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Summer/Fall 2013 • FitnessX.com 83. Now, what are the right foods I speak of? Let’s first break it down. Roughly 60% of your calories will be from carbohydrates, the other 40% being a combination of fats and proteins. Without adequate carb consumption, your body will switch to fat and protein (harvested from within the body) for energy. This is a process you do NOT want to take place, when training for a triathalon! CARBS: Carb sources could be fibrous carbs (most all vegetables and legumes), complex carbs (oats, rice, pasta, whole grains, potatoes), and natural sugars (fruits). Carbs should be consumed 6 to 8 times a day, to some degree. Energy providing boosts, pre and post workout, such as dried/fresh fruit and natural fruit juices are encouraged for energy. Be careful, however. Moderation is key with concentrated sugars because of the potential for weight gain. Complex carbs such as breads (I recommend Ezekiel bread), whole grain cereals, oats and other grains should be consumed more in the first half of the day. The second half of the day should focus on fibrous carbs such as beans and veggies, while the simple carbs (sugars) will be consumed throughout the day. Complex carbs such as pasta and potatoes can be consumed later in the day, but be sure to mix them with lots of fibrous carbs and/or other forms of fiber, so your body can digest it quickly and get it out faster. FATS: Fats will take up roughly 10-15% of your diet. Unsaturated fats, such as nuts, fish and nut/seed oils/butters help greatly in cardiovascular and neural function. Since certain meats come with a level of saturated fats, they are usually limited for those with health-conscious, eating habits. However, mineral rich red meats, pork, fish and chicken are ok to eat a few times a week during training to replenish iron (helps oxygen transfer to your muscles from your blood), calcium and magnesium (essential for proper muscle function) levels in the body. PROTEINS: Proteins are responsible for muscle/general cell recovery. Your training diet should consist of 25-30% protein. Since meats such as those mentioned above are already good choices for vitamin/mineral intake, protein will be another benefit to obtain through the consumption of such foods. Most of your protein should be obtained from nuts, milk, yogurt, beans, grains and some cheese. A lot of these foods have carbs and/or fat associated with them as well. Choose the most nutrient rich foods possible. Below, I have listed some specific examples of foods that should be staples of your diet during your training period (some you may have never heard of before). Fats: Almonds, Grapeseed oil, Coconut oil, Flaxseed (whole), Salmon Protein: Greek Yogurt, Beans (Black, pinto, fava, ect), Quinoa, Miso Carbs: Ezekiel Bread (they also make tortillas and English muffins), Steel Cut Oats A couple of these foods satisfy more than one group, which is one of the reasons I listed these specific foods. The best thing you can do is research foods as you go for the first month. Keep a food and workout journal so you can track your progress and discover what sort of“fuel”works with your body and what doesn’t. This will be a learning process,but will enable you to make smart food choices for the rest of your life, as well as create a“high performance”body that is firing on all cylinders! Heather McCullough, a 31-year-old mother of one, is a NETA certified personal trainer in Crested Butte, Colorado. Original- ly coming from a nursing background, Heather geared her goals towards positive and preemptive health by specializing in high-altitude training for tri-athletes and endurance runners. Heather has trained for 9 years and, as an endurance runner, participates in mountain races anywhere from marathon distance to 150 miles. Heather also heads up a high-altitude training camp at 9,000 ft for triathletes and endurance runners/bikers in Colorado. Photo Credit: Jason at Herbodies.com. TRAINING