Eat More Fat
It's a complete myth that fats increase risk of heart disease. I personally eat a 60 to 80 percent fat-based diet comprised of healthy, natural fats. This is extremely healthy for hormones, joints, the brain, the nervous system, and stable energy levels and appetite.
Confused about which fats are the healthiest fats? The following nutrient-rich fats have nourished some of the healthiest population groups on the face of the planet for thousands of years:
Cooking
- Butter from grass-fed cows
- Tallow from beef and lamb
- Lard from pigs
- Chicken, goose and duck fat
- Coconut, avocado, olive palm and palm kernel oils
For Salads/Low Heat
- Extra virgin olive oil
- Expeller-pressed sesame and peanut oils
- Expeller-pressed flax oil
For Fat-Soluble Vitamins
- Cod liver oil
- Fish oil
For Omega-3 Fatty Acids
- Raw seeds and nuts
- Coldwater fish
- Fatty cuts of grass-fed beef
- Eggs from pastured chickens
Just be careful, because the following "bad" fats can cause cancer, heart disease, immune system dysfunction, sterility, learning disabilities, growth problems and osteoporosis:
- All hydrogenated and partially hydrogenated oils such as spreadable fats in cream cheese, margarine, peanut butter, etc.
- Industrially processed liquid oils such as soy, corn, safflower, cottonseed and canola
- Fats and oils (especially vegetable oils) heated to very high temperatures in processing and frying, such as potato chips and other packaged foods
For example, on a typical day I might have a few scoops of a hemp/pea/rice protein blend with coconut milk for breakfast, sardines/avocados/olives on mixed greens for lunch, and meat plus roasted/steamed veggies for dinner. Pre or post workout is typically seeds/nuts/coconut and occasionally dark chocolate or ginger.
I only eat an average of around 30-100 grams of carbs/day—a mere fraction of what most endurance athletes eat, even though I have 60 to 90 minutes of very high intensity exercise on daily basis. On some weekends that may include 2 to 3 hours of higher volume training, I'll add in sweet potato, yam, fermented grain sources, natto, etc. with either breakfast or dinner, pushing closer to 100-150g carbs/day on one day of week.
Summary
What do you think? Do you incorporate any of these healthy lifestyle tips into your own triathlon training protocol? Or do you sit at the office all day, do only chronic, long cardio, and eat lots of carbs? Leave your thoughts below!
More: Triathlon Nutrition Myths and Misconceptions
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