Nutrition Frenzy

I’ve always had a bit of a crush on Lance Armstrong.

I mean, not even so much with his physical being, but with his great spirit. Most of us mere mortals have a tough time just waking up at 5am to get to the gym.

Lance had his body ravaged by cancer, battled through and went on to win the most grueling bike race in the world. And then win it five more times after that. I know some people may think Lance is arrogant (yeah, like you wouldn’t be if you’d kicked everyone’s ass), but I still admire his tenacity and his balls.

His lean physique also fills me with wonder and awe. How can a guy that LEAN be so POWERFUL??? Personally, I dig guys with a little more meat on their bones (hence my brawny Neanderthal), but the idea that you can be both lean AND extremely strong is intriguing.

When I see Lance’s legs firing like pistons as he propels up Mount Saint Escargot Du Croissant, I find myself wondering: what does that guy eat?

Short anwer: more calories than any of us can afford to. But the real answers can be found in Chris Carmichael’s Fitness Cookbook.

In his latest book Carmichael, Lance’s coach and trainer offers a glimpse into how athletes train and eat for lean physiques and stamina.

Carmichael is also the best selling author of “Food For Fitness,” where he examines reasons why some foods are better fuel than others. “Fitness Cookbook” goes one step farther and provides new, delicious recipes that can help in your quest for a healthy, high-energy life. You don’t need to be a competitive athlete to still get the benefit of all the research that prescribes what top athletes should eat to keep in top condition.

“Fitness Cookbook” delivers innovative recipes that someone like me (a non-gourmand) can easily put together. These are completely do-able yet still elegant enough to serve with pride.

Recipes run the gamut: from breakfast items you can make ahead and take on the run (or bike) like Homemade Health Bars, to Hearty Chicken Soup with Spinach and Rice, to beautiful dinner entrees like Pasta Salad with Chicken and Black Olive Pesto.

Don’t worry, athletes DO eat dessert, so you get recipes for elegant and delicious treats that still have nutritional benefit. One of my favorites is Grilled Figs with Lemon Ice Cream and Mint. I KNOW it sounds hard but it most definitely is not. I also KNOW it might not sound as good as Betty Crocker Double Decker Death Pie, but the sweetness of figs along with vanilla ice cream flavored with lemon and honey is actually quite outrageous.

I’ll also give a shout out about The Frozen Orange Yogurt: A clever mix of low fat yogurt, honey marmalade and juice give this dessert a refreshing zest that still satisfies a sweet tooth.

Chris Carmichael’s Fitness Cookbook also gives great insight into patterning nutrition to match your training. Basically, teaching you how to eliminate periods where your training (calorie expenditure) and eating (calorie intake) are mismatched to = blubber butt. And no, you won’t have to gnaw on celery stalks during periods where you aren’t able to make it to the gym as regularly, or after you are coming off training for a marathon. You’ll just learn what foods work best for your body during those recovery periods. I love “recovery.” Much nicer than “lazy.”

Bottom line: Carmichaels’ nutritional program launched Lance onto the podium. It’s sure to teach you and I a thing or two. Another valuable lesson gleaned from the book: Pear and Pecan Salad is really yummy.

Hi Ho! Up the Mountain You Go!

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