Just when you think there is "no sugar added"...

A few weeks ago, I decided I would drink the highly recommended recovery drink of chocolate milk after my workouts. So, I bought Nesquick, "No Sugar Added" to mix with my milk as an alternative to the more expensive whey protein that can be mixed with milk or water. So it dawned on me today: what IS Nesquick sweetened with if there is no sugar added? The ingredients do not list any sort of sweetener that I am familiar with, so if it had not said so in parenthesis, then I would not have know that ACESULFAME POTASSIUM was a non-nutritive sweetener.

Here's what stood out to me when I read about it on Wikipedia, read more about it: "Acesulfame K has been shown to stimulate dose-dependent insulin secretion in rats, though no hyperglycemia was observed.[8]"

Basically, ACE K is like sugar, in that it leaves you feeling like you want or need more: it makes you dependent. It is not the sugar that you are dependent on, it is the insulin that your body produces when you eat sugar that your body wants. So, is "No Sugar Added" any better for you? You skip those calories, but not the domino effect of eating more than you need to eat, or eventually eating the sugar laden foods that you have tried to avoid. When it comes down to it, we have to accept the side effects of what we choose to eat. Chocolate milk every day was causing me to gain weight. I can't have chocolate milk without having the effects of sugar. Darn it.

Food as Fuel

Yesterday, I made granola and had to have some! So, for the first time in a long time, I did not have a Zone proportioned breakfast. My norm is eggs and fruit and some half and half in my coffee. And, I don't measure it every morning, I just know know out of habit. So, I ate granola with skim milk, which contain carbohydrates and protein. Fats were provided by the half and half in my coffee. Not Zone balanced, but not terrible. The granola was made with whole oats, pumpkin seeds, coconut oil, and agave (cactus honey- a bit lower on the glycemic index than honey). I felt pretty good and was able to go a long time without eating. I had a bowl of tuna late in the day (mostly because I stayed out running errands all afternoon). I normally try to eat 5 smaller meals during the day.

Although I did not eat balanced Zone meals yesterday, I still had adequate energy. I think this may be because I did not exercise. On days when I work out, I need more fuel. I need to eat 1-2 hours prior to the workout so that I can not only have energy when I start my workout, but also persevere to the end and be able to have explosive movements when necessary. Then, I need to eat a post workout snack or meal in order to help my body recover and build muscle. I know this to be true, not just from what I have read or been told, but also because I feel it and see it. It is a subject I intend to learn more about.

I am enjoying "training" for the Memphis Faction Games. I think the journey is more of the point than the actual games will be. It is interesting to experiment with food in relation to what I need it to do for me. Food is taking on a new role for me. Instead of eating for fun or because I feel hungry, I have a game plan to eat what I know I need and not what I feel like having. Our bodies are really amazing and can be trained according to how we fuel it.

Today, I completed 30 kipping pullups! I can not do more than 3 in a row. When I started out today (after having rowed 1000m and completed 50 thrusters), I could do 2 at a time. Then only one at a time. As my arms fatigued and my hands got worn, I found that to swing out more allowed me to complete 2 at a time instead of one. I became more efficient. This was very exciting for me! To be so tired, but to be able to figure out how to do something better at the same time is a great feeling!



So what did I eat today?
Eggs and strawberries and coffee + half and half for breakfast,
tuna with mayo and a half of a tomato cup up in it and sauteed squash for lunch, and 2 sugar covered pecans,
1/2 a peanut butter and strawberry fruit spread sandwich and coffee with half and half,
WORKED OUT WITH "JACKIE" (the name of the workout that included 1000m row, 50 thrusters with 45#, and 30 pull ups),
and grilled chicken wrap with lettuce. mayo, mustard, and mozzarella cheese for dinner.

Some days I eat Paleo (meat, fruits and veggies, nuts and seeds), other days I eat Zone (portioned amounts of food), other days I eat Paleo Zone (portioned amounts of Paleo foods), and then days like today, I just try to be reasonable. Pick one and stick to it, you say? That is easier said than done- for me anyway. I find that they are all helpful and all have their place. In an ideal world with no temptations, I think Paleo Zone is the way to go.

Today is my third day to work out. Tomorrow will be a day of rest. Crossfit says that 3 days on and one day off of working out is ideal. This is how I am training for the Faction Games. And then, once a week, I am working out twice in one day since this will be the case in Memphis.

I love nothing more than to enjoy food for fun, but it is also fun to see how food can help me achieve my goals. I can easily become a slave to my favorite foods and not exhibit portion control. Anticipating how a food will make me feel physically, mentally, and hormonally has helped me to make better choices as I continue to exercise and train.

Summer CSA

Community Supported Agriculture



I have had fun with this so far and would recommend trying it at least once. When you sign up with a farm (I am with Rocky Glade Farm), you get a box of their veggies once a week for about 2 and 1/2 months. It comes to about $25 a box. You do not get to choose what you are getting, and this is the major drawback, especially when you mostly eat broccoli and spinach, as we do. But, this has been fun because I have had fresh garlic and onion to cook with all the time (I don't bother on a regular basis). I've had great big red tomatoes with basil! Fresh squash and zucchini. Yesterday, I had two types of cabbage and made slaw for the first time. Sometimes, I get stuff that I don't care for so much, like turnips or beets. BUT, if forces me to revisit some veggies that I started ignoring because I can't stand to waste anything! CSA. Try it sometime. Split one with a friend. I am. It will help our local economy and get quality food into your kitchen. You may decide it is not worth your investment, OR you may love a different way of shopping!

Also, the Stones River Market is a great way to buy local farm food via internet and pick it up at the same location every week.