Yesterday I went for a run, and when I finished, my body felt like a cell phone that’s overheated, you know? It was awful. It looks like summer has finally arrived here in Barcelona, and in other parts of Europe, too. Hot conditions can have some impacts on our bodies while we train, like increased heart rate, increased perception of exertion, risk of dehydration, electrolyte imbalance and others. Here are the things I do to prevent or reduce these negative impacts: - I run during the cooler parts of the day, such as early morning or late evening - I opt for routes with plenty of shade and sometimes I choose the treadmill - I always wear hat, sunglasses, and apply sunscreen to exposed skin - I drink up to ~ 2,7- 3.0 L/day (approx. 12 cups) of water per day - I increase my intake of water-rich foods such as: cantaloupe, watermelon, yogurt, cucumber, strawberries, etc. - I always bring my soft flask to my workouts and leave it in the freezer for an hour before heading out - If I run 10K or more, I always drink an electrolyte drink afterward And you, what do you do to make your runs easier during these extremely hot days?

Such a good time! Great learning experience! I’m super proud of how I did!

The other day, I met up with some friends, and in the middle of our casual conversation, we started talking about food and which of the two foods each of us preferred. The conversation went on for a while because, after all, everyone has their own preferences and their own reasons for why they prefer one over the other. And then I thought, why not ask this here in the community? To start things off, I’ll ask: Do you prefer nuts or cookies for a snack? why?

It's the second week of “Rate Your Plate”! For those who don't know, I decided to start “Rate Your Plate” because a lot of people ask me if their dish is good or if there's anything they should improve. 👉 The idea is to post a photo of a meal you made today or this week and ask a question, if you’d like. It can be breakfast, a snack, lunch, dinner, or a late-night snack. The goal is to motivate, encourage, and inspire us, as well as to learn some tips for making our meals more nutritious and appetizing. Here’s a photo of my lunch today. I had white rice, some steamed broccoli, a chicken and turkey burger, and hummus. Earlier, I had a small salad (I always forget to take a picture of the salad 🫣). Just so you can see, my plate isn’t very colorful at all, and that happens a lot. But it has protein, carbs, fat, vitamins, and minerals.

Happy Monday, Runners! I thought I’d start the week by sharing a personal challenge I faced with sports nutrition. When I was training for my first half-marathon this year, I struggled a lot with GI issues during long runs. I know this is a very common “problem” among runners, but as a sports nutritionist who always eats well, it felt unacceptable to me to have to go through this. It was a really tough time for me. I didn’t perform as well as I should have in many workouts, and that made me really sad. And it took me a long time to figure out the right fuel, train my gut, figure out what to eat the day before workouts, test different gel brands, and get to know and understand my body. After many attempts, products, studies, and tests, I finally figured out what works for me and ran an incredible half-marathon, without GI issues, and in the time I wanted. All this to say that sometimes what we need most is patience with ourselves and with the process. Even more so when we’re dealing with some pain. 👉 Tell me, have you ever faced any difficulties while running?