NUTRITION

The Holidays Are Over — Don’t Panic

THE HOLIDAY SEASON seems to be drawn out over months and, for most of the world, also coincides with the triathlon off-season. There seems to be a sense that there’s no point resisting the temptations of the extra food and drink that accompanies holidays, until that magical date of Jan. 1 – at which point panic ensues about how fast the race season will come up, and the need to squeeze back into that tri-suit. That often leads even the most reasoned amongst use seeking out the latest quick-fix diet – whether that be a cleanse, juice fast or the latest variety of soup diet. But there is a better way to navigate the holidays and reset of the new year that doesn’t include those miseries or knee-jerk reactions when it comes to diet.

Perspective

First of all, let’s put things into perspective. For many, 2020 has been a challenging year on many fronts. Let’s not start by beating ourselves up for enjoying the holiday period. Start the year being kind – and start by being kind to yourself.

Reset

Time to get back on track, means just accepting where you are at and setting some realistic and achievable goals. Focus these on consistent training and consistent eating habits. Here’s how:

Start counting

It’s always good to have something to track and measure. Most athletes love some data, but don’t count calories. Instead simply start tracking your fruit and vegetable intake across the day. You’re aiming for five servings a day at a very minimum. Usually, when we eat enough high-fibre and nutrient-dense veggies, two things happen. 1. We fill up, leaving less physical room for the additional temptations. 2. Our healthy gut bacteria is fed happily, ensuring a positive mood, which helps us stay on track, and also shifts our desire for food toward the healthy end of the spectrum, since bacteria actually influence our cravings or desires.

Be judgmental

Take a look at what’s on your plate. Do you have: BOOSTING FOODS? a.k.a. carbs for enhanced training sessions, better mood, sleep and immunity. BUILDING FOODS? a.k.a. protein for repair, restoration and satiety. NOURISHING FATS? for nurturing brain, nerves, adding flavour and boosting nutrient absorption. COLOUR? colour means variety and a range of nutrients. If not, reassess your plate and choose foods from each category.

Why not just a cleanse or juice diet?

Drinking lots of fruits and veggies seems like a solid health reset plan – after all, they’re packed full of nutrients. But, there are some solid buts:

Nutrient deficiency risk

You aren’t getting any protein, healthy fats or certain essential vitamins, like B12 and iron. Short term this might not be a big deal, but it’s also not necessary.

Fibre

It’s stripped out of juices, meaning you won’t feel full, and your healthy gut bacteria also go unfed.

Low calorie

Even if you are trying to strip weight, low calorie for active athletes usually isn’t the best idea, and has an adverse effect on hormone production, sleep, mood and immunity. This also sets you up for pretty ordinary training sessions.

Kidney issues

If you have any sort of kidney issue, then avoid juice cleanses entirely.

Weight loss

Yes, you’ll likely see some shortterm weight loss. But this is mostly due to lack of food in the GI tract and even some muscle loss. You’ll likely quickly regain this temporary weight loss as soon as you start eating solid foods again anyway.

Detox

Believe it or not, your body does a pretty good job of this. Instead, just eat plenty of whole fruits and vegetables – to get the nutrients as well as the fibre. Keep it simple.