Training has officially begun – I got my butt on the saddle this weekend!  Yes, it hurts today, but it was worth it. Unfortunately I don’ t have a photo to prove it, so I am going to show off my pretty Bianchi (my sassy Celeste Green, Italian bike) instead.  This bike never ceases to amaze me. She never lets me down – she speeds up when I need her to push a little harder and and slows down when I need some coasting to catch my breath as my heart pounds out of my chest. Ahhhhh the joys of riding my bike!

I am training for the Ride to Conquer Cancer which a is a two-day epic journey from Toronto to Niagara Falls.  As daunting a task as it seems, I am going raise 2,500 buckaroos for cancer research for the Princess Margaret Hospital. This two day ride is really nothing in comparison to the challenge that cancer patients go through on a daily basis. I have been touched by very close family members being affected by cancer. The stats are quite scary and each one of us will be personally impacted by cancer or a loved one throughout our life. We can do something about this! And that’s why I ride…

Being that I am a Nutritionist, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of good nutrition and proper hydration when exercising. People always ask me what gels or sports drinks or protein bars I recommend and my answer is simple. I don’t recommend any of these “gimmicky” products. Why? Many of these products that claim to boost athletic performance are full of additives, chemicals, loaded with more sugar than a can of coke, far too much caffiene and the short term gain is at a cost to your body. There are many natural delicious and nutritious ways to fuel and hydrate your body that have both short and long term benefits!

Furthermore, everyone is different and what works for me, may not work for you. Case in point, a few years ago I was doing a little race (running) and I decided to try out a new Gel. I will refrain from telling you the brand, but will tell you it promised to give me “Espresso Love” and deliver a good jolt of energy … kinda like springs in my runners. The marketing got me with that pretty little visual of a heart pumping! I tried this stuff out and ended up barfing (sorry for the mental visual) on the curb as every last drop of espresso love left my belly – not so lovely.

Your body is like an engine, you don’t put diesel fuel into a car that takes gasoline or low octane gas into a Ferrari. You must put the RIGHT fuel and quality fuel for your body to perform optimally and you can do this all from ingredients in your own kitchen. Cool eh?

I prefer to stick to the basics.

For my hydration and electrolyte replacement I recommend 2 things:

Homemade Drink

2 cups of filtered water

2 tsp organic maple syrup

1/8 tsp celtic sea salt

1 tbsp of apple or lemon juice

OR

Genestra Seroyal Endurlyte is an Electrolyte Replacement Drink and the BEST on the market. Many pro athletes use this because it’s got some B vitamins (energy metabolism), chromium (blood sugar regulation) without all the junky additives and of course the electrolytes you need like fructose and salt.

Energy Bars

Read your labels, I would estimate that 90% of the products on the market are mostly chemicals, preservatives and additives with ingredients you can’t pronounce and more money wasted on making the packaging flashy and appealing as opposed to good quality ingredients. Remember 2 simple things: Less ingredients (no more than 4 or 5 natural ingredients) and preferably no more than 15-20mg in sugar.

These are some brands to look for:

Larabar

Clif Bar

Elevate Me Bar

Morning Breakfast Ideas

I do not agree with carb loading that makes you sleepy and less energetic than a turtle. A power packed nutrient-dense breakfast with lean protein, complex carbs and good quality fat is your best bet for optimal performance. Here’s a sample power breakfast idea:

Bowl of steel cut oats with the following:

1 cup  of mixed raisins, chopped dried apricots, dates or dried cranberries

Small handful of pumpkin seeds and walnuts

2 tsp of organic maple syrup

Dash of cinnamon

I have more recipes for power granola bars, homemade muesli etc, but this should give you a good start to fueling your body for peak performance!