the diet

Part Two of my nutrition consultation took place today.

My nutritionist and I went to Whole Foods, and walked up and down every aisle. She pointed out the things I should be eating and talked a lot about reading labels. Apparently, many foods -- such as juices, yogurts, granolas, etc. -- bill themselves as "healthy," but upon closer look actually have a significant amount of sugar. Case in point: Some superfood or green juices. They seem like a good idea at first glance (hell, they're green), but when you check the label, they're full of sugar.

She also pointed out various gluten-free alternatives -- breads, tortillas, pastas, even pretzels. I picked up some gluten-free cereal, which she suggested trying with almond milk and sliced banana to make it even more filling. Non-stop hunger is a problem I've been having lately. (For example, this morning I had a protein shake -- almond milk, goat milk yogurt, whey protein, fresh raspberries, fresh blueberries and chia seeds -- at 8:15, but then was ravenous by 10.) Not sure if it's due to getting back into the training cycle (I'm now back to running more than 20 miles a week) or if I need even more protein.

I told her about this issue, and she gave me a few tips. If I have a rice cake, I should always put something on it -- like a little bit of coconut oil or sunflower seed butter (which I haven't tried yet, but which sounds like it is going to be awesome). She also gave me another protein powder to try. (Apparently, not all protein powders are created equal. And one of the concerns about whey protein is that it may not come from grass-fed cows, and grass-fed is supposedly better for you than grain-fed.)

And then there were the little goodies to mix things up and add variety, like a jar of supercharged kraut, complete with spirolina, kale and nettles. I already ate some of it with dinner tonight -- delish!

It was actually a really fun appointment -- much better to discuss what I can eat instead of what I need to give up!