Slow carb, low carb, no carb?

Ketogenic and Paleo eating plans are the trendy diets right now, especially among active people.  Because of that, “carb” has become a dirty word.  I can’t tell you how many endurance athletes I work with that have put themselves on low carb diets.  (Spoiler alert- training rarely goes well after that).  Before we get too far, I need to say … Read More

Grilled Chicken 3 ways

Plated chicken

Grilling dinner is one of the things that we dream about during long Cleveland winters.   We’ve even been known to fire our Weber back up on some February nights (“It’s above 30 today?  PERFECT!  Let’s grill some pizza!”).  Now that it’s summer, we’re using our grill almost every weekend.  Veg, pizza, protein….you name it and we’ve probably tried to … Read More

Do I need sports drinks or electrolytes for my best workout? Part 2 of the importance of the body's fluid balance.

Electrolytes are important for some workouts

In my last article, I talked about the importance of water and how much to drink.   But to be truly “hydrated” means to have a balance of water and chemicals called electrolytes. Electrolytes include: sodium and chloride (aka salt), potassium, calcium, and magnesium.  These compounds help control muscle contractions, nerve impulses, blood pH, and water transport in and out … Read More

Nutrition: the missing link in sports performance and injury recovery

How can nutrition make an athlete BETTER?   Proper nutrition can help an athlete or active person…. Heal from injury Improve performance Recover from training sessions Avoid “hitting the wall” during endurance events (running, cycling, swimming, etc) Boost immune system function By learning how to… Replace processed foods with whole, minimally processed foods Get the right amounts of macronutrients (carbs, … Read More

Why my week was #BETTER 7.21.17

It’s Friday!  End of another workweek and beginning of another summer weekend… ahhh…. Here’s what made this week #BETTER: Hot. Hot. Hot– Running in these weather conditions is tough.   Keep this chart as a reference for pacing your runs.  Remember that expecting a PR at this time of year is not realistic…and be safe out there!   Which brings me … Read More