According to the dictionary, hunger is a craving or urgent need for food or a specific nutrient.  It’s an uneasy sensation occasioned by the lack of food or a weakened condition brought about by prolonged lack of food.  The basic physiological mechanisms driving hunger involve hormones, body fat levels, blood glucose levels and stretch receptors in the stomach.  Mental or emotional factors in hunger are much less easily understood and oftentimes result in unnecessary calorie intake.  Most of the time, unintentional weight gain is associated with emotional, social or cultural factors.  We all have different reasons why we eat the amounts that we eat, i.e., genetics, activity levels, body weight and composition, relationships to food, dieting history, weight concerns and susceptibilities to cravings.  Some may even be addicted to food or have abnormal food cravings.  The key is to approach food with a balance of sustenance, enjoyment and performance goals.  Review the below suggestions to see the other side of healthy eating.

Learn from diet mistakes.  Even when you overeat, make poor choices or decide that starving yourself is the way to control your weight, there is an opportunity to plan for the next meal or snack and make a better decision.  Many times, we get angry or feel guilty for our eating mistakes and this is quite normal, but learn from the experience and put it behind you.  Inform yourself with safe and effective diet information and make the next day better.  The guilt will get you nowhere.  Fear may make you eat more and anger will only stop the learning process.

Give up perfectionism.  Since we are all human beings, we need to accept the fact that our day is chocked full of opportunities to eat the wrong thing- welcome to an ‘imperfect world’. What is the ideal body weight in triathlon?   Only one person knows that- you.  Life is not a straight line, it is a zigzag line filled with nutritional ups and downs.  What is important is that the general trend is in a positive direction- more good days than bad.  Many people give up on making positive changes because they have a bad day or a series of bad days.  Life is not that short- there will be opportunities to make up lost ground. 

Break out of the "Being-Nice" trap.  Don’t get caught in the snares of "the being-nice trap": know what is good for you as an individual, have a plan and stick by your nutritional goals despite social gatherings, holidays, office lunches and eating out.  Also, make sure that you are making educated decisions when taking diet advice from your training partner.   

Find alternative means of coping.  Sharing problems, dialoguing, journal writing, communicating with self, dreaming, reflecting and meditating, working out, hiking, planning a get together with friends, actually writing a letter and playing board games are all excellent non-food related ways to lift the spirit.  Be wary of the reasons why you eat and try to recognize when you are eating “beyond your means.” 

Nurture yourself.  Give yourself what you need.   Don’t feel guilty for getting that much needed massage.  Sleep in when you are tired, eat when you are hungry and give yourself a break at the end of a long season.  Listen closely to the body as it will let you know when you have been too hard on it.

Get outside of your box.  Start doing the grocery shopping or planning meals if you have never done this before.  Start reading food labels and doing some comparison.  Log your dietary intake for a couple of days on a site like fitday.com, nutridiary.com or dietdiaryplus.com and use it as a starting point to get a baseline from.  Get a subscription to Eating Light or Nutrition Action for a year- enlighten yourself.  Try eating a new vegetable or fruit once per week or try a different healthy recipe once per week with something you’ve never tried before.
Stop obsessing about food and LIVE!  As we get involved with activities and the important people in our lives, we can reach a more balanced approach to eating.  Take small steps to exploring your passions, what excites you and begin to follow your inner calling. Food compulsions can fall away and we can move into our zone of passionate living.

Brandon Nichols, RD, CSSD  (Registered Dietitian, Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics)  vegasdietitian@gmail.com  702.245.7789 for a consultation.rn

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Dietary antioxidants may possibly decrease some of this oxidative stress.  Two of the most commonly referred to antioxidants are Vitamins C and E.  These powerful antioxidants work together to protect an athlete from oxidative stress.  Some argue that endurance athletes like triathletes need more of these substances in the form of supplements.  However, strenuous aerobic exercise can also build the body’s natural defenses against free radicals.  Most of the research regarding this topic show mixed results with some studies showing that supplementation with Vitamins C and E results in a decrease in oxdative damage while other studies show no effect regardless of the supplementation of Vitamins C and E.  All agree that more research is needed to assess it’s effects in endurance athletes.  Still, it is generally recognized as safe to take 500 mg of Vitamin C and 100-200 IU of Vitamin E in supplemental form.  Effectiveness has not been proven though.  There are a variety of other antioxidants in the diet including: carotenes, lycopene, lutein, flavonoids, ubiquinone-10 and selenium.  Dietary sources of these compounds range from vegetable oils, liver and egg yolk to the vast array of colorful fruits and vegetables, nuts and legumes.  The USDA has done studies on which foods have the highest content of these antioxidants and the results may seem obvious for some foods, but not so obvious for others.  It seems that artichokes and beans should be at the top of our food list.  Researchers say that these two foods as well as a host of others like them have disease fighting compounds that may reduce oxidative stress in the body.  Once again there is limited research on how much of these various antioxidants we as endurance athletes need, but clearly, more variety in fruits and vegetables as well as other foods can’t hurt to improve health and well being, exercise recovery and illness prevention.In the USDA’s latest study, data on antioxidant levels in over 100 different foods like fruits and vegetables as well as spices and nuts were analyzed. Although spices are generally consumed in small amounts, many are high in antioxidants. On the basis of antioxidant concentration, ground cloves, ground cinnamon and oregano were the highest among the spices studied.Among the fruits, vegetables and nuts analyzed, cranberries, blueberries, and blackberries ranked highest. Beans, artichokes and Russet potatoes were tops among the vegetables. Pecans, walnuts and hazelnuts ranked highest in the nut category.

This information can be useful for those seeking to include more antioxidants in their diet.  Keep in mind though, total antioxidant capacity of the foods does not necessarily reflect their potential health benefit, which depends on how they are absorbed and utilized in the body. Researchers are still trying to better understand this process.  Expect to hear more on this topic as the search for disease prevention, exercise enhancement and health promotion become more and more important in our culture.  See below for a list of the best sources of antioxidants.

Brandon Nichols, RD, CSSD

Specialized Nutrition and Training

Individual and group consultation 702-245-7789

Lean Beef-  Serving size: 3 oz. , 163 calories, 5g fat, 0g carbohydrate, 27g protein.  Red meat — and beef in particular — is a good source of high-quality protein, iron, and zinc, but buy lean cuts to avoid excess fat.  It’s actually among the highest in iron content, so an excellent option for runners, women and anyone needing extra iron.  Try for 1-2 servings per week.  When picking cuts of beef, stick to rounds and sirloins as your leanest options. Iron and zinc are essential for immune function and maintaining energy levels, which makes them even more important for athletes striving to perform in training and competition  

Eggs-  Serving size: 1 large egg, 75 calories, 4g fat, 0g carbohydrate, 6g protein (egg white = 4 g protein).  Fears over cholesterol have turned many against eggs, but like any cholesterol containing food, they can be very beneficial if portions are watched.  Recently, omega-3 fatty acid containing eggs became available and are a good option to regular eggs.  They do offset the cholesterol effects and help a person reach their omega-3 goals for the day.  Egg whites are essentially a benchmark protein meaning they are one of the most complete proteins available to the human body (Eggs contain high amounts of all 9 essential amino acids).  Eggs are also naturally rich in Vitamin A and D, as well as choline. Choline is an essential nutrient that plays a role in brain development and memory. One note: If you have high levels of LDL cholesterol (the bad one) already, consider removing the yolks or eating “Egg Beaters.”

Dairy protein-  Serving Size: (skim milk) 1 cup 83 Calories, 0 g fat, 12 g carbohydrate, 8 g protein.  Dairy It’s an excellent source of high quality protein, providing all of the essential amino acids needed by the human body.  Scientific findings indicate that milk proteins – casein and whey and their bioactive peptides and amino acids – provide a variety of health benefits.  By virtue of being a high quality protein with an amino acid composition similar to that of the human body, milk helps support normal maintenance and growth of muscle. Data from independent human intervention trials have demonstrated the ability of dairy protein (in the form of whey, casein, fluid milk, or extracted milk protein) to stimulate whole body and muscle protein synthesis under resting and exercise conditions.  Dairy proteins, high in leucine have a unique role in increasing fat loss and promoting lean muscle tissue, as well as regulating blood glucose levels.  Milk proteins may contribute to satiety and suppress food intake.
Legumes-  Serving size: 1 cup, 230 calories, 1g fat, 40g carbohydrate, 18g protein.  Beans of all types are a great source of plant protein in addition to high antioxidants, complex carbohydrates, vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Legumes include beans, peas, lentils, and even peanuts. Economically, beans are the most cost-effective way to obtain quality protein. With a high iron concentration and plenty of fiber they may even ease menopausal symptoms.  Make sure to cook, grind, or mash beans and peas well before eating them to unlock the nutrient inside their tough outer skin.

Nuts and Seeds-  Serving size: (almonds, raw) 22 each, 160 calories, 14 g fat, 6 g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 6 g protein.  As a quick source of calories, they are a heart-healthy, high antioxidant food. Nuts and seeds contain omega-3 fats, the “good fats” that may help reduce the chance of coronary heart disease. In addition to fats and protein, they also provide a significant amount of folate to help produce red blood cells. They contain significant magnesium to maintain normal muscle and nerve function. Both nuts and seeds are great protein foods to eat on a salad or as a snack with fruit. Eating 1-2 ounces a day of almonds, walnuts, pecans or peanuts also curbs appetite for other fatty foods.
Whey Protein-  Serving size: (ON Whey Protein Isolate) 1 scoop, 130 calories, 1.5 g fat, 4 g carbohydrate, 24 g protein Considered by some the "Gold Standard" of protein, it contains all 9 of the essential amino acids required in the daily diet.  It’s a rich source of branched chain amino acids (BCAAs), which are metabolized directly into muscle tissue and are the first ones used during endurance exercise.  It’s an excellent source of the essential amino acid, leucine, which is important for promoting muscle protein synthesis and muscle growth. Whey protein is a soluble, easy to digest protein and is often referred to as a "fast" protein.  Whey protein also supports immune system by increasing the levels of glutathione in the body. Glutathione is an anti-oxidant required for a healthy immune system and exercise and resistance training may reduce glutathione levels.
-Brandon Nichols, RD, CSSD
Contact me for questions or to schedule an appointment for nutrition assessment and planning.
vegasdietitian@embarqmail.com    phone: 702.245.7789

Why is it important to see a registered dietitian?

If you eat food, good nutrition advice is helpful- go figure. In terms of diet quality and long term health, a diet consultation can be as important as spring cleaning, a financial assessment or annual physical exam. If you have any of the following goals for yourself: altering body composition, increasing quality of life, warding off illness, picking healthier snacks, finding proper fueling while maintaining weight loss, performing or racing and meeting your hydration needs, a nutrition consultation is well worth the expense.  How much do you spend on new running shoes, a new bicycle or wetsuit?  Proper nutrition can make just as big a difference in performance as any new piece of equipment. 

Nutrition guidance is especially important if you are feeling lethargic or exhausted, finding yourself slipping in old habits, becoming tired of the same food every day, or staring blankly at the open refrigerator trying to figure out what to eat. All of these point to a breakdown in your nutrition regimen and are likely to result in diminished health and performance outcomes. Seek nutrition help at regular intervals and commit to sticking to a nutrition plan. 

It is not uncommon for individuals to seek nutrition advice from alternative outlets in order to enhance their body composition, achieve more weight loss and meet their performance goals. The problem is —at every turn there is a well-intentioned (or not so well-intentioned) individual giving nutrition recommendations that may not be qualified.  Nutrition information, like fast food, is everywhere; it’s persuasive, appealing, and full of promises, but what is appropriate for one person may not be for the next, especially considering age, gender, activity level, sport specific needs health history and other variables.
Like finding a healthy meal instead of fast food, finding solid nutrition advice requires going to a reputable, practiced expert. Your best source is a registered dietitian, experienced in metabolic needs, weight management and exercise science. Registered dietitians (RD), like medical doctors, are upheld to national standards of education, ethics and practice. The RD credential ensures that you are speaking with an individual that has completed a minimum of a bachelor’s degree and supervised practice before sitting for the national registration exam. In addition, this individual is required to maintain a record of continuing education and professional objectives—all while sticking to the scientific facts when practicing. 

In addition to seeking the nutrition advice of an expert, some may want to take it one step further and see a sports nutrition specialist.  The premier certification for this specialization is the CSSD.  The CSSD is designed as the premier professional sports nutrition credential in the United States. Board Certified Specialists in Sports Dietetics are registered dietitians with a minimum of two years experience in sports dietetics who apply evidence-based guidelines in sports nutrition. They assess, educate, and counsel athletes and active individuals. They design, implement, and manage safe and effective nutrition strategies that enhance lifelong health, fitness and optimal performance.  Athletes looking for one of the 110 certified specialists in the country can go to the CDR website (http://www.cdrnet.org/PDFs/Total%20Sports%20by%20State%203-5-07.pdf) and review the list by state. 

 Brandon is a registered dietitian, board certified as a specialist in sports dietetics with B.S. degrees in Nutrition and Exercise Science from Kansas State University.  In addition to over 10 years of experience in sports nutrition, clinical nutrition and medical weight management programs, Brandon served as the training table coordinator for the Kansas State University Athletic Department.  He works with the novice as well as the competitive athlete wanting to take their sport to the next level.  He has been a competitive endurance athlete for several years & is always “tri-ing” to help others reach their personal best.  For more information or to schedule a consultation, call  Brandon at 702.245.7789 or e-mail vegasdietitian@embarqmail.com

§         Some individuals may need extra sodium if the competition is in a hot and humid environment and/or if the person is a heavy, salty sweater.  Start adding more sodium to food 2-3 days prior to the event as needed. 

Brandon Nichols, RD, CSSD  (vegasdietitian@embarqmail.com  702-245-7789)