At Elios Health, it is the responsibility of our certified sports nutritionist, Dr. Marieta Buse ND to help patients make more intuitive decisions around food. Eating healthy is much easier when you have a plan and great habits. Here are three areas to help maintain an optimal balance with your nutrition and diet.

Part I: RECOVERY (who knew recovery was a part of nutrition?)

One of the most fundamental aspects for nutrition is ensuring you have enough recovery. This is applied in three different ways:

1. Enough sleep over night. Sleep is essential for regeneration, including for our digestive system and for muscle growth. We don’t grow muscle during a workout, we do it at night in response to the release growth hormone. Many people I work with have trouble with insomnia which can alter our blood sugar regulation, appetite and cravings which makes it more difficult to stay on a meal plan.

2. Rest between workouts and periods of recovery in training programs. Rest allows your body to catch up to the physical demand you’ve been putting on it. Marieta works with athletes to help spot the signs of overtraining.

3. If strict meal planning is part of your competitive plan, consider planned “breaks”. Make sure to enjoy food and experiences with friends and family. Marieta encourages athletes to be strict only 80% of the time and leave 20% of the time to enjoy.

4. Include is enough recovery for the digestive tract, or time over night for the digestion process. Try to avoid eating too late one day and too early the next. Our digestive tracts require approximately 8 hours to finish digesting our food from the previous day and another 4 hours to complete our elimination cycle. For some people, it is appropriate to leave 12 hours between dinner one day and breakfast the next, when approved by your physician.

Part II: CALORIES

During the training and outdoor seasons, Vancouverites tend to work their bodies - we are a busy, active city! Any time you find yourself doing more than 6 hrs of physical activity with elevated heart rate, then this next part is important. Why is this important to know? 

Your body has a finite amount of energy – there is a limit in how much energy your body has within it and can use at any given time. Where the energy goes in your body depends on the demands on your body. Your body must decide how much goes to your immune system, digestion, muscles, and decision making. If you do not eat enough and work out a lot, then your body must start making difficult choices. 

Can your body send enough energy to your muscles for recovery?

What happens if you do not have enough energy to produce hormones? In the case of progesterone or estrogen, periods may become irregular in women. Likewise, low testosterone – a hormone that’s important in men & women – decreases long-term performance and can show up as a plateau, or even regression, in performance.

What if there is not enough energy to go to your immune system? Then, you may end up sick more often and for longer with more time off of training. 

How much energy overall – or the upper limit of energy – is dependent on how much you eat. In order to build a strong body, the amount of calories we eat through food must match how much we are working out. That way, all the systems of the body are working optimally.

How do you know if you’re eating enough calories in your diet? Well, if you are constantly hungry, this is your body telling you it needs food. And sometimes, it’s just about knowing your body and what it’s trying to tell you. Marieta works with her clients to decipher appetites, cravings and what they mean for each individual. 

Part III: PROTEIN

The optimal amount of protein is dependent on your goal for training. In general, the algorithms used to calculate the value are:

(Between 0.8 to 1.2) X (your body weight in lbs) = (in g protein)

For example: If I weigh 120 lbs, I strive to get 120 g of protein in a day in order to build muscle.

CAUTION: If you have a medical diagnosis or condition(s), please consult a doctor on the right amount of protein for you.

This is not as easy as you’d think! Let’s say, you ate:

2 eggs on toast and avocado for breakfast.

For lunch, a salad with some tofu.

And, dinner is chicken with sweet potatoes and veggies. 

That sounds like you’d be obtaining enough protein from your diet because there is a protein source which each meal. In truth, you’d only be getting 60-80 g of protein – which in my case, is only half of my goal protein intake.

In addition, you want to make sure that you have variety in your protein sources – not just animal! Healthy plant sources include: chickpeas, beans, lentils, tofu, tempeh, nuts and seeds.

And especially if you’re vegan or vegetarian, ensuring that you have a variety of complete protein sources throughout the day. For example rice and beans, beans and corn, or whole grain toast with nut butter.

As a naturopathic doctor with a CISSN sports nutrition certification, Marieta works hard in her medical practice to create meal plans for athletes to cover their nutrition and dietary needs to achieve their performance goals. If you are interested in a meal plan that is tailored to your individual needs, or to ask questions related to nutrition book in for a free 15 min Meet & Greet at: elioshealth.janeapp.com.