Energy and Wellness Network

Sports Nutrition: Triathletes and Vegetarianism

I found this interesting article and well researched Sports Nutrition article on Triathletes and Vegetarianism.

Source: Trismarter.com

The key players in a vegetarian triathlete's diet....

There are numerous myths associated with the consumption of a vegetarian diet. In particular, vegetarian triathletes are thought to be deficient in protein, iron, or other nutrients that can easily be obtained from meat. Allow me to be the first to dispel these types of folklores. Vegetarian triathletes can obtain all of the necessary nutrients to adequately fuel the body for hours of training and racing. In fact, a vegetarian diet may be more appropriate for triathletes because of their necessity to consume a large percentage of calories from carbohydrates. A vegetarian diet has also been associated with numerous health benefits, including lower rates of ischemic heart disease, diabetes, hypertension, obesity and certain forms of cancer. Should we stop eating meat and head to the Italian market for pasta and vegetables? Perhaps, but let us first examine the key players in the vegetarian triathlete's diet.

Agave Nectar: Key Lime Pie

I found this Agave Nectar recipe on the Friends of Animals website from their first cookbook Dining With Friends: The Art of North American Vegan Cuisine.  There is also and outstanding post on the symbiotic relationship between the Century Plant, from which Agave Nectar is harvested and nectar eating bats.. The True Story of Agave Nectar: A Sweet Gift of Nature, and the Vegetarian Bats Who Keep It Alive.

This recipe makes a pie to serve 6 to 8 people

Ingredients

1 package (12.3 ounces) Mori-Nu Silken Lite Firm Tofu
8 ounces Tofutti “Better than Cream Cheese”
½ cup fresh lime juice
2 teaspoons grated lime or lemon rind
2 packages Mori-Nu Mates Vanilla Pudding Mix
1 tablespoon agave nectar
One 9-inch Arrowhead Mills brand graham cracker pie shell

Preparation

Drain excess water from tofu. Blend Mori-Nu Silken Lite Firm Tofu with fresh lime juice in a food processor until completely creamy and smooth. Add the rest of the ingredients; blend again into a custard. Pour the custard into the pie shell and chill it for 3 or more hours.

 

Panel Finds Yerba Mate Tea High in Cancer Fighting Antioxidants

Presented during the one-day symposium, “Chemistry and Flavor of Hispanic Foods,” on Tuesday, March 15, at the 229th national meeting of the American Chemical Society, the world’s largest scientific society:

Maté tea: Energy booster, cancer fighter — Widely consumed in South America and growing in popularity in the U.S., maté (mah-TAY) tea is made from the dried leaves of an herbal plant (Ilex paraguariensis) and known for its energy-boosting properties. Now researchers at the University of Illinois may have found another reason to sip the potent brew (aka Yerba maté), considered Argentina’s national drink. They analyzed 25 different types of maté and found that the tea contains higher levels of antioxidants than green tea and, based on cell studies, may help prevent oral cancer. A paper on this research appears in the current print issue of the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry, a peer-reviewed ACS journal.

Polyphenols are naturally-occurring metabolites in tea that have been associated with several health benefits. The objective of this study was to determine the phenolic content, antioxidant capacity and human anti-topoisomerase I and II activities of herbal teas ardisia (Ardisia compressa), mate (Ilex paraguariensis) and roselle (Hibiscus sabdariffa L). Total polyphenols were measured by Folin-Ciocalteau assay, using chlorogenic (CH), gallic (GA) and protocatechuic acids as standards. HPLC, MS and NMR were used to characterize phenolic compounds. Total polyphenols in various ardisia species ranged from 20-86 mg GA/g and revealed the presence of epicatechin gallate, proanthocyanidin dimers, kaempferol, naringenin isomer and ardisin derivatives. Mate tea products contained caffeoyl derivatives (204-364 mg eq. CH/g), significantly different depending on origin (p < 0.001). Protocatechuic acid (33-60 mg/g) and anthocyanins were present in roselle tea products. Mate tea presented the highest antioxidant capacity (13.1 nmol TE/?g). There was correlation between polyphenol content, antioxidant capacity and human topoisomerase inhibition.

Endurance Athlete Endorses Yerba Mate

An interesting article I stumbled upon published last August in the New York Times.  It appears some long distance cyclists and runners are preferring the benefits of Yerba Mate over caffine drinks.

Wild Harvest Yerba Mate

Over the many years I have been importing yerba mate, I have sampled many brands from all over South America. Similar to coffee, the end result of yerba mate is dependent upon many factors. How it is grown, the soil, the amount of direct sunlight and finally the milling and aging process all contribute to a unique taste and experience.