It takes a village to lose a pound...

This summer I have found myself with a “nagging 5 pounds” that seems to be impossible to get rid of.  Unless I miss my guess, someone reading this shares the same kind of issue. I find myself frustrated in the midst of wedding cake, chocolate and other tempting desserts from all the summer activities.  I am slowly starting to recognize the need for accountability during this process of losing weight.  You might say… “It takes a village to lose a pound.”  Behind any task or mission, strength is required.  The task of getting fit or, in my case, losing those nagging few pounds, is no different.  It requires a measure of strength that sometimes is only acquired in “community”.  Two weeks ago I started with Crossfit bootcamp.  It is so much easier to stay motivated when there is a group of people going through the same thing.  All of this to say that working together and partnering with someone for encouragement is likely to help achieve a positive outcome.

Even though I have increased my exercise regiment and have tried to watch what I eat the weight seems to linger.  It becomes frustrating and leads to discouragement.  I have to say some days I bring it upon myself.  For instance, last night as a group of girls gathered around to watch this season of the Bachelorette and it was my night for dessert!  I indulged in this new (and amazing) dessert: The Ultimate Chocolate Chip Cookie n’ Oreo Fudge Brownie Bar.  (Just saying those words will add ½ inch to your waist.)  I will not share the recipe here as I’m trying to forget about it.

I have learned over the last few months with the scale becoming a rollercoaster that I need to stick with the motto: “eat to live” and not “live to eat”.  My (and your) social activities typically revolve around food.  Food is a short taste of pleasure that leaves a feeling of guilt at the end of the day.  So, the goal I have set for myself is to find an accountability partner who would join me in eating healthy and maintaining a normal exercise regimen.  It is a hard task and I know doing it alone is becoming nearly impossible.  I am going to put together a post in the near future dealing with healthier food choices and snacks to eat when the feeling of “needing chocolate” hits again.  If you struggle with this, know that you are not alone.  It is a daily battle and with some encouragement and with a “village” behind you, you can accomplish even your most difficult (and nagging) task!

Is Your Athlete Reaching Full Optimal Performance?

As an athlete have you ever had the feeling that you aren’t reaching your optimal performance in your sport?  This feeling may have something to do with a lack of adequate nutrients from the foods you consume. Thiamin is a vitamin required for many processes in the body, specifically ones that can help enhance athletic performance.

Thiamin functions in the body

Thiamin is used to process lactic acid buildup after exercise. With lower intakes of thiamin, the lactate in the blood will have a faster rate of buildup.  This will lead to the inability of the muscles to deal with the large amount of lactic acid being produced from exercise.  Thiamin also plays an important role in the flow of electrolytes in and out of muscle and nerve cells. The body loses electrolytes through sweat when exercising.  They are necessary for metabolism and chemical balance in the body.  These levels need to be replaced before, during and after exercise if the exercise regimen exceeds more than two hours. Body functions and performance during exercise will be sufficiently hindered if levels of electrolytes are not maintained. Thiamin is also needed to control the regularity of the heart and blood pressure levels, both of which are needed to achieve peak athletic performance.

Supplements in optimal performance

Supplementation has been found to possibly enhance performance. 

The results of one study showed an increase in blood levels of thiamin and a reduction in levels of fatigue after exercise with supplementation of 100 mg of thiamin for three days.  Thiamin is needed by the body to help break down carbohydrates.  This explains the increased need for this vitamin when a high-carbohydrate diet is in order. Increased thiamin through supplementation (100 mg/day) can help in preventing or accelerating recovery from exercise-induced fatigue.  The supplementation will suppress the increase in blood glucose in the normal thiamin group and decrease fatigue after exercise. Research has shown that endurance athletes develop acute-performance-enhancing effects by the intake of megadoses of thiamin for three to five days prior to the competition.

Thiamin sources

Adding proper foods to the diet that are rich in vitamins is the best way to achieve the optimal performance for athletes.

Thiamin rich food sources are sunflower seeds, peanuts, soybeans, fortified breads, cereals, pasta, whole grains, lean meats (specifically pork), and peas.  Be cautious with the intake of alcohol, uncooked freshwater fish, shellfish and tea since these foods contain an antithiamin factor that destroys the absorption of thiamin in the body.  

Recommended daily intake

The best way to achieve the daily intake of thiamin is through a balanced diet that contains a variety of foods from the different food groups. 

Gender and Age	Recommended daily intake
Infants (0 – 6 months)	0.2 mg/day
Babies (6 – 12 months)	0.3 mg/day
Children (1 - 3 years)	0.5 mg/day
Children (4 – 8 years)	0.6 mg/day
Children (9 – 13 years)	0.9 mg/day
Adolescent females (14 – 18 years)	1.0 mg/day
Females (18+ years)	1.1 mg/day
Pregnant or breastfeeding	1.4 mg/day
Males	1.2 mg/day

The "dirty" and "clean" Dozen

Fruits and vegetables contribute to the daily carbohydrate needs of an individual. The both provide additional sources of vitamins and minerals that are necessary for proper health as well as a sports diet. Vegetables will supply vitamin C, beta-carotene, potassium, magnesium and fiber. Dark and colorful vegetables provide a higher nutritional value than paler ones.  These include broccoli, spinach, tomatoes and peppers. For fruits, citrus fruits contain a high amount of vitamin C and potassium.  

The latest area of nutritional debate is whether or not organic is better.  There has been a list compiled of the "dirty dozen" fruits and vegetables that should be purchased organically if possible due to the pesticide residue.  The "clean dozen" have their own protective shell and therefore not exposed to the pesticides. 

“Dirty dozen”: apples, cherries, imported grapes, nectarines, peaches, pears, strawberries, red raspberries, potatoes, bell peppers, celery and spinach

“Clean dozen": banana, kiwi, pineapple, mango, papaya, asparagus, avocado, broccoli, cauliflower, onion, sweet corn and green peas

Everyone should strive to eat a colorful rainbow of fruits and vegetables.

Red: Strawberries, watermelon, red peppers and tomatoes

Green kiwi, grapes, honeydew melon, peas, beans, spinach and broccoli

Blue/purple: Blueberries, grapes, prunes, eggplant, beets

Orange: mango, peaches, cantaloupe, carrots, sweet potato and pumpkin

Yellow: pineapple, star fruit, summer squash, corn

White: banana, pears, garlic, onions

How to add fruits and vegetables to your daily diet:

• Add a banana or berries to your cereal
• Add raisins or dried fruit to hot cereal
• Make a smoothie with whole fruits
• Eat fresh, raw carrots or another vegetable for lunch
• At work, keep apples and oranges to snack on
• Eat an extra large portion of broccoli for dinner
• Order pizza with extra peppers or broccoli

How to Survive in the Fast Food World...

Summer time typically consists of multiple road-trips whether that be to a friend's wedding, family vacation or other excursions.  During these hours on the road we often find ourselves struggling with what exactly would be a healthy meal choice when choosing from fast food restaurants.  Below are some restaurants and food choices that would make for a good healthy meal while traveling.

Subway:
- Turkey breast sandwich on wheat: 280 calories and 3.5 grams total fat
- Veggie delight sandwich: 230 calories and 2.5 grams total fat

Wendy's:
- Grilled chicken go-wrap: 260 calories and 10 grams total fat
- Ultimate chicken grill: 360 calories and 7 grams total fat
- Small chili:  210 calories and 6 grams total fat
- Broccoli and cheese potato: 330 calories and 2.1 grams total fat

McDonald's:
- Premium Caesar salad with grilled chicken: 220 calories and 60 grams total fat
- Snack size fruit and walnut salad: 210 calories and 70 grams total fat
- Fruit and Maple oatmeal (w/ brown sugar): 290 calories and 40 grams total fat
- Fruit 'n Yogurt parfait: 160 calories and 20 grams total fat

All restaurants will have nutrition guides near the menu, so get in the habit of glancing over the guide and ordering a meal that is low in calories.  Watch out for the hidden calories that are in the sauces that you add to chicken tenders, your hamburger and even your salad. With a salad order a low-fat balsamic vinaigrette.  If you want a hamburger than order a kids hamburger with a salad as the side item.  If you can avoid beef than choose a grilled chicken sandwich.  Avoid the fried and crispy chicken options.  Eating out and on-the-go is always a challenge, good luck!