dmkoenig Member

Plain 2% fat Greek yogurt (I use Fage brand). Frozen blueberries (ideally wild - they have better flavor and higher antioxidants than regular blueberries). Microwave the frozen blueberries (6-8 oz. for 30-60 secs to thaw out), add the yogurt, then sprinkle on some cinnamon. I also like adding a few tablespoons of uncooked…

Strength training as helen4 mentioned will definitely help. The other thing that will help with overall fitness development is interval training. In addition to developing your aerobic systems through long but "sedate" paces, add some interval training where you are doing. There are plenty of internet sites that describe…

Check out Cookieandkate.com. Lots of good ideas and flavors. She uses dairy in some of her recipes but always provides dairy alternatives. As far as going cold turkey I would recommend to start slowly, introducing one new food type/recipe a week. Keeping familiar food in your diet, cutting out some of the junk and starting…

Water running/walking, ideally in deep water with a flotation belt to keep you upright

I don't know what brand of pea protein you use but that is really off the charts for sodium. I use Orgain protein powder which has a blend of pea, brown rice and chia protein. Serving size is 46g (half the size of yours) and provides 21g protein. Sodium is 200mg, double that it's still only 400mg. Look for a better…

Dried beans are cheap and a great source of protein. If you can afford a pressure cooker they are real easy and quick to prepare. If you don't have one they require a bit more planning but still possible. Red cabbage is the cheapest source of anti-oxidants. There are some really flavorful slaw recipes that don't require…

2oz. Edamame spaghetti = 24g protein, 20g carb (of which 13g is fiber), and 3.5g fat. 180 calories. It's a spongier texture than regular pasta but not bad. There are other "pastas" like black bean but they tend to have a stronger flavor and coarser texture.

Carbs are ok if they are mostly low glycemic carbs, as high glycemic can spike insulin levels. If you like food like pasta you may want to try some pasta alternatives, like spaghetti squash or edamame spaghetti. The brand of edamame spaghetti I use has 24g protein and 20 g carbs for a 2 oz. portion, which includes 13g…

On average, you can expect to burn 350 -750 calories/per hour depending on your weight and level of intensity. If you rode for 11 minutes I'm guessing you were just getting warmed up when you stopped so probably closer to the lower level. That you put your calorie burn at 70-80 calories. To get to 132 calories you need to…

Focus on time not distance. As a new rider, on a flat trail 30 minutes out and 30 back is as much as you want to take on. If you have a basic fitness level that shouldn't be difficult for your legs, but often times other aches become the limiting factor (e.g. butt, lower back, wrists, knees, neck) depending on your bike…

There are plenty of bike frames that will easily support your frame, especially mountain bike types. Check out 29ers, they have oversized wheels and can motor over logs. If you are into road bikes, there are a lot of nice aluminum frame bikes available that can be acquired very reasonably. The other thing working in your…

My fave dog-eared cookbook is Love Real Food by Kathryne Taylor. She also has an excellent blog called cookieandkate.com It's vegetarian, not vegan like Dr. Greger, but she always provides vegan and dairy-free options.

The Orgain brand is one of the better tasting vegan protein powers, especially the vanilla. Protein mix is pea, chia and brown rice (21g protein/serving, 7g fiber and 3g carbs).

Congrats on your regimen. I did my first Half Ironman triathlon 2 1/2 years ago at age 60, and lost about 30 pounds over a 14 week period as I prepared for the event. One of the best books I read on senior athletes is Fast Over Fifty by Joe Friel. To sum up the book, there are two things senior athletes need to maintain…

If you are cycling primarily to burn calories, the sad reality is that bicycles are remarkably efficient machines, which translates into not burning a whole lot of calories if you are cycling at a comfortable rate. You can get a pretty good idea of your calorie burn using perceived intensity. If you are able to easily…

My parents (now 90 and 85) walk 3 miles and work out on weight machines daily. They live a high quality of life for where they are at and are going on a vegan cruise in the Baltic in a few weeks (they live in San Diego). Prior to their foray into their condo workout facility, they had a TotalGym they set up in their garage…

Sprint triathlons are a perfect way to try out the sport and all types of folks will be in the race with lots of first-timers. With a pool swim you can re-collect at the end of each length yourself if needed so it's the least intimidating type of swim. Most pool swim starts are self-seeded, meaning that you are asked to…

There are many cultures, notably Asian, that consider pale skin a superior aesthetic. Embrace what you have and run with it!

If you are primarily a Long Slow Distance Runner you'll want to incorporate strength training, swimming, or some other form of upper body exercising that can help reshape your body form. It's a good idea to add variation into your exercise regimen. The diet will also be hugely beneficial in terms of health and not eating…

Make sure you are hydrating enough before, during and after your run. Especially critical in heat and humidity. Eating food beforehand is strictly optional depending on your own preferences. For runs over an hour you may also want to consider an electrolyte supplement like Nuun.

You can roast your own raw unsalted sunflower seeds or pepitas and add really interesting spice combos that will knock your socks off. That way you can control salt intake and you can roast without any oil. All you need is a cookie sheet, imagination, your spice mix, an oven at about 400F and 5 minutes of your time. You do…

This is a good summary of protein needs and how it fits in with recovery. One of the takeaways is there is some benefit to a small amount of protein in that 1-2 hour post-recovery workout. https://www.active.com/nutrition/articles/the-role-of-protein-in-exercise-recovery

Swimming is excellent but requires some time and learning to develop a good technique. Freestyle is generally what most people use for lap swimming; there are some good Youtube videos to help you with learning proper form but it's hard to get it right without someone providing feedback. You also may want to consider aqua…

https://cookieandkate.com

Congrats on your early success. I travel regularly as well. I've become a big fan of grocery store salad bars, especially at stores like Whole Foods. It's too easy to overeat at restaurants and with a salad bar you can control exactly what you are consuming.

@purplefizzy I love your food attitude, very inspirational. Some of your pics just blew me away and would love to get those recipes! I just picked up a Mueller spiralizer but have not done anything with it yet. Right now my fave source for vegetarian ideas is https://cookieandkate.com/ and her accompanying cookbook. Lots…

This is a really good video for sharpening with a whetstone. This guy has a ton of videos about knife sharpening, choosing a knife, whetstone, etc. Very informative and interesting. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o4XgLgvqjYk.

Water walking/running, especially if you have access to a deep pool when you are fully suspended, can be an effective way to work your legs to safely rebuild strength and range of movement. Requires the use of a flotation belt to keep you upright. something like this.. https://watergym.com/water-float-swim-belt/

Sounds like you are well in control. That time of year for an 80-90 minute event you shouldn't have to be too concerned with heavy hydration. Take it when your body is asking for it, no need to force. It's easy to get caught up in the race excitement and go out too hard, so if you focus on taking the first 5K on the easy…