An innovative method to support your sport
EATHLON™ digitalizes the work of the sports nutritionist, with a service tailored to the needs of our customers.
EATHLON™ is a service that offers a personalized meal plan based on the sport practiced, physical characteristics and the user’s goal, using an innovative methodology that stands apart from all the others in the digital market in the type of diet it offers.
Nutrition and sport are essential for maintaining optimal health, and proper nutrition, balanced to personal needs, is the most suitable way to meet the energy needs and performance of athletes, both amateur and professional. The science of nutrition applied to sport has ancient origins. Today we can say with confidence that nutrition is a crucial aspect of physical performance: it provides the fuel for biological work and makes it possible to use the energy potential contained in food. The meal plan plays an important role in sport: although no miracle foods exist that can improve physical performance on their own, a meal plan combined with proper training allows maximum output. That is exactly why EATHLON™ aims to raise the level of knowledge among people who play sports. FOOD YOUR SPORT!
Food Combinations
EATHLON™ is the only method that uses different cooking techniques and food pairings so that food does its job as natural fuel for people who play sports, giving weight to the physiology and biochemistry of foods. The way the foods in a meal are combined, and the cooking technique used, are often far more important for how they interact with the body’s functions and metabolism than for their nutritional composition. The synergistic action of the various nutrients improves metabolism and optimizes function, working in any physical condition and treating food as the main driver of the vitality of body and mind.
The Eathlon method offers a meal plan to help you follow healthy eating habits, learn to shop more mindfully and put together lunches and dinners that are not only tasty and avoid the main mistakes of modern eating, but above all suited to the demands of the goal of the sport you practice, in perfect physiological balance. EATHLON™ is a method developed in collaboration with Dr. Stefania Dellatte (Nutritionist, biologist – registration no. AA_070758 with the Italian National Order of Biologists).
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Diet is an important factor in health, and one we can change.
Proper nutrition is essential for staying healthy and for ensuring the development of the body’s structures in childhood, and it is just as indispensable for keeping the body efficient in adulthood and old age. It can also play an important role in preventing many degenerative diseases, such as obesity, cardiovascular disease, diabetes and cancer.
In recent times there has been a nutritional transition: we have moved from a state of undernutrition (a lack of micro- and macronutrients) to one of overnutrition, in terms of both the quantity of calories consumed and the quality of food (that is, the composition of meals).
There has been a substantial change in what we eat, and what we currently see is an excess of energy, an excess of fat and/or protein intake, a drop in nutrient intake and high consumption of alcohol and salt. All of this, combined with too little physical activity, leads to chronic degenerative diseases such as obesity, diabetes, osteoporosis and cancer.
Nutrition is not based only on digesting food, but above all on the availability of what the body needs, on the biochemical properties and functions of the macronutrients, micronutrients and non-nutrients found in food, on the biochemical and functional aspects of the processes that allow us to transform and use food matter, and on the biochemical mechanisms underlying human nutrition. For example, after intense physical activity the body needs both carbohydrates and protein, and taking carbohydrates after the protein has been digested is the best way to slow down the replenishment of glycogen stores.
Stopping at digestion alone is rather reductive because it ignores every other metabolic aspect of food. For example, everyone knows that a few drops of lemon (thanks to the vitamin C) on a steak improve the absorption of the iron in the meat.
By studying how the digestive system works, we find that there are favorable food combinations, whose simultaneous digestion causes no problems and even completes the meal’s supply of macro- and micronutrients, and others where this does not happen.
Many nutrition books give advice that very often contradicts one another: some call for balance without taking drastic positions, while others give advice that, if followed to the letter, makes the diet extremely rigid and hard to keep up over a long period.
A healthy person can choose food combinations to ensure the metabolism works properly and for the pleasure of eating.
The rules that follow should be a reference point for everyday eating. Of course you can break these rules, which should be followed more or less to the letter depending on how your schedule is planned. It is best, though, not to break more than one rule per meal.
Before an intense work session, after intense sport or after a stressful day, it is best to follow them to the letter.
Proteins from different sources
Combining different protein foods can cause problems. Our stomach is able to produce gastric juices at different times and with different compositions, depending on the proteins to be digested. For example, the gastric juice for meat is strongly acidic from the start, while the one for milk is acidic only toward the end of digestion. A particularly harmful combination can therefore be meat or fish with milk: on contact with stomach acid, milk curdles into clumps and flakes that can trap fragments of meat which, never coming into contact with the gastric juice, risk passing unchanged into the next stretch of the intestine, giving rise to putrefaction. The only protein that can be combined with the others is the egg!
Sugars and starches, or sugars and proteins
Proteins and starches are digested in the stomach, while simple sugars are digested in the intestine. If eaten together, the sugars stay in the stomach for as long as it takes to clear the starches or proteins, causing fermentation that in turn hinders the digestion of starches and proteins. So it is a good idea to limit the habit of having dessert at the end of a meal.
Wine or beer (alcohol) and starches
Wine and beer increase acidity and therefore slow down the digestion of starches, which need an alkaline environment. It is therefore best to limit these drinks to mostly protein meals, especially those based on meat and fish.
Cooked fats with protein foods
Fats are the hardest foods to digest and therefore the ones that slow down the digestion of other nutrients the most.
The total amount of fat in a balanced diet (that is, with a percentage of fat ranging from 25 to 30%) is deliberately kept limited because of the link with the excess body weight that would result.
In meals based only on proteins and cooked fats, it is a good idea to add plenty of raw vegetables to limit the damage caused by the putrefaction of proteins.
Other unfavorable combinations
Potatoes should not be eaten mixed with cereals such as wheat (bread), corn, rice, barley, oats, millet, etc., because potato starch and cereal starch generally are not digested at the same time, so whichever was processed first has to wait for the other to be digested before it can be absorbed.
Remember to always chew well, and... enjoy your meal!
References:
- Arcari Morini D., Agosta A. – Manuale pratico di Rimedi Naturali, orme Editore, Milano 2008
- Arcari Morini D., D’Eugenio A., Aufiero F. – Nutrizione e Funzioni Organiche, Vis Sanatrix Naturae, Roma 2003
- Fausto A., Pentassuglia M. – Il ruolo nutrizionale e terapeutico degli alimenti, Vis sanatrix naturae, Roma 2015
- Fausto A. – Linee guida bionutrizionali, International Printing, Avellino 2018
- Arcari Morini D., Aufiero F. – Bioterapia Nutrizionale, ricettario terapeutico per medici e pazienti, Vis Sanatrix Naturae, Roma 2006
- Arcari Morini D., D’Eugenio A., Aufiero F. – Gli Alimenti e le loro Associazioni, Tomo I, Vis Sanatrix Naturae, Roma 2000
- Arcari Morini D., D’Eugenio A., Aufiero F. – Gli Alimenti e le loro Associazioni, Tomo II, Vis Sanatrix Naturae, Roma 2001
- Arcari Morini D., Aufiero F. – Bioterapia nutrizionale applicata, Tomo I, Vis Sanatrix Naturae, Roma 2006
- Arcari Morini D., Aufiero F. – Bioterapia nutrizionale applicata, Tomo II, Vis Sanatrix Naturae, Roma 2007
- Arcari Morini D., Aufiero F. – Bioterapia nutrizionale applicata, Tomo III, Vis Sanatrix Naturae, Roma 2007
- Pentassuglia M. – ABC, Alimentazione, Bioterapia Nutrizionale, Cucina, Nutrire la vita, Roma 2019
Mediterranean Diet
SPORT AND THE MEDITERRANEAN DIET: A WAY OF EATING THAT IS TRADITION, CULTURE, PLEASURE, SOCIALIZING AND BALANCE
The Mediterranean Diet, which UNESCO declared an Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity in 2010, is the dietary model currently used as a reference for people who play sports at an amateur level, and it is the same one adopted by most athletes on every continent. For centuries, the people of the Mediterranean countries have eaten the typical foods of these areas: cereals, legumes, fruit, vegetables, fish, white meat, milk and extra virgin olive oil, enjoying decidedly better health than people in other parts of the world.
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Since the 1980s, the Mediterranean diet has replaced, in sport, the high-protein Anglo-Saxon model and the high-carbohydrate Scandinavian model used previously. This regimen basically provides for carbohydrates ranging from 50-60%, protein at 15-20% and fat at 20-30%. Of the carbohydrates, 80-90% should be complex (bread, pasta, rice, etc.) and only 10-20% should come from simple sugars. Protein should be split between animal sources (meat, fish, eggs, etc.) and plant sources (legumes, cereals, nuts, etc.), ranging from 1.0-1.5 and at most 2.0 g/kg of body weight depending on the sport practiced and the goal of the activity.
The fats consumed should mainly be monounsaturated fatty acids, found in extra virgin olive oil.
An excellent supply of mineral, vitamin and fiber needs is also ensured thanks to the abundant intake of greens and vegetables, all complemented by adequate hydration.
This dietary model is well suited to supporting the nutritional needs of athletes, especially during “chronic” preparation, that is, the whole seasonal training period in its different phases. Over this time span a “prudent” diet should in fact be adopted, one that respects the qualitative guidelines above, following the Mediterranean pattern, and that provides enough energy to cover expenditure and the structural demands linked to building muscle and restoring worn tissue.
The right timing of energy intake through the day completes the adequacy of an athlete’s diet. During chronic preparation, for example in periods of muscle strengthening, you can cut back a little on pasta, bread, rice and carbohydrates in general and eat more meat, fish, milk and eggs, that is, animal protein, to support muscle development.
Even in the so-called “acute” preparation phases, adopted close to competitions, the Mediterranean diet offers many possibilities for adjustment and personalization to individual needs. Before a race, especially a long one, protein can be reduced while carbohydrates should be increased, so you can eat less meat but more pasta or rice dishes with light dressings, nuts and dried fruit, to ensure all the energy needed for the competition.
Many nutrients in the Mediterranean diet improve physical performance immediately or within a few days, so it makes sense to think that a complete dietary model that includes these nutrients can also improve performance. However, these benefits were also lost quickly when people switched to another type of diet, which underlines the importance of sticking to the Mediterranean diet over the long term.
In short, nutrition must be an integral part of an athlete’s whole training program and, while it is true that there are no miracle foods for achieving a result, it is also true that poor eating can compromise performance and therefore athletic output.
The Mediterranean diet also improves athletic performance in endurance sports. This is what emerges from a new study by members of Saint Louis University, published in the Journal of the American College of Nutrition, whose authors found that participants were able to run 6% faster after following a Mediterranean diet than other dietary patterns.
References:
- Evaristo OS, Moreira C, Lopes L, Abreu S, Agostinis-Sobrinho C, Oliveira-Santos J, Póvoas S, Oliveira A, Santos R, Mota J. Associations between physical fitness and adherence to the Mediterranean diet with health-related quality of life in adolescents: results from the LabMed Physical Activity Study. Eur J Public Health. 2018 Aug 1;28(4):631-635.
- Galan-Lopez P, Ries F, Gisladottir T, Domínguez R, Sánchez-Oliver AJ. Healthy Lifestyle: Relationship between Mediterranean Diet, Body Composition and Physical Fitness in 13 to 16-Years Old Icelandic Students. Int J Environ Res Public Health. 2018 Nov 24;15(12).
- Rebollo-Ramos M, Velázquez-Díaz D, Corral-Pérez J, Barany-Ruiz A, Pérez- Bey A, Fernández-Ponce C, García-Cózar FJ, Ponce-González JG, Cuenca- García M. Aerobic fitness, Mediterranean diet and cardiometabolic risk factors in adults. Endocrinol Diabetes Nutr. 2019 Jun 13.
- Taylor RW, Roy M, Jospe MR, Osborne HR, Meredith-Jones KJ, Williams SM, Brown RC. Determining how best to support overweight adults to adhere to lifestyle change: protocol for the SWIFT study. BMC Public Health. 2015 Sep 4;15:861.
- Costantini A.M., Cannella C., Tomassi G. – Fondamenti di Nutrizione Umana, Il Pensiero Scientifico Editore, Roma 1999
- Burlingame B., Dernini S. (Eds.), Sustainable Diets And Biodiversity Directions And Solutions For Policy, Research And Action. In: Proceedings of the International Scientific Symposium Biodiversity And Sustainable Diets United Against Hunger 3–5 November 2010, Rome: FAO, 2012
- Bach-Faig (A.), Berry (E.M.), Lairon (D.), Reguant (J.), Trichopoulou (A.), Dernini (S.) and Serra-Majem (L.) (2011), “Mediterranean Diet Pyramid Today. Science and Cultural Updates”, Public health nutrition, 14 (12A), pp. 2274-2284.
- CIHEAM and FAO (2015), “Mediterranean Food Consumption Patterns: Diet, Environ- ment, Society, Economy and Health”, A White Paper Priority 5 of Feeding Knowledge Programme, Expo Milan 2015, Bari and Rome, CIHEAM-IAMB-FAO.
- Donini (L.M.), Serra-Majem (L.), Bullo (M.), Gil (A.) and Salas-Salvado (J.) (2015), “The Mediterranean Diet: Culture, Health and Science”, British Journal of Nutrition, 113 (S1-S3).
- Dernini S, Berry EM, Serra-Majem L, et al. Med Diet 4.0: the Mediterranean diet with four sustainable benefits. Public Health Nutr 2017;20:1322-30.
Hippocrates wrote, in the 5th century BC:
“Well-being requires knowing the primary constitution of man and the properties of the various foods, both those that are natural to him and those produced by his own labor. But eating alone is not enough for well-being. Physical activity must also be considered, and its effects must be recognized in the same way. The combination of these two elements creates a lifestyle, provided that due attention is paid to the person’s age, the situation of his home, the changing of the winds and the seasons of the year.”
Our body is constantly active, day and night, even while we are resting. Breathing, the heartbeat and other vital activities never stop. This continuous activity requires energy expenditure, and the first fundamental function of food is precisely to provide energy, or more specifically, calories. But humans need more than energy: they also need material to grow and develop their bodies, and even in adulthood the body’s tissues keep renewing themselves.
To live well and stay healthy, though, it is not enough to meet the body’s energy and structural needs, because food contains special substances that are essential for regulating the body’s chemical processes and preventing disease.
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A balanced diet includes a wide variety of foods, which allow the body to stay healthy. Nature gives us foods that contain all the nutrients we need to live.
Based on the function they perform in the body, foods can be classified into 4 groups:
Foods with a mainly structural function: that is, the function that allows new living matter to be built, performed mainly by proteins, some inorganic elements (for example calcium and phosphorus, needed for bone calcification), and some essential fatty acids (such as linoleic acid, which becomes part of cell membranes).
Examples of structural foods are milk and its derivatives, meat, fish, eggs and dried legumes.
Foods with a mainly energy function: “energy” foods are those able to meet the body’s energy needs. The energy function is performed mainly by carbohydrates, but also by lipids and, to a small extent, by proteins. Energy foods include cereals and their derivatives (bread, pasta, rice, cookies, etc.), tubers, sugar, nuts and vegetable oils.
Foods with an energy function and those with a structural function are very important for people who play sports!
Foods with a mainly regulating and protective function: these foods are called bioregulators because they take part in the biological processes that take place in the body, carrying out regulating, balancing and protective functions. Protective and regulating foods are those rich in minerals and vitamins, and include fruit and vegetables.
Accessory or complementary foods: these are foods and drinks that the body does not need from a nutritional standpoint. Excessive or habitual consumption of many of them can pose a health risk. Accessory or complementary foods include spices, herbs, sweets and desserts, salt, vinegar, alcoholic and non-alcoholic drinks, and stimulant drinks.
Functional Ingredients for Your Sport
