Chronic Burping, a Viral Treat Worth Making, etc.
Also: Chronic burps, the easiest sweet treat, and some quickie sports nutrition recs.
Happy Friday! I’m sending out my next newsletter a whole lot sooner than the last. As you can probably tell, there is absolutely no regularity or plan for how I share content (both here and on Instagram). Oh well.
Nutrition-Adjacent News, Thoughts + Facts
If you’re a chronic burper…This Washington Post article covered some of the potential causes of postprandial (i.e. after-eating) burps, plus ways to get your gas under control. I'm pretty accustomed to chatting about all things gas/bowel movements with clients, but I couldn’t help but laugh out loud at this sentence from the story: “You may have noticed that flatulence behaves similarly — the more authoritatively the gas exits the rear, the louder the ripple effect, but experts know you can mitigate that with a steady release.” The ‘experts know’ really got me.
If you find yourself begrudgingly stuck between despising and subscribing to today’s beauty standards, unrealistic expectations of women, and the like, this (old) article by Jia Tolentino, entitled: ‘Athleisure, Barre, and Kale: The Tyranny of the Ideal Woman’ is worth a read.
If you’re lactose intolerant. I’ve been doing research for an upcoming article I’m writing about the topic and found this note in an old textbook fascinating: “Lactose tolerance continues primarily among whites from northern Europe and in ethnic groups in India, Africa, and Mongolia. The highest frequency (97%) of lactose tolerance occurs in Sweden and Denmark, suggesting an increased selective advantage in those able to tolerate lactose related to the limited exposure to ultraviolet light typical of northern latitudes. Lactose favors calcium absorption, which is limited in the absence of vitamin D produced by skin exposure to sunlight.” Pretty cool, huh?
Recipe Spotlight
Viral Date Bark. I was hosting friends for dinner and needed a last-minute, allergy-friendly dessert. I tried the ultra viral date bark and it did not disappoint. You can find countless ‘recipes’ on Instagram and TikTok, but here’s all it takes to make it:
Pit at least 10 medjool dates and splay them open on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Place the dates tight to each other so they’re touching. Top the dates with another layer of parchment paper and use the bottom of a cup, a cutting board, or other flat surface to press down the dates below.
Once flattened, remove the top parchment paper and swipe a generous amount of nut butter across the dates. I used Sunbutter to make it allergy-friendly.
Next, add melted chocolate on top of the nut or seed butter layer. I just microwaved a dark chocolate bar in a bowl in the microwave.
You can add some crunch, like crushed nuts, on top of the chocolate layer or keep it simple and sprinkle some flaky sea salt.
Pop the combo in the freezer for a couple of hours before breaking it apart and enjoying.
I failed to photograph my date bark (the horror!). Check out versions by creators like my friend Pamela Salzman (of
here on Substack) who shared this how-to video on Instagram. If you prefer recipes with text and photos instead of video, check out this one.
One Last Tip: Eating For Endurance Events
With the NYC Marathon coming up this weekend, I’m making today’s One Last Tip sports nutrition-focused.
For most people I work with, I encourage high-fiber carbs (think: 100% whole wheat bread instead of white bread, or oats instead of sweetened breakfast cereals) and pairing those carbs with heart healthy fats and protein for better blood sugar balance.
For those preparing for a high-intensity endurance event, my recommendations are different.
Right before a long race, you actually want to avoid eating high-fiber foods, as well as lots of protein and fat. There are a few different reasons for this. First, high-fiber carbohydrates take longer for us to digest, so you won’t get that desired glucose surge from them (which you actually want, in this case, to fuel your working muscles). High-fiber foods can also bring on bowel movements — and nobody wants to be thinking about a bathroom at mile 8 of 26…
Another drawback: Digesting proteins and fats requires considerable energy and promotes greater blood flow to the gut instead of to the muscles. More blood flow to the gut can also promote uncomfortable symptoms, like cramping, during exercise.
The best pre-endurance event snacks should therefore contain easy-to-digest carbohydrates, a moderate amount of protein, and minimal fat and fiber. A couple examples:
Sourdough toast with banana, peanut butter, and honey
Medjool dates with a small amount of plain, low-fat Greek yogurt
Of course, you should always experiment with different meals, snacks, supplements throughout your training to determine what works best for you, your body, and your performance.
Whatever you do, do not try something for the first time on race day!!!!
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