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What if the fueling strategy you’ve followed for years is no longer the one that best supports your performance?   In episode 131  of The Eat for Endurance Podcast ,  I’m joined by elite ultrarunner and coach Zach Bitter  for a thoughtful conversation about his experience with both low and high carb fueling. Zach has broken World and American Records in the 100-mile distance, competed for Team USA at the World 100K Championships, and holds multiple national titles across ultr

“Healthy, happy, and balanced athletes are the ones that make it across the finish line again and again throughout a long career and leave a legacy” - Jessie Diggins Jessie Diggins is currently competing in her fourth and final Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. I interviewed her back in January 2021 , just one week after her historic Tour de Ski win on some of the same Italian mountains she's skiing on now.  Since our recording, Jessie has become the most accomplished cross

Wondering what you can realistically do to stay healthy during training, travel, and sick season? That's what Laura Ligos (AKA, The Sassy Dietitian ) and I discuss in Episode 130  of The Eat for Endurance Podcast. This episode is not about immune “hacks” or doing more. Instead, we break down what actually supports immune health from a nutrition and lifestyle perspective, and explore where athletes often get tripped up when training, underfueling, poor sleep, and life stress

Stress is a topic I’ve discussed with nearly every client I have ever worked with in the last 11+ years as a Registered Dietitian. It’s something I personally struggle with too. Stress often comes from caregiving, work, life events, health challenges, relationships, finances, past trauma, and domestic or global events. It can also come from underfueling, poor sleep, and exercise (especially overtraining). An important thing to understand about stress is that it’s cumulative.

In  Episode 129  of The Eat for Endurance Podcast , I’m joined by ultrarunner, coach, and host of The Everyday Ultra Podcast , Joe Corcione .   Joe’s story is not the typical “natural-born athlete” narrative. He was never active growing up, and he struggled with drugs and alcohol as a teenager and young adult. But as Joe puts it, “You can become someone new if you’re willing to do the work.” This work gradually helped him get sober, finish over 25 ultramarathons, coach runn

Welcome to Season 8 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast! In Episode 128, I'm joined by Registered Dietitian Leslie Schilling, MA, RDN, CSCS, CEDS-C for an important conversation about exercise dependence , a pattern of compulsive movement that can threaten an athlete’s mental and physical health. I heard Leslie speak on this topic at a conference and immediately knew I wanted to bring her on the show. This is partly because I struggled with exercise dependence in the past, and

Happy New Year, everyone! I'm back with one last bonus episode of The Eat for Endurance Podcast to give you a behind-the-scenes look at what it’s actually like to work with a sports dietitian nutritionist. In this episode, I walk through how I work with athletes inside my private practice, from start to finish. I discuss: My background and credentials (all dietitians are nutritionists, but not vice versa) Who 1:1 sports nutrition coaching  is best for How long clients typic

The holiday season can be joyful and meaningful, but let’s be honest, it also presents its fair share of challenges. Work and school schedules shift. Travel may enter the picture. Cookies and sweets appear in every direction. Emotions (both positive and negative) run high. And many people start wondering how to navigate holiday nutrition without feeling out of control. You might notice some of these normalized behaviors creeping in: “Saving up” calories before big meals Viewi

The off-season can (and should!) be a mentally and physically restorative time for athletes. But it can also be incredibly confusing  when it comes to nutrition. Your training volume drops, your routine shifts, and without the structure of a clear training plan, it’s easy to feel a bit lost with your fueling. Maybe you’re taking time off after a big race. Maybe you’re still active, but logging fewer hours than during peak season. No matter what your training looks like right

I don’t know about you, but the combo of Halloween and Daylight Savings Time really kicked my butt last week. Add in the fact that my youngest got sick with pneumonia that weekend (and stayed home from school all week), and I needed all  the help I could get!  I knew that if we didn't map out a meal plan, I'd be hit with the dreaded "what's for dinner" question every night and subsequent panic would follow. Even as a sports dietitian who helps athletes plan meals for a living

Episode 127  of The Eat for Endurance Podcast is the final show of the year, and I'm dedicating it to all of you , my listeners, clients, and Fuel for Life Crew  members. You all sent me so many amazing nutrition questions and stories over the past few months, and I spend this episode answering and reading all of them. I cover a wide range of athlete nutrition topics, from fueling basics and gut training, to how to calculate calorie needs, navigate mindset struggles, and mor

I just got back from my first international trip in nine years. I spent a week exploring Portugal with my best friend Sarah, who I rarely get to see. Even more exciting? I traveled solo! No kids, no husband…what a foreign concept. I know this is a little different from my usual blog content, but I wanted to share how I approach nutrition and movement while traveling, without losing sight of fun and flexibility. Portugal is also such a hot destination right now, so you’ll ge

In  Episode 126  of The Eat for Endurance Podcast , I’m joined by fertility experts Laura Ligos , Registered Dietitian and founder of The Sassy Dietitian , and Danielle Kepics , Physician Assistant and founder of Empowered Mind + Body . Together, they run The Unconventional Collaborative , a virtual mastermind focused on supporting practitioners, coaches, and trainers looking to elevate their work (I'm a member myself).   In this episode, we dive into a topic that’s often ove

Whether you’re flying across the country or driving a few hours away, traveling for a race adds an extra layer of complexity and stress, and nutrition is often the first thing to slip. Knowing what to eat before race day and how to stick with your plan while traveling is key to showing up to the start line fueled and confident. Read on for my top tips for handling nutrition when traveling to a race!  What to Eat Before Race Day When Traveling #1. Plan Ahead, Don’t Wing It Rac

In Episode 125 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast,  I’m joined by running coach and podcaster Lindsey Hein . Lindsey is the founder of SandyBoy Productions , host of the popular I’ll Have Another Podcast , and co-host of The Relay Podcast . She's also a longtime distance runner, certified running coach, race announcer, and mom to four young boys. In this episode, we go behind the mic to talk about Lindsey’s personal journey through running, motherhood, and nutrition. From navig

In Episode 124 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast,  I’m joined by sports dietitian and multi-sport athlete Alex Larson, RD LD as we dive into two important topics: triathlon nutrition and body composition for athletes .  One of the big questions we explore in this episode is whether endurance athletes should try to change their body composition and get leaner during a training cycle.  If you’ve been here awhile, you know that I generally encourage athletes not  to pursue weight

When it comes to nutrition for athletes, body image may not be the first thing that comes to mind. You might focus on things like carbs , hydration , and recovery , not the thoughts, feelings, and beliefs you have about your body. However, body image is extremely important for athletes. The way you view your physical self impacts mindset as well as key behaviors, such as how you fuel and train every day . As a longtime endurance athlete and sports dietitian, I’ve seen how

In Episode 123 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast , I’m joined by Marie Spano, MS, RD, CSCS, CSSD , a highly respected sports dietitian and nutrition communications specialist. Marie currently is the sports RD for the Washington Nationals and Atlanta Hawks, and has previously worked with powerhouse teams including the Atlanta Braves (World Series champions in 2021), Chicago Cubs, and more. I’ve been trying to get her on my show for years, so I’m extra excited to share this con

In Episode 122 of The Eat for Endurance Podcast , I’m catching up with Lauren Thomas, an endurance athlete and Maurten’s  Lead Sports Dietitian in the US, to talk all about sodium bicarbonate and other fueling strategies for athletes. Lauren and I actually go way back, as we briefly worked together over a decade ago in NYC in another dietitian's private practice. It was great to reconnect and hear all about where her life and career has taken her, including collegiate sports,

Do you have an active family that is often on-the-go? Between work schedules, after school activities, and homework, getting a nutritious dinner on the table can be a challenge. You may not have the time (or energy) to whip up a fancy dinner, but you probably also don't want to always get takeout or rely on leftovers alone.  In this blog post, I’m sharing 5 easy dinner ideas for families  that are actually  doable on busy nights. These recipes are simple, quick to prep, and k