Nutritious Post Long Run Meal

An easy, tasty and nutritious post long run meal

By Lisa Sherman, Nutritionist, Whole Nutrition (Lisa can be contacted anytime for an appointment http://www.wholelifenutrition.net.au/ )

For many of us, the weekly long run is an important part of our weekly training, especially when we have a goal race and PB in mind, no matter what the distance.  A key part of the long run is ensuring we replenish our energy stores and reduce inflammation post run with some wholesome, nutritious and delicious food.  The recipe below is the perfect post long run meal providing a good combination of nutrients to boost our recovery and performance.

The salmon provides protein, is rich in omega-3s to reduce inflammation, plus is packed with vitamins K, C, A, E, B3, B6 and B12, all promoting cardiovascular health and increasing brain and nerve function.

The buckwheat noodles, are a great gluten free option, and provide protein, are low in fat, high in potassium, zinc, magnesium and vitamins B1, B3 and B6 – all helping to support cardiovascular health and also control blood sugar.

Bok choy is rich in potassium, calcium and vitamins C, K and B6 and the garlic and coriander (I know not everyone likes coriander so you can always leave it out) are both anti-inflammatory and beneficial to the digestive system.

So next time you are stuck on what to eat post long run, why not give this simple but delicious and easy to make recipe a go.  Your body and training performance will thank you for it.

RECIPE – POACHED SALMON WITH NOODLE SOUP

Serves 2

Ingredients:

ü  Vegetable stock, good quality, salt-reduced – 1L (4 cups)

ü  Water – 500ml (2 cups)

ü  Star anise – 2 pods

ü  Garlic – 2 cloves, peeled, sliced

ü  Ginger – 3cm piece, peeled, sliced

ü  Spring onions – 3 sliced on diagonal (for cooking), 1 finely sliced (to serve)

ü  Baby bok choy – 1 bunch, washed, leaves separated

ü  Buckwheat soba noodles, 180g

ü  Salmon – 2x fillets (roughly 125g each), skin off

ü  Soy sauce, salt-reduced – 3 teaspoons

ü  Coriander – handful, leaves picked (optional, to serve)

ü  Long red chilli – sliced (optional, to serve)

Method:

1.    Place stock, water, star anise, garlic, ginger, 3 of the spring onions in a large saucepan, bring to the boil then cover and simmer for 8mins.

2.    Meanwhile, cook noodles according to packet instructions, drain, and set aside.

3.    Add salmon fillets to saucepan, cover and simmer for 4mins.

4.    Remove salmon from saucepan, cover with foil and set aside.

5.    Strain broth and return to saucepan, bring to the boil.

6.    Add baby bok choy, cook for 2mins, then add noodles, soy sauce to saucepan to heat.

7.    Place a salmon fillet in each serving bowl, ladle soup with noodles and baby bok choy into the bowls.  Top with spring onion, coriander and chilli (if using).

Calcium - are you getting enough? by Lisa Sherman

by Lisa Sherman, Nutritionist, 0413 580 608. Email:  wholelifenutrition1@gmail.com www.wholelifenutrition.net.au

We all know the importance of strong and healthy bones and that adequate daily calcium intake is needed to help achieve this.  But calcium isn’t just required for our bones.  Calcium is one of the most important minerals in the human body and has many roles in addition to helping provide structure and strength to our bones and teeth.  It is essential for muscle contractions and relaxation, nerve impulse transmission, cardiac function, energy production and helping to maintain a healthy blood pressure.  It is also needed for blood clotting, plays a role in hormone secretion, enzyme activation and maintenance of our immune function.  All pretty important body functions and not just when we are exercising!

So how much calcium do we need?

The Recommended Dietary Intake (RDI) for calcium varies depending on gender and life stage.  Women and men aged 19-50 years, require 1000mg per day.  Calcium requirements increase to 1300mg per day for teenagers, women over 50 years and men over 70 years.*

For many of us, we obtain our daily intake of calcium from dairy products, usually 2 to 3 serves per day.  But for those that don’t consume dairy, we need to ensure we are getting an adequate daily intake from non-dairy sources.  The guide below provides a helpful reference to what a day’s calcium intake looks like – both with dairy and without.

What does a day’s intake of calcium look like?

WITH DAIRY… 1 glass of milk (304mg), 200g tub of regular natural yoghurt (385mg), 2 slices of swiss cheese (395mg)

WITHOUT DAIRY… 100g sardines, a little over 1 tin (367mg), 100g tofu (320mg), 3 dried figs (80mg), 25 almonds (75mg), 1 orange (52mg), 1 cup of kale (94mg) 

Other ways to boost calcium intake from non-dairy sources:

ü  small fish with soft edible bones (eg canned salmon – 310mg/100g)

ü  vegetables (eg bok choy, silverbeet or broccoli – 42mg/100g)

ü  almond milk – 300mg/250ml (1 cup)

ü  eggs – 25mg/per egg

ü  dried apricots – 67mg/100g

ü  pumpkin, boiled – 37mg/1 cup

ü  rhubarb – 266mg/1 cup

ü  spinach, boiled – 122mg/½ cup

ü  chia seeds – 157mg/25g

ü  flax seeds – 63mg/25g

ü  tahini – 105mg/25g

*Source: Nutritional Reference Values Australia and New Zealand, NHMRC, Australian Government (2014)

Replenishing fluids & electrolytes after training

BY LISA SHERMAN, Nutritionist can be reached through her website www.wholelifenutrition.net.au or phone 0413 580 608.

Electrolytes are important minerals in our body as they affect how our body functions in a number of ways.  They are involved in balancing the amount of water and our acid-base (pH) balance; they help move nutrients into and wastes out of our cells; and are required for optimal functioning of our nerves, muscle, heart and brain function.

Electrolytes include sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium and chloride and we lose electrolytes when the balance of water in our body changes, such as when we sweat, common during exercise, especially high intensity or endurance training and events.  Whilst it is important that we rehydrate well and replenish these electrolytes after training, all too often we replace the electrolytes with sports drinks which can be very high in calories and/or added sugars and this is not ideal.

There are many delicious, natural, wholefood sources of all of these electrolytes.  Why not try adding a few more of these foods to your post-training meals to aid recovery and replenish the fluids and electrolytes lost during training.

Sodium – this is an essential electrolyte required for water and acid-base balance as well as renal function, and also helps with nerve and muscle function.  Occurs naturally in most foods including vegetables, salmon, melons, but be careful of high levels of added salt in processed foods.

Potassium – works in partnership with sodium and is important for nerve and muscle cell function and can help improve blood pressure control.  Good sources include chicken, fish (such as salmon and sardines), broccoli, peas, tomatoes, potatoes (especially their skins), sweet potato, bananas, nuts and dried apricots.

Magnesium – this is an essential mineral for maintaining optimal nerve and muscle function, helps support a healthy immune system, building strong bones and energy metabolism.  Green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and wholegrains are all excellent sources.  Magnesium may also be found in tap, bottled or mineral water – another reason to ensure we rehydrate post-training.

Calcium – the fifth most abundant element in our body and required for heart and skeletal muscle contraction and relaxation, protecting and building bones and teeth, maintaining a healthy blood pressure and nervous system function.  Whilst dairy products (yoghurt, milk, cheeses) are often considered the main sources of calcium, other good sources include almonds, brazil nuts, broccoli, sunflower seeds, tahini and tinned salmon and sardines (with soft bones).

Chloride – along with sodium, this element helps maintain water and acid-base balance, and is important for optimal body function.  Good sources include tomatoes, lettuce, celery and olives but also found naturally in many vegetables.