Need energy, need to live for years to come

[spokewench]

Hot dishes are great as long as you keep the ingredients in them fresh. Don't use condensed soups (low salt chicken broth or vege broth is okay); minimize the cheese, add lots of veges, lean protein and you are set for a very nice healthy meal!

[madscot13]

Oh hey I agree about the condensed soup! it may be great for moms in a rush, but making your own sauce from scratch is the best way to go and the healthiest. I maximize the cheese, we love the flavor. But hey this gets back t my original post- should I be worried about the cholesterol and saturated fats in my foods? A lot of the protein rich foods I eat have a lot of fat and I want to know if I should change my diet.

[madscot13]

Ahem, ahem...this is the Northeast Minneapolis Hotdish Revolution Tater Tot Excellence category champion speaking...yes, two years running...

I've won with my Tater Tot Hotdish each year I've entered. Go classic. Ground beef. Corn. Tasty and healthy (not) cream o' mushroom soup. Heaps of tater tots. Bake until bubbly and gooey. (I also like lowry's on top. I am not a good healthy cook.)

I cannot believe that I have been in the presence of greatness and not known it!

ps how could you not tell me about the casserole cook off?! I think I will practice for next year.

[spokewench]

Oh hey I agree about the condensed soup! it may be great for moms in a rush, but making your own sauce from scratch is the best way to go and the healthiest. I maximize the cheese, we love the flavor. But hey this gets back t my original post- should I be worried about the cholesterol and saturated fats in my foods? A lot of the protein rich foods I eat have a lot of fat and I want to know if I should change my diet.

Cheese is not bad for you - I use it too. Actually, I don't drink a whole lot of milk so I get most of my calcium from food in cheese. It sounds like to me you have a nice round diet so I don't think you have a problem. We can all get too obsessed about what we eat or don't eat! When I say minimize the cheese, most people will put an awful lot of it in a typical, old fashioned casserole and I have found that I can get really tasty casseroles without quite as much cheese. It is a saturated fat so I try to minimize it. I add chile pepper flakes to add flavor to casseroles, lots of herbs, brown the meat before I put it in to add flavor, the chicken broth low sodium adds flavor and even the veges (a little tomato with the acidity adds flavor) as well as onion and other aromatic vegetables. If the rest of the casserole is really tasty, you don't need quite as much cheese to add to the flavor. Also, another trick is to use cheeses like parmesan that have intense flavor so you don't have to use quite as much (or add this to say your cheddar to add flavor and cut down on the amount of cheddar) use sharp cheddar so you can use less for the flavor. These are just a lot of tips to cut the saturated fat in your casserole and they taste just as good!

It helps if you like to cook like I do and do a lot of experimenting! I hardly ever use a recipe out of a cookbook, but even when I do, by the second time I make that recipe, I will be altering it some way! Ahh the joys of cooking!

Spoke

[Keely]

I have been upping my biking this summer. I want to do century distances, not centuries per se just know that I can go the distance. So I have been biking 6 days a week and weightlifting another 2 times a week. The result? I am always hungry! Before my ride I have yogurt/ granola and a banana. After I get home I have eggs and buttered toast.

If you're upping the distances you're riding and you're hungry, have you thought about eating while you're out riding? On a ride that is under 2 hours you might not need to take anthing to eat, but when you are riding for more than 2 hours your body has started to run out of fuel. Your muslces can only store so much glycogen. Also when riding the most efficient and effective source of fuel is actually carbs... they are more easily transformed into glycogen. The standard rule is that you need to have 1g of carbs per 1kg of body weight per hour in order to not run out of energy and experience the dreaded 'bonk'.

Lollies/sugar is NOT an efficient fuel because it is burnt up too quickly and you need to keep feeding yourself with sugar. Once you start on the sugar you body will only burn sugar becasue it will start lookingfor the most simple easiest fuel to burn. Having said this... IF you do experience a 'bonk' lollies will give you instant energy.

[madscot13]

The standard rule is that you need to have 1g of carbs per 1kg of body weight per hour in order to not run out of energy and experience the dreaded 'bonk'.

Is this while I am biking then? I have actually switched the contents of my bike bottles from water to Gatorade. My rides have become easier, but I think it is because I am staying hydrated better. Maybe the carbs have something to do with it too?

[Keely]

Is this while I am biking then? I have actually switched the contents of my bike bottles from water to Gatorade. My rides have become easier, but I think it is because I am staying hydrated better. Maybe the carbs have something to do with it too?

It's probably a combination of both... but yes if you're doing longer rides you probably do need to start eating while riding as well. Everyone's different, so it does depend on how you feel. But when I do 100+km rides, this is what I take:

1. 1 bidon of water
2. 1 bidon of sport drink
3. at least 2 sport energy bars - Pria or Maxim Bars
4. a banana, if I have any in the fruit bowl

If I don't eat everything, that's OK. If you start getting hungry while riding it's too late to start thinking about food; your body has already depleted it's glycogen stores. You should try to eat before you get hungry. I try to ensure that I eat at least every half hour.

If you find you can't eat solid foor then you could try energy gels... These are a concentrated form of energy and can be easier to digest when your body is under pressure - like during a race or when simply riding hard... Here are a few links to ones that are available in Australia:
Maxim energy gels
Gu Energy Gels
Endura

[Tuckervill]

If I don't eat everything, that's OK. If you start getting hungry while riding it's too late to start thinking about food; your body has already depleted it's glycogen stores. You should try to eat before you get hungry.

I always find this statement (and the similar one about thirst) illogical.

What is the point of the feelings of hunger and thirst if it's too late by the time you feel them? I remain skeptical of these statements.

Karen

[Nokomis]

I always find this statement (and the similar one about thirst) illogical.

I don't have any science to back it up - but my take is in a normal environment, you're hungry or thirst when your body needs those things. When you are working at a high intensity, it's better to fuel up appropriate ahead of time than to try to make up for it when your body realizes it needs more - because it is harder to then catch up w/ physical requirements.