Healthy Sports Nutrition For Swimmers and Perimenopausal Moms

Whew, I'm sitting down for a minute while I wait on the banana bread and the laundry to come out of their respective appliances.  I fed one little swimmer, my husband just took him to practice, and my husband will return with 3 very hungry big swimmers wanting dinner.  The family life of competitive swimmers seems insane to most of the world (you never get a break except for 3 weeks out of the year); however, its a life we live and love.

The big two don't love it right now.  They are swimming two-a-day practices over Christmas break and they are HUNGRY, sore, and tired.  If you have swimmers or other athletes you are feeding, it is very important to feed them good, nourishing food to fuel their bodies; not highly processed ones.

I discovered the Ezekiel Fasting Bread recipe in the Bread Beckers cookbook.   I made the bread several times, but it rose too much and made a mess in my already dirty oven.  However, I wanted to use the flour because you grind several kinds of dried beans along with the grains and it makes a complete protein.  PERFECT! You make your breads with this flour and it is the perfect answer for swim meets or other times you need a stand alone meal.  I always use it in my pancakes, my oatmeal snack bars (energy bars), and banana bread.  I take oatmeal snack bars and banana bread to swim meets for a perfect breakfast and for subsequent snacking throughout.

Another added benefit.........
I learned that after women turn 40 their nutritional needs change.  Good grief, everything changes with your body.  You have to exercise to maintain a healthy weight and you start experiencing the not so pleasant changes of perimenopause.  Now I must have protein and carbohydrates for breakfast or I experience a blood sugar crash and get shaky and irritable.  I discovered if I eat something made with Ezekiel flour and have some yogurt (without high fructose corn syrup) I can tackle the world.  Well not really, but I do feel much better!
I read the book Take Charge of the Change - Nourishing Your Body and Spirit Now Through Menopause by Pamela M. Smith (Link to AbeBooks).  It is well indexed and very helpful, giving nonprescription diet modifications to help with the physical symptoms of perimenopause.

You can find the recipe for Ezekiel flour on the Bread Beckers website.  I use a recipe for oatmeal snack bars from Martha Greene's Martha's Family Cookery Book.

Well, the other 3 kids are home and I've fed the rest of us. Our daughter said,"Mom, you made my day.  That was yummy!".  We've now eaten almost an entire loaf of banana bread and an entire breakfast casserole.  The true joys of motherhood.