By Barry Meier/ NY Times

Energy drinks are the fastest-growing part of the beverage industry, with sales in the United States reaching more than $10 billion in 2012 — more than Americans spent on iced tea or sports beverages like Gatorade.

Their rising popularity represents a generational shift in what people drink, and reflects a successful campaign to convince consumers, particularly teenagers, that the drinks provide a mental and physical edge.

The drinks are now under scrutiny by the Food and Drug Administration after reports of deaths and serious injuries that may be linked to their high caffeine levels. But however that review ends, one thing is clear, interviews with researchers and a review of scientific studies show: the energy drink industry is based on a brew of ingredients that, apart from caffeine, have little, if any benefit for consumers.

“If you had a cup of coffee you are going to affect metabolism in the same way,” said Dr. Robert W. Pettitt, an associate professor at Minnesota State University in Mankato, who has studied the drinks.

Energy drink companies have promoted their products not as caffeine-fueled concoctions but as specially engineered blends that provide something more. For example, producers claim that “Red Bull gives you wings,” that Rockstar Energy is “scientifically formulated” and Monster Energy is a “killer energy brew.” Representative Edward J. Markey of Massachusetts, a Democrat, has asked the government to investigate the industry’s marketing claims.  READ MORE

This is going to be all about numbers. Many times we focus on more intangible aspects of our health and lifestyle based on how we feel or what we can overcome. That is nice and feels good, but sometimes, we really do just need to take a look at the numbers. Here are a few numbers you need to be aware of to ensure you are succeeding in your efforts to look good, feel great and reach your goals.

1)  Get 7-8 hours of SLEEP- every night.

2)  Drink 96+ ounces of WATER- every day.

3)  Eat 7-9 servings of VEGETABLES- every day.

4)  Intake 30+ grams of FIBER- every day.  (Which won't be hard, by the way, if you eat your vegetables)

5)  Eat 1 gram of (clean, lean) PROTEIN per every lean pound of muscle you have... every day. (so, if you have 100 pounds of lean muscle mass, eat 100 grams of lean protein)

6)  Based on pure numbers, it takes 3500 calories to burn 1 pound of body fat. So, you need to control your caloric intake to match your metabolic needs by being aware of how MANY CALORIES you are eating every day and then ensure you don't overdo it.  (If you don't know your base metabolic rate, you can go to a BMR calculator like: http://www.stevenscreek.com/goodies/calories.shtml and it can give you a basic idea).

7)   1 gram of protein is 4 calories.  1 gram of carbohydrate is 4 calories. 1 gram of fat is 9 calories. Those are some useful numbers to be aware of.  Of course, you need the fat (especially the Essential Fatty Acids we have spoken of in past articles) just make sure you get the right fats in the right amounts. Same as your carbohydrate intake and quality proteins. It's not just quantity; the quality is of utmost importance!

8)  Your WEIGHT is a number that can give you feedback on how well you are doing.

9)  Your BODYFAT is (in my opinion) an even more important number to be watching and ensure it is in a healthy range. The American Council on Exercise (ACE) recommends men maintain a body fat under 25% and women keep their body fat under 31%.  Those numbers are being quite generous- aim for mid to low 20's% for most people.

10)  Your CIRCUMFERENCE measurements are also a very effective way to track how well you are managing your health.  If you are carrying excess girth/fat around your midsection in particular, you are at a higher risk for increased cardiovascular/heart disease.  So, watch
those numbers!

11)  Finally, keep up your 90% on track nutrition with your 10% off track nutrition to ensure you keep your numbers where you want them!

Now that you've been given a few numbers that can help you regulate and monitor your health and fitness, it's up to you to determine which numbers are going to be the most beneficial in that quest. If you know that your lack of sleep is directly affecting your body's ability to release growth hormone and thus improve your weight loss or recovery, then that is THE number you should be working on improving. If you know that you are most definitely NOT getting in 7-9 servings of vegetables every day, or you are far below the 30 grams of fiber every day then you should spend this next week focusing on getting those numbers up to par.

How about your water intake?  Think you are hitting that 96 ounces or more number?  If not, you are not giving your body the help it needs to flush out toxins and aid in weight loss, recovery and becoming the best you can be. You need to know your body composition (particularly how much fat and muscle you are made of) because that is also going to help you determine how many grams of protein you are going to aim to consume every day.  That is an extremely important number to know to ensure you are feeding your body the supremely important protein that is going to build and repair muscle and increase your body's metabolic rate.

If you really want to succeed at maintaining your goal weight, keeping your body fat and circumference measurements healthy and living a vibrant lifestyle, you need to RECORD what you are doing. Studies show that people that keep a nutrition journal lose more weight than people who don't.  In fact, in a study of 1,685 dieters conducted by a health insurance company, the best predictor of weight loss throughout the first year was the number of food records kept per week. Another recent study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine found that dieters who tracked their food intake in a "food diary" lost twice as much weight as those who didn't track their food. Those should be some pretty convincing numbers! So, pick your numbers this week. Do your best to improve that number and make it a GREAT week!!

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

Amino acids are the building blocks of the body that make up protein, and protein is the base that makes up muscles, tendons, organs, glands, nails and hair (to name a few!). On top of that, the growth, repair and maintenance of all our cells is dependant upon amino acids. Did you know that next to water, protein makes up the greatest portion of our body weight? So, I would venture to say that amino acids are pretty, mighty, super, duper important!

 There are 20 amino acids that regularly make up proteins. Our bodies are capable of making 9 of those amino acids, but we must get the remaining ten from outside sources- specifically our FOOD and supplements. These 10 amino acids are known as Essential Amino Acids. Amino acid supplements fall into two basic categories:  Essential Amino Acids (EAA's) and Branched Chain Amino Acids (BCAAs.)

ESSENTIAL AMINO ACIDS
A quick overview of each of the Essential Amino Acids will give us a better understanding of why each is SO important.

- Phenylalanine is traditionally marketed for it’s analgesic (pain-killing) and antidepressant effect, and is a precursor to the synthesis of norepinephrine and dopamine, two feel-good brain chemicals. This could be good because elevated brain levels of norepinephrine and dopamine may actually lower your “RPE” or Rating of Perceived Exertion During Exercise, which means you could be happier when you’re suffering halfway through a killer workout session or Ironman bike ride.  Food sources include dairy, almonds, avocados, lima beans, peanuts, and seeds.

- Valine plays double duty because it is BOTH an Essential Amino Acid and a Branched Chain Amino Acid. Valine is an essential amino acid. It can help to prevent muscle proteins from breaking down during exercise. This means that if you take Valine during exercise, you could recover faster because you’d have less muscle damage. Dietary sources of valine include dairy products, grain, meat, mushrooms, peanuts, and soy proteins.

- Threonine is shown to play a role in liver function as well as assists in creating collagen.  Because it is an EAA it will work in conjunction with the other EAA's to help decrease indicators of muscle damage and inflammation. This basically means that if you popped some essential amino acids, even if you didn't eat anything, you might not 'cannibalize' as much lean muscle during a fasted workout session.  Dietary sources of threonine include dairy, beef, poultry, eggs, beans, nuts, and seeds.

- Tryptophan is a precursor for serotonin, a brain neurotransmitter that can suppress pain, and if you’re taking some before bed at night, even induce a bit of sleepiness. The main reason to take tryptophan would be to increase tolerance to pain during hard workouts, games or races. But studies to this point go back and forth on whether or not that actually improves performance. Tryptophan can be found in oats, bananas, dried dates, milk, cottage cheese, meat, fish, turkey and peanuts.

- Isoleucine is another BCAA/EAA combo, has some of the same advantages of Valine (we'll learn more about this in a minute). Isoleucine is found in eggs, fish, lentils, poultry, beef, seeds, soy, wheat, almonds and dairy.

- Histidine is a precursor to histamine and could help you fight off the cell damaging free radicals you produce during exercise, and carnosine helps you get rid of muscle burn more quickly, and helps turn lactic acid back into useable muscle fuel. So hooray for histidine, it gets a gold star sticker.

- Arginine- most of the studies on arginine show that it really helps folks with cardiovascular disease improve exercise capacity, and like tryptophan, the studies go back and forth on whether it really helps with the athletic population – but it has a great deal of promise.

- Leucine is yet another BCAA/EAA combo (more on that below).  Leucine is found in cottage cheese, sesame seeds, peanuts, dry lentils, chicken and fish.

- Lysine may assist with growth-hormone release, which could vastly improve muscle repair and recovery, although if you take lysine in it’s isolated form, the amount you’d have to take to increase growth hormone release would cause gastrointestinal distress. But combined with all the other essential amino acids, there may be a growth hormone response in smaller doses, and there is some clinical evidence that essential amino acid supplementation could stimulate growth hormone releasing factors. Lysine sources include green beans, lentils, soybean, spinach and amaranth.

BRANCHED CHAIN AMINO ACIDS
Now, let's talk about the Branched Chain Amino Acids which consist of Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine (which are also part of the Essential Amino Acid group) BCAA's are interesting because they are metabolized in the muscle, rather than in the liver. What this means is that BCAA's can be relied on as an actual energy source DURING exercise, and could actually help prevent premature muscle breakdown. Several studies have shown that BCAA's could actually help increase red blood cell count, hemoglobin, hematocrit and serum albumin, which basically means, less inflammation, better red blood cell formation (more oxygen), and better formation of storage carbohydrate (more easily obtained fuel). BCAA studies by researchers  Sugita and Kraemer also show that BCAA supplementation after exercise has been shown to cause faster recovery of muscle strength and the ability to slow down muscle breakdown even during intense training. In addition, when you supplement with BCAA’s they help maintain higher blood levels of amino acids which can make you feel happier even when you’re suffering during exercise. So as you may have guessed, low blood levels of BCAA’s are correlated with increased fatigue and reduced physical performance.

A study titled "Branched-chain amino acids supplementation enhances exercise capacity and lipid oxidation during endurance exercise after muscle glycogen depletion", by Gualano, et al. that showed that when taken prior to a fasted exercise session, BCAA’s could increase fat oxidation. Hmm... burn more fat while exercising? I'm on it!If all of the essential amino acids are present, muscle repair and recovery can start before you’re even done with your workout – and when you’re mentally stretched toward the end of a tough workout, game or race, high blood levels of amino acids (i.e. from the BCAA’s in sports gels) can allow the body and brain to continue to work hard instead of shutting down. So, if we want to have enhanced mental focus during a workout, keep our bodies from cannibalizing muscle during fasted morning workout sessions, burn more fat during those sessions, and decrease post-workout muscle soreness. We should be supplementing with BCAA's- but, how?

When racing triathlons or going out for a longer training day, GU has a product called Roctane that also has BCAA's. There are other products as well that have BCAA's; Leucine, Isoleucine and Valine. You can even look at the ingredients of different products and determine for yourself which one you will use.

There is a product out there called MAP (Master Amino Acid Profile) that I have not used, but am considering trying because it would be an easy way to get the BCAA's pre-workout. I've been eyeing it for some time now, and after reading up more on this topic, I just might incorporate it into my training. It comes in capsules, so it is easy to take some right before your workout. I have also really liked a product called BaddAss Nutrition that offers many of these BCAA's in a pre-workout drink. I used this product ALL winter as I prepared for both Ironman 70.3 Puerto Rico and Ironman St. George and have to say it was awesome!

You can also buy powdered BCAA's at pretty much any nutrition store (Good Earth carries them and I even have some at my studio along with the Whey Protein Isolate). This is a super easy way to just scoop some of the powdered form of these into your pre or post workout drink or smoothie. If you are struggling with feeling weak, tired, not making progress in your weight loss or athletic goals, or recovery, perhaps you should analyze what you are doing and eating and then consider adding some Branched Chain Amino Acid and Essential Amino Acid supplementation! It might just be the missing puzzle piece that you are looking for. Of course, this is all based on the assumption that you are already making those healthy food choices and getting in your quality FATS (omega 3 in particular), PROTEINS, CARBS (in the form of veggies, fruits, and complex carbs) and getting sufficient WATER (96 oz.+) and REST (7+ hours every night!) Ideally, you want to incorporate BCAA's before and during workouts and then utilize EAA's +whey protein AFTER your workout to ensure full recovery and absorption of the EAA's.

Just to clarify:  Essential Amino Acids and Branched Chain Amino Acids are necessary for EVERYONE!  This is not just for athletes looking to get faster, stronger, leaner, etc. (although that sure is a bonus).  These are crucial for every living being! So, if you are just trying to live a healthier more vibrant and energetic lifestyle, be aware of your amino acid intake and ensure you are giving your body every advantage you can.

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

This must be addressed because there is quite a large group of people that have an issue with this topic and are trying to ignore just how much damage to their health and athletic performance they are doing with this one little itty bitty habit they have. So, here goes:

QUIT DRINKING SODA POP... especially the diet versions! Soda pop is bad for you! DIET soda is probably even worse for you! Are your toes twitching and your head starting to ache just thinking about not having your soda fix? I know that Diet Coke, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Monster, Pepsi (or whatever else you get your fix from) is like your life-blood. Some of you may be wishing there was an option to just get an IV and carry around a bag of your favorite drink and have it jack you up straight up clean through the veins. Of course, most of you love the feel of it in your mouth before it heads on down into your system and does its work, and even the comfort of holding that big ol' cup or can is part of the addiction. It's a habit that touches on more than just the drink. It's a part of your daily ritual and lifestyle. So, if it makes you so happy, why should you quit? What's so bad about this fizzy, sweet, caffeinated liquid bliss? To begin with, it is addicting! Do you really want to have your behaviors and daily existence ruled by an addiction to a drink?  If you are drinking a DIET version of soda, you probably think you are doing yourself a favor because, well, there aren't any calories, right? Drano doesn't have any calories either. I'll bet you wouldn't want to drink that! But really, it's not just about the calories. It's about what it is doing to your body's internal environment and your long term health.

Anecdotal evidence shows that diet soda contains artificial sweeteners that can stimulate your appetite. It can increase your carbohydrate craving and it could stimulate fat storage and weight gain. It is also acidic and creates an extremely unhealthy environment in your body; which means your body is in a breaking down (catabolic) state instead of a building up (anabolic) state, which means disease and disrepair!

Sucralose is used in many of these drinks and a study found that it could decrease red blood cells, cause enlargement or calcification in the kidneys and studies have shown it can kill about half of the good bacteria in your stomach.  In a study of rabbits given this stuff, it caused a 23% death rate in the soda group compared to a 6% death rate in the control group with no soda. A few more good reasons to quit the soda habit:

KIDNEY DAMAGE
A 2009 Nurses' Health Study of 3,256 women found a 30% drop in level of kidney function for participants who drank 2 or more servings of diet pop daily. This means that those who drank at least 2 cans, bottles or glasses of diet drinks daily had 30% less kidney blood filtering ability than those who drank regular sodas or other drinks, like water! You do not want to damage your kidneys. They are pretty useful in keeping your body healthy by doing things such as: removing wastes and extra fluid from your blood, controlling your body's chemical balance, making urine, helping to control your blood pressure, helping to keep your bones healthy and helping you make red blood cells (read: oxygen for all you athletes)

WEIGHT GAIN
Perhaps surprising, but true: studies have tied diet soda consumption to an increased risk of obesity. In fact, a 2005 University of Texas Health Science Center study found a 57.1% risk of obesity for those drinking more than two daily servings of diet pop. Another 8 year long study  looked at 600 normal weight patients between the ages of 25 and 64.  They discovered that people who were drinking one diet soda a day were 65% more likely to be overweight and that two of these zero calorie diet soft-drinks per raised the odds of becoming overweight or obese. Do you really want to sabotage all your hard work and training by drinking something that is going to put your body at risk for weight gain? 


BONE LOSS


Drinking diet soda can also lead to bone loss. This is because the phosphoric acid in the soda causes calcium in your bloodstream to be excreted more quickly than normal through urine. Your bones then give up some of their calcium in order to keep the bloodstream calcium level constant.  Anyone looking for athletic excellence would probably do themselves a little itty bitty favor if they can keep their bones strong and healthy and able to support their body as they swim, bike, run, lift weights or do any other activity that makes their life even more awesome and enjoyable!

TOOTH ENAMEL DAMAGE

Our teeth don't necessarily affect our athletic performance but, it sure can affect your health in the long run if your teeth are decaying! Soda is hard on tooth enamel, with the sugar and acid being the most problematic ingredients. Diet soda eliminates the sugar, but not the acid content of pop. Most of us are familiar enough with acid that we can imagine its impact on our tooth enamel (and our INTERNAL environment!), which is the main barrier our teeth have against decay. Phosphoric acid is found in many diet sodas, and its purpose is to promote carbonation. But it also erodes tooth enamel. Generally, darker colas are more likely to contain it than lighter diet drinks.
Citric acid is another ingredient added to many diet sodas in order to preserve carbonation. Like phosphoric acid, it eats away at your tooth enamel.




MORE DISEASE


In results from a study published online in the Journal of General Internal Medicine:
University of Miami and Columbia University researchers followed roughly 2,500 New Yorkers for 10 years. All of the study volunteers were over age 40 and had never had a stroke. At the start of the study, each participant indicated her or his diet soda intake as “none” (less than 1 per month), “light” (1 diet soda a month to 6 diet sodas a week), or “daily” (1 or more a day). Each year, researchers contacted participants by phone to ask them about changes in risk factors and medications, as well as any health problems and hospitalizations that may have occurred. At the end of 10 years, the daily diet soda drinkers were more likely to have had a stroke or heart attack, or to have died from vascular disease. The increased risk remained even after study investigators accounted for smoking, exercise, weight, sodium intake, high cholesterol, and other factors that could have contributed to the difference.

Both regular and diet soft drinks were linked with certain, but separate, cardiovascular disease risk factors. In this study, frequent diet soda drinkers were more likely to be former smokers and have higher blood sugar, high blood pressure, and ironically, larger waistlines. They were also more likely to have metabolic syndrome. That’s the name for a cluster of risk factors— high blood pressure, high blood sugar, excess body fat around the waist, and abnormal cholesterol levels— that occur together and increase the risk for heart disease, stroke, and type 2 diabetes. Folks who drank regular soda were more likely to smoke and eat more carbohydrates, but were less likely to have diabetes or high cholesterol.

A report from the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis, published in the journal "Diabetes Care", found that people who drank diet soda every day had a 36% greater risk of developing metabolic syndrome and a 67% greater risk of developing diabetes. Both of these conditions greatly raise the odds of having a stroke or heart attack.

So, there you have it! It's not a pretty picture for the soda demographic. I know it is hard, but I am confident that you can break your addiction to soda and improve your health! Change your habits and you can break your addiction. Drink water; if you hate the flavor of plain water, squeeze lemons or limes into it. Chew gum in place of drinking a soda. Every time you crave that habit, go for a walk or drink some flavored water (preferably non-sugary, non-caffeinated). Remember just how devastating drinking soda is to your health and then focus on what you really want: kidneys that do all their awesome good deeds, athletic goals, good teeth, great health! And, don't get discouraged if you aren't perfect and mess up every once in awhile, it's about the journey to good health. The key is to keep trying, always!




Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She is a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

In order to really succeed at creating a healthy lifestyle and not just a temporary fix, you need to create some habits. The following habits, an exerpt from Precision Nutrition, if followed and incorporated into your daily, permanent, consistent, healthy lifestyle will pretty much guarantee that you will always stay healthy, fit, lean and looking and feeling great. Of course habits take some time, focus, energy and serious commitment to create.  But once you get them into your system you will be able to really be rocking! The following are the habits that are going to get you where you want to be (and keep you there!)

#1: EAT EVERY 2-4 HOURS
Why?  Because research shows that frequent eating stimulates your metabolism, balances your blood sugar and helps maintain lean mass (while burning fat!)  How many meals per day should you eat? Just divide the time you're awake by 3. So if you are awake 15 hours a day, you should aim for 5 meals a day. If your goal is weight gain, you may need to eat more meals per day. If your goal is weight loss, then you may need to only eat 4 meals per day. Your meal size will be based on your gender, body size, body fat, physical activity levels, calorie needs, etc.

#2: EAT COMPLETE, LEAN PROTEIN WITH EVERY MEAL  
Why? Because protein helps to maintain blood sugars, maximally stimulate your metabolism, improve your muscle mass (higher metabolic rate), improve recovery, and reduce your body fat. Women should aim for about 20-30 grams (80-120 calories) per meal- the equivalent of about 1palm sized portion of protein. Men should aim for about 40-60 grams of protein per meal- the equivalent of about 2 palm sized portions.

 
#3: EAT VEGETABLES WITH EVERY MEAL
Why? For many reasons! Science has shown that in addition to the micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals) packed into veggies, there are also important plant chemicals that are essential to optimal physiological functioning. Vegetables also provide an alkaline load to the blood.  Since proteins and grains are more acidic, it is important to balance this load since too much acid means the loss of bone strength and muscle mass. Vegetables are also a great source of fiber. A serving of veggies is about 1/2 cup. Aim to eat 2-3 servings (so 1.5 or so cups) with every meal. Make this a daily habit and you will be providing your body with 10-15 servings of awesome, cancer fighting, fat blasting, free radical destroying, acid neutralizing, power veggies every day.

#4: IF FAT LOSS IS YOUR GOAL, EAT VEGGIES AND FRUITS WITH EVERY MEAL AND "OTHER CARBS" ONLY AFTER EXERCISE

Why? Because, when it comes to changing your body's composition, timing your carbohydrates is one of the most effective strategies for kick-starting fat loss in people with stubborn and hard to remove body fat stores. It also minimizes fat gain in people gaining muscle!

#5: EAT HEALTHY FATS DAILY
Why?  Because healthy fats (primarily monounsaturated and polyunsaturated) help you lose weight as well as help with cellular repair, fat loss, improved recovery and a host of other valuable healthy benefits. Aim for approximately 30% of your calories coming from healthy fats. In addition to getting healthy fats from your food (such as: nuts, olive oil, avocado, flax seeds/oil, etc.) you should also include fish oil supplements in your nutrition plan. These supplements can help  protect you from heart disease, cancer, diabetes and more. It is recommended that about 6 grams a day is about right.

#6: DON'T DRINK BEVERAGES WITH MORE THAN 0 CALORIES (this does not include your green protein smoothie)  
Why? Because nothing can take the place of good, clean water. Your body is made of over 60% water! Water is absolutely essential for a variety of functions including weight loss and improved body composition, circulation, better athletic performance, and a host of other crucial bodily functions. You should aim for a minimum of 96 ounces of water every day!

#7: EAT WHOLE FOODS INSTEAD OF SUPPLEMENTS WHENEVER POSSIBLE
Why? Because no pills, bars or other pre-made options can even come close to giving you the quality of vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals that good
old fruits and veggies contain. Get a complete diet of lean meats (and other quality proteins), fruits and veggies, high fiber and nutrient dense carbs (at the right time) and good, healthy fats. I know it can be challenging to do this all the time, so aim to eat this way as often as you possibly can, and then give yourself a break when life is too crazy and go with the pre-made stuff when nothing else will work. This leads us to the next habit...

 
#8: PLAN AHEAD AND PREPARE FOOD IN ADVANCE  
Why? Because life is crazy and busy and the hardest part of eating well and healthy is consistency. Sometimes good nutrition is less about the food and more about making sure the food is available when it's time to eat. Remember, "Failing to plan is planning to fail."  So plan ahead and succeed!

 
#9: EAT AS WIDE A VARIETY OF GOOD FOODS AS POSSIBLE  
Why? Well first off, eating the same things over and over can get very boring. In addition, it is nice to give your body a variety of nutrients and fresh seasonal foods that give you a healthy variety.  Be brave, try new things! You may just find some new favorites.

#10: PLAN TO BREAK THE RULES 10% OF THE TIME  
Why? Because it gives you a break from feeling like you have to be perfect all the time, and really makes a negligible effect on your progress. But, let's be clear on what this 10% break really means. If you are eating 5 times per day for 7 days of the week, that's 35 meals each week. Since 10% of 35 is about 3.5, you can eat 3 or 4 "imperfect" meals per week. A 10% meal is one that doesn't conform to the above 9 habits. Did you miss your protein source with lunch? That's a 10% meal. Did you skip a meal? That's a 10% meal. Did you skip veggies? That's a 10% meal. Did you eat a whole pizza? That's definitely a 10% meal! You get it, right?  If you are honest with yourself in regards to your nutritional quality and adherence to your 90% on and 10% off, you will succeed and reach your goals. If you are not seeing results, take a good, honest look at your nutrition and you will most likely find that your 10% break is probably more around 20%, 30% or even more. Aim for 90% of your meals hitting the above 9 habits and then enjoy your 10% break meals! It's a good thing!
 
So, there you have it, ten fantastic habits that are going to help you get lean and strong. When incorporated into your steady, consistent lifestyle they will keep you lean and strong.
   
ENJOY!

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She s a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

Today we are going to take a different angle on nutrition and HOW it affects our bodies on a little different level than you have probably considered before. We are going to learn about the alkaline/acidic nature of food and how maintaining a healthy acid/alkaline balance can improve our health (both for those wanting to lose weight and those wanting to perform at their athletic potential!).
 
Every food has the potential to either be an acid or alkaline creating food.  Acidity and alkalinity are measured in pH (potential of hydrogen).  The pH scale goes from 0-14, with 0 being the most acidic, and 14 the most alkaline.  Stomach acid pH is 1 (very acidic), water is 7 (neutral), venous blood is 7.35 and baking soda is very alkaline at 12.  Ideally, our pH should stay on the alkaline side:  between 7.35 and 7.45.  (Just so you know, Coke is a 2 on the pH scale, so just a teeny bit less acidic than your stomach acid!) Foods are classified as acid-forming or alkalizing depending on the effect they have on the body. An acid-forming food contributes hydrogen ions to the body, making it more acidic. An alkalizing food removes hydrogen ions from the body, making it more alkaline. The body continually strives to maintain a balanced pH. So, when this balance is compromised, many problems occur because a highly acidic pH forces the body to borrow minerals from vital organs and bones to buffer (neutralize) the acid and safely remove it from the body.

Dr. Loren Cordain (author of the Paleo Diet) tells us:  "After digestion, all foods report to the kidneys as being either acidic or alkaline. The kidneys are responsible for fluid balance and maintaining a relatively neutral pH in the body."  When acid-yielding foods lower the body's pH, the kidneys coordinate efforts to buffer that acidity. Bones release calcium and magnesium to reestablish alkalinity, and muscles are broken down to produce ammonia, which is strongly alkaline.  By the time the response is all over, your bone minerals and broken down muscle get excreted in urine, and you are left with weaker bones and muscles.
 
The problem with most of us is that we are eating far too many foods that create an acidic environment inside our bodies. Imagine a container full of acid. What do you envision?  A healthy, life supporting, disease free, energy creating environment or do you see an environment that is diseased, corrupted, corrosive and destructive? The answer, just in case you were confused, is the diseased, corrosive, destructive one!  If you are creating a hostile environment inside your body by consuming foods that create a highly acidic environment in your body, how can you expect to have healthy cellular function, tissue regeneration, muscular repair, efficient fat burning capabilities and an overall healthy and vibrant body? You can't!
 
Acidosis (or too much acidity in your body) is one of the consequences of eating a highly acidic diet with little intake of alkalizing foods to balance your body's pH. 
 
Some of the more negative effects of acidosis are:
- Arthritic and rheumatic diseases.
- Weak bones and increased risk of osteoporosis.  Dr Michael Colgan, in his book "The New Nutrition," says  "Acidosis destroys bones, because the body has to steal alkalizing minerals from them to keep blood pH from dropping into the acid range."
- Heartburn
- Overweight and or increased risk of obesity
- Cardiovascular damage
- Joint pain, aching muscles and lactic acid buildup
- Degenerative diseases
- Insomnia
- Water retention
- Depression
- Migraines
- Constipation
- Fatigue
- And how about...general, overall feeling of crappiness!
 
So, wanna know what foods you are eating that are most likely causing Acidosis?
- Sugar
- Soda Pop
- Fast Foods
- Refined flour and processed foods such as:  muffins, pasta, buns, bagels, pastries, breads
- Overcooked animal flesh, lunch meats (especially with all the chemicals in them), canned tuna.
- Coffee and alcohol
- Starchy carbs
- Most dairy products
 
Even as I was writing that list I was starting to feel discouraged and crappy cause we ALL eat some of the above listed foods! "Seriously", I am thinking to myself..."What the heck CAN we eat?" Well, guess what? A LOT!  It isn't that we can't eat any acidic foods. We need some of them (like certain nuts, quality carbs and dairy). We just want to maintain a nice healthy balance of about 70-80% alkaline foods and the other 20-30% of our food choices coming from the acidic foods (NOT the sugar, pop, and refined crap types of foods! Nice try, though!)

Remember, any of the acidifying foods are GOOD for us!  We just want to manage portion control to ensure they are in balance with the alkalizing foods that should take up about 70% of our daily nutritional calories! **DO NOT overcook your protein sources to ensure they are not denatured and destroyed**
 
Just do more of the following:
1)  More leafy greens
2)  More vegetables
3   More fresh fruits
4)  Lean protein (especially Whey Protein Isolate because it is highly bio-available)
5)  Lots and lots of pure, clean water
 
It really is that EASY! This is yet one more reason why I love the Green Protein Smoothie every day before noon,  so you have started your day with amazing nutrition that gives your body a ton of alkalizing benefits!

Below is a list of ALKALIZING AND ACIDIFYING FOODS:

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She s a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

Today’s topic is fat loading. Fat loading! Sounds like a dream come true! I envy the athlete who got to be in the research study for that one. When I first heard this my left brain immediately scoffed and dismissed it, but then my right brain said, “Hey David, fat is the primary source of fuel at lower intensities. Would this help for longer distance races?” So, I took a look at the research.

A 2003 study published in Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise took 11 athletes and had them take in a high fat diet of 53%, and the other group with a low fat diet of only 17% for 5 weeks. Glycogen content was slightly lower in the high fat athletes, but not considered statistically significant. VO2 max was not statistically different between the two groups. Cycling 20 minutes all out, followed by a half-marathon, showed no statistically significant performance decrease in the high fat diet.

Now, I’d like to point out that I am a firm believer in statistics and margin of error, and something being statistically significant or not statistically significant. But if you were to take the times of the top 5 finishers in a Olympic-distance triathlon, and their times are likely only separated by 1 minute or less, and run a statistical analysis on those 5 times, the result would be that there was no statistically significant difference in their times. But, the fact is 1 person was still faster than the other 4. A race director is not going to buy the argument that the second place guy was within the statistical margin of error, and should therefore share first place. So I’m not trying to dilute the importance of statistical analysis but in this study, VO2, glycogen stores, and performance were all just a bit higher in the low fat vs. high fat, although within the margin of error and so in the scientific world there was no difference between the two groups. Perhaps no benefit from fat loading but there was certainly no disadvantage in this study.

In another study from Australia looked at 7 cyclists that took in either a high carb or high fat diet for 6 days, the high fat diet taking in 4.5 times the amount of fat compared to the high carb diet. The researchers found that although there was no difference in performance, the high fat diet used more fat for fuel, which is exactly what you want to train your body to do, specifically for long-distance events.

Finally a 2003 study from the University of Otago in New Zealand seemed to indicate some possible benefit from fat loading on endurance racing. Again, 7 cyclists took in either high fat or high carb diets over a 14-day period followed by a 15 minute time trial and then a 100k (62 miles) time trial. There was a slight decrease in performance in the high fat group on the 15 minute time trial.  But in the 100k time trail, there was a slight increase in power and performance in the high fat group, although the researchers concluded that it was not statistically significant. As in the Australian study, fat was used more for fuel in the high fat group. The researchers concluded that although the main effects were not statistically significant, there was some evidence for enhanced ultra-endurance cycling performance relative to high-carbohydrate.

My opinion on this is that I am not qualified to have an opinion. Seriously, it tends to go against conventional nutrition strategy but convention has been challenged many times in sports physiology to prove what we thought was wrong. What I do know is that no study has shown any performance improvement in fat loading over short distances and only possible improvements over long distance. However, all the studies I looked at failed to tell me the effect on an athlete’s body composition from the fat loading. Did this increase their overall body fat? I can’t imagine that it would not have had some effect on body composition.

Remember that these tests were performed on stationary bikes, so although the performance gains may have been neutral to slight on a stationary bike, any weight gained would not affect the study. Whereas, when cycling outdoors, where you are forced to accelerate your own mass, a 2-pound gain from fat loading would in fact have a negative effect on your performance. I say the jury is still out on this one, there just isn’t enough conclusive proof to do it. If you do choose to try fat loading remember that in the two studies that showed possible benefit for long distance racing, fat loading only took place for the 6-14 days prior to the time trials. Don’t go out and perform a 6 month fat loading plan.

David Warden is a 3-time USAT All American and Elite Coach with Joe Friel's TrainingBible coaching. His work has been published in Triathlete and USA Triathlon Life magazines. He is the former Vice-Chair of the USAT Rocky Mountain Region, and the host and producer of the #1 triathlon podcast, Tri Talk and part owner of  www.powertri.com.

I read a terrific article the other day about calories and it made me realize that many of us don't really focus on the quality of our calories. First off, contrary to popular belief a calorie is NOT a calorie. What that means is that carbs, fats and protein calories are not equal because the body processes each in a distinct way, and these differences have a definite affect on weight management and health. Think about it, two different people eat 2000 calories a day:

Person #1 eats those calories in the form of no breakfast (cause they hate breakfast!), a small burger and fries for lunch with a diet Coke (cause there's no calories, so it must be good..right?) and a pint of Ben and Jerry's for dinner.

Person #2 eats those calories in the form of a protein smoothie with all the goods in it for breakfast (400 calories), an apple and small handful of almonds for a snack (250 calories), a flat bread wrap with turkey, spinach, cucumbers and mustard with a clementine for lunch (300 calories),  a yogurt with cottage cheese and kashi go lean cereal for another snack (350 calories), and tilapia fish with a big green salad, sweet potato, and grilled asparagus or brocolli for dinner (450 calories). Later that evening they want a small snack so they have a serving of edamame or a small protein smoothie (150 calories) and they go to bed feeling content, healthy and never hungry with a metabolism that has been fired up all day long and keeps working happily all night long as they sleep!
 

Same amount of calories for the 2 different people, but which one is going to be the leaner, lighter, healthier person? Easy answer! (and if you said person #1...we've got some problems!)

Here is how this breaks down:
#1 The energy cost to metabolize fat, carbs and protein is different.
Did you know it takes energy to digest, absorb and metabolize the energy in food? The body uses different amounts of energy to process different energy containing nutrients. It takes more energy (in general) to burn protein than carbs. And, it takes more energy to process carbs than fat! Don't get  me wrong, we need all three of these beneficial macronutrients, but we need to utilize them in the right manner.

#2 Calorie restriction SLOWS your metabolism.
So, if you think that just by cutting back on your caloric intake that you are going to lose weight, you are right at first. Then what happens is your body will metabolically adapt to your intake and your body will literally run cooler to conserve the reduced number of calories you are eating. Which means you are right back where you started, but hungrier!

There is an interesting study that involved elite female gymnasts and distance runners. The study found that those athletes who had inconsistent caloric intake in regards to their caloric needs tended to have more body fat and were less lean than the runners and gymnasts who timed their nutrient intake to supply their bodies with the necessary fuel to keep their metabolic rate healthy and muscle mass sufficient. It is also interesting to note that this study showed that even if these athletes took in the same number of calories, the athletes that distributed their calories most evenly throughout the day were those that were leanest and healthiest!

#3 Protein reduces appetite.
In general, protein will reduce your appetite more per calorie than fat and carbohydrate. Basically what this means is, if you just include more lean protein in your daily nutrition you will most likely eat less without even noticing because you will feel more full. Here are the results from a study conducted by the University of Washington School of Medicine:  "In a recent study from the University of Washington School of Medicine, 19 subjects were fed each of three diets sequentially. For two weeks they followed a weight-maintenance diet comprising 15 percent protein, 35 percent fat, and 50 percent carbohydrate. For the next two weeks they followed a high–protein diet of equal calories. The macronutrient breakdown of this diet was 30 percent protein, 20 percent fat, and 50 percent carbohydrate. Finally, the subjects switched to a high-protein diet with the same macronutrient breakdown but no calorie restriction—subjects were allowed to eat as much or as little as they pleased (or “ad libitum”). They stayed on this last diet for 12 weeks. "

The authors of the study reported that when subjects switched from the low-protein weight maintenance diet to the high-protein weight maintenance diet, they started feeling much fuller despite the fact that they were consuming the same number of calories. Even more significant, during the unrestricted high-protein diet phase, the subjects voluntarily reduced their daily eating by 441 calories per day and lost almost 11 pounds, including more than eight pounds of body fat, on average. They actually felt more full and yet, were eating less cause they weren't hungry. Oh yeah- and lost weight and more importantly, body fat!

#4 Eat your fiber.
Fiber is a form of Carbohydrate that contributes to feeling full without contributing calories, because it is not absorbed into the body. So, a calorie inside a high fiber food is not equal to a calorie inside a low-calorie food.
 

#5 Time your eating to affect calorie effectiveness.
Have you ever heard the term "thermic effect of Food" (TEF)?  It's basically just a fancy name for the energy used up as a result of digesting and absorbing food. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that TEF is higher in the morning than in the evening. We actually burn more calories in the morning! A Japanese study found that boxers eating six meals a day lowered their body fat percentage significantly more than boxers who ate exactly the same amount of calories in just two meals. This is a big deal for all you endurance athletes as well, because studies have also shown that people build more muscle and gain less body fat, or lose body fat, when they eat enough calories within 2 hours after exercise than when they do not, even if they eat the same number of calories over the course of a day!  So, get your postworkout protein smoothie in you quick. It will not only help you recover more effectively from your workout, but will also keep you leaner and lighter.
   
Make a conscious effort to incorporate these tips into your daily nutrition and you should notice a positive difference. Focus on quality of calories vs. just the amount, eat consistently throughout the day, keep the protein coming, eat your fiber, and eat your breakfast to  keep the fat off.  Oh- and as long as I have your attention, DRINK YOUR WATER!  96 oz. a day sure is a good number to shoot for. You can thank me later!

Coach Keena is a regular contributor at TriEdge and has 15 years experience coaching and training hundreds of individuals. She s a USA Triathlon Certified Coach and holds additional certifications from the National association of Sports Medicine (NASM) and the American Council of Exercise (ACE) as a certified personal trainer. If you would like to contact Coach Keena go to: www.coachkeena.com.

"As the seed is digested, it slowly releases the water providing a built-in, time-release hydration system."