Olympic Nutrition

The athletes in the Olympics are truly awe inspiring! It’s amazing what they can do with their bodies and their minds. I read a great article the other day from Tom Langton at Gabriele Fitness. He was discussing ‘What Michael Phelps’ can teach us. What stuck out to me was how Michael has adapted his routine and regimen as he has aged. So often, people think they can eat anything and ‘exercise away’ the excess calories. However, as we age, our bodies and metabolisms change, and that doesn’t necessarily work. One of my favorite sayings is: “You can’t exercise away a bad diet!”

Here’s the excerpt from Tom about how Michael Phelps adapted his diet:

“EAT CLEAN- You may remember around the time of the 2008 Games when “The Phelps Diet” was all over the headlines. It was reported that he was consuming over 12,000 calories a day. Including pizzas, pancakes and egg sandwiches. But as Michael has gotten older, that is no longer the case. He now eats about 1/3 of those calories and has focused on the QUALITY of his food, not the QUANTITY.

His meal plan now includes veggie omelettes & oatmeal for breakfast and lean meats, veggies and quality starches for his lunch and dinner. He realized that his metabolism is VERY DIFFERENT in his 30’s then it was as a 23 year old, even for an elite athlete. Some might argue that his body looks even leaner in the 2016 games than it did 8 or 12 years ago.”

This is great advice for all of us as we age. Focus on quality of the food and eat to fuel your body.

If you are ready to focus on the quality of your food, but not willing to give up on taste and enjoyment, I have a few suggestions.  One option is to try Zing Meals, my new gourmet, fully-prepared healthy meal delivery service in Summit with local pick-up in East Hanover. Our menu includes items like Cashew Crusted Chicken with wild rice and broccoli, Duck Breast with Thai chili, carrot puree and steamed string beans and Tiger Shrimp over quinoa/brown rice pasta with roasted vine ripe tomatoes. Meals are prepared from scratch, contain all wholesome, natural ingredients with no chemicals, preservatives or additives. Allergen friendly options are available – Gluten-free, Dairy-free, Nut-free, Soy-free, Paleo and more.

Another option is to incorporate more nutrient dense, whole foods – that taste delicious – into your regular routine…like this one: In the summer months, I love to have something cold and delicious that is healthy, but tastes sinful!

Here’s a scrumptious smoothie that tastes like a decadent dark chocolate milkshake?

It’s full of nutritious ingredients, including: Chia, Leafy Greens, Avocado, Raw Cacao Powder and Cinnamon.

• The chia and avocado provide amino acids (building blocks of proteins) and healthy fats;
• The leafy greens and raw cacao provide antioxidants to help prevent disease
• The cinnamon provides natural sweetness and helps manage blood sugar.

Check out the recipe for my: Decadent Chocolate Smoothie

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