MAKE STRIDES IN PLANT-BASED NUTRITION

FIND YOUR STRIDE. TAKE THINGS IN STRIDE. ONE STRIDE AT A TIME.

RECIPES

BBQ Tempeh Burgers

BBQ tempeh is simple to prep, nutritious, flavorful and a great plant-based protein alternative to cook on grill or stove top and as part of any meal. What is Tempeh? Tempeh is a soy-product that originates from Indonesia and Southeast Asian cuisine. It is made by...

Workout Recovery Smoothie: Blue Velvet Berry

I am recovering from runner's knee and was inspired to bring up the topic of inflammation and anti-inflammatory superfoods. Particularly, how can food promote recovery from workouts and injuries?Food can play a role, as some like fruits and veggies contain...

Dairy Free Mac and Cheese

A quick and easy vegan dairy-free mac and cheese recipe that is creamy, delicious and made with cashews and high protein gluten-free chickpea macaroni in 15 minutes!

BLOG

How to Make a Plant-Based Meal (Savory)

Here is a general framework I use to make a simple, balanced and delicious savory whole food plant-based meal: 1. Choose Non-Starchy Vegetables Examples include: broccoli, cabbage (cruciferous veggies) bell pepper, zucchini, spinach (green leafy veggies).These...

Peachtree Road Race: Recap, Training and Travel Tips

With about 60,000 runners, the Peachtree Road Race is now one of the largest 10K races in the world. Organized by the Atlanta Track Club and held on U.S. Independence Day each year, the first race in 1970 included only 110 runners and was won by former Florida Track...

Non-Diet Approach to Plant Based Eating: All Foods Fit

The intentions behind plant-based eating can include reasons beyond the priority of health, such as personal ethics and values towards the effects of food choices on animal welfare and environment, which allows for all food needs and preferences and differentiates it from “diets”.

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Cedric Torres

B.S. Cell & Molecular Biology

I am a future Dietitian and runner helping athletes and active individuals interested in plant-based nutrition meet their needs with meal ideas and evidence-based resources.

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Weight and body composition can play a role in health and performance among athletes in many sports. But the way we go about weight loss and gain matters, especially among young adults.

High energy expenditure from exercise combined with insufficient caloric intake can affect many physiological functions, including hormone balance, menstrual cycle and bone health in young women.

Excessively restricting food and focusing on a number on a scale during peak times in training long term, while being called fat and slow, is not cool, as it can provoke negative relationships with food, exercise and oneself.

Performance dietitians, including women who can better understand the biology and needs of female athletes, can definitely be beneficial and I support more qualified women in coaching and leadership roles.

It's expected that elite athlete training can be rigorous and serious coaches have their place. But I believe that there is a lot of pressure on young athletes to 'make the team', meet expectation and achieve success to degrees of burning out and losing passion too.

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I recently turned 25!

I'm described as introverted and quiet, but really am outgoing, selfless and full of self-love. I've been bullied and experienced social anxiety, which I've made strides to overcome and embrace who I am as a person.

I am a dietetics student at University of Florida going for a second B.S. to then apply for an internship to become a registered dietitian. My previous degree is in cell & molecular biology from University of South Florida.

I worked in lab research and decided I wanted to apply nutrition science to practice to better help others. I grew up playing basketball, have been running for about 6 years and experienced supporting my performance with nutrition.

I have not eaten meat and rarely any dairy or egg in 4 years after personally connecting with the commoditization, treatment and slaughter of animals, which helps me to sustain my choice and not feel restricted with food.

I don’t necessarily place a label on myself though and am adaptable and open-minded to different situations and viewpoints to engage and connect with anyone. I support a non-diet and individualistic approach to nutrition.

Tell me something about you and what your interests are:

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Best Meme Ever @kellykkroberts 🤣. This joke may be more relevant to you if you run. This will be me in 2 or 3 years or maybe short-term restrictive diets will no longer exist by then 🤔. #futuremarathoner

Carbohydrate loading is a strategy used in the week before a long high-endurance event like a marathon to benefit performance by maximizing glycogen storage in the liver and muscles. In the days before the event, carbohydrate intake is increased while fat and protein intake are decreased to compensate.

You’re not eating more calories per day, rather it’s a shift towards more calories coming from carbs, particularly starchy foods. The foods included should be familiar, meaning practiced during training, without too large portions that may negatively affect digestion and performance. If you’d like to practice it before your next marathon, best to meet with a current sports dietitian for a personal plan.

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How do you eat beans without digestive issues?

Legumes, including beans, lentils and peas, contain fiber and other undigestible carbohydrates, including galacto-oligosaccharides, a short chain carb we don’t absorb, but the gut bacteria in our large intestine consume and ferment them to create products, including short chain fatty acids that can be beneficial for our health.

One of the products is gas 🏃‍♂️💨 aka flatulence, which occurs more often among people who are not adapted to eating more beans, though there are differences between individuals. It may be best to limit legume intake if you have certain digestive disorders or simply don’t like or want to eat legumes.

But if you want to with less of the inconvenient intestinal gas, here are some tips:

Gradually increase the amount of legumes you consume. For example, I started out with just a tablespoon of beans added to my meals and over time added more to where I now eat about a cup in a meal without issues.

Soak, rinse and cook beans properly or choose beans that have undergone that process. If you buy canned beans, drain and rinse them well. Oligosaccharides are water soluble, so draining and rinsing off the soaking or cooking liquid can remove a lot.

Concurrently, consume fermented or live and active cultured foods like yogurt, saurkraut and fermented forms of legumes like tempeh, which are easier to digest and absorb nutrients from and add beneficial bacteria to your gut.

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