Nutrition: its all upside down!!

Following a photo that was taken of me with other athletes in Pontevedra while at the European championships, I suddenly realised that my coach Steve Casson had a point when he said I could probably improve my power to weight ratio. So I went in search of a nutritionist.

I was recommended Martin MacDonald, by more than one person on twitter including Becky White, a nutritionist and fitness professional who i know quite well. I decided to give him a go.

After an initial 2 day food diary and some discussion, he gave me some basic rules to follow while my data was being analysed. The advice was in part what I had heard before in many places, but in part, completely the opposite of what I had read up till now.

For example:

• No low fat or diet options

I have read this before, the way I understand it is that aspartame is not a natural product and that is where the trouble lies. Apparently low fat foods are processed foods, leached of many of their natural macro and micronutrients. often they also lose their flavour because of this and are sweetened by sugar... much more potential to harm health and not good for body composition at all!

• Every meal must contain protein

• One meal a day must be carb free

So, for example, I have done this with my lunch for the past few days. Have you ever tried it?! It’s harder than you think! No bread, no crackers, rice cakes, potatoes, and no veggie only options either. Jeez that’s tricky!

• No fruit unless with a meal

         Oh my!! This is all I snack on normally!

• More fat in the diet!

The correct kind, I might add, i.e. not man made fats like vegetable oil and chocolate, but that means I am back to snacking on nuts whereas I had stopped that because I thought they were too fatty!

• No sweet treats

This one will be VERY hard!

The overall message seems to be that I eat too many carbs, not enough protein and not enough fat.

I have tried this new way of eating for two days now and here is what I have discovered:

• Before, on a light tea I used to be very peckish and tended to snack later in the evening
• I am finding it tricky to reach for nuts when it would usually be fruit or something to snack on
• No carb lunches are a big challenge!! I am going to have to really think about this because I could get very bored of salads! There must be something else!? It seems wrong to have a cooked meal at lunch time too!
• I am struggling with sugar cravings.
• I am also struggling with the more fat idea. However, I will embrace the change and see what happens!

All the logic seems to be sound, from what I have read. Add more salt because you lose lots through sweat already, phew, because i love my salt, maybe thats why! Also less fruit because it is high in sugar – I know that – I did the no fruit diet! Although no fruit at all is perhaps not wise. (I was constantly ill, perhaps through lack of vitamin C!!)

Things I did not know:

The muscles need to store fat for energy

Protein aids the repair of muscle. I associate protein with body builders! Oops!

It is all a learning curve. I will let you know how I get on!

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