primal eating

Inspired by the recent nutritional challenges of Elaine..... and my own history / shortcoming / obsession with nutrition issues and eating disorders..... accompanied by my health issues of 2008..... along with my break from Iron distance racing..... I decided that it has come time.

Nutrition can be tough, especially in our sport which demands that our bodies are fed properly and enough to perform at an optimal level. My history with an eating disorder plus some serious health issues this past season have really turned my attention to what I eat.

I am really fortunate to teach at a a yoga studio which also has a massive nutrition component. At Breathe I have been introduced to the concept of whole food nutrition, as Cyndi is one of the most knowledgeable people I have ever met in the Nutrition industry.

My biggest off-season project has been to revamp my nutrition and get myself to a leaner short course weight. My priority has been to reinstate my health and make sure I set the foundation to preserve my health. I have been through a few frightening health experiences this past season which is where this revamping business all came about.

I think nutrition is a lot like training..... you have to weed through a lot of bullshit.... you have to look at things as they fit you..... the individual person and then make changes from there.

By nature I am not a good vegetable and fruit eater. My palate was restricted to bananas, grapes, broccoli, cauliflower, all kinds of lettuce and sprinklings of other things. At Breathe I was introduced to Mango and now I make a really good, what I call Mango yogurt. It's really nothing more than pureed Mango. Love it. Throw a little cinnamon on it and call me happy.

I could eat very bland things and be really content with life. I could also gravitate towards anything sweet and be happy with that as well.

My two year multisport plan doesn't allow for that however. It turns out however that my two year multisport plan is also my two year Masters program. And yes, that is on purpose. How am I to survive this degree and come out of it intact and healthy and functioning? To be as healthy as I can possibly be.

And that brings us back to nutrition. October was about giving up the sweets. Not much of an issue there. November became about adding five fruits and vegetables per day.... and I am doing well. Thanks Elaine for these kick starts, because they have been awesome.

I am gravitating towards a completely primal eating lifestyle, and this will likely take some time. I am learning to cook (I married an amazing cook so I just..... never did). I am adding a new fruit and vegetable to my diet each weer, sometimes with success and sometimes without. And I am watching the scale. I am very happy with the results so far.

As I share my training with you for this season, I will also share my nutritional metamorphosis. To begin that here are a few great websites that detail some good nutrition habits. remember that nutrition, just like training, just like life, is highly individual.

Mark's Daily Apple

Modern Forager (this site is about repairing your metabolism after an eating disorder).

Home of the Glycemic Index

Paleolithic Diet