You are an athlete. You look fit. You feel healthy. You even order salmon instead of steak when you go out to eat. But are you really covering the spread, so to speak? What do your refrigerator and pantry say about your health . . . or your future health problems?

Sugar Fuel

"One of the things you find in a lot of athletes' refrigerators is soda and other sugar products," says nutritionist Amy Keller. Keller is currently obtaining a masters degree in holistic nutrition, which focuses on whole, organic foods and nonchemical food products.

"That's from my mother-in-law," says distance runner and running coach Todd Straka, pointing an accusing finger at the caffeinated carbonated cans in his fridge. Right. "Really, it is." But he admits to drinking it every now and then.

"And the lemonade drink mix?" Amy wants to know, pulling the can out of the pantry. "That's from my mom," says Todd. "She sent it two years ago." It is still mostly full.

For athletes, sugary drinks are not necessarily taboo, says Amy, because athletes will use the sugar as fuel and burn the empty calories. "You need sugar for energy," she says, "but that also makes it hard to detox from sugar when you're an athlete."

Detox from sugar? Now that is a depressing thought. Who wants to give up dessert or an occasional Coke or that afternoon granola bar snack? Or yogurt? "Yogurt has tons of sugar in it," says Amy, "especially the flavored yogurt."

Every four grams of sugar is equivalent to one teaspoon. Checking out the popular brands of yogurt, one serving size contains the equivalent of nearly six teaspoons of sugar. Your best bet, says Amy, is to buy plain yogurt and add fruit and a couple drops of vanilla extract to make it sweeter.

Sugar and Your Health

"Many athletes develop health problems from eating too much sugar and they do not even know it," says Amy. So even though we are using it as fuel and it is not going to "waist," that very same energy boost can slow us down by making us sick. In addition to messing with blood sugar levels, one of the biggest sugar-related offenders, she says, is candida. Candida is a yeast that lives in the digestive tract and needs sugar to survive. It can cause gas, bloating, acne, thrush, jock itch, athlete's foot, dry skin, chronic diarrhea, or chronic constipation. If you do not feel it, you may see it in the form of a chronic rash. "All candida is trying to do is leave the body by coming out of the skin," she says. Pretty gross, but a good indicator you may want to cut back on sugar.

That is not to say you should cut back on the complex sugars (fruit, potatoes, or whole grain breads) you use for endurance during high activity days, but try eliminating foods with refined and added sugar, including high fructose corn syrup. "You can live without high fructose anything," says Amy. Of course, that sounds easier than it is. Many convenience foods, sauces, cereals, and snacks list high fructose corn syrup on the ingredients list. Rather than giving up all your favorites all at once, try a slow process of elimination.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans consume about 45 pounds of sugar per person per year. Plus 45 pound of high fructose corn syrup per person per year. Plus two pounds of honey and syrup per person per year. That is nearly 100 pounds of sugar per person per year. No wonder people talk about a sugar addiction in this country.

Tri- and Xterra athlete Rose Alford's pantry and refrigerator offer little in the way of high fructose corn syrup except for a jar of jelly, though she does have a big box of energy bars for her workouts (two or more hours a day during peak training) and a large bag of white sugar sitting on her kitchen counter. "Oh yeah, white sugar," says Rose half smiling and knowing she would be busted for that but she is quick to point out the brown, raw sugar on the shelf. That gets a nod of approval. Amy suggests sugar alternatives but not sugar substitutes. "Those are full of chemicals and can be even worse," she says. Alternatives include agave syrup, Stevia (also called sweetleaf or sugar leaf), sugar in the raw, or cane sugar for baking. Cane sugar is known by the brand name SuCaNet (if you ask for 'cane sugar' most folks will not know what you are talking about, including in health food stores). There is also date sugar, which really is not sugar at all but a whole food. It is not as sweet, but it is good for you.

As for those energy bars . . . they can stay. "As long as you are eating them for endurance fuel and not snacks," says Amy. Too many people, including nonathletes and those who run a few miles a day, think they are doing themselves a favor by eating energy bars. But they are not, says Amy. "They add a lot of unnecessary calories and too many carbohydrates." If you are not about logging 30 miles a week or more of running, you probably should stay away from the bars and grab a piece of fruit or even half a turkey sandwich instead (organic meat on whole grain bread).

MSG

And though sugar is a big offender for many people-athletes and nonathletes alike-it is not even close to MSG, monosodium glutamate. "MSG is the big one," says Amy, pulling out a box of veggie dogs from Todd's freezer. "When it says 'natural flavoring' on a non-organic food product, that is code for MSG."

"That's off the list!" Todd says half jokingly.

The Food and Drug Administration says MSG is "generally recognized as safe." It has been added to foods as a flavor enhancer for decades and while medical and scientific research does not conclusively prove MSG is harmful, many holistic nutritionists consider it an excitotoxin-a substance that damages neurons in the brain through over-stimulation, causing brain cell death. And though MSG does not immediately impact an athlete's performance, there are no studies done to determine its long-term effect on the brain and motor skills. "It's just not good for you," says Amy, siding with her professional peers, "so just stay away from it."

Code Names

MSG has many code names in the food industry. "It can be called natural flavoring, spices, chicken flavoring, natural chicken flavoring, hydrolyzed yeast, hydrolyzed protein, isolated soy protein," and the list goes on, says Amy. But it only applies to non-organic products. "If it's an organic product and it says natural flavor, then it really is natural flavor."

Opening her refrigerator, Rose points to the row of condiments. "We're big on flavor. So if we're making meat or fish, we'll add chutney or something like that." Amy reaches in for a jar of curry paste. "It does not indicate it is natural and it says 'spices' on the ingredient list. That can be a code word for MSG. It does not mean it is, but it can be."

"You know I'm going to bust you on the pepperoni here," Amy says to Rose, pulling out a package from her freezer. "Dark turkey, salt, natural flavorings, dextrose, sugar, natural smoke flavor-that is a carcinogen."

Fruit, Dairy, & Meat

Once you get beyond the processed foods, there is still plenty room for change in many refrigerators and pantries. Amy pushes organic foods, from crackers to strawberries. Buy whole grain breads and crackers-just be sure they do not contain trans fat.

As for fruit, "Apples and strawberries have the highest concentration of pesticides, so buy organic," she says. Recognizing not everyone can afford an organic grocery bill, Amy offers some options. If a fruit has a thick peel, like a banana or an orange, you do not have to worry as much about pesticides because you do not eat the skin. But if you need your apple a day on a non organic grocery budget, wash it in warm water to melt the wax and then fresh lemon juice to remove the pesticide. "I like Fit," says Amy. "It's an all-natural wash for fruits and vegetables and it works."

But no matter what your budget is, "always, always, always buy organic dairy and meats," emphasizes Amy. Why? Hormones, she says. We do not need extra hormones added to our food.

After spending an hour with Amy reviewing their pantries and refrigerators, Todd and Rose say they plan on making a few changes, "though I didn't want to hear about how bad strawberries are if they're not organic," laments Todd.

Learning about the hidden MSG in "healthy" and ready-to-go foods, as well as in condiments. was quite a shocker to both of them. Rose and Todd say they're purging their cupboards and refrigerators because of it.

As for sugar, "I haven't switched to organic or raw sugar yet," says Rose, "but as soon as the sugar I have at home is gone, that's my next change!" Not so for Todd. "I like sugar!" he exclaims. "And learning that there is nearly three tablespoons of sugar in the yogurt we give our son, I do not feel as guilty for putting a spoonful in my coffee. Besides, some habits are hard to break."

Indeed, they are. Pass the strawberry jelly.