Eat For You Dietitian

Realities of Completing My 1st Marathon

October 11, 2018

33rd SPAR Budapest Marathon on Sunday 7th October 2018

Chipped Finish Time: 4.44.25

Your quirky, weird girl completed 26.2miles!!

Why did I decide to sign up for a marathon?

Quite a few months ago after going to cheer on the London Marathon and having the greatest amount of admiration for everyone completing the full 26.2miles on the hottest day in April 2018 when even me cheering was sweating. I think that was the deciding factor to begin looking for the location for my first marathon.

Main points I considered when thinking of a location was that I wanted to have a holiday in a city I’ve never been before, flat route with no hill surprises and moderately priced. After looking up quite a few, some french and other local ones when I found Budapest there was pretty much no question about it. Place registered so date was set. If anyone has come across Budapest Marathon and are having second thoughts, I would highly recommend it.

My marathon training plan?

If you follow me on instragram it’s pretty mixed with my personal life, usually my 3 pups and occasional running routes and half marathon races, regular HIIT workouts at my gym which I swapped now for a new fitness app I’ve come to love which includes cardio, strengthening and my favourite yoga classes in the comfort of my own home.

I had all the good intentions to follow a specific training plan but as time went on I went with my own instincts and continued to follow a workout schedule suitable for my work and lifestyle. My main focus wasn’t to build up my speed during my runs but focusing on completing them. I completed the Thames Meander Half Marathon in August and Mencap 10k run in Greenwich Park in July which included beautiful scenery plus weekly local parkruns and buddy runs along the Thames path when we could.

Longest run before the marathon: 15 miles (I know I should’ve done more)

Number of runs per week: ?? didn’t put that much pressure on myself to be this strict with myself. Sometimes I did make sure I aimed between 15-20 miles a week

Favourite workout (apart from running): Yoga – be vinyasa, power or restorative. It was definitely a turning point in my marathon training to include a yoga practice about 3 times a week. Some people might think yoga is just about being flexible and stretching is incredibly important but I love yoga because it challenges your breathing, your core whether you like it or not and encourages you to practice mindfulness.

Carbohydrate loading and tapering

I am not an expert dietitians within sports nutrition and it is an area I want to increase my learning in. As I did some reading around the topic I found different methods to taper in the 3 weeks before marathon race day and most of what I read came with accurate measurements of percentages of carbohydrate intake and how you should reduce the amount of miles run per week. As my own training plan (created by me) did not go into that much detail tapering wasn’t something I focused on. One thing I can say is that I made sure I did not push myself in the weeks towards the marathon as I knew it would not benefit for the marathon and could potentially cause an injury.

Carbohydrate loading however I did take on board as ensuring you’re well nourished before a race event is incredibly important on your performance. Firstly 4 weeks prior to the marathon I stopped drinking alcohol, purely as a choice I felt was best for me.

My overall diet is mainly starchy carbohydrates, fish, meat alternatives, nuts, dried fruit, beans and pulses, fruit and vegetables, occasional cheese and chocolate/cake/biscuits probably at least every other day. As you can see a lot of carbohydrates already and a common mistake when carbohydrate loading is to think you can eat all the donuts, biscuits, cake, sweets you want. That is definitely not the case as although it tastes nice in the moment you will end up feeling sluggish, tired and bloated.

In the week and days leading up to the marathon in London and Budapest I focused on ensuring each meal had a source of carbohydrates and focused on snacks of fruit or nuts and raisins. A few days prior to the marathon I increased my carbohydrate intake by an extra couple snacks a day which included a banana with breakfast and wholegrain bread at lunchtime. I didn’t overdo it as I know the impact changing my dietary habits can have on my stomach.

Also don’t forget to stay hydrated always! I aimed for 2litres of water a day plus my usual sugar free squashes, coffees and peppermint teas in the day.

Made sure my race day kit was all prepped including number pinned on my top, isotonic and caffeine gels in my running belt and other essentials at the ready.

Marathon Day:

6:30am morning alarm

Water

Breakfast of wholegrain flakes (Budapest version of bran flakes) with almond milk and mixed nuts and raisins.

Black coffee and banana for the route to the start line

Always make sure if you’re in a different country for a race event you have managed to get a breakfast you have practised with before. I was lucky enough to find the cereal and almond milk in a local supermarket and to be on the safe side I brought my own mixed nuts and raisins.

My partner came with me to the start and my amazing friends and parents would be scattered along the course

9am marathon start time

Thoughts on approach to the start line was surprisingly not of regret but focusing on being positive on the present. I kept repeating ‘only 4 10k’s and a bit’ ‘just keep running’ ‘you got this’ (my best friend sent me the last one). Although I hadn’t followed a specific training plan I knew I could go beyond that half way and continue running.

I can’t fault Budapest Marathon organisation at all! A great first experience all round.

My friend’s shot of me running towards the finish line

Well I’ve caught the bug now, 7 months till Edinburgh Marathon in May 2019.

I better do my research and book in some half marathons to achieve a chip timed sub 2 in my training. As I have quite some time to look for a training plan I will most likely be doing my own thing till the new year to build my speed to achieve a 25 minute 5k parkrun and chip timed 50 minute 10k run.

Let’s work on speed 🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️🏃🏻‍♀️

Please leave me any comments or questions you have.
What are my plant-based protein sources?

September 10, 2018

In my recent weight management group sessions I’ve been asked what simple swaps can they do in common meals do reduce saturated fat.

By this point they’d already made a change to there chilli con carne recipe by using reducing beef mince and swapping for red lentils. Good news was that the whole family enjoyed it and alongside reducing saturated fat content, this ingredient swap also increased dietary fibre intake.

I stopped eating meat (all four-legged creatures) and eggs since the 1st January 2016. Although I still eat dairy cheese and fish occasionally, my main protein comes from plant-based sources. What does that mean?

Beans, pulses and legumes (my personal favourites are black-eyed beans, kidney beans, chickpeas and red lentils) (15g protein per cup ~240mls)

Soya mince

Tofu (19g protein per 100g)

Quorn products (vegan ‘chicken style’ pieces, meatballs), Linda McCartney veggie sausages

Wide variety of Nuts (~7g protein per handful)

Alpro soya yoghurts

Whole grain bread and cereals

Various fruits and vegetables have differing protein content

These simple swaps can be made when eating out too

First time making falafel

The Eatwell Guide (PHE, 2016) is a great reference of a healthy, balanced diet demonstrating various plant-based food sources aiming towards reducing total fat and saturated fat daily intake. Which as a nation we eat in excess of and the Eatwell Guide is a great resource to use to reshape your diet and lifestyle

reference: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/the-eatwell-guide
Review on trying different brands in Reshaping my fitness regimen

September 9, 2018
Quite a change from my regular gym classes at my budget gym. I’ve trialled the new F45 gym based in Ealing through there 7-day free trial (as many classes as you want) in the middle of August.

I’ve seen the brand pop up on my instagram with several locations established in central London. The idea behind the PT style gym is 45 minute HIIT workouts with funky names. Some cardio-based and strength training which are the ones I tried during the first week of opening. In my opinion they were probably the best gym classes I’ve ever been to. Quick bursts, followed my quick rest and then repeat for 45 minutes. 2 personal trainers go around to help with form and I managed to pick up a few tips from them.

Unfortunately the actual membership they offered, despite discounted was twice current monthly gym membership PER WEEK. As much as I wanted to make it work it is definitely out of my budget. How do people afford this on a regular basis? I want to save on a monthly basis, aiming to buy a house in the next couple years and keep something away for a rainy day.

Going back to my previous gym it just wasn’t the same as you can imagine. Exercise classes are key to my fitness regimen as I hate trying to make up a routine by myself so that’s when I thought I’d give Fiit a try. Who else has heard of this online platform of never ending classes by your favourite instagram personal trainers providing strength, cardio and rebalance workouts.

My first class was on 28th August straight away after signing up, then I received my lightning HDMI cable to be able to connect my iPhone to my tv and my Fiit heart rate monitor. In 13 days I’ve done 11 classes. I absolutely love it! And I live in a studio flat so there are no excuses of space issues coming from me. So far I’ve done strength with Chessie King, cardio workouts, my favourite with Tyrone Brennand accompanied by Binky Felstead who gives you that bit extra motivation and a lot of power and vinyasa yoga with Cat Meffan.

25 minutes and 40 minute classes to choose from and a wide variety of personal trainers to choose from in the comfort of your own home. Alongside running in my local park and along the Thames path Fiit is my new platform to continue motivation. As when I don’t feel like a full on cardio workout that ends up in me sweating like a beast I can do a 40 minute vinyasa yoga class which is not as easy as everyone thinks and is also about core and balance.

Pricing for me is important, so at £20 a month (66p a day) I am not complaining with that at all. All you need is a mat, comfy clothes, water close by and a bit of space to jump up and side to side.

Officially a 28 day countdown to my first attempt at a full marathon in Budapest. I say attempt because you never know on the day and I battle with preventing migraines and gastrointestinal symptoms during my long runs which I continuously try manage in different ways.

My tips:
1. Hydration, hydration always, before, during and after running. During runs I sip in small amounts as I know too much in one go is too heavy for my stomach and impacts my speed
2. SiS isotonic energy gels. On my last long run I took one gel an hour. Luckily I tolerate them well.
3. Breathing, in through the nose and out through the mouth. Practising yoga helps me manage this on long runs.
4. 4head stick which I put on my forehead when I feel I’m overheating. Perfect for cooling
5. Burts bees lip balm 😋😋 just cos I hate dry lips.
Consistency is key. 80% nutrition and 20% physical activity
Did I hear ‘diet’ ‘light’ avocados?

May 19, 2018

Avocado is a fruit! I remember being a little kid and being fed avocado all the time. In South American cuisine it is customary to be added to the side of your main dish regardless of what the main dish is.

When did this fruit become just a trend here in the UK? 15 years ago no one knew about it and it was much cheaper in supermarkets. I started to actually like avocados following a month in Urubamba, a town not far from Cusco, Peru and the lovely family I stayed with had an avocado tree in the garden in 2013. Ellie, would pick fresh avocados every morning from the tree and I would eat half an avocado with bread every morning for breakfast. And now look, avocado toast is everywhere!

The manipulation of nature has extended far beyond what any individual or scientist believed could be achieved.

But to manipulate avocados really? Or is it just a con?

Facts:

1. Avocado is a fruit that is low in sugar and contains monounsaturated fats.

2. Scientific studies found that a balanced diet rich in monounsaturated fats may have favourable effects on your cardiovascular health.

(monounsaturated and polyunsaturated fats commonly found in plant-based sources)

3. Avocados are rich in fibre, B vitamins, vitamin K and E, magnesium and potassium

4. Also have phytochemicals (biologically active compounds found in plants) that may contribute to positive health effects.
Baking without Eggs and Dairy

March 7, 2018

Successes and work in progresses

All my baking since the beginning of 2017 has been without any animal products.

My primary go-to baking items:

Almond milk

Vegetable oil

Ground flaxseed

Maple syrup

Dairy-free spread

Vegan Chocolate cake and Vegan Banana Bread with vegan chocolate frosting. So simple and quick.

The chocolate cake I made was for my nephews 2nd birthday. Coincidently me and my sister made cakes that looked identical (although hers wasn’t vegan). Both covered in chocolate frosting and colourful sprinkles. Granted her icing and sprinkles was neater but it was freaky!

Recipe I used was by BBC Good Food, although I swapped cider vinegar for white wine vinegar as I couldn’t find it in the local shop. The end result tasted yummy although due to my poor timing and rush to get to my nephews birthday party when it came to slicing the cake I thought it could of used more time in the oven. The middle was gooey so I left that part out when I served. The rest of it was super moist and chocolatey! Definitely one I’ll be trying again.

Banana Bread – How has this been my first time baking this. During all these snow days I had to treat myself to something delicious. All recipes I looked up used 3 large bananas, whereas I only had 2. So I just went with it and it turned out pretty good.

My recipe:

2 mashed bananas

3 tablespoons of rapeseed oil

100g granulated sugar

225g plain flour

3 heaped tsp baking powder

3 tsp cinnamon

1.       Heat oven to 180 degrees celcius.

2.       Mix all the ingredients together.

3.       Bake in a greased, loaf tin for 20 minutes. Check and if it is browning cover with foil and bake for a further 20 minutes, or until a skewer comes out clean.

4.       Let cool and then I covered in chocolate frosting

The chocolate frosting I had was leftover from the previous cake as I wasn’t able to put any in the middle due to only having one cake tin and time constraints. It tasted delicious on banana bread though!

Other examples is my cookies with organic cacao nibs someone gave me. Apologies I never got a photo of the finished product.

My next one to try is Vegan Victoria Sponge Cake (with homemade chia raspberry jam).

If I can, you can.
Vegan Vegetable Cashew Cream Pasta

February 21, 2018

After trying out and succeeding with my vegan mac n cheese the next vegan cheese-like recipe I wanted to try using involved cashew nuts. Leading me to find cashew cream plus my favourite form of carbohydrate … pasta. Love it!

I’ve adapted a recipe I found online including:

I used approximately 400g cashew nuts (all I had) which didn’t seem like a lot but it definitely was as I had to make the sauce twice. Soak the cashew nuts overnight or boil for 10-15 minutes.

1 red onion – diced and sauteed for a few minutes until lightly browned.

Then using my friends nutribullet I blitzed everything together. I filled up the nutribullet about 1/3 with cashew nuts plus –

1 tbsp olive oil

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp very lazy chopped garlic

1 heaped tbsp of nutritional yeast

2 tbsps lemon juice

1 tbsp soy sauce

200mls water

I had to keep adding almond milk to get a pouring consistency for the cashew cream sauce. Let me say this tasted delicious! As I had too much cashew nuts already soaked I made another batch of cashew cream sauce that I was able to freeze and use again for another day.

Alongside pasta I prepared some veggies – mushrooms and courgettes to mix in with the pasta. You can add any of your favourite veggies to add in some colour to this tasty cashew cream pasta.

(plus added chopped cherry tomatoes to this)

The finish product when we mixed the tonne of pasta, veggies and cashew cream sauce. I always make enough food for 3-4 portions to have plenty for lunch the following days. As I’m currently completing my last clinical placement and a budgeting student taking in my own lunch has always been the way.

No this wasn’t my actual portion size

Simple, easy recipe that even I can do! Give it a go and you won’t even miss the cheese. It tastes super cheesy and delicious!