Flow with Nature

Did you know I have a gym membership? Yeah, I'm not sure I did either!

I kid, I kid. I go to the gym (sometimes). But my favorite exercises are when I don't feel like I'm exercising. 

Instead, I feel like I'm saving myself from drowning! Seriously though, if you see me out in the water with a surfboard, although it looks like I'm drowning, I'm probably really just trying to surf. Besides nutrition, I'm a slave to the waves. Surfing works so much of my body, from my arm muscles to my core strength to my balance. It helps me sustain and regulate much of my breathing. It allows me to feel close to nature, teaching me patience and humbles me (oh boy, does it humble me). And when I finally do catch a wave, it's the most enlightening, uplifting feeling.

My surf trip to Nicaragua (2010)

My trip to Mal Pais, Costa Rica (2005)

Surf day in South Florida via Hybrid Photography at MSW

Summers in South Florida are known to be incredibly hot. They're also known to bring the flatness to the ocean. Luckily, we had a pretty good swell in early June and I went surfing ALL day, for several days. I got spaghetti arms, a surfboard leash tan, and I'm still picking sand out of my hair. I was beyond exhausted but I felt great. That being said, I doubt I could ever spend all day at the gym like I do in the ocean.

Now in terms of nutrition, prior to my full surf day, I had a carbohydrate heavy breakfast to prepare my energy stores and build up fuel for my body. I had sliced peaches, oatmeal with brown sugar, one egg, and a small glass of almond milk. I was able to eat early in the morning because I had several hours to digest my food. Prior to hopping in the water, I ate some avocado with cheese to have a little good fat stores to satiate me.

So, just a few notes on nutrition prior to heavy exercise:
1. Eat a carbohydrate rich meal prior to heavy exercise to build fuel for the body.
2. Try to avoid high amounts of fiber and fat to allow for easy digestion.
3. Add small amounts of protein to your meal, as this will help rebuild muscles.
4. Experiment with different meals and times during training so you'll know how much time your body needs to digest and what foods work best.

All the above information is found at one of my favorite sites:
Sports, Cardiovascular, and Wellness Nutrition, or SCAN.

Finally, this man has my dream job. (So, if there's any openings for a surfing nutritionist where all I do is surf and eat healthy foods all day, hire me!) He couldn't have explained surfing and nutrition better.

Surfing Nutritionist at Kashi

"What the heck does surfing have to do with food? Everything. Surfing teaches you to flow with nature, instead of fighting it. It's similar with food. Natural foods work with your body so your body works better."



Find physical activity that you enjoy, whether that's walking the dog 30 minutes a day or training to run marathons. Just like healthy eating, the best way to go about it is to enjoy it!




Also, I spent this hot day roaming around the cold bookstore. This is the most recent book I've picked up and I can't wait to read it!

The author, Dr. Bharat Aggarwal, is a Professor of the Department of Experimental Therapeutics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. I'm going to start cooking a lot more with spices (and fruits and veggies) since the summer sun may have me indoors a little more often.