Nutrition Q&A

1. I have a bit of a problem... I am 14 years old and I exercise an hour everyday...but I don't like veg any of it I hate it.. I tried to taste some of it but the taste makes me wanna puke..I like some of the fruit like grapes peaches and strawberries..but I hate veg !!! Do you have any tips on how can I start liking it ? Or a healthy alternative ? Please help me...=)

Hi! I am so happy to hear that you exercise! I am also glad that you are trying to eat healthy – what a good girl you are!

As far as the vegetables go... You know there are so many, so perhaps you could try sweeter ones, like carrots? Perhaps, you could introduce some veggies as juices? You could have some carrot juice or tomato juice. You can even make a mix of carrots and apples, for example. Bell peppers and celery taste yummy if you put a little bit of peanut butter (pick the one made without sugar) or hummus on them. Do you think you could try this option?

One of my favourite ways to eating lots of veggies is to add them to stews and sauces or make soups. Vegetable soups are yummy and because most of them are pureed, you don’t really get to bite into different vegetables and simply enjoy the flavour.

Add chopped vegetables (chop them into tiny cubes, about size of a pea) to your tomato pasta sauce, start with a handful and slowly increase and play with different kinds of vegetables.

Instead of boiling vegetables, roast them because the roasting process helps to release natural sugars and make vegetables taste different. Some good ones to try are butternut squash, sweet potato, carrots and beetroot.

Another good trick to try is to eat some lentils. They don’t look like vegetables, don’t taste like vegetables, but they count towards your vegetable intake and are full of nutrients like vegetarian type protein, fibre, B vitamins and iron. Make dhal (lentil soup) with red lentils, or use green lentils as a side dish.

Please don’t hesitate to let me know which veggies you would be prepared to try again and I will put a couple of recipes for you.

2. Hi Natalia, what eating would you recommend for someone in training for a marathon/ half marathon? I am a vegetarian/ 75% vegan (I can't give up eggs or yoghurt at this point else I wouldn't have anything to train on, haha). I always feel run down at about 2pm in the afternoon and try to remedy this with fruit but doesn't really work. 

Hi! I get a feeling that you aren’t eating enough carbohydrates and this is part of the reason why you feel tired. It’s very important to remember that the body needs carbohydrates to replenish the lost glycogen in the muscle and improve recovery.

So here are a few things to remember.

Your pre-exercise meal should be eaten 2-4 hours before training and consist of low/medium GI carbohydrates (about 1.2g per 1lb of body weight), vegetables and low-fat proteins for quick and easy digestion. Fat slows down digestion, so if you eat foods that are higher in fat such as fatty meats, cheese, large quantities of nuts/nut butters, you may feel uncomfortable and unable to exercise. Allow enough time for your meal to be digested and normalisation your blood sugar, however, do not leave too long an interval between eating and training or your blood sugar may drop too low and you won’t have enough energy to train.

You can have a wholemeal sandwich with some hummus or eggs or low-fat cream cheese and vegetables; porridge made with semi-skimmed milk and chopped fruit (fresh or dried); soba noodles with tofu and vegetables or egg and vegetable frittata and a wholemeal pitta bread.

Your pre-workout snack will provide you with extra energy in a form of carbohydrates and should be eaten within an hour prior to your workout. The goal is to consume about 0.45g of carbohydrates per 1lb body weight. This is particularly important if you train daily and your workout lasts for longer than 90 minutes. The higher the intensity of your workout the faster your body will burn glycogen. If your workout is mostly aerobic the muscle glycogen will be depleted within 30-45 minutes. During interval training (i.e. strength training combined with aerobic activities) glycogen stores will be depleted within 45-90 minutes. Remember to drink water before training to ensure proper hydration.

IMPORTANT: if you train for less than 60 minutes you won’t need to eat or drink anything but water. However, if you train longer, additional fast-released carbohydrates during your workout will maintain your blood sugar levels and allow you exercise longer. During workout you can have ripe bananas, fruit smoothie, a handful of raisins or an isotonic drink made with 500ml fruit juice, 500ml water and 1-1.5g salt or 200ml fruit squash, 800ml water and 1.5g salt immediately followed by a drink of water. Start consuming these carbohydrate foods during the first 30 minutes of your workout to prevent drop of blood sugar and fatigue. My suggestion is to avoid shop-bought isotonic drinks and make your own as these will be better for your tooth enamel and save you some money, too.

Your pre-workout snacks (within 1 hour before training) can include: no-added sugar fruit&nut bars, smoothie, fresh fruit.

The quality and quantity of your post workout meal as well as the timing will ensure optimal recovery which means that your muscles will be able to replenish glycogen stores, relax and get ready for your next training session. Inadequate recovery can lead to chronic fatigue, gradual decline in your performance and increase risk of trauma. The first 2-3 hours after exercise are critical, so eating right must be your top priority. During the first few hours after the workout your body absorbs far more carbohydrates and amino acids that at any other time of the day. This leaves the fat as a nutrient to avoid soon after training. Fat slows digestion while you need to achieve the opposite – fast digestion – in order to start an immediate recovery and repair process.

So until at least 90 minutes after training, avoid proteins with high-fat content such as whole eggs (egg whites are ok), whole dairy products, nuts and nut butters. Your best choice is liquid protein like whey protein shake that also contain carbohydrates because protein-carb mixture stimulates a greater output of insulin, which will speed up the process of glucose and amino acid uptake from the bloodstream to into the muscles. Avoid fiber in the 90-minute window after working out because it slows digestion as well; save the veggies, oatmeal and wholegrains for other meals.

Consume 0.5g carbs plus 0.15g protein per pound of body weight during the 2-hour post exercise period, then continue eating about 50g of carbs per snack every 2 hours until your next main meal. If you train late, do not ignore your post-workout meal and ensure that you do not go to bed on an empty stomach.

Have one of the following options as your post workout meal: Solgar Whey-to-Go protein shake mixed with a small banana or a little fruit juice, smoothie made with some natural yoghurt, milk and chopped fruit or low-fat cottage cheese or quark with some fruit.

Always remember to take a good multivitamin and additional vitamin C when you train to support your body.

Anna: If you would like to make an appointment with certified nutritionist Natalia, please contact her through her website OptimumNutrition4U.com.  Don't forget to check out her Twitter and Facebook page and if you have a question for next week's blog post, please leave it as an anonymous question below!