Created by Leslie J. Bonci , MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN
Retained Medical Advisor+ (biography click here)
Sometimes you just want something sweet, right? Most sweets are high in sugar and fat with little or no protein. These no-bake bites are packed with flavor, provide 4 grams of protein and 2 grams of fiber, and are chewy, crunchy and delicious. They also freeze beautifully and can be used for workouts or an end-of-day petit treat. Bon Appetit!
This time of the year is always tough to balance all the different sensations: needing to rest; excited for next year; angry at that one race that would’ve been so much better had you gotten a full night of sleep; hungry, tired, lazy; Netflix is really affordable and offers so much to your life; just got an Amazon Prime membership; the weather is bad … and I could go on. The days are short, and most of my training is done in the dark.
You don’t need to have a specific season, either. This can apply to you if, like me, you are more interested in finding new ways to make yourself sweat and sleepy every day than you are in defining yourself as an X, Y or Z.
When you grow up playing sports and are lucky enough to turn that into a career, you never really imagine what life will be like without that sport. After playing on the US Women’s National Field Hockey team for over 10 years, I officially retired from the team in June this year. It was one of the hardest decisions I have ever made.
Throughout my career, I often got asked what I wanted to do when I was done playing hockey. My response was always the same: “I don’t know and I’ll figure it out when I get there.” My thought was to just live in the moment and focus on the next tournament and what I can do to make the most of where I was right then as an athlete. Being a professional athlete is demanding and you have to commit your whole lifestyle to being at your best physical, mental, and emotional state to succeed. In the back of my mind, I did think from time to time the scary thoughts of what would come next, and I couldn’t find much that didn’t include hockey or sports.
Created by Leslie J. Bonci , MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN
Retained Medical Advisor* (biography click here)
Making breakfast at night means one less thing you have to do in the morning. If you’re like most people and consume a low-protein breakfast, you can get an added boost of both protein and vegetables with this fall take on overnight oatmeal. This recipe gives you 28 grams of protein and 9 grams of fiber with calcium, potassium and off-the-chart flavor to savor.
Growing up in Southern California, baseball was always a year-round affair. My older brother Tyler, who also plays professional baseball, and I were constantly hitting in the cage, practicing fielding and playing games. While our friends that played other sports had a set season and offseason, Tyler and I rarely experienced a true offseason. With summer ball, fall ball and winter workouts and scrimmages, baseball was, and still is, a year-round grind.
As a kid, I just went out and played with my friends. It wasn’t until I started thinking I could play in college that I started really thinking about what I was putting into my body. The differences between being a starter on your high school team, a D1 ballplayer, and a professional is crazy. There are so many good players out there that the difference starts to become how well you do the little things. Whether it’s the fundamentals in your fielding, the way you prepare before an at bat, or your offseason training, every little thing counts.
Just over a month ago I decided to sign up for my first Spartan Race. I had a month to prepare for a new athletic challenge and I was excited! I watched all the obstacle videos and tried to study all of the techniques. I even bought a spear to practice the spear throw! As an athlete my whole life, I wanted to compete, not just participate. I knew I was in decent shape already, but Spartan is a whole new ball game with obstacles, muddy trails, and the dreaded burpees!
This opportunity was just what I needed to re-devote myself to training hard and pushing my limits. I worked a lot on building my upper body strength back up and building a good endurance base to sustain for the 5 mile course. I must say, training for the burpees (you have to do 30 in order to continue if you can’t complete an obstacle) was tough! I don’t think I’ve ever done 30 burpees in a row in my life!
A lot of Spartan racers do Crossfit and compete in OCR races year-round. I decided to write my own curriculum with the knowledge of fitness I’ve built over years of competing at the highest level, along with trying out some Spartan WODs (Work Outs of the Day). Those were definitely a new experience! But fun to mix it up!
Created by Karlyn Grimes, MS RD LDN CSSD
Retained Medical Advisor* (biography click here)
If you just killed it at the gym, on the track or on the roads, this pudding is for you. Consumed within 30 minutes post-workout, Klean Recovery™ Pudding will offer your body the optimal 4:1 ratio of carbs to protein that will allow for repletion of glycogen stores and promotion of muscle protein synthesis.‡ And let’s not forget the awesome micronutrient profile offered by this yummy treat: A small half cup serving will infuse your body with calcium and vitamin D to nourish your bones and muscles, and an array of B vitamins to support energy metabolism.‡ What more can you ask for? A DELICIOUS treat that will refuel your fire and leave you raring to go when you do it all over again.‡
Meet our newest product addition, Klean Hydration™ and learn the fundamentals of how to use one of an athlete’s most commonly used nutritional products.
by Kelly C. Heim, Ph.D. (biography click here)
You’ve heard it many times before: Adequate fluid intake is critical for athletic performance and recovery. But like most athletes, you probably wonder whether your current hydration strategy is optimal. After all, your sense of thirst will not tell you unless you’re already dehydrated, and it’s hard to detect the signs of the initial fluid deficit.
If any of the following apply to you, you might want to take a closer look at your hydration strategy:
Created by Leslie J. Bonci , MPH, RD, CSSD, LDN
Retained Medical Advisor* (biography click here)
High-protein cornbread? Yes indeed. All the flavor with the added benefit of extra protein: 7 grams per slice, to be exact. Cornbread adds a crumbly sweetness to chili, chicken or soup. Try grilling it and top with apple butter and Canadian bacon, or slice to make an out-of-the-ordinary sandwich. This recipe also provides the added punch of calcium and potassium, and using the vanilla protein powder means you can also use a little less sugar in the recipe. How sweet is that?
Created by Karlyn Grimes, MS RD LDN CSSD
Retained Medical Advisor* (biography click here)
A chocolate-peanut butter cup with 75% more protein than two store-bought mini peanut butter cups. This is a serious indulgence that will banish even the toughest cravings now and for some time after your salivary glands settle down. Pair with a glass of milk to fortify your body with additional protein, calcium, potassium, vitamin D and riboflavin.
