Going Sugar Free

As Americans, our diets are rampant with additives, hormones and chemicals that have affected our bodies in ways we are just beginning to understand. One way to control what goes in and out of your body is to cook everything yourself, from scratch, as much as possible. While the notion of 'cooking from scratch' indicates a level of expertise beyond most peoples grasp, this website has shown, I believe, that the image of the elderly woman covered in flour, sweating in the kitchen is anachronistic. The key to becoming master of your dietary destiny is to be aware and vigilant as to what you are eating.

Sugar is a naturally occurring substance, yet it a pervasive part of the obesity problem in this country. Sugar, in all its variant forms, is included in packaged foods that might not seem so obvious. Thus, experiment, for a week, a month, a day, to go without consuming sugar. Now, I will preface this by saying that I do not suggest you forgo the sugars that are natural in raw fruits or vegetables, but to eliminate sugar from the other parts of your diet. Salad dressings, yogurt, alcoholic beverages all include sugar. This experiment will not only cut calories and carbs, it will also test your dependency on sugar.

The key to this experiment is to carefully read labels and be aware of sugar's many names. This article in Delicious Living outlines not only the negative affects of sugar on the body, but also provides a list of not-so-obvious names that might appear on a label.

All this week I will be providing recipes and alternatives to packaged foods we rely on that contain sugar. The week before the Red Hills Triathlon I went sugar-free as an experiment and I felt stronger during our workouts and less hungry between meals. This might be the step that will move you from a dieting plateau or increase your potential as an athlete.

Pre-Event Nutrition

Optimize race performance by eating well the day before and the morning of your competition. Training time is over. Technical workouts are done. Relax, double-check your gear, trust your training, and concentrate on the event. One area you can focus on preparing is your food and water intake.

As the event approaches you need to taper the intake of unnecessary race nutrients such as fat, protein, and fiber. These are dead weight and not ready sources of fuel on race day. You need fuel from carbohydrates stored properly in your liver and muscles in the form of glycogen. This can be done by replacing protein and fat blocks with low-glycemic index carbs the day before event. See below for suggested intake based on a Saturday event.

Thursday –

• Start drinking more water in order to hydrate at a cellular level (sip throughout the day, not large volumes at once)
• Small increase of salt intake with meals
• Substitute one protein block with a carb at each meal

Example: chicken breast (lean), sweet potato, tomatoes, little olive oil/butter


Friday –

• Keep hydrating as described before
• Limit your fat blocks to about half normal
• Substitute an additional protein block with a low fiber carb

Example: chicken breast (lean), sweet potato, tomatoes, very little olive oil/butter


Friday night –

• Maintain slow, steady hydration
• Maintain small additional salt
• Almost all carbs (mixture low/high glycemic index)
• Very little fat, protein, fiber (limit to one block of each, NO TVP)

Example: 1 block lean chicken, white pasta (not whole grain), small amount of spinach, sweet potatoes

Saturday morning –

• All carbs at this meal, no fiber or fat, and very little protein (use powder)
  
• Slow fluid intake. Stop hydrating two hours before the race, then consume 6-8 ounces just before the horn sounds (this minimizes the need for mid-event bio breaks)
  

Example: oatmeal, banana, white bagel, Boost, Ensure (not all of these, just a couple)
***Consume this meal two to four hours before your event in order to properly digest. The closer to event, the smaller the meal should be. Do not overload or get too hungry.

Additional suggestions:

• Bring a small item with you in case of hunger before event start such as banana or Ensure
• Nothing new on race day!!! If you have never eaten TVP, do not start the night before
• Try to complete bodily functions before leaving your house (another reason to get up early)
• If you are accustomed to it, use a small amount of coffee as an intestinal motivator… not for energy
• Relax and enjoy those pre-race feelings!