Quality Food For Quality Athletes

Carbohydrates, Proteins, and Fats - Why are They Important?

Athletes are often bombarded with nutritional advice or diets that differ in small ways. But, everyone agrees that the three main components of an athlete's diet should include carbohydrates, proteins, and a moderation of fat. Although we are often told to eat these foods, do we actually know what they do for our body? Here is a quick guide to carbohydrates, proteins, and fats:

Carbohydrates: Basically, carbs are the main source of energy for your body. Your body uses carbs to loosen and contract muscles and synthesize important compounds like ATP and such. Without a lot of carbohydrates in an athlete's diet, one would struggle to complete workouts because of his or her lack of energy. That being said, there are good carbohydrates and bad carbohydrates. The bad carbohydrates are those that are refined and stripped of their natural nutrients and fibers. These include white bread and candy. These carbohydrates are labeled "bad" because they aren't natural for the body and they are harder to process or break down. On the other hand, good carbohydrates are those that are high in fiber and nutrients. These include whole wheat bread, fruits and vegetables, and nuts.

Proteins: Proteins are large molecules that are broken down into amino acids, some of which the body use to help heal or repair muscles. Protein is very rarely used as a source of energy, but it is still an essential part of a nutritious athletic diet. Without proteins, the body wouldn't be able to heal itself or function properly because our body needs a high supply of amino acids (i.e. the building blocks of your body). Meat, fish, and nuts are all high in protein and are a major part of a healthy diet.

Fat: Fats are usually pegged as the cause of obesity or heart disease, but what everyone should know is that the human body needs fat in order to survive. Although fat is necessary, we should always try to limit our intake. For athletes, fat is stored energy. In fact, fat is the largest reserve of energy in your body; fat provides the highest amount of energy per gram (1 gram of fat = 9 calories of energy). If you use up all of your carbohydrates, then your body begins to burn fat. Fats are especially important for athletes who do endurance focused activities, like marathons. Like carbohydrates, there are good fats and bad fats; the foods high in trans fat and saturated fat should be avoided entirely or eaten sparingly. Good fats are high in unsaturated fat and foods like avocados and canola oil contain this.

Which Vitamins and Minerals Help Athletes?

Growing up, we were always told by our parents to eat our fruits and veggies so we can get bigger and stronger. Later, in elementary school, we learned the food pyramid and that fruits and veggies are important because they provide vitamins and minerals that help our bodies. But, which vitamins specifically help athletes? After all, not everyone knows what vitamins A or K do for the body specifically. Here's a quick guide that can help inform athletes and dietitians alike.

Vitamin B1: Vitamin B1 helps break apart carbohydrates to make energy available for the body. In other words, vitamin B1 helps increase stamina and create energy over a longer period of time. A good source of vitamin B1 is whole grains such as cereal or bread.

Vitamin B2: Vitamin B2 helps create red blood cells, which in turn helps carry oxygen to and from the heart. Milk and yogurt are high in vitamin B2.

Vitamin B6: Vitamin B6 is used to produce energy and hemoglobin, which are used by the red blood cells to carry oxygen. Meats and fish contain high amounts of vitamin B6.

Vitamin B12: Vitamin B12, like vitamins B2 and B6, help red blood cells carry oxygen from the heart to the tissues. The process of oxygen transportation to the rest of the body is important in sports and living in general. In other words, the faster your body can transport oxygen, the better off you are in terms of ay physical activity. Seafood and meat are good sources of vitamin B12.

Vitamin C: Vitamin C is primarily an antioxidant, which helps protect your body and body cells from damage and infection. This also helps repair collagen, the connective tissue that holds together bones and muscles. Citrus fruits, like oranges, are especially high in vitamin C.

Vitamin D: Vitamin D helps strengthen bones. Especially for younger athletes, maintaining good bone health is important to ensure proper growth. Vitamin D is found primarily in milk, eggs, and other dairy products.

Calcium: Similar to vitamin D, calcium helps strengthen bones and teeth. But, calcium also helps prevent blood clotting and maintain proper muscle and nerve function. Salmon and dairy products are high in calcium.

Phosphorous: Phosphorous helps form strong bones and transfer energy around the body. Foods high in phosphorous include oatmeal and milk.

Sodium/Potassium: Both of these minerals help keep the inside of your body working normally. Sodium controls the body's cells, while potassium maintains blood pressure. Sodium is found in many foods that contain salt, like pretzels or crackers. Bananas and oranges contain a high amount of potassium.

The Food Pyramid

The Food Pyramid is a very useful tool in knowing how much you should eat. If you follow its steps to success, you will find yourself more energized and enthusiastic about life.

First, here is a look at the old Food Pyramid. This picture tells you everything you need to know:

But as you know, the Food Pyramid has been given a makeover and looks a bit different. The most recent food pyramid now puts servings into perspective. Whereas, the old Food Pyramid shows how many "servings" one should eat, the new Food Pyramid shows how many ounces or cups one should eat. In other words, the new pyramid is easier to understand because it gives people specific values they can eat within and shows the importance of each major food group. Here is a look:

Food On-the-Go

As athletes, we are always on our feet and moving, so we may not have enough time to sit down and cook meals for ourselves. Although, this could be a benefit to the fact that athletes should not rely on three main meals (breakfast, lunch, and dinner). Instead, we should consume a variety of snacks throughout the day to keep energized. Every 2-4 hours an athlete should have a light, healthy snack in order to maintain nutrition requirements like carbohydrates and proteins. Here are prime examples of foods that are easy to transport, but are also high in carbs, proteins, or essential vitamins. Also, due to its small portions, these snacks are easily processed by the body and quickly converted to energy, so that you can keep performing throughout the day.

Bananas - high in potassium, carbohydrates, and vitamins B6 and C

Oranges - high in fiber and vitamin C

Dried Fruit - high in carbohydrates

Milk - high in protein, carbohydrates, and calcium

Practice Makes Perfect!

Although this blog is primarily about the types of food that can help athletes perform at their peaks, eating is only half of the formula for a truly elite athlete. The other half of the formula is practicing well and often. What I mean by this is to not only attend practices frequently, but to give every practice your all, all the time. We've all heard the old adage, "practice makes perfect", and it is fairly self-explanatory; after all, Michael Jordan and Kobe Bryant didn't become world-class athletes overnight. Instead, behind all of the glamour and the fame, pro athletes train their butts off to get into tip top shape. This magical theory of frequent practicing applies to people of all ages and athletes of all sports. Not only does practice make you better at whatever sport you do, it also helps get you on your coaches' good sides. Continuously going to practice increases the possibility of becoming the best at whatever you want. No one has enough god-given talent to avoid practice and still succeed at a high level. No matter who you are or where you come from, practicing regularly and eating healthy are two major habits that can make a special athlete.

Water: An Athlete's Best Friend

Obviously, water isn't only an athlete's best friend because everyone needs it. But, athletes need to drink more water than non-athletes because athletes are constantly losing fluids through sweat in workouts. Nutritionists recommend athletes to replace any body weight lost during an exercise with fluids like sports drinks or water. Sports drinks are better suited for athletes who train for more than an hour, while water is good for athletes who practice for less than an hour. On the other hand, athletes should also avoid sugary, caffeine containing drinks because caffeine promotes fluid loss. Basically, if you drink caffeine before or during a practice, you become more prone to dizziness or light-headedness. This is because of the lack of fluid retention in your body. Here are more tips on hydration for athletes as recommended by various nutritionists and dietitians:

•children are more susceptible to dehydration because they don't respond to thirst as readily as adults

•drink water every 15 minutes during a practice

• try a method called pre-hydrating: drink about two cups of water 1-2 hours before your practice to help delay fatigue

•poor hydration can lead to little to no recovery the next day

•a good sign to see if you are fully hydrated: check the color of your urine (the clearer, the better)

You Are What You Eat

What athletes consume after competition plays a huge role in the body's performance the next day. Selecting foods that are balanced in calories, carbohydrates, protein, and fat is essential for the body to recuperate the energy and nutrients that were lost in competition. Muscle regeneration is greatest immediately after practice or competition which is why consuming protein right after a workout is important. Also, be sure to replenish your body with lots of carbohydrate to help fill the depleted glycogen stores that your body uses for energy. By consuming a large amount of carbohydrates the body releases a hormone called insulin, which is vital for bringing amino acids and carbohydrates to the muscle and thus accelerating carbohydrate and protein synthesis. Therefore, consuming a lot of carbohydrates right after a workout is essential for promoting a large insulin release, and speeding up the body's recovery process. This said, paying close attention to post-exercise nutrition will greatly maximize the hours invested at practice or in the weight room.

Recovery Drinks

After a tiring day of competition it's not always easy to eat a big meal with the carbohydrates and proteins needed to replace those depleted from exercise. Exercise stress causes the hunger centers in your body to shut down. However, it's absolutely critical that you replace the body's lost nutrients if you want to enhance muscle growth, and recover from the exercise. The simple solution is a recovery drink that provides your body with the necessary carbohydrates, proteins, and nutrition of a regular post workout meal. Due to their structure liquid supplements are easier to digest and absorb than whole food meals.

Here are some recovery drink recipes that we recommend:

Mix:

1 serving of whey protein

2 servings of Gatorade

369 calories, 25g protein, 66g Carbohydrate, 0.5g Fat

Gatorade contains carbohydrates and sugars that are absorbed quickly by the body. Mixing Gatorade with whey protein is a simple drink that provides the body with the necessary protein and carbohydrates that will still taste good.

Chocolate Milk

Not many people think of it as a recovery drink but Physiologist Joel Stager, director of the Human Performance laboratory at Indiana University has proven chocolate milk's effectiveness for recovery through his studies and tests published in the International Journal of Sport Nutrition. Chocolate milk has plenty of carbohydrate and protein content, perfect for replenishing exhausted muscles. Plus it packs a nutritional bonus of calcium, and includes just a little sodium and sugar that help recovering athletes retain water and regain energy.

2 servings of chocolate milk is an ideal recovery drink that is commonly sold at a local store or vending machine.
384 calories, 20g protein, 60g carbohydrates, 6g fat

Braised Beef with Chips and Salsa

Ingredients:
1/2 pound of beef
2 Potatoes
2 Bell Peppers
1 Onion

Salsa mix
1 Guacamole
1 Tomatoe
1/2 Lime
1 Parsley
Chips

Preparation:
Cut beef into strips
Cut potatoes into cubes
Chop onion
Chop bell peppers
Slice tomatoes
Mash guacamole
Chop parsley

Instructions:
Cook beef strips in large frying pan for about 6 min.
Add potatoes and stir, cook with beef for another 4 min.
Add bell peppers and onions and let the whole meal cook for about 5 more min.

While you're waiting for the beef to cook you can easily make the salsa.

Mix salsa mix, mashed guacamole, chopped tomato
Add parsley and squeeze lime over salsa

Enjoy!

Salsa

Braised Beef

Total Calories: 680
Total Carbohydrates: 45g
Total Protein: 21g
Total Fat: 12g

Alaskan Salmon Spaghetti and Vegetables

2 lb. filet of salmon

1 lb. of angel hair pasta

1 zucchini

2 carrots

5 mushrooms

2 bell peppers (1 green, 1 red)

1 lemon

honey dijon mustard

red wine vinaigrette

salt

lemon pepper

olive oil

parchment paper

Makes 6 Servings

Boil water and pasta.

Cut the zucchini, carrots, and bell peppers julienne style. Cut the mushrooms sideways.

Place the vegetables into a mixing bowl and add 5 - 6 fl. oz. of vinaigrette

Meanwhile, cut the salmon fillet into 6 even pieces, and sprinkle a bit of lemon pepper atop

Rip 6 sheets of parchment paper to make pouches

Evenly distribute pasta on each of the parchment papers and drizzle with a little olive oil and salt

On top of each serving of pasta, place a fillet of salmon and spread honey dijon mustard on the surface

Next, distribute the vegetables evenly on all of the salmon fillets

(Optional) To get rid of the fishy scent, cut a lemon lengthwise into thin slices and place a couple slices atop each fish

Wrap each individual salmon with spaghetti and vegetables using the parchment paper

Place the pouches on a baking pan and into an oven set at 350˚ for about 20 minutes

Calories per Serving: 657

Carbs: 82 g

Protein: 51 g

Fat: 21 g

Chicken Not Pie

1/4 cup olive oil, divided in half
3 cups of brown rice
2 onions (chopped)
A pinch of salt and pepper
1 cup vegetable stock
2 boneless chicken breasts
2 large potatoes, cut into 1-inch cubes
2 medium carrots, cut into coins

2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice

Cook brown rice.

Put half the oil in a large skillet on medium heat.

Add chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add potatoes. Reduce heat and cook for 3-4 minutes.

Add carrots and onions. Cook for 6-7 minutes.