Hi all, LaDonna here. I just wanted to post the handout from the provisioning seminar I gave on Monday night. About half the talk focused on nutrition because ya'll are really running a marathon and need to provision accordingly. The other half discussed specific foods and ideas. Of course there were some terrific discussions that you had to be there for. If you didn't make the seminar, feel free to ask questions and those who were there will hopefully tell you what they took away from the talk. Thanks to everyone who showed up - it would have been pretty boring without you! ;-)
Provisioning Seminar for 2010 Singlehanded TransPac
Tips on Nutrition
• Sailing to Hawaii means you’re running at a higher nutritional need than usual so remember to eat often, every 2-3 hours. If you’re sailing hard, you’ll need upwards of 3,000 calories/day.
• Eat foods low in refined sugars (high fructose corn syrup and sugar) but have a high calorie concentration such as: Nut butters, granola, energy bars.
• Carbohydrates are the first line of energy production. Eat up to 1 gram of carbs per kg of weight per hour (1 kg =2.2 lbs, so a 170 lb/77 kg person should eat as much as 77 grams of carbs per hour of heavy exertion). If you’re not feeling well or your brain is feeling foggy, eat or drink carbs, such as fruit or juice. Follow that with protein. Don’t shy away from eating fat, as that energy will last the longest.
• Muscle activity burns protein. Eat up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight per day (so that 170 lb person should eat as much as 154 g of protein on a day of hard sailing). Nuts and legumes are the best quality plant protein. Animal protein (milk, cheese, eggs, fish, meat) also provide a good balance of amino acids.
• Dehydration not only makes you thirsty but can cause fatigue, muddled thinking, kidney problems, and hallucinations. It’s not a joke. An easy calculation is: Your weight in lbs ÷ 2 = ounces of water per day. So that 170 lb person should drink 85 oz of water every day. Increase that amount if sailing hard — 8 oz per 30 minutes of intense activity, which includes sail changes. A good rule of thumb is to budget for 1 gallon (128 oz) per day for drinking. Budget additional water for cleaning, bathing, etc. If your urine is dark yellow, start drinking more water!
• Replace your electrolytes with EmergenC or coconut water/juice (NOT coconut milk). Both are high in electrolytes but low in sugar. Gatorade and other sports drinks are very high in refined sugars, which can upset the stomach and provide empty calories. If drinking these, dilute by half with water. You can also make your own: ¼ teaspoon sea salt with water/juice mix (½ & ½). (EmergenC might also help with seasickness.)
• Take a high-quality multivitamin plus a B complex. DO NOT buy at Safeway, Trader Joes, Walmart, Long’s, Rite Aid, etc. These are mostly filler and are not worth the money. Nutrition centers, health food stores (such as Whole Foods) and Drs offices (chiropractor, nutritionist, etc) carry high-quality vitamins. The multi will add anything you’re not getting from a normal, fresh diet, and B vitamins drive the metabolism and rebuild muscle.
• Talk with your doctor if you have any specific dietary or medical issues.
Foods to Consider:
• Nut butter & jelly sandwiches (peanut, almond, cashew, whatever) – the body digests the butters better than whole nuts for some reason.
• Canned or packaged fish or chicken. Good source of protein.
• Protein powders. Make shakes, or make an ‘icing’ with honey and add to granola
• Jerky – good protein, though low on fat. Fat is NOT a bad thing during such a trip.
• Fig Newtons – especially health food brand, have good fruit and fiber.
• Rice and beans — a staple
• Honey or Agave nectar for carbs – excellent sweeteners, easily metabolized
• Engery gels, drinks or bars – these are mostly sugar and often caffeine, so use sparingly, if at all
• Quinoa is a grain that provides a complete protein. Excellent substitute for rice and tastes great.
• Trader Joe’s — Go early or very late on a weekday and just browse. Indian food in boil-bags, sauces for rice, etc, lots of granola, dried fruits, nuts. You’ll want lots of snack foods.
• Hard cheeses, such as romano, parmesan & asiago; salami & jerky; instant soups; cabbage; oranges. All keep well.
• Vacuum seal food and papers with a FoodSaver - $30 on eBay
• Never take untested foods aboard — you might hate it.
• Applesauce & baby food — small containers are easy to grab at night
• Mt. House meals, or similar — available online or at REI
• Make up one- or two-meal packets of food — soups, rice mixes, etc, that have all the ingredients included and instructions on pkg. Tons of mix recipes are available online. Find soup mixes to use as bases at Rainbow Foods in SF. I vacuum sealed them.
• Bob Johnston likes Heater Meals (find them on Amazon.com). I bought similar (but VERY different) meals for Rob and they gave him a very unwelcome side effect. Lesson: ALWAYS try new foods before buying a bunch!
Other Stuff to Take:
• Books — We love our Kindles
• Music — Rob got Sirius/XM halfway across
• Digital camera — Try to vary your shots so as to not bore your family when you get home
• Drybags and/or Ziplocs — You never know what you’ll use them for but you’ll use them
• Baby wipes for cleaning up
• Plenty of hats (they have a tendency to blow away), sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm w/SPF
• Spare glasses
• Fishing gear, if you’re going for the Master Baiter Trophy — a squid hoochie (Mexican flag colors, yellow & green, or purple), a double barbed stainless hook, 100-200 lb-test leader, 150-200 feet of parachute cord (easy on hands and available at West Marine), and a bungee cord. Contact Rob for more details.
• Plenty of batteries for all electronics
• Headlamp
• Timers
Provisioning Seminar for 2010 Singlehanded TransPac
Tips on Nutrition
• Sailing to Hawaii means you’re running at a higher nutritional need than usual so remember to eat often, every 2-3 hours. If you’re sailing hard, you’ll need upwards of 3,000 calories/day.
• Eat foods low in refined sugars (high fructose corn syrup and sugar) but have a high calorie concentration such as: Nut butters, granola, energy bars.
• Carbohydrates are the first line of energy production. Eat up to 1 gram of carbs per kg of weight per hour (1 kg =2.2 lbs, so a 170 lb/77 kg person should eat as much as 77 grams of carbs per hour of heavy exertion). If you’re not feeling well or your brain is feeling foggy, eat or drink carbs, such as fruit or juice. Follow that with protein. Don’t shy away from eating fat, as that energy will last the longest.
• Muscle activity burns protein. Eat up to 2 grams of protein per kilogram of weight per day (so that 170 lb person should eat as much as 154 g of protein on a day of hard sailing). Nuts and legumes are the best quality plant protein. Animal protein (milk, cheese, eggs, fish, meat) also provide a good balance of amino acids.
• Dehydration not only makes you thirsty but can cause fatigue, muddled thinking, kidney problems, and hallucinations. It’s not a joke. An easy calculation is: Your weight in lbs ÷ 2 = ounces of water per day. So that 170 lb person should drink 85 oz of water every day. Increase that amount if sailing hard — 8 oz per 30 minutes of intense activity, which includes sail changes. A good rule of thumb is to budget for 1 gallon (128 oz) per day for drinking. Budget additional water for cleaning, bathing, etc. If your urine is dark yellow, start drinking more water!
• Replace your electrolytes with EmergenC or coconut water/juice (NOT coconut milk). Both are high in electrolytes but low in sugar. Gatorade and other sports drinks are very high in refined sugars, which can upset the stomach and provide empty calories. If drinking these, dilute by half with water. You can also make your own: ¼ teaspoon sea salt with water/juice mix (½ & ½). (EmergenC might also help with seasickness.)
• Take a high-quality multivitamin plus a B complex. DO NOT buy at Safeway, Trader Joes, Walmart, Long’s, Rite Aid, etc. These are mostly filler and are not worth the money. Nutrition centers, health food stores (such as Whole Foods) and Drs offices (chiropractor, nutritionist, etc) carry high-quality vitamins. The multi will add anything you’re not getting from a normal, fresh diet, and B vitamins drive the metabolism and rebuild muscle.
• Talk with your doctor if you have any specific dietary or medical issues.
Foods to Consider:
• Nut butter & jelly sandwiches (peanut, almond, cashew, whatever) – the body digests the butters better than whole nuts for some reason.
• Canned or packaged fish or chicken. Good source of protein.
• Protein powders. Make shakes, or make an ‘icing’ with honey and add to granola
• Jerky – good protein, though low on fat. Fat is NOT a bad thing during such a trip.
• Fig Newtons – especially health food brand, have good fruit and fiber.
• Rice and beans — a staple
• Honey or Agave nectar for carbs – excellent sweeteners, easily metabolized
• Engery gels, drinks or bars – these are mostly sugar and often caffeine, so use sparingly, if at all
• Quinoa is a grain that provides a complete protein. Excellent substitute for rice and tastes great.
• Trader Joe’s — Go early or very late on a weekday and just browse. Indian food in boil-bags, sauces for rice, etc, lots of granola, dried fruits, nuts. You’ll want lots of snack foods.
• Hard cheeses, such as romano, parmesan & asiago; salami & jerky; instant soups; cabbage; oranges. All keep well.
• Vacuum seal food and papers with a FoodSaver - $30 on eBay
• Never take untested foods aboard — you might hate it.
• Applesauce & baby food — small containers are easy to grab at night
• Mt. House meals, or similar — available online or at REI
• Make up one- or two-meal packets of food — soups, rice mixes, etc, that have all the ingredients included and instructions on pkg. Tons of mix recipes are available online. Find soup mixes to use as bases at Rainbow Foods in SF. I vacuum sealed them.
• Bob Johnston likes Heater Meals (find them on Amazon.com). I bought similar (but VERY different) meals for Rob and they gave him a very unwelcome side effect. Lesson: ALWAYS try new foods before buying a bunch!
Other Stuff to Take:
• Books — We love our Kindles
• Music — Rob got Sirius/XM halfway across
• Digital camera — Try to vary your shots so as to not bore your family when you get home
• Drybags and/or Ziplocs — You never know what you’ll use them for but you’ll use them
• Baby wipes for cleaning up
• Plenty of hats (they have a tendency to blow away), sunglasses, sunscreen and lip balm w/SPF
• Spare glasses
• Fishing gear, if you’re going for the Master Baiter Trophy — a squid hoochie (Mexican flag colors, yellow & green, or purple), a double barbed stainless hook, 100-200 lb-test leader, 150-200 feet of parachute cord (easy on hands and available at West Marine), and a bungee cord. Contact Rob for more details.
• Plenty of batteries for all electronics
• Headlamp
• Timers
