Green Fueling

Top Five Organic Food Choices for Endurance Athletes. Remember the unusual heat that spelled disaster at last year’s Chicago Marathon?  Since then, many more race directors have contemplated cancellation due to the spurring of tornadoes and torrential rains in the Midwest – much like the situation at the 2005 USAT National Triathlon Championships. Mother Nature is stirred up all right, and this trend of unusual weather may be just the beginning of conditions that we’ll have to endure in years to come. A new NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) assessment reports that droughts, heavy downpours, excessive heat, and intense hurricanes are likely to become more commonplace as humans continue to increase the atmospheric concentration of heat-trapping greenhouse gases. A small piece of the global warming puzzle confirms that organic farming methods are far more effective at removing the greenhouse gas, carbon dioxide, from the atmosphere. So, according to the data from the Rodale Institute’s long-running comparison of organic and conventional cropping systems, implementation of organic foods is a worthy means to support the environment. Less clear, however, are the potential health or performance advantages that eating organic may provide – which is why many hesitate, due to the inflated price tag on organic products. Fortunately, it is possible to do good on both ends (health and environment) as research shows a dual benefit of going green with these five foods, presented here.

Milk

While the jury is still conflicted about conventional milk, it does increase our exposure to antibiotics, artificial hormones, and pesticides. Although the enzymes and acids in our digestive tract are more than sufficient to destroy these chemicals, many consumers choose to have a healthy safety net when it comes to their milk. There may be more to this safety net, however, as a recent comparison of conventional and organic dairy farms found that the organic variety contained significantly higher levels of health-boosting fatty acids, antioxidants and vitamins. Levels of one particular fatty acid, conjugated linoleic acid (CLA), was 60 percent higher – which is promising, considering CLA has been shown to enhance immune function and lower the risk for heart problems and cancer. Furthermore, the Institute of Grassland and Environmental Research recently discovered that organic milk contains two-thirds more Omega 3 essential fatty acids compared to conventional milk. In addition to its cardio-protective qualities, it can help reduce inflammation; which potentially presents a recovery benefit to athletes during intense training. Just a half-pint of organic milk provides about 10 percent of the recommended daily intake (RDI) of the essential alpha-linolenic acid, while a mere matchbox-sized piece of organic cheese will provide you with 88 percent of the RDI.

Potatoes

As the top-consumed vegetable in the country, accounting for 30 percent of overall vegetable intake, potatoes are a certainly a staple in the American diet. Unfortunately, potatoes also rank high in retaining ‘dirt,’ containing the third-highest level of pesticides amongst vegetables (behind bell peppers and leafy greens), even after cleaning and peeling – making the organic label a worthy choice.

Tomatoes

Ranked second (behind potatoes) in per-capita consumption for vegetables, tomatoes are no doubt popular, perhaps due to a rise in salad bars nationwide. A recent 10-year study on organic tomatoes by researchers at the University of California, Davis, demonstrated significantly greater levels of flavonoids – specifically quercetin (79 percent greater) and kaemperol (97 percent greater) – when tomatoes are farmed organically versus conventionally. Quercetin was recently praised by scientists at the 2008 American College of Sports Medicine meeting. Their research demonstrates a four percent boost in VO2 MAX and a 13 percent improvement in cycling endurance performance when supplementing with this agent.

Peanut Butter

According to the USDA, more farming acres are devoted to growing peanuts than any other fruit, vegetable, or nut – and with good reason, since many athletes slather peanut butter on toast as a healthy and satisfying pre-workout energy pick-me-up. Sadly, due to the challenging nature of organic farming of peanuts, less than one percent of peanut farms use organic farming practices; meaning the peanut plant, which is in direct contact with the soil as the pod matures, is exposed to high levels of pesticides. Furthermore, fungus often grows in warm, humid environments and can attack the peanuts causing a cancer-causing agent called aflatoxin to be released. To avoid exposure to toxins, look for organic peanut butters that are grown in a region where the soil is dry and aflatoxin has not been reported as a problem, such as New Mexico.

Apples

This fruit likes the podium spot, ranking second most commonly eaten fresh fruit, behind bananas, and second most common juice consumed, behind orange juice. Unlike its peeled counterparts, however, apples also earn a podium rank as the third most pesticide-contaminated fruit measured, making organic the way to go with this popular item.

More Information

To learn more about organic foods, visit the U.S. Department of Agriculture at www.ers.usda.gov. To learn more about pesticides in foods, go to www.foodnews.org.

Want more tips to help improve your health and athletic performance? Kim Mueller, MS, RD, owner of Fuel Factor Nutrition (www.Fuel-Factor.com), is a Registered Dietitian and competitive endurance athlete who provides customized meal planning and nutrition coaching to athletes worldwide. She can be reached at Kim@Fuel-Factor.com.

Health Food Stores Near You

Even if you don’t think organic foods are better for your body, it’s hard to argue with the idea that buying local food is better for the environment and global food system… if only because it saves gas.

So with that in mind, remember that the following foods grow easily and plentiful on our coast: avocados, lemons, oranges, strawberries, cabbage, celery and lettuce. These foods can be found easily inland: dates, grapefruit, mandarins, lemons, tangerines and tangelos, carrots, sweet corn, lettuce, melons and potatoes. Field crops like oats, sugar beets and wheat are also produced here, as are livestock products (cattle and calves, chickens and eggs, milk, cream and aquafarming). Oh man, we’re so lucky to live in Southern California.

Check out the slow-food movement at www.slowfoodusa.org, and learn about easy ways to support local farmers and promote a “good, clean and fair” food system.

Organic fever is sweeping our big chain supermarkets (and pet stores!) as well as our neighborhood coops and community markets. Ralph’s and Vons carry some organic options, and of course we have Whole Foods, Henry’s and Trader Joe’s – although you can’t always tell if their products are local.

But with hundreds of certified farmer’s markets throughout Southern California, you’re bound to find one nearby at this database: www.cafarmersmarkets.com.