Extra Mile Nutrition

26/08/2020

The dietary nitrate in plants is known to help the body dilate blood vessels, decrease blood pressure, increase oxygen delivery, reduce the perceived difficulty of exercise, and more.

But, while beets are a particularly great source, seized upon as a marketable supplement choice (because, who wants to drink arugula juice?) plenty of other veggies provide nitrates too. A recent study showed this very nicely by giving people either daily beet juice or a box of fresh veggies (with recipes to try) and BOTH groups had decreased blood pressure after just 1 week! So eat your darn vegetables!

SOURCE: A Nitrate-Rich Vegetable Intervention Elevates Plasma Nitrate and Nitrite Concentrations and Reduces Blood Pressure in Healthy Young Adults, Cindy et al; May 5, 2020; Journal of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jand.2020.02.014

23/08/2020

Name change! I was finally able to get a hold of the handle that matches my business name, so Facebook and Instagram accounts have been updated.

10/08/2020

I was excited enough to be asked to contribute to this article - but then to see my name and business in Runner's World! 🥰

You still need enough nutrients to support your health.

07/07/2020

Still rocking the red/white/blue meals but when it comes to yogurt, I’m all about France 🇫🇷.

We have long butchered yogurt in the US by adding sugar and removing fat. This is what many of us grew up with, so I’m not saying to *never* have flavored yogurt, but I do think it’s great to see more plain, 2% or whole, and non-dairy yogurts available. Takes me back to Paris!

When we let the fat back in and leave the sugar out, we increase fullness and slow down the blood sugar response. The boost of protein in Greek yogurt just amplifies that further. And it’s a luxurious blank canvas for toppings.

Give it a try! And save those favorite sweetened yogurts (hello, Trader Joe’s Mango & Cream 😍) for a treat.

04/07/2020

Happy (and safe) 4th! 😷 🇺🇸

29/06/2020

My butter chicken lunch reminded me that our plate model of nutrition education has inherent bias. Yes, MyPlate is an infinitely better tool than the old food pyramid, and Athlete’s Plates are so valuable to teach sports nutrition periodization (swipe for reminders of these visuals). But we often assume in these models that people are eating in a Western protein + 2 sides pattern. At best, this doesn’t click as well for cultures that eat more integrated dishes, but at worst, this implies those dishes are unhealthy. The last thing science-based nutrition needs is to be more confusing! We can do better.

23/06/2020

It’s National Hydration Day! We all *know* we need to prioritize hydration. So why are many of us still stumped by it?

One trend I notice is that as athletes become more fit, they get more confident “getting through” workouts with less hydration. There seems to be a stigma that newbies need water, while old pros don’t. But as we increase fitness or acclimate to heat, we actually adapt to sweat MORE and will need more fluid. So it should be a fitness achievement to need that water bottle during a workout!

Aim to sip a few ounces every 15 minutes from the start of *any* outdoor workout in the heat. And it’s extra important to drink up right after your workout. The decision of when to choose water or sports drink is more personal though, so let me know if you have questions!

22/06/2020

Yay for summer berries! They just sound so good in the heat - I like to add even more than usual to cold overnight oats or Greek yogurt for a nice cooling breakfast after a humid morning run. (Though admittedly, I’m Team Hot Coffee ☕️ year-round)

16/06/2020

Hi 👋- it occurred to me I haven’t added a selfie here - that’s not really my thing! But I am a real person and an athlete too.

I was 100% into ballet growing up, so I didn’t dabble in other sports (tsk, tsk, kids should NOT specialize!), When I left that behind, running took its place and eventually I found my passion for triathlon. Which is actually what led me to my sports nutrition career!

I have done a few half and full Ironman races over the years and am currently training for in case we can safely race in September. My favorite thing about Ironman is the training though, so race or not, I enjoy having the goal to chase!

15/06/2020

We have been ordering our groceries for pick-up and while I’m thankful for this option, a downside is that I don’t get to choose our awesome summer produce.

Cantaloupe is one that I would normally be very choosy about, sniffing the stem cut (like a complete weirdo) to find one that smells intensely melon-y. But, cantaloupe is also cheap and versatile enough that I don’t worry about maybe not getting the best pick delivered.

If this hadn’t been a great one, I might have frozen pieces to drop into smoothies, or dressed it with a vinaigrette, nuts, and fresh basil for a more savory salad. We lucked out though, and I’ve easily gotten 200% of the daily value for beta carotene and vitamin C snacking on it this morning!

12/06/2020

I just went into the kitchen to grab a granola bar and left with this - guess I was hungry! 🤷‍♀️ I’ve actually really enjoyed the flexibility that staying home has offered. I think it’s a great chance to question whether old hurried habits were really working for us. How about you?

12/06/2020

I know a lot of us are run down right now - standing up for what is right while trying to stay healthy SHOULD feel hard. But if day-to-day recovery from workouts feels harder than usual, consider more carbs. Energy storage - glycogen - needs to be topped off daily, so it’s good to look for carb sources that double up on other nutrients (like whole grain 🧇!)

There’s much more nuance to this, and low-carb approaches can have merits as well, but for the vast majority, enjoy that this is one of those surprisingly simple (and tasty) solutions to improve workout quality.

01/06/2020

As a big fan of salt, I ❤️ summer. When the weather heats up, you may need slightly more salt to optimize hydration, but it shouldn’t mean your nutrition quality suffers. You could drink something with electrolytes instead of plain water, or it could be as simple as a handful of salty snacks like whole grain crackers, pretzels, or popcorn. Other options to add could be olives, cottage cheese, or salted watermelon.

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30/05/2020

I’m so glad to see veggie gardening increasing right now. I’ve been gardening for years, including some hilarious failures, but I’ve made those mistakes so you don’t have to! Swipe through for my top picks with good return for the effort involved, max nutrient value for athletes (or any human), & easy enough for new gardeners.

HERBS: a simple luxury that will fancy up any meal with hardly any gardening effort. GREENS: easy to grow & SO useful to have at hand to add nutrition to breakfast, lunch, or dinner. BEETS: for those who don’t already love this super nitrate source, growing your own can really help make them more enticing. And TOMATOES: no garden list would be complete without these, there is just no substitue for a home grown tomato!

Wondering why I didn’t list _____ veggie? Happy to discuss in the comments!
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26/05/2020

I made some website service changes that I think are win-win! I didn’t like the 1-consult-off-you-go approach so I now include a full month of support with all nutrition coaching sessions. After we chat once and get a plan rolling, we’ll check back in weekly for 3 more weeks to keep momentum up. And just a reminder that all services except Body Composition Testing are available remotely to keep up that social distancing!


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13/03/2020

A generally healthy, balanced diet is important right now, but no individual food, herb, or vitamin can “boost your immunity.” And yet today, I am inundated with ads, some from experts who are otherwise generally ethical, touting these claims. If you have any questions about any of this confusing info right now, please feel free to message me or ask in the comments and I will be happy to help add clarity where I can.

03/03/2020

Speaking from personal experience here, Type A athletes want to know *precisely* what to eat to beef up immunity right now. Yet, even for a nutrition nut like me, it can all seem overwhelming. Get your vitamin A from foods like this… your vitamin C from these items… your zinc from this… you need this supplement form…

So as I thought about what I could contribute, I’d like to argue that reducing stress over what to eat could have almost as much benefit as hitting the RDA for every last vitamin.

With that in mind, here’s my ONE simple immunity tip: load up on colorful fruits and veggies - lots of ‘em. It doesn’t matter if they’re organic or conventional, frozen or fresh. And beyond that, relax. Your immune system knows what to do.
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01/03/2020

Happy 🥑Most people know avocados have great unsaturated fats, but did you know they’re also particularly high in fiber? Most Americans (athletes included) consistently eat far less fiber than recommended. That’s not meant to be gloomy - it means we get to add more guac! But here’s hoping your giant avocado isn’t mostly just a giant pit like mine was, ha!

18/02/2020

Are you just sure you can’t have fruit before a workout because of GI troubles? One factor may be that high fructose fruits (like apples or grapes), while generally great snacks, may not be ideal before exercise for some people or training intensities. But, plenty of other fruits have lower fructose and are worth a try as terrific training fuel. Berries or bananas can be a great pre-workout swap!

14/01/2020

Do you have an egg 🥚 cooker? Bear with me here... as decidedly anti-clutter as I am, I get that a gadget that steams eggs may seem pretty extra. I thought it was silly at first too, but anything that makes good habits EASY will win me over. It is just so nice to be able to mindlessly cook an egg (or six) while brewing coffee, packing a lunch, or getting gear ready for a busy day or workout.

I like to recommend them to college athletes or anyone just learning to cook/clean for themselves (kids!) or with limited kitchen access (travel or work, even). For more experienced cooks though, it’s still neat to get perfectly soft-, medium-, or hard-boiled eggs every time.

I tend to use ours more post-workout or for lunch, but it’s also great for those really early mornings when you don’t want to wake the house with a lot of fussing around - just stay close to turn it off as soon as the buzzer sounds - it’s a little much, ha 😳

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09/01/2020

Website is growing! Services are now listed in great detail. I know as a consumer I really like to get tons of info up front, but I hope that won’t keep you from reaching out with questions too - there’s no way to cover 100% of what nutrition can do for you (though I sure try!)
https://extramilenutrition.com/
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03/01/2020

I’m a big fan of front-loading the day with fruits and veggies, but can only drink so many green smoothies. For a change, I’ll sauté a HUGE handful of greens in the pan (no matter how often I do this, I’m always impressed how much they shrink), move them to the dish, then quickly cook a couple of eggs in the same pan. This saves dishes and uses up any nutritious liquid that the greens left behind. Who has time for extra dishes in the AM, right?

02/01/2020

A registered dietitian nutritionist could help you solve a mystery gut issue, boost your training, or develop a better relationship with food. Here's how to know what to look for.

02/01/2020

01/01/2020

Happy New Year! My goal for 2020 is to focus more on progress than perfection. So, on that note, my incomplete website is live! I can’t stand sites that don’t clearly list services and fees, so please know that I have every intention of adding that in very soon. But for now, I’m considering it good enough to finally have a landing page.
https://extramilenutrition.com

25/12/2019

Merry merry! Enjoy some treats over this cozy season, athletes! A cookie is actually a pretty perfect workout energy source - really not much different than many “sports nutrition” products. Just be sure to have a vegetable now and then too 😉

07/11/2019

I am so frustrated this is happening (and it is not *just* at Nike), but so glad is speaking up about her experience and ideas to move forward. Imagine what we could do with more women in sports leadership and more dietitians available to remind everyone that performance depends on health. Thank you and for featuring Mary’s story.

22/10/2019

Pumpkin-anything might be my favorite example of where comfort food, sports nutrition, and plant power meet. Pumpkin is ridiculously high in beta-carotene plus a surprising variety of other vitamins, with a decent amount of fiber (hello, gut health). And the spices that go along add so much comforting flavor that we really don’t need a ton of sugar.

Swipe for a simple recipe - these have a hint of sweetness and just the right carbohydrate count to grab for pre-workout energy on a crisp morning.

Oh, and these could easily be by substituting a non-dairy yogurt and egg replacer or flax eggs (1T ground flax + 3T water per egg needed).