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.

 

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.