Help! What Sports Drinks Should I Use? The Lowdown on Sports Drinks…

Sports drinks can be helpful for athletes who are training at a high intensity for 60 minutes or more. They can actually help you train longer. The basis of all sports drinks includes sugar, sodium, potassium and water. Nowadays there are so many additions from antioxidants to protein; with the hundreds of sports drinks on the market is it sometimes difficult to know which one to choose. Ofcourse, part of the puzzle is to experiment and see what works best for YOU during training.
There are a few main things to look for when choosing a sports drink. Choose a drink that has 5-8% carbohydrates. Studies show this amount moves through your stomach and intestines fastest and won’t cause cramping or nausea. To find the percentage of carbohydrates in a drink, divide the grams of carbs per serving by milliliters of drink per serving and multiply by 100. Also look for the sodium content to be 50 to 250 mg per serving and potassium about 30 mg per serving. Sports drinks have all different blends of carbohydrate sources such as sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltodextrin (if you have a corn allergy or gluten intolerance stay clear of this sugar) and high fructose corn syrup. Shockingly Gatorade, the drink found at most triathlon aid stations, contains high fructose corn syrup. You may consider bringing your own drink to your next race so you can stay clear of this harmful toxin.

As a holistic nutrition counselor I recommened first trying those with the most natural ingredients and see how they work for you.  Clif recently came out with their new Quench drink which is made with organic evaporated cane juice, Liv Organics uses agave nectar and brown rice syrup  while Vega recently launched their new Sport drink which is uses brown rice syrup as well as an incredible  ingredient list such as kombucha, coconut oil, ginseng and yerba mate. The Vega drink is not yet in stores in the US (only Canada) but is sure to be the performance aid of choice for any health conscious athlete.

Cancer fighting breakfast

Yesterday, at the union square farmers market I was intrigued by this insanely unique looking mushroom. Turns out, this beautiful mushroom also has some serious medicinal value. According to Chinese medicine, the maitake (or hen of the woods) are considered an adaptagen, which helps to balance out the body. In addition, it is believed that they have cancer fighting properties. enhance the immune system and regulate blood sugar levels. There is even maitake extract you can buy to get this powerful healing food in your body.

Here I used them in my egg muffin recipe. I love making egg muffins because they are the perfect quick, to go breakfast. You can make a big batch and continue to enjoy them all week.

Mushroom and Spring Onion Mini Egg Muffins

1 head of maitake mushrooms

Black truffle oil

1 spring onion

8 organic eggs

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375. Line a pan with parchment paper and drizzle truffle oil over mushrooms. Sprinkle with salt. Cook in the oven for 8-10 minutes.

Meanwhile heat 1 tsp coconut oil in skillet over medium heat. Add chopped onion and saute until brown. Set aside.

Whisk eggs in a bowl. Add salt and pepper. Set aside

Pour vegetables into individual muffin tins

Pour egg mixture into muffin tins to about two thirds full

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes