Gel Packs - A Natural Alternative

NATURAL SPORTS GEL
From The Natural Nutritionist

After years of swimming long distance events, ocean races, and open water trainings how you gain fuel is a critical link to your success and recovery from training.  one aspect about how you fuel often overlooked is the negative impact, inflammation sugars and other ingredients may cause to your ARTERIAL system. for those with family medical histories this may be a point to consider.

Sports Gels may widely be considered by medical professionals to be akin to "a blow torch to your veins." alternatives can be high protein, natural foods prepared and pouched similar to this recent article in the natural NUTRITIONIST.

training your stomach and balance of muscles is more IMPORTANT than training your muscles for athletic activity, how you fuel is critical.

We’ve been using Freedom Fuel (FF) with great success for years now here at TNN, so it was about time we dedicated a page of the website to its awesomeness.

The natural carbohydrates from rice malt syrup and raspberries make it extremely low fructose and a great alternative for those who experience gastro-intestinal (GI) distress with conventional sports gels. The medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil provides five grams of fat per serve, contributing to a stable energy supply, satiety and beautifully consistent running or cycling splits. Most importantly, the natural and refined sugar free nature means you stay away from inflammatory ingredients and promote recovery and subsequent performance.

For running, simply carry in a hand held gel flask, which also easily fits into the zip pocket of your running tights or tri suit. For cycling, you can carry flasks in your pockets, or make a multi-hour water bottle and if you wish, dilute to your desired consistency.

Give it a try, and as always, post below as we’d love to hear your success stories.

Freedom Fuel

Ingredients (Serves 1)

• 2 teaspoons Pure Harvest rice malt syrup
• 1 teaspoon medium chain triglyceride (MCT) oil*
• ¼ cup raspberries, fresh or frozen, organic
• The juice from ¼ lemon
• A pinch of sea salt
• A dash of hot water

Method

1. Blend all ingredients until smooth.
2. Pour through a strainer to remove pips. Transfer carefully into a gel flask/water bottle and seal well.

Note: One serve is ~20g of carbohydrates, so please start to experiment with FF as per your current fuelling requirements. Over time, especially if you are overhauling your day-today nutrition, you may find that you need less. Sports nutrition is not constant, but an evolution you should adapt race-to-race and year-to-year.

If you are just getting started, we recommend 30g-40g/hour or 1.5-2 serves/hour. For a two hour run, for example, train fasted for the first hour, then sip your 1.5/2 serves over the course of the second hour. Make notes on energy, digestion, performance and recovery so you/we can continue to develop your fuelling strategy. For assistance, please book your Initial Consultation with us at TNN here.

*A brand such as Melrose Health will suffice. Coconut oil can be used in summer, but in the cooler weather it will solidify and clog up the pop-top of your flask or water bottle.

Have you tried Freedom Fuel? Share your successes below!

Images by Sarah Craven Photography.

How to increase your performance and recovery with nutrient timing

Second in the series on natural food fueling, alternatives to Gu's, energy drinks and junk food.

Follow these three essential steps to extend your performance and optimise your recovery from both training and racing:

1. Fuel correctly pre-exercise when your sessions are greater than 60 minutes

Training on an empty stomach is essential to turn you into a fat burning machine, but when your duration extends beyond 60 minutes, such a strategy is likely to negate your performance. Body stores alone are insufficient to supply the energy needs during longer sessions or events.

The solution? Eat a small amount of carbohydrate prior to your session. This is the perfect time to eat fruit, as the sugars will be broken down, utilised as fuel and not shuttled off to the liver for fat storage. Which, we know, is what happens when we consume fructose in excess, or at the wrong time.

 * Race Day

On race day, our requirements differ slightly, due to the timing of the event and the increased energy requirements of the day. A pre-race meal is simply designed to top up liver glycogen, which has depleted overnight during your sleep. General guidelines are 200 to 400 calories of complex carbohydrates, consumed two to three hours prior to the start. Be flexible however, as sleep is more important than waking up at the crack of dawn for breakfast.

Here are some simple, natural, pre-race meal ideas, all of which can also be used pre-training when your duration extends towards 90 minutes and beyond.

-       Two pieces of gluten free toast with banana

-       A smoothie with one banana and a small handful of berries

-       Quinoa Porridge with rice malt syrup, chopped banana and cinnamon

-       Homemade granola with Greek yogurt and a small handful of raspberries

Your pre-race meal should always be something you practice in training. Nothing new happens on race day.

Reprinted from:

THE NATURAL NUTRITIONIST

Reprinted from

Cold-water swims - Rewards, Risks, and Your Health

Cold Water Swimming and Your Health?

Doug McConnell & Don Macdonald taking a dip in sub 60f Lake Zurich early March

What that means is that cold-water swimmers probably aren't any better protected from the elements than anyone else. Plus, at least in the Bay Area, most of them aren't elite-level athletes either. But something about them makes them better able to tolerate and

overcome the cold.

It's a commonly held belief, by swimmers and landlubbers alike, that an extra layer of fat insulates regular bay swimmers from the deep chill of the water. But Nuckton, a fairly trim swimmer himself, wasn't so sure the tourist was right.

Last week, the Bay Area was quivering through a cold snap, and the tourists along Fisherman's Wharf were, for once, dressed for the weather, bundled in jackets and scarves, mittens and caps.

Down at Aquatic Park, Dr. Thomas Nuckton was stripped to his swimsuit and neck deep in 50-degree bay water. And he wasn't alone. Winter is the time of year that the truly devoted - or truly crazy - swimmers come out, those hardy folk who dive nearly naked into San Francisco Bay, into waters 25 or 30 degrees colder than the average swimming pool. The health benefits of these swims are debatable, the risks less so. And yet every year, dozens, maybe a hundred, people swim all through the winter months, putting in miles and hours in the water. "People will go down there to swim, and it's almost like a spiritual experience," Nuckton said. "It's not quite the same for me. I hate getting in the water," he added with a laugh. "But I have my good days. And I'd much rather be there than in a pool, staring at a black line and just going back and forth." Nuckton is a doctor at UCSF and California Pacific Medical Center, focused primarily on studying survival prognoses for patients in intensive care wards. But he's taken a side interest in swimming and, in particular, the effects of cold-water dips.

Last month, after a yearlong study of people in his swimming club, Nuckton was able to show that these swimmers are, in fact, just about the same size as the average American. Crazier, maybe. But not fatter.

"All of these factors probably come into play," Nuckton said. "How good is your engine in terms of generating heat? How cold is the water and how long are you going to spend in it?"

Aided by extra fat? More fit, but why? Risks overstated Peril of sudden shock

Nuckton's most recent study was prompted by a comment he overheard from a tourist standing on the Hyde Street Pier, watching the Aquatic Park swimmers. "He pointed at the swimmers and said, 'They're fatter than us. That's how they endure the cold,' " Nuckton recalled.

There is no doubt, doctors say, that regular cold-water swimmers are healthier overall than most Americans. But whether it's the cold or the simple act of regular exercise that helps them is unclear.

Over the past decade, Nuckton has made a hobby of studying the members of his swim group, the Dolphin Club. Along with the South End Rowing Club, the Dolphin Club encourages no-wet-suit swimming in the bay. The clubs' members host several group events year-round, including a New Year's Day swim from Alcatraz to Aquatic Park, and they operate hot showers and saunas for post-swim recovery.

"I'm not convinced that, physiologically speaking, cold-water swimming helps. I think these people are already healthy to begin with and they want to challenge their bodies," said Dr. Malini Singh, medical director of emergency medicine at San Francisco General Hospital. There are theories, but not much evidence, about how cold water can improve health. Some studies have shown that people who swim through the winter have higher immune cell counts than nonswimmers. And some scientists, and swimmers, have speculated that cold-water swimming increases production of what's known as brown fat, thought to be a healthy fat that burns energy and creates heat. Many cold-water swimmers believe they're burning more calories in the bay as their bodies struggle to stay warm than they would in a heated pool, but scientists aren't convinced that's the case. Cold water, in fact, slows the metabolism, which may mean that the body is actually burning fewer calories. Even if there is a larger calorie burn, it's probably negligible, doctors say.

It's not just the benefits of cold-water swimming that are tough to document. The risks are poorly understood and probably overstated too, some doctors said. Two studies of athletes competing in long-distance, open-water swims found that most of them were suffering mild hypothermia by the end of the race, even when the water temperatures were in the 60s or higher. "I know people do it. Anecdotally speaking, they say they feel refreshed, they feel less stress and less fatigue," she added. "But I've been in that water, in a wet suit, and I just felt terribly cold to my bones." Nuckton studied 11 participants in a 2000 Alcatraz swim and found that five were suffering mild hypothermia by the end of the event. And perhaps more concerning, their temperatures continued to drop after they got out of the water. But mild hypothermia on its own is not necessarily a dangerous thing. In Nuckton's study, most swimmers' temperatures dropped about 2 degrees below normal, which probably wouldn't produce any noticeable symptoms or discomfort. In order for hypothermia to cause major damage or become deadly, the body temperature needs to drop to the low 90s.

The concern with hypothermia is twofold. First, that someone may experience early symptoms of it and become sluggish or disoriented, which could be deadly when a swimmer is in deep water and has trouble making it safely back to land. And second, some older or less fit swimmers may not be as well adapted to handling the cold as their younger or more experienced peers.

"The important thing is, I wouldn't be doing this for the first time, just jumping right in, if you're elderly or have significant medical issues," said Dr. Joel Levis, assistant chief for the emergency department at Kaiser Santa Clara. "Those people are better off just swimming in a pool."

Aside from hypothermia, there is a small risk associated with the sudden shock of jumping into cold water. Anyone who has dived into frigid water knows the feeling - the heart rate soars, breathing becomes erratic, and it usually takes a minute or two to calm down. That's rarely a problem, but there have been a handful of cases of people suffering heart attacks and subsequently drowning from that initial shock.

And then there's the native aquatic life. For the most part, swimmers exist companionably with the critters, but several years ago a rogue sea lion bit dozens of people in Aquatic Park, requiring a few of them to get stitches and antibiotics.

But on the whole, a swimmer is probably more likely to be injured by someone doing a sloppy butterfly stroke at the pool than by, say, a great white shark in the open water.

"The chances of getting eaten by a shark are pretty low. You just don't think about it," said Robin Rose, an Aptos resident who swims regularly in Santa Cruz, usually doing a mile around the wharf several times a week.

Rose started open-water swimming in 2009, and she swam regularly even through treatment for breast cancer in 2010. She wears a wet suit for now - but she's seriously considering joining the "skin" swimmers sometime in the near future.

"I went to Aquatic Park, just to try it, and it actually felt really good," Rose said. "I was only in for about five minutes, and it was so cold, but it was so invigorating. There's nothing else like it."

Article Reprinted from: Erin Allday is a San Francisco Chronicle staff writer. E-mail: eallday@sfchronicle.com

The Truth about Nutrition Bars - Misconception that power bars, muscle milk, protein drinks and things disguised as healthy are actually good for you !

Angela DeBord Henriksen, MD, is a board-certified physician specializing in Internal Medicine, she recently shared from her Blog the following eye opener...

For all those out there under the misconception that power bars, muscle milk, protein drinks and things disguised as healthy are actually good for you (I was one of those miss-guided souls and perhaps this is why I had the cardiac challenges this past year I did). 

According to Angela's blog, People share with me all the time that they are eating healthy and when I ask them to actually  write down what they are eating it scares the crap out of me! Typical patient–no breakfast, slimfast for lunch, and a healthy choice frozen dinner all accompanied with a “diet” cola.  Then they wonder why they aren’t losing weight.  Well, maybe if they were getting one ounce of nutrition out of any of those products, they would be.  It’s not their fault–it’s the physician’s fault!  We aren’t educating them on nutrition.  Most physician’s don’t know jack about nutrition because we aren’t educated on it either.  It’s time to think outside the box and stop drowning patients with pills for diseases they don’t need to have!

Thank you Kevin Deeth for doing your homework and sharing!   A+

"The Truth About Nutrition Bars" by Kevin Deeth

Here is his post from his great website http://kevindeeth.wordpress.com/

In a recent study published by consumerlabs.com 30 nutrition bars were broken down/analyzed and over 60% of the bars failed to meet labeling claims! What is really in your “health or nutrition bar”?

Thank you for the suggestion on this topic.

Meal replacement bars, snack bars, weight loss bars, energy bars, and protein bars are a convenient and easy way for people to get a quick snack or meal when they are on the go. The problem is that 99% of the products out there are loaded with carbs and sugars that spike insulin levels and promote fat storage. Despite the hidden ingredients and artificial additives, marketing gurus have duped consumers into thinking that these “nutrition bars” are an excellent source of vitamins and minerals when in reality this is far from the truth. The FDA claims that it currently does not have any formal guidelines for nutrition bars or the labeling on nutrition bars.

The Breakdown

“Protein Bar” is an extremely deceptive term.  Most bars contain more carbs than protein. The consumer labs study found that a typical bar is made up of

• 49% of calories from carbohydrates (mostly from sugars)
• 29% of calories from protein
• 22% of calories from fat

What To Stay Away From 

 

Clif Bars

 

 

The concern here is the 45 grams of carbs and 21 grams of sugar (for comparison a snickers bar has 35 grams of carbs and 28 sugars). If you are not an endurance athlete than that amount of carbs in the form of a small snack is way to high. Ever notice how the Clif Bar rapper conveniently covers the ingredient list. Here is why. With over 30 ingredients, it is hard to decipher what exactly the bar is made up of.  Organic rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, organic evaporated can juice, organic date paste, are all fancy names for sugar that make up this so-called “nutrition bar”. While ingredients like evaporated cane juice are not as detrimental to refined sugar, it is close enough.

 

The Take Away- Stay away from Clif bars

 

 

Atkins Advantage Bar

 

 

With Atkins Advantage you get more bang for you buck because the lower carb and sugar levels. You also get a solid 15 grams of protein with only 210 calories. The unfortunate part is the saturated fat and ingredients. With over 50 ingredients, there are several hidden land mines such as glycerin, sucralose, cellulose, artificial flavors, which are all code names for SUGARS!

 

The take away- Eat only if there is no whole/unprocessed foods available like fruit or nuts.

 

 

Nature Valley Bar

 

I commend General Mills for their bold and forthright honesty. They are not trying to hide anything. The second ingredient is SUGAR! With high levels of carbohydrates and sugar, nature valley bars have nothing “natural” about them. High fructose corn syrup and brown sugar syrup are two ingredients that have single handily added to the obesity problems in the US.

 

The take away- Don’t even think about it

 

 

Power Bars

 

This label is also very informative as it provides the disclaimer that the FDA has no regulation over these “health bars”. With 45 carbs,  27 grams of sugar, ingredients such as evaporated cane juice, glucose syrup, and fructose, a power bar is basically a glorified candy bar. At least they have less than 30 ingredients as opposed to some of the other examples listed right?

 

The take away- If you are going to have something with the nutritional equivalent of a candy bar why not actually have a candy bar that tastes great? Opt for a snickers or twix instead.

 

 

Why so much sugar?

In their early development, nutrition bars were bland and primarily eaten by fitness enthusiasts. However, the bars underwent a transformation to appeal to general consumers. The bland, stiff, and protein packed bars didn’t necessarily appeal to the general population. To compensate, manufacturers made their products more flavorful by adding corn syrup, sugar, sugar alcohols, artificial sweeteners, artificial flavors, colors and hydrogenated oils, which are all bad for your health.

What To Eat Instead

Kind Bar

Definitely the best nutrition bar out there. The calorie, carbohydrate, protein, and sugar content is a well-balanced mixture that can provide an adequate snack  in between meals. What I love about these bars is the simplicity of the ingredients and the natural additives. Unlike the rest of the bars, you don’t see a list of 30 ingredients with names that are too long to pronounce.

The take away- A good snack that offers a variety from eating nuts or dried fruits by themselves or with trail mix.

Conclusion

As a general guideline, the less ingredients the better. Eating something in its most natural state is always your best bet. The best example I can think of is a product like peanut butter. When buying peanut butter look for one ingredient, PEANUTS! Avoid products with ingredients other than peanuts like what you see in most commercial products.  For example, Jif regular peanut butter’s list of ingredients includes peanuts, salt, sugar, fully hydrogenated vegetable oils, and diglycerides. I never encourage people to eat anything processed like nutrition bars but I understand there or some times when nothing else is available. If that is the case, choose something like a KIND Bar where there are only a few ingredients or prepare ahead and always carry around some nuts and fruits.

Thanks for reading and let me know if you have any comments or questions: