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Nutrition Energy
In the News!
Lauren Antonucci, MS, RDN, CSSD, CDE, CDN
Lauren Antonucci, MS, RDN, CSSD, CDE, CDN
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Nutrition Energy
Uptown:
57 W 57th St, Suite 1211
New York, NY 10019
Downtown:
55 Broadway, Suite 201
New York, NY 10006
Phone: 646-361-6803
Fax: 212-759-7400
Email:
info@nutritionenergy.com
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Runner Safety Workshop with ROAR
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In support of Runner Safety Awareness Week, Finish Line Physical Therapy is hosting a Safety Workshop to learn how to stay safe while doing what you love. ROAR Training instructors will teach safety tips and empowering self-defense techniques, and discuss scenarios and how to respond to violent situations.
Lauren and Brandy will be there representing Nutrition Energy and hope to see you there!
Friday, January 24th
12:00pm-1:00pm
Finish Line Physical Therapy
119 West 23rd St, #304
New York, NY 10011
Click
HERE
t
o regi
ster for this free event!
Space is limited!
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Introducing Nutrition Energy's New Dietitian
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We are excited to introduce Carmine Ingenito MS, RDN!
 Carmine is a Registered Dietitian who earned his Master's degree in Nutrition and Exercise Physiology from Teachers College, Columbia University. Not only is he an athlete, but he grew up in and around the restaurant business and love both travel and foods from around the world! In a nutshell, Carmine is both passionate and enthusiastic about helping clients improve their health and performance through sustainable lifestyle changes. He works collaboratively with each client to provide clear, concise, practical, simple and evidence-based recommendations, tailored to each individual's specific preferences and needs.
We hope you join us in welcoming Carmine to Nutrition Energy! Carmine is working afternoons on Mondays and Tuesdays in our Uptown location, and Wednesdays in our Downtown location. Please call our office at 646-361-6803 to schedule an appointment!
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What You Really Need to Know About Intermittent Fasting
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With all the popular diets being talked about this time of year, we wanted to clear up some confusion about one particular trend that has been causing some buzz for quite some time now; intermittent fasting. Intermittent fasting is technically not considered a diet but more of an eating pattern, as it does not call for nor exclude any particular foods or food groups. With intermittent fasting, you keep whatever foods you were (or were not) eating before and compress them into a 6-8 hour eating period with a 16-18 hour fasting period.
While it may sound simple to understand, it may not be easy to execute. And if you have been wondering whether it is worth giving it a try, read on for our review on this topic.
Intermittent fasting has been studied in regard to possible effects on fat loss, immune function, blood pressure, blood sugar levels and several other aspects of our bodily functions and health. You may have also read some recent reports that lowered blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels were obtained by following this eating pattern. While for some this may be the case, for others it is not, and we are here to remind you that intermittent fasting is not the only way to achieve those results. Recent studies have found similar results when individuals follow a Mediterranean eating plan and other health ways of eating that fit more easily into normal life. We at Nutrition Energy can attest to that! We have helped thousands of clients improve their blood pressure, cholesterol and blood sugar levels over the past 17 years with lifestyle changes and healthy eating habits that are tailored to their lifestyle and needs and can be achieved and practiced for the long run (pun intended).
You can probably find athletes, either in your training group or online, who speak about how intermittent fasting helped them improve their weight or athletic performance. While these antidotes and quick fixes may sound appealing, we are here to remind you that there is no "one size fits all" when it comes to ideal eating patterns and lifestyles. While a quick web search will yield some stories of athletes reporting better performance while following intermittent fasting, there is no science to support this claim. Any possible benefits for athletes on an intermittent fasting schedule have not been studied extensively. We hope you already know that athletes require specific nutrient timing to fuel and recover from training sessions, and intermittent fasting will often conflict with these needs, which is never the path to our fest and fueled selves.
For example, athletes who train first thing every morning, would sacrifice both pre and post workout fueling in order to follow this plan, and we sports RD's are not willing to sacrifice fueling and recovery in ourselves or out athletes (finishing your 7am workout and waiting until 12pm to fuel is never an ideal fueling strategy).
Even evening exercisers following intermittent fasting tend to skip out on crucial post workout recovery meals and snacks due to the closing of their "eating window", which again, is not optimal for either athletic performance, mood, sleep or longevity in the sport.
Another issue we see when someone attempts to switch to an intermittent fasting eating plan is that trying to fit in all of one's nutritional needs in such a short time period is often a difficult task. Getting in 5 servings of fruits, 5 servings of vegetables, sufficient amounts of lean proteins, healthy fats and fiber filled carbs to meet your needs is nearly impossible to do within a 6-8 hour eating window.
We also like to consider the longevity and social aspects of trying to adhere to a time restrictive eating pattern. Your eating and fueling habits/patterns should enrich your life not detract you from your life. While we work to improve our health parameters, lab values and sports performance we also want to improve our overall lives; mental health, energy to get through the day, abilities to interact with family and friends, and the ability to complete workouts.
Important note: As you might expect, we most certainly do not recommend this eating plan for anyone who has ever followed a restricted eating pattern in the past and found themselves with restrictive eating thoughts zooming around in their brain. Anyone who has ever struggled with or is recovering from an eating disorder, or trying to break free from disordered eating patterns, this is certainly not an eating plan for you.
Before you jump into any new eating patterns, we encourage you to consider all aspects of your mental and physical wellbeing. For optimal results and higher quality of life, we recommend a nonrestrictive diet that allows you to enjoy all types of food at any time of day. We find that this approach keeps athletes and non-athletes alike healthy, happy and energized for their entire day, and next workout!
As always, our Nutrition Energy Registered Dietitians are here to help answer your nutrition questions as they arise and help you navigate this tricky world of fad diets and eating plans.
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Athlete Recovery... Set Yourself Up for a Great 2020 Season Now
With Nutrition Energy's Top Sports Nutrition Recovery Tips & Tricks!
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For many athletes, especially endurance athletes, January technically remains part of the offseason, although you may already be thinking about (and beginning to ramp up for) 2020 race/event goals. From our Sports Dietitian perspective, this off-season period is a perfect time to learn more about and fine tune your daily nutrition intake and address any nutritional concerns that you didn't figure out during your last racing cycle. This is also the perfect time of year to set the foundation of ensuring you are eating enough to fuel your recovery. January is a great month for testing different sports nutrition products to see which ones you like best and which sit well in your gut. We also encourage you to spend some time now learning more about how to eat for any other medical or health issues you may yourself have, or that may run in your family. Now is the time to try new workouts, experiment with new foods, switch up your training regimen and dare we say, add some focus to your recovery nutrition if it isn't quite there already.
So for today, we will focus on recovery nutrition with a twist!
#1: After intense training, we hope you already realize you want to ingest a combination of carbohydrates and proteins. to refuel your muscles to prepare you for the next workout. Getting in much needed carbs + protein remains our #1 sports nutrition recommendation for your recovery meal or post-workout snack. Some athlete favorites to begin your post workout recovery include: Low-fat Greek yogurt with fruit, turkey on whole grain bread + a fruit, lentil soup + bread or a smoothie with anything from a banana + protein powder to berries + Greek yogurt + oats and peanut butter or any balanced meal if your workout proceeds mealtime.
#2: Morning exercisers and caffeine loves will rejoice to learn about this next tip! According to the Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, adding caffeine post workout may increase speed of glycogen restoration in the muscles when taken along with a carbohydrate source. (NOTE!!! The study used 3-8 mg/kg, which is a TON of caffeine to consume at any given time of the day or even during any one day, so if you are into trying this tip, we highly recommend sticking to the lower end of ~3 mg/kg), which for 120# athlete would = 12 oz of regular coffee, and for 160# athlete would = 16 oz of regular coffee.
For those of us who are already routinely consuming our cup of joe or tea post workout, we can feel good and keep it up. For you evening training athletes, while this science may sound interesting it is likely not something you will be interested in adding to your routine, as caffeine late in the day can disrupt sleep, and we all know how important a good night's rest is for recovery. If you do decide to drink a cup of coffee after an intense workout, go ahead and turn it into a latte if you wish. After all, your muscles need the carbohydrates and protein for muscle recovery too.
#3: Never underestimate the importance of proper rehydration after training. It may seem simple to keep yourself hydrated but doctors estimate that most of the US adult population is chronically dehydrated and may not even know it! The risk is even higher for individuals training>1 hour per day, workout out at high intensity and/or are completing multiple workouts in a day (especially under hot/dry weather conditions). As you may have heard, thirst can be an unreliable regulator of fluid intake during exercise, leaving many athletes in a negative fluid balance by the time they finish their sweat session. It is recommended that you consume 1.5x fluid lost to sweat during your workout over the next two hours. Adding a source of salt (tomato juice, pickles or simply adding some salt to your food, will help with faster rehydration). Note: Athletes with high blood pressure often still need to replace sodium during and post intense or prolonged exercise, but recommendations will differ from the usual. Be sure to see a Registered Dietitian who can help you maintain fluid balance for peak performance while helping you control your blood pressure or click HERE
to check out Nutrition Energy Owner, Lauren Antonucci's Sports Nutrition Fact Sheet for Athletes with Hypertension on the Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition (SCAN) website.
#4: For our final sports nutrition recovery tip for today; we'll look at omega three fatty acids. According to the Journal of Sports Science & Medicine, athletes consuming 3000 mg of omega 3's daily have been shown to be able to reduce inflammation and help reduce muscle soreness following a strenuous workout. They studied athletes taking a fish oil supplement to reach 3000 mg, but if you would like to try to reach this intake with foods, here are a few foods high in omega 3's:
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Animal Sources
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Omega-3 Amount
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Portion Size
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Salmon
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1800 mg EPA/DHA
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3 oz
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Sardines
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1200 mg EPA/DHA
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3 oz
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Mackerel
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1000 mg EPA/DHA
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3 oz
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Trout
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850 mg EPA/DHA
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3 oz
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Seabass
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650 mg EPA/DHA
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3 oz
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Vegetarian Sources
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Omega-3 Amount
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Portion Size
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Flaxseeds
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6700 mg ALA
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1 Tbsp
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Chia Seeds
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5000 mg ALA
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1 Tbsp
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Walnuts
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1500 mg ALA
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1/2 cup
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Soybean Oil
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900 mg ALA
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1 Tbsp
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Hemp Seeds
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860 mg ALA
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1 Tbsp
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Edamame
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300 mg ALA
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1/2 cup
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We hope you implement and benefit from some of the above recovery tips and start the year and season off on the right foot. Of course, for optimal recovery and performance, overall intake of calories, eating enough from all food groups, ensuring adequate hydration and maintaining good sleep patterns are all important. As the spring rolls around and we move towards racing season again, we will of course review optional fueling habits before and after your training, but for now, we hope you will focus on eating enough to support your immune system and base training, and recovering well from early season training, so that you can remain strong and active through the year.
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A Note from Lauren...
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It's not only the start of a new year, but also a new decade, which for many means a new list of ambitious goals to accomplish! It can be exciting to begin a new journey of creating good habits and modifying old ones we wish to change, as we work to be our best versions of ourselves.
We all know that January is often a month full of experimental diets, resolving to eat more healthfully and exercise more after the busy holiday season. At times it can be tough to figure out which changes will matter most in the long run and which to let go of (Yes, you should eat the whole eggs, please forget trying to eat fat free salad dressing as it will not help anyone reach their goals, and do continue to get in your fruits and veggies).
Whatever your specific nutrition and health goals are, we are here to tell you that you can accomplish them as long as you are realistic and stay consistent. Contact us and get one-on-one guidance with any of our RDs to take the first step to a better you!
Lauren Antonucci, Director
Nutrition Energy
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January Newsletter