Some of you have commented on my insatiable appetite, or the fact that I often eat 5 meals a day. While I don’t yet answer to “The Human Carburetor”, the truth is that A) it is not McDonald’s Big Macs I am consuming and B) I only eat like a crazy woman on days when I have 3 workouts scheduled (3+ hours) or two super-long ones. Thus, Wednesdays and weekends are my prime food days. Note that I have maintained a steady weight for the past, oh, 10 years. But I welcome constructive criticism, so if anyone thinks I am fat please post your comment below. I am still making slow but steady progress on improving my body composition.
I thought it might be fun to do a detailed analysis of my food intake on one of these turbo-days. So, thanks to http://www.nutritiondata.com/, a site that uses information from the USDA's National Nutrient Database as well as data provided from a variety of popular restaurants, I logged my consumption for Wednesday January 23rd into the virtual “Pantry”. Some adjustments were necessary for my activity level; namely, I increased the daily caloric requirement from 2,000 to 3,000. I also increased micronutrient requirements by a factor of 1.5, to align with the caloric increase. This method has some drawbacks; firstly, my “additional” energy requirements would be mostly carbohydrates, with the remainder distributed between protein and fats, and secondly, the RDA for vitamins and minerals is not based on caloric intake or expenditure but rather by gender and body size/type. I may also need a bit more sodium and other electrolytes than sedentary people, more iron, and perhaps require more Mg, Ca, and Zn for muscle repair and bone health, but I would doubt that it would be at the same rate of energy expenditure. To my knowledge, there is no definitive answer to these questions; however, I have done some research on the maximum tolerable daily intake of the essential vitamins and minerals, and I know that for the vast majority, it is safe to consume at least 1.5 x the RDA on a medium-long term basis.
Menu for Wednesday, January 24th
Early morning snack (pre-swim): 1 cup coffee with milk, 1 homemade Ginger-Pear muffin
Breakfast (pre-run): 2 cups coffee with milk, 1 organic apple, 3 oatmeal-blueberry pancakes, 1/2 tbsp Nutella
Lunch A: 2 cups green tea, 2 homemade peanut-butter and jam muffins, pasta with tofu, cauliflower & tomato sauce
Lunch B (pre-bike): 1 cup green tea, jambalaya (chicken, brown rice & veggies)
Dinner: 1 can tuna, 2 cups steamed veggies & 1 cup brown rice
Snack: 2 cups decaf tea with milk, 2 Ginger-Pear muffins
Energy Summary:
Total Calories: 3020
Carbohydrate: 61% (479g, 177g from sugars and 61.4g from starch)
Fat: 21% (18.8g Sat, 23.9g Mono, 21.1g Poly, ~0g Trans)
Protein: 18% (144g)
Nutrient Summary (at 150% RDA, with the exception of Total Cholesterol which I lowered to 130% RDA):
Vitamin A: 23919 IU (319%) – Gotta love those carrots.
Vitamin C: 159 mg (177%)
Fibre: 67.4g (182%)
Calcium: 1800mg (120%)
Omega-3 fatty acids: 3709 mg
Cholesterol: 392mg (98%)
Caffeine: 430mg
Alcohol: 0mg
Too High:
Sodium: 5288mg (147%)
Too Low:
Iron : 28.5 mg (81%)
Zinc: 18.6 mg (81%)
Vitamin D (15%)
Vitamin B12 (61%)
Pantothenic Acid (73%)
Vitamin E (70%)
Observations:
1. First of all, I take a daily high-potency, broad spectrum vitamin-mineral supplement. If I add these values to my dietary intake, I meet all nutrient requirements. I also take extra Vitamin E, Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium/D, B-complex, B12, Vitamin C, and Omega 3 or 3-6-9 on a rotating basis, and Glucosamine Sulphate during high-intensity weeks.
2. While dietary Zinc and Iron consumption fell short, I do eat red meat several times per week and thus am probably closer to meeting the required levels.
3. Vitamin D (the “sunshine” vitamin) doesn’t need to be obtained through diet alone; however, in the winter months it can be hard for your body to produce enough by sun exposure (more about this from CBC). I walk outdoors about 2 hours daily in the winter, but usually only my face is exposed; thus, I rely on my daily multivitamin (400 IU) and occasional Ca/D supplement (200 IU) to ensure that I am meeting the RDA. I may re-think this and invest in some plain D supplements, however, since the Canadian Cancer Society now recommends that Canadians consume 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily during the winter. Health Canada’s guideline, established 10 years ago, suggests that 200 IU per day is sufficient (source).
4. Health Canada recommends that healthy adults curb their caffeine intake at 400mg per day. I slightly exceeded this with my 430mg, but then again, my calorie and nutrient intake was 150% that of the average adult. My caffeine intake fluctuates from week to week and from season to season, but I think I’d average 3 cups of coffee per day year round (400 mg), and I do not drink soda pop or consume “excess” amounts of chocolate. Generally, is acknowledged that modest amounts of caffeine can have beneficial effects on sports performance and other activities requiring alertness. However, there seems to be no consensus on either the dangers or the advantages of caffeine to one’s general health, with the exception of a (serious) warning to pregnant women and those wishing to conceive.
5. Sodium deserves special mention, as I was shocked to find that I had exceeded the RDA x 1.5 in the off-season. This may be partly due to calculation errors, because I don’t measure baking soda and salt when I bake, and because I had to estimate the salt content of Mrs. Dash Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic spice mix. The results made me pause to think about what my sodium intake is like in the ON-season, when my requirement is higher, and I actually eat “real” salty snacks like pretzels, tacos, and Ripples chips during or after long workouts and races.
In short, an eye-opening project!
I thought it might be fun to do a detailed analysis of my food intake on one of these turbo-days. So, thanks to http://www.nutritiondata.com/, a site that uses information from the USDA's National Nutrient Database as well as data provided from a variety of popular restaurants, I logged my consumption for Wednesday January 23rd into the virtual “Pantry”. Some adjustments were necessary for my activity level; namely, I increased the daily caloric requirement from 2,000 to 3,000. I also increased micronutrient requirements by a factor of 1.5, to align with the caloric increase. This method has some drawbacks; firstly, my “additional” energy requirements would be mostly carbohydrates, with the remainder distributed between protein and fats, and secondly, the RDA for vitamins and minerals is not based on caloric intake or expenditure but rather by gender and body size/type. I may also need a bit more sodium and other electrolytes than sedentary people, more iron, and perhaps require more Mg, Ca, and Zn for muscle repair and bone health, but I would doubt that it would be at the same rate of energy expenditure. To my knowledge, there is no definitive answer to these questions; however, I have done some research on the maximum tolerable daily intake of the essential vitamins and minerals, and I know that for the vast majority, it is safe to consume at least 1.5 x the RDA on a medium-long term basis.
Menu for Wednesday, January 24th
Early morning snack (pre-swim): 1 cup coffee with milk, 1 homemade Ginger-Pear muffin
Breakfast (pre-run): 2 cups coffee with milk, 1 organic apple, 3 oatmeal-blueberry pancakes, 1/2 tbsp Nutella
Lunch A: 2 cups green tea, 2 homemade peanut-butter and jam muffins, pasta with tofu, cauliflower & tomato sauce
Lunch B (pre-bike): 1 cup green tea, jambalaya (chicken, brown rice & veggies)
Dinner: 1 can tuna, 2 cups steamed veggies & 1 cup brown rice
Snack: 2 cups decaf tea with milk, 2 Ginger-Pear muffins
Energy Summary:
Total Calories: 3020
Carbohydrate: 61% (479g, 177g from sugars and 61.4g from starch)
Fat: 21% (18.8g Sat, 23.9g Mono, 21.1g Poly, ~0g Trans)
Protein: 18% (144g)
Nutrient Summary (at 150% RDA, with the exception of Total Cholesterol which I lowered to 130% RDA):
Vitamin A: 23919 IU (319%) – Gotta love those carrots.
Vitamin C: 159 mg (177%)
Fibre: 67.4g (182%)
Calcium: 1800mg (120%)
Omega-3 fatty acids: 3709 mg
Cholesterol: 392mg (98%)
Caffeine: 430mg
Alcohol: 0mg
Too High:
Sodium: 5288mg (147%)
Too Low:
Iron : 28.5 mg (81%)
Zinc: 18.6 mg (81%)
Vitamin D (15%)
Vitamin B12 (61%)
Pantothenic Acid (73%)
Vitamin E (70%)
Observations:
1. First of all, I take a daily high-potency, broad spectrum vitamin-mineral supplement. If I add these values to my dietary intake, I meet all nutrient requirements. I also take extra Vitamin E, Zinc, Magnesium, Calcium/D, B-complex, B12, Vitamin C, and Omega 3 or 3-6-9 on a rotating basis, and Glucosamine Sulphate during high-intensity weeks.
2. While dietary Zinc and Iron consumption fell short, I do eat red meat several times per week and thus am probably closer to meeting the required levels.
3. Vitamin D (the “sunshine” vitamin) doesn’t need to be obtained through diet alone; however, in the winter months it can be hard for your body to produce enough by sun exposure (more about this from CBC). I walk outdoors about 2 hours daily in the winter, but usually only my face is exposed; thus, I rely on my daily multivitamin (400 IU) and occasional Ca/D supplement (200 IU) to ensure that I am meeting the RDA. I may re-think this and invest in some plain D supplements, however, since the Canadian Cancer Society now recommends that Canadians consume 1,000 IU of Vitamin D daily during the winter. Health Canada’s guideline, established 10 years ago, suggests that 200 IU per day is sufficient (source).
4. Health Canada recommends that healthy adults curb their caffeine intake at 400mg per day. I slightly exceeded this with my 430mg, but then again, my calorie and nutrient intake was 150% that of the average adult. My caffeine intake fluctuates from week to week and from season to season, but I think I’d average 3 cups of coffee per day year round (400 mg), and I do not drink soda pop or consume “excess” amounts of chocolate. Generally, is acknowledged that modest amounts of caffeine can have beneficial effects on sports performance and other activities requiring alertness. However, there seems to be no consensus on either the dangers or the advantages of caffeine to one’s general health, with the exception of a (serious) warning to pregnant women and those wishing to conceive.
5. Sodium deserves special mention, as I was shocked to find that I had exceeded the RDA x 1.5 in the off-season. This may be partly due to calculation errors, because I don’t measure baking soda and salt when I bake, and because I had to estimate the salt content of Mrs. Dash Roasted Red Pepper & Garlic spice mix. The results made me pause to think about what my sodium intake is like in the ON-season, when my requirement is higher, and I actually eat “real” salty snacks like pretzels, tacos, and Ripples chips during or after long workouts and races.
In short, an eye-opening project!
