“I’ll have what he’s
having!” That was my first thought when I saw Anthony leaving the Co-op
en route to his workout.
Anthony Pharo is a triathlete who gets his competitive edge, along with
that mind-body-spirit connection, from the products he buys at the
Co-op. He has been eating whole foods since he was in college. He has
been shopping at Honest Weight Food Co-op since 2004, and estimates
that he buys more than 80% of what he consumes there. If this food is
good for a competitive triathelete, won’t it help me to be better,
stronger and faster, too? It can’t hurt, I reasoned.
“Eating the right food is like putting premium gas in the tank of your
sports car.” That was the analogy Anthony gave me when we met at the
“Y” after his 2-mile swim and just before his 50-mile bike ride, both
part of his daily workout, to discuss exactly what he buys at the Coop.
There are a few basic ground rules that Anthony applies to nutrition
that he believes enhance his athletic performance.
Eat whole, live, additive-free foods with minimal processing, plentiful
protein and as little sugar as possible.
The only grains Anthony eats are Ezekiel bread, Ezekiel cereal and
Ezekiel pasta from Food For Life Baking Company. These sprouted grain
products use wheat, barley, beans, lentils, millet and spelt, a
combination of grains specified in the Bible thousands of years ago,
which we now know combine to create a complete protein. The sprouting
process yields more protein and beneficial enzymes than are contained
in regular flour.
Ezekiel bread has to be kept frozen to preserve it, but it can be
toasted before serving. The cereal, like the bread, comes in a variety
of flavors. Anthony likes cinnamon raisin with raw milk or goat’s milk
to start his day. Almond is good, too. Add a little raw honey, in the
form of honeycomb when a sweetener is required, and spoon some organic
blueberries over the top. Food For Life Baking Company makes a sprouted
pasta, as well, which you can buy at Honest Weight.
Food For Life uses recipes which, in the biblical tradition, were given
to the Israelites. Anthony appreciates this, as he studied nutrition in
college. He is also impressed by the book What the Bible Says about
Healthy Living, by Rex Russell, which promotes three principles: “(1)
Eat the foods God created for you. (2) Don’t alter God’s design. (3)
Don’t let any food or drink become your god.” This is in keeping with
Anthony’s personal religious beliefs and experience, combined with his
spiritual and mental well-being as an athlete. Feeding the body pure
foods supports the mind-body-spirit connection.
As an athlete, Anthony is very particular about his protein intake, so
he shops where the other carnivores shop, in the meat case in the back.
This is where you will find grass-fed beef from local farms, organic
free-range turkey and wild-caught Pacific salmon. These products are
lean and clean, and they help to build muscle and a healthy body
without adding hormones or antibiotics. Honest Weight carries steaks,
roasts and other cuts, as well as pastured poultry from Sweet Tree Farm
(www.sweettreefarmny.com)
in Carlisle. You can also find beef from
Grazin Angus Acres (www.grazinangusacres.com)
in Columbia County, where
the beef is 100% grass fed and finished.
What about sports drinks? Electrolyte replacement? Organic bananas are
a great food for workouts — they contain easily digestible potassium.
Honest Tea is another good product for hydration. Anthony will mix a
large bottle of Just Green Tea with organic lemon juice, and sweeten
the mixture with Blue Agave Nectar from Sweet Cactus Farms. He swears
by this homemade sports drink! Another of his favorites is the Spring
Tonic vegetable drink made fresh at the Co-op deli bar. The juices are
apple, spinach, beet, celery and more! So three or four times a week he
treats himself. It is far easier than cleaning the juicer at home.
Even athletes like some sweet desserts sometimes. Julie’s Organic Ice
Cream is a good choice whether you’re in training for the big race, or
just the school year or work day. Certainly it does contain some sugar,
but all of the ingredients are of the highest chemical-free quality.
You can enjoy without too much compromise.
I asked Anthony what he had for dinner last night. The answer was
instant, and I could tell he was still thinking about how good it was:
homemade organic meatballs with Ezekiel Pasta and Bove’s roasted garlic
pasta sauce, all washed down with a glass of raw milk and followed up
with Julie’s ice cream. Easy, delicious, nutritious food for the
athlete.
|
