Buy Local
Healthy cooking begins with a trip to the local grocery store, food co-op or farmers’ market. Buy fresh, locally-grown foods whenever possible. Not only will you taste the difference, but your body will feel the difference. This is because fewer miles between farm and plate equates to fresher, more nutritious foods with a higher percentage of vitamins and minerals, says Dr. Bobbi Lutack, a Seattle-based naturopathic doctor and exercise physiologist. According to Lutack, seasonal foods keep you away from a mono-type diet, which can lead to nutrient deficiency and food allergens.
Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) is another way to eat locally. CSAs provide a weekly harvest share from a local farm in return for an annual fee. Many CSAs provide shares year-round and often offer discounts in exchange for volunteer hours spent on the farm. To find out more about CSAs and locate one in your area, see www.nal.usda.gov/afsic/csa/
Many major cities, including Seattle and Portland, are also home to organic produce home delivery services. While the produce does not always arrive at your doorstep directly from a farm, most delivery companies make an effort to work with local farmers.
Some healthy recipe resources include Eating Well: the Magazine of Food and Health, or their Web site at www.eatingwell.com. Vegetarian Times also has a wealth of recipes and a Web site, www.vegetariantimes.com, which includes a “recipe finder.” Many athletes go to www.foodfit.com for healthy, energizing recipes and articles on nutrition and fitness. To find answers to common health and nutrition questions and healthy recipes, see www.prevention.com.
Key Ingredients
Dr. David Musnick, a Bellevue-based sports medicine and internal medicine physician, gives the following nutritional tips for active people:
Eat organic to remain active throughout life. This will decrease your risk of cancer and your exposure to free radicals, which can age the body and lead to inflammation. This is especially important with protein from animals, where pesticides and metals concentrate.
Eat adequate amounts of protein. For people who exercise regularly, divide your body weight by 2.2 and multiply that times 1.2 to decipher how many grams of protein you need daily. This amount of protein should be spread throughout your meals and snacks. Don’t forget protein at breakfast – an omelet or a protein smoothie can do the trick. Supplement meals with protein-packed snacks such as mixed nuts or a protein bar (with at least 12 grams of protein and no partially-hydrogenated oils, since these cause inflammation and narrow the arteries).
On active days, increase your intake of complex carbohydrates for energy production. For example, add whole-grain toast, oatmeal or a healthy grain cereal to an egg breakfast and switch to energy bars that have a higher ratio of complex carbohydrates to protein, such as Clif Bars.
Seek omega-3 oils. They are tricky to get enough of, but important for cardiovascular health and to decrease inflammation in the body. Sources of omega-3 include flax seeds and their oil and cold-water fish like ocean salmon.
To learn more about nutritional needs for active people, check out, “Conditioning for Outdoor Fitness: Functional Exercise and Nutrition for Every Body,” which Dr. Musnick co-authored. The recently released second edition has expanded sections on nutrition, with contributions from Seattle-based naturopathic doctor, Lutack.
Good Company
If you’ve tried some of these strategies but you still dread facing the kitchen, consider organizing a cooking club, where members take turns cooking for one another. Form a club of five friends and eat together once a week. You’ll only be responsible for cooking every fifth week, and on the other weeks, you simply show up at someone’s house for a home-cooked meal and good conversation.
Over time, you will discover your own ways of preparing and enjoying healthy foods. If you have a favorite healthy cookbook, Web site or other healthy eating resources, please email them to Editor@OutdoorsNW.com. We will post them on our Web site.
– Michelle Burkhart, a freelance writer from Gig Harbor, Wash., is an accomplished mountaineer, sea kayaker and cyclist. |
