Breakfast is a chaotic affair in my home. The five-year-old complains that all I ever serve is yucky oatmeal while the seven-year-old is gleefully telling me how much he loves it. Matt is intent on making the perfect cup of coffee while I am frantically trying not to miss my 30-minute post-workout window.

By now, I am sure you are aware of the sacred one-hour post-workout period, with the first 30 minutes being the crucial sweet spot. This is when your system becomes a nutrient sponge, soaking up every bit of goodness from the food you put into it. All of us are racing the clock, trying to rehydrate, give our muscles the protein needed for repair and further building, and replenish lost glycogen stores. Lately, I've been trying to become more efficient in my race to this golden finish line.

I, because of my background, know how relevant quality food is to my training and performance. You can't reach your best on french fries and coffee, no matter how hard you train. And although some instant meals may be a good quick grab and go, they can never replace real food. Likewise, jelly sandwiches and bagels, as still recommended by some well-meaning triathlon coaches, may get you to diabetes faster than your intended goal...

Here's what I'm thinking. Usually, I am at the gym by five in the morning, so a quick, light bite is all I can deal with before I go. I've told you about my granola bars before (recipe at Greenmarket Diva); that's what I have. I also load my water bottle with some chia seeds (I keep them soaking overnight), ionized minerals, sublingual B vitamins and a teaspoon of raw honey.

When I come home, I usually have eggs, greens, and a sweet potato or some squash or slow-cooked oatmeal loaded with butter and cream (okay, yes, I have coffee, too). As the seasons change, the food will change, but the idea will remain the same — light, easy to digest and bursting with replenishing nutrients.

Ch-ch-ch-chia! Remember those toy/plant experiments? Who knew that we should have been licking the seeds off the sheep instead of growing them? The Chia seed is the coolest superfood, especially for long workouts and races. I am not a fan of gels and sports drinks, though they may be a necessary evil sometimes. Those of you who drink Coke mid-race really freak me out, but that's a discussion for another day.

Check this out - Chia means "strength" in Mayan. This is one of the best superfoods for endurance athletes. Stop reading now if you hate lengthy explanations... just know that it will keep you hydrated, maintain your electrolyte balance, boost endurance with a continuous supply of carbohydrates, help protect against tissue damage and greatly reduce that pre-race sour stomach — all in a time-release fashion.

Chia is an excellent source of omega 3s — which means that it reduces inflammation (think of those torn muscle fibers) and minimizes exercise-induced oxidative stress (major contributor to most degenerative diseases). These seeds absorb ten times their weight in water, and slowly release it once in your system. This is a great way to keep hydrated and maintain your electrolyte balance without having to worry about inducing hyponatremia. Carbohydrates in Chia are absorbed into the bloodstream slowly, providing an extended source of energy. Chia seeds are notably high in hydrophilic colloids, a gelatinous substance that is the underlying element in all living cells. It stabilizes blood sugar levels, eliminates gastric distress, improves digestion and enhances nutritional absorption. They are also a great source of complete vegetarian protein (approximately 20%), calcium, magnesium, vitamin C, and soluble fiber. Basically, they beat out any prepackaged gels hands down.

So, how do you use this magic superfood? Drop a tablespoon or two in your water bottle and shake, then shake again in five minutes. Allow to stand on the kitchen counter for 10-12 hours.

When you drink this mixture, you will find that your water has become a gel -  hydrophilic colloids at work. I like to add a teaspoon of raw honey, and a dropperful of ionized minerals to my Chia seed gel as an added insurance policy.

Want to know more about raw honey? Take a look at what the Greenmarket Diva has to say about it.

Thanksgiving… too much wine, too much food. I love to eat just as much as the next girl, but the aftermath is just too horrible to contemplate. Have you ever eaten so much that in the minutes following your last bite, you find yourself hoping for either a good vomit or a sudden, merciful death? Yeah, me too.

You know what they say: calories in = calories on your thighs. But for athletes, there's more to this story. Some of us are using this extra long weekend to train. So how do I satisfy my gluttony and still make it to the pool at eight the next morning? Food combining! Sure, there's lots to choose from on the table, and you want to eat it all, but a word to the wise — don’t. It all has to do with enzymes, and if you want to know more, use your Google fingers. Meanwhile, here are the basic rules.

At dinner, pick one of the following bullets and eat only in that category:

• protein and leafy greens
• starches and vegetables
• oil and fruit
• melon alone (yeah, I know, REALLY likely you'll choose this option for Thanksgiving dinner)
  

Stick to that and you will be good to go. Although a little bit of pumpkin pie has never hurt anyone.

I just came back from an overnight trip to Boston. Chele and I wrote a great workshop about nutrient-dense foods that hit your system like a Mack truck - well, maybe not a Mack truck... that would kill you. These superfoods are like rocket fuel for your body and massively improve endurance and performance; perfect for the multisport athlete. How does "Superfoods as Performance Fuel" sound for a title? I also like "Rocket Fuel Nutrition."

Now I need to figure out where we should do the workshops. I am thinking this would be great for triathlon clubs, gyms and sporting goods stores. I wonder if JackRabbit Sports would be interested...