| Your
Body is a Temple! Sustainable Living For Your Body!
The
human body is an intricate piece of art, and as such
is sensitive to what goes in and what lies around it.
The food you eat, the air you breathe, what you put
on your skin and other environmental factors affect
the well being of your body! That is why the mtbchicks
eat organic foods, use organic and natural skin
care products, drink lots of water and limit the junk
food in our lives. Here are some tips for better living:
| Eat |
|
| Organic
Fruits and vegetables |
Non-organic
fruits and vegetables are grown with pesticides,
and are possibly genetically modified (GMO). The
safety of GMO has not yet been determined, so at
this time, we recommend avoiding GMO foods. Be especially
aware of fruits and vegetables whose skins you eat
when shopping in the "conventional" or
non-organic aisle! Keep in mond, too that GMO products
are not required by law by the FDA to be labeled
as such. So if it does not say "non-GMO",
it probably is. |
| Soy |
Some
studies show that 25 grams of Soy Protein a day
are good for your heart. Soy is the only non-animal
protein that is complete, making it a great alternative
source of protein.Be sure to buy organic, non-GMO!
Some great tasting ways to get soy are SILK
Live Smoothies- a soy-yogurt fruit smoothie
you won't know it's soy, which is why we like it!
Mango is our fave flavor! |
| Meat |
Meat
is essential to a professional athlete's diet, but
not necessary for even active people. Buy cage free,
free range, natural fed eggs, chicken, beef. Try
Bison meat for a good lean red meat source. When
buying ground turkey, look for ground breast meat;
it does not include the skin, as regular ground
turkey does. |
| Fish |
Fish
is good! But beware of eating too much large fish
like Tuna, due to the high level of Mercury present.
When buying Salmon, only buy fresh, natural salmon,
not farm raised. Farm raised Salmon is dyed to get
the pink color that occurs naturally in wild Salmon.
|
| Dairy |
Did
you know that a typical "commercial" farm
cow only lives for 3 years? The unnatural environment
these cows live in, the hormones, antibiotics and
the excessive milking these cows endure shortens
their lives! Natural cows can live and produce for
10 + years! Buy organic dairy and eliminate the
hormones and antibiotics in your diet! Look for
cheeses without rBGH (Bovine Growth Hormone!). |
| Processed
Foods |
Avoid
processed foods! Fresh is always best- always read
the ingredients, noting all preservatives, added
sugars and all that stuff you can't pronounce. Be
especially careful of bread and pasta sauces...
many have added sugar!!! Even the whole wheat kinds
that you think are healthy! |
| more to come! |
|
| Skin |
|
| Lotions |
Watch
what you put on your skin! Your skin is porous...
so basically what you put on your skin, you put
in your body. When you look at it like that... grapeseed
and olive oils start looking a lot better than heavily
perfumed lotions. Look for these oils in the massage
section of your health food store! Also look for
organic lotions and soaps/cleansers. |
| Deoderant
v. anti-perspirant |
What
keeps you from sweating? chemical, no doubt! Look
in to using natural deoderants and antiperspirants.
Especially when working out... you need to sweat
anyhow, right? |
Here
is what you will find on this page:
- Weight
Loss/Control
- Body
Fat
- Your
cycle
- Yeast
infections (soon!)
- Skin
care(soon!)
Your
Cycle
16.may.07
Many
female athletes fall victim to the "female
athlete triad". Not eating enough food in general,
fat specifically, causes females to lose too much body
fat. This constant lack of nutrients causes the body
to stop functioning as it should. Not getting your period
(amenorhea) is dangerous, not a blessing. Long term
effects of not eating enough, low energy and amenorrhea
include Osteoperosis, which can be contracted as early
as your 30s.
If
you are experiencing irregularities in your cycle, see
your female doctor now. Let her know that you are exercising.
Then eat more food. The "model body" does
not work for athletes- you need stored body fat in order
to function as a woman, and ultimately to perform as
an athlete.
You
may see a short term increase in athletic performance
if you carry too little body fat, but take caution,
a long term consequences are far more lasting than top
performances.
To
help keep your cycle regular, eat well and eat right!
Body
Fat
7.may.04
(updated 16.may.07)
We
are inundated with the image of the perfect body- day
in day out. But for most of us, this perfect, fatless
shape is impossible. We struggle with diets, changing
our food choices, eating less, exercising until we drop
dead, but we still can't get that shape. But why? It's
not natural, for one. Women are meant to have some body
fat, and too low a body fat percentage can be dangerous.
So how do models and even some pro cyclists maintain
that low body fat? Most likely through severe calorie
restriction, also known as Anorexia Nervosa, plastic
surgery and possibly even drugs. Calorie restriction
is dangerous and can lead to bone loss and osteoperosis
in women, as a few pro female cyclists have come to
find out. Read
more.
So
what is the best body fat percentage, and how do i measure
my body fat? These questions can be answered by having
a consultation at your local gym. Most gyms have body
fat meters, and a nutritional consultation can help
you get on the right track, if you need to gain or lose
a little body fat. For elite athletes, it is healthy
to maintain a bofy fat percentage of 15-18%. Anyhting
under 15% is dangerous and will have long term consequences.
There
is plenty of information on the internet about body
fat, but there is no substitute for a one-on-one consultation
with an expert who can evaluate you in person and offer
the necessary encouragement to reach your healthy goals.
About
Cellulite. First of all, cellulite
is not a real medical condition. Stop believeing you
can smear on a cream to rub away cellulite, and stop
believing losing more weight is going to erase it. Even
skinny women get it. Cellulite is caused by the connective
tissue from your muscle to your skin not being able
to stretch enough to accomodate the fat. It is not a
bad thing, most women have some cellulite. Wikipedia
article. There are no magic potions to fix this
issue. Be good to your body, eat right, exercise.
Contact
your local gym today, or if you live in Boulder or surrounding
areas, visit the Boulder
Center for Sportmedicine. If you live in Southern
California, Phase
IV is a great place.
Weight
Loss/Control/Body Fat
14.apr.04
Face
it, most women are into cycling because they were seeking
a way to exercise and inherently lose weight. It seems
everyone wants to lose weight and be in shape. Cycling
is a great place to do so! It seems however, that cycling
for fitness soon becomes cycling for lifestyle- which
is great, because cycling is a great lifestyle!
But
what about cycling for weight loss? The last thing we
want to hear is "cut calories and exercise"as
token advice for losing weight, but that is the truth.
Forget the magic diet pills. There is no safe way to
lose weight fast. Your weight loss goals should be long
term.And of course the other token advice "lifestyle
change, not diet". These are tough cookies to crumble-
but if you want to be fit and healthy- this is the only
way.
Keep
in mind that 1 pound of body fat contains about 3500
calories. So losing 1 pound of body fat will take up
about 12 hours of bike riding. So if you want to lose
10 pounds of body fat- that's 120 hours of bike riding!
Don't get depressed or discouraged yet- there is so
much you can do to get on track for losing that weight,
and you may find that like most people losing weight,
that you lose a few pounds, then plateau, then lose
a few more pounds, then plateau... it's the natural
way! ANd it doesn't necessarily mean that you have to
do that much riding to lose that much weight, if you
have a good change of eating habits!
Here
are some tips to help you on your way:
- Get
your head in the game. They say, "love your
body first, lose weight second." How IS that
possible? "How can I love my fat body?"
you ask? Stop hating your body. Stop feeling sorry
for yourself. Here are a few books that have helped
some mtbchicks get their head in the game:
- Skinny
Bitch, by Barnouin and Freedman. Why?
It helps jar you out of your rut. It's a little
hard edged, and a lot radical, but this is what
helps us create a solid center.
- Complete
Confidence, by Sheenah Hankin, PhD. Why? After
being woken up by the cold water in the face of
Skinny Bitch, you are ready to examine your emotional
habits, and see how they relate to your food habits.
Tonya HIGHLY recommends this book for everyone
who has weight issues.
- Sports
Nutrition for Endurance Athletes, by Monique
Ryan, MS, RD. Why? Now that you are confident
and in balance- you are ready to address the dietary
needs of your athletic body! This is mtbchick.com's
favorite Sport Nutritionist who has the best most
balanced look at food for athletes.
- Set
some realistic weight loss goals, short and long term.
A good goal is to lose 1 pound per week. This will
ensure you lose fat and keep your muscle. And then,
if you lose more than one pound per week by default,
you can celebrate! So keep those goals realistic!
A good goal would be short term: lose 10 pounds in
12 weeks. and long term: lose 50 pounds in 1 year.
this will help you stay on track and not get discouraged
during your plateaus and episodes of backsliding.
Give yourself and extra week to lose each 5 pounds.
So 5 pounds, 6 weeks. 10 pounds, 12 weeks.
- Don't
beat yourself up! Backsliding happens... you slip
some chocolate cake- a little more than you should.
But it's ok! Deprivation and self-abuse will lead
to a complete crash of your goals and binging. So
keep it real! Don't put undue expectations on yourself.
There are good days! and bad days! Besides one or
two days of Backsliding is not going to ruin your
efforts! One week may, but one day- hardly!
- Learn
about portions! When you read a label on your
favorite foods- the portions are often seemingly tiny!
How can 1 Coke be 2 servings???? Because of the amount
of calories! Hey- as Americans, bigger is better,
and that is especially true with our food. Our portions
have gone through the roof! So learn what the portions
of all your favorite foods are- by reading nutrition
labels- and stick to it! You may be surprised at how
much f a difference getting your portions under control
can make! Here are some portions to think about:
- 2
oz Pasta. if you go to Macaroni Grill, you are
probably getting about 5 to 10 servings of pasta
alone! Get a scale and learn what 2 ounces of
pasta looks like. Each time you eat pasta- eat
one serving!
- 1
slice bread. bread is always 1 slice per serving.
Disappointed? Make 1/2 sandwiches instead of
whole.
- 2
cups lettuce. the perfect food for weight loss
and control! Most side salads in restaurants
do not have a full serving of lettuce... eat
a lot of it! the fiber is good for you!
- Water
up! it sounds simple- but think of water as a
daily cleansing for your insides- in the same way
you shower to cleanse your outsides... water is the
substance that keeps us flushed out and hydrated.
- Finish
eating early!
Eat your last meal a few hours before bed. 2.5 to
3 hours. And make it fairly light. In this country,
dinner has always been our heaviest meal. Make some
changes... breakfast should be your biggest meal!
Eat a salad with protein and veggies for dinner and
drink water. This is a good time to steer clear of
those high carb/sugar meals. So finish up early and
drink some hot tea between your dinner and bedtime!
- Food
journal.
At least for one to three days, write down everything
you eat and at what time. It is usually a big surprise
how many calories you eat in one day if you do not
keep track! Keeping track for a few days will help
you realize how much you need to eat!
- Get
scientific. Get
your Basal Metabolic Rate tested- consult your physician-
so you know how many calories you burn in one day.
Then- go to a utritionist and get some meal plans.
Athletes benefit the most from Sports Medicine. Check
out: if you live in Boulder or surrounding areas,
visit the Boulder
Center for Sportmedicine. If you live in Southern
California, Phase
IV is a great place.
- Become
a label reader. Make
it a habit to read the label of every food you buy...
does it have added sugar like High Fructose Corn Syrup?
Does it have added starch? How about MSG? or Hydrogenated
Oils? How about Sugar Alcohols, like Sucralose? Get
to know the foods you like, and you may be surprised
to find that a food you once thought healthy really
isn't! Be aware that many brands of bread have added
sugar in the form of HFCS as do pasta sauces, "juices"
and cereals!
- Get
support and ideas from the mtbchick.com forum!
Look for the weight control forum!
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