Nell Stephenson's Blog, page 79

How Can I Get ProBiotics If I’m Not Doing Dairy?

I am often asked my opinion on whether or not I recommend taking probiotics.

I don’t have a blanket suggestion; there are times when I think they’re indicated, and other times when they may be unnecessary.

Generally speaking, I am a fan of getting everything we need from food and not having to take pills, potions and powders.  

However, there are exceptions.  

I think we can all benefit from taking a high quality fish oil, as one example, and yes, probiotics also come into the picture as another, under certain situations.

A few years back, I had an ear infection from swimming and took a five day course of antibiotics.  My naturopath recommended a full month of a 50 Billion/tablet probiotic for every day of Cipro I took.  Yes, this is how potent these drugs are.

When we have to take an antibiotic for something legitimate, like an actual infection (as compared to the model in which people go to their doc with a case of the flu and somehow end up taking meds.  Don’t get that, but that’s material for another blog), taking a probiotic is definitely a good idea.

Also, if we’re healing from leaky gut, as many, if not all of us probably are, to some degree, this is another situation where it would help.

However, if you’ve been Paleo for quite a while and all indications show that you’re in optimal health, you may not need to take probiotics as part and parcel of your daily regime.  

If you do feel you need to take them, don’t feel you have to deviate from Paleo to go to a dairy-based source like yogurt or kefir.

There are tablets one can take which are not dairy or soy based, and don’t require you to do anything other than swallow a pill, rich in anywhere from 50- 80 billion units per tablet.

Of course, this is only part of the picture.

Your diet should be uber alkaline, rich in leafy greens, good fats and wild proteins and low in all sugars, including fruit and ideally, devoid in all these new “pseudo Paleo but not really Paleo” products, treats and recipes for slightly less offensive than the standard American diet foods like “paleo pancakes or breads”.

Keep to True Paleo and let your body heal!

 

Vinegar?

No, vinegar is not part of the Paleo diet.

I just received an inquiry the other day from someone who’d purchased one of my download plans, asking why there was no vinegar on it.

So what’s the deal with vinegar?

A few things:

The Paleo diet is an anti inflammatory way of eating, using a net alkaline food plan.  Vinegar is acetic acid, so not conducive of promoting a basic pH.
Vinegar contains yeast.   Yeast is not something we want to intentionally put into our bodies, especially since many people are working to get over a yeast overgrowth condition in their gut.  (So how is the occasional glass of wine ok, then?  The amount of yeast that remains in the final product after the wine making process is very, very small compared to vinegar.  However, those with yeast in their gut would likely still want to avoid wine.)
Paleolithic people didn’t likely ferment their food; the idea is to base what we eat on the food groups they consumed.

But what about cider vinegar?  Hasn’t it got tons of health benefits?

Yes, there are many studies that indicate cider vinegar may be helpful with certain health issues; that still doesn’t mean it’s Paleo.  Just like plain kombucha, which also has studies showing it to be a helpful part of dealing with various health problems; one might choose to add a little splash of vinegar to their salad dressing or drink a kombucha as a source of probiotics after taking a course of penicillin to treat an ear infection, for example, but again, that does not mean those two foods are Paleo.

There are far worse things one might integrate into their diet that are not Paleo, and I’d be far less worried if a client told me they’d used balsamic on their salad along with olive oil compared to if they told me they’d eaten bread and and butter before dinner.

Just stating the facts here!

It’s quite important to me to continue to promote True Paleo, less the lines become more and more blurred with all the new cookbooks, blogs and books popping up out of the woodwork that do not.

Recovering…From a Red Eye

Just got home from Hawaii early this morning.   There aren’t a lot of choices if one wants a non stop flight from the big island to LA, so we opted for the red eye.

I can honestly say I feel more worked and sore from that than I do from the race itself!

It’s not like a journey to Europe where you have a sleeper seat.  Nope, no matter how much leg room you may have, or how little, it’s simply a very uncomfortable experience, often resulting in very, very minimal, if any sleep.

We arrived at about 5:30 this morning, headed home, showered and straight to bed for at least a little bit of sleep.

How does one recover?

Not by drinking copious amounts of coffee and sugary breakfast foods, even though the lack of sleep can easily skew one’s judgement and make that seem like an option at the time.

Ultimately, you’re just going to have to catch up on the sleep you missed, but in the interim, just to get through that day, following are a few things that might help.

Before the flight itself, don’t make the mistake of drinking two, three or four alcoholic beverages, thinking it will ‘relax you into a stupor’.  Don’t confuse passing out from booze with falling asleep.  Even though you may, in fact, fall asleep, it’s poor quality; even poorer than what you’d get because you’re on the plane anyway!
Try to make the best of a not so great situation.  Wear an eye mask to block out the light and listen to white noise using good quality headset.
Ask for some extra pillows to at least make an attempt to keep your body in the least assaulting position possible on those extremely un-ergonomic airline seats.
Hydrate really well and if you can’t sleep, get up often to stretch and walk a little.
As far as ‘taking something’; be careful here, too.  Even natural supplements can sometimes have ill effects. I find that when I’ve tried melatonin, I wake quite groggy.
When you arrive, if you are hungry, go for protein and fat, not sugar and caffeine.  If you’re not, keep downing the water and get home.
If you’re heading straight to a meeting, keep the theme of eating properly and staying hydrated all day and do your best to get an early night that evening.
Add even more fresh leafy greens and good fats to help your immune system stay strong after the lack of sleep will likely compromise it, at least a little.
Get some motion in!  Even walking will help work out the kinks from the stuffy cabin and excessive sitting.

It’s not fun, it’s not comfortable but if we make the best choices around an uncomfortable journey, at least we can get over it more quickly!

My Stomach Is Killing Me…

Said a friend and fellow athlete who was racing here at the weekend.

I asked what he’d been eating and he said nothing out of the norm… with the exception of eating one of the ‘energy bars’ provided in the athlete goodie bag when he found himself out and about with no healthy options and decided to eat that in a pinch.

Big mistake.

I looked at the ingredients in on the label on the bar in my own goodie bag to confirm what I suspected and, sure enough, there it was:  maltitol was one of the first few ingredients.

A low calorie sugar alcohol used in many a ‘low carb’ product; also clinically used as a laxative and for many, causes bloating, gas and other equally unpleasant symptoms.

Didn’t help that the bar also contained soy, whey and a host of other unidentifiable items.

Just what any athlete wants to eat as a snack or during a training session, right?

Puh-lease!

Buyer beware!  Or, shall I say, athlete beware?  If you can’t identify it as a food, avoid it.  I can’t think of any time when it’s worth the risk.  

It’s All Part of the Game

The conditions couldn’t have been better yesterday, here in Kona for the Ironman World Championships. 

Madame Pele, the Goddess of Fire,  granted us with calm seas, minimal winds (save the last stretch along the Queen K!), low temps and overcast skies.

There are no complaints to be made about yesterday being too windy or too hot.  

Nothing even came close to having that ‘tempting fate feel’ that I’ve experienced in some years racing Ironman here, where you can actually see the heat rising from the asphalt and the air is so thick and heavy it’s as though there’s some force pushing against you.

Despite that, yesterday’s race, for me, was the toughest Ironman I’ve completed.

In early August, I had a very minor injury; I pulled a muscle in my back that set it into spasm for about six weeks.   I could barely run and could only ride upright on the trainer.  

Let me stop here for a moment and add that I do not, for one second, intend for this to come across as a pity piece, as a pulled muscle in one’s back is nothing compared to serious obstacles that others sustain and overcome and still complete this race.  I must add mention of it, though, if for nothing more than to give perspective of what was going on my mind.

What should have been two months of big volume rides and runs for August and September, along with fine tuning speed sessions and high wattage intervals amounted to what felt like nothing more than what I might do during the off season to keep fit- a spin here, a trail run there; certainly no speed or intensity.

While my minor back issue subsided slowly but surely, the seed of doubt in my mind began to flourish. I was still confident in my ability to complete the race, but what was significantly marred was my confidence in the run, which is my love, my passion and my strength.

In any given triathlon, while I do my best to stay in the moment, or even in the second, I’m always looking forward to the run.

Yesterday, however, I was dreading it.

Having only gotten up to  a single 14-miler about three weeks ago, I was far from having the volume to  be at my best for the big show.

I was horrified to find myself thinking about whether or not I’d have to walk, or even, I’ll admit, DNF.  

At the very worst, I even thought about not racing.  

I soon realized, though, that ‘not starting’ was not an option. It would simply not be fair.  Not fair to myself for not trying, and not fair to many other people who would have taken the slot to race here.  Further, I thought about how I couldn’t rationally expect that every single race would be a strong performance.  Everyone has a tough day, I thought.   Then, I began to spin it around and entertain the idea that perhaps I’d actually have an even better race, being that I’d go in much fresher and rested than normal.

During the days leading up to the race, while I did have little bits of pre-race jitters here and there, I actually felt more calm than in years past.

On race day morning, I felt quite relaxed and focused.   Different though, in the sense that rather than visualizing key wattage and power goals for the bike and pacing strategies for running my competitors down, I was focused more on inner strength and keeping my mind in the right place.

My swim was the typical for me, but my bike performance was less than what I usually put forth.  Rather than staying low, forward and aero on my bars, I knew I’d have to get up out of the saddle regularly to keep my back from tightening up.  It would cost me, that was for sure, but less so than beginning the run with the inability to run properly.

Then came the run.  

Oh, the run.  

Instead of powering along strong with a huge smile on my face, it turned into a one mile after the other jog, at a progressively slower pace with seemingly every muscle in my body reminding me of its presence in the form of a tweak here and a twinge there.

I began to think about walking around mile four.

I chose to make it  a waiting game.  One mile at a time.  ”Let’s see how I feel at the next mile…”  Tight calves one minute, then a tight adductor.  Since the tightness moved around at occurred in varying places, none of which had, prior to the race, been any sort of an issue, I carried on.  

I reckoned that it wouldn’t likely hurt any less to walk than to run, or trot, given the pace I had slowed to, so I left it at that.  

I knew that may change at any given second, so it proved to be an exhaustive exercise in staying extremely present and not letting my mind wander into the land of ‘what if’.

Thinking about, and seeing, other athletes who had far, far more difficult things to overcome than a tight muscle or two is always an incredible source of inspiration.

Trudging along at mile 24, I heard the sound of someone crying loudly, seemingly in pain.  I looked to my right as I headed South down the last stretch of the Queen K and saw a female athlete, coming along the other side of the road on the bike course, riding her hand cycle, just finishing up the bike portion of her race.  It was nearly 5pm and she still would have to head out on the marathon component of her race.

It brought tears to my eyes.

I saw my husband right about then, who’d been the stoic, ever supportive rock upon which I lean and he cheered me on, reminding me I had just under two miles to go.   My coach was there, too, rallying me on.   I’m sure I wouldn’t have gotten through the day without them.

I managed to slightly pick up the pace to run down Palani and to really take in the experience of running down that last bit of road on Ali’i… there’s nothing like that part of this race.

In the end, my finish time was 10:57.  My marathon was off my best Ironman run time by over thirty minutes and there’s  no stopping the thoughts of what the day could have been.  

I’d be telling a lie if I wrote that I was thrilled with how my day turned out.  

I know rationally that not every race can be a top five, or even a top ten finish, and also that what is a poor finish time to one person sounds like a great finish time to another.

Every one of us has our own goals to meet, times to break and reasons to go this distance.  We also learn from every single race we do.  We control the things we can, and work to roll with what we cannot.

It’s all part of the game, I suppose and despite the result, I remain extremely grateful for having had the chance to race here…and I will be back to deal with some unfinished business!

 

 

 

Choose.

When this post goes live, I’ll be in the waters of Kailua Bay along with nearly 2,000 other athletes about the race the Ironman of all Ironmans- the World Championships in Kona, Hawaii.

Today will be the seventh time I’ve had the opportunity of racing here on triathlon’s sacred grounds and I will honor this race and this island in every way I can, with all my heart, mind, body and soul.

Sometimes I’m approached by people who don’t happen to be involved with triathlon or endurance training at all, and they want to know why I do this.   It always makes me giggle a little to see the incredulous expression when I explain that not only do I not get paid to do this, I pay to do it!

Others have just begun on their journey in the same sport but don’t believe they can.

Still others yet comment that I must ‘know the course like the back of my hand’ or that it will likely be a ‘piece of cake for me’, having raced here before.

To the first question, the answer to why I do this is simple, and actually a question posed right back:  why not?   Many of you who read my blog or books and know my story are already aware that I started out as a sprint distance triathlete.  I was sure I could never do anything as long as an Ironman,  until the day I saw people of all walks of life completing the distance- physically challenged athletes, elderly athletes, athletes fighting illness and disease, and realized that if the only reason I was not giving it a try was because I didn’t think I could, it wasn’t a good enough reason.

To not try things simply because of not being sure we can complete them, or complete them to a specific degree of mastery doesn’t make sense to me.  If we implement that model of living, how would we ever move forward?

It all comes down to choice.

We can all chose to not try things and take the comfortable route.  

Sometimes, this is the right option.  

I think we all know within when it is… and when we simply want to choose something that feels easier and less risky.

I always try to make it clear that I don’t think this means that we should all be racing triathlon (but I do think we should all be moving, since the one body we have is a terrible thing to waste), as well as that this philosophy goes far beyond sport.

We can take the path of a self fulfilling prophecy that is positive just as easily as one which is negative; the trick is to believe that either can come to fruition, and actually, it’s probably far more likely that good will come of taking risks compared to something awful.

As far as feeling like I know the course so well, or the idea that it’s going to be easy as pie…I wouldn’t deign to adopt that attitude, even one iota.  

There is something so special and unique about the feeling one gets when staying on this island; and the idea of copping the mindset of knowing how the day will unfold could, in my opinion, be a set up for a big curve ball.

This isn’t to say that I won’t race with confidence and enjoy the strategy of the game; rather, to say it will be balanced out with a well thought out race plan, full of mantras, positive energy, respect for the course and the island and a feeling of community with my fellow athletes, all the volunteers, the amazing energy from the crowd and my incredibly supportive husband, who is, without a doubt, the person who makes me whole.

Follow live (Bib # 1614; click here, starting at 7 AM Hawaii Time, or check out the IronTrac App for your smart phone), send good vibes and enjoy the day!

Oh, and choose to do something you’re interested in, but uncomfortable with.  You’ll be glad you tried!

 

A Must-Check-Out in Kona- Island Naturals Market

For anyone visiting Kona this busy week of the Ironman, you’ll find it’s easy to get caught up in dining out for all your meals.

Just like when traveling anywhere, for that matter, adopting that temporary ‘oh, the heck with it; I’m on vacation‘ attitude which enables you to opt for not so healthy choices compared to when you’re at  home and staying your usual course may seem like a good idea at the time, but if you’ve gone Paleo and have found it to be your ticket to good health, you’ll likely find that even a day or two (or a single meal) with gluten, dairy, soy and the like is not really worth it.

There are plenty of places to dine on the big Island where ordering local wild fish or grass fed meats and organic produce is just as easy as some of the other menu offerings which wouldn’t adhere to our healthy approach to eating.

One such place I simply love is downtown Kona’s Island Naturals Market & Deli.    Easy to find, as it’s right below Bike Works, it’s located at  74-5487 Kaiwi Street  in Kailua-Kona, it’s a literal haven of Paleo goodness.

If you’re staying at an accommodation where you can cook, you can stock up on local blue sweet potatoes to fuel your taper week and for the big day itself (I recommend roasting them in a glass dish with coconut oil), fresh coconuts (to partake of their delicious, hydrating nectar), a plethora of local produce (from chard, to kale, spinach, beets and lettuces and local bananas, pineapple and papaya), grass fed meat and pastured chicken.

Their prepared salads, and salad bar are phenomenal, too.  Some happen to also meet the needs of vegan customers, so everyone’s needs are met.

Finally, their local juice bar offers your choice of a fresh, green shot of greens- kale, cucumber, carrot, ginger, beet and garlic makes a nice blend.

If you’ve been relying on the local Costco and feeling as though it was your only choice, you’ll be very happy about this hidden little gem!

 

 

Veggies Before a Run? You Got It!

The other day,  I showed up for masters sipping my usual pre workout smoothie, which contains a plethora of ingredients, including my all time favorite veggie, kale.

Aside from the fact that my drink was a lovely, bright green, it brought a lot of attention due to the fact that so many of us are vehemently opposed to the concept of “too much fiber before a workout.’

While I agree wholeheartedly with the idea and certainly wouldn’t gulp down two bowls of broccoli right before heading to the track, we need to think about this rationally.

In a smoothie meant to be consumed before I workout which I’m planning to do not in a fasted state,  I typically add three or four leaves of kale.

That’s it.  

The balance is completely in keeping with what I oft recommend to clients in terms of keeping a pre workout meal closer to the model of higher glycemic carbohydrates (like a ripe, spotty banana) in roughly a 4:1 ratio to an easily digestible protein, like cage free egg whites.   

I also add a small amount of fat, usually coconut oil, along with my arsenal of spices- ginger, turmeric, cinnamon into the liquid base of green tea or raw coconut water.

How much?

It all depends on how long I’m going to be training for, and what time of day the workout is, as well as what other workouts I may be doing that day.

The bottom line is that we all need to test and see what works, and what does not.

Someone at the pool pulled me aside and quietly asked whether or not a meal like that before a run had ever caused me any ‘issues’.  What issues, I asked?  Embarrassed, she asked if it had caused a case of ‘runner’s trots’.

No need to be shy about this; those of us who are athletes, and especially those who used to be athletes that were not Paleo, and therefore were used to being ill in many, if not all workouts, have likely experienced this unfortunate situation.

Happy to report, though, that those days are ancient history, because for me, that issue was a direct result of eating a ‘nice, ‘healthy’ pre workout breakfast of a bagel and peanut butter, or some whole wheat toast’, or some equally offensive,  gluten-filled meal.

Adding just a little kale, or some kind of leafy green to all meals, even a little, pre workout, can help ensure you’re getting enough of this valuable component of a healthy, True Paleo lifestyle.

 

Still Thinking the Term “Paleo Foodie” is an Oxymoron?

Think again!

Paleo does not have to be approached from the point of view that it’s all about what we have to avoid and end up feeling deprived.  The idea is not that one has to prep all their food at home and bring containers to restaurants to eat plain, broiled chicken and raw Swiss Chard with olive oil, while their friends enjoy all the bounty any particular restaurant has to offer.  Yes, we have to ask more questions, rather than just ‘eating whatever looks interesting on the menu’, but enjoying a meal that is well presented and delicious does not have to be the opposite of enjoying a Paleo meal.

I’ve written about keeping Paleo while traveling before, and recently, I received an email from a a blogger who hosts a site dedicated to keeping healthy whilst traveling.  

Cole Millen, who site, Cole’s Mill, focuses on “Unique thoughts and perspectives about health and travel”, reached out and inquired about the possibility of a collaboration of a post on Paleo eating on vacation.

Why not?

Here’s what we came up with:

Eating healthy and following the Paleo diet may be the newest craze to sweep the health conscious population, but it’s really the oldest way of eating known to mankind. In a nutshell, you eat what our prehistoric ancestors ate: meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, eggs, and nuts/seeds. In this modern world of over-processed food, sticking to the Paleo way of eating can be a challenge and even more so while on vacation, but is extremely beneficial in keeping your energy high and your body functioning well while traveling.

Eating Paleo Style While Traveling:

The best way to stay Paleo while traveling is to take personal responsibility for your meals and snacks. Airline food is notoriously bad, and the chances you will get a plate of free-range chicken and fresh vegetables is slim to none. Many airlines do offer more options these days and the diabetic or vegetarian menu options could be your best bet.

Whether you’re flying, taking a train, or traveling by car, bringing your own food works great for Paleo diet adherents. Beef or chicken jerky, fresh vegetables, some fruit, and some nuts or seeds will last you through most journeys.

How to Find a Paleo-Friendly, Healthy Hotel:

Do your research before you start your vacation. Some hotels, and even some parts of the country, are more health conscious and more apt to have straightforward, fresh meals. Instead of focusing on the quality of the linen and if the hotel has a mini bar, check out the restaurant options in the hotel and the surrounding area. I have found reading reviews from other travelers with similar interests to be the most helpful. I most recently found a great site that listed reviews for Miami Hotels and found one that had a menu with Paleo specific options.  Looking for these options is very important. Vegetarian restaurants work as well, but steakhouses with organic, free-range beef might be better. Do any pride themselves on offering locally grown produce? That fits wonderfully with the Paleo lifestyle.

Easy Paleo Choices at the Restaurant:

Once you get to your hotel and have settled in, tucked your cut vegetable bag in the mini-fridge, and washed up, it’s time to explore the local restaurants. If you are traveling alone or with friends, you won’t have a problem frequenting one you may find that offers quality meat and fresh vegetables. If you are on business, or if you are forced to go to a restaurant you would not normally pick, you might have problems. The worst for the Paleo diet eating style are probably casual Chinese and Italian restaurants. A very easy place to dine is a Raw Bar.  Eating raw has a lot of benefits including a richer source of vitamins and minerals.

In all cases, stick to the basics you know and love when you eat Paleo, no matter where you are in the world. Ask for meat and fish without sauce. If there are no plain vegetable options, a salad bar or simple side salad without dressing will work for you.

With careful planning and a firm knowledge of the Paleo way of eating, you can enjoy great food on vacation without compromising the benefits to your health.

 

 

It’s The Diet, I Promise!

The other day, I received a compliment from a kind, elderly gentleman.  He approached me and asked what I did in order to achieve good muscle tone on my arms.

“Yoga?”, he asked?  I told him that while I do enjoy yoga, it’s actually something I’m just now getting back into, for no other reason than I’ve had a hard time finding a teacher with whom to study that I like as much as the teacher I trained with for years, quite some time ago.

“Oh, then pilates?  Weight Training?  What do you do?”

I explained that while I do swim, bike and run, it’s really all about the diet.

How do I know this?

Because I worked out for years and years before I was Paleo and I never looked as lean or as toned as I wanted to.  Yes, I was fit, not overweight by any stretch and racing triathlon, but I always just looked….’regular’.  Soft, even.

From the time I first got my driver’s license and could work out at the local gym, to the time I began doing more running to when I added triathlon training and even ironman to the regime… it wasn’t until I changed my diet to Paleo and cut out all the fillers that I finally began to achieve the results I wanted, from an aesthetic point of view.

If you’re in doubt, give it a try yourself.  Try True Paleo for one full month and see if you don’t begin to get closer to landing in that lean physique you’ve been aiming for.

What we eat is a greater percentage of the equation of how we look than the type of activity we choose to engage in.

Promise.