One of my favorite books to read with my daughters is called “Little Pea”. It’s about a little pea who only likes to eat vegetables and is forced to eat candy by his parents… blech! Every time my daughter and I read this book, I would inwardly laugh hysterically because I remember the disgusting, mushy, tasteless peas I was force fed as a child. But what if peas could actually be made to taste good? Believe … Read entire article »

In September, I wrote an article on carb loading with sweet root vegetables. Since you can reference the information on how root vegetables can be added to your diet while training, today I will solely focus on one of my favorites… beets! Beets are a root vegetable that are available all year long, but are best from June-October. And, I am all about eating foods that are in season! Although beets have a strong flavor and … Read entire article »

Add Sweet Root Vegetables to Your Pre-Race Regimen While I am a complete believer in “carb-loading” or loading up on carbohydrates weeks- and especially days- before a race, I am not a fan of all of the white bagels, white pasta and other simple carbohydrates that I see runners loading up on! Sure there is a time and a place for a big, gooey bagel (New York anyone?), but for our day-to-day eating, we should rely … Read entire article »

Tips from a Diet Coach, Runner and a Frequent Traveler On a recent trip to North Carolina to pick up my daughter from camp, I was assaulted by all of the side-of-the-road food options: greasy pizza, pretzels covered with sugar or stuffed with ham and cheese, French fries, a “healthy” frozen yogurt spot, and I am not even going to mention the magazine shop filled with candy, chips and granola bars laden with sugar. In an … Read entire article »

It always amazes me that athletes will scrutinize their diets with a fine tooth comb and then use processed sports products packed with fructose and even high fructose corn syrup to boost their performance during – and replenish after – strenuous workouts! When we use sugar and other carbohydrates to temporarily boost our performance, we may see immediate effects, but in the long term this creates a roller coaster ride that is not good for … Read entire article »

Most athletes have read and have been told by their trainers to consume protein, protein, and more protein throughout their day for muscle building and recovery. Our bodies need protein not only to build and help muscles regenerate but protein also plays an important role in the body’s metabolism, hormonal balance, and immune protection. This does not necessarily mean, though, that we need animal protein such as cheese, yogurt, turkey, chicken and fish at every … Read entire article »