ANEW Well Sports Nutrition

24/05/2022

A 🧵

Single nutrients and single foods don’t tell you the full story about the healthfulness of your diet.

They of course matter. Nutrients matter and understanding how foods contribute to your diet as a whole is important over the long term, but please don’t fall into the trap of considering a food to be healthy based on a nutrient content claim alone.

Fruit is low fat. A diet of just fruit though? Not healthy.
Nuts are low carb. A diet of just nuts though? Not healthy.
Fish is high in protein. A diet of just fish though? Not healthy.
Same can be said for highly processed foods too like low cholesterol chips or low fat sour candy.

All of these things in isolation mean little when it comes to the context of the diet as a whole.

Try to zoom out and think about your diet pattern as a whole. What you do the majority of the time is where your focus should be.

05/05/2022

I recently talked to SHAPE about the benefits of drinking coffee before a workout. If you think you need supplements and powders before hitting the gym then you may be surprised to know that you can get similar benefits from drinking coffee and eating carbs.

The bottom line: coffee is a relatively inexpensive pre-workout that can improve your performance.

Read more: https://www.shape.com/fitness/tips/coffee-before-workout

You might be able to work out harder without feeling totally exhausted.

12/03/2022

3-Ingredient Breakfast
➡️ Microwaveable
➡️ 18g protein (approx.)
➡️ Ready in under 3 minutes

Microwave eggs? Yes, I did that. Yes, it tastes good.

To make:
Mix 1/2 cup old fashioned oats with 1 cup water.

Add two eggs.

Cook in the microwave until the eggs are cooked. This took approximately three minutes in my microwave. Pro tip: be sure to keep an eye on the bowl so it doesn’t overflow while cooking!

Mix in a premade pesto of your choice. I’m currently loving vegan pesto. Other options work here, too like a sun-dried tomato pesto. 😋
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06/02/2022

Inspired by a true story. I made zucchini muffins last night using a recipe that included maple syrup. The problem? The recipe description touted the muffins as having no sugar. 🙈

This is false.

Sugar comes in many forms. There’s sugar found naturally in foods like fructose found in fruit and then there’s sugar that’s added to foods such as maple syrup added to muffins. Just because the name doesn’t include the word “sugar” doesn’t mean it’s not a form of sugar.

Sugar can appear on food labels or in ingredient lists as ⤵️

Maple syrup
Agave
Honey
Molasses
Brown sugar
Coconut sugar
Corn syrup
Brown rice syrup
Malt syrup
Evaporated cane juice

And so many other names.

Some of those require more processing than others, but the body generally treats them all the same upon eating. Could we split hairs on how the different sugar sources are digested? Of course, but big picture, limiting total added sugar (no matter the type) is a good idea for your health.

However, don’t forget that sugar isn’t inherently bad. It’s a carb and a source of energy. And if you’re training for any endurance race then yes, you want sugar! But, the quantity you eat matters in the rest of your life. Limit added sugars when possible and don’t stress about those sugars found naturally in whole foods.

And as an important aside, if someone is selling you on the nutrient differences between sugars, say honey vs table sugar, I would like to respectfully point out that you’re focusing on the wrong thing. If you’re eating enough of that source of sugar for the nutrient differences to matter in your overall diet (like trace minerals, etc) then you’re eating too much of that sugar.
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20/01/2022

Can I fuel my endurance training on a budget?

YES

Engineered sports supplements and foods are great for fueling your next long run or ride, but the cost can add up. If you’re looking for a way to save some cash, turn to these whole foods.

The goal of nutrition during endurance training is to meet your carb and electrolyte needs with foods or supplements you can tolerate. That looks different for everyone, so experimenting with different options is important. (Just don’t experiment on race day!)

These budget-friendly carbs aren’t any less superior to the highly marketed gel or chew from your local running store. They may take some effort to prepare which can cost you time beforehand, but they will still help you meet your end goal of feeding your active life.

What are your favorite budget-friendly carbs?
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14/01/2022

You make time for the things that are important to you. This includes the priorities you set for your health.

Story time! 👇

When I was pregnant, I heard this or some version of it a lot:

“You better do that now because you won’t have time after the baby is born.”

According to seemingly everyone, I would never cook, exercise, shower, or do pretty much anything for myself ever again.

Happy to report they were wrong.

It’s taken some time to figure out a routine, but I’ve found a way to incorporate the majority of the health behaviors I had before baby into my post-baby life.

I tell you this not to give myself a round of applause (although totally fine if you want to do that for me, I’ll take it 😅), but to share that none of this would’ve happened if these things weren’t priorities.

These priorities (goals) also have three key components to them:

Patience, Persistence, Purpose

Patience. I know change takes time. I knew this going in and I continue to remind myself of it daily.

Persistence. I’m actively avoiding the “what the heck” effect and continuing to push forward.

Purpose. I have my why. This helps with patience and persistence.

Anytime you set a goal related to your health, think of those three P’s. Spell it out for yourself. Really get into the why and be specific with the goal you’re working toward. It makes all the difference when it comes to setting and achieving health goals.

Do you have a goal you’re working toward? What are your current challenges?
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06/01/2022

I’ve told clients in the past that the busiest times in life are the best times to find a way to make healthy habits stick. It’s not easy, but I fully stand behind this recommendation. Let me explain.

First, if you wait until life slows down it will never happen. You end up pushing it off until suddenly it’s been months or even years and you still haven’t started.

Second, if you can make a healthy habit work in the busiest times then I can promise it will work when you don’t have as much on your plate.

But these things don’t happen overnight. Sustainable, lasting change takes time and consistent effort. It is always a work in progress.

I’m experiencing all of this firsthand as a new mom. I’m extremely busy, but in a way I’ve never experienced before. It’s required me to re-learn how to fit the habits back into my day that make me feel my best. And it’s been a SLOW process. I’m five months postpartum and am just recently able to make more homemade meals and rely a little less on convenience foods and takeout. And that’s just one piece of many that helps me feel good, but I’m taking it one step at a time.

So what makes this work? 👇

➡️Consistent effort.
➡️Prioritizing health.
➡️Observing connections between what you’re doing and how it makes you feel.
➡️And most importantly, making changes when you recognize something isn’t working or isn’t helping you feel my best.

Be patient with yourself throughout the process and make sure to use the busiest times to your advantage when building in healthy habits that will actually stick.
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24/11/2021

If you throw a pie at your uncle then yes, you’re being bad. But eating a second piece of pumpkin pie? That’s not being bad. Know the difference this holiday season and enjoy your meal!

🦃🥧🍷
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30/10/2021

Friendly reminder 🙃
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29/10/2021

Looking for what not to do when it comes to eating a healthier diet? Start with leaving these five myths behind.

Myth 1: If it tastes good spit it out, it must be bad for you.

Reality: 😡 NO. This is by far one of the most infuriating phrases. Healthy food shouldn’t taste bad and you shouldn’t be miserable when choosing better for you options. Don’t settle on this one!

Myth 2: Lower calorie is healthier.

Reality: Lower calorie does not always equal healthier. Calories are a measure of energy in food. They matter, but they don’t independently tell you anything about the healthfulness of a food.

Myth 3: Shop the perimeter of the grocery store.

Reality: Shop the perimeter, sure, but don’t forget the center aisles! You’ll find plenty of healthy foods throughout the grocery store. And if you live in NYC like me then you have to go downstairs and into every corner to find the things you need because the store makes no sense. 🤪

Myth 4: Avoid processed foods at all costs.

Reality: This one requires nuance. Some processed foods are nutrient dense, others aren’t. Blanket statements about processed foods are the problem.

Myth 5: Salads are a must for a healthy diet.

Reality: Guess what? You can never eat a salad again and still have a healthy diet.

27/10/2021

The way you look has nothing to do with performance.

You can improve your speed without lowering your pant size.

You can get stronger and still have cellulite.

You can increase endurance without a flat stomach.

You can perform at your max without changing a single thing about your outward appearance.

Put your focus on your nutrition, training, and sleep. That’s where the difference makers are!
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23/10/2021

IYKYK 🤪

Which one are you?

22/10/2021

Are you living for the cheat days?

Consider this, if you get one cheat day per week that’s ~15% of the year. That means for 85% of the year you’re eating in a way that feels restrictive, boring, and has you longing for the day where you can actually enjoy your food.

Alternative idea - you eat in an enjoyable way 100% of the time while still achieving the goals you thought only the diet with the built in cheat days could give you.

It is possible!

Start with a few questions:
1. What are you eating on the cheat day that your diet says you can’t eat on the other days?

2. What happens if you allow those foods in your diet any day of the week?

3. What does your eating look like if you focus on consistency versus short-term diet extremes? In other words, what if you stopped labeling foods as off limits and instead incorporated those foods in a way that helps you reach your goals while also not feeling deprived?

The diet pendulum often swings to either feeling out of control around food or deprived. I challenge you to find the third option where you have balance and where you enjoy your food and are reaching your goals.
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20/10/2021

I asked my physical therapist for her most realistic timeline for when I could start running again. Her exact words were “I would say you can attempt to start running again in two months.”

As in, we will give it a try then. Not you will be back to running like normal then.

I don’t really know how I got here. I just know I’m here. I was active throughout my pregnancy. I didn’t run, but I did do strength training and I walked as much then as I ever did before I was pregnant. By all accounts, I had a healthy pregnancy. I gained 5lb over the recommended 25-35lb weight gain, but I was healthy and the baby was healthy. Yet I still find myself here where even the simplest exercises are a challenge and leave me feeling sore the next day.

Pregnancy is hard on the body and I’m learning it’s more difficult for some than others. For some, like me, the journey back to regular activity without restrictions is a longer road that includes physical therapy, lots of rest, and lots and lots of patience.

The good news? My PT said the goal is still that I can do the races I’ve signed up for next spring. So I’m going to keep working towards that until I’m told otherwise. Now I just have to find the time to ride my bike and get back in the pool. 🙈

📸: This pic was snapped back in the summer of 2020 when NYC was a ghost town and I was probably not thinking one bit about my pelvic floor as I ran 😂

11/10/2021

Please don’t stress yourself out with these ridiculous”requirements” for a healthy diet.

1. It’s ok if you want to drink coffee (not lemon water) as soon as you wake up.

2. No, you seriously don’t need to measure your peanut butter. Also, that’s messy. Save yourself some time to do more important things.

3. Fruit doesn’t have too much sugar. Anyone who says should be promptly ignored.

4. Weighing your food is exhausting and not required for a healthy diet.

5. Coffee is good for you! But what you put in the coffee may not be the best, so turn your attention there. (Read: added sugar and saturated fat)

6. Powdered greens? Please don’t. Just eat some vegetables. Your wallet and body will thank you.

7. Carbs aren’t bad. Many foods with carbs are nutrient dense. Lumping all carbs together as a nutrient to avoid easily sets you up for a non-diverse diet that puts you at risk for poor intake of many nutrients.

Bonus: TikTok trendsetters and Instagram influencers have the job of creating content that’s shareable, not accurate. Just because it’s gone viral doesn’t mean it’s worth listening to.
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08/10/2021

Weight loss is a controversial topic in the nutrition world. Unfortunately, this also means it’s a super confusing topic for the public. But like many other topics in nutrition, there’s this grey area where there’s no single “right” answer.

For some people weight loss is self love.

For others it’s the opposite.

Because of this, weight loss shouldn’t always be a cause for celebration and it shouldn’t always be condemned or shunned.

If I went to a dietitian today at two months postpartum and said I wanted help losing weight and their response was “you should try body acceptance” I would scream. Why? Because for me at this point in my life, self love and body acceptance includes weight loss. Is this wrong? No. Is it right for everyone? Also no.

I can’t sit here on this side of the screen and share a single message that will work for everyone. Keep that in mind as you scroll through nutrition social media and see contradictory messages. No single nutrition expert has all the answers for every person.

The important thing is to find what works for you.

Be your own advocate.

If weight loss is something you desire, great! Find someone who is qualified to help you with healthy, sustainable approaches to weight loss.

If weight loss is damaging to you then please protect yourself from messages that cause further damage.

You can’t control the messages on social media, but you can control which ones you consume.
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26/09/2021

7 weeks.

I’ve passed the much anticipated six week mark. The one where I’m “cleared for regular exercise” and I can “go back to normal activities.”

It took nine months to grow a human and it took me close to 17 hours to deliver that human. Now I’m supposed to be back to “normal” in six weeks?? 🤣

I’m nowhere close to “normal.”

I thought I was immune to the bounce back messages and images of women returning to their pre-pregnancy bodies and exercise routines immediately after birth, but apparently I wasn’t. Somewhere hidden deep was this expectation that maybe I would also be the type to simply return to “normal” a few weeks after giving birth. That just isn’t the reality for me (and for many women).

But it’s true - you don’t see the side-by-sides of pre- and post-birth when it’s a struggle. You only see and hear about the stories where everything is great. I’m trying to remind myself of the timeline for how I got to this point and that I’m not going to have a “bounce back in six weeks” story, but wow is this a really hard reality for me to accept.

When I mentioned to a friend the other day that my body felt foreign the response was “who cares - look what you got out of it.” The postpartum reality is that once the baby is born, the mother fades into the background. The baby is the focus and rightfully so.

But, two things can be true: mothers can feel physically different and struggle with that while also being incredibly thankful and in love with the human they’ve created. Facing the challenges of a postpartum body doesn’t mean dismissing the miracle of a new life. Both feelings can exist at the same time and more importantly, mothers should be able to express that without feeling like it’s diminishing how amazing it is to give birth.

I still have high hopes of racing next spring. I am so mentally ready, but I know this recovery will take time. It’s just that my body and my brain are on very different timelines and that is going to be tough to overcome.
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07/09/2021

Reality check!

Restrictive diets can sometimes masquerade as “healthy lifestyle changes.” Attempting what you think is a sustainable, healthy change and failing because it’s actually a restrictive diet can leave you feeling discouraged and like a failure. But the truth is, you’re not a failure and it’s logical that you’d feel discouraged. Restrictive diets aren’t sustainable. In my opinion, some are designed to make you fail so that you keep coming back and in some cases, spending money to keep trying to succeed at something that isn’t meant to be conquered.

The next time you plan on a lifestyle change, ask yourself these questions. If you answer yes to any of them then reevaluate. Make adjustments to your plan to have it work for you, not against you.

Healthy lifestyle changes should be maintained over the long term to have a lasting impact.
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