Cycling Fuel for Lactose Intolerant Cyclists

Jeff asks:

“I am extremely lactose intolerant, and many of the commercial bars and supplements have whey as a major ingredient.  I have a hard time finding fuel for my rides.  Help.”

If you’re one of the many athletes tired of gels, chews, and overly sugary sports foods, you’re gonna love this week’s Loving the Bite recipe.  Personally, as a long-distance mountain biker, I use a combination of both “sports foods” (gels & bars, mostly) and real food.  For any ride longer than 5 hours, I find that real food every 3 hours or so satisfies my hunger, my salt-cravings, and my hollow-stomach feeling.  This week, if you’re looking for tasty real food fuel, try this amazing Bacon Rice Burrito.

Recipe of the week: On-the-Ride Bacon Rice Burrito

Ingredients:

• 2/3 cup cooked white rice
• 2 strips cooked organic bacon, chopped
• 1-2 tsp. olive oil
• Ground cumin
• ¼ tsp. Salt, or to taste
• 2 lime wedges
• Small white-flour tortilla (soft taco size)

Instructions:

• Place rice, bacon, and olive oil in a bowl.  Stir to mix well.
• Add cumin, salt, and lime juice to taste.
• Place mixture in tortilla, wrap tightly.
• Cut burrito in half and wrap both halves in plastic wrap or foil.

Nutrition Information: Approx. 175 calories, 23 grams carbs, 4 grams protein per 1/2 burrito serving

Comments:  

Real food on the bike.  Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.  For every dialed-in nutrition success story, there’s one in which real food left a cyclist low on energy, cramping, or even bonking.  Here are the 4 Key Considerations I use when experimenting with Real Food Fuel:

Nutrients: Mostly, you need carbs out there.  A small amount of protein and fat is fine, but the foundational nutrient should be carbs.  I’ve seen someone snacking on an avocado for fuel.   Guess what?  Pure fats take too long to digest and will set in your stomach, increasing your risk of cramps.  Another consideration is electrolytes, especially sodium.  Since most sports foods and drinks are sweet, real food fuel offers an excellent opportunity for starchy, salty foods.  Lastly, it’s a good idea to avoid junk ingredients whenever possible, such as hydrogenated oils, colorings, and chemicals.  In our recipe, I recommend an organic bacon so that you’re not sucking down nitrites.  Take a look at your labels and do your best to limit questionable ingredients.  Stick with carb-based, savory, wholesome fuel.

Taste: Quite simply, you’ve gotta want to eat it.  I’ve said it a thousand times (okay, maybe not a thousand), if you don’t like it, it isn’t good fuel for you no matter what the nutrient make-up is, no matter how many of your riding partners swear by it…if you don’t like it and won’t eat it (or drink it), it’s a recipe for bonking.

Digestion: Beyond a make-up of carbs, it’s important to choose the right carbs.  Remember, training fuel is somewhat opposite of healthy, everyday, nutritious meals.  Although high-fiber whole foods are great at the table, you need fuel that digests quickly on the bike so that 1) it doesn’t set in your stomach too long and cause cramping, and 2) it metabolizes efficiently enough to impact your energy levels during your ride…not 5 hours after.  White grain carbohydrates generally stay in your stomach long enough to get rid of hunger (this is controlled by hormones activated when your stomach is stretched…when you eat gels all day on a long ride, you will feel hungry and slightly nauseous all day), yet leave soon enough to not divert too much blood flow away from your legs nor cause stomach cramps.

Size: Rather than research, this criteria is mostly founded upon personal, friends’ and clients’ experiences.  Ever eaten a whole meal, like a packed lunch, right in middle of your ride?  If you have, you may have noticed 2 things: 1) high risk of cramping (again), and 2) no power in the legs following the meal (and for the next 1-2 hours).  What gives?  The size of the meal impacts the rate of digestion and the “work” your body has to do to digest it.  Your body can only do so much at once, and a large meal sabotages your legs’ blood and energy supply.  Keep any real food fuel small, about 25-50% of a “normal” serving, and fuel throughout your ride rather than all at once.

Combined with hourly quick-acting fuel and carbohydrate/electrolyte fluids, real food fuel can provide the nutrients you need and a satisfying treat on a long ride.  This week, let’s enjoy a tasty burrito, ride long and keep it real.

Fuel Your Ride. Nourish Your Body.

Burrito image c/o Visual Recipes

It’s rare that I recommend a supplement to most all my clients without hesitation.  However, when it comes to fish oil, I recommend it to almost 100% of them.  In fact, I recommend eating fish high in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) AND supplementing with high-quality fish oil supplements (not either or).  Why?  Generally, the more omega-3s, the better.  Since these fats promote the production of hormones that reduce inflammation, rather than the production of those that increase it, fish oil and omega 3 fat’s effects are far reaching and very important to cyclists.

This week, we’ll discuss a wonderful Wild Rainbow Trout recipe, other non-fish omega-3 foods, fish oil supplements, and how to get your whole family, cyclists and non-cyclists, to supplement it each day on the cheap.  And, I’ll try to do it quick (or as concise as possible, at least)!

Recipe of the week: Jalapeno Grilled Trout

Ingredients:

• 4 whole trout, cleaned
• 3 medium fresh seeded jalapeno peppers, chopped
• 4 medium green onions, chopped
• 1 bunch cilantro, chopped
• 1/2 cup bell pepper, diced
• 1/2 cup peeled, diced ripe mango
• 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil or avocado oil
• 2 tablespoons lime juice
• garlic salt,  to taste
• black pepper, to taste

Instructions:

1. Preheat a grill for medium heat, and place the rack 3 inches over the coals.
2. In a medium bowl, mix together the ingredients from jalapenos through black pepper; set aside. Lightly coat four squares of foil with olive oil or cooking spray. Place fish diagonally on the foil, and stuff each with 1/4 of the mango stuffing. If it doesn’t all fit inside the fish, then just place the remainder on top of the fish. Fold the corners of the foil over the head and tail of the fish.  Fold the remaining corners over the body of the fish.
3. Cook the packets for about 20 minutes total, flipping once at 10 minutes.  Trout is done when it flakes easily.  Serves 4.

Comments:  

While I’m specifically highlighting fish oil this week, trout has a lot of specific benefits, and this recipe is perfect for summer!  Trout is very high in protein, serving as many as 33 grams of protein for one filet (~5 ounces) and adding over 1500 mg of DHA and EPA (in combination) for this serving.  Trout is great for overall health, and even includes a decent amount of calcium and B vitamins.  Of course,  wild caught salmon, tuna, mackerel, oysters, mollusks, halibut, sea bass, and mussels are good fatty fish/seafood choices high in omega 3 fats, too.

Importance of Omega 3s:  Where do I start?  At the heart of omega-3 fat benefits, is the balance of inflammatory hormones and anti-inflammatory hormones and their production in our bodies.  When we eat diet high in omega 3s and lower in omega-6s, see below), specifically DHA and EPA, our bodies create and utilize more anti-inflammatory hormones.  These hormones serve to keep our arteries flexible, our immune systems in check by reducing release of cytokines (cause allergy symptoms, fatigue, etc), improve brain function and brain cell rebuilding early and later in life, healthy gene regulation, maintain healthy vision and eye health, and of course, reduce inflammation.  Bodily inflammation has direct impact on conditions like chronic fatigue, asthma, cancer, allergies, migraines, depression, psychosis, diabetes, obesity, and arthritis.  As a cyclist, these conditions, or lack thereof, have a direct impact on your performance on the bike (lungs, joints, strength:weight, fatigue), your recovery, and your overall well-being.

Types of Omega 3s: There are 3 main types of omega 3 fats, DHA, EPA, and  ALA (alpha-linolenic acid).  DHA and EPA come from fish and algae, ALA can be found in plant foods such as Chia, Flax, Hemp, Walnuts, Pumpkin Seeds, Canola, and more.  While DHA and EPA have direct and potent effects on our health, ALA has to be converted to DHA or EPA by our bodies for the same anti-inflammatory benefits.  While it used to be thought that this conversion happened readily, research now suggests that 15% or less of ALA is converted in healthy bodies.  In the young, old, or in those with less than optimal health, this number drops further.  But, before you throw away your Chia Pet, ALA has its own health benefit, but they are not the same as DHA and EPA, and should not be substituted for them.  I still recommend high ALA foods, in addition to fish and fish oil. Additionally, you can get significant amounts of DHA/EPA in eggs from which the chickens were fed a high-omega-3 diet.

Guide to Fish and Cost-Effective Fish Oil:  First, the quantity.  I recommend 2, 6-ounce servings of fatty fish per week PLUS 1000 mg of DHA and EPA (in combination) per day for most athletes, adults, and teens.  For children, who can also be fun-loving cyclists of course, I generally recommend half these amounts.  The fish should be wild caught.  Two servings are generally considered safe in terms of mercury exposure, but pregnant women may want to their intake to 8 oz. per week.  If you’re not able to eat this amount, or don’t like to, you can increase your supplementation towards 2000 mg DHA/EPA per day.

When choosing fish oil:

• Choose fish oil made from small fish such as anchovies, sardines, and krill.* The 2 liquid brands below list “Other Ingredients: Purified deep sea fish oil (from anchovies and sardines), natural lemon flavor, d-alpha tocopherol, rosemary extract” and “Other Ingredients: Fish oil (sardine, anchovy), natural lemon flavor, natural tocopherols,” respectively.
• Choose fish oil with added antioxidants such as lemon components, rosemary, etc.
• Avoid fish oils with strong odors (may be rancid).
• *Of note, krill is another option for fish oil, and some studies have shown increased absorption from krill – so, the dose may be sufficient at 30-50% of fish oil. Krill has a natural antioxidant that protect the oil. Additionally, emulsified preparations may enhance absorption.
• Lastly, know how to read the label. Since different fish have different percentages of DHA and EPA in their oil, the mg of fish oil is different from the mg of DHA and EPA. You must turn the supplement bottle around and look at the nutrition label to see these amounts. And, note the serving size!

So how can you supplement fish oil, and get all these wonderful benefits on the cheap?  Choose liquid fish oil rather than softgels.  First, it is more concentrated.  To get the amounts I recommend, you often have to take 4-5 softgels per day – this is not cost-effective or efficient.  And forget the adult and children “gummy” fish oils.  They have very little fish oil, and too much sugar and colorings.  Liquid on the other hand, provides enough DHA and EPA in just 1 teaspoon serving.

But what about the “YUCK!” factor?  Oh, I know, liquid fish oil doesn’t sound so good, right? Well, most liquid fish oil has antioxidants and natural lemon flavors added both to improve the taste and protect the oils so they actually make it to your bloodstream. It’s readily absorbed. And, despite many claims, I find less fishy-burp side effects with a good quality liquid than softgels. By using my “Mary Poppin’s” trick, you (and even your kids) will look forward to a spoonful of fish oil each day.

1. Using organic (and/or raw & unfiltered), draw a circle of honey on a spoon. The honey will actually provide extra antioxidants to protect the oil, enzymes and antioxidants and increase absorption, and a great taste!
2. Fill the circle with liquid fish oil.
3. Take it straight off the spoon because “just a spoonful of honey helps the medicine go down…”
4. If you do experience any fishy burps or stomach upset, try dividing the dose into 2 doses at different times of day.

My Brand Name & Generic Fish Oil Recommendations:

• Nordic Naturals Omega-3 Purified Fish Oil (16 oz. bottle = $38.2, 1 tsp = 1375 mg DHA/EPA; adults can take 3/4 tsp per day for 1000 mg DHA/EPA at $9.50 per month; and, children can take approximately 1/3 tsp per day for 500 mg DHA/EPA at $4.80 per month).
• Vitacost Finest Fish Oil (16.9 oz. bottle = $19.50, 1 tsp = 1300 mg DHA/EPA; adults can take ~3/4 tsp per day for 1000 mg DHA/EPA at $4.25 per month; and, children can take approximately 1/3-1/2 tsp per day for an average of 500 mg DHA/EPA at $2.40-$3.00 per month).

This week, let’s eat our catch and reduce our inflammation.  Skip the candy-coated brightly colored fish oil supplements, and give our bodies the good stuff.  If you don’t already, really consider taking this supplement every day.  For cycling performance and overall health, the benefits are extensive.

Fuel Your Adventure. Nourish Your Body.

Father’s Day means one thing in our house: Lemon Curd…(happy belated Father’s Day to all you dads out there, by the way!).  Why?  Simply because my wicked-awesome-mountain-biking husband loves it.  So this year while making extra batches, the thought crossed my mind: Could I make it better?  More nourishing, and yet still tasty?  Appropriate for Training Fuel as well as a treat for Daily Nutrition?  The wheels in my head started turning as I grated more peel.  Mmmmm.  This one’s gonna be good.

Recipe of the week: Easy Honey Coconut Lemon Curd

Ingredients:

• 2 tablespoons finely grated lemon  peel
• 3 large eggs
• 2/3 cup fresh lemon juice (about 3 large lemons)
• 2 tablespoons organic coconut oil
• 1/2 cup organic honey

Instructions:

1. Combine the first 4 ingredients in a saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly with a whisk until thickened, about 3-5 minutes.  Remove from heat and stir in honey.  Cool. Cover and chill (the mixture will thicken as it cools). Yield: ~2 cups
2. Lemon Curd can be stored in the refrigerator for up to 1 week and also freezes very well. Thaw in the refrigerator, and use within 1 week of thawing.
3. Can also be made with limes or oranges.

Comments:

Never had lemon curd?  I’ll tell it to you straight: you simply haven’t lived.  I was introduced to it by friend a few years ago…I haven’t eaten a pancake or waffle the same since (see below).  And true to Loving the Bite form, we’ve kept this delicious lemon curd recipe to just 15 minutes and 5 simple, nourishing ingredients.  Here’s how to use it for the sake of some strong cycling:

Pre-Training: 

If you’re short on time, try ¼ cup lemon curd with just a couple of Tablespoons plain yogurt.  It will provide relatively long-lasting energy for a short ride (honey breaks down similarly to maltodextrin in terms of speed).  Or, try it on top of one slice of bread like jam.

If you’ve got a longer time-frame before riding and are riding for more than 2 hours, try 1 small whole-grain waffle or pancake with 1/2 cup plain yogurt and ¼ cup lemon curd 2-3 hours out.  And, you may want to save some for recovery.

Recovery:

You can use the waffle pancake option (but increase yogurt to 1 cup), the simply yogurt/lemon curd option with 1 cup yogurt and ½ cup lemon curd, or try a smoothie:

1 cup plain yogurt, 1 cup berries, 1 cup greens (spinach, kale, or basil, for example), ¼ cup lemon curd, ½ cup water.  Mix in blender and process until smooth.  Add ice and process until at desired consistency.

As far as nutrition:

Eggs give us a “gold-standard” protein in albumin, leucine which specifically helps prevent muscle breakdown and promotes lean tissue protein synthesis and many important vitamins. And minerals such as choline, Vitamins A, D, E, and K, phosphorus, calcium, iron, iodine, selenium, and zinc.

Lemons are great for high levels of Vitamin C (a powerful antioxidant), anti-nausea properties, anti-bacterial compounds, mucus-busting action, and anti-cancer properties.

Organic honey provides antioxidants, carbohydrates for efficient fuel and glycogen replenishment, and natural enzymes that aide digestion and improve nutrient absorption.

Organic coconut oil is made up of medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). These special saturated fats are quickly digested and metabolized like carbs, bypassing the normal slow, bile-dependant digestive path of most fats. What’s more, they are used directly by the energy powerhouses of the cell, the mitochondria, and offer more than twice the calories (energy) of carbohydrates per gram.

Here are two good reasons to eat lemon curd: good pre-training and post-training fuel.  This summer, lemon curd will hit the spot while fortifying your body.  Optimal fuel means faster recovery, less fatigue, and more power and endurance on the bike.

Fuel Your Ride. Nourish Your Body.

Who here wants to reduce fatigue and inflammation, optimize blood flow, and stay healthy this season?  Yes, please.  And, who wants some pesto?  Yes, pretty please.  Well, it must be your lucky day, because here at Loving the Bike, we’re about to make it all happen.

Recipe of the week: Simple Fresh Basil Pesto

• 2 cups packed fresh basil leaves*
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted (or substitute sunflower seeds)
• 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice and 1 to 2 teaspoons grated lemon peel
• 2/3 cup extra-virgin olive oil, divided
• Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1/3 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated**

Instructions:

Place basil, garlic, pine nuts, lemon juice, and lemon peel in a food processor or blender, and process until coarsely chopped.  Add 1/2 cup of the olive oil.  Process until fully incorporated and smooth. If desired, add salt and pepper to taste. If serving immediately, add remaining oil and mix until smooth.  Top with cheese. If allowing to set, refrigerate and add remaining oil and cheese when ready to serve.  Or, if freezing, transfer to container and drizzle remaining oil over the top. Freeze for up to 3 months. Thaw and stir in cheese. (Freeze in ice-cube tray to form perfect sized servings to add to foods later). *No basil?  Use spinach instead! **Want to keep it dairy-free?  Parmesan mostly adds texture and a salty flavor, so simply omit and salt/pepper to taste.

Training Nutrition: 

1. The night before a “big” ride or race, try whole-grain pasta, brown rice, or sourdough bread with chicken and pesto.  It will provide long-lasting carbs, protein, super-nutrients from basil, and healthy fats.
2. On a long ride, try these for whole food fuel: Split 1 whole pita bread into 2 rounds.  Sprinkle 3 Tbsp pesto and 3 Tbsp parmesan cheese onto one round.  Top with other round.  Bake at 350 deg F for 10-12 minutes and cut into 6 wedges.  Eat 3 wedges while stopped and fueling up on ride (15-20 grams carbs).
3. Recovery: Try a sourdough pesto chicken sandwich or leftover Pesto Chicken Pasta (from #1).  It will hit the spot with carbs, protein, and sodium.  Make sure to drink a tall glass of water on the side.

Comments:

As one of my favorite flavors, basil is in high demand in my kitchen.  But, it’s more than just great taste.  Fresh basil provides:

Reduced inflammation and oxidative stress:  Basil’s flavonoids, especially orientin and vicenin, are phytonutrients that protect cell structures from radiation and oxygen-based damage (free radicals/oxidative stress).  And eugenol, one of basil’s volatile oils, works to block the inflammatory activity of an enzyme (cyclooxygenase) in the body.  Non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications (NSAIDS), such as aspirin and ibuprofen, also work to block this enzyme.  Remember, this not only has implications for inflammatory conditions like arthritis, but also fatigue in endurance athletes.

Blood flow:  Want good blood flow while you pedal your bike up that next climb?  Get some vitamin A and magnesium from basil.  Like other dark leafy greens such as spinach, basil offers a good source of beta-carotene (vitamin A precursor).  Beta-carotene is a strong antioxidant that protects arteries and many cells from free radical damage while reducing the oxidation of cholesterol (oxidation allow cholesterol to form plagues in artery walls).  By eating your leafy greens, you can keep your artery walls strong and clear of plagues. Then, the magnesium in basil prompts muscles and blood vessels to relax, which improves blood flow out of the heart and throughout the body.

Bacteria Protection:If you’d rather be riding your bike than in bed with food poisoning, try basil as an antibacterial tool.  Basil’s specific volatile oils have anti-bacterial properties that can restrict the growth of Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli O:157:H7, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. What’s more, these oils from basil leaves may have a role against bacteria that’s become resistant to antibiotics.  In fact, a 2004 study showed that washing produce in solution containing either basil or thyme essential oil, even at just a 1% solution,  resulted in dropping the number of Shigella below the point at which it could be detected.   Two applications possible are to 1) add a basil essential oil solution to your produce-washing regimen and 2) add fresh basil to foods that may potentially pose a risk such as fresh salads, fresh fruits and meats (such as pesto on top of chicken).

Bonus Recipe: Oh-So-Fresh Lemon Basil Smoothie

Place 1 cup plain yogurt, ½-1 cup fresh basil leaves, Zest from one lemon (~2-3 Tbsp), 1 cup berries, ½ cup water, and 1-2 tsp organic honey in a blender.  Process until smooth.  Add ice and process until at desired consistency.

More basil options than you can shake a stick at.  For a healthy, high-energy, low-inflammation cyclist, it’s just the way it should be.

Fuel Your Ride. Nourish Your Body.

This week, Kelli brings you a fantastic recipe that includes the Dark Chocolate Probiotic Bar from our friends a Attune Foods.  I’m a big fan of this company for many reasons, and one of them is because they use “simple, pure ingredients that help you feel your best every day”.  Attune (and their Uncle Sam brand of products) is also one of the sponsors of our new Loving the Bike kits that have now completed pre-order and will be delivered by mid-June.  If you missed out on the pre-order, look for ordering details coming soon to our Groucho Sports shopping page.

I don’t mean to sound like an advertisement for Attune, but should you not be able to find their dark chocolate probiotic bar in your local stores you can always buy them from Attune online.  For more information on Attune Foods, visit them at www.attunefoods.com.

If you want to make people uncomfortable, start talking about your digestion habits.  Or that of others.  I do it all the time.  And I get those awkward looks.  But, hey, this dietitian happens to love the gut.   To put it simply, it’s the one system in your body that nourishes all the other systems.  See how long your brain and heart work without your gut. Not long.  Want to ride a bike, with all the power and endurance of your dreams?  Better have a healthy gut.  This week, we’ll discover a wonderful non-dairy probiotic product that may be new to you.  And as you Love the Bike, I bet you’ll come to love the gut, too.

Recipe of the Week: Chocolate Banana Coconut Probiotic Smoothie (Dairy-Free)

Ingredients:

• ½ Attune Dark Chocolate Probiotic bar
• 1 small frozen banana, cut into chunks
• ¼ cup canned* or homemade coconut milk + ½ cup water OR ¾ cup refrigerated coconut milk (in carton)
• 1 Tbsp nut butter
• 1 cup fresh baby spinach leaves
• Ice/water, as desired

*If using canned milk, buy Arroy-D or Native Forest to avoid BPA in the cans, which readily leaches into high fat liquids such as coconut milk

Instructions: 

Mix ingredients in a blender or food processor.  Add more ice or water as needed for desired consistency.

To make into a recovery smoothie, simply add ½ – 1 scoop protein powder, such as hemp, soy, pea or undenatued whey.

Comments: 

I’m a big-time fan of good bacteria.  Why?  Because I’m a big-time fan of gut health.  I see it as the nutrition gate-way to a healthy body.  Without healthy digestion, foods are not broken down properly, absorbed efficiently, or eliminated when needed.  Without a healthy gut, whole, harmful proteins can invade the blood stream and cause inflammation and immune-function reactions.  Without a healthy gut, immune function is decreased and overall health is diminished.

And healthy bacteria, like the ones found in the Attune Dark Chocolate Probiotic bar in our smoothie, are one key to a healthy gut.  In fact, healthy bacteria have special benefits for athletes.

Benefits of Healthy Bacteria:

• Increase antioxidant absorption.  Yes, this really does benefit non-athletes as well.  But, since free radicals are abundant after training, it’s important that athletes meet them head-on with high amounts of antioxidants.  And, wouldn’t you know it, probiotics eaten during recovery will increase antioxidant absorption, and thereby promote extra free radical fighting just when you need it.
• Promote higher levels of the natural virus-fighter, interferon, which is decreased in fatigued athletes.  Ever notice how some endurance athletes are sick more often than “less-healthy” individuals who don’t exercise nearly as much?  With endurance training, many athletes cross the line from improving health with exercise to hurting it (in some areas, anyway).  One area of suppression is the immune system, and specifically interferons, which are proteins made and released by cells in response to the presence of pathogens such as viruses, bacteria, parasites and tumor cells. Studies have shown an increase in interferons in fatigued athletes with the supplementation of healthy bacteria, and thereby a decrease in illnesses such as mononucleosis.
• Increase the bioavailability and absorption of proteins and fats by improving the breakdown of these nutrients in the digestive tract.  This certainly helps a cyclist meet extra nutrition needs.
• Reduce intestinal inflammation, bloating, and hypersensitivity to foods….common complaints among athletes during and after training.

How can you get more probiotics in your diet?  Try adding:

1. Functional foods with added probiotics such as the Attune Dark Chocolate Probiotic Bars.  If you tire of fermented dairy or you cannot tolerated it, but want another tasty option for daily probiotics, try these amazing bars.  In fact, these bars boost 6.1 billion Probiotic cultures per serving (Bifidobacterium lactis HN019, Lactobacillus acidophilus NCFM, Lactobacillus casei LC-11).  They also contain inulin, a prebiotic fiber that serves as probiotic food (yes, your healthy bacteria need to eat, too). And, while you’re at it, replace any “junk” desserts with these delicious bars and get the benefits of high-polyphenol dark chocolate and probiotics.
2. Eat natural fermented foods and drinks each day.  Good options include plain and plain Greek-style yogurt, kefir, kombucha, miso, high-quality aged cheese, sauerkraut, and kimchi.  We’ll even help you make your own homemade high-probiotic yogurt.
3. If needed, add a high-quality probiotic supplement to your regimen.  Or, if you’d like to reduce the number of pills, use a multivitamin such as Rainbow’s Light that contains them.

Bonus Recipe: Homemade Coconut Milk

Heat 4 cups water until hot, but not boiling.  Add 1 ½ – 2 cups unsweetened coconut flakes and water to high-powered blender (the better the blender, the better the consistency) and blend on high for several minutes until thick and creamy. Pour through a colander and filter out the coconut pulp, then squeeze through a cheese cloth to filter the smaller pieces of coconut.  Refrigerate and use within 3-4 days.

It may not be the most popular topic of conversation, but your gut is important.  Treat it right.  Give it the healthy bacteria it needs from a variety of sources.  Try our Chocolate Banana Coconut Probiotic Smoothie with an Attune Dark Chocolate Probiotic bar, and your taste buds will thank you, too.  A healthy gut could be the difference between killing it on an epic ride and being stuck on your couch at home with a cold.  The choice is yours.

Fuel Your Ride.  Nourish Your Body.

Photo by Alisa Fleming for Attune Foods

The magic bullet.  Whole food super pills.  Hours of energy in a bottle.  Easy, quick, short-cut, convenient nutrition.  If you’re looking for any of these, this particular post is not for you.  To love the bike, I’m proposing that you have to take care of and love your body…the slow-food, whole-food, real-food, old-fashioned way.

This week, we’re going to get back to basics.  To eating fresh, raw, whole foods that promote health.  It’s time to eat your veggies.

Recipe of the week: Homemade Whole-Food Ranch Dressing 

Ingredients:

• 1 cup organic cottage cheese
• 3-4 tsp water or milk
• 1 tsp lemon juice
• 1 small garlic clove, crushed
• 2 Tbsp chopped onion
• ¼ cup Italian Flat-leaf Parsley, chopped
• 2 Tbsp fresh Chives, chopped
• 4 tsp fresh dill weed (2 tsp dry)
• ¼tsp salt, or to taste
• Fresh ground pepper, to taste

Instructions:

Add ingredients to blender or food processor and blend until smooth. (About 3 min.) Enjoy!

Or, if you prefer non-dairy, substitute 8 oz. silken tofu and 2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil for the cottage cheese.

Nutrition information: (per 2 Tbsp) 20 calories , 0.5 grams fat, 1 gram saturated fat, 185 mg sodium, 1 gram carbohydrates, 1 grams sugars, 4 grams protein, 25 mg calcium

Comments:

Surprisingly, I’m not going to write specifically about the ingredients in this recipe.  Sure, they’re great.  And, I could go on and on (as you know) about the benefits of garlic, onion, parsley, pepper, lemon juice, etc.  However, this week’s recipe is actually a vehicle to a super-charged nutrient-dense diet.  By having a good dressing on hand, you can load up on vegetables every day.  And I mean load.

Why?

I don’t recommend vegetables just for my health…it’s for yours, too.  They contain components that cannot be isolated, put into a pill, or chemically derived.  Many of these components are not macronutrients (carbs, proteins, or fats), nor do they provide calories or direct energy necessarily.  They do, however, provide huge benefit to overall health.  They are miniscule.  They are alive and therefore reduced, damaged, or killed with processing or high-heat cooking.  They are not well understood.  But somehow, when consumed, they join the fight against the Big 3 cellular foes: inflammation, free radicals, and toxins.  In fact, vegetables:

1. Reduce inflammation in your body.  Specifically, they phytochemicals which are plant chemicals that contain protective, disease-preventing and disease-fighting compounds.  In some vegetables, such as broccoli, we’re talking hundreds of types of phytochemicals in a serving.
2. Reduce oxidative stress from free radicals – many vegetables contain an abundance of antioxidants, which fight damaging free radicals and reduce the destruction to your cells.
3. Provide nutrients that promote cellular detoxification – our bodies have systems in place to detoxify our blood, our organs, and our cells.  However, these systems work best when they have the right tools and ingredients.  Specific vegetables provide nutrients that either increase the detox compounds our bodies make, or provide compounds that directly work to detoxify cells that have been harboring toxins from polluted air, pesticides, food additives, and more.

What’s this mean to you, as a cyclist? It means more days on the bike.  More days loving the bike.  Less feeling aged, feeling tired, feeling bogged down.  Sure, you can ride, and likely even ride well on a highly processed, fast-food diet…for a while.  But, if this is your mode of operation, your body doesn’t like it.  It’s getting clogged…and sooner or later it will rebel and start to drag.

A high-vegetable, fresh, whole food diet, on the other hand, can do wonders for your body.  It will help it be and feel healthy.  I’ve seen it reduce headaches, digestive issues, cholesterol, high blood sugars, and chronic fatigue.  I’ve seen cyclists ride better and win big when they focus on real, whole foods that support cellular and whole body health.

How Much?

Now that you can’t wait to load them on, how much?  I recommend 3-4 cups, or servings, of fresh vegetables per day (or if using frozen, 1.5-2 cups cooked…but, the more raw and fresh, the better).  For me, this usually manifests as one large, whole carrot at lunch and ~ 3 cups of salad at dinner.  For the most nutrition benefit, I recommend generally choosing very vibrant or dark vegetables (there are exceptions to this rule).  Some of my favorite powerhouse vegetables include: kale, spinach, savoy cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, beets, carrots, tomatoes, bell peppers, garlic, onions, and chili peppers.

Choosing Organic without Busting Your Budget

Since the levels of pesticides that reside in vegetables vary, you can save money by buying some organics and some non-organics.  The highest pesticide non-organic vegetables are:

• Celery, Bell Peppers, Spinach, and Kale/Collard Greens – Do your best to always buy these organic.
• On the other hand, the lowest pesticide non-organic vegetables are:
• Onions, Avocado, Sweet Corn, Sweet Peas, Asparagus, Cabbage, Eggplant, Broccoli, and Sweet Potato.  If you don’t have the funds to buy all of your produce organic, you can buy these ones non-organic.

For any vegetables not listed, buy organic if/when you can.

Recover after a Hard Ride

One of the best times to devour high-antioxidant foods is when recovering after a hard ride.  Free radicals are usually abundant, and the anti-oxidants can neutralize them and reduce cell damage.  For starters, if you drink a recovery smoothie, add a large handful of spinach to it.  Or, if you’re looking for recovery options, try a Chicken Ranch Sandwich with:

• 1 whole-wheat pita round, tortilla, small to medium bagel, or 2 slices bread
• 2-4 Tbsp High-Protein Homemade Ranch Dressing
• ½ cup Spinach or Kale leaves
• 1 slice tomato
• ¼ avocado, sliced
• 3 ounces cooked chicken breast

Assemble as a sandwich and eat within 30 minutes of finishing your ride.

Why go to all the trouble of making your own dressing when you could simply buy one from the store?  You’ll be hard-pressed to find a whole-food, real-food dressing on the shelves. And, since we’re determined to eat our veggies, we might as well top them with something that’s as beneficial as they are.  This week, you can start dinner with a ½ plate of beautiful, colorful vegetables and top it with a healthy, high-protein dressing.  You can flood your cells with phytochemicals and nutrients that will heal them and prevent damage.  You can keep taking care of your body, so you can keep loving your bike, from your cells on up.

Jar with Dressing photo c/o Food Replublic

Four simple ingredients.  Three all-new, whole-food, fuel options.  No matter how you do the math, you’re sure to find a sweet potato recipe that will fuel your ride, satisfy your taste buds without sugar overload, and provide some variety beyond bars and gels.  In fact, each of these will work great before, during, or after your ride.

Recipe of the week #1: Sweet Potato Cycling Fries

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (~1 lb.), peeled and cut into fries (any size desired)
• 1 Tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons real maple syrup or organic honey
• ¼ – 1/3 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Combine oil, syrup, and salt.  Coat fries thoroughly by shaking everything together in large baggie or stirring well in bowl.  Spread onto well-oiled baking sheet. Bake at 425 degrees F for 25-30 minutes, or until golden and soft. 2 Servings.

Or, for less chewing, try:

Recipe of the Week #2: Sweet Potato Bike Mash

Ingredients:

• 1 large sweet potato (~1 lb., washed well)
• 1 Tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons real maple syrup or organic honey
• ¼ – 1/3 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Heat oven to 400 degrees F.  Pierce potato several times with a fork or knife and bake for ~45-60 minutes, or until very soft.  Remove potato, open by cutting top length-wise.  Add coconut oil, syrup, and salt.  Allow oil to melt and then mix all ingredients thoroughly in skin, mashing potato into smooth consistency.  Allow to cool.  Scoop mashed sweet potatoes out and place in 2 “snack size” baggies.  Eat on the ride by tearing hole in corner of baggies and squeezing out.  2 Servings

Recipe of the Week #3: Sweet Potato Cruiser Cakes

Ingredients:

• 1.5 cups peeled and shredded sweet potato, about 1 large (~1 lb.)
• 1 Tablespoons organic coconut oil, melted
• 2 teaspoons real maple syrup or organic honey
• ¼ – 1/3 teaspoon salt

Instructions:

Mix all ingredients together.  Form 2 patties. Fry the patties in oil on medium-high for a ~2-3 minutes, then flip and continue to cook for another 2-3 minutes (should have crunchy exterior).  Then, reduce heat to medium-low for ~5 minutes, until cooked through (do not flip again).  Allow to cool.  Wrap each patty in aluminum foil or place in a baggie.  They may fall apart during the ride, so make sure they are well-wrapped.  Eat ‘em up! 2 Servings.

Nutrition information (1 serving, any recipe): 161 calories, 24 grams carbs, 3 gm fiber, 2 gm protein, 332-432 mg sodium, 428 mg potassium, 34 mg calcium, 24 mg magnesium.

Comments:

You’ve asked for more real-food fuel options, and we’ve heard you.  While there are decent commercial energy bars, gels, and drinks out there, and they do have their place, it’s a great idea to use real food as much as possible, solely, or in addition to high-quality commercial options.

When it comes to nutrient-dense carb sources, you don’t have to look much further than sweet potatoes.  As Darryl explained a few months back, sweet potatoes provide:

• A vast array of antioxidants including very high levels of Vitamin A and beta-carotene that fight free radicals and promote reduced oxidative stress.
• Anti-inflammatory nutrients including glycoproteins that promote cellular health
• Carbohydrates that promote steady blood sugars and even-keeled energy

What’s more, you’ll get a great all-natural carbohydrate and antioxidant source in real maple syrup or organic honey, fast-acting, energy-producing fat in organic coconut oil, and nearly all your hourly sodium needs from salt.

To use these recipes as:

Pre-ride fuel: Try 1 serving of any recipe, ~60-90 minutes out, with fluids.

During-ride fuel: On rides >2 hours, eat 1 serving every hour with 20+ additional grams of carbs from other foods or drinks.  I recommend using faster-acting carbs for these remaining grams, as from a sports drink, so that you’ll have a great balance of both quick and sustained carbs.  Make sure to aim for 16-32 oz. fluid, 40+ grams carbohydrates (60+ for intense work), 400-700 mg sodium, 100-300 mg potassium (more is fine from whole food sources) per hour.

Recovery: Eat 1-2 servings (depending on the intensity & duration of the ride) with 16-32 oz. fluid plus an additional 10-20 grams of protein from 2 large cooked eggs, 1 scoop protein powder, 16 oz. milk, 6 oz. Greek yogurt/cottage cheese, 2-3 oz. meat, etc.  

Whole-food, high-carb, brightly colored (why not?) fuel options for lasting energy.   Sliced, mashed, or caked, these sweet potato recipes will give you carbs and nutrients to boot.  How sweet is that?

What’s the best “fuel”  for training? It’s day-in and day-out healthy eating.  It’s what I call “Daily Nutrition” (as opposed to “Training Nutrition”).  Without a foundation of nutrients that fight oxidative stress, build our immune system, contribute to heart health, and fight disease, we’d be in no shape to ride hard.  In fact, if you don’t strive for good health with health-promoting whole-foods throughout the week, I don’t believe any amount of gels, sports drink, bars, or recovery food means much on the weekend long rides.  With this in mind, let’s talk about shiitake mushrooms.

Recipe of the Week:   10-Minute Thai Shrimp Curry 

(from http://steamykitchen.com/12780-10-minute-thai-shrimp-curry-recipe.html – one of my new favorite food blogs)

Ingredients: 

• 1 teaspoon cooking oil
• 2 tablespoons red curry paste
• 12 ounces coconut milk
• 1 red bell pepper, seeded and cut into strips
• 6 ounces fresh (shiitake) mushrooms, sliced
• 1/2 pound uncooked, peeled shrimp
• 8 fresh basil leaves (optional)
• cooked rice, to serve

Instructions: 

Heat a skillet over medium high heat, once hot add in the cooking oil and red curry paste. Whisk for about 30 seconds. Pour in the coconut milk and continue whisking. Add in the mushrooms and the red peppers and continue cooking for 3 minutes. Add the shrimp to the curry and cook for another 2 minutes. Stir in the basil and serve over cooked rice.

Comments: 

It’s not for nothing that shiitake mushrooms are considered a symbol of longevity in Asia.  They promote health in some of the most crucial systems in the body.  And surprisingly, they even have important nutrients that are specifically helpful to cyclists.  Shiitake mushrooms promote:

• A strong immune system: Interestingly, the nutrients in shiitake mushrooms help our immune systems to not over-react when strong activity isn’t needed, and react enough when an immune response is important.  They help regulate and balance healthy immune function activity.  Optimize your immune function, and you’ll ride more.
• Reduces risk of cancer: Shiitake mushrooms help strengthen macrophage cells.  These cells are responsible for identifying and clearing potentially cancerous cells from the body.
• Healthy Cardiovascular system: First, shiitake mushroom nutrients protect us against cardiovascular diseases by decreasing the amount of immune cells that line the blood vessels, which can potential promote plaque build-up and blockages. Then, shiitake mushrooms contain specific antioxidant minerals (manganese, selenium, and zinc) and phytonutrient antioxidants that reduce oxidative stress and the oxidation of “bad cholesterol” (which allows the cholesterol to enter vessel walls and form plaques).  Thirdly, there is also some evidence that shiitake mushrooms’ polysaccharides can help lower total cholesterol levels.  Strong hearts pump blood more efficiently to cycling legs.
• Healthy iron levels: Iron can be a tough mineral to absorb, and many athletes find themselves low on iron and chronically fatigued.  While not all vegetables sources of iron are easily absorbed, a recent preliminary study has determined that the bioavailability of iron from shiitake mushrooms is equally as bioavailable as supplemental iron in the form of ferrous gluconate. Vegetarian and meat-eating cyclists can benefit from a variety of iron sources.

The foods we eat immediately before, during, and after training are important.  But, our health depends on the foods we eat most of the time, the ones that make up your Daily Nutrition.  For these foods, look to whole foods packed with health-benefitting nutrients, like shiitake mushrooms.  Then, get out and enjoy the ride.

Fuel Your Ride.  Nourish Your Body.

Photo c/o Steamy Kitchen

We’re often asked about Nutella?  Is it good for Daily Nutrition, and for Training Nutrition.  Does it have a place?

Here’s what our expert sports nutritionist, Kelli has to say:

For TRAINING NUTRITION, it can have a place. As a high-carb food with mainly natural ingredients, you can use it with pre-training nutrition, during-training nutrition (during long training sessions), or within a post-training recovery snack. For example, a recovery snack of 8 oz. plain yogurt + 1 Tbsp Nutella + 1 Tbsp organic coconut oil (300 calories, 10 grams protein, 23 grams of carbs, and Medium Chain Triglycerides from coconut oil) isn’t a bad way to go, as long as you can control your portion of Nutella. For recovery, one goal in eating carbs is to replenish glycogen stores, and another is to give your energy-burning body a fuel source that’s not muscle. Recovery can be a good opportunity to eat a small portion of high-sugar foods that you don’t normally eat, but love.

For DAILY NUTRITION, not so much.  And, I really hate to do it as it happens to be something that tastes really good. Anyone who’s ever tried Nutella can tell-ya that it’s super yummy.

The problem?

Really, it’s not so much a hazelnut spread as a sugar spread. In fact, sugar is it’s #1 ingredient. Followed by palm oil. Then hazelnuts, cocoa, and skim milk (of course, it’s these ingredients that are advertised most on the packaging).

Protein? Just 3 grams (compared to 6-8 grams in peanut butter). Sugars? A whopping 21 grams (equivalent of more than 4 tsp per serving). What really gets me, is the recommedation on the label to eat it with a glass of skim milk, a glass of orange juice, and a slice of whole wheat bread for a balanced breakfast – since when is 80+ grams of carbs (mostly sugar) with 14 grams of protein balanced?

I will point out that it is free of hydrogenated oil and high fructose corn syrup – so, it could be worse. But instead, choose a natural nut butter, or even Peanut Butter & Company’s Dark Chocolate Dreams (12 grams carbs and 6 grams protein) for daily nutrition.

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.