat and/or remove fat)
  4. Low in transfats
  5. High in monounsaturated fats (think Mediterranean diet…olive oil, avocados, nuts, nut butter, etc.)  For maximum health benefits, olive oil should not be heated – its makeup is altered with heat.  Heated olive oil is not bad for you, but you won’t get the same benefits (http://whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=132#summary)
  6. High in DHA/EPA omega-3s (fatty fish)
  7. A great tool for scoring foods based on inflammation, can be found at www.nutritiondata.com – type in a food…you’ll get the nutrition label, glycemic index, and a inflammation score.  Positive numbers are anti-inflammatory, negative ones are pro-inflammatory (kind of counter intuitive).  If you compare the score of peanuts vs. almonds, you’ll see why I recommend a variety of nuts instead of just peanuts.  You want to end up with a net score of 50 or better for the day.
Enjoy Your Ride

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Sugar Alternatives for Energy and Hydration

Question: I am using the homebrew sugar formulations (sometimes added to green tea).  I am also trying to wean myself off 1/2 dose adrenalean “lip tonic delivery system” (biorhythm brand- caffeine, hoodia g, synephrine, yohimbe) capsule for energy.

My question is other than juice, can you suggest modifications in lieu of table sugar for energy and hydration.

Answer:

Both raw/organic honey or agave can work great in the homebrew (substitute in the same quantities for the sugar, or to taste), but you do have to shake well in order to make sure they don’t settle out.  Have you tried either of these?  Also, make sure to use at least the minimum amount of salt recommended in the homebrew as the temps rise, you need the sodium replacement if you’re sweating.

Sports Drink Homebrew

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.

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