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Ultrarunner Allyson Geschwentner on Optimal Nutrition + a Recipe for Raw Energy Bites
Ultrarunner Allyson Geschwentner
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Instagram: @allysongesch
How Has Food Impacted Your Life?
Food has impacted my life in a huge way, because it has led me to my current field of study and future profession. Being a dietetic intern and graduate student pretty much means that my life revolves around understanding and applying the science of food. I don’t think most people realize just how big of a role nutrition plays in our lives. Learning in depth about the role of nutrition in health and longevity has certainly made me more aware of the foods I choose to put in my body, especially as an endurance athlete. Understanding nutrition has allowed me to train as an ultrarunner at high levels, and played a huge role in my first two 100-mile ultramarathon finishes last year. In my opinion, good nutrition is a sign of self-respect and self-love, because it means choosing to give your body the proper fuel it deserves to thrive and perform its best. I want everyone to have the knowledge they deserve in order to live an empowered, healthy life.
Daily Optimal Nutrition
I eat an abundance of fresh fruits and vegetables every single day, along with plenty of whole grains, legumes, nuts and seeds. I choose to nourish myself by combining intuitive eating with the knowledge I have gained as a dietetics student, because I feel that a combination of intuition and understanding creates the best results. I do this by simply eating whole plant foods in their most natural form and giving my body exactly what it asks for from those foods. I don’t limit calories or macronutrients, but rather cut out foods that aren’t beneficial to my wellbeing.
Your Last Food Discovery?
Tahini on oatmeal! I used to always do peanut butter, because that’s the popular thing, but once I tried tahini on top of chocolate oatmeal (with a sprinkle of coconut and buckwheat groats), I never went back!
What Truth Do You Know For Sure?
I know that whole plant foods are the most optimal foods for preventing and reversing chronic disease and treating health complications. I know that having a healthy relationship with food and with your body is absolutely essential to living a happy, healthy and fulfilling life.
RAW ENERGY BITES
Ingredients
2 cups dry oats
1½ cups raisins (or pitted dates)
Your favorite toppings to coat the outside (coconut, matcha, carob, chia seeds, cinnamon, etc.)
Method
Start by tossing 2 cups of dry steel cut oats in a food processor and blend until you get a flour. Then, add in 1½ cups raisins and blend again. You should end up with a very sticky mixture that is dough-like and easy to form into balls. If the mixture is too sticky, add a little more oats. If the mixture is too dry, add a little more raisins. Once you get the right consistency and have your dough rolled into balls, you can begin to coat them in a variety of different powders and toppings! Some of my favorites are shredded coconut, matcha powder, carob powder, crushed nuts, chia seeds, buckwheat groats and cinnamon, to name a few. Also, for a recipe variation, you can substitute pitted dates for raisins. Both taste amazing, and with all the different toppings, the possibilities are endless!