It’s that time of the year when holidays and festivities are upon us and perhaps it is also a time when we have indulged in eating a variety of foods or drinking beverages that may not be so good for us- or should I say for our stomachs? With that being said, it is most likely not the beginning of your gut not feeling so good.

Your “inner gut” is the hardware that digests, absorbs, and transforms what you eat into fuel and nutrition, allowing you to have energy to live life. You may be surprised to learn that you could have an enemy living deep inside you, inside your gut.

Here are some questions to ask yourself:
    •    Do you lack energy on a frequent basis, regardless of how much sleep you get?
    •    Do you ever have any muscular or connective tissue injuries?
    •    Are you frequently injured?
    •    Does your stomach bloat or feel irritated often?
    •    Do your muscles seem weaker more often than you’d expect from your training?
    •    Do you often feel like no matter how good your diet is, you still don’t feel as energized as you think you should?
    •    Are you experiencing hair loss or thinning?
    •    Do you eat wheat/bread products or sugary foods?

If you answered “yes” to a few of these questions, read on. Or maybe you know someone, a friend, your partner, or your child that falls into this category. You may be able to help yourself, and someone else too.

Your gut is the driver of optimal health. It is where foods and fluids are processed and then through proper digestion become the fuel your body relies on. If this magical engine is failing, you will suffer. How do you know if this is a problem? Did you answer “yes” to any of the questions above? Have you tried everything else?

Many of us have trimmed our diets down to perfection, and still haven’t had positive results. The reason is because inside the lining of our intestines is where we also carry bacteria. We have friendly bacteria, and then we have “not-so-friendly” bacteria called Candida. If you’re anything like me, Candida loves to rampantly take over the digestive tract time and time again.

The first signs of Candida are usually fatigue, no matter how much rest or sleep you get, and then bloating. The gut begins to swell and no matter what you eat or drink, even after drinking water, you never feel energized from the food source, and then you often crave sugars and caffeine for an instant pick-me-up.

Overtime you can begin to experience tissue injuries. Why? Because optimal nutrition is dependent on the absorption of the food and if you are no longer absorbing the nutrients you consume, your body becomes depleted and eventually will shut down.

There is a simple test you can do to find out if you have Candida. After trying this test for myself, I was surprised to learn I had it because I don’t eat dairy, gluten or wheat. It is important to do this test first thing in the morning before you eat, drink, or brush your teeth. Collect some saliva in your mouth and after you have a fair amount, gently spit into a glass of water and watch what it does. If your saliva stays afloat for 10-20 minutes, congratulations, you’re fine. If it begins to sink, either quickly or slowly over the next 10-20 minutes, you have Candida. Often it will be in tiny amounts that begin to break off and start to trickle down to the bottom.

What can you do to remedy Candida? A colleague and health practitioner friend of mine turned me on to a great product to combat Candida called Three Lac. To learn more about Three Lac visit www.ThreeMax.net, call (716) 373-0983, or contact Mike Winicki, Three Lac’s founder at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

Once you get started with removing Candida, you will begin to feel much better.  Your energy will return and your physical, emotional and mental states will begin to become strong again.  Often we don’t know how bad we are feeling until we start to make changes.  We often think what we were experiencing is normal. From here you will improve your capacity to absorb proper nutrients, so you will get the most out of your diet, hydration and exercises. You will experience fewer injuries, have better recovery after your workouts; feel stronger, faster and leaner from your workouts as well.

Once you take this step of taking care of your insides, indulging won’t have such negative impacts on you. There is no time like the present to get your on track, to have a healthy and enjoyable season.

Sharon Starika is a runner and triathlete with over 20 years of competitive racing experience. She is a Guild Feldenkrais Practitioner and lives in Park City, Utah where she has a private practice. She teaches classes and clinics around the country and offers instructional online workshops so people interested can practice her methods anywhere. For contact information, go to: www.sharonstarika.com or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. "> This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

This must be addressed because there is quite a large group of people that have an issue with this topic and are trying to ignore just how much damage to their health and athletic performance they are doing with this one little itty bitty habit they have. So, here goes:

QUIT DRINKING SODA POP... especially the diet versions! Soda pop is bad for you! DIET soda is probably even worse for you! Are your toes twitching and your head starting to ache just thinking about not having your soda fix? I know that Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Monster, Pepsi (or whatever else you get your fix from) is like your life-blood. Some of you may be wishing there was an option to just get an IV and carry around a bag of your favorite drink and have it jack you up straight up clean through the veins. Of course, most of you love the feel of it in your mouth before it heads on down into your system and does its work, and even the comfort of holding that big ol' cup or can is part of the addiction. It's a habit that touches on more than just the drink. It's a part of your daily ritual and lifestyle. So, if it makes you so happy, why should you quit? What's so bad about this fizzy, sweet, caffeinated liquid bliss? To begin with, it is addicting! Do you really want to have your behaviors and daily existence ruled by an addiction to a drink?  If you are drinking a DIET version of soda, you probably think you are doing yourself a favor because, well, there aren't any calories, right? Drano doesn't have any calories either. I'll bet you wouldn't want to drink that! But really, it's not just about the calories. It's about what it is doing to your body's internal environment and your long term health.

Anecdotal evidence shows that diet soda contains artificial sweeteners that can stimulate your appetite. It can increase your carbohydrate craving and it could stimulate fat storage and weight gain. It is also acidic and creates an extremely unhealthy environment in your body; which means your body is in a breaking down (catabolic) state instead of a building up (anabolic) state, which means disease and disrepair!

Sucralose is used in many of these drinks and a study found that it could decrease red blood cells, cause enlargement or calcification in the kidneys and studies have shown it can kill about half of the good bacteria in your stomach.  In a study of rabbits given this stuff, it caused a 23% death rate in the soda group compared to a 6% death rate in the control group with no soda. A few more good reasons to quit the soda habit:

KIDNEY DAMAGE
A 2009 Nurses' Health Study of 3,256 women found a 30% drop in level of kidney function for participants who drank 2 or more servings of diet pop daily. This means that those who drank at least 2 cans, bottles or glasses of diet drinks daily had 30% less kidney blood filtering ability than those who drank regular sodas or other drinks, like water! You do not want to damage your kidneys. They are pretty useful in keeping your body healthy by doing things such as: removing wastes and extra fluid from your blood, controlling your body's chemical balance, making urine, helping to control your blood pressure, helping to keep your bones healthy and helping you make red blood cells (read: oxygen for all you athletes)

WEIGHT GAIN
Perhaps surprising, but true: studies have tied diet soda consumption to an increased risk of obesity. In fact, a 2005 University of Texas Health Science Center study found a 57.1% risk of obesity for those drinking more than two daily servings of diet pop. Another 8 year long study  looked at 600 normal weight patients between the ages of 25 and 64.  They discovered that people who were drinking one diet soda a day were 65% more likely to be overweight and that two of these zero calorie diet soft-drinks per raised the odds of becoming overweight or obese. Do you really want to sabotage all your hard work and training by drinking something that is going to put your body at risk for weight gain? 


BONE LOSS


Drinking diet soda can also lead to bone loss. This is because the phosphoric acid in the soda causes calcium in your bloodstream to be excreted more quickly than normal through urine. Your bones then give up some of their calcium in order to keep the bloodstream calcium level constant.  Anyone looking for athletic excellence would probably do themselves a little itty bitty favor if they can keep their bones strong and healthy and able to support their body as they swim, bike, run, lift weights or do any other activity that makes their life even more awesome and enjoyable!

TOOTH ENAMEL DAMAGE

Our teeth don't necessarily affect our athletic performance but, it sure can affect your health in the long run if your teeth are decaying! Soda is hard on tooth enamel, with the sugar and acid being the most problematic ingredients. Diet soda eliminates the sugar, but not the acid content of pop. Most of us are familiar enough with acid that we can imagine its impact on our tooth enamel (and our INTERNAL environment!), which is the main barrier our teeth have against decay. Phosphoric acid is found in many diet sodas, and its purpose is to promote carbonation. But it also erodes tooth enamel. Generally, darker colas are more likely to contain it than lighter diet drinks.
Citric acid is another ingredient added to many diet sodas in order to preserve carbonation. Like phosphoric acid, it eats away at your tooth enamel.




MORE DISEASE


In results from a study published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine:
University of Miami and Columbia University researchers followed roughly 2,500 New Yorkers for 10 years. All of the study volunteers were over age 40 and had never had a stroke. At the start of the study, each participant indicated her or his diet soda intake as “none” (less than 1 per month), “light” (1 diet soda a month to 6 diet sodas a week), or “daily” (1 or more a day). Each year, researchers contacted participants by phone to ask them about changes in risk factors and medications, as well as any health problems and hospitalizations that may have occurred. At the end of 10 years, the daily diet soda drinkers were more likely to have had a stroke or heart attack, or to have died from vascular disease. The increased risk remained even after study investigators accounted for smoking, exercise, weight, sodium intake, high cholesterol, and other factors that could have contributed to the difference.

Both regular and diet soft drinks were linked with certain, but separate, cardiovascular disease risk factors. In this study, frequent diet soda drinkers were more likely to be former smokers and have higher blood sugar, high blood pressure, and ironically, larger waistlines. They were also more likely to have metabolic syndrome. That’s the name for a cluster of risk factors— high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels— that occur together and increase the risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Folks who drank regular soda were more likely to smoke and eat more carbohydrates, but were less likely to have diabetes or high cholesterol.

A report from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, published in the journal "Diabetes Care", found that people who drank diet soda every day had a 36% greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater risk of developing diabetes. Both of these conditions greatly raise the odds of having a stroke or heart attack.

So, there you have it! It's not a pretty picture for the soda demographic. I know it is hard, but I am confident that you can break your addiction to soda and improve your health! Change your habits and you can break your addiction. Drink water; if you hate the flavor of plain water, squeeze lemons or limes into it. Chew gum in place of drinking a soda. Every time you crave that habit, go for a walk or drink some flavored water (preferably non-sugary, non-caffeinated). Remember just how devastating drinking soda is to your health and then focus on what you really want: kidneys that do all their awesome good deeds, athletic goals, good teeth, great health! And, don't get discouraged if you aren't perfect and mess up every once in awhile, it's about the journey to good health. The key is to keep trying, always!




Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

A QUICK GUIDE TO
THE PALEO DIET FOR ATHLETES
Written by:  Loren Cordain Ph.d and Joe Friel M.S.
 
THE PALEO DIET
The basic  premise  of Dr. Cordain’s  research  on paleolithic  nutrition is  that  certain foods  are  optimal for humans  and  others  are  non-­optimal. The  optimal foods are those that we have been eating for most of our time on Earth—more than 4 million years. Only in the last 10,000 years, a mere blink of the eye relative to our species’ existence,  have  we  been eating  non­optimal foods.  Unfortunately,  these  foods comprise  the  bulk  of what western  society  eats  today and include  such foods  as grains, dairy and legumes. Given that our bodies have not  changed, we are  simply not  well ­adapted to these non­-optimal foods  and  they  moderate  health and  peak performance. On the other hand, we have been eating optimal foods – vegetables, fruits, and lean animal protein  –  for hundreds  of thousands of  years  and  we  are  fully  adapted to them. Science  tells us  that  these foods also  best meet  our nutritional needs. Eat these and you will thrive. Avoid or strictly limit them and your health and performance will be compromised.

PALEO FOR ATHLETES
Serious athletes, however, when it comes to immediately before, during, and directly after workouts,  need to bend the rules of  the Paleo Diet a bit since we're  placing demands on the body that were not normal for our Stone Age ancestors. Hour after hour of sustained high energy output and the need for quick recovery are the serious athlete’s unique demands. This requires some latitude to use non­optimal foods on a limited basis. The exceptions may best be described by explaining the athlete’s 5 stages of daily eating relative to exercise.

 
Stage I: Eating Before Exercise
In  brief, we recommend  that athletes eat low to moderate glycemic index carbohydrates at least two hours prior to a hard or long workout or race. There may also be some fat and protein in this meal. All foods should be low in fiber. Take in 200 to 300 calories for every hour remaining until exercise  begins. If eating two hours prior is not possible, then take in 200 or so calories 10 minutes before the workout or race begins.

Stage II: Eating During Exercise
During long or hard workouts and races you will need to take in high glycemic index carbohydrates mostly in the form of fluids. Sports  drinks  are fine for this. Find  one that you like the taste of and will drink willingly. Realize that events lasting less than about an hour (including warm­up) don’t require any carbohydrate. Water will suffice for these. A starting point for deciding how much to take in is 200 to 400 calories per hour modified according to body size, experience and the nature  of the exercise (longer events require more calories than short).

Stage III: Eating Immediately After
In  the first  30 minutes  post­workout  (but  only  after long  and/or highly intense exercise) and post-­race use a  recovery drink that contains both carbohydrate and protein  in a 4­5:1 ratio. You can buy a commercial product  such as Ultrafit Recovery™  (www.ultrafit.com) for this. Or you can make your own by blending 16 ounces of fruit juice with a banana, 3 to 5 tablespoons of glucose (such as  Carbo­ Pro) depending on body size, about 3 tablespoons of protein powder, especially from egg or whey sources and two pinches of salt. This 30­ minute window is critical  for recovery. It should be your highest priority after a hard workout or race.

Stage IV: Eating for Extended Recovery
For the  next  few hours  (as  long as the preceding challenging exercise lasted) continue to focus  your diet on carbohydrates, especially moderate to high glycemic load carbohydrates along with protein at a 4­5:1 carb/­protein ratio. Now is the time to eat non­-optimal foods such as pasta, bread, bagels, rice, corn and other foods rich in glucose as they contribute to the necessary carbohydrate recovery process. Perhaps the perfect Stage IV foods are raisins, potatoes, sweet potatoes and yams.

Stage V: Eating for Long­Term Recovery
For the remainder of your day, or until your next Stage I, return to eating a Paleo Diet by  focusing  on optimal foods. For more  information on the Paleo Diet  go to www.thepaleodiet.com or read The Paleo Diet by Loren Cordain, Ph.D.

HOW MUCH PROTEIN, CARB AND FAT SHOULD I EAT?
The macro-nutrient requirement changes with the demands of the training season and so should be periodized along with training. We recommend that athletes maintain a rather consistent protein intake year round. As a percentage of total calories this will typically be in the range of 20-­25% for athletes. This is on the low end of what our Stone  Age ancestors  ate due to the athlete’s  increased intake of carbohydrate in Stages I to IV which dilutes protein as a percentage of daily calories. On the other hand, periodization of diet produces significant and opposing swings in the athlete’s fat and carbohydrate intake as the training seasons change. During the base (general preparation) period the diet  shifts  toward  an increased  intake  of  fat while carbohydrate intake decreases. At this time in the season when a purpose of training is to promote the body’s use of fat for fuel, more healthy fat is consumed—inthe range of 30% of total calories—with carbohydrate intake at around 50%. During the build and peak (specific preparation) periods  the  intensity  of training increases placing greater demands on the body for carbohydrate to fuel exercise. At this latter time of the season Stages III and IV become increasingly critical to the athlete’s recovery. Carbohydrate intake increases accordingly to around 60% of total calories with fat intake dropping to around 20%. During times of the year when training is greatly reduced (peaking/tapering and transition periods) the athlete must limit caloric intake to prevent unwanted weight gain.

WHY IS THE PALEO DIET BENEFICIAL?
Health and  fitness  are not synonymous. Unfortunately, many athletes are fit but unhealthy. Frequent  illness, injury and over-training reduce performance potential. The Paleo Diet for Athletes significantly improves health long term. Compared with the commonly accepted athlete’s diet, the Paleo Diet:

●  Increases  intake of branched  chain  amino acids  (BCAA).  Benefits  muscle
development and anabolic function. Also counteracts immunosuppression common
in endurance athletes following extensive exercise.
●  Decreases  omega­6:omega­3  ratio. Reduces  tissue inflammations  common to
athletes while promoting healing. This may include asthmatic conditions common in
athletes.
● Lowers body acidity. Reduces the catabolic effect of acidosis on bone and muscle
while  stimulating  muscle  protein  synthesis.  This  is  increasingly  important  with
aging.
● Is high in trace nutrients. Vitamins and minerals are necessary for optimal health
and  long­term recovery from exercise.  The most  nutrient­dense  foods  are
vegetables  and  seafood.  On  average, vegetables have nearly twice  the  nutrient
density of grains.

EXCERPT FROM THE PALEO DIET FOR ATHLETES
" Training for endurance sports such as  running, cycling, triathlon, rowing, swimming, and cross-­country skiing places great demands  on the body, and the athlete is in some stage of recovery almost continuously during periods of heavy training. The keys to optimum recovery are sleep and  diet. Even though we recommend  that everyone eat a diet similar to what our Stone Age ancestors ate, we realize  that nutritional concessions must be made for the athlete who is training at a high volume in the range of 10 to 35 or more hours per week of rigorous exercise. Rapid recovery is the biggest issue facing such an athlete. While it’s not impossible to  recover from such training loads on a  strict  Paleo Diet, it is somewhat  more difficult to  recover quickly. By modifying the diet before, during, and immediately following challenging workouts, the Paleo Diet provides two benefits sought by all athletes: quick recovery for the next workout, and superior health for the rest of your life. "

For more information on The Paleo Diet for Athletes go to…
www.thepaleodiet.com
www.trainingbible.com

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

In order to really succeed at creating a healthy lifestyle and not just a temporary fix, you need to create some habits. The following habits, an exerpt from Precision Nutrition, if followed and incorporated into your daily, permanent, consistent, healthy lifestyle will pretty much guarantee that you will always stay healthy, fit, lean and looking and feeling great. Of course habits take some time, focus, energy and serious commitment to create.  But once you get them into your system you will be able to really be rocking! The following are the habits that are going to get you where you want to be (and keep you there!)

#1: EAT EVERY 2-4 HOURS
Why?  Because research shows that frequent eating stimulates your metabolism, balances your blood sugar and helps maintain lean mass (while burning fat!)  How many meals per day should you eat? Just divide the time you're awake by 3. So if you are awake 15 hours a day, you should aim for 5 meals a day. If your goal is weight gain, you may need to eat more meals per day. If your goal is weight loss, then you may need to only eat 4 meals per day. Your meal size will be based on your gender, body size, body fat, physical activity levels, calorie needs, etc.

#2: EAT COMPLETE, LEAN PROTEIN WITH EVERY MEAL  
Why? Because protein helps to maintain blood sugars, maximally stimulate your metabolism, improve your muscle mass (higher metabolic rate), improve recovery, and reduce your body fat. Women should aim for about 20-30 grams (80-120 calories) per meal- the equivalent of about 1palm sized portion of protein. Men should aim for about 40-60 grams of protein per meal- the equivalent of about 2 palm sized portions.

 
#3: EAT VEGETABLES WITH EVERY MEAL
Why? For many reasons! Science has shown that in addition to the micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) packed into veggies, there are also important plant chemicals that are essential to optimal physiological functioning. Vegetables also provide an alkaline load to the blood.  Since proteins and grains are more acidic, it is important to balance this load since too much acid means the loss of bone strength and muscle mass. Vegetables are also a great source of fiber. A serving of veggies is about 1/2 cup. Aim to eat 2-3 servings (so 1.5 or so cups) with every meal. Make this a daily habit and you will be providing your body with 10-15 servings of awesome, cancer fighting, fat blasting, free radical destroying, acid neutralizing, power veggies every day.

#4: IF FAT LOSS IS YOUR GOAL, EAT VEGGIES AND FRUITS WITH EVERY MEAL AND "OTHER CARBS" ONLY AFTER EXERCISE

Why? Because, when it comes to changing your body's composition, timing your carbohydrates is one of the most effective strategies for kick-starting fat loss in people with stubborn and hard to remove body fat stores. It also minimizes fat gain in people gaining muscle!

#5: EAT HEALTHY FATS DAILY
Why?  Because healthy fats (primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) help you lose weight as well as help with cellular repair, fat loss, improved recovery and a host of other valuable healthy benefits. Aim for approximately 30% of your calories coming from healthy fats. In addition to getting healthy fats from your food (such as: nuts, olive oil, avocado, flax seeds/oil, etc.) you should also include fish oil supplements in your nutrition plan. These supplements can help  protect you from heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more. It is recommended that about 6 grams a day is about right.

#6: DON'T DRINK BEVERAGES WITH MORE THAN 0 CALORIES (this does not include your green protein smoothie)  
Why? Because nothing can take the place of good, clean water. Your body is made of over 60% water! Water is absolutely essential for a variety of functions including weight loss and improved body composition, circulation, better athletic performance, and a host of other crucial bodily functions. You should aim for a minimum of 96 ounces of water every day!

#7: EAT WHOLE FOODS INSTEAD OF SUPPLEMENTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE
Why? Because no pills, bars or other pre-made options can even come close to giving you the quality of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that good
old fruits and veggies contain. Get a complete diet of lean meats (and other quality proteins), fruits and veggies, high fiber and nutrient dense carbs (at the right time) and good, healthy fats. I know it can be challenging to do this all the time, so aim to eat this way as often as you possibly can, and then give yourself a break when life is too crazy and go with the pre-made stuff when nothing else will work. This leads us to the next habit...

 
#8: PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE FOOD IN ADVANCE  
Why? Because life is crazy and busy and the hardest part of eating well and healthy is consistency. Sometimes good nutrition is less about the food and more about making sure the food is available when it's time to eat. Remember, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."  So plan ahead and succeed!

 
#9: EAT AS WIDE A VARIETY OF GOOD FOODS AS POSSIBLE  
Why? Well first off, eating the same things over and over can get very boring. In addition, it is nice to give your body a variety of nutrients and fresh seasonal foods that give you a healthy variety.  Be brave, try new things! You may just find some new favorites.

#10: PLAN TO BREAK THE RULES 10% OF THE TIME  
Why? Because it gives you a break from feeling like you have to be perfect all the time, and really makes a negligible effect on your progress. But, let's be clear on what this 10% break really means. If you are eating 5 times per day for 7 days of the week, that's 35 meals each week. Since 10% of 35 is about 3.5, you can eat 3 or 4 "imperfect" meals per week. A 10% meal is one that doesn't conform to the above 9 habits. Did you miss your protein source with lunch? That's a 10% meal. Did you skip a meal? That's a 10% meal. Did you skip veggies? That's a 10% meal. Did you eat a whole pizza? That's definitely a 10% meal! You get it, right?  If you are honest with yourself in regards to your nutritional quality and adherence to your 90% on and 10% off, you will succeed and reach your goals. If you are not seeing results, take a good, honest look at your nutrition and you will most likely find that your 10% break is probably more around 20%, 30% or even more. Aim for 90% of your meals hitting the above 9 habits and then enjoy your 10% break meals! It's a good thing!
 
So, there you have it, ten fantastic habits that are going to help you get lean and strong. When incorporated into your steady, consistent lifestyle they will keep you lean and strong.
   
ENJOY!

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She s a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

Today we are going to take a different angle on nutrition and HOW it affects our bodies on a little different level than you have probably considered before. We are going to learn about the alkaline/acidic nature of food and how maintaining a healthy acid/alkaline balance can improve our health (both for those wanting to lose weight and those wanting to perform at their athletic potential!).
 
Every food has the potential to either be an acid or alkaline creating food.  Acidity and alkalinity are measured in pH (potential of hydrogen).  The pH scale goes from 0-14, with 0 being the most acidic, and 14 the most alkaline.  Stomach acid pH is 1 (very acidic), water is 7 (neutral), venous blood is 7.35 and baking soda is very alkaline at 12.  Ideally, our pH should stay on the alkaline side:  between 7.35 and 7.45.  (Just so you know, Coke is a 2 on the pH scale, so just a teeny bit less acidic than your stomach acid!) Foods are classified as acid-forming or alkalizing depending on the effect they have on the body. An acid-forming food contributes hydrogen ions to the body, making it more acidic. An alkalizing food removes hydrogen ions from the body, making it more alkaline. The body continually strives to maintain a balanced pH. So, when this balance is compromised, many problems occur because a highly acidic pH forces the body to borrow minerals from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body.

Dr. Loren Cordain (author of the Paleo Diet) tells us:  "After digestion, all foods report to the kidneys as being either acidic or alkaline. The kidneys are responsible for fluid balance and maintaining a relatively neutral pH in the body."  When acid-yielding foods lower the body's pH, the kidneys coordinate efforts to buffer that acidity. Bones release calcium and magnesium to reestablish alkalinity, and muscles are broken down to produce ammonia, which is strongly alkaline.  By the time the response is all over, your bone minerals and broken down muscle get excreted in urine, and you are left with weaker bones and muscles.
 
The problem with most of us is that we are eating far too many foods that create an acidic environment inside our bodies. Imagine a container full of acid. What do you envision?  A healthy, life supporting, disease free, energy creating environment or do you see an environment that is diseased, corrupted, corrosive and destructive? The answer, just in case you were confused, is the diseased, corrosive, destructive one!  If you are creating a hostile environment inside your body by consuming foods that create a highly acidic environment in your body, how can you expect to have healthy cellular function, tissue regeneration, muscular repair, efficient fat burning capabilities and an overall healthy and vibrant body? You can't!
 
Acidosis (or too much acidity in your body) is one of the consequences of eating a highly acidic diet with little intake of alkalizing foods to balance your body's pH. 
 
Some of the more negative effects of acidosis are:
- Arthritic and rheumatic diseases.
- Weak bones and increased risk of osteoporosis.  Dr Michael Colgan, in his book "The New Nutrition," says  "Acidosis destroys bones, because the body has to steal alkalizing minerals from them to keep blood pH from dropping into the acid range."
- Heartburn
- Overweight and or increased risk of obesity
- Cardiovascular damage
- Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup
- Degenerative diseases
- Insomnia
- Water retention
- Depression
- Migraines
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- And how about...general, overall feeling of crappiness!
 
So, wanna know what foods you are eating that are most likely causing Acidosis?
- Sugar
- Soda Pop
- Fast Foods
- Refined flour and processed foods such as:  muffins, pasta, buns, bagels, pastries, breads
- Overcooked animal flesh, lunch meats (especially with all the chemicals in them), canned tuna.
- Coffee and alcohol
- Starchy carbs
- Most dairy products
 
Even as I was writing that list I was starting to feel discouraged and crappy cause we ALL eat some of the above listed foods! "Seriously", I am thinking to myself..."What the heck CAN we eat?" Well, guess what? A LOT!  It isn't that we can't eat any acidic foods. We need some of them (like certain nuts, quality carbs and dairy). We just want to maintain a nice healthy balance of about 70-80% alkaline foods and the other 20-30% of our food choices coming from the acidic foods (NOT the sugar, pop, and refined crap types of foods! Nice try, though!)

Remember, any of the acidifying foods are GOOD for us!  We just want to manage portion control to ensure they are in balance with the alkalizing foods that should take up about 70% of our daily nutritional calories! **DO NOT overcook your protein sources to ensure they are not denatured and destroyed**
 
Just do more of the following:
1)  More leafy greens
2)  More vegetables
3   More fresh fruits
4)  Lean protein (especially Whey Protein Isolate because it is highly bio-available)
5)  Lots and lots of pure, clean water
 
It really is that EASY! This is yet one more reason why I love the Green Protein Smoothie every day before noon,  so you have started your day with amazing nutrition that gives your body a ton of alkalizing benefits!

Below is a list of ALKALIZING AND ACIDIFYING FOODS:

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She s a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

Today’s topic is fat loading. Fat loading! Sounds like a dream come true! I envy the athlete who got to be in the research study for that one. When I first heard this my left brain immediately scoffed and dismissed it, but then my right brain said, “Hey David, fat is the primary source of fuel at lower intensities. Would this help for longer distance races?” So, I took a look at the research.

A 2003 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise took 11 athletes and had them take in a high fat diet of 53%, and the other group with a low fat diet of only 17% for 5 weeks. Glycogen content was slightly lower in the high fat athletes, but not considered statistically significant. VO2 max was not statistically different between the two groups. Cycling 20 minutes all out, followed by a half-marathon, showed no statistically significant performance decrease in the high fat diet.

Now, I’d like to point out that I am a firm believer in statistics and margin of error, and something being statistically significant or not statistically significant. But if you were to take the times of the top 5 finishers in a Olympic-distance triathlon, and their times are likely only separated by 1 minute or less, and run a statistical analysis on those 5 times, the result would be that there was no statistically significant difference in their times. But, the fact is 1 person was still faster than the other 4. A race director is not going to buy the argument that the second place guy was within the statistical margin of error, and should therefore share first place. So I’m not trying to dilute the importance of statistical analysis but in this study, VO2, glycogen stores, and performance were all just a bit higher in the low fat vs. high fat, although within the margin of error and so in the scientific world there was no difference between the two groups. Perhaps no benefit from fat loading but there was certainly no disadvantage in this study.

In another study from Australia looked at 7 cyclists that took in either a high carb or high fat diet for 6 days, the high fat diet taking in 4.5 times the amount of fat compared to the high carb diet. The researchers found that although there was no difference in performance, the high fat diet used more fat for fuel, which is exactly what you want to train your body to do, specifically for long-distance events.

Finally a 2003 study from the University of Otago in New Zealand seemed to indicate some possible benefit from fat loading on endurance racing. Again, 7 cyclists took in either high fat or high carb diets over a 14-day period followed by a 15 minute time trial and then a 100k (62 miles) time trial. There was a slight decrease in performance in the high fat group on the 15 minute time trial.  But in the 100k time trail, there was a slight increase in power and performance in the high fat group, although the researchers concluded that it was not statistically significant. As in the Australian study, fat was used more for fuel in the high fat group. The researchers concluded that although the main effects were not statistically significant, there was some evidence for enhanced ultra-endurance cycling performance relative to high-carbohydrate.

My opinion on this is that I am not qualified to have an opinion. Seriously, it tends to go against conventional nutrition strategy but convention has been challenged many times in sports physiology to prove what we thought was wrong. What I do know is that no study has shown any performance improvement in fat loading over short distances and only possible improvements over long distance. However, all the studies I looked at failed to tell me the effect on an athlete’s body composition from the fat loading. Did this increase their overall body fat? I can’t imagine that it would not have had some effect on body composition.

Remember that these tests were performed on stationary bikes, so although the performance gains may have been neutral to slight on a stationary bike, any weight gained would not affect the study. Whereas, when cycling outdoors, where you are forced to accelerate your own mass, a 2-pound gain from fat loading would in fact have a negative effect on your performance. I say the jury is still out on this one, there just isn’t enough conclusive proof to do it. If you do choose to try fat loading remember that in the two studies that showed possible benefit for long distance racing, fat loading only took place for the 6-14 days prior to the time trials. Don’t go out and perform a 6 month fat loading plan.

David Warden is a 3-time USAT All American and Elite Coach with Joe Friel's TrainingBible coaching. His work has been published in Triathlete and USA Triathlon Life magazines. He is the former Vice-Chair of the USAT Rocky Mountain Region, and the host and producer of the #1 triathlon podcast, Tri Talk and part owner of  www.powertri.com.

I read a terrific article the other day about calories and it made me realize that many of us don't really focus on the quality of our calories. First off, contrary to popular belief a calorie is NOT a calorie. What that means is that carbs, fats and protein calories are not equal because the body processes each in a distinct way, and these differences have a definite affect on weight management and health. Think about it, two different people eat 2000 calories a day:

Person #1 eats those calories in the form of no breakfast (cause they hate breakfast!), a small burger and fries for lunch with a diet Coke (cause there's no calories, so it must be good..right?) and a pint of Ben and Jerry's for dinner.

Person #2 eats those calories in the form of a protein smoothie with all the goods in it for breakfast (400 calories), an apple and small handful of almonds for a snack (250 calories), a flat bread wrap with turkey, spinach, cucumbers and mustard with a clementine for lunch (300 calories),  a yogurt with cottage cheese and kashi go lean cereal for another snack (350 calories), and tilapia fish with a big green salad, sweet potato, and grilled asparagus or brocolli for dinner (450 calories). Later that evening they want a small snack so they have a serving of edamame or a small protein smoothie (150 calories) and they go to bed feeling content, healthy and never hungry with a metabolism that has been fired up all day long and keeps working happily all night long as they sleep!
 

Same amount of calories for the 2 different people, but which one is going to be the leaner, lighter, healthier person? Easy answer! (and if you said person #1...we've got some problems!)

Here is how this breaks down:
#1 The energy cost to metabolize fat, carbs and protein is different.
Did you know it takes energy to digest, absorb and metabolize the energy in food? The body uses different amounts of energy to process different energy containing nutrients. It takes more energy (in general) to burn protein than carbs. And, it takes more energy to process carbs than fat! Don't get  me wrong, we need all three of these beneficial macronutrients, but we need to utilize them in the right manner.

#2 Calorie restriction SLOWS your metabolism.
So, if you think that just by cutting back on your caloric intake that you are going to lose weight, you are right at first. Then what happens is your body will metabolically adapt to your intake and your body will literally run cooler to conserve the reduced number of calories you are eating. Which means you are right back where you started, but hungrier!

There is an interesting study that involved elite female gymnasts and distance runners. The study found that those athletes who had inconsistent caloric intake in regards to their caloric needs tended to have more body fat and were less lean than the runners and gymnasts who timed their nutrient intake to supply their bodies with the necessary fuel to keep their metabolic rate healthy and muscle mass sufficient. It is also interesting to note that this study showed that even if these athletes took in the same number of calories, the athletes that distributed their calories most evenly throughout the day were those that were leanest and healthiest!

#3 Protein reduces appetite.
In general, protein will reduce your appetite more per calorie than fat and carbohydrate. Basically what this means is, if you just include more lean protein in your daily nutrition you will most likely eat less without even noticing because you will feel more full. Here are the results from a study conducted by the University of Washington School of Medicine:  "In a recent study from the University of Washington School of Medicine, 19 subjects were fed each of three diets sequentially. For two weeks they followed a weight-maintenance diet comprising 15 percent protein, 35 percent fat, and 50 percent carbohydrate. For the next two weeks they followed a high–protein diet of equal calories. The macronutrient breakdown of this diet was 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat, and 50 percent carbohydrate. Finally, the subjects switched to a high-protein diet with the same macronutrient breakdown but no calorie restriction—subjects were allowed to eat as much or as little as they pleased (or “ad libitum”). They stayed on this last diet for 12 weeks. "

The authors of the study reported that when subjects switched from the low-protein weight maintenance diet to the high-protein weight maintenance diet, they started feeling much fuller despite the fact that they were consuming the same number of calories. Even more significant, during the unrestricted high-protein diet phase, the subjects voluntarily reduced their daily eating by 441 calories per day and lost almost 11 pounds, including more than eight pounds of body fat, on average. They actually felt more full and yet, were eating less cause they weren't hungry. Oh yeah- and lost weight and more importantly, body fat!

#4 Eat your fiber.
Fiber is a form of Carbohydrate that contributes to feeling full without contributing calories, because it is not absorbed into the body. So, a calorie inside a high fiber food is not equal to a calorie inside a low-calorie food.
 

#5 Time your eating to affect calorie effectiveness.
Have you ever heard the term "thermic effect of Food" (TEF)?  It's basically just a fancy name for the energy used up as a result of digesting and absorbing food. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that TEF is higher in the morning than in the evening. We actually burn more calories in the morning! A Japanese study found that boxers eating six meals a day lowered their body fat percentage significantly more than boxers who ate exactly the same amount of calories in just two meals. This is a big deal for all you endurance athletes as well, because studies have also shown that people build more muscle and gain less body fat, or lose body fat, when they eat enough calories within 2 hours after exercise than when they do not, even if they eat the same number of calories over the course of a day!  So, get your postworkout protein smoothie in you quick. It will not only help you recover more effectively from your workout, but will also keep you leaner and lighter.
   
Make a conscious effort to incorporate these tips into your daily nutrition and you should notice a positive difference. Focus on quality of calories vs. just the amount, eat consistently throughout the day, keep the protein coming, eat your fiber, and eat your breakfast to  keep the fat off.  Oh- and as long as I have your attention, DRINK YOUR WATER!  96 oz. a day sure is a good number to shoot for. You can thank me later!

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She s a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

"As the seed is digested, it slowly releases the water providing a built-in, time-release hydration system."

For the running newbie, it can be quite overwhelming seeing fellow training buddies carrying what appears to be a utility belt equipped with a diverse line-up of nutritional tools. Well, fret no more. This article provides a platform for the ingredients recommended for optimal energy levels and peak performance during long runs.

Carbohydrate

101: Put simply, carbohydrates are sugars and starches that fuel our bodies much like gasoline fuels a racecar.  Each gram of carbohydrate contains ~4 calories worth of fuel.  Just like a racecar stores its fuel in a tank, the human body stores carbohydrates as glycogen in both our muscles and liver.  These glycogen reserves are relied upon to stabilize blood sugars and allow for optimal muscle function.  Runners who balance out their meal plates with 45-65% carbohydrate while meeting daily energy demands can expect to store about 2 grams (8 calories) of glycogen per pound of muscle tissue and an additional ~100-125 grams (400-500 calories) within the liver.  This amount of glycogen supplies the energy needed to run for ~2 hours at a moderate intensity, making addition of carbohydrates necessary during long run efforts to avoid depletion and consequent dizziness (aka “bonking”) and profound muscle fatigue (aka “the wall”).

How much? Aim for approximately 1/4 your body weight (lbs) in grams each hour of running.  For example, an 180-lb runner should aim for ~45 grams of carbohydrate each hour of running.

Providing ~15 grams of carbohydrate per 8 ounces, sports drinks like Gatorade  are the most common source of carbohydrate energy provided on race courses so if you are planning to use the aid stations on race day, be sure to practice with the race sports drink during training.  Also popular amongst runners are energy gels (Power Gel,  Clif Shot, Gu), providing ~25 grams carbohydrate per packet.  Newer to the running circuit are energy chews (Gu Chomps  , Luna Moons and Clif Shot Blocks , Powerbar Energy gel blasts, providing 15-25 grams per 3 chews.  If you prefer solid nutrition, energy bars like the original Powerbar provide 40 grams of carbohydrate. If you prefer an alternate to sports food, try bananas (25 grams per item), oranges (15 grams per item), packets of honey (~10 grams per packet), and pretzels (~25 grams per ounce).

Protein

101: Scientifically speaking, proteins are large, complex molecules that make up 20% of our body weight in the form of muscle, bone, cartilage, skin, as well as other tissues and body fluids.  During digestion, protein is broken down into at least 100 individual chemical building blocks known as amino acids that form a little pool within our liver and are used to build muscle, skin, hair, nails, eyes, hormones, enzymes, antibodies, and nerve chemicals.  Some research has found that inclusion of small amounts of protein during prolonged activity can help enhance performance by sparing muscle glycogen as well as aiding fluid uptake. Protein also can help mute hunger that arises during long run efforts.  Be careful about overdoing protein, however, as large amounts slow gastric emptying and can precipitate a ‘backlog’ of nutrients of gut and consequent stomach distress and muscle fatigue/cramping.

How much? If running longer than 4 hours, aim for up to 6 grams of protein hourly.

Runners consuming protein often do so in the form of sports drinks (Accelerade, Infinit Ironman Formula  , Hammer Sustained Energy ) and energy bars (Pure Fit  ). Beef and turkey jerky are also commonly used by ultra-runners as an alternate and easy-to-carry source of protein during long efforts.

Electrolytes

101: Replacement of electrolytes becomes instrumental in endurance bouts lasting longer than 1 hour, especially when running in hot and humid conditions.  The principle electrolytes include sodium (generally bound to chloride), potassium, magnesium, and calcium.  These electrolytes are involved in metabolic activities and are essential to the normal function of all cells, including muscle function.  An electrolyte imbalance has reported symptoms similar to dehydration:  nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, muscle cramping, muscle twitching, overall fatigue, labored breathing, “pins and needles”, and confusion.

How much? Aim for 200-500 mg of sodium hourly as well as smaller amounts of potassium, magnesium, and calcium.

Sports drinks generally provide 100-200 mg of sodium per 8 ounces, energy gels 25-200 mg sodium per packet, and energy chews 20-210 mg sodium per 3 pieces. Salt packets are often distributed on course and contain ~200 mg per packet.  Electrolyte capsules, generally providing 100-200 mg of sodium per capsule, are also available; samples include Salt Stick, Thermolytes and Endurolytes.

Water

 101: Because water serves as the medium for all metabolic activity, helps to lubricate our muscles and joints, and also keeps our core body temperature in check, failure to take in enough fluids during a long run can have a dramatic negative impact on both health and performance. Therefore, determination of sweat rate and consequent fluid demands is extremely important for runners.  Practice weighing in pre- and post-workout and drink fluids so that no more than 2% of your body weight is lost during runs.

 How much? Aim for ½-1 liter per hour or so that urine runs pale yellow.

 A standard bottle holds 20 ounces of fluid.  A standard flask generally holds 6-10 ounces. Camelbak offers solutions for carrying fluids during long runs when fountains and aid stations are not available to refill bottles or flasks.

Extra Credit Ingredient: Caffeine

A central nervous system stimulant, caffeine may help maintain blood glucose concentration and reduce power loss through its effects on the active musculature and nervous system that reduce fatigue and perceptions of effort, discomfort, and pain. Specific flavors of energy gels and chews are caffeinated at a dose of 25-50 mg pack.  It is important to experiment with personal tolerance to caffeine as some athletes do not respond favorably to caffeine with symptoms such as a racing heart beat, muscle twitching, stomach distress and anxiety serving as reason for avoidance.

Want more tips to help improve your run  performance?  Kim Mueller, MS, RD, CSSD, owner of Fuel Factor Nutrition Coaching (www.Fuel-Factor.com), is a Registered Dietitian & Board Certified Sports Nutritionist who provides nutrition coaching, race nutrition guidance, and customized meal and planning to active individuals worldwide. She is also an accomplished runner with a 2:56 marathon PR. Contact Kim at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .

As you begin a marathon training program, whether it be to help aid weight loss, improve overall fitness or as means to qualify for the Boston Marathon, the key to achieving optimal health and peak run performance is balancing smart physical training with proper nutrition.  Despite this fact, many runners concentrate solely on training, putting nutrition on the wayside, ultimately depriving themselves of a true peak performance and putting a damper on their whole marathon experience. In this article, I provide the inside scoop on how to avoid the most common nutritional mistakes made by both veteran and new marathoners.