Vegetables – 60-70% of your diet should be vegetables – fresh, steamed, stir fried

The best way to get the carbs in your diet necessary for energy to train well is through vegetables. Not only are they supplying the carbs, they supply you with fibre (really important for health of the digestive system),  vitamins and minerals (vit/min supplements are only to fill the gaps in the diet, most of our needs should come from veges)

Protein – training and working breaks down muscle tissue, protein supplies the raw materials to rebuild it. How well you rebuild your muscle tissue determines how much you gain from training. It’s possible to get all your protein from vegetable sources, but you really need to study every meal, and you’ll probably die of boredom. Tofu, nuts, beans and lentils will provide you with all your protein needs, that’s what the Dalai Lama eats, but he doesn’t often run a marathon after a day in the saddle.

Eating fish three times a week is ideal, but most of us don’t. The protein obtained from fish is excellent quality and any fat it contains is beneficial to our health. The protein available from chicken, beef, pork, lamb are all of very good quality but be careful not to consume too much of the fats which come with these products. These are the saturated fats which lead to many health problems.

Aim to have protein at every meal, about 20% of your total intake is ideal, it can be a little higher in heavy training. Endurance athletes need more protein than body builders, we actually break down more muscle tissue than they do. A cereal breakfast can have its protein content increased by adding a handful of almonds. Raw almonds make an ideal snack to carry with some dried fruit for those times when you just can’t find something decent to eat.

Fats – We need fats to stay healthy. Omega three fats found in fish and flax seed oils are dangerously low in the Australian/American diet. We get far too much saturated fats and not enough omega three or omega six fats. See Mc Donald’s for your saturated fat needs.

Using olive oil for any cooking, flax seed oil for salad dressings, eating avocado regularly will supply us with all the “right fats” in our diet. A healthy immune system, nervous system and hormonal system are all dependant on a regular supply of essential fatty acids.

The most dangerous fats are not the saturated fats (from animal sources), the most dangerous fats are the trans fats,(the ones man has messed around with, the margarine, the solidified oils often found in potato chips, corn chips, dips etc) these are the ones which will kill you. See KFC for your trans fat needs?

Don’t avoid fat, don’t fear fat, just watch the saturated fats and trans fats (hydrogenated oils).      

Grains – Man has remained relatively unchanged for 50,000 years. Living on meat, fish, vegetables and some grains. In historically recent times (the last 200-300yrs) grains have been cultivated in larger and larger quantities. Whole cultures have been built around wheat and flour consumption. Kellogs and Quaker Oats (who own Pepsi – Gatorade) have empires built on selling grains to you. They’ll dig up all of the supportive research to convince you that you should consume more grain products.

Limit the intake of grains. Favour rice as a carb source over wheat. Many more humans have trouble digesting wheat than rice.

Dairy foods – Some people thrive on dairy foods. Nestle’ have made a fortune out of selling them. Fact is, dairy foods do not suit a huge number of humans. Human milk suits humans (until they grow teeth) not cow’s milk. Goat milk products often suit humans better than cow’s milk products but don’t tell Nestle’.

Sugar – Early man got his sugar from fruit and honey. Sugar provides energy, ask anyone who’s tried cycling for over four hours on water alone, “how much they’d pay for a Mars bar?” We need sugar for some of our energy needs, especially during long training sessions. Taking in any sort of sugar will get you through an Ironman triathlon or an all day training session. But consumption of sugar while not training has been responsible for building some huge bodies and caused some terrible health problems.

Don’t fear sugar, Coca Cola has made a fortune out of selling it. Just don’t consume more than you’re going to use as energy. If you don’t burn it as energy, you’ll most likely store it right where you don’t want it.

As endurance athletes, sugar is one of our valuable tools. Take it right after a workout to replenish your glycogen reserves, a can of coke or another cheap soft drink at the end of a workout,  rehydrates, refreshes and sets you up for a better next session.

The healthiest diets in the world are the Mediterranean and Asian diets. These diets usually contain more fish, less meat and lots of vegetables, and they’re very low in dairy foods.

Chocolate – Chocolate is an aphrodisiac, according to research sponsored by Nestle’. Eating chocolate is no problem at all, in fact eating chocolate is OK even when you’re trying to lose weight. Just eat it early in the day and exercise after it. If you love chocolate, have a couple of pieces with a long black early in the morning and go out and train for an hour or so. It’ll actually help you burn fat.

Coffee – There is nothing wrong with drinking “freshly ground coffee”, in fact it actually helps mobilize the stored fats in your body. Drink espresso or long black instead of milk based coffees if you’re trying to lose weight or maintain race weight. The coffee which is not worth drinking is the instant variety, Nestle’ have done well out of this as well. Coffee actually has some health benefits but only if it’s freshly ground and brewed. The oils in coffee degrade shortly after grinding (hours)

Just don’t drink coffee with your meals, it does interfere with digestion and is best enjoyed away from meals.

Wine – I drink red wine every day and recommend it. It contains anti-oxidants very beneficial to health and relaxes the stomach prior to eating aiding in good digestion. Good recovery and longevity are both heavily dependant on good digestion and absorbtion of nutrients. In Australia we’re spoilt with choice and have a huge range of very good wines at reasonable prices. Just lay off the wine in the few days before a major race as alcohol impairs the liver’s ability to store glycogen. I would not have wine for a week before an Ironman.