Peak Nutrition. Maria Hines
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Whole Foods.
Eating more whole foods and fewer processed foods can have a huge positive impact on your health, not to mention the environment. Whole foods are high in nutrients, and if you eat a variety of them, you ensure that you are getting everything you need. Processed foods are often stripped of nutrients and include many additives that rap sweet rhymes to your taste buds, making it tough to stop eating them.
Whole foods include:
•Any and all fruits and vegetables, fresh or frozen
•Meats, fish, poultry, eggs
•Whole fat dairy products such as butter, yogurt, cottage cheese
•Nuts and seeds
•Beans
•Minimally processed grains such as oatmeal, quinoa, brown rice
Switching to whole foods can be challenging if you try to do this all at once. Start with a few easy alternatives. Make a list of your everyday foods. Are there a few processed items that can be substituted with whole foods? Even just one item a day can make a difference to your eating habits. Switch packaged cereals for homemade oatmeal. Trade packaged breads for fresh baked or sprouted breads. Add a favorite vegetable or fruit to your meals. Make homemade energy bars instead of taking store-bought bars on your outdoor adventures.
You can also try adding one new whole food to your shopping cart during each grocery store visit. Stick to the perimeter of the store as almost everything you need will be in these areas. Next time you shop, notice how foods are displayed and where. There is well-developed science around consumer psychology, and grocery stores are prime locations for capitalizing on it.
As you become more comfortable with preparing foods, you can start to replace most of your packaged meals with home prepared meals. Learning to read food labels is part of this process. When you buy processed food, take a quick glance at the carb, fat, and protein make-up of the food you are getting. Now take a glance at the serving size and how many servings that food has. This can truly open your eyes to what makes up your food! The advantage of home cooked meals is that you know exactly what you are eating and where it came from, and you can save a penny or two in the long run.
The process of changing your diet to whole foods may take years to develop, but each time you take a step in that direction, you will know you are getting healthier.
Anchor Three: Switch to Water or Zero Calorie Drinks.
If you are not a water drinker, you can start by adding flavors that are sweetened with stevia or natural flavors, electrolytes, or fresh squeezed lime or lemon juice. It’s important to set this anchor because you want to avoid drinking your calories as often as you can. It’s easy to add hundreds of calories to your daily diet with flavored lattes, alternative milk drinks, kombucha, soft drinks, and energy drinks. These drinks also often have additives as well as a lot of caffeine and sugar, which makes it hard to perform your best as an outdoor athlete. Drinking herbal tea can help reduce cravings for other drinks, plus it can help lower your stress levels and hydrate you at the same time. There are a lot of different sweet herbal teas that can delight the taste buds when you need something to take the edge off.
If you see it, you will drink it, so always keep a water bottle on your desk or in your hand. This will help make sure that you drink consistently through the day. Try not to wait until you are thirsty before taking a sip. At that point you are already dehydrated and it will take a lot more to replenish your reservoir. Having a nice water bottle can make a difference too. We go deeper into hydration in chapter 6, How Fuel Provides Energy.
Anchor Four: Eat Balanced Macronutrient Meals.
Pay attention to the balance of each meal to ensure that you are getting the right amount of protein, carbohydrates, and healthy fats. Many mountain athletes, especially females, tend not to eat enough protein. It’s imperative to get enough protein in the diet. Good sources of protein include grass-fed meats, eggs, and legumes. In addition to being great sources of carbs, veggies are packed with vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients. They help your gut biome to work optimally, which means more energy and vitality for outdoor activities. For starchy carbs, choose rice, sweet potatoes, oats, or sprouted whole grains. And don’t forget the fat! Get a good balance of saturated, monounsaturated, and polyunsaturated fats to optimize health, body composition, and performance.
For those eating a plant-based diet, try to get more whole-food sources of fat, such as olives, nuts, and seeds, instead of olive oil, nut oil, and seed oil, because they will provide more protein and fiber. If you are eating more carbs, be sure to decrease the amount of fat, and vice versa. The combination of consistent high-fat and high-carb eating equals disaster for body composition and has other health implications as well, such as the potential for diabetes and high blood pressure.
Anchor Five: Eat Local and Organic.
This anchor doesn’t directly affect your eating habits, however, it will affect your shopping habits and overall worldview on how foods are farmed and prepared. Becoming more aware of what’s in your food and where it comes from will naturally affect what you put in your body. If you shop at your local farmers market or co-op, you are not only supporting local economies, but you are also buying seasonal foods, which can help your allergies and the environment. If you can go organic, you are eating foods that have a higher nutrient value and, because of the way they are grown, will support environmental sustainability. We go deeper into this in chapter 13, Sourcing Your Food and Planning for Outings, where we talk about food labels, gratitude, and the benefits of eating certified organic food.
If you decide you want to try buying local, organic foods, start with staple foods that are easy to find cheaper options for. Check the bulk foods section for cereals, beans, honey, peanut butter, nuts, etc. Buying organic doesn’t have to break the bank, but it will take some careful shopping.
TYPES OF FATS
All fat isn’t created equal, but what’s the difference?
•Saturated fats. Animal fats such as eggs, dairy, meat, butter, and cheese; coconut oil; and palm oil.
•Monounsaturated fats. Macadamias, pecans, almonds, cashews, pistachios, tahini, pumpkin seeds, olives, olive oil, and avocado.
•Polyunsaturated fats. Fish oil, hemp seeds, algae oils, peanuts, canola oil, walnuts, chia seeds, and Brazil nuts.
Anchor Six: Get To Know Your Eating Habits.
For long-term change and confidence, get to know your eating habits. Emotions have a surprising amount of influence on the choices we make throughout the day. And the more choices you have to make, the worse your choices become.
Take note. (When we say “take note,” we mean actually write this down.) When do you find yourself eating foods that aren’t optimal for your health? What time of day? Where are you? Who is around you? Which emotions summon certain cravings? Does the feeling of being tired change your food choices? All of these factors will influence what choices you make.
Grocery shopping is often a time when cravings take over. To prevent this, eat before going grocery shopping. Being full and satisfied will make shopping a breeze. You won’t start putting “good idea, Oreos!” into your cart. Instead, you will zip around the perimeter of the store not even noticing the colorful bags of chips on the racks that you pass.
Additionally, the more you can prep your meals and plan your days, the fewer choices you will have to make. If you have premade meals stashed in your fridge