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Tackling Concussions Head-On: How Nutrition Can Improve Outcomes

March 18, 2016 / 7 minutes of reading

I sat on the floor hunched over and crying. My elbows were raised – close to my eyes as my arms hugged my head, hands clenched at the base of my neck. My brain felt like a percussion instrument shaking inside my skull. As the pounding grew more intense the pain became unbearable. I had a concussion, my second in two years, which earned me a night in the ER. Concussions are common in sports and recreation. Though considered a mild type of …

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Should Endurance Athletes Switch to a Low Carbohydrate Diet?

November 20, 2015 / 5 minutes of reading

  Should endurance athletes trade in their high carbohydrate gels, gummies, and pasta for fatty steak and butter?  A recent study found elite ultra-marathoners and iron distance triathletes on a low carbohydrate diet  burned significantly more fat while running than  their counterparts on a typical higher carbohydrate diet. There was no difference in the level of glycogen depletion between groups after a 3-hour run. Why Carbohydrates Matter For several decades endurance athletes have relied on a carbohydrate rich diet to fuel their training and performance. Carbohydrates …

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Which Fat is Best for Heart Health?

October 2, 2015 / 5 minutes of reading

If you are more confused than ever about dietary fats, you’re not alone. Can a high fat diet help you lose body fat? Which fat is best for heart health – butter, coconut oil or vegetable oil? What is Cholesterol & Why is it Essential? Cholesterol is an essential component of all cell membranes and a precursor to hormones, vitamin D and bile acids (needed for the digestion of fat). It is so important that your body regulates cholesterol balance to …

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Get off the Dieting Cycle and Lose Weight for Good

October 9, 2015 / 4 minutes of reading

Are you a yo-yo dieter, stuck in a seemingly endless cycle of losing weight and gaining it back again?  If so, you aren’t alone. I’ve met many people who say they are experts at losing weight but they just can’t seem to keep it off. So I’m going to share my top tips for taking the weight off and keeping it off for good – the very same steps I shared with Fox 5 viewers this week. But first, let’s talk about dieting…. All diets have …

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Pre-Workout and Post-Workout Meal Ideas

December 11, 2012 / 2 minutes of reading

You’ve seen them. The people who faithfully go to the gym day after day and spend quality time on the cardio equipment and in the weight room. Yet their bodies never seem to make any visible changes. They are training. But they aren’t training smart with a plan that is specifically designed to meet their goals, lifestyle and current state of conditioning. A plan that helps them progress and not just maintain. But, even with the best training program, a …

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Sleep – a Critical Component to Sports Performance

October 20, 2012 / 4 minutes of reading

Years ago hitting the gym and throwing around some steel was considered the most critical aspect of sports performance training. However, in more recent years a more comprehensive model of performance has developed based on decades of research on nutrition, sleep, psychology and several other critical components of an athlete’s training regimen. As a sports dietitian with an Exercise Science degree and CSCS, I focus mainly on food & supplements though I sometimes discuss training. But lately I’ve found that I’m …

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