Bicycling Nutrition – Rethinking Your Fuel on a Long Trip (Part 2 of 2)

Bicycling Nutrition 2

Bicycling Nutrition – Rethinking Your Fuel on a Long Trip (Part 2 of 2)

I hope you had some time to process Part 1 of this blog series on bicycling nutrition, specifically for those who go on bicycle trips. So much information from my friend and certified Holistic Nutritionist, Harvey Slater. If you haven’t read it, click on the link above and have a look.

The second part will go over exactly what you need to do on a bike tour in terms of the kinds of food you should be consuming for each meal.

Once again, here is Harvey!

Putting Your Integrative Bicycling Nutrition Plan Together

Here are some ideas that take all these concepts into account for your next bike tour. Whenever you are trying Harvey Bike Touringsomething new with nutrition, remember that there is no “good or bad” or “one size fits all” in nutrition. There is just the science of how we fuel our bodies. Never feel like you have to change anything about what you are doing, especially if you are thriving and happy, and it works. Having said that, here is an opportunity to observe how your mind and body respond to hunger, give yourself a reset, and make improvements where you think you need them. Listen to your body, and you will do great!

Your Macronutrient Ratio

Be open-minded with your integrated approach. When you start training for your next tour, try lowering your carbs, increasing your fats, and keeping your protein about the same, or increasing protein if you tend to be low protein. A good place to start would be 19-35% protein, 22-40% carbohydrates, and 28-47% fats, of your total calories.

Give Yourself Time to Adapt

Play around with these ideas during training, and give your body a chance to adapt to anything new that you are introducing in the way of nutrition.

Breakfast:

Clean protein, some healthy fats, and maybe a few complex carbs in a whole food form

~Coffee with virgin coconut oil or MCT (Medium Chain Triglycerides) oil – coconut oil is solid and easy to pack in baggies. MCT oil is concentrated and travels easily.

~Buckwheat ramen with stuff added like hemp seeds, boiled egg, dulce flakes, flavor-season pack

Grains~Hard boiled egg, salmon jerky, Epic Chicken Bar, leftover animal protein from prior dinner, canned tuna or salmon

~Instant whole super grain oatmeal (oats, quinoa, buckwheat, millet, amaranth– watch for added sugar) with hemp seeds, chia seeds, pumpkin seeds, and nut butter, or coconut oil

~Avocado with nut or seed butter rolled in a sprouted grain wrap tortilla, or on sprouted whole grain bread, like avocado toast

~ Sprouted grain tortilla wrap with nut or seed butter, hemp or chia seeds, and sliced apples

~Low glycemic fruit like apples, dark berries or underripe banana

~Vegan protein shake with hemp and-or chia seeds, and a scoop of dehydrated green food powder

~Predigested Protein-Amino Acid Supplement in lieu of meat protein (see “Resources” below for description)- great for vegans and efficient muscle recovery

NOTE: Breakfast should wake you up, support cortisol, provide satiation and a metabolism boost from clean protein, provide energy and satiation from fats, and provide phytonutrients and fiber from slow digesting complex carbs.

Lunch

Clean protein, more healthy fats, and gradually more complex carbs than you had for breakfast

~Protein style sandwich or salad with clean protein,  salad with legumes, tree nuts or pumpkin seeds,  and chia or hemp seeds

Avocado~ Sprouted grain tortilla wrap with nut or seed butter, canned tuna or salmon, anchovies or sardines, avocado, and veggies if you have them

~Whole or half of an avocado with hummus and salad

~Dairy free soup or broth with meat or plant protein, like legumes

~Epic Chicken Bar or Primal Blueprint Protein Bar

~Easy to mix vegan protein shake in shaker cup

~Predigested Protein-Amino Acid Supplement in lieu of meat (see “Resources” below for description)- great for vegans and efficient muscle recovery.

NOTE: Lunch should give you some clean, efficient muscle recovery from protein, and a satiating energy refill for the afternoon from a mixture of fats, fruits, and vegetables, and some high fiber carbs.

End of Ride Muscle Recovery: Some easy recovery protein

~Easy to mix vegan protein shake in shaker cup

~Nut butter on sprouted whole grain bread, sprinkled with 2-3 tablespoons of hemp or chia seeds

~Predigested Protein-Amino Acid Supplement (see “Resources” below for description)- great for vegans and efficient muscle recovery

NOTE: This should be an easy, fast acting source of protein to help your muscles recover while you set up your camp and prepare dinner.

Dinner

Protein, more healthy fats, and the largest portion of complex carbs for the day

~Stir fry with rice or quinoa & vegetables

~Quinoa pasta with meat sauce and vegetables

~Veggie burger patty

Chili~Soup or chili, meat or vegetarian

~Cup of buckwheat ramen with added hemp seeds and vegan protein powder

~Sprouted grain warm wrap or burrito with avocado, any veggies you have, meat protein if you have it, rice or quinoa, beans etc.

~Warm lentils or other legumes with chopped avocado, meat if you have it, seeds, etc.

~Before Bed: Melatonin supporting drink, like Tart Cherry Concentrate in water, or other sleep supporting natural herbal or whole food supplement

NOTE: Dinner should help reduce cortisol, promote melatonin, and provide protein and complex carbs for a deep sleep, recovery, refuel and detox cycle, without producing a rise in blood sugar.

Snacks

A mixture of clean protein, fats, and carbs

~Whole apple, dark berries and under-ripe bananas

Fruits~Baggies with raw tree nuts and seeds

~Epic Bar or Primal Blueprint Protein Bar

~Celery sticks dipped in nut or seed butter (butter can travel in baggies)

~Nutrition bars made of whole grains, seeds, nuts, and whole dried fruit (no added sugar, flours, or refined grains)

~Easy to mix vegan protein shake with shaker cup

~Water, lots of water! Sometimes just drinking water and hydrating is enough. Try putting some low-glycemic superfruit powder or green food powder in your water bottle.

~I keep a couple of carefully selected energy gels on me ONLY FOR BLOOD SUGAR EMERGENCIES and almost never have to use them. But they are good to have on hand just in case.

TRY TO AVOID

Dairy products (except optional high-quality whey protein, grass-fed butter, and grass-fed cheese or goat cheese), alcoholic beverages, added sugars, processed foods with excess ingredients, white flour, the wrong fats (trans fats, fat from factory raised meats-bacon, bottled oils except for olive, avocado, or coconut – all virgin), isolated or synthetic nutrients (many supplements contain these), non-whole food ingredients, and preservatives.

Non-dairy

EAT A LOT OF…

Fresh water, healthy fat (nuts, seeds, avocado, coconut oil, grass-fed butter, tuna, salmon, anchovies) vegetables, fruit, clean protein (from plants and-or animals), legumes, and whole grains if you feel the need.

MY GO-TO FOODS THAT I PACK ON A BIKE TRIP:

~Baggies of pre-portioned protein shake mix, green foods, and red food powders, ready to mix easily. WHY: Easy, light weight meal replacements

Almonds~Baggies of raw tree nuts and seeds, like almonds, cashews, walnuts, raw pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds. WHY: Nuts and seeds are high in protein and healthy fats, as well as provide some slow digesting carbs.  Pumpkin seeds are a complete protein with fats built-in.

~Whole green apples, blueberries, under-ripe bananas WHY: lower glycemic carbs with built-in phytonutrients

~Baggies of hemp seeds and chia seeds. WHY: Hemp and chia are a complete protein, and provide quality fats. They also provide fiber and slow digesting carbs. Just a few tablespoons provide a lot of protein. Sprinkle them on everything or eat a few pinches at each water stop.

~Vacuum sealed Packages (not cans) of tuna and-or salmon. WHY: Protein and healthy fats

~Nutrition bars that fit my protocol (there are many different brands) WHY: Easy whole food, slow digesting carbs when needed. (Sometimes I barely even use the bars because I am satiated enough with the other foods).

~Packs of sprouted grain or whole grain tortillas for making wraps WHY: They can provide a complete protein, and take up less space and provide a vehicle for sandwiches or burritos, without piling on the wrong kinds of carbohydrates.

~Packs of 100% buckwheat ramen noodles, and some veggie or chicken bouillon cubes. WHY: Buckwheat is a complete protein and slow digesting carbohydrate.

Soba Noodles~Individual packs of super-grain oatmeal with quinoa, buckwheat, amaranth, etc.

~If I have room I might put some hard-boiled eggs in a baggie.

~Jerky or Epic Bars WHY: Protein and healthy fats on the go

~Instant coffee, baggies of coconut oil, and a little battery-powered whip to infuse the oil in my morning coffee- YUM!  WHY: coffee delivers fat to the brain for sustained morning energy

~Eye dropper bottle of liquid stevia to replace any need for sugar.

~Pre digested protein supplement to make getting my protein super easy and efficient. WHY: Protein goes right to the muscles and doesn’t use up energy being digested, less chance of turning protein to glucose, supporting a healthier fat burning state.

~A few E-Gel shots in case of a bonk emergency.

RESOURCES

Here are some resources that will help make getting the right nutrition into your body a lot easier on your ride, and some free stuff and gift cards where applicable:

► King Soba 100% Buckwheat Ramen: Great for breakfast or dinner, but it is just noodles, so you’ll need to take bouillon cubes or season packs as well, or add them to an existing soup mix for extra protein and slow releasing carbs.

► Insta Ketones: This product helps induce ketosis within an hour, so your body can more quickly access its fat burning state. Try mixing this in your morning water bottle. Follow our guidelines, but use this to make burning fat for fuel easier and less tedious.

► L.O.V. Super Meal: A full meal replacement loaded with 100% whole plant foods and balanced macronutrients, easy to shake in a shaker cup on the run, USDA organic- Receive $50 Gift Here

► Power Shake: Super easy to mix and great for a partial meal or snack, made from whole superfoods, USDA organic- take together with Super Amino 23 for a super efficient protein supply. – Receive $50 Gift Here

► More Greens: Green food powder with bee pollen, ginseng, and other supportive superfoods, mixes easily in water bottle or with your protein shake.- Receive $50 Gift Here

► Super Amino 23: Predigested protein from plants, provides all but one essential amino acid. Predigested protein goes right to your muscles in 20 minutes, avoiding your liver altogether, supporting efficient muscle growth-recovery and fat burning. This supplement is GREAT FOR VEGANS who are concerned about getting enough protein in their diet. But anyone can benefit from super efficient protein. – Receive $50 Gift Here

► Apothecherry: High antioxidant cherry juice to help fight free radicals resulting from excessive exercise, and to support melatonin for a good night’s sleep. Mixes with water or your cup of bedtime tea. – Receive $50 Gift Here

► MCT Oil: Sustained energy from healthy fats – put it in your morning coffee.

► Primal Blueprint: Paleo style nutrition bars. Get a FREE sample box here.

► Soul Sprout or Two Moms in the Raw: Good whole-food, sprouted ingredient snack assortment

► Epic Snacks: Natural meat and healthy fat products in convenient packaging

► Crank Sports E-Gel: Keep a couple on hand for blood sugar emergencies, but you probably won’t need them if you plan your nutrition right.

NOTICE: Harvey Slater holds an accredited certification as a Holistic Nutritionist with the American Fitness Professionals Association. A copy of the current certificate can be made available upon request. This article is intended for education and information purposes only and is not meant to prescribe any particular diet or protocol or to treat illness. State law allows any person to provide nutritional advice or give advice concerning proper nutrition–which is the giving of advice as to the role of food and food ingredients, including dietary supplements. This state law does NOT confer authority to practice medicine or to undertake the diagnosis, prevention, treatment, or cure of any disease, pain, deformity, injury, or physical or mental condition and specifically does not authorize any person other than one who is a licensed health practitioner to state that any product might cure any disease, disorder, or condition.

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