The Core Diet Blog

Most mental health professionals suggest that in stressful times, such as these, to control the controllables. Make nutrition one of those controllables! Read our nutrition tips to put you in a better mood, boost your immunity, and reduce stress and anxiety!

In the midst of a global pandemic, and with restrictions on leaving and/or working outside of our houses, many people are working from home for the first time in their lives. For many, this means being out of our normal routines, and after having likely greatly over-shopped, a refrigerator and cupboards full of goodies never too far away. Add to this the notion that the present world-context has placed our baseline stress and anxiety levels at an all-time high, and we have a recipe for over-indulgence. As a registered dietitian, I have most definitely seen an increase in clients reaching out, waving the “SOS – I am eating everything in sight – how do I stop?” flag.

Someday, 20-30 years from now, the next generation of endurance sport athletes, and non-athletes for that matter, will ask the million-dollar question: “What did you do during the COVID-19 Pandemic?”

‘Tis the season for the flu, winter colds, and other upper respiratory infections (URI) that put a damper on our workouts and threaten our fitness. It is well-reported that during periods of heavy training and racing, athletes are more susceptible to, and may experience, an increase in URI. A “window of altered immunity” following prolonged or heavy exertion exists (that may last between three and 72 hours), wherein many components of the immune system exhibit change. This window is an opportunity for viruses and bacteria to gain a foothold. In addition, factors such as travel, low energy availability, and high levels of stress and anxiety also put athletes at risk. So, what can we do from a nutritional, training, and lifestyle standpoint to combat getting sick? Read on for some recommendations to maintain immune health and keep running strong!

‘Twas the season! The Holidays. Office parties…Family parties…Parties with friends...Parties, parties everywhere! Great food. Probably, a bit too much of it. Great drink. Probably a bit too much of it. Hopefully it has been a joyous six weeks. But, now with all of that behind us, it’s time to pick up the pieces, so to speak.

This writing discusses that tough time of year when many athletes take a bit of downtime from their training and are tempted by nutritional pit falls. Although a reduced training load may mean that it is a great time to kick back and relax, it doesn't necessarily mean that it is a great time to pack on excess body weight via body fat, or reduce nutrient density intake.

Headed to 70.3 Worlds in Nice, France (or any European Ironman event, for that matter), and wondering about on course nutrition and how it compares to what you might normally use? Read on!

Get the skinny on how to fuel your next ultra distance run race in this blog. Make sure your fueling allows your true run fitness to shine through!

By now, most people are familiar with the use of tart cherry as a means of recovery but what are the more nitty gritty details that you need to know? Read below!

Caffeine can be a great tool for athletes of all abilities used to enhance performance. However, when abused (or not used as a tool), it can be a detriment to your training and racing.

As athletes, we have the physical activity component of cardiovascular health down, but it’s important to pair our training with heart-healthy nutrition choices. To celebrate heart health, we’re sharing one of our favorite nutrient-packed, heart-healthy recipes that has us dreaming of summer in a seemingly never-ending winter! This smoothie bowl is rich in antioxidants, healthy fats and fiber, all of which help to promote a healthy heart without falling short on taste!

As the winter months continue on and racing season quickly approaches, getting back on track with our diet after the holidays is at the top of most athletes minds. While training hours are picking up it’s important we make sure we’re getting the right foods in to support our workouts and immune system health. Here are some tips and tricks to get those nutrients and stay strong and healthy during cold and flu season!

For those of you that follow The Core Diet nutrition program recommended by QT2 and OutRival Racing, you know that we don’t recommend many supplements at all. This is because most supplements simply don’t work. Money spent on supplements is almost always better spent on good quality food products instead! Beta Alanine is one supplement that may have enough research behind it now to show some use in endurance sports. In fact, Beta-Alanine may help support muscle capacity and lessen muscle fatigue to benefit athletic performance. The amino acid beta-alanine supports muscle function by acting as a buffer to delay the onset of muscle fatigue for durations of exercise under 5 minutes.

As racing season and warmer weather (hopefully) approaches inquiries from athletes about the newest trend, the Ketogenic diet, also known as Keto, keep landing in my inbox. Get the lowdown here!

How many of you have found yourself standing in front of the refrigerator at 6pm wondering what you are going to cook for dinner? And as you stare at those now limp, leafy greens, you can’t help but feel bad about the money that is about to be thrown in the garage. Do I hear take-out calling? A big struggle for many families these days is getting a healthy home cooked dinner on the table each night, especially in a day and age where both parents are working. You are not alone!