If you enjoy Ammi’s “Eatology” column in each issue of Out There, check out her new online-only “Advice for Anyone on Anything” column at Outthereoutdoors.com/?s=ask+ammi. Or send her your nutrition, health, outdoor fitness, or other random advice question at ammi@twobirdsnutrition.com.

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Ammi Midstokke is a nutritionist with an arguably-dangerous appetite for adventure. Her monthly “Eatology” nutrition column appears in each print edition of “Out There Venture” and online here. She lives with her daughter in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Reader Question: I signed up for a race but forgot to train. I don’t want to miss the event and I don’t want to die. Is there a happy middle-ground?

Ammi: First, let me just congratulate you on having the courage to sign up for an event and the unwavering pride to not bail last minute. You are not alone and sometimes being totally unprepared for something is rather a relief. Obviously, you’ll have to let go of your goals with the exception of one: Don’t die.

It seems easy, but your brain will attempt to trick you into thinking you are a super hero who doesn’t need training anyway. At the same time, it will forget to tell you that, since you are untrained, your heart rate is going to jack up higher, you’ll require more glucose, but probably have less of an appetite. Trained or untrained, the Bonk will prevail.

Most important, you need to be honest with yourself about your lack of training. Change your goals (see above) and join in for the camaraderie and experience. Start slow and stay slow. If you have something in the tank as you begin your last 25-30% of the race, then pick it up a little bit and surprise yourself. Fuel religiously as appropriate to your event distance/speed. And there’s no need to make yourself suffer. Use the lack of training as an opportunity to create a benchmark, to set expectations for the next event that you may (or may not) effectively train for. And most of all, have fun!

The post Advice for Anyone on Anything by Ammi Midstokke: Oops, I Forgot to Train for My Race appeared first on Out There Venture.

Ammi Midstokke is a nutritionist with an arguably-dangerous appetite for adventure. Her monthly “Eatology” nutrition column appears in each print edition of “Out There Venture” and online here. She lives with her daughter in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Reader Question: Is there any danger in drinking too much tea?

Ammi: True story. I used to think tea was just dirty water and that tea drinkers were just people who were too weak to drink coffee but hid their inferiority with the consumption of uppity ‘aromatic beverages with complex flavors.’ Or they were Irish.

Then I had a cup of Smooth Move and have forever harbored a humble respect of the potent properties of herbal blends soaked in water. And you should, too.

First of all, non-organic teas are known to carry a host of toxins, from lead to fluoride, and should generally be avoided. Caffeinated teas are, well, caffeinated, and we should limit our caffeine intake for a host of health reasons, from stress hormone production to its diuretic properties, to sleep disruption.

The trend for detox teas is also alarming. First of all, the body detoxes just fine, given a clean and well-rounded diet high in vegetable and fruit fibers. Many detox teas include Senna-leaf, a neuro-stimulant to the gastrointestinal tract (what makes Smooth Move effective). While it stimulates bowel movements, it does so in a potentially painful, urgent, and habit-forming way. Other herbs we find in detox teas are things like Dandelion Root (a diuretic), Cilantro (an anti-oxidant), Milk Thistle (believed to help regeneration of liver cells), and so on.

In appropriate doses, these things can help the body perform its natural functions. So if you’re a tea drinker, or an aspiring one, mix it up. Get a nice selection of some herbals with various intentions, and remember that you can get too much of a good thing. (Ammi Midstokke)

The post Advice for Anyone on Anything by Ammi Midstokke appeared first on Out There Venture.

Ammi Midstokke is a nutritionist with an arguably-dangerous appetite for adventure. Her monthly “Eatology” nutrition column appears in each print edition of “Out There Venture” and online at OutThereOutdoors.com. She lives with her daughter in Sandpoint, Idaho.

Reader Question: WTF is “clean eating” anyway?

Ammi: Contrary to popular belief, eating clean does not refer to food with good personal hygiene, but is suggestive that the food meets several other trendy ‘free from’ criteria.

Eating clean is part of the post-paleo rush, where people who suddenly became concerned about the amount of meat they were eating while questioning the witch hunt on grains tried to accommodate a newly emerging group of Hamburger-bun-consuming but conscious humans.

The suggestion is that eating clean means the dish is free from food coloring, preservatives, pesticides, and other various “contaminants.” It often refers to organic foods, whole grains, pastured animals, and the like.

It does not suggest that the said food is gluten-free, nut-free, or dairy-free. For this reason, if you have any allergies, you’ll always want to order with a series of pretentious questions ensuring that your meal is not only clean, but will not cause you to spend the remainder of your evening in the restroom or emergency room.

To ask Ammi a nutrition or health question to be answered here, send an email to ammi@twobirdsnutrition.com

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