DIET | DETECTIVE^®

D. Enette Larson-Meyer, PhD, RD, is an assistant professor at the University of Wyoming.  She is a Registered Dietician and is the author of the book, Vegetarian Sports Nutrition.  Her research interests are in the health and performance of active individuals (particularly females) at all stages of the lifecycle and at all levels of performance.  

Dr. Larson-Meyer served as the sports nutritionist for the University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletic Department from 1995 to 2000, and she has consulted with numerous athletes throughout her career. She is a fellow of the American College of Sports Medicine and is past chair of the Vegetarian Nutrition Dietetic Practice Group. Dr. Larson-Meyer has published numerous scientific and consumer articles, has been featured in publications like Vegetarian Journal, and has served as a chapter contributor to publications including the American Dietetic Association’s Sports Nutrition: A Guide for the Professional Working with Active People and the International Olympic Committee Medical Commission’s Volleyball (Handbook of Sports Medicine and Science). She completed her dietetic internship at Massachusetts General Hospital in 1988 and also completed an internship at the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs during her undergraduate training. Larson-Meyer received her PhD in Nutrition Sciences from the University of Alabama in 1998.

A serious recreational athlete for close to 20 years, Larson-Meyer enjoys running distance events, cycling, and dancing in her spare time. She lives in Laramie, Wyoming, with her husband and three children.

Name: D. Enette Larson-Meyer

Birthday: 10-23-63

Location:  Laramie, Wyoming

Q: Tell us how you got to where you are now.

I have always been thankful that I grew up in Wyoming and, throughout my career,  have been able to learn from and work with many wonderful scientific mentors (in nutrition, exercise physiology and medicine) from all over the US.  These include Drs Eric Ravussin, Clifford Lo, David Systrom, Mary Carey, Gary Hunter, Brad Newcomer, Mark Tarnopolsky, and the late Dr Roland Weinsier. Basically, I receiving my BS degree from the University of Wyoming, completed my dietetic training and masters at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston and my doctoral studies at the University of Alabama at Birmingham. After that, I worked as a researcher at the Pennington Biomedical Research Center in Baton Rouge, LA.  Along the way I met my husband and had three children.  Every personal and professional experience has helped shape who and where I am not.  Also particularly notable is my involvement in athletics (see below) and professional organizations which include The American College of Sports Medicine, and the Vegetarian Nutrition, Sports Cardiovascular and Wellness Nutrition, and Women’s Health Practice Groups of the American Dietetic Association.

Q: Define and discuss failure.

I think we all fail, or not live up to our or others short term expectations, but our failures are often in the long run what dictates our success.

Q: Is there anything about yourself that you've changed your mind about in the last 20 years?

I think the biggest thing I have changed my mind about is dietary fat, I used to be on the “low-fat band wagon” and believe that the less fat you ate in your diet the better.  Over the years I slowly changed my position to what I would say is “Smart Fat”.  One of my favorite chapters in my book is called “Smart Fat Over No Fat”. I think fat is very important in our diets but that it needs to be in the right balance—emphasizing more monounsaturated fats and omega 3 fats and less omega 6s and saturated fats.  I also believe trans fat in many processed foods have no place in our diets.

Q: What's the next major item on your "to-do" list?

Writing a book takes a lot of time away from family.  My next major thing is to spend a little more time with my kids and catch up on life. I definitely need to run more and am thinking about training for another marathon.  Since I am also a researcher, writing the book helped me do and extensive review of the literature and come up with ideas for my next grant submissions  —which are also on my list.

Q: Define individual responsibility and how you react to adverse situations.

As a scientist and practitioner, I have often struggle with individual responsibility because I feel that good scientific questions do not necessarily translate into useful clinical information. I personally feel that as a scientist I am individually responsible for researching a topic that will help people live healthier lives by choosing a healthy lifestyle rather than by expecting to be saved by a drug. In adverse situations, I initially try and see both sides and/or the total picture but when I am passionate about a topic I tend to lose my temper a bit when people fail to see the obvious.  For example, I have always loved the line in an Eagles song that says “…. That we live our lives in chains and never even know we have the key”.  I think this is so true with nutrition and physical activity.  We let our toxic environment hold us in chains and maybe are afraid to free ourselves.

Q: When do you have time to think about your mistakes, mishaps, achievements, and minor victories; in other words, do you have any reflective time for yourself of your career?

Being a runner I do often reflect during long runs. My husband and three kids also go to a family (Lutheran) camp each summer and always look forward to the spiritual and mental renewal I get from this experience every year.

Q: What is your most influential story, fiction or nonfiction, from a film, book, magazine, newspaper or parable? Explain its impact on your life? What's you're favorite saying?

My Favorite Saying is “Run Hard, Live Easy” which is the slogan of a running store called Varsity Sports in Baton Rouge, LA.  I am a very “liberal” Christian and gain most life impacting inspirations from my pastors’ sermons, the bible and from being involved in Lutheran Outdoor Ministries.  I think the thing that has most impacted my life recently was an acute illness that my husband developed just over 2 years ago. Basically he got necrotizing fasciiitis (flesh eating bacteria) and it is honestly a miracle he survived.  After this, I feel he was saved for a purpose.  Since I can not imagine living without my husband it had great impact on my life and my appreciation of the little miracles we experience every day. Yes, my husband is fine, he just has a lot of scars on his chest and back from the multiple debridment surgeries and no longer is able to run like he did.

Q: Was there a defining moment in your life when you made a decision that changed the course of the rest of your life forever?

I really can not think of anything but it may be overwhelmed by the impact of my husbands acute illness.

Q: What's the most bodacious chance you've ever taken? 

I think writing a book goes right up there.  When you write you expose your heart and soul and beliefs that may end up offending someone.  This is particularly true when you write on a topic such as vegetarianism that is not particularly mainstream.  For me as a scientist who typically backs up each and every statement with another reference, writing a book was chancy. While my book is heavily based on the latest science, it also includes a few personal theories and/or personal beliefs that are may never be proven or may turn up being incorrect. My book also contains many personal and professional stories that at times feel like I am airing my heart and sole. I do, however, thank my publisher Human Kinetics for giving me this chance.  I am honestly excited about the book hitting the press—very soon.  .

Q: What's the biggest lesson you've learned about yourself? What's the biggest lesson you haven't learned?

Being a parent, I think you learn each and every day how imperfect you are but that honestly being imperfect is what makes you real.  I have learned that I am not as patient as I would like to be—particularly when I have one child who hates legumes and fruit.  If I let him he would live on cookies and chips.  I am still learning what this will mean to his long term eating habits and health (ok, he is 4).  The one thing I have not learned about myself is how to get myself better organized and keep my house looking like “Pottery Barn”. 

Q: What keeps you going (your motivation)? 

I would say that belief in God has always been my security and keeps me going.  I do believe overall that “Life is good”.  My family and the freedom I get from Running and feeling my heart beat hard  (which I used to get cycling) also help keep me going.

Q: How do you stick to your diet on days when you really don’t want to? What are techniques you use to stay on track? 

At this point I have eaten so well for so long that it is second nature.  I do on occasion snack on too many potato chips (the stack kind) and while they taste good while eating them, they always make your body feel awful after word, particularly with the recent news that many fried potato foods are high in Acrylamides.  Early on I made the connection that I feel better physically, mentally and spiritually when I eat whole foods which include legumes, pasta, rice, hearty bread, fruit and nuts.  I also feel good when I occasionally endulge in something like a rich sauce or dessert.  I learned not to feel guilty because it does not help.

Q: If you could eat one forbidden food whenever you wanted without gaining weight, what would it be?  

I think the one thing I wish I could have more of is good coffee or cappuccino.  My fear however is not in gaining weight but getting too much caffeine and also in supporting coffee that is not fair traded or grown such that it is harmful to the environment. 

Q: What dessert do you dream about? 

Believe it or not I am not much of a dessert person.  I do have days when I want chocolate or crave a cappuccino. Dark chocolate is my favorite.

Q: If there were one healthy food item (something you love) that you had to eat every day, what would it be?

The simple bean. I would be torn, however, between black beans or light red kidney beans.

Q: What do you think is the most important thing that makes or breaks a diet for someone?

We were meant to enjoy the flavors and taste of a variety of foods. I think feeling guilty about eating and not savoring the flavors of food is a recipe for disaster.  This is one reason why I believe in smart fat.  There are a lot of oils out there like pumpkinseed, hemp, walnut and even olive that enhance the flavors of whole grains, fruits and vegetables. 

Q: How did you come to your conclusions about weight loss and dieting?

I honestly think the key answers are eating a variety of plant based foods and eating intuitively.  Because our energy needs fluctuate daily, we need to either trust our intuition or learn to eat intuitively.  I do not believe, however, you can eat intuitively if you select a diet full of processed and flavor-enhanced foods.

Q: Do you think that failed attempts have influenced you approach to dieting? How have past struggles help you find a system that works for you?

For me (and many others) I think the biggest problem is often in translating what we know or would like to do (if we had a personal chef) into what we do.  During preseason one August, I spent two weeks helping women on a college soccer team learn to cook quick meals.  Interestingly, one nutritionist and two to three team members prepared a nutritious meal each night for 25 team members and coaches. Somehow after that experience, cooking for two (and eventually five) became less of an ordeal. 

Q: Have you dealt with weight issues personally?

I think I may have been blessed (or cursed) with an active (or wasteful) metabolism.  I did gain weight my freshman year of college but it was honestly because I overate.  After having kids I struggle with the opposite.  I weigh about 5 pounds less than I did before kids and am a lot less muscular.  Why I feel it is sometimes a curse is because I am wasteful at rest as well as during muscular work.  Sometimes I have to eat so much and wonder if I would be a faster runner if I were a bit more efficient.

Q: What’s the best book about health that you’ve read?

I really liked “Exercising Through Your Pregnancy” by James Clapp (Human Kinetics) and The Vegetarian Way by Messina and Messina.  I think Dr Clapp’s book liberated women and allowed them to exercise during pregnancy.  The Vegetarian Way presented practical and informative information about living and eating vegetarian.

Q: What are your two favorite health magazines?

Runner’s World is really the only one I read regularly.  I have been a subscriber for years.  I also enjoy Vegetarian Journal.  Apart from that I mainly read the scientific literature .

Q: What do you consider the world’s most perfect food? Please be specific and try not to answer with a category but rather with a specific food item: for example, not “whole grain” but “raisin bran cereal”?.

This is a tough question because I believe we were meant to eat a variety of foods.  If pressed, however, I would say black beans, lentils and pinto beans.  They are hearty and packed with protein, carbohydrate, iron, some calcium, magnesium, B vitamins ( including folate) and many more nutrients.  They are also pair well with other nutritious foods including tomatoes, herbs, nuts, and grains.  

Q: What physical activity do you do to keep yourself in shape?

I used to be a road cyclist but after having children I mainly run and do strength training.  At some point I fell in love with trail running.  I try and run on trails as much as I can but I also run on the roads.  My favorite distances range between 8 and 13 miles. Within the last year I also got involved in Irish Dance which I take at a new dance studio in Laramie.  Irish Dance has been great cross-training for my running (because you dance mostly on the balls of your feet) and also helps me connect with my Irish Heritage.  Even though I am a runner, I feel everyone has their own physical activity that makes them feel alive and passionate.  Mine happens to be running, cycling and dance.  Don’t ask me to go for a swim.

Q: Do you have a favorite healthy recipe or cooking tip? If so would you share it? 

Since my area is vegetarian nutrition, I will provide a few tips for converting meat-containing recipes to vegetarian recipe Marinated  or frozen tofu works well in place of chopped chicken or turkey. Marinate the tofu in the sauce or spices used in the recipe and if desired use frozen tofu which removes some of the water and makes the texture a bit chewier. TVP, tempeh, or “burger” recipe crumbles, a ground-beef analogue, typically work well in place of ground beef in many dishes as do fresh or dried mushrooms (particularly porcini, portabello or crimini). In many recipes, different beans also work well either alone or in combination with TVP.

Q: Do you have a Calorie Bargain? What food did it replace? Was that an important food in your diet, since you ate it so often? [Calorie Bargains are foods that are relatively low in calories but still taste great and satisfy our strongest temptations, and we use them to substitute for "higher-priced" foods we normally eat]

I have spent much of my career working with athletes who have the opposite problem so I often struggle with the low calorie angle.  I would say a vegetarian or plant based diet is a Calorie Bargain.  You get a lot of nutrients and phytochemicals by eating a variety of plant foods which can support those with varied energy needs.

Q:  What made you want to write a book? 

First, I did not write a book to attempt to convert all athletes to vegetarianism. Rather, I wrote it to help those who are vegetarian or interested in vegetarianism gain the full advantage of a vegetarian diet and avoid common nutrition pitfalls.  I have been a vegetarian athlete for over 20 year and know it is completely possible to follow a healthy, supplement free vegetarian diet.  I attribute my fitness and vegetarian diet to my great health and want to share my scientific knowledge and practical experience with other athletes.

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