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WHAT TO EAT BEFORE RUNNING A HALF MARATHON OK I should go to sleep but thought I should do a quickie blog post on what to eat before running a half marathon or marathon! So here’s basically what I did: 1 week before: It’s carb loading time! Make 50-60% of your meal carbs. But not refined carbs of course. This period is used to stock up your energy stores TO THE MAX! I like whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies with carbs. You don’t have to eat pasta like a mad woman. But it’s ok if you do. Also, drink lots of fluids. Stay hydrated. My fave carbalicious foods are oatmeal, sweet potatoes, bananas and ezekiel bread. Love bananas with peanut butter on ezekiel toast! Mmmm. Steamed sweet potatoes are also the best with some plain greek yogurt and salsa on top. A couple days before:  Start hydrating like super crazy! Well, I mean you should have been already, but if you haven’t, now’s the time to really get those fluids in your system. Try not to drink alcohol because it dehydrates you. Also avoid high fiber foods or dairy items that may give you an upset stomach or extreme bloating for race day. Stick with foods you know that can make you feel good. 1 day before: By this time, your glycogen stores should be in good shape! Lots of high quality carbs all ready to be burned on race day. My last meal is not too heavy but includes lots of carbs and very little fat. Of course no alchohol and get to bed early. Good night! :) Nike Women’s Half Marathon tomorrow. Cassey

WHAT TO EAT BEFORE RUNNING A HALF MARATHON

OK I should go to sleep but thought I should do a quickie blog post on what to eat before running a half marathon or marathon! So here’s basically what I did:

1 week before:

It’s carb loading time! Make 50-60% of your meal carbs. But not refined carbs of course. This period is used to stock up your energy stores TO THE MAX! I like whole grains, fresh fruits and veggies with carbs. You don’t have to eat pasta like a mad woman. But it’s ok if you do. Also, drink lots of fluids. Stay hydrated.

My fave carbalicious foods are oatmeal, sweet potatoes, bananas and ezekiel bread. Love bananas with peanut butter on ezekiel toast! Mmmm. Steamed sweet potatoes are also the best with some plain greek yogurt and salsa on top.

A couple days before:

 Start hydrating like super crazy! Well, I mean you should have been already, but if you haven’t, now’s the time to really get those fluids in your system. Try not to drink alcohol because it dehydrates you. Also avoid high fiber foods or dairy items that may give you an upset stomach or extreme bloating for race day. Stick with foods you know that can make you feel good.

1 day before:

By this time, your glycogen stores should be in good shape! Lots of high quality carbs all ready to be burned on race day. My last meal is not too heavy but includes lots of carbs and very little fat. Of course no alchohol and get to bed early.

Good night! :) Nike Women’s Half Marathon tomorrow.

Cassey

HOW TO EAT LESS: Exercise first. Eat later. I was browsing around last night and found an interesting flat belly article that I want to share with you guys. According to Fitbie on MSN, “Research suggests that the best way to eat less at a meal is to work out right before it.” I thought about it for a sec. You know what? This is true. Very very true. I always feel like I don’t have to each very much after a workout. The author of the article goes on to say, ”This works in several ways: First, you’re less hungry when your metabolism is revving, such as right after a workout. Second, you’re thirstier, so you drink more water, which uses up space in your belly and relieves hunger. Third, the calories you do eat get burned for energy pronto—not stored as fat.” YES, YES, and YES. I notice that when I am around the house doing nothing I tend to be ravenous all the time. Maybe it is because my mouth is bored. But after a good workout, all I want are fruits and water. Especially in the summer! Isn’t it lovely how one good thing leads to another? Perfect cycle. Perfect circle. For those of you looking for a way to consume less calories and be less hungry on your weight loss journey, this is a good tip. However, I want you to know that you should NOT skip eating all together after a workout. In fact, eating within 30-60 min after a workout is one of the MOST important things you can do as an exerciser.During this window, nutrient absorption is high! If you want to build muscle, burn fat, and prevent muscle loss, you must take this seriously!!! According to SparkPeople, you’ll want to have about 4:1, carbs:protein. The carbs are used to replace muscle fuel, known as glycogen, which is used to prepare you for your next workout. Remember, stay away from refined carbs like white bread and white rice! These carbs can be fruit carbs, whole grain carbs, vegetable carbs etc. Your protein, whether it comes from a powder or a chicken breast, is needed to stop your body from breaking down muscle tissue for energy. THIS IS BAD. You never want to break down muscle for energy! You want to break down fat for energy! So eat your protein!! Some bodybuilders do a 2:1 ratio. But it depends on how you feel the next day for your workout. Are you energetic? or super cranky and low energy? If cranky, maybe do a little bit more carb-ing :) Get to know your body. How do you guys feel after a workout? Are you hungry? Do you eat everything in sight? Or do you feel like you don’t have much of an appetite? Resources: http://fitbie.msn.com/get-fit/quick-tips-lean-abs http://www.sparkpeople.com/resource/nutrition_articles.asp?id=1082&page=3 (via How to eat less: exercise, then eat?)

HOW TO EAT LESS: Exercise first. Eat later.

I was browsing around last night and found an interesting flat belly article that I want to share with you guys. According to Fitbie on MSN, “Research suggests that the best way to eat less at a meal is to work out right before it.”

I thought about it for a sec.

You know what? This is true. Very very true. I always feel like I don’t have to each very much after a workout. The author of the article goes on to say, ”This works in several ways: First, you’re less hungry when your metabolism is revving, such as right after a workout. Second, you’re thirstier, so you drink more water, which uses up space in your belly and relieves hunger. Third, the calories you do eat get burned for energy pronto—not stored as fat.”

YES, YES, and YES.

I notice that when I am around the house doing nothing I tend to be ravenous all the time. Maybe it is because my mouth is bored. But after a good workout, all I want are fruits and water. Especially in the summer! Isn’t it lovely how one good thing leads to another? Perfect cycle. Perfect circle.

For those of you looking for a way to consume less calories and be less hungry on your weight loss journey, this is a good tip. However, I want you to know that you should NOT skip eating all together after a workout. In fact, eating within 30-60 min after a workout is one of the MOST important things you can do as an exerciser.During this window, nutrient absorption is high! If you want to build muscle, burn fat, and prevent muscle loss, you must take this seriously!!!

According to SparkPeople, you’ll want to have about 4:1, carbs:protein. The carbs are used to replace muscle fuel, known as glycogen, which is used to prepare you for your next workout. Remember, stay away from refined carbs like white bread and white rice! These carbs can be fruit carbs, whole grain carbs, vegetable carbs etc. Your protein, whether it comes from a powder or a chicken breast, is needed to stop your body from breaking down muscle tissue for energy. THIS IS BAD. You never want to break down muscle for energy! You want to break down fat for energy! So eat your protein!!

Some bodybuilders do a 2:1 ratio. But it depends on how you feel the next day for your workout. Are you energetic? or super cranky and low energy? If cranky, maybe do a little bit more carb-ing :) Get to know your body.

How do you guys feel after a workout? Are you hungry? Do you eat everything in sight? Or do you feel like you don’t have much of an appetite?

Resources:

(via How to eat less: exercise, then eat?)

Did you know that cucumbers are 95% water? That’s slightly higher than watermelon and iceberg lettuce! One 8” cuke is 45 cals, 0g fat, 11g carbs, 2g protein, and 2g fiber. Source: Men’s Health, Big Book of Food & Nutrition Photo: gardensnob.com

Did you know that cucumbers are 95% water? That’s slightly higher than watermelon and iceberg lettuce! One 8” cuke is 45 cals, 0g fat, 11g carbs, 2g protein, and 2g fiber.

Source: Men’s Health, Big Book of Food & Nutrition

Photo: gardensnob.com

Happy Saturday! For those of you that do P90x or are familiar with any of those BeachBody programs, you’ve probably heard of Michi’s Ladder. I actually didn’t learn about this until today when I was researching info for the meal plan I will be creating. (Sign up for the newsletter if you want me to email you a copy!) So what is Michi’s Ladder? Direct from the BeachBody site: “Michi’s Ladder is a simple guideline that goes from the healthiest, most fitness-friendly foods (which you should eat most frequently) to the least-healthy, most body-depleting foods (which you should only have as occasional treats, if at all). If you’re wondering whether or not to eat a certain food, this list will help you decide.” Great! This will be a very useful guideline as I look to find favorite foods and substitutions for my meal plan. It looks like I am already only eating from tiers 1 and 2 which is a great sign. Except…whole eggs falls in tier 3! They are not bad for you  - in fact they are a great source of choline which helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Nutritionists today have also found that eating 1-2 whole eggs a day will not lead to a measurable rise in cholesterol as previously believed. But anyway, I suppose for those seriously looking to lose weight replacing whole eggs with egg whites will help you cut calories in the end. A 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat meal plan seems to be what a well balanced diet looks like. This is what I’m getting from fitness competitor, BeachBody coach, and weight loss blogs. Of course, this is different for everyone. I must do more research and figure out what works for me. Overall, I don’t think we need to go super crazy here counting carbs, fats, and proteins (unless you’re a fitness competitor!). A healthy meal plan is a guideline to help us stay focused or stay on track. If you’re already eating clean and love how you feel/look you probably don’t need one because you are accustomed to making the right choices. But for those of you that workout, and “think” you’re eating well but are gaining weight, chances are you’re messing up on your diet. Meal plans are GREAT for keeping us AWAY for those bad food choices that can happen more often than we think. And from excessive and mindless caloric intake. Hope you liked, stay tuned for more research I find! Cassey SOURCES: http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-eggs.html http://faq.teambeachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1037/~/what-is-michi’s-ladder%3F

Happy Saturday!

For those of you that do P90x or are familiar with any of those BeachBody programs, you’ve probably heard of Michi’s Ladder. I actually didn’t learn about this until today when I was researching info for the meal plan I will be creating. (Sign up for the newsletter if you want me to email you a copy!)

So what is Michi’s Ladder? Direct from the BeachBody site:

“Michi’s Ladder is a simple guideline that goes from the healthiest, most fitness-friendly foods (which you should eat most frequently) to the least-healthy, most body-depleting foods (which you should only have as occasional treats, if at all). If you’re wondering whether or not to eat a certain food, this list will help you decide.”

Great! This will be a very useful guideline as I look to find favorite foods and substitutions for my meal plan. It looks like I am already only eating from tiers 1 and 2 which is a great sign. Except…whole eggs falls in tier 3! They are not bad for you  - in fact they are a great source of choline which helps regulate the brain, nervous system, and cardiovascular system. Nutritionists today have also found that eating 1-2 whole eggs a day will not lead to a measurable rise in cholesterol as previously believed. But anyway, I suppose for those seriously looking to lose weight replacing whole eggs with egg whites will help you cut calories in the end.

A 40% carb, 30% protein and 30% fat meal plan seems to be what a well balanced diet looks like. This is what I’m getting from fitness competitor, BeachBody coach, and weight loss blogs. Of course, this is different for everyone. I must do more research and figure out what works for me.

Overall, I don’t think we need to go super crazy here counting carbs, fats, and proteins (unless you’re a fitness competitor!). A healthy meal plan is a guideline to help us stay focused or stay on track. If you’re already eating clean and love how you feel/look you probably don’t need one because you are accustomed to making the right choices. But for those of you that workout, and “think” you’re eating well but are gaining weight, chances are you’re messing up on your diet. Meal plans are GREAT for keeping us AWAY for those bad food choices that can happen more often than we think. And from excessive and mindless caloric intake.

Hope you liked, stay tuned for more research I find!

Cassey

SOURCES:

http://www.healthdiaries.com/eatthis/10-health-benefits-of-eggs.html

http://faq.teambeachbody.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1037/~/what-is-michi’s-ladder%3F

“In a week, green beans lose 77% of their vitamin c, spinach loses 50% of it’s folate, and prechopped cantaloupe, mango, and strawberry pieces lose 10-15% of carotenoids, such as beta carotene and vitamin a.”

Cooking Light July 2011
Substitutions and Training your Taste Palette This is what I had for lunch at Roll & Rye in Culver City, CA. I never thought of subbing potato salad with cottage cheese but it worked. I don’t know why the peach was there - added some sweetness I suppose. Since becoming such a health food freak, I’ve learned to like a lot of weird combos. I’ve also been able to turn a “tolerance” for healthy foods into an addiction for healthy foods. It takes a while to train your taste palette to become accustomed to missing certain foods but it is possible. Slowly begin diminishing the amount of say for instance, salt, in your meals and before you realize it, you won’t need it anymore. Same thing with becoming vegetarian. Slowly omit the meat and you won’t feel like you have to eat it. I never put salt on my food and I stay away from indulgent sauces as much as possible. I also don’t sweeten my oatmeal anymore, a warm banana provides enough sweetness! Eating with less condiments makes me savor my food more, and with every bite I think about the subtle but intricate tastes. It’s thoughtful eating. One of the easiest substitutions you can try is subbing salsa for ketchup. Another I recently discovered was squeezing fresh lemon juice on things like sushi instead of using soy sauce. Need butter? Try avocado. Enjoy! What are some of your creative substitutions?

Substitutions and Training your Taste Palette

This is what I had for lunch at Roll & Rye in Culver City, CA. I never thought of subbing potato salad with cottage cheese but it worked. I don’t know why the peach was there - added some sweetness I suppose.

Since becoming such a health food freak, I’ve learned to like a lot of weird combos. I’ve also been able to turn a “tolerance” for healthy foods into an addiction for healthy foods.

It takes a while to train your taste palette to become accustomed to missing certain foods but it is possible. Slowly begin diminishing the amount of say for instance, salt, in your meals and before you realize it, you won’t need it anymore. Same thing with becoming vegetarian. Slowly omit the meat and you won’t feel like you have to eat it.

I never put salt on my food and I stay away from indulgent sauces as much as possible. I also don’t sweeten my oatmeal anymore, a warm banana provides enough sweetness! Eating with less condiments makes me savor my food more, and with every bite I think about the subtle but intricate tastes. It’s thoughtful eating.

One of the easiest substitutions you can try is subbing salsa for ketchup. Another I recently discovered was squeezing fresh lemon juice on things like sushi instead of using soy sauce. Need butter? Try avocado.

Enjoy! What are some of your creative substitutions?

Berrylicious Microwave Minute Muffin Take a little less than a quarter cup of quick oats, 1 egg, a small handful of blueberries, and some brown sugar or Stevia if you like things sweet, and mix it all up in a coffee mug. If you want your muffin a little moist a tablespoon of plain soymilk or almond milk will do it. Then place in the microwave for 1 min. Watch it carefully! This could overflow! If the muffin top does not look firm, place back in 30 sec at a time. Once ready, flip mug upside down onto a plate and slice some fresh strawberries to decorate. Super yummy! I served this to my sister and she was so impressed with my quick healthy cooking skills. Try it! Let me know what ingredients you end up using! There’s a lot of room for creativity.

Berrylicious Microwave Minute Muffin

Take a little less than a quarter cup of quick oats, 1 egg, a small handful of blueberries, and some brown sugar or Stevia if you like things sweet, and mix it all up in a coffee mug. If you want your muffin a little moist a tablespoon of plain soymilk or almond milk will do it.

Then place in the microwave for 1 min. Watch it carefully! This could overflow!

If the muffin top does not look firm, place back in 30 sec at a time.

Once ready, flip mug upside down onto a plate and slice some fresh strawberries to decorate.

Super yummy! I served this to my sister and she was so impressed with my quick healthy cooking skills. Try it! Let me know what ingredients you end up using! There’s a lot of room for creativity.

Enoki Mushroom Scramble w/ Mock Abalone

This was absolutely delish. If you’ve never tried enoki mushrooms, you must, they are super chewy and noodle like. I am actually going to experiment and try making a sort-of spaghetti with them one of these days. You can get enoki mushrooms at an asian food store for 50 cents a pack.

INGREDIENTS:

- For the scramble you will need 1/2 cup of frozen chopped spinach, 2 eggs, 1 pack enoki mushrooms.

- 1 can of vegetarian mock abalone - this is actually wheat gluten or seitan

(This will make 3 servings)

DIRECTIONS:

1. Pour out the oil/juice in the mock abalone can and just heat up the gluten pieces in a bowl. This eliminates extra calories.

2. Separate the enoki mushrooms so that they are not all strung together at the roots. You should cut off the bottom and just use your fingers to separate them.

3. Once they are like noodles. sautee them in a pan for a few minutes with a little EVOO.

4. While the mushrooms are getting tender, mix the chopped spinach and eggs in a bowl.

5. Pour the egg mixture over the mushrooms and scramble for a minute or two.

6. Now put the mock abalone and some scramble on a plate and your dinner is done. So easy.

Did you know that a WHOLE cantaloupe is only 188 calories? And has 1g fat, 45g carbs, 5g fiber, and 5g protein. Okay, it’s made of 43g of sugar but consider that a small 6oz container of Original Strawberry Yoplait Yogurt has 170 cals, 1.5g fat, 33g carbs, 27g sugar and 5g protein. I can EASILY down a couple yogurts but would never be able to finish a whole melon on my own. What a perfect post workout snack! Love it!!! Information from caloriecount.com and was measured for a medium 5” diameter melon.

Did you know that a WHOLE cantaloupe is only 188 calories?

And has 1g fat, 45g carbs, 5g fiber, and 5g protein.

Okay, it’s made of 43g of sugar but consider that a small 6oz container of Original Strawberry Yoplait Yogurt has 170 cals, 1.5g fat, 33g carbs, 27g sugar and 5g protein. I can EASILY down a couple yogurts but would never be able to finish a whole melon on my own.

What a perfect post workout snack! Love it!!!

Information from caloriecount.com and was measured for a medium 5” diameter melon.

Here are 4 super easy ways to control your portions while feeling full on less calories. Simple tips for healthy and effective dieting if you’re looking to lose weight. Just want to say this really quickly…I don’t want you to get the impression that this blog is all about losing weight, because it is not. I’m here to share with you my thoughts and advice for living healthfully in all aspects of food, fitness, and spirit. Let me know if you feel like I am going overboard in any one direction. I am a BIG advocate for eating well and working out hard. Your body needs nutrients to fuel a crazy workout. This is how we build strength. So when that chart above says “eat on a smaller plate” and “drink more water to feel fuller” I want you to understand that these are simply just tips for those who need help getting a handle on their dieting - it is not a guide on how to deprive yourself of food, ok? Alrighty, reblog, print, and share if you find this helpful! <3 Cassey

Here are 4 super easy ways to control your portions while feeling full on less calories. Simple tips for healthy and effective dieting if you’re looking to lose weight.

Just want to say this really quickly…I don’t want you to get the impression that this blog is all about losing weight, because it is not. I’m here to share with you my thoughts and advice for living healthfully in all aspects of food, fitness, and spirit. Let me know if you feel like I am going overboard in any one direction.

I am a BIG advocate for eating well and working out hard. Your body needs nutrients to fuel a crazy workout. This is how we build strength. So when that chart above says “eat on a smaller plate” and “drink more water to feel fuller” I want you to understand that these are simply just tips for those who need help getting a handle on their dieting - it is not a guide on how to deprive yourself of food, ok?

Alrighty, reblog, print, and share if you find this helpful!

<3 Cassey

Scientific Reasons why you may be Eating More

Have you ever been amazed at how much you can eat? I constantly stun myself.

I am not a very big person, I’m an 5’5” and 118 lbs, but my appetite rivals that of Adam Richman on Man vs. Food or those guys on Epic Meal Time on YouTube. (Love those shows! I have a fatty residing within.) I know. You guys don’t believe me. No one does. But I’ve even had people say to me, “Wow for such a tiny person you sure can eat a lot.” It is embarrassing how much I can stuff into my body, but my appetite is just overwhelmingly ginormous sometimes. Have you ever been told that?

I don’t know whether I should blame it on my crazy workouts, my inner fatty, or my sheer attraction to all things food, but I definitely think my appetite needs a second look! So I took some time to do a little research on why my eyes may be bigger than my stomach.

Here are the top SCIENTIFIC reasons why you may be eating more, from TIME Magazine:

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What Food to Eat to Burn the Most Calories! This is called the &#8220;Thermic Effect&#8221; which is the amount of energy you use to digest, absorb, and eliminate the food you ingest. It&#8217;s like how much you pay to eat. One of the only times I am more than willing to pay for something :) Types of Food &amp; Energy Amounts Needed to Process Fats have a thermic effect of about 3% Fibrous vegetables and fruit have a thermic effect of about 20% Proteins have a thermic effect of about 30% In general, your body will use 10% of the calories you consume to process the foods you eat. So if you eat a 100 calorie snack, you&#8217;ll really only be consuming 90 cals as 10 went to digesting it. But if you took down a pure protein shake or 100 cal piece of chicken breast, you would only be consuming 70 cals as 30 went to digestion! Cool huh? Just keep in mind that if you want to up your protein intake that you still stay within your daily caloric range for weight maintenance or loss. Don&#8217;t just eat more protein on top of what you&#8217;re already doing. Replace. Now you can see why I love my protein and steamed veggies! Reference: http://www.livestrong.com/article/320370-how-many-calories-does-digestion-use-up/

What Food to Eat to Burn the Most Calories!

This is called the “Thermic Effect” which is the amount of energy you use to digest, absorb, and eliminate the food you ingest. It’s like how much you pay to eat. One of the only times I am more than willing to pay for something :)

Types of Food & Energy Amounts Needed to Process

  • Fats have a thermic effect of about 3%
  • Fibrous vegetables and fruit have a thermic effect of about 20%
  • Proteins have a thermic effect of about 30%

In general, your body will use 10% of the calories you consume to process the foods you eat. So if you eat a 100 calorie snack, you’ll really only be consuming 90 cals as 10 went to digesting it. But if you took down a pure protein shake or 100 cal piece of chicken breast, you would only be consuming 70 cals as 30 went to digestion! Cool huh?

Just keep in mind that if you want to up your protein intake that you still stay within your daily caloric range for weight maintenance or loss. Don’t just eat more protein on top of what you’re already doing. Replace.

Now you can see why I love my protein and steamed veggies!

Reference: http://www.livestrong.com/article/320370-how-many-calories-does-digestion-use-up/

Is Eating Breakfast Important for Losing Weight?

After I posted a update on my facebook fan page about being so full that I had to skip breakfast, I got quite a debate going on there. Got people saying:

“I thought breakfast was the most important meal of the day”

“Breakfast helps you lose weight”

“You should never skip breakfast because it slows down your metabolism”

And we got people on the other side saying:

“Drinking water in the morning can rev up your metabolism too”

“Working out before eating can help you burn more fat:

“Listen to you body, if it needs food, it will ask for it”

Thanks to everyone that gave their opinion as I have been seriously researching all week and this morning to bring you the latest studies and expert advice on the matter.

So, does eating breakfast help you lose weight?

THE ANSWER: 

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