Pear Spelt Muffins recipe – & the low-down on the new book ‘The Eczema Detox’
Go in the draw to win a copy of this book via a comp on InspiredHealth’s Facebook & Instagram
By Rachel Grunwell
Up to 1 in five Kiwis are affected by eczema. It’s an important topic to the public.
It’s also something that has affected my sister, Bex, who is one of the people I love most on this planet. So through her, I’ve heard over the years about how painful this can be and how the flare-ups can be intensely painful and even disable self-confidence (even when you look as beautiful as Bex).
My sister has tried everything over the years for relief. Absolutely everything. It has been a long-running battle that has felt paralysing at times. Thankfully, this Summer she has felt the best she has ever been in over 30-years. This is thanks to the hottest Summer in Gisborne, using steroid creams, and thanks too to some help from Be Pure’s office, but also to a book penned by “eczema nutritionist” Karen Fischer which advises which foods to eat, and avoid, when you suffer from eczema. My sister also buys Karen’s magnesium supplement too which she thinks is amazing for sleep and her wellness.
So when I got Karen’s latest wellness book across my desk, ‘the eczema detox’, I instantly thought of Bex and how books like this are so important. They’re literally the difference between a pain free life, or not.
This book is full of life-changing nutritional information and advice, articulated through 3 eating programs. Both Karen and her daughter, Ayva, have suffered from skin problems in the past but now live eczema-free from following Karen’s meal plans.
As for Bex, she is great at the moment, but she does dread Winter when the inevitable flare-ups return. She’s also still searching for a way to get off steroid creams… But she says the changes she has made around foods to avoid, or seek out, through Karen’s books “has helped to change my life”.
I personally love this book too from the perspective of not having eczema. The recipes are absolutely amazing and so I’m sharing one gem below.
Meanwhile, here are Karen’s top 12 foods for eliminating eczema.
mung bean sprouts
flaxseed oil
red cabbage
beets
fish
spring onions
oats
papaya
saffron
pears
There’s so much advice in the book that is gold too including all those foods to avoid for eczema sufferers.
Here’s that amazing recipe below to get you started. If you try it, please let me know.
Pear Spelt Muffins
Makes 12 muffins, preparation time 15 minutes, cooking time 15 minutes
• 1 egg (or use Egg Replacer, p. 211)
• cup real maple syrup or maple sugar (see ‘Eczema-friendly sweeteners’, p. 52)
• 1 cup organic soy milk (see ‘Non-dairy milks’, p. 54)
• cup Parsley Oil (p. 134) or rice bran oil
• 2 cups spelt flour
• 4 teaspoons baking powder (wheat-free)
• 2 large ripe pears, peeled and diced (not Nashi/Asian or Yapears)
Preheat the oven to 180°C (350°F). Place paper patty pans into the holes of a 12-cup muffin tray (or alternatively grease the tray holes with a little extra rice bran oil). If using Egg Replacer make it now. In a small food processor, blend the egg (or equivalent), maple syrup and milk until smooth. Then, while the motor is running, open the chute and slowly drizzle in the oil and blend well until smooth and creamy. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour and baking powder and mix. Add the wet ingredients to the bowl with the dry ingredients and briefly mix using a large spoon. Then stir in the pear. Spoon the mixture into each muffin cup, ensuring each is about three-quarters full. Bake for 15 minutes or until slightly golden on top. Test with a toothpick to see if cooked through.
Notes:
• These muffins can be stored in the freezer for up to three months.
• If you have tested egg during the FID Program (in week 3) and there were no adverse reactions after four days then you can use real egg in this recipe.
• If you are gluten intolerant, use rice milk or ‘malt-free’ soy milk and gluten-free self-raising flour instead of spelt flour. If you are using gluten-free self-raising flour, don’t add baking powder.
• If you are following the Eczema Detox Program, you can sprinkle the muffins with chia seeds
Extracted from The Eczema Detox by Karen Fischer available from www.exislpublishing.com and wherever good books are sold.
Inspired Health is run by Rachel Grunwell. Follow her via InspiredHealth’s Facebook & Instagram
Te Atawhai Retreat: Nurture, Nourish & Thrive
Rachel’s mission is to inspire Kiwis to live healthy and happy. Follow Rachel via InspiredHealth’s Facebook page & Instagram
Nurture. Nourish. Thrive.
These are the beautiful words that underpin the mission of Te Atawhai retreat, nestled out in the countryside at the foot of Mount Te Aroha in the Waikato area, in the North Island of New Zealand. It’s about two hours’ driving from Auckland, or about an hour drive from Tauranga.
Te Atawhai specialises in offering a four-day “wholeness retreat” (although they offer one-day retreats at request too). Here you can learn, grow and flourish by learning healthy habits based around a blend of movement, mindset, real foods, and rest.
The retreat is run by an all-women team including: Rebecca, who worked for many years as a nurse in the mental health sector; Sherryll, who has 20+ years experience as a personal trainer; Well-known NZ fashion designer and businesswoman Annah Stretton. Rebecca and Sherryll run the retreats generally, while Annah drives the business-side of the venture and often joins guests for a meal.
Each of these three women have inspirationally transformed their own lives to be healthier and happier in recent years and so want to help others rise up in the same way too.
Pictured, Sherryll, left, and Rebecca, right.
I experienced Te Atawhai in December 2018 and felt the retreat was heart-led. Rebecca and Sherryll care about the guests and keep numbers relatively small – so everyone gets incredible personal attention.
The absolute magic in Te Atawhai truly is the people. They care about what they do and put their hearts into helping their guests. They are heart-connected to those who come to this place to re-set.
Te Atawhai is not a bootcamp-style environment. You are challenged, but not pushed. You can go at your own pace and opt in challenges at the level of intensity that feels right for you. It’s not a yoga retreat – there is stretching in the morning, but it’s about mindful movement and starting the day inspired, rather than learning difficult yoga poses. This makes the retreat accessible and relatable to most people.
There is no alcohol, caffeine, wheat, dairy or refined sugar on the menu here, but rather nourishing, healthy, seasonal and real foods that are delicious. You will feel full at every meal too (and I do like to eat a lot and so I’m a good measure for this!) This is not a retreat about weight-loss, but rather the focus is wellness. I really love this – because the emphasis is about building healthy bodies and minds.
Karissa is the whizz in the kitchen and is passionate about serving seasonal and nurturing food that’s truly delicious. The flavours she creates are memorable. She picks fresh produce from the garden daily to add to meals. One guest kept saying “I can’t believe healthy food could taste so good”.
Check out this healthy breakfast. This was one of my faves.
The retreat is run from a large house in the countryside, where cows are thy neighbours and you get to see the most beautiful sunrises and sunsets.
Check out this view from the bedroom I stayed in. This is bliss.
It’s like a home-away-from-home, rather than a fancy-pants, minimalist resort. There are books scattered around the house to read, a pool, health teas always on offer and you get to breathe in fresh air, unplug from technology and escape a hurried life and set goals for a healthier way forwards.
Each day starts with a gong to rise (you are encouraged to leave your watch in your suitcase for the four days). Then it’s a swig of apple cider vinegar (which boasts many health benefits), some gentle stretching with Sherryll and a sit-down breakfast. A challenging walk is then on the agenda – and each day you go to a different location for memorable scenery. An absolute highlight was climbing to the top of Mount Te Aroha (it took me 2.5-hours to get to the top at a gentle pace and 1.5hrs to come down). Half of the group opted in for this, while the rest of the group felt the half-way point was a challenge right for them.
At the top of Mount Te Aroha, I felt on top of the world. You can see the sea.
You can also see green for miles miles and even the hump of Mt Maunganui far in the distance (in the far right of the picture). I wished I could sit there for hours. This, to me, is the definition of magic.
Being in nature is a therapy in itself, plus there are the movement benefits of course!
After walking, there’s a spa dip at nearby mineral hot springs (and you can opt to pay for a beauty treatment if you wish). Then in the afternoon there is an educational health seminar and some free time to relax. Then it’s a sit down chat for some reflection on the day, dinner and then free time before bed.
On the website, Annah Stretton writes “Come to Te Atawhai to Nurture, Nourish, and THRIVE”.
Rebecca spoke memorably about learning “awareness” – “which is a key to setting you free”.
I’d also say come along too to this home-away-from-home to connect with these incredible women. Here you can learn tools to inspire you to live your best life.
* Watch a quick video interview with the retreat’s chef Karissa about nourishing kai. Click HERE
* Rachel was kindly invited to review the retreat as a professional wellness blogger.
Nutrition Tips for runners – from 3 experts
Elite runner Ben Ruthe, pictured centre, & nutritionists Mikki Williden, left, & Sarah Sinclair, right, share top nutrition tips for runners.
Nutrition Tips for runners – from 3 experts
By Rachel Grunwell
What can you eat to best fuel your running?
It’s a question a lot of runners ponder. So I chatted with two qualified nutritionists who specialise in this field (who are also runners) – as well as an elite runner from the Bay of Plenty who has won some top titles.
I asked one nutritionist about what to do about the tapering period, and another about what to do on race day. While, the athlete gave his own perspective about what works best for him. He also made a good point that nutrition is an individual thing ultimately. I’ve interviewed many of the top nutritionists throughout NZ and it’s a point that these experts all hammered home too. However, here are some incredible tips and words of wisdom worth noting. I know I’ll be putting some of this great advice into action with my next event – the Rotorua Marathon on April 30 – the next major event on the NZ run calendar. Some of this advice may help you too – for any event. These experts are all awesome and I rate them all highly.
FUEL AROUND TAPERING TIME
It’s close to tapering time for those participating in the Rotorua Marathon, like me. But use this information for any event you may have in the future. Firstly, tapering means backing off the training miles in the lead up to the race. This also means you shouldn’t be fuelling your body up as much as you might think…
It’s a “common mistake” around this time for runners to keep eating like we do while doing the big training miles.
Nutritionist Mikki Williden says it’s a real issue.
“Some people end up being heavy, lethargic and brain-fogged when they turn up to the start-line,” she says.
She knew of one guy who carb-loaded so much during a taper period that he ended up around 4kg heavier when he turned up at an event start-line.
“People overeat all the time when it comes to running,” says Williden.
So during the taper period – which can be a few weeks or as little as 10 days before an event depending on the individual – here are some of Williden’s tips:
Reduce your food intake over this time. You don’t need as much fuel because you are not using up as much energy.
2. Tap into your hunger cues; Do not eat to schedule.
3. If you suffer from nerves then reduce your vegetable intake a few days out from the event. Williden is usually an advocate of “10 serves of veg a day”, but around this time too much fibre can upset the gut and take up a lot of stomach space “which can make you feel bloated”.
4. Don’t take vast quantities of sports drinks leading up to a race. It can be too much liquid energy. “You’re better off making your own smoothies or having natural electrolytes like coconut water,” she adds.
5. Eat more frequently in the day before the event, but reduce the size of meals. This helps with having “a comfortable stomach”.
ps Williden says her favourite pre-race meals are things like Japanese (think salmon don), or a roast pork meal with kumara.
FUEL FOR RACE DAY
Raceday nutrition is different for everyone. So what works well for one person may not work well for another. Probably the most important advice for race day, is that you should practise your own race day nutrition while doing your training runs. And it is wise to experiment with different options as it can be a matter of trial and error to pinpoint what exactly works best for you.
Sarah Sinclair, a nutritionist who specialises in nutrition for runners through her business RUNtrition, recommends eating things on race day that are “nutrient dense, with complex carbs, with healthy fats and ideally a few antioxidants to boost (think whole foods and real foods where you can). And of course drink some fluid.”
Do not eat too much prior to a race – but make sure this meal is at least 2 hours before your race/event.
Lots of people find Oats/Oatmeal or a granola works well for them, whether or not you add milk/or yoghurt is an individual thing. Some things can upset the GI tract. “Bananas are generally always safe, a piece of plain (not too fibrous) toast with banana and nut butter works well too”.
5 top tips from Sinclair:
1. Practise your nutrition strategy well ahead of race day – the before and duringfoods/fuels.
2. Prep it the night before – at 4am you don’t want to be searching around for the last scraping of peanut butter.
3. For your event fuel – always take extra, just in case – or have supporters on the course with extra.
4. Just take a sip or two of water/fluid at each drink station -you do not need to drink the whole cup, over hydration can be as dangerous as dehydration. And if you are not gunning for a sub 1:45h in a half or 3:20 full, walk the drink stations – I promise you, you will make up the time by not choking on your water.
5. Always eat within 30 minutes of your race/event finishing to help refuel the body and ensure optimum recovery and avoid alcohol however tempting until you have fully hydrated (i.e. at least gone to the bathroom after the race/event).
An Elite Runner’s perspective:
Meanwhile, I spoke with elite runner Ben Ruthe because I knew he would give a unique opinion here – and a fresh perspective too. And he’s worth listening to because he is a gun-runner (so is his gorgeous wife too, by the way). He’s the bloke who won the Auckland Marathon in 2008 and also has six national titles to his name (under various distances), to name just only a few of his incredible accomplishments.
The Bay of Plenty based runner says he honestly eats what he craves, but avoids excessive amounts “of things that aren’t good for you”. So to decode here, he means don’t drink alcohol like you are a party-animal, and don’t consume sugar like you might if you were Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…
Ruthe strongly advises testing out race fuels well before race day so you know if they might upset your stomach.
He recommends to keep eating the foods you usually eat close up to an event too ie don’t change things radically. He says his father-in-law Trevor Wright (who represented England at the Commonwealth Games and could run a marathon in 2:12.28) used to love steak and chips and so he continued to enjoy eating this favourite meal right up to running his events. But it’s an individual thing, he adds.
But generally his approach is quite chilled. He reckons it can affect your performance if you focus too much on everything being precise food-wise around race day. “It can knock your confidence if you get hung up on everything being perfect,” he says.
He reckons rather than focusing too much on food on race day, rather focus on “enjoying” the event…
Meanwhile, you can enter the Rotorua Marathon by clicking here
- Rachel Grunwell is a wellbeing columnist for 2 magazines, marathoner, yoga teacher (who specialises in ‘yoga for runners’) and blogs on Inspiredhealth.co.nz . She’s running the Rotorua Marathon this year (her 12th marathon). Her last run-related story was on TV3 presenter Mike McRoberts set to take part in the Christchurch Marathon, which was published in newspapers nationwide & on her blog.
- Follow Inspired Health on Facebook (for wellbeing inspiration + health-inspired giveaways)
- Follow Rachel on Instagram
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Win a Weight Watchers membership + 5 top tips for motivation while losing weight!
Win a Weight Watchers membership + 5 top tips for motivation while losing weight!
By Rachel Grunwell
Do you want to kick some kilos? Well, it takes a lot of dedication and motivation to keep going on a weight-loss journey.
I get it. I’ve been there. I put on a lot of weight after I had my first child and it took a lot of strong will, and time, to keep going with my weight-loss journey. I want to share some of the things that helped me keep motivated, but also some things I’ve learnt since I became a wellbeing columnist for two magazines. Then, the cherry-on-top, is one lucky Inspired Health follower can go into the draw to win a 3 month Weight Watchers membership. How AMAZING is that! But first up, here are some tips for keeping motivated. These helped me and I hope they help you too (or please share this piece with someone you know whom it might inspire):
- Think about the end goal and visualise how you will feel when you get there. For me I wanted to lose weight so I could feel happier, fitter, lighter and I dearly wanted to feel good in a pair of jeans. You know, that feeling when your legs don’t swish together anymore. Whenever you feel like reaching for a piece of cake, then remember your goal and why you started on this journey. Visualise again how you will feel when you get to that end goal.
- If you are doing this journey alone then rope in more friends to help you with different parts of your goal. It could be a weekly walk with friends, sharing healthy recipes with another mate, or a gym session with other friends. It will make this journey more fun. And you can help encourage each other.
- Tell your loved ones your goal. They can encourage you to keep accountable.
- Think about a reward when you reach your goal. For me, I promised myself a beautiful pair of new jeans (no expense spared on this because I deserved it and worked sooooo hard for it). Every time I’ve worn those jeans since I smile. And yes, I still have those same jeans and I still love them. That’s the thing about a great quality designer item by the way – it lasts through fashion trends. It’s always a mini celebration when I wear them too. I’ll never forget how hard I worked to shed all that extra weight. I got to the point of wearing some size 16 clothes at the height of my pregnancy and put on close to 30kg (due to weight gain but also pre-eclampsia which cases swelling and some other more series issues if left unchecked). I’m normally a size 8. So yeah, I know what this weight loss journey thing is all about!
- Read other inspiring stories – on Facebook, Instagram or through books even from the library. Weight Watchers has some awesome support too (more details below). The main thing is these stories and other real-life journeys will inspire you to keep going. You can also pick up tips and tricks from other inspirational people.
Do this journey alone if you have incredible will-power. Or if it would help to have a guide and great support, then you could try Weight Watchers like I did. Weight Watchers has recently overhauled their program and it is even better than when I used it. It now focuses on a new way of living, not a diet. It’s more of a holistic approach that incorporates good food, fitness and feeling great – it’s called Your Way. So there are lots of options to choose from to help you on your journey.
Backed by the latest science, too, the Your Way Program encourages members towards healthier eating, including more lean protein and less saturated fat and sugar.
Weight Watchers also makes it easier to work fitness into your life with a new FitPoints™ system and a smartphone app. It’s an approach that’s about eating foods that fuel your health and happiness, while keeping active. The pictured chicken and zucchini noodles here is a great example of a Weight Watchers meal. Yum!
Go into the draw to win a 3 month Weight Watchers membership by finding Inspired Health (https://www.facebook.com/InspiredHealthNZ) / (https://www.instagram.com/inspiredhealthandfitness/) on Facebook or Instagram/or both, locate the promotional Win a Weight Watchers membership + 5 top tips for motivation while losing weight! post on Instagram or Facebook, and leave a comment in the ‘comments’ section of the post specifying ‘Who helps you to be the best you’. You can enter as many times as you would like! The winner will be emailed as well as announced on the Inspired Health Facebook page.
The winner will get access to the online community where members have help with the following:
– Track your food through the WW website and app, which is where you can keep an eye on your SmartPoints™.
– Track your activity and FitPoints™ and find exercise ideas and workout plans to suit everyone.
– Calculate SmartPoints™ for foods.
– Access more than 3000 recipes.
– Track your weight and milestones.
– Be kept up to date with health trends and access motivational articles (e.g. Walk your way to slim).
– Join the WW online Connect community, where you can chat to other members and share your successes.
(Terms and Conditions are at the end of this post)
Rachel Grunwell is a Wellness columnist for Good Magazine and also Juno Investing Magazine. She is also the director of Inspired Health where she blogs and aims to inspire Kiwis to live a life they love. She’s a keen runner and yoga teacher too.
“WIN A WEIGHT WATCHERS MEMBERSHIP – INSPIRED HEALTH” PROMOTION
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
(REVIEWED/REVISED BY ANISIMOFF LEGAL ON 04/04/2016)
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Matcha Green Tea & Super Green Smoothie Bowl
Matcha Green Tea & Super Green Smoothie Bowl
By Rachel Grunwell
This is great for injecting some green goodness into your life. You can have it as a smoothie bowl snack, or even have it for breakfast. Make it the night before and you can drink it on the go!
Whatever way you have it, it will help you go, go, go. It’s an antioxidants hit and it will help revitalise the body and mind.
Here’s what’s in it:
Put the following into a NutriBullet: 1 Cup of Kale, 1 big leaf of Spinach, 2 Feijoas (skin removed), 1 Cup of canned Pears, 1 Cup of VitaCoco coconut Water, a Handful of Ice, ½ a Teaspoon of Blackmores Matcha Gree Tea powder, 1 Teaspoon of Blackmores of Vitality Super Greens powder and 2 sprigs of Parsley. Blend and pour in a smoothie bowl and enjoy. I topped mine with coconut chips, chia and edible flowers, but that’s just optional if you want to pretty it up 😉
- Rachel is a healthy food recipe creator and wellbeing columnist for two magazines. She is a mum, marathoner, yoga teacher and also the director of the Inspired Health website.
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Here is another smoothie creation by Rachel:
Raspberry Heaven Smoothie Bowl – packed full of antioxidants!
Raspberry Heaven Smoothie Bowl – Delicious!
By Rachel Grunwell
We tend to reach for oranges when we are after a Vitamin C boost. But if you want to change things up then reach for raspberries and beetroot powder for your smoothie!
Raspberries make for the prettiest smoothie colour, but they are packed with Vitamin C and antioxidants which help us fight off ageing. Antioxidants help reduce inflammation – one of the many factors that can age us. While beetroot powder has antioxidants, fibre, vitamins and minerals and helps detoxify and supports stamina and endurance performance (so great for my love of running!)
This recipe has some great nutrients, but it’s also packed full of flavour. My smoothies have to taste good too. It’s a sweet-hit and it had my kids smiling and asking for more.
Here’s the recipe:
Raspberry Heaven Smoothie Bowl
Put 1 Cup each of Frozen Raspberries and VitaCocoNZ coconut water, 1 frozen banana, 1 Teaspoon of GoSuperFood Beetroot Powder, 1 Scoop of Lifestream Essential Protein Natural Chai powder into your trusty NutriBullet and blend. You can drink this in a cup or put it into a smoothie bowl and dig it out with a spoon. Or if you want to be all fancy-pants and show off then you can put some toppings on top. I topped mine with dried rose petals and Pure Delish Raspberry & Maple Nut No-Grain-Ola. Enjoy!
Rachel is a wellbeing columnist and healthy recipe creator for two magazines. She’s a mum, marathoner, yoga teacher and the director of the Inspired Health website.
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Nutrition Tips for runners – from 3 experts
Elite runner Ben Ruthe & nutritionists Mikki Williden, left, & Sarah Sinclair, right, share top tips for runners.
Nutrition Tips for runners – from 3 experts
By Rachel Grunwell
What can you eat to best fuel your running?
It’s a question a lot of runners ponder. So I chatted with two qualified nutritionists who specialise in this field (who are also runners) – as well as an elite runner from the Bay of Plenty who has won some top titles.
I asked one nutritionist about what to do about the tapering period, and another about what to do on race day. While, the athlete gave his own perspective about what works best for him. He also made a good point that nutrition is an individual thing ultimately. I’ve interviewed many of the top nutritionists throughout NZ and it’s a point that these experts all hammered home too. However, here are some incredible tips and words of wisdom worth noting. I know I’ll be putting some of this great advice into action with my next event – the Rotorua Marathon on April 30 – the next major event on the NZ run calendar. Some of this advice may help you too – for any event. These experts are all awesome and I rate them all highly.
FUEL AROUND TAPERING TIME
It’s close to tapering time for those participating in the Rotorua Marathon, like me. But use this information for any event you may have in the future. Firstly, tapering means backing off the training miles in the lead up to the race. This also means you shouldn’t be fuelling your body up as much as you might think…
It’s a “common mistake” around this time for runners to keep eating like we do while doing the big training miles.
Nutritionist Mikki Williden says it’s a real issue.
“Some people end up being heavy, lethargic and brain-fogged when they turn up to the start-line,” she says.
She knew of one guy who carb-loaded so much during a taper period that he ended up around 4kg heavier when he turned up at an event start-line.
“People overeat all the time when it comes to running,” says Williden.
So during the taper period – which can be a few weeks or as little as 10 days before an event depending on the individual – here are some of Williden’s tips:
Reduce your food intake over this time. You don’t need as much fuel because you are not using up as much energy.
2. Tap into your hunger cues; Do not eat to schedule.
3. If you suffer from nerves then reduce your vegetable intake a few days out from the event. Williden is usually an advocate of “10 serves of veg a day”, but around this time too much fibre can upset the gut and take up a lot of stomach space “which can make you feel bloated”.
4. Don’t take vast quantities of sports drinks leading up to a race. It can be too much liquid energy. “You’re better off making your own smoothies or having natural electrolytes like coconut water,” she adds.
5. Eat more frequently in the day before the event, but reduce the size of meals. This helps with having “a comfortable stomach”.
ps Williden says her favourite pre-race meals are things like Japanese (think salmon don), or a roast pork meal with kumara.
FUEL FOR RACE DAY
Raceday nutrition is different for everyone. So what works well for one person may not work well for another. Probably the most important advice for race day, is that you should practise your own race day nutrition while doing your training runs. And it is wise to experiment with different options as it can be a matter of trial and error to pinpoint what exactly works best for you.
Sarah Sinclair, a nutritionist who specialises in nutrition for runners through her business RUNtrition, recommends eating things on race day that are “nutrient dense, with complex carbs, with healthy fats and ideally a few antioxidants to boost (think whole foods and real foods where you can). And of course drink some fluid.”
Do not eat too much prior to a race – but make sure this meal is at least 2 hours before your race/event.
Lots of people find Oats/Oatmeal or a granola works well for them, whether or not you add milk/or yoghurt is an individual thing. Some things can upset the GI tract. “Bananas are generally always safe, a piece of plain (not too fibrous) toast with banana and nut butter works well too”.
5 top tips from Sinclair:
1. Practise your nutrition strategy well ahead of race day – the before and duringfoods/fuels.
2. Prep it the night before – at 4am you don’t want to be searching around for the last scraping of peanut butter.
3. For your event fuel – always take extra, just in case – or have supporters on the course with extra.
4. Just take a sip or two of water/fluid at each drink station -you do not need to drink the whole cup, over hydration can be as dangerous as dehydration. And if you are not gunning for a sub 1:45h in a half or 3:20 full, walk the drink stations – I promise you, you will make up the time by not choking on your water.
5. Always eat within 30 minutes of your race/event finishing to help refuel the body and ensure optimum recovery and avoid alcohol however tempting until you have fully hydrated (i.e. at least gone to the bathroom after the race/event).
An Elite Runner’s perspective:
Meanwhile, I spoke with elite runner Ben Ruthe because I knew he would give a unique opinion here – and a fresh perspective too. And he’s worth listening to because he is a gun-runner (so is his gorgeous wife too, by the way). He’s the bloke who won the Auckland Marathon in 2008 and also has six national titles to his name (under various distances), to name just only a few of his incredible accomplishments.
The Bay of Plenty based runner says he honestly eats what he craves, but avoids excessive amounts “of things that aren’t good for you”. So to decode here, he means don’t drink alcohol like you are a party-animal, and don’t consume sugar like you might if you were Charlie from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory…
Ruthe strongly advises testing out race fuels well before race day so you know if they might upset your stomach.
He recommends to keep eating the foods you usually eat close up to an event too ie don’t change things radically. He says his father-in-law Trevor Wright (who represented England at the Commonwealth Games and could run a marathon in 2:12.28) used to love steak and chips and so he continued to enjoy eating this favourite meal right up to running his events. But it’s an individual thing, he adds.
But generally his approach is quite chilled. He reckons it can affect your performance if you focus too much on everything being precise food-wise around race day. “It can knock your confidence if you get hung up on everything being perfect,” he says.
He reckons rather than focusing too much on food on race day, rather focus on “enjoying” the event…
Meanwhile, you can enter the Rotorua Marathon by clicking here
- Rachel Grunwell is a wellbeing columnist for 2 magazines, marathoner, yoga teacher (who specialises in ‘yoga for runners’) and blogs on Inspiredhealth.co.nz . She’s running the Rotorua Marathon this year (her 12th marathon). Her last run-related story was on TV3 presenter Mike McRoberts set to take part in the Christchurch Marathon, which was published in newspapers nationwide & on her blog.
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Want to be the best you? Well, try this lifestyle approach…
Want to be the best you? Well, try this lifestyle approach…
By Rachel Grunwell
Want to become the best version of you?
I’m not talking about enrolling in some American-style ‘biggest transformation’ style program. That stuff freaks me out! It’s not sustainable either.
How to become the best version of you requires you wanting be a better you, firstly. Then you need to tell yourself you are going to change your lifestyle. Next, adopt “a positive mind-set” and repeat after me: “I believe in myself”.
Think about something that drives you to want to look and feel better. For me, I remember hating the feeling of my legs swishing together when I walked. This was a while back, when I put on 30kg when I was pregnant with my first child. But I’ll never forget that feeling. I hated it. So wanting to escape the “leg-swish-walking” was one driver for me! It may be that there’s a dress you’d love to wear for your wedding or a big event. Or you may just want to simply get back to looking like “you” again. Focus on this and how you will feel when you get to your goal.
Then I want you to think about a reward when you get to your goal. Something you long for and want. Promise yourself you will buy it for yourself when you reach your goal and look forward to that, (obviously you have to be able to afford it! No Ferrari-wishing okay – except if you are a partner in a law firm or something… then you can wish for a Ferrari).
But seriously, next I want you to start drinking 2L of water daily. Put it in the fridge in a jug and so you can see if you are getting through this amount each day.
Next up, look at how much movement you do. Try and walk/do some kind of exercise class/swim – whatever you want really – and commit to doing it thrice weekly. You can build on doing more later. Just starting is the main thing right now.
Also, walk whenever you get the opportunity – early in the morning or at lunch time with a friend can be great times to try and fit it in. Walk the kids to school, don’t drive them. Walk to get that coffee or meet with a mate. If it’s a close distance than get on your feet. Any chance you can move, do it. Even standing burns more calories than sitting. So every bit counts i.e. don’t sit while you fold the washing – stand!
A tough thing to do next will be to “cut the not-so-good-for-you-stuff” from your pantry. Avoid sugar, fizzy drinks, alcohol and then don’t drink more than one coffee a day. If you are drinking or eating a lot of any one of these things then mindfully cut back – ease off it slowly. Be kind on yourself.
Next eat greens whenever you can at each meal. Not just dinner time! Greens like broccoli and salads are great. Then fill your pantry/fridge with healthy foods. Now all you need to do is eat more healthy stuff, less crap, drink more water and avoid all those sugar-laden or alcoholic things trying to drag you down. They’re not doing you any favours.
Now, do all these things consistently and see how you go. Remember, you can do this! You got this!
Remember weight-loss takes time too. So keep going and don’t give into old unhealthy habits. Good things take time and if you are doing these things then you should be feeling even better over time.
However, if you don’t think you can do this weight loss and fitness journey on your own, or find it confusing, or think that you could benefit from some support and education in this area then consider something like Weight Watchers.
Weight Watchers has recently overhauled their program and it is even better than when I used it years ago. It now focuses on a new way of living, not a diet. It’s more of a holistic approach that looks at food, fitness and feeling good “your own way”. So there are lots of options to choose from to help you on your journey. It’s awesome.
Weight Watchers says research shows about a third of Kiwis aged 15-years and over are overweight. And Weight Watchers believes women can find it tougher than men to kick the kilos. Add to that more fast foods, less sleep and a lack of motivation in general in society… It’s tough to break the weight-gain cycle. So don’t feel reluctant about reaching out to something like Weight Watchers if you need help achieving your goal.
Weight Watchers Director of Program and Content for Australasia, Martha Lourey-Bird, says “We have the tools to reverse this trend.”
“The new Weight Watchers Program goes beyond kilojoule counting and allows you to personalise your approach to weight management and healthy living. Backed by the latest scientific learnings, the Your Way Program nudges members towards healthier eating, including more lean protein and less saturated fat and sugar.”
She says Weight Watchers also makes it easier to work fitness into your life with a new FitPoints™ system and a smartphone app. It’s an approach that’s about eating good foods you love and getting active.
Ultimately you will feel better, so make the change.
After all, Oprah Winfrey backs Weight Watchers. She raves this has given her the “tools” to have accountability to herself. So if someone like Oprah gives it the green light then you can believe in Weight Watchers being able to help you to be the best version of you. Go on; you’ll feel great if you do.
Rachel Grunwell is a wellbeing columnist for two NZ magazines and seven newspaper titles nationwide. She’s the director of Inspired Health.
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