FitSugar

Olympic Pros Shawn Johnson, Natalie Coughlin, and Mia Hamm Share Their Healthy Snack Ideas

Leta Shy — Mon, 07 May 2012 14:25:59 PDT

Being an Olympic veteran means three things: you're a world-class athlete, you're used to hectic schedules, and you know how to travel smart. So who better to ask about how to stay healthy while being on the go than a few famous Olympic athletes? Whether you're snacking at home or need something to grab and go, here are recommendations from veteran Olympians Natalie Coughlin, Mia Hamm, and Shawn Johnson.

When traveling: It's all about "making sure you plan ahead and bring stuff with you, whether it's trail mix or an [energy] bar," soccer star Mia tells us. Gymnast Shawn recommends KIND bars because they are all natural and come in "fun flavors such as almond and coconut and apple cinnamon and pecan. They're surprisingly good," she tells ESPNw. Swimmer Natalie loves making her own energy bars - get her dried plum energy bar recipe here.

At home or work: Natalie is more than just a decorated Olympic swimmer; she's also an avid home cook and gardener. Natalie shared with YumSugar one of her favorite healthy snacks for Spring: "I love just having a really good baguette with good, high-quality butter (just a tiny bit of butter) and fresh sliced radishes with salt on top," she recommends. Shawn is all about snacking on veggies as well: she pairs peppers with hummus for a crunchy, filling snack.

Read on for more snack ideas from these famous Olympians!

Natalie Coughlin: An Olympian Who Loves Food as Much as We Do

Camilla Salem — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 06:30:37 PDT

What do backyard chickens and 11 Olympic medals have in common? Natalie Coughlin, that's what. The gold medalist and world champion is gearing up for the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, while cultivating a healthy interest in all things food-related. From growing vegetables in her own backyard in Lafayette, CA to her highly effective method of kitchen organization, Natalie gives us the scoop on her experiences with food.

YumSugar: You raise chickens in your backyard and you consider yourself an urban farmer. What do you grow or produce yourself that you're most proud of?

Find out her answer and so much more when you keep reading.

Swimmer Natalie Coughlin on Pilates, Plums, and Backstroking For Gold

Susi May — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:05:50 PST

Swimming always makes a splash at the Summer games, and Natalie Coughlin did just that in Beijing by becoming the first American woman to win six medals in one Olympics. A serious foodie as well as a gold medalist, Natalie took time out of her intense schedule to talk about her plans for London and how cooking calms her.

Natalie's training day starts with a 4:30 a.m. wake-up, and she's at the pool by 5 a.m. for a Pilates warmup, two hours in the pool, followed by an hour and a half of weight lifting. Impressed not only by the early morning start, I was also curious about her predawn power breakfast. She told me Bircher muesli is her go-to breakfast, explaining that it's "a really delicious uncooked oat, soaked overnight in orange juice and orange zest with dried plums." (Get Natalie's muesli recipe here.)

But wait. There's more. Natalie works out twice most days. Her second go-round involves a pool workout before heading off to the weight room for power circuits. The day sounds exhausting to me, and Natalie assured me that she certainly sleeps well and is not much of a napper; her head hits the pillow around 10 p.m. most nights, with an occasional early night when needed.

Keep reading to see what Natalie says about the upcoming London games.

Olympian Natalie Coughlin Dives Into Beauty

BellaSugar — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 03:05:42 PST

Two-time Olympic champion Natalie Coughlin is legendary for her 100 meter backstroke, impossible to beat as part of the freestyle relay team, and one of Team USA's brightest hopes for this year's London games. We met up with her at a shoot for her new Pantene ad and discovered that Natalie's also quite the glamour puss when she's on dry land. "I'm a girlie girl when I have the chance," she said. "I love playing up my eyes, and after my Dancing With the Stars experience, I love doing false lashes."

When she's in a pool all day, however, there's no reason to wear makeup. "It’s just the last thing I want to think about," Natalie admits. "But I do use a lot of sunscreen." With so much chlorine exposure and time in the water, painfully dry skin is also an issue many swimmers face. "I have to moisturize every day," Natalie says, "and I dry brush at night, which I think is important."

As anyone who was ever on a neighborhood swim team can attest, though, a swimmer's biggest beauty challenge is always hair. Natalie is known for her long, healthy mane, and says she's avoided the chop by following a cardinal rule. "Always wet your hair before you get in the pool," Natalie advises. "If you can put conditioner in your hair before you get in that helps, too." Wetting your hair... so you can get it wet? Apparently not as weird as it sounds. "If you think about it, "Natalie explains, "your hair is very much like a sponge, so if it absorbs tap water, that’s much better than chlorinated water." Thanks to Natalie, next time we go for a dip, our strands will have taken the plunge beforehand.

Natalie Coughlin: From the Olympics to DWTS

FitSugar — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 05:50:41 PDT

Last season on Dancing With the Stars, we saw gold medal gymnast Shawn Johnson win gold, and this year we're watching Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin compete on land.

She made it through the first week, dancing a salsa with Alec Mazo and wowed us last night with her quick step. Although busy dancing and rehearsing, Natalie took time out of her day to answer a few questions on topics ranging from Pilates to her opinion on the ban on high-tech swimsuits.

To learn what Natalie has to say, just

FitSugar: I have read that you do Pilates. How does this method of exercise help your swimming? Since it is somewhat dance-based, do you think it will help you on DWTS?
Natalie Coughlin: Pilates is an awesome cross-training exercise for any sport because it focuses on functional movement. It relies on strength along with flexibility, which is perfect for both swimming and dance. My two favorite pieces of equipment are the Balanced Body Exo Chair and Pilates Arc. I personally own both, and they make a nice addition to my home gym.

FS: I loved your "I'm a runner" piece in Runner's World. Do you still run regularly? Do you ever participate in road races? Were you able to run before your wedding ceremony?
NC: My first and only road race was the H2O Audio Surf Monkey last month, which was a 5K run on a mixture of sand, cobbled rock, and pier. It was so much fun, although I had no idea how to run on sand or cobbled rock! A few days before my wedding, I got a little overzealous with my running and ended up straining my right obliques, which forced me to take a bit of a break. Oops! I still love running, but I'm currently spending five to six-plus hours dancing every day, so I'm taking a break. I don't think it would be a good idea to add any unnecessary stress to my feet or legs.

FS:Your swimming career has spanned two Olympics, and you're planning to compete in 2012 - how do you maintain focus in training over those four-year periods?
NC: My focus is constantly evolving. I took three months off immediately following the Athens Games and returned to competition with a series of two-day meets throughout the world. The short format of the meets along with the world travel kept me motivated and interested in swimming. After Beijing, I needed a much longer break both mentally and physically because I have been competing for 21 years now! Dancing With the Stars is providing me with an amazing competitive outlet in something so different than my sport.

FSWhat's your favorite core exercise?
NC: I use the TRX suspension system for strength training and I absolutely love the atomic push-up because it's a killer exercise that works your entire core and upper body.

FS: Is your running playlist different from your swimming playlist? If so, how?
NC: Nope! They're usually the same, but it changes depending on my mood. It can be anything from pop, rock, alternative, to hip-hop . . . and H2O Audio's new Interval lets me listen to multiple playlists in the water or while I'm out on a run.

FS: Swimming can be hard on the skin and hair. What are your go-to beauty products postswim?
NC: Oh dear! I love products . . . Pureology for my hair, Kinesys sunscreen for my face/body preswimming, Palmer's Cocoa Butter for my body post-swimming, and Oil of Olay SPF 15 for my face.

FS: How do you feel about the ban on high-tech swimsuits?
NC: I think it's a good idea because our sport can now get back to the swimming and eliminate the distraction of "who are you wearing?" Eliminating zippers and legs is strange because both have been a part of many of the suits for over a decade. Either way, I'm happy.

Natalie Coughlin's Pre-Wedding Run

FitSugar — Thu, 21 May 2009 03:00:00 PDT

She may have made her athletic mark in the pool, but Olympic medalist Natalie Coughlin also loves to run. She began running in college as part of her aerobic conditioning regimen. Once she graduated from UC Berkeley, she continued to run to help calm her energetic pooch - a border terrier. But running doesn't just calm her dog; it works for her, too.

When Runner's World asked Natalie if she was going to run on her upcoming wedding day, she replied:

"Yes. I've spent a lot of time planning my run the morning of my wedding. I know I'll need to work off my nerves. The problem is finding a route that won't let my fiancé see me."

Nice to see that this athlete included planning for exercise along with all the other wedding planning. Working out is a great way to calm pre-wedding nerves. If you can't get out to do cardio, carve out 20 minutes to do some calming yoga moves before getting ready.

Need more wedding inspiration? Check out all of the Sugar network's wedding coverage here.

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Olympic Style

FabSugar — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:00:22 PDT

Go team go! My obsession with the Olympics has not diminished this week, it's grown. I knew there had to be some style to such amazing events, and I found it. Who said uniforms were blah? Not I. Maybe Ralph Lauren's Opening Ceremony ones were, but how do you feel about the American male swimmers' red, white, and sexy all over swimsuits? Click on for sportif style and the aforementioned swimsuits . . .

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Train Like Backstroke Champ Natalie Coughlin

FitSugar — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 11:10:00 PDT

Congrats to Natalie Coughlin, the reigning Olympic queen of the 100-meter backstroke! A stroke I have learned to love.

Coughlin is the first woman to win repeat gold medals in this event, which is impressive considering her world record was broken in the semifinals by college rival, Kirsty Conventry of Zimbabwe, and that Natalie was having trouble swimming straight. I have that problem too and am so happy to know I have something in common with this Olympian.

If you are looking to improve your backstroke, Natalie suggests the one-arm drill. To see how to the drill is done just

One-Arm Backstroke Drill

Perform three back strokes with your right arm, keeping your left arm down by your side.
Using both arms, do three backstrokes.
Perform three back strokes with your left arm, keeping your right arm down by your side.
Repeat three strokes with both arms then repeat the entire drill from the beginning.

Fit's Tip: Try this drill after thoroughly warming up, adding 100 yards of backstroke to the end of your warm up. I would do this drill for 100 yards then swim backstroke for 100 yards and repeat. You will definitely notice changes in your stroke.

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What's Yummy This Week

Susannah Chen — Sat, 28 Apr 2012 04:05:41 PDT

If you like sweet potato fries, you'll love sweet potato hash browns.
Olympian Natalie Coughlin tells us why she loves food just as much as we do.
Watch Mario Batali show off his kitchen, his "second favorite room" in the house.
Chefs Club: the next frontier in dining.
A few kitchenwares we wish we'd registered for - and a few more we wish we hadn't!
Our top five Spring fruits and what to make with them.
Secrets to throwing a smashing cocktail party at home.
Twenty-two wild and wacky wedding cakes on Flickr.

Think Like a Pro: 10 Diet and Exercise Tips From Athletes

Leta Shy — Mon, 12 Mar 2012 03:06:22 PDT

Whether you're ramping up your diet and exercise for bikini season, or you just want to be as healthy as you can be, look no further - we've got a plan for you, courtesy of professional athletes like Olympic swimmer Natalie Coughlin, Olympic gymnast Shawn Johnson, pro boxer Cara Castronuova, and pro soccer player Leslie Osborne (and a must-read tip from Serena Williams). Your best bet for getting bikini ready in time for Summer? Thinking like a pro. Approach your workout with an athlete's dedication with these diet and exercise tips from the pros.

Source: Getty