Recover like a champ with this veggie scramble recipe

I spend a lot of time discussing nutrition on this blog. But, I've yet to actually post a recipe. Well, there's a first time for everything. I figured now is as good a time as any to give a glimpse inside my kitchen.  (Okay, actually it's my wife's kitchen. She just allows me to use it).

This recipe is an absolute go-to on weekends. My wife and I generally have it as a brunch in the late morning after I come back from workout number one that morning.

Anyway, for those hard-charging athletes out there, or if you're just looking for a healthy, nutrient-dense way to start the day, this one is for you. It's jam-packed with veggies, protein and healthy fats.

One note of caution before I get into the recipe. I don't measure any of this. I eye-ball and just add what seems about right. After some time perfecting, the portion is a perfect meal for two. Oh, and make sure to serve with coffee. It's essential.

Craig's Veggie-Scramble/Mexican Fusion

Serves 2

1 Tbsp lard, grass-fed butter, OR coconut oil
1/2 - 1 medium yellow or red onion 
1/4 - 1/2 bell pepper (choose your favorite color)
1-2 cups small broccoli florets
2 handfulls spinach, kale, OR some other dark-leafy green
6 free-range, organic eggs
2 avocados
3 Tbsp grass-fed, full-fat sour cream
3 Tbsp mild salsa
Sea Salt and black pepper

Steps:

1. Saute onion in lard over medium heat until onion starts to brown.

2. Add bell pepper and broccoli florets, continuing to stir occasionally.

3.  Add spinach and fold into other veggies.

4. In a separate mixing bowl, beat eggs. Add eggs once spinach is wilted. Sprinkle with sea salt (we use Himalayan sea salt) and black pepper. Scramble until cooked throughout.

5.  Serve with sliced avocado, sour cream, and salsa on top.

6. Oh, and don't forget a nice cup of coffee!

Are we really heading in the right direction with childhood obesity? (and a fun lesson in epidemiology)

I saw some very encouraging headlines last week about childhood obesity, not the least of which came in the NY Times:

"Obesity Rate for Young Children Plummets 43% in a Decade"

I've also come across graphs like this one, which support the narrative (Note this graph is for obesity only, i.e. 95th BMI percentile - More on the distinctions later).

 

Whenever I see headlines like this though, my first instinct is to immediately go to the actual study, which in this case was published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (or JAMA). After looking at all the data, the story is often MUCH more nuanced than gets spun in the media. This study was no different. More on this in a second.

The other thing that generally happens around these type of epidemiological studies is that speculation abounds about what CAUSED the particular change. These type of prevalence studies essentially take a static picture of a particular health concern (in this case elevated body mass index - the common marker used to assess overweight and obesity) within a given population (a nationally representative sample of children in the US ages 2-19 for this study). If the methods are consistent over time, you can then compare what today's picture looks like compared to the picture, say five years ago. But that's all you can do - compare the pictures. What often happens, of course, is commentators begin to offer different theories as to what caused the changes in the pictures, like in this Washington Post blog. It's important to remember these are just speculations. These studies were never designed to actually assess this question of causation.

We also see the unfortunate occurrence of over-generalization. This is when the findings of a particular population are extrapolated to other populations (this is a big no-no in epidemiology), like in this article that references "youth-related" obesity, but cites the decline found in 2-5 year olds (i.e. children not youth). 

Ok, let's get to the data.

****

The following are a series of graphs I put together using the same NHANES data published in the most recent JAMA article, but instead disaggregated by race. These charts tell a much more nuanced story, particularly as there is a significant race/ethnicity component to obesity in the US. Another modification I made was to look back to 1999-2002 to provide additional context on trends (instead of 2003, which the above graph used). The reference point for trends provides a lot of valuable information and shapes how the results are framed.

Let me show you why.

These are prevalence data for overweight and obesity (measured as a BMI of greater than or equal to the 85th percentile and 95th percentile respectively) for several different age groups disaggregated by race/ethnicity.

Overweight and Obesity (85th percentile), 2-5 years old

Obesity (95th percentile), 2-5 years old

*You'll notice from this second graph that an interesting story emerges, one that is masked when only looking at aggregated data. Though there are some significant declines among certain populations (most notably non-Hispanic whites), there is a steep upward trend for Hispanics.

Overweight and Obesity (85th percentile), 6-11 years old

Obesity (95th percentile), 6-11 years old

*Here, I think it's important to think about the reference point, especially in the first graph for overweight and obesity among 6-11 year olds. Though a little progress here and there, all categories have a higher prevalence in 2011-12 than in 1999-2002. The graph would tell a different story if the reference was 2003-04, as in the first graph in the article. We also see another age group where prevalence of overweight and obesity increased most recently among Hispanics (in addition to non-Hispanic whites).

Overweight and Obesity (85th percentile), 12-19 years old

Obesity (95th percentile), 12-19 years old

*Again, we see a similar story to the 6-11 age group. There is considerable variation when looking across race. In fact, we see an overall increase from 1999-2002 to 2011-12 when looking at all races within this age category.

Take Home Message

My take of the data is that it's a much more nuanced story than what's being portrayed. Yes, there are some positive trends. But these are within specific age groups and looking at specific markers (i.e. 85th percentile of BMI vs. 95th percentile). Looking at what happens later in childhood and into adolescence, the trends in obesity aren't as favorable. In a sense, gains early in life (2-5 years old) could be offset by what's occurring in some of the older age groups. And, just because a national-level trend is positive (all kids of a particular age), doesn't mean it's positive for all the different sub-groups (in this case broken down by ethnicity) that make up the national average.

References

All data in the blog were produced using the following:

Hedley AA, et al. Prevalence of Overweight and Obesity Among US Children, Adolescents, and Adults, 1999-2002. JAMA. 2004;291(23):2847-2850.

Ogden CL, et al. Prevalence of High Body Mass Index in US Children and Adolescents, 2007-2008. JAMA. 2010;303(3):242-249.

Ogden CL. Prevalence of Childhood and Adult Obesity in the United States, 2011-2012. JAMA. 2014;311(8):806-814.


Disclaimer: The views in this article are my own and don't necessarily reflect those of my employer or my employer's clients.

A quick way to assess cycling aerodynamics

I finally had a light-bulb moment. I realized it can be pretty helpful having a brother who is a mechanical engineer. He's worked in performance car racing and understands aerodynamics!

There is huge cross-over with cycling and triathlon. How? In both scenarios, car racing (think Formula 1 race cars) and cycling, it's about maximizing power by, in-part, minimizing drag.

Now, if I wanted the gold standard in aerodynamics assessment I'd head to a wind tunnel. Unfortunately, that not exactly accessible to everyone. So, plan B.

My brother told me about this pretty cool app called 123D made by Autodesk (Autodesk also makes the computer program AutoCAD, used by many engineers, architects and land surveyors). Basically, you take a series of photos and the app constructs a 3-D model based on the photos. It's not exactly the gold standard, but constructing a 3-D model of yourself on a bike can provide some interesting insights into biomechanics and aerodynamics.

For me, one of the most helpful aspects was seeing what my torso is doing while in the aero position. The more "aero" you are - i.e. how close your back is to being parallel with the ground - the less wind resistance and drag. Result? You go faster!

Here's a series of still shots based on the model. The app allows you to zoom in and out, and rotate.

 

Give it a try and leave your thoughts in the comments.

Learn from a pro: What it takes and mistakes to avoid?

A couple weeks ago I trained with pro triathlete, Jeremy Howard. Though he only earned his pro card a year ago, his resume in endurance sports is no joke. In 2011 he finished 5th overall at the UltraMan World Championships in Hawaii. If you think an Ironman is a test of endurance, try swimming 6.2 miles, cycling 261.4 miles, and running 52.4 miles in one weekend. He currently races with the Perfect Fuel Chocolate Elite Team, coaches and owns a race consulting firms that helps organize and manage races like the American Odyssey Relay and Old Glory Coast to Coast Relay.

He was gracious enough to let me interview him.

***

Why triathlon? What initially attracted you to the sport?

I grew up swimming, and I dabbled in running starting in high school.  I was pretty good at both, not great, but that pushed me to want to try triathlon.  I enjoyed it and did 1-2 races a year for a long time, but it was never a priority.  It was really the prodding of my best friend, Christian McEvoy.  He was a very talented cyclist and very good triathlete and I was his training partner leading up to and crewed for him at the 2010 Ultraman.  He constantly told me all I needed was time on the bike, and that I could do incredibly well in the sport.  If it wasn't for his support and encouragement I wouldn't be doing this today. 

What does it take, emotionally, physically, or otherwise, to become a professional endurance athlete?
 

You've got to have a lot of patience.  There is certainly the physical aspect to the training and performance, but I feel that is the easiest part of it all.  Sure, the training can be monotonous at times and it is difficult to get out fro workouts when you are physically drained and tired.  It takes a strong support network and a lot of mental fortitude to remind yourself to be patient.  The sport is getting faster every year as more and more people are getting involved and staying involved.  It takes years to reach your potential - it's been said that for Long Course and Ironman athletes that you don't peak until your late 30's.  So, you just need to focus on the little things that you can improve and constantly remind yourself that you're getting closer to where you want to be.  

What's the biggest mistake you see many age-groupers make in their training or racing?

The biggest mistake I see age-groupers making in their training is a lack of focus.  They tend to train in the strongest discipline the most, while ignoring their weaknesses.  They also tend to perform quality workouts at random instead of having them build in a logical progression from week to week with rest weeks incorporated into the schedule.  On the racing side, I see so many age groups making two mistakes 1) panicking during the swim either due to a lack of familiarity with the open water or setting themselves up incorrectly at the start and 2) pushing too hard on the bike - you want to race, but more importantly you want to be able to race the run.  If paced properly you should be able to run off the bike within a 5-10 minutes of your best stand alone half marathon. 

What does a typical week of training look like for you? 

A typical  week of training, for me, changes drastically throughout the year.  Right now I am in a base phase where I am focused on strength.  I am lifting 2x, and swimming, running and biking 4x each week.  None of my workouts are exceeding 2hrs and my daily volume is pretty consistent between 2-3hrs.  Most of my sport specific workouts are aerobic, but I am hitting one quality workout in each discipline weekly.  Speed on the swim, intervals at Functional Threshold Power (FTP) on the bike, and hill repeats on the run.  There is also a lot of technical work built into my base workouts.  Later in the year, during race season, my daily volume will fluctuate drastically between 90 minutes and 12 hours, with a lot more work at Ironman or Half Ironman effort. 

What's a go-to workout for you (whether swim, bike, run or brick)?

Not sure this counts, but it's one that I am looking forward to - 20x400@2:00 running.  These are performed at Olympic distance effort (right up to threshold) and this will be the third year in a row that I've done this.  I don't really have a go to workout that I perform on a regular basis. I have benchmark workouts that I will hit, on average twice per year. 

Do you take a specific approach with your nutrition?

Funny you should ask this now.  I have not, in the past, but as I move into my first full year as a Pro, I decided to be more proactive, and am currently in the middle of the Standard Process Cleanse.  This is a three week cleanse that is intended to rid the body of all toxins and to promote healthy eating habits.  I'm 8 days in right now and feel pretty good.  I generally have eaten well, but enjoy my fair share of coffee and beer.  I will likely consume those in a bit more moderation, as well as expand the variety of veggies in my diet, while reducing my meat intake.  Nothing wholly drastic from what I've done - just balancing things out a little bit better. 

What's your proudest accomplishment thus far in the sport?

My biggest accomplishment would have to be my race at UltraMan in 2011 - finishing 5th overall as the 1st American.  I had probably done fewer than 15 triathlons over a 12 year span at that point, had done one Half Ironman, in 2008, and completed my first full earlier that year, in May at Ironman St. George.  I was pleased with my training leading up to Ultraman, but was completely surprised at how I was able to race over those distances and on back-to-back days.  I was also extremely fortunate to have my parents and best friend out crewing for me, which made the experience that much better. 

Big goals this year?

This year is all about learning to race in the Pro Field.  I have more races on my schedule than ever before, and will be tackling two Ironman races in September, two weeks apart.  My biggest goals are concerning racing frequently and recovering and learning to perform while training through certain races.  My biggest quantitative goals are for the run.  The run has been my off-season focus and I would like to run sub-1:20 half marathons and sub-3:00 marathons in each of my Ironman events. 
  

Where can people learn more about you?  

Twitter:         @jh_triathlete     

Instagram:   @JHtriathlete

Facebook:        http://facebook.com/jeremyfhoward 

Coaching:         www.lifesportcoaching.com

Perfect Fuel Chocolate Elite Team Page - http://www.pfcelite.com/ 

Blog         http://jeremyhoward-protriathlete.blogspot.com/

Want to check something off the bucket list? Race here....

I recently found out about this amazing race opportunity being organized in Ethiopia by the non-profit Race4Ever. Not only does the new Ethiopia Marathon, Half-Marathon and 5k run taking place on June 8th look amazing (okay, not quite "Running with the Kenyans" but Ethiopia has produced its fair share of world-class runners, including one who is involved with this race), it's also benefiting a great cause in Ethiopia.
 
Headlining the event is race ambassador and elite marathoner/ultra-marathoner, Michael Wardian. If you don't know him, he's qualified for the US Olympic trials three times, run some pretty serious ultras like Badwater, arguably one of the toughest ultras in Death Valley. He also won the National Marathon in Washington, DC (now rock n roll USA) five years in a row, among other accomplishments. 

Organized by DC-based endurance athlete and coach Jeff Horowitz, the one-of-a-kind road race starts 8,500 feet and ends at 9,300 feet. That's some serious altitude and makes it one of the highest road races in the world. 

This is definitely a once in a lifetime opportunity. The full travel package includes everything from round-trip airfare, to seven nights in a luxury hotel, to a city tour of Addis Ababa and the race course, and pre- and post-race festivities. Olympic champion and 5k and 10k world record holder Kenenisa Bekele is also hosting a high-altitude training camp for all race participants. 

If you'd like to get in on this awesome trip, visit here's the race website: https://www.race4ever.org/home.html