Hello again so soon!!
We have a quick break until our next session. Lunch was good! Today it was seated with the whole works.
And my vegetarian meal was great!
We started with a salad. I could smell the onions before I even found them in there!
I picked them out into a pile
And covered up the smell with a hot wheat roll ; )
Others had beef with potatoes and veggies for the main course
And my veggie dish was a phylo purse filled with chickpea mash, mushrooms, peppers and spinach in a marinara sauce, although with taters and veggies. I ate half of the phylo and potatoes and all of the veg.
During lunch we had the sports nutrition presentation. Here were some of the tidbits presented. I don’t have sources to share (I couldn’t write that fast) so I’m just passing on what she included:
- Recommendations are 50-75% carbohydrate diet for athletes
- Athletes given 65% carbs lasted 102 minutes before fatique; athletes given 21% carbs only lasted 65 minutes. You need CHO for energy!
- Protein recommendation was 1.2-1.8 gm/kg ( <—this is much higher than what I learned in my courses and is 2x the normal adult recommendation)
- 1:4 protein/carbs after a workout is ideal ratio (still the same)
- Two groups of people were trying to lose body fat. One ate 2 ounces more protein than the other. The protein group lost more fat and preserved more lean muscle than the other, who lost both fat and muscle.
- If you cut more than 300-400 calories per day you are bound to lose both fat and protein, which is not idea. Need to preserve lean muscle mass. That’s why a gradual weight loss is most effective.
- Hydration: Weigh yourself before + after to get a personalized recommendation for hydration. Add 25% more fluid and drink that back. Dehydration is the #1 way to reduce performance!
- For weight loss – Benardot (2002) found that eating every 4 hours is ideal to maintain metabolic rate
- For weight loss – leucine (amino acid) plays an important role in prevention loss of lean muscle
- For weight loss – Study found that increases in calcium led to greater fat loss (I am not sure of the source)
- Walking is not enough exercise to preserve bone density – you need high impact and/or weights! Weights are good! Yay Body Pump!
There were two deserts set out – a chocolate torte and a cheesecake. I had about 1/3 of the cheesecake, which was actually really good. Sarah, my new friend who just finished her internship and is studying for the RD exam, shared a bite of her chocolate torte too. These are the kind of desserts worth my chew! Although – I’ve learned at these fancy seated lunches if I eat the whole thing I feel sick. So 1/3 it was.
I’ve got a few more hours and then I’m hitting the road – hopefully traffic free – to Alexandria! Please let the weather be nice!
Samantha Angela @ Bikini Birthday says
Holla for Weightlifting!
Kayla (Little Miss Healthify) says
Loved reading those tidbits! Very helpful!
The phylo purse looks amazing! Yum
Lucy @ The Sweet Touch says
That veg lunch looks really good! I’ve never heard of chickpea mash – is it kinda like hummus? I would like to recreate it at home!
Natalia - a side of simple says
I always love learning quick facts like what you posted. Thanks for sharing! And “yay” for them redeeming themselves with giving you a good lunch. I mean, how can you go to a conference all about food, diets, and nutrition and NOT get quality food? 😉
Kristi @ KristiAteIt says
Thankfully today seems to be going better than yesterday. That cheesecake looks delicious!
Heather @ Get Healthy With Heather says
Great tidbits of info! It sounds like a great learning day with fabulous food too.
Holly @ The Runny Egg says
I love the info on sports nutrition — some of it I knew but interesting nonetheless!
I think your veggie lunch looks better than that beef/potato dish!
Jess says
Thanks for sharing those facts! Did they differentiate between types of athletes? It’s seems like some kinds of athletes would need more carbs than others, like runners, bikers needing lots of carbs and rowers, gymnasts, bodybuilders needing a bit more protein. Anyway, very interesting.
Katie @ Nourishing Flourishing says
So interesting reading your notes! your veggie meal actually sounds more delicious than the meat one 😉
Kristen @ Change of Pace says
I love that you share the info you learn. It’s really interesting to hear. Not sure if I could stop at 1/3 of a slice of cheesecake! What’s your trick?
lynn @ the actor's diet says
kath, i love the fact that you order vegetarian when you don’t know where the meat is coming from, and i’m trying to do the same as i’m traveling A LOT lately. are you trying to go vegan when possible? i find that almost all the veggie options are swimming in eggs and cheese….
Errign says
Fingers crossed for good weather & no traffic for you 🙂
Jenny @ Fitness Health and Food says
wow that is a high protein recommendation, how weird. I wonder if they are basing that off of recent weight loss studies that showed increased protein intake increased the amount of weight lost hmmm…
B & B says
Yeah. I find the worst thing is that the term “Athletes” varies greatly. I mean, there’s a big difference between a weight-lifter or wrestler compared to a cyclist or dancer…etc.
Honestly – I gave up on studies after they keep telling us that fruits and veggies will decrease cancer. Really?! 😉 There’s always conflicting research; it most definitely evolves; and it varies greatly from individuals.
Sounds like it was much more interesting though!
Susan (Oliepants) says
I like the quick facts and am really surprised at the high protein rec. I love cheesecake for dessert – anytime of the day works for me! 🙂 Kudos to you to limiting it to 1/3. PS – dessert sharers are the best type of sharers. 😛
sally mae says
Great facts! Thank you for sharing:) No wonder I feel like I need to eat bread, bread, and more bread after running;)
Cait's Plate says
Oh my gosh that phylo purse looks SO heavenly – I think the vegetarian option was the way to go. Looks way better than the meat dish.
Thanks for sharing the sports nutrition tidbits, it’s interesting to hear it coming from this conference (I never quite know what to believe in the magazine world or how founded the research is) 🙂
meghan says
hi kath,
how are you always able to self limit yourself in portion sizes and choosing the healthy options??
M says
Yeah, I don’t understand how you can be so good in always leaving food unfinished,
especially when it is tasty ad right in front of you?
Are you superhuman?!
M says
*and*
Courtney says
I don’t think it’s a superhuman feat to leave piece of cheesecake unfinished when you’re had a full lunch. That is a generous slice of cake! I would feel sick if I ate the whole thing. Why would you eat until you feel sick? If you listen to your body, it will tell you when you’re had enough. “Enough” is not determined by what is served to you, but what your tummy has room for. Plus, if you get a hankering for cheesecake again, you can always have some later.
Angie @ Musings of a Violet Monkey says
Interesting!! Thanks for sharing.
~
Laurie says
I dont know which way you are headed but there is a Wegman’s in Woodbridge if you are going up 95 to Alexandria. I often think about what you would buy if you were in my store!!
Have a safe drive!
Courtney @ The Granola Chronicles says
Oh that cheesecake looks wonderful! Enjoy the rest of your day!
Angela @ Eat Spin Run Repeat says
Thanks for sharing your learnings Kath! Sports nutrition is an area I’m enormously interested in and I love hearing about new recommendations. Looks like they’re feeding you better today! 🙂
Annette @ EnjoyYourHealthyLife says
I love staying up on the research too- sports nutrition is fascinating to me (I studied nutritiontal and exercise sciences in my undergrad and exercise sciences in my grad work). The studies showing how protein can help preserve muscles is SO true! So is eating every 4 hours info 🙂 Oh and I love the idea of fueling up after a good workout with the right ratio of carbs to protein. Thanks for reiterating and sharing 🙂
Hope says
Thanks for sharing the information you learned. The food looks great! Good luck driving to Alexandria!
Heather @ Health, Happiness, and Hope says
What great facts Kath! This is definitely more geared toward what you wanted to get out of this event. And the food definitely looks delicious today… that roll looks so good!
Freya (Brit Chick Runs) says
You have the nose of a bloodhound!! It’s extremely impressive!
That carb talk is interesting – maybe I’ll start upping my carb intake…
Walking doesn’t count? Gah, I thought that was like, THE thing to do! Wow, I’ve learnt so much from your posts today 😛
Sarena (The Non-Dairy Queen) says
Thanks for sharing the facts. I love learning things like that! Lunch looks delicious. I would have passed on the pastry all together. The mash with veggies sounds delicious thought! Drive carefully and have fun!
Hannah @ Healthy Life says
I’m so impressed that you can limit yourself to a 1/3 of delicious desserts- did you have to teach yourself to eat this way?
The veggie meal looks good! My husband is exactly the same with onions- he can sniff them out miles away!
Laura says
LOVE Wegmans! I saw them featured in your last post. 🙂 If they don’t come to Charlottesville, you’ll just have to come up to Fredericksburg! We’d love to have you in my little town!
Glad to hear that leucine does indeed preserve muscle mass. The Shaklee Cinch line (not real food, I know 😉 ) has leucine in the shakes and bars to help maintain lean muscle mass as you lose fat. Good to know since I have a shake or bar a lot of times out of convenience on the train into work.
Good luck in the NOVA traffic! especially on a rainy day…
Kat says
I love the nutrition tidbits. Please post more if you learn anything else interesting!
Your vegetarian lunch looks positively delicious as do the cakes. Yummy!
Averie (LoveVeggiesAndYoga) says
Glad today’s desserts were “worth my chew! ”
Protein…that seems high but with any data/info, to each her own. Do with it what works for you, your body, your ideology, your activity levels. No one size fits all. It’s a recommendation, not gospel and law 🙂
Onions…hate them! I would have picked them out too!
Valerie @ City|Life|Eats says
That phyllo purse sounds goooood. I need to come up with a gluten-free dough purse type thing – I miss things like phyllo purses or empanadas. CHickpea mash + mushroom sounds like an awesome filling 🙂
Jess (Sweet Potato) says
That phyllo pocket looks awesome! I always think the vegetarian options are so much more interesting than the non-veg. options. Beef=boring, phyllo pocket = different and exciting!
Ellie@fitforthesoul says
The phyllo dish sounds so delicious Kath! And way to go with the self-control on the dessert! haha yeaa I feel ya. My stomach hurts if I eat a lot of it.
Justeen @ Blissful Baking says
Thanks for sharing the info from the sports nutrition presentation! I learned a lot of the same things in the sports nutrition course I took.
I’m always so impressed by your ability to eat only a small portion of your dessert! I have absolutely zero self-control. Even though I know I will feel sick after such a large serving of rich dessert, I can’t seem to stop myself from devouring the whole thing!
Jessica @ How Sweet It Is says
That vegetarian option sounds SO good!
Candace (inFITation) says
That cheesecake looks amazing. Thanks for the helpful tidbits. I’m training for my very first marathon so I’m always looking for some sound sports nutrition advice.
Katherine says
I found this tidbit really interesting: “If you cut more than 300-400 calories per day you are bound to lose both fat and protein, which is not idea. Need to preserve lean muscle mass. That’s why a gradual weight loss is most effective.” So if you’re trying to lose by diet alone (I know this is not ideal) then you need to do less than a pound a week. That’s such a slow pace but I get that a gradual loss is more sustainable.
Traffic free in the DC area is a pipe dream but I hope it’s a relatively easy trip!
Heather (heathers dish) says
I think I might kill for a slice of cheesecake right now! Looks so good 🙂
Sarah for Real says
I think the food at this event is just so weird but I’m enjoying seeing how you are modifying it to fit better. You’d think they could find something better for a conference luncheon than heavy steak and potatoes. I bet everyone needed a nap after that one!
Katelyn @ Chef Katelyn says
Oh my goodness, chickpea mash in phyllo sounds SO so good! I need to buy some Athenos so I can make some dessert:)
Stacey (The Home-Cooked Vegan) says
have fun with Emily!
I read the protein requirements in my personal training books and I was shocked too! They also talk a lot about dehydration and how important it is to be hydrated.
Your lunch looks more delicious than the other lunch option 😀
And yay! weights! Gotta love liftin’ 😉
Stacey says
Loved this post and the little bits of info you shared. Could you elaborate more on the hydration part you mentioned. I am not sure I understand what you meant and I am always interested in hydration because for me it makes a huge difference in how I feel.
KathEats says
Getting dehydrated by only 1% decreases performance by a lot. She said to weigh yourself before and after a workout and see how much water weight you sweat out. That’s how much PLUS 25% minimum you should drink during that workout
Stephanie says
Whoa! That phyllo purse definitely deserves to be recreated!!
Anne @ Baking Me says
Thanks for sharing these bits of knowledge!
Carol says
Thanks for sharing what you learned today! Hope you have a safe trip.
MonsteRawr says
Thanks for sharing those tidbits. As I ramp up my mileage (I’m averaging 25-30 miles a week) I’m trying to learn how to eat in order to give my body everything it needs, and I enjoyed hearing the scientific side of it.
Claire @ Live and Love to Eat says
Definitely news to me about the fitness recs! Are those first few based on new studies or just an expert opinion?
Allison @ Happy Tales says
Oh I love all of these tips… I most definitely get my fair of carbohydrates, and I LOVE it! Heck, my last name isn’t “Rice” for nothin’!
Anna @ Newlywed, Newly Veg says
Great little factoids! Interesting about the calcium!
The veg lunch looks SO much better than the meat one…but maybe I’m biased as a vegetarian 😉
Elizabeth@The Sweet Life says
Love the bullets you shared-thanks for passing along!
Marisa @ Loser for Life says
Thanks for sharing that info, Kath! Your lunch looks way better than the non-veg meal!
J3nn (Jenn's Menu and Lifestyle Blog) says
Great summary!
Those desserts look divine. Totally worth a taste or two. 😉
The Fillo Factory says
Hi Kath,
We truly enjoy reading your blog, including all of your endeavors in starting your own bakery. We were very excited to see mention of phyllo in your post, even if it wasn’t one of your own creations! Our company makes traditional, whole-wheat, and spelt (all vegan) fillo (phyllo) doughs, including organic varieties, as well as a wealth of other convenient natural and organic, vegetarian/vegan, and kosher frozen foods featuring flaky fillo dough. May we send you some of our dough to experiment with? You can browse our line at http://on.fb.me/g8oDCR. Let us know!
We look forward to reading more from you. Have a great day.
Best wishes,
The Fillo Factory
http://www.fillofactory.com
http://twitter.com/FilloFactory
KathEats says
Sounds pretty cool!
The Fillo Factory says
Please e-mail with your info if you are interested. 🙂 Thanks for checking us out.
Ashley says
aaahhh! I just did a post on Friday, (http://ashleyshealthyattitude.wordpress.com/2011/04/01/gbl/), and at the end I discussed your last point, “Walking is not enough exercise to preserve bone density – you need high impact and/or weights!” I am new to blogging, and I’m a research technician. I try to include some scientific research about healthy living.
This was a really great post. I loved all the info you shared. Thanks!
katherine says
carbs kill people get with it. fats and proteins are essential- our brains are made out of fat.
Ashley says
That is not true. Glucose is essential for the brain to function. There are not many substances that can pass through the blood brain barrier. Glucose can because it is essential. The brain alone needs 125 to 150 grams of pure glucose a day. Too little glucose makes you lose consciousness and can result in coma. Glucose is so important that the body developed a natural warning system when glucose levels are too low. In the brain, glucose is needed to transform tryptophan into the neurotransmitter serotonin. When blood-glucose level is low, serotonin level decreases and cause depression.
It is true that the body can make ketone bodies from protein and fat, which can also pass through the blood brain barrier and be used as emergency energy. However, ketone bodies are not as efficient for the brain, it takes the body longer to make them( and you are already running on reduced energy from no carbs, and finally too many ketone bodies causes the pH of the blood to be to low. This results in ketoacidosis which can be fatal. When the bodies pH is off that mess up all the bodies normal reactions that require a neutral pH to run.
Kim @ Spoonful of Sass says
Thanks for your awesome information Ashley!
Elise says
thanks for sharing the tips on nutritional suggestions for athletes! i’m always looking to ‘better’ my game 😉
Kate (What Kate is Cooking) says
I love all of these facts you’re sharing!
Morgan @ moments of mmm says
Thanks for sharing the nifty facts!
I want some cheesecake….NOW!
Kim @ Spoonful of Sass says
Thanks for your RD tidbits. I’m glad to learn/refresh my memory from your visit to a conference since I don’t get to attend conferences as often as I would like. I mostly do webinars. And I feel the same as you in regards to not learning much, sadly. I also thought maybe it was because I am only out of school a few years so the “new” information is just what I learned from the start. I guess we’ll see if that changes with time!
Emma (Namaste Everyday) says
I really need to work on my weight lifting! Yoga only does so much…
Molly says
1.2-1.8 g/kg? That’s on the level of cachexic cancer pts! I think going with protein needs of 25-30% of total calories would be a much better estimate.
Molly says
Whoopsies, long day at work. I meant 20-25%.
Shannon @ My Place In The Race says
Mmmmm, your lunch does look pretty darn yummy! 😛
Emily @ Savory and Savage says
Huh – if you cut too many calories you start to lose muscle? I have to tell my brother-in-law this. He is currently doing a super low calorie diet to try and lose weight.
Julie @ Lettuce Choose Healthy says
who was the speaker for your sports presentation?
KathEats says
Georgia Kostas, MPH, RD, LD
Maria @ Oh Healthy Day says
Thanks for passing along the newest info! I’ve always believed that you can never get a enough protein, so I’m glad to see that research is finding that, too. Granted, it’s so difficult for me to get at least 1 gram per body weight and I’m a big meat eater 🙂
kaila @ healthyhelper blog! says
Great info! That lunch looks so much better than yesterdays box! Yay for real food!
Allie (Nutty FlexitALLIEan) says
Cool facts, what did they use to classify “athlete?”
KathEats says
It varied, but she talked a lot about exercise in general
Chelsea @ One Healthy Munchkin says
That sports nutrition talk sounds so interesting! I’m excited to get to attend these conferences once I’m an RD! 😀
Those protein recommendations are similar to what I learned. I think my textbook recommends ~1.2 g/kg/d for aerobic athletes and ~1.8 g/kg/d for strength training athletes.
Karen says
Thanks for sharing all this data, Kath…super interesting! I too am surprised by the relatively high protein recommendation for “athletes” though. Pesonally, I know I function better on less protein ( comprises approx. 20% of my calories) though I consider myself an “active” individual.
Have a good evening and sleep well tonight!
Cindy says
Enjoy your time with Emily!
Cyndi says
Thanks for sharing your “notes” – I love reading about nutrition. Got a good laugh at the photo of the roll covering the onions hehe … !
Meryl says
Unfortunately this presentation seems to be backed by the same politics that are keeping our nation so blinded by the food industry. I might suggest attending an organic farmers convention in your state. I’m from Ohio and recently attended an event for OEFFA and it was absolutely wonderful. The keynote speaker was Joan Gussow, one of Micheal Pollan’s inspirations. Nutrition starts in the soil and sometimes I think the farmers are more candid about what our bodies really need. Not to mention the food was all local, organic and incredibly tasty. I had the best butternut squash lasagna.
Hilary says
Interesting tidbits…thanks for that! And kudos to you for only eating 1/3 of the desserts…looks so tasty I don’t know if I could stop there!
Angel7 says
I love any kind of protein. I crave a nice steak, chicken, etc. more than most other foods. So, it is good to know that my cravings are not off target. However, I know that you cannot go overboard–everything in moderation.
That cheesecake looks so good!
http://faithfulsolutions.blogspot.com/
Matthew says
The Beef guy was totally WRONG!!!! Typical propaganda. We just purchased beef from a local farmer in northern Wisconsin which is 100% grass fed. Funny how they can do it up where we have this thing called winter. They eat a variety of fresh grasses during most of the year and dried grass (hay) in the winter. The beef is very lean and tastes amazing. No corn at all. Cows were meant to eat grass. Hope you can find this somewhere in your area.
Tara @ Padded Tush Stats says
Kath,
Thanks so much for sharing the little bits of wisdom your learned. I love those kinds of facts!
chelsey @ clean eating chelsey says
I have been loving all your tips!!! So interesting!
Hannah says
Uh oh! Clearly I need to start some weights then, as my bone density is terrible. I also need more cheesecake, because cream cheese = calcium for my bones, right? 😉
Khushboo says
Your aversion to onions is like mine toward cilantro. Just the smell of it makes me nauseous!
Trish Gomez says
Impressive food for a dietetics convention, and great info too!