Why I eat what I eat

When I think back about my relationship with food and my diet in general, my earliest memories center on some pretty basic rules in our family. Soda is for special occasions only, sparkling water, juice and milk was fine, but we would usually not have drinks with our meals but rather after, so we wouldn't fill up of drinks before we actually ate our dinner. I grew up in Germany, which generally meant toast with cold cuts, cheese, jam or Nutella for breakfast, open face sandwiches with deli meat for lunch and a big dinner with some type of meat, often pork or beef along with potatoes and different vegetables cooked from scratch by my mom.

I developed a sweet tooth as I got older and food in general was as much about pleasure as it was about sustenance. While I did not have a difficult childhood in general, my parents did divorce when I was 15 and I did start to eat sweets in an almost regimented fashion. Picking up a coke, a bag of potato chips and a large chocolate bar became almost a daily routine. Thankfully, I also used athletics to stay busy and active, which helped keep my weight level. In fact, the only time I dealt with a significant increase in weight was during grad school. By that time, I was working full-time, but I had also started to smoke. Suffice it to say, while I had been a competitive athlete all my life, starting with soccer at age 6 and continuing later with kickboxing and ultimately ending up with ultra running, my other habits including my diet left a lot to be desired.

Fast forward to 3 years ago. I was in my mid 40s and had decided to start to get annual checkups. I had just recently changed general practitioners, leaving a doc that preferred to prescribe meds than deal with actual root causes of disease and choosing a fellow endurance athlete, instead, who would have a better understanding of my personality and lifestyle. At this point, I have had my share of serious health scares unrelated to my diet. I figured regular checkups would both keep me healthy as well as possibly help with my performance in general, if the blood tests during the checkup revealed any deficiencies.

When the doc returned with the results, I was slightly shocked. Two things required serious attention. One, my Vitamin D levels were too low and he advised me to take a daily supplement. This is a rather normal occurrence as we age, so I took that in stride. The second issue, however, was more concerning. My LDL cholesterol levels were through the roof, in the high 150s. While my HDL levels were great as a result of my ultra running, my LDL levels were still of major concern. 

My previous general physician would have immediately prescribed a statin rather than look at other lifestyle changes. My current doc, on the other hand, understood my desire to avoid drugs and pursue lifestyle changes, instead. Obviously, I was about as active as one could be. I ran every day, I went to the gym a couple of times a week and I stayed all around active. In addition, I had quit smoking for good 7 years earlier. All that was left to look at was my diet.

My mind was made up pretty quickly. My wife was both a vegetarian and the only one capable of cooking delicious meals in our household and since I already really only had the occasional chicken, it was time to make the switch to a fully plant based diet. But since cholesterol is in animal products like dairy and eggs, I had to do more than just turn to a vegetarian diet, I had to go full vegan. It wasn't easy, but I was committed and I did not stray, A year later, my LDL cholesterol level showed a 20% improvement during my regular checkup. Fast forward 2 years (no annual checkup in 2020 due to pandemic) and here I was in January 2021 for another annual checkup. Unfortunately, the results were not good, not good at all. My LDL cholesterol had risen to pre-veganism levels and actually exceeded the previous mark. Another follow up exam discovered other risk factors that were quite concerning. A battery of further tests showed that my heart was still functioning and working at normal levels, but I had to face some hard facts, if I was to believe my doc and the status quo of science as it relates to cholesterol and calcium buildup and the risk they posed to cardiovascular health.

First, I agreed to take a statin to lower my LDL levels to a more acceptable level. However, I wasn't willing to just resign to taking a drug for the rest of my life. Instead, I decided that day to change to a completely whole foods plant based diet with zero added sugars, salts or oils or WFPB-SOS. Through all of these radical changes, my wife has been super supportive. She's rolled with the punches and adjusted things as needed to help me make this change happen.

This lifestyle changes the average macronutrient piechart significantly. While it can often be intimidating and quite challenging when first changing to a plant-based diet, especially for endurance athletes trying to get everything needed to both "perform and recover", it can feel even more challenging when you eliminate added sugars, oils and salt. Am I getting enough fat? Am I eating too many carbs? What about protein? Protein becomes a big concern, especially as it pertains to recovery after training workouts and endurance events. Day to day, this lifestyle change to the SOS free diet calls for a super low fat diet (10-15%). However, the research that is available to this particular diet does not specifically discuss how much carbs vs. protein once should consume, especially when it comes to ultra marathoners. Once again, I started to keep a food diary to see what would naturally happen with my macronutrient makeup.

Because I also significantly reduced soy products, I was getting most of my proteins from beans and sprouted breads. I felt I needed more. Thankfully, this wasn't anything new as I had identified this gap even when I first turned vegan three years ago. While opinions and research vary on hoe much protein an individual athlete actually requires, I did want to make sure to get between 15-20% of my daily caloric intake. I generally try to get my nutrients from natural foods, so I started to look for and try out different vegan protein supplements that were both clean and hopefully somewhat tasty. I rotated to a few different ones, but never really landed at one that I stuck with.

A year into my vegan journey, I ended up volunteering as aid station captain at one of the Tahoe 200 mile aid stations. While there, I ran into a team of volunteers that offered to help out at my aid station after the runner they were supporting had to drop for medical reasons. After spending many many hours with these guys and getting to know them, I found out that they worked for a young nutrition company that developed and manufactured protein supplements among other products. Not only were these good people, but they made the stuff runners needed. My first question to them: "So, do you make a vegan protein supplement"? Their answer: "Actually, we're working on that right now. Would you be willing to try it out?", "Sure", I replied, "I would love to."

A couple of weeks later, I received a package in the mail that contained vegan protein supplement in both Chocolate and Vanilla along with a couple of rad t-shirts. I tried it...and I loved it. If you've ever tried certain protein powders, you know the issues you can encounter. The flavor is off, it doesn't dissolve easily or it creates a dust cloud in your kitchen, to name a few. The Vegan protein supplement from Silver Star Nutrition has none of these issues. I was spot on in every aspect. Even more importantly, zero stomach issues. I was hooked. Zero unnecessary additives, ingredients or calories, just what your body needs and your taste buds crave. I've even added this stuff to my morning cereal and oats, but most of the time, I just create a tasty smoothie that has as few ingredients as this protein powder: Baby spinach, bananas, frozen blueberries or strawberries and usually chia seeds and some flaxseed flakes with a splash of unsweetened almond milk or water plus Vanilla protein powder. It is the perfect post long run or post gym session fuel and has helped me recover and be ready for the next workout.

If you're looking to find that perfect protein supplement, give Silver Star Nutrition a try. You won't regret it. Yes, Silver Star Nutrition does support me by providing me with free supplements, but this relationship developed organically after I did some initial product testing for them. If I didn't love their stuff, I'd go back to trying the other supplements out there. Final note, I am in no way a certified nutritionist or dietician, but I am an experiment of one. Hopefully, what works for me works for you as well. But you won;'t know until you try. See you on the trails!

Review - Katadyn BeFree Water Filtration System 0.6L

Katadyn BeFree 0.6L Water Filtration System.

This review doesn't discuss specific data such as weight, flow-rate or length. I'll leave that to the manufacturer and other retail websites. This review only describes my own experience with the device as well as some things I learned before, during and after its use.

Easy to fill, easy to use, and collapsible.

Over the years, I have used quite a few different water filtration systems. I've also given up on some of the more complex filtration products after reading their rather extensive product documentation, never even using them once due to their complicated instructions for use.

The actual water filter sits inside the bottle top just under the mouthpiece.

When I'm in the backcountry, I don't want to have to remember 253 steps on "how to make your water safe for drinking". Usually, I don't need the filter for car camping trips. The times I had to rely on a backcountry water filtration system were usually during organized trail ultra marathons, where time was of the essence and during self-supported solo adventures, where there was no access to any outside assistance or any safe drinking water that was readily available.

The bottle cap meant to prevent spillage is attached by a small plastic hinge.

When you first start looking for a water treatment solution suitable for your needs (be it actual water filters or water purifiers), you will be surprised to find just how many different systems there are. There are pump water filters and purifiers, gravity filters and purifiers, Ultraviolet (UV) purifiers, bottle filters and purifiers, squeeze water filters, straw-style water filters, in-line water filters for hydration packs, chemical water treatment pills and good old fashioned boiling.

There are many factors that can and should help you narrow down the appropriate choices to meet your specific needs. How often are you planning to use your system? What do you plan to use it for? Car camping? Multi-day back country hiking trip? Single day ultra marathon? Or maybe you plan to use it for a variety of activities? What are other important factors for you? Ease of use? Water taste? Filtration speed? Filter cost? Once you answer these questions for yourself, you should have a great starting spot on finding the perfect solution.

As mentioned earlier, I've tried many different methods with varying degrees of success. That's not to say any of the tried methods didn't work, they did, but some worked better than others, faster than others and were less problem prone than others.

For a while now, I'd been on the hunt for a quicker, easier solution. I've tried pumps, in-line filters, straw-style filters and chemical solutions. While all of them worked, none of them felt like a natural solution for me with the exception of the in-line filter for hydration bladders. However, I prefer bottles, so that was not a long term solution either. The straw-style filter (with a squeeze pouch) seemed like a great option, but it still required you to stop, scoop up water and then filter it into another bottle for actual use. Not quite as intuitive as I had hoped.

Enter the Katadyn BeFree 0.6L Water Filtration System. One look at this solution and I was sold. I did some research online and bought it from one of the larger online retailers. In fact, I bought two. The BeFree looked like it was meant for ultra runners. It consisted of a collapsible soft flask very similar to the soft flasks currently being provided with the more popular running vests on the market, made by companies like Ultimate Direction and Salomon. The actual water filter sits inside the screw-on bottle top. Since my hydration running vest holds two bottles in the front, it just made sense to me to pick up two BeFree bottles.

This setup was to be my way to get drinkable water during my attempt to cover the entire length of the 76 mile Foothills Trail between Table Rock State Park and Oconee State Park in the Carolinas in a single day or 24 hours. I am happy to report that it worked and performed perfectly, but there are a few lessons learned. As with any product, there is always room for improvement.

When the BeFree bottles first arrived, they seemed to be identical to the bottles that came with my Ultimate Direction running vest. Unfortunately, when I tried to place them inside the front pockets, I realized very quickly that the BeFree flasks were larger (0.6 liters) that the standard soft flasks (0.4-0.5 liters). Initially, this seemed like a dealbreaker to me, until I realized a fairly simple workaround. These are soft flasks and not filling up the bottles all the way allowed for enough compression to place them inside the front pockets of my hydration vest. The perfect solution would be for Katadyn to produce a smaller bottle that fits the pockets of Ultimate Direction and similar hydration vests.

I also noticed that while it appears that Katadyn uses the same soft flask manufacturer (Hydrapak) as many of the other outdoor gear makers, the filter did not fit on these other bottles to due a different thread. I would much prefer an interchangeable bottle filter or filters, one to fit widemouth bottles and one to fit the narrow top bottles. Since the technology lies within the filter and not the bottle, it would just make sense.

One final item that could be improved upon is the actual water filter cap that prevents spillage. Currently, it is a small plastic cap identical to those of the single use "sports-style" water or sports drink bottles sold at your local convenience store. Their single largest "point of failure" is the tiny plastic hinge that keeps the cap attached to the filter. Should this little hinge break during use, one would no longer be able to prevent water from spilling out of the top of the bottle while hiking or running. Maybe a valve similar to other soft hydration flasks would be a better solution.

Now on to the things that make this system the perfect ultra running back-country companion. First and most importantly, there is the ease of use. Twist bottle top (filter) off the soft flask, scoop up water from your natural water source, twist filter back onto bottle, stash bottle back into vest, drink at your leisure. You're back to running within seconds.

Second, the flow speed is amazing. No sucking until your head turns purple. Instead, it's as easy to drink from this bottle as any other hydration flask. Or squeeze the bottle slightly as you drink to make it even easier. This is extremely important when you're exhausted already and/or are moving at speed. The last thing you want to do it catch your breath while trying to drink water, just because the flow rate is too low, preventing and keeping you from drinking water quickly.

That's it, this filtration system simply works simply:-) It is currently the best solution out there for anyone trying to move quickly through the backcountry. Obviously, that applies to every ultra or trail runner out there during a self-supported solo adventure or similar organized event requiring participants to filter their own water along the way. Once Katadyn sorts out the issues I mention above, it will also be more than worth the current retail price tag of $39.95. I still consider this filtration system a "strong buy" as is as there is nothing even close to it currently available on the market.

Review - Travel & Mountain Rescue Insurance

Check out World Nomad insurance at https://www.worldnomads.com/travel-insurance/

UDPATE: I just purchased an annual insurance policy through the ITRA (see previous paragraph at the bottom of this post), not for a particular race, but for peace of mind as this policy covers all race AND training activities for a reasonably low annual fee. It does require that you are a paying member of the ITRA (current cost EUR8 or approx. USD9, annually), but that also seems very reasonable to me, especially since I was already a paying member of the organization as I like the work they do as well as the features they provide. All that said, I will keep this coverage as it is customized to trail runners and decide at the end of the year, whether I will renew my AAC membership. If not for their insurance, I do believe in their cause.

Mountain rescue or travel insurance, the very first time I thought about this topic was about 3 years ago, when I had been selected to run the Ultra-Trail du Mont-Blanc 106 mile race in Chamonix, France. I didn't have some kind of epiphany or anything, I always assumed my health insurance would be sufficient for any needs that may arise while traveling abroad. Instead, I came across a paragraph in the UTMB race rules referring to the requirement for mountain rescue insurance. Reading that requirement also made me recall a fellow ultrarunner's inquiry in a public forum a year or so earlier when he had entered UTMB.

Check out Austrian Alpine Club (UK) membership at https://aacuk.org.uk/

I immediately started googling travel insurance and mountain rescue insurance. The top search result at the time was a website called "World Nomads". Their website allowed you to select your travel destination(s) and your travel window and once you had entered that info, it provided you with a couple of quotes, one for standard coverage and one adventurer package or something like that. It specifically listed mountain activities as being covered. The fee was just under 80 USD, which still seems rather reasonable to em for some peace of mind.

Check out Global Rescue membership at https://www.globalrescue.com/

From that point forward, I would books coverage through the website whenever I travelled overseas for a mountain race or similar adventure. Luckily, I never had to test the insurance coverage, but that also means I cannot speak to the quality of service other than it was extremely easy to order. However, with my most recent adventure plans, I revisited the issue of travel and mountain rescue coverage. One of my travel destinations would be Nepal, so mountain rescue coverage was essential and mandatory by the race organizers. After speaking to a few fellow ultra runners and listening to a couple of podcasts, a few more coverage options started to emerge.

I say "coverage" because aside from "insurance" options, there are also "membership" options. While insurance coverage usually provides reimbursement of qualifying expenses AFTER the fact (need for hospitalization and/or mountain rescue, evacuation, etc.), a service provider offering a membership actually provides the required services on site and on the ground through a third party partner rather than reimbursing you AFTER a rescue or hospitalization or other event.

Check out International Trail Running Association membership & insurance at http://itra.run/

Since I couldn't really "test" any of these providers, I had two rely on two things, services provided as part of the coverage and actual coverage cost. The four offerings I researched are covering the broader spectrum, i.e. one provides pure travel insurance coverage for a one time fee that covers the duration of your trip (World Nomads), one provides insurance coverage that is included as part of an annual membership (Austrian Alpine Club), one provides insurance coverage as part of its annual membership, but for an additional fee (International Trailrunning Assocation) and one provides an annual membership that provides mountain rescue services by working directly with service providers on site and in country. At the lower range, cost ranges from 50 USD to 120 USD, but cost can go up if one chooses premium services or extended coverage.

Personally, I am a practical man (read: frugal), so I opted for an annual club membership for approx. 50 USD that provides global insurance coverage (incl. mountain rescue and repatriation) for the entire calendar year with Austrian Alpine Club. Previously, I purchased insurance coverage on a per trip basis through World Nomads. If I did serious expedition type adventures, I would definitely spring for what I would call the premium service of the 4 providers mentioned here, Global Rescue.

In the end, everyone needs to research, compare and select the service they feel most appropriate for their needs. This post is merely meant to provide adventurers (and trail and mountain runners, in particular) with a starting point in their search for peace of mind.

Hopefully, other users will comment here with additional service providers in the comments section, so this can become an extensive resource that provides mountain rescue coverage for us adventurers. Please let me know what you think. I will add other service providers and additional information as it becomes available.