What I Eat

   What do I eat? I began trying out Paleo (http://thepaleodiet.com/) six years ago because my favorite elite rower ate that way.  (Google Ursula Grobler) I did a little research and stopped buying the boxed dinners, ie Hamburger Helper and I began eating more real foods. Still naive a year later, I was educated further through my CrossFit gym on what Paleo means as well as what foods to avoid. I really started getting into it and forbid myself from eating food like soy, peanuts or peanut butter as well as dairy, bread, rice and potatoes. Lots of foods that I daily ate were on the "forbidden" list. As I research the reasoning on each foods it made me realize that food is more than just stuffing our faces to satisfy a hunger. It made me look into most everything that I put into my body and the reasoning into why it is not Paleo. I am not a super fanatic and strict now but I eat so much better than I used to in the past. 

Here is what I eat.

    I do not skip breakfast. Never! When we wake up and start our day our bodies have not had nourishment since the night before. This could be 6-10 hours ago that we last ate. Your body is hungry and probably your brain. I aim for a protein in the morning with a veggie and/or yam. My quick breakfast before work is to pan fry my eggs to over easy and lay these on a plate of cooked yams or Brussel Spouts with a dabble of Franks Red Hot Sauce. (I like a little fire!) I like to cook most of my food on a cast iron skillet. Being an endurance athlete I can use more iron. 

    I make sure I have some kind of protein everyday. I love meat and I love eggs. I eat yams as my carbohydrate most of the time. If I'm at the super market I never leave with out a yam in my bag. I sneak veggies and fruit in as much as I can. Love love banana's! I eat these daily and take them on my bike. Still looking for a way to attach them TO my bike. 

    I now drink my coffee with no creamer and coffee is an everyday must. I do put in a scoop of coconut cream. I'm afraid to think what it would be like without my coffee in the am. If I have coffee away from home it is black. No extra unneeded sugar for me. I've done the Whole9 thirty day challenge a couple of times. ( http://whole9life.com/) The first time was eye opening on how much sugar is in a lot of every day foods. I will do this at least once a year to jump start my nutrition before a training season.

    I like easy and convenient foods. I would make everything from scratch but for this time crunched athlete it is hard to just whip all my foods up. A few foods that I buy for training include baby food! Yes! These handy pouches are with me on my bike and my run and you may see me in the pool locker sucking one down right before my swim. I try to go for the organic ones. I also look for the pouches with as much calories as they can fit in it. Either 90 or 100 calories per pouch. This is one of my favorites. When I find them on sale I buy several.

 I also now do PowerBar gel. Favorite is the strawberry banana with caffeine. I used to eat these then I had started the Whole9 and quit. Well, these are a little smaller to take on the bike and runs since I am out there a long time. And the caffeine helps!

 This is a good protein bar. The CrossFit community loves these and they taste good. You can find these at Costco or online. No bad stuff in them and all good stuff for an athlete! http://perfectbar.com/products/

    Picky Bars are fantastic!  http://pickybars.com/ I'm love them so much I joined their Picky Club and get monthly shipments. The company is owned by a pro triathlete, an elite runner and an elite marathoner. Good fuel. No bad stuff. And their fun! Check out their website!

    I also eat dates as a fuel when I'm not eating the PowerBar gels. Their cheep and yummy and full of energy. I try to buy Lara Bars when their on sale. Minimal ingredients. All the convenience. I could make my own but who has time for that?  I take water with me everywhere and also use Ultima Replenisher along side water for electrolytes. Pretty good stuff with out the junk.  http://ultimareplenisher.com/

    I'm going to start using Hammer Nutrition Perpetuem in one of my bottles for my long rides. I need to find what will work for me in the race and being on the bike for 6+ hours. I really don't want to take all that gel on the bike with me. I've used this a few years ago for marathon training and it worked great. 

    When training I try to eat every 30-45 minutes. During a race it is every 30 minutes and I'm strict on this. Don't want to feel crapping in a race because I didn't eat enough. I can't remember ever having bad stomach issues during an event other than finding a port a potty. Rock hard gut I guess! Hey. I use hot sauce everyday. I put it on everything! 

    I do cheat on my at times though and it has to be worth it. I am only extremely strict when I'm on the Whole9. I love pizza and hamburgers as well as beer and wine. I try to eat smart and limit foods but don't deprive myself of yummy non Paleo foods. But I always have the makings for a salad in my fridge. 

     What I eat after I work out is important for my body to repair. I put my body through a lot and it needs good fuel for recovery. I may opt for one of the bars with plenty of protein, some carbohydrate and a little fat. I will eat one within 30 minutes and drink lots of water. When I'm able to get more real food I will eat a meat and/or eggs with veggies and maybe yams. If I'm not able to get a meal in because of errands or appointments or just running around I will eat a banana. When I work out in the morning I skip the bar and eat my egg dish. If I'm in a hurry I will make a smoothie and drink it on the way to work. 

   Smoothies. This is a meal in a glass! I will drink a smoothie in the morning when I'm time crunched. When I have more than one workout to do in a day like swimming then going to CrossFit http://www.crossfitlakestevens.com/ ,I will take a smoothie with me to drink after the swim. My main go to smoothie is one banana, blue berries, spinach, cocao nibs (http://navitasnaturals.com/product/439/Cacao-Nibs.html), hemp seeds (I'm trying out this for protein in a drink), coconut milk, dash of cinnamon and ground cloves. 

    I'm pretty basic and have my go to items. I try to vary it up as much as I can. Really hard for me with my schedule. Love Trader Joes! I am picky on what I do buy there though especially since I don't eat grains or dairy. I read labels and because of this I take too long in stores! I must know though what it is that I'm putting into my body. I may read a label and it sounds healthy but if it has something that is not Paleo I will say to myself that it isn't worth it. It has to be worth it for me to splurge. I'll give an example. I weigh myself after my long bike rides. Yesterday it was lower than I wanted to be. I have not had a hamburger or fries for, I don't remember when I had a hamburger or fries last. Alfredo and I went to Bob's Burgers today and I had my mushroom burger and fries! I don't deprive myself and it has to be worth it. It was worth it! No beer though. My snack of choice is a cup of nuts, coconut chips and plantain chips. 

  I get lots or recipes or ideas on-line with so many resources. If you want more information on real foods to eat and how to eat them let me know.
     

    Thanks for ready my blog! If you have any question or comments feel free. 

                                                              God is good