However, I'm also an equally big advocate of having fun and living life from time to time. And my theory about 'cheating' (I hate that word but that's another story...) is pretty much the same as the poker players approach to bluffing: if you're going to do it, do it rarely, commit, enjoy and have no regrets.
As regular readers of this blog are undoubtedly more than aware, I'm a complete and committed advocate of a certain way of eating: whether you want to term it 'low carb high fat', 'no sugar no grain', 'primal', 'ancestral' or 'paleo(ish)'... The nutritionist Nazis can argue over terminology. In my mind, the central tenets behind all of these are more or less the same.
However, I'm also an equally big advocate of having fun and living life from time to time. And my theory about 'cheating' (I hate that word but that's another story...) is pretty much the same as the poker players approach to bluffing: if you're going to do it, do it rarely, commit, enjoy and have no regrets. It's cold, rainy and pretty miserable in Amsterdam at the moment. And - for us Brits at least - nothing says winter comfort like a piping hot Shepherd's Pie. Here's my attempt at a low carb version! Mexican food makes a great basis for low carb high fat eating. The largest part of Mexican classics consist of garlic, corriander, chilis, lots of vegetables and some form of meat or fish. Fresh, easy, quick and tasty. The problem, of course, occurs when you add the taco shells, fajita wraps and nacho chips that often accompany the dishes. Fortunately, there are no sugar no grain options, such as 'oopsie rolls'. On the whole, I don’t tend to miss most of the processed and unnatural foods that are a no-no when you move to a more primal or paleo lifestyle. Bread was a great love of mine, but it doesn’t really register now. Nor pasta, for the most part. But sometimes you do want to dive into something big, bold, tasty and comforting like a lasagna. This one is perfect as a weekend treat and makes at least 4 triathlete-sized portions! Lasagnas essentially comprise of repeated layers. The layers are going to be made up of: · Courgette (taking the place of the pasta sheets) · Mince · Tomato sauce · Cheese The courgettes are a little fiddly but easy enough. You can create long thing strips, by using the wide blades on a cheese grater. You’ll want about 1-1.5 courgettes worth. There are many things that the Dutch are famous for – beautiful windmills, mastery over the seas, fields of bright tulips, total football… but food isn’t one of them.
By and large, the local fare isn’t all that inspiring but, credit where it’s due, the Dutch serve up a decent range of hearty winter fare and no dish sums that up more than stamppot. Fortuntely, it’s super quick and easy to cook, there are various versions – so you can personalize it as much as you like – and it’s easy to make a healthier no sugar no grain version. It seems a little disingenuous to write a full report about this Sunday’s race in Schoorl. With barely three weeks of training in the legs, ‘race’ is a very generous term indeed. That said, it was a good experience. Schoorl is located in the northwest of the Netherlands, right on the coast and consists of a large and well-known area of dunes, making the run far more testing than you’d expect for a Dutch event. It takes about 45 minutes to drive there from Amsterdam, tho being a small village (with quite a large number of racers), you’d be advised to arrive early as parking isn’t so easy and, when you do find a spot, it’s usually a good 10-15 minutes’ walk to the start area. The problem with an ‘easy training race’ is that there’s a temptation not to take it seriously enough – one that I fell into completely. I had my traditional pre-race breakfast of bulletproof coffee but totally forgot to take any water or the small U-Can drink I’d usually sip on en route to a race. Through some general pissing-about type behavior, I then ended up not having a lot of time before the race start, so I essentially started having a) not topped up glycogen reserves whatsoever after a night’s sleep; b) having drunk nothing but a coffee all morning (11am race start); c) without the new Vega Sport gel (a totally natural, vegan, no added sugar gel I’m trialing… or meaning to trial). Idiot – tho, if I’m going to make stupid mistakes, better at this part of the season, right? A change is as good as a rest, they say. Madonna and Bowie were so successful because they constantly reinvented themselves, they say. Even grumpy snakes, they (honestly) do say, are happier once they’ve shed their skin. Waffle? Yes. But pointed waffle. After a couple of minutes of thinking and literally seconds of scribbling notes on a receipt, I’ve decided that it’s time to make some small changes to this here blog that you all know and love... or know and accept. To truncate a protracted anecdote, a few years ago I started playing with my race nutrition due to some small problems with, well, vomiting my guts up and being doubled over with excruciating gut pain during longer races. This led me to LCHF (low carb high fat) eating, and all manner of exciting (read: geeky) things like fat adaption, metabolic efficiency and ketosis. |
AuthorMatt. Brit in Amsterdam. Triathlete. Ultrarunner. AG30-35. Slightly in front of the middle of the pack. Slightly behind the front of the pack. Categories
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June 2015
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