Before last week (my school went on Spring Break... So did my diet), I was aiming for anywhere between 40-60% of the food I ate being from those alkaline lists. I noticed something... I wasn't getting enough grains or meat. To be honest -- I wasn't craving meat, so I didn't eat it. Not to mention that pretty much all meats are on the "acidic" list. I know I haven't been getting enough protein. I was also having problems with grains. From what I keep reading, grains are a staple in an athlete's diet. But most grains are "acidic." So I haven't been sure how to find that balance.
Typical day for me:
Breakfast (6:30AM):
Freshly made smoothie (all alkaline foods & and I always include spinach)
Half a bagel -- toasted -- with peanut butter or almond butter
Glass of milk
Snack (sometimes! 10AM):
Banana
Lunch (2PM):
Salad (romaine, spinach, bell peppers, black olives, cucumbers, berries, carrots, broccoli, onions, sometimes cheese) with a vinigrette dressing
Hunk of cheese or small serving of cottage cheese
Piece of fresh fruit
Sometimes the other half of the bagel -- plain
Snack (4:30/5:00PM):
Random (Carrots, cheese, deli meat, chips & salsa, half a PBJ, smoothie, celery)
Dinner (late evening):
This is usually where my diet goes out the window. My boyfriend is NOT fond of my new food choices. Whenever I cook something that is more of what I need to be eating, he's not a fan ("It tastes... Healthy...."). We almost always eat dinner together. Although I am getting better at making good choices during this meal -- especially when we go out.
Last week I saw Doc and he said he was concerned I wasn't getting enough protein. He also told me that he pretty much only eats brown rice and quinoa as his "grains." He is worried that my diet is still triggering the inflammation and pain in my back. He urged me to try going gluten-free and dairy-free. He said it was more about "substituting" rather than "avoiding." He wanted me to start juicing vegetables 2x a day and drinking a protein drink. He told me to get Vega powders as they are totally vegetable based. He also urged me to shop around online because it is rather expensive. He wasn't kidding. Then he wanted me to be more diligent about taking my magnesium supplement, Natural Calm. He also wants me to start taking probiotics; he believes the flora in my instestines may be shot because of all the dairy I eat.
Needless to say it's a long list. It's rather overwhelming too.
Over the weekend I did some thinking. I'll start with small things. Here's what I've done so far:
- Swap out my bagel with a gluten-free Enligh Muffin (made from brown rice flour)
- Get back to eating more fresh produce
- Make a veggie juice at least once a day
- Keep smoothies
- Take the Natural Calm every other day
I bought some packets of the Vega shakes. It has a.... Distinct flavor. He suggested putting it in my juice. Did it. I'm not ready for that. Not to mention I was burping the shake flavor all damn evening. Blech. So next time I'll put it in ice cold water, shake it super good, and only use one or two spoonfuls of it for a while. I'm trusting that it's more of an acquired taste.
Overall, I'm MILES ahead where I was nutritionally. Ever. I'm hoping that it'll be a positive influence on my race performance. It has to be. My skin and hair look/feel better. Body feels more energized and "cleaner" inside.
Baby steps...
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