Food For Fuel!

Are You Flying in February?...Chew on This!
In this first shot for you, let's look at nutrient density and athletic eating...
By Doug Katona

Eat For Fuel
Whatever you put in your pie-hole should be supportive of your (physical/emotional) goals. Ask yourself this
question the next time you crave a bagel (aka Nasty Food in Disguise) - How nutrient dense is the material?
In other words - the calories should have a direct application to function. An example would be that if you
ate an avocado, you would give it a thumbs up because it is an essential fatty acid and provides energy.
If you are sucking down potatoes, then you would see me sitting on your shoulder saying there are better
sources of complex carbohydrate that are more nutrient dense!

Food Pyramid Flip
The Food Pyramid should be flipped upside down. Then it would make sense. Grains, starches, breads, pastas should
be at the top (eat very little amounts of these) and lean meats, nuts, healthy oils and veggies/fruits should be
consumed with more regularity. The idea is to consume foods that are thermogenic in nature - 100 calories of
a piece of whole wheat toast is not the same as 100 calories of salmon. The 100 calories of salmon get "burned
though" by the body - there is more energy required to "process" the salmon. So, the net affect of the 100 calories
of the salmon gets almost nullified. The toast is well, basically a poor return on the calories. Eat toast. Be toast.

Train a lot, Eat a lot?
This is a good one. Some exercisers and athletes just can't seem to get very lean. Or maybe they just can't seem
to get that muscle definition they desire. Must be the genes, right? Nope. Must be age, right? Double nope.
Some people train a little but eat a lot. If you do some moderate exercise, it doesn't mean you have the green
light to destroy a bag of chips. Train with enough intensity and power, then you can get away with a cheat meal
once in awhile. But better to err on the side of eating for energy and performance.

What Do You Expect?
Someone told someone who told someone who told me..."He expects a lot from the people he trains (coaches)." Darn
straight on that one. Good coaches and trainers expect a lot from their "athletes." It's what we do. If you are
tentative or unsure if you want to get fit and enjoy your true potential, then only you are preventing you. It's
in you if you want it and if you're willing to cross the line. Don't you expect a lot from yourself? Or are you okay
with just being in "maintenance." I expect this: to see you realize the powerful journey of discovering being
powerful, strong, lean, agile, injury-free, pain-free, internally healthy and emotionally charged up. Is that too
much to expect?!

Is Your Warm-Up a Workout?
I got an email from one of our Thursday night workout animals. Doug, I was laughing last night during the warm-up. My workouts were never as hard as our warm-ups!. Thank you for sneaking me into this shape, it's refreshing! I wondered if
this person was on their 3rd glass of wine but whatever, it's true. Here's a quick-n-dirty warm-up that will turn you
into sweaty Betty but also get your threshold for training increased...
10 Minute Warm-up (Bike or run); This ain't the time to read People Magazine, get to work, get some intensity going.
Shoulder and leg mobility movements....then knock out:
10 Squats, 10 Push-Ups, 10 Lunges, 10 Burpees, 10 Pull-Ups, 10 Sit-ups. 10 Bench Dips. Go train while the others in
the gym think you just did a workout that would make most of them puke in their Reader's Digest.

Power Food Pick: Wild Cod. This coldwater fish is high on protein and essential fat without a truckload of calories. Bake it or grill it and garnish with a little olive oil, marinated artichoke hearts, kalamata olives or a tapenade. Pair it with some
carmelized brussels sprouts and onions, crack a bottle of a crisp sauvignon blanc and you're in business.

I do what I do for you because what you have you already have in you.

Yours in Health,
Doug Katona