What the Heck is Wheat Germ? Better Yet, Is It Really Any Good For You?

[caption id="attachment_1208" align="alignleft" width="225" caption="A Nutritious Addition to Lots of Meals"][/caption] I've always known wheat germ must be good for me, because my mother used to sprinkle it over my cereal. (Even when I didn't want it as a kid.) I also always wondered, "What is it exactly? So I started doing a little research. I figured I am probably not the only person who isn't sure what those little nuggets really are. They are actually part of the wheat kernal and are high in nutritional value.

Wheat germ is super high in protein, which is important to those of you who exercise or are athletes in training (Olympics or not). In fact it is 28% protein which is more than most of the different types of meat in your diet. They are also packed with vitamins A, B-complex, Riboflavin, the all important anti-oxidant Vitamin E and rich in potassium. Unfortunately wheat germ is removed from whole wheat grain when it is processed to make white flour. So if you are still a fan of white flour products, try adding a little wheat germ to your baking to add nutritional value. (Better yet, use all or part whole wheat flour!) I still mix it in with breakfast cereal (thanks, mom). Have some...it's good!!!

Primed for Pan Pacs

I'm ready for it. I'm ready to swim fast. I've worked my tail off this year preparing for this time. The Pan Pacific Championships have arrived. My body is shaved down. My muscles are primed for performance. My mind is on a happy boat traveling to even happier times. The past week since the US Nationals has been a blast. My days have included swimming outside in the beautiful SoCal weather, reading, writing, practicing my French, laughing with my teammates, and resting. It's been awesome to spend some more time with my boy Lezak too. Although he probably doesn't even realize it, the guy is hilarious. Lezak laughs at everything and finds a way to bring how old he is into most jokes. Literally I'm always smiling and laughing around him. Life is truly incredible these days. Tomorrow is the 100 free. I'm pumped to start off with my favorite race. I'm ready to go. The entire year comes down to this. Let's do it baby:)

I Want My Nachos!!!

[caption id="attachment_1154" align="alignleft" width="300" caption="Gooey. Salty. Fatty. "][/caption] But I never eat them. All that gooey cheese, fatty meat, over-the-top salt is just not what I (or anyone really) should be eating, especially when training. It got me thinking. Maybe when I get home I'll try to make some healthy nachos... Do you ever make healthy nachos? What do you put on them? Let me know!

Irvine, Austin, France

Here's a pretty sweet article in the Austin American Statesman about my summer swimming...and my plans in France at Maison Troisgros in Roanne. Thanks to my swim coach, Eddie Reese and my cooking coach Daniel Boulud.

Arrival in Irvine

Hey y'all just want to give you a quick update from Irvine. I arrived safe and sound to some beautiful weather. The first day I got in the water at the competition facility I was super pumped about being here. I'm a bit of a goofy guy and the entire time I was swimming I couldn't help laughing to myself underwater in excitement. I'm feeling great, my parents and sister are here, the pool is awesome, I'm eating good food. Let's be real...what could be better? Yesterday I did a little time trial 100 fly and went a best time of 55.8. I was out in 25.2 which is really fast, especially being unshaven with a huge beard! Eddie was really happy with my performance and that always boosts my confidence. Today is just a day of rest and preparation for the 50 meter freestyle tomorrow. My infamous beard will come off tonight, as I shave down and prepare for the big 50 tomorrow. My spirits are flying super high. I guess you could just say I'm a happy happy fellow!

Getting Outside the Comfort Zone

Motivation. Sometimes I get motivated from random things. Recently I've been enamored and in awe of the riders of the Tour de France. Something about watching athletes absolutely put their bodies on the line and sacrifice themselves for something huge is utterly captivating. Although I can confidently say I've put myself through a great amount of pain in my training, I doubt my legs and stomach have ever felt the agony of the mountain stages the tour riders are putting themselves through. No doubt these guys are in a league of their own. In athletics you can train and train and train but when it comes down to the race what matters is putting your body and mind on the line. Eddie Reese says confidence comes in different ways and means something different to everyone. Many athletes get their confidence from training and from pushing their bodies to be fitter and stronger. Eddie admits the truth is that what sets most athletes apart is that some are willing to lay it down on race day and give it everything they've got, some are not. You've just got to do what's necessary. My career at Texas has been an incredible journey from college through the Beijing Olympics and beyond. I credit Eddie and Kris for much of my success. I entrust them with my swimming career and together we have done some great things. In classic Eddie Reese fashion, the other day this quote rolled off his tongue which I think is really quite impressive and true..."If you're comfortable and getting what you want you'll never be as good as you want to be." So let's take Eddie's advice. After all he's been the epitome of success for decades. Push outside the comfort zone...it may be the surest way to success!

Taper Tips

Things to make sure I do on taper:

• Minimize walking.
• Minimize standing.
• Get to bed early. Brendan Hansen always told me the most important sleep is before midnight.
• Continue to keep on my diet.
• Have a good working relationship with my coach so we are both on the same page with my swimming.
• Work on speed in the water at least three times a week.
• Stay hydrated.
• Smile...:)

Tuesday Tweet: My Favorite Movie, “The Man from Snowy River”

  [caption id="attachment_855" align="alignleft" width="240" caption="This was my favorite as a kid!"][/caption] My best friend growing up was a guy named Brian. He's now a fourth-year medical student and we still stay in close touch. Our absolute favorite movie was "The Man from Snowy River". We watched it over and over and still watch it. (My mom says watching it is the first test of compatibility for anyone I might date.) It's a film about wild horses, rough riding, a few tough fights and a little bit of love. I popped it on the other night while relaxing during a recent swim meet in Texas and then tweeted for other suggestions on good Westerns. (Since Snowy River is set in Australia, I guess it's not really a Western. Although you're not going to see better horseback riding anywhere.) I'm writing about this for two reasons: 1) I love the movie. 2) Sometimes when you race or train, you need to take your mind OFF of swimming. Pick a good movie, read a book, cook something, relax with friends...do whatever it takes to give your mind a rest. Oh yeah, this week's tweets are Western movie suggestions: From @austinfarm2tbl: @G_WeberGale old school: True Grit, The Good The Bad & The Ugly and The Sons of Katie Elder. New(er): The Unforgiven & 3:10 to Yuma. From @northstar99: @G_WeberGale Lonesome Dove. Epic :) From @shellastew: @G_WeberGale McClintock or Big Jake--the only J. Wayne movies I like. Or Young Guns...or Tombstone... From ozoellner: @G_WeberGale legends of the fall! From @ricoswim24: @G_WeberGale 3:10 to yuma. It's with Russell Crowe and Christian Bale From CSledge89: @G_WeberGale-- "The Alamo" by John Wayne. The full 3_hour uncut version. One of the best movies ever made! From @svik2582 : @G_WeberGale Blazing Saddles....ha...does that count? Maybe? From @Christybelle: @G_WeberGale How the West Was Won.. Well, that's a bunch of them at least. Sorry if I missed any...let me know of others. Now go enjoy!

Life’s Passions…How to Possibly Pursue Them All…???

As I slipped into a sleep filled night yesterday evening I dreamt of being a rancher. Since I was a young boy I've always had a love for horses, for ranches, for the cowboy way. My Grandpa was a cowboy. At one time he owned 100 horses with a friend. My Dad grew up with his own horses. I would definitely say horses are a passion of mine. One of my biggest dreams in life is to someday have horses and form a relationship with them. As you know food runs deep in my core. The satisfaction and delight I receive from making and consuming food is immense. There's no doubt I desire to help people live a better life through better nutrition, that's why I founded AthleticFoodie. But what about working in a kitchen for real? Some of the best times I've ever had in my life are working in kitchens. Should I become a chef? I wonder. Growing up on Lake Michigan and in Wisconsin I was always around and on lakes. My family had a sailboat on which we cruised all over Lake Michigan. Being on and in the water is one place I feel most at peace. A dream of mine is to cruise the world on a boat, to work on the water, even to live on the water. At one point I wanted to own a marina and have a custom boat building business. So what do I do with all my passions and dreams? There are so many more dreams and passions which I don't even have the time to explain here, much less pursue. Maybe some of you have felt a similar way...? What do you do with this feeling? Do you ever worry you won't be able to follow all of your dreams or pursue all of your passions? I do! Part of me thinks I should just spend my life bopping around from one passion to the next. Go work on a ranch for a while, for a summer, for a year, for five years...whatever it takes to fulfill that spot in my heart. Maybe I'll get stuck there and realize that is my true calling. What if I just decided to leave everything behind in America and go travel the world in search of food? Work in restaurants all over the world until my heart is content. Who knows what I'll do. What I decided last night before going to sleep is this: Swimming is still the most important thing in my life right now. My focus for the next month is preparing myself to swim fast in Irvine, CA. I still genuinely love swimming and the pursuit of perfection in what I do. Better yet, representing the United States of America is the greatest honor I could ever imagine and will continue to strive to do just that. In the back of my mind I will let all my passions mingle. What comes next I really have no idea. I know in reality, for now I don't have to know what's next...even though sometimes that uncertainty is hard for me to grasp. What I know, is in life, I want to follow my passions. I want to do something important. I want to make a difference.

Tuesday tweeting myself: Yeah you can cheat on the eats…but only rarely!

If you followed my trip to Montreal on Twitter, you know that I had a monumental dining experience at Au Pied de Couchon, a crazy great spot. The food was amazingly good and unusual but not particularly healthy, at least as related to my normal diet. As I reflected in one of my tweets,

@offalchris Poutine was delicious! Do people make this in the US? If not they should! PS y'all this is NOT healthy stuff I'm eating tonight so it is a Big and RARE treat for me... We can cheat sometimes.

Eating some whole wheat/grain cereal with flax-seed, berries, almond milk. Going for tons of veggies and leafy greens tonight

@G_WeberGale I love Casa De Luz! I've literally been eating there since day 1 of that place. How often do you go dine there??