Lisa Dorfman, MS, RD, CSSD, LMHC, FAND aka The Running Nutritionist ® has been an internationally recognized health expert to the medical community, academia, culinary/hospitality industry, Fortune 500 Corporations, and public & press for more than three decades. As a Licensed Nutritionist (LD/N), Licensed/Board certified professional Counselor (LMHC) Board Certified Specialist in Sports Dietetics (CSSD), Certified Coach & Certified Reiki Practitioner, Lisa consults to youth, collegiate, Olympic and professional athletes representing more than 20 individual & team sports worldwide, and was the US Sailing Olympic & Paralympic Team Nutritionist for the 2008 Beijing Olympics. Since 1983, Lisa has coached and counseled more than 10,000 clients, helping them to reach their personal best in health, sport & life. She is a Fellow of the Academy of Nutrition & Dietetics.
What first sparked your interest in nutrition?
I’d always been an athlete growing up. When I was fifteen, my dad retired because he had some health issues and went on a vegetarian diet. Our whole household changed and I went on a vegetarian diet too, and it worked. It made me a lot more interested in nutrition and what foods did to your body. I never thought about it before then and only ate meat. I was always interested in being physically fit and strong.
Has your nutrition expertise helped you succeed in the marathons and triathlons you’ve been involved in?
Oh, yeah. I have a 30-year competitive career. I had been a pro-triathlete for 6 years, still presently competing in running and multisport racing- (duathlon, triathlon and adventure racing) and because of my diet, I think I have had an advantage over other competitors. I’ve not nearly felt like I had to train as hard as other people, and know my diet and expertise on recovery nutrition has been 99% of my success. Staying hydrated is very important as well.
How does nutrition fuel performance?
For my first book, The Vegetarian Sports Nutrition Guide (Wiley, 2000) I interviewed 17 world class, Olympian and elite vegetarian athletes and asked them how nutrition fuels their performance. I spoke with football players, basketball players, and people from all different sports. Now, I’m finishing up my 8th book Legally Lean: Sports Nutrition Strategies for Optimal Health & Performance (Momentum Media 2014) and there is no doubt that proper nutrition fuels your performance. As you keep competing throughout the decades, your ability to recover better is unquestionably affected by nutrition. I believe in my case, a vegetarian diet has definitely fueled my performance, but it’s not for everybody. There are some folks that just don’t do well on a plant-based diet, so they need to be a little more flexitarian. They can still benefit from being plant-based even if they include meat, chicken and fish.
What does a typical workout look like for you?
It’s changed over the years. So if I’m competing, it changes throughout the year. If I’m training for a marathon it’s much more different than training for a 5K. It varies in intensity and duration. I pretty much stick to running and swimming. I don’t do a lot of cycling https://www.wnymedical.com/buy-sildenafil-online/ because I’m much more cautious and apprehensive of the dangerous Miami drivers but love to cycle when I am out of town in the countryside.
I run and swim pretty much everyday. I usually do 40 minutes to an hour of running and then 20 minutes of swimming in the bay. That’s my staple workout. It’s like having vegetables in the house. I also do Pilates a couple of days a week and it helps strengthen from all the time sitting at my computer writing books. I also do functional movement training once a week, or once every two weeks. I never ever want to get hurt and have been so fortunate up to this point and want to continue that streak. If I’m out of town, I go to the gym and do some weights, but I don’t usually hit the gym.
What are some of your favorite plant-based pre and post workout snacks?
I don’t eat before I workout because I wake up to train so early, about 5:15 am. Typically I will hydrate with a green tea with beet powder and head out. The beet powder helps enhance performance. There’s no reason for me to eat before my workout since my dietary intake the day before adequately prepares my body for training for the approximate 1-hour workout.
After, I have a coffee with almond or flax milk, soy or coconut creamer. There are many benefits to having a cup of java since the caffeine has been shown to facilitate carbohydrate uptake by muscles and help to replenish muscle glycogen. Along with that, I have a smoothie with whey protein isolate, pea protein or some kind of green veggie/beet drink. After my shower, I’ll eat a more complete morning meal – fruit and almond cheese, yogurt and fruit, depends on the day.
What tips do you have for our readers who are trying to lead a healthier lifestyle?
Balance, balance, balance. It’s not about what your friend is doing to stay in shape; it’s about your own balance. For example, if I’m traveling, I don’t place demands on my body to complete an entire 1-hour workout. When I’m stressed, I don’t drive myself crazy to hit certain marks with training. As for nutrition, if I’m training harder I’m going to eat more. If I’m training less, I’m going to eat less. I balance. I also find ways to de-stress too like, an afternoon kayaking with friends. Always stay in check with your personal balance because it changes through the days, months, and years. Don’t compare yourself to yesterday, look at yourself today. If you can’t look at yourself objectively, have somebody else assess. We don’t always know what’s best for ourselves. Sometimes, my own family has taught me more about myself than I could see for myself. Surround yourself with people that will be honest with you. It’s important to stay grounded to stay balanced.
1 pound cassava and yams, peeled, and cut into large chunks
Organic Cooking spray
1 small onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
3 tomatillos, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh ginger, chopped
1/2 cup chopped chives
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 can (14 ounces) whole tomatoes with juice
1 tablespoon chopped basil
1 tablespoon fresh thyme
1 plantain, completely ripe, diced
32 ounces vegetable broth
Instructions
Steam the cassava and yams over high heat until tender. Remove and set aside.
Heat cooking spray in a sauté pan, then add onion and pepper.
Sauté until fragrant, about three minutes.
Add chives, garlic, ginger, and tomatoes, breaking the tomatoes with the back of spoon.
Add the basil and thyme and cook covered for an additional 10 minutes over low heat.
Season with salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Stir in steamed cassava and yams, plantain, tomatillos, and combine.
Add broth and cook for one to two minutes more. The consistency should be like a stew.
Serve warm or cool.
Notes
*Each one-cup serving has: 252 calories, 59 g carbohydrate; 5 g protein, 1 g fat
*Recipe featured in Runners World Mag, my Tropical Diet Book (2004) and in my upcoming book, Legally Lean: Sports Nutrition Strategies for Optimal Health & Performance (Fall 2014)
Nutrition
Serving Size:1 cup
Recipe featured in Runners World Mag, my Tropical Diet Book (2004) and in my upcoming book, Legally Lean: Sports Nutrition Strategies for Optimal Health & Performance (Fall 2014)
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