| BASIC
NUTRITION
HYDRATION
SPORTS NUTRITION
CARBOHYDRATE LOADING
HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT
HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT
HOW TO BOOST IRON INTAKE
TOP SPORTS FOODS
SUPPLEMENTS |
BASIC
NUTRITION
Maximize Your Athletic Performance
We are all looking to be on the cutting edge of athletic performance.
We are searching for the things that will make us bigger, faster, and
stronger in the least amount of time. We research and follow the latest
in training practices. Yet, in this quest, we fail to commit to one major
aspect of training, NUTRITION. The ergogenic aid we are all searching
for is proper nutrition.
The food we consume helps us in the areas of body
growth, body functions, tissue repair, athletic performance, and health.
When our bodies do not have the proper nutrition, we get:
tired (lack of endurance and chronic fatigue),
sick (colds, flu, and infections),
muscle fatigue (cramps, muscle strains, and general muscle soreness),
joint and connective tissue slow healing (tendonitis and shin splints),
athletic performance drops or performance stagnates.
How do you ensure that you are getting all of the
nutrition you need? According to the Food Group approach, you are to consume:
· 6 – 11 servings of breads and cereals
· 3 – 5 servings of vegetables
· 2 – 4 servings of fruit
· 2 – 3 servings of dairy
· 2 – 3 servings of meat, poultry, fish, and beans
This approach to eating is a good one as long as
we ear the right kind of foods contained in the group. We will not get
all of the nutrients that we need just by eating servings from these food
groups. Eating a slice of plain white bread will not give you the same
nutritional value as a plain slice of quality whole grain bread. The food
group approach will work if you make healthy choices within them.
Athletes need extra nutrients to ensure proper
performance. To do this, they need to consume more breads and cereals,
vegetables, and fruits than their non-athletic counterparts. These three
groups give you the additional carbohydrates needed to perform; carbohydrates
are the primary energy source for exercising muscles.
The following pages will focus on hydration, sports
nutrition, carbohydrate loading, losing weight, gaining weight, boosting
iron intake, top sports foods, and supplements, i.e., creatine. If you
still feel you are not getting enough nutrients, a once a day, multi-vitamin
is all you need. Mega-dosing on vitamins can be toxic.
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HYDRATION
Water is the most important nutrient that effects our health and athletic
performance. Unfortunately, it is often overlooked and forgotten. Our
body weight is approximately 60% water. Our hydration level depends on
the amount of water we have consume and lost. We get water from a variety
of sources including: liquids, food, metabolic water (the body produces
about 10 grams/day), and glycogen bound water (water that is tied up with
glycogen and stored in the liver and muscle tissue). We lose water through
a variety of venues including urination, defecation, sweating, and breathing
(as water vapor).
Athletic performance drops once dehydration occurs.
Our body depends on the cardiovascular system to deliver oxygen and nutrients
to the working tissues. Blood carries away heat from the working muscles;
it then delivers that heat to the skin where the process of sweating and
evaporation cool the body. As the water levels in our body drop, so does
the body’s ability to dissipate heat and provide nutrition to the
exercising muscles; therefore, performance decreases.
Prevent Dehydration During Training
On a daily basis drink adequate fluids. This is easily determined by monitoring
the amount and color of your urine.
1. Urination should be frequent throughout the day: morning, noon, and
night.
2. Urine should be clear in color and significant in quantity.
If the urine is dark, concentrated and scanty, consume more water and
other fluids. NOTE: If you take vitamin supplements, your urine may be
brightly colored.
3. To increase awareness of sweat loss during exercise, weight yourself
before and after a hard workout. Each pound lost represents one pound
(3 cups) of sweat. Replace it accordingly, and try to lose less than 2%
of your body weight during a workout.
4. You do not have to drink water for fluids. Juice, lemonade, sports
drinks, and water-foods such as soup, oranges, cucumbers, yogurt, and
melon all have high water content that contributes to your overall fluid
balance.
5. Be aware that coffee, tea, and alcohol have a dehydrating effect; they
cause urination and
fluid loss. If you choose to drink beverages with caffeine, do so after
quenching your thirst with other fluids.
Prior to Hard, Endurance Exercise
1. The day before an endurance exercise bout or event, drink extra water,
juice, or other fluids to be sure the body is well hydrated.
2. On the morning of the event, 2 hours prior, drink 2 – 3 large
glasses of fluids. Since the kidneys require about 90 minutes to process
liquids, this will allow time to empty the bladder before the start of
the event.
3. Five or ten minutes before the start of the event, drink 1 –
2 cups of water. This will be
ready to replace sweat losses.
During Hard Exercise
1. Drink as much as possible, ideally 8 – 10 ounces every 20 minutes.
You may still have a fluid deficit as you are sweating off three times
as much fluid.
2. Prevent dehydration by taking adequate fluids (water, sports drinks,
or diluted juice) early in the event. Drink before you are thirsty! By
the time your brain signals thirst, you will have lost 1% of your body
weight. By 2% dehydration, you may have reduced your work capacity by
10 – 15%.
After Exercise
1. Drink to quench your thirst, and then drink even more. Since the thirst
mechanism inadequately indicates whether or not you’ve taken in
enough fluids, monitor your urine. If several hours pass without urination,
you are still dehydrated. Keep Drinking!
2. Juice (especially orange or banana/orange blend) replaces not only
fluids, but also carbohydrates and potassium. Two or three cups within
one hour post-exercise can help you better recover from a tough workout.
WATER vs. SPORTS DRINKS
For the recreational athlete, water is always appropriate. Water is what
your body needs and absorbs quickly. For endurance athletes or those expending
large amounts of energy for more than ninety minutes, a sport drink, dilute
juice, or soft drink that contains 60 – 100 calories per
8 ounces can provide an advantage during exercise. It may keep you energized
and focused. Experiment during training to determine what works best for
you.
ELECTROLYTE REPLACEMENT
Sweat contains not only water, but also small amounts of sodium, potassium,
and other electrolytes that keep your body in fluid balance. You lose
small amounts of these electrolytes when you sweat, but you do not totally
deplete yourself, unless possibly under extreme circumstances. You can
easily replace the losses after exercise by eating fruit, juices, yogurt,
and other wholesome foods. Commercial fluid replacement drinks are generally
weak sources of electrolytes compared to natural fruits, juices, and recovery
foods. Water plus wholesome carbohydrates do the best job!
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SPORTS NUTRITION TIPS
Without a doubt, what you eat and when you eat affects your athletic performance.
A wisely selected sports diet helps you feel stronger, trainer harder,
and compete better. The following sports nutrition tips can help you eat
to win.
FUEL
The best muscle fuels are carbohydrates; either simple sugars (such as
the naturally occurring sugars in fruits and juices) or complex carbohydrates
(the starches in whole wheat bread, brown rice, bran cereal, oatmeal,
and other grains). These carbohydrates provide not only energy, but also
important vitamins and minerals. Refined sugars (i.e. soft drinks and
candy) also fuel muscles, but they lack the “spark plugs”
that help your engine run smoothly.
You store only carbohydrates, not protein or fats,
in muscles in the form of glycogen. During hard exercise, you burn this
glycogen for energy. When you deplete your glycogen stores (as can happen
during repeated days of hard training and low carbohydrate diet), you
feel overwhelmingly exhausted. Eating high carbohydrate foods (cereal,
pancakes, bread, fruit, vegetables, potato, and pasta) on a daily basis
can help you train harder and compete better.
Top ten carbohydrate sources with less than five-percent
fat and more than 70 percent carbohydrates:
brown rice wild rice
whole barley whole corn
whole buckwheat pearl millet
whole rye whole wheat
foxtail millet rolled oats
QUICK ENERGY
Eating lots of sweets and sugary foods for “quick energy”
before you exercise may hurt your performance. Here’s why: after
you eat any kind of concentrated sugar (i.e. dried fruit, juices, soft
drinks, jelly beans, etc.), your body secretes insulin, a hormone that
carries sugar from your blood into the muscles. Exercise, like insulin,
also helps carry sugar into the muscles. The combined effect of insulin
with exercise can cause your blood sugar to drop abnormally low. You may
experience hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and feel light-headed, shaky,
tired, and uncoordinated.
If you are hungry, droopy, and craving a quick
energy boost prior to exercise, you do not have to eat sugar for energy.
A simple snack of crackers, fruit, or bread can perk you up without risking
negative hypoglycemic effects. Better yet, prevent the need for an energy
boost! Simply eat a hearty breakfast and/or lunch that fuels you up earlier
in the day so that you will not be running on fumes in the afternoon.
These meals will be digested in plenty of time for the afternoon or evening
workout. You will be ready for action, rather than hungry and tired.
FLUIDS
Whereas lack of carbohydrates can hurt your performance, lack of fluids
can endanger both performance and health. To prevent yourself from becoming
dehydrated, drink lots of liquids before, during, and after strenuous
exercise. Water is always safe before exercise; water and/or sports drinks
during exercise; and water, sports drinks, or juices after exercise. To
tell if you have had adequate fluids, simply monitor your urine. It should
be clear in color and voluminous, not dark and concentrated.
PRE-COMPETITION MEALS
Whenever possible, you should eat carbohydrate-rich meals the day before
the competition. This allows plenty of time to digest the carbohydrates
and store the energy in your muscles as glycogen. Before a strenuous morning
event (such as competing in a 9 am road-race), you should also eat a light
breakfast or small snack 1 – 3 hours prior to competing. This will
boost your blood sugar and enhance stamina and endurance. Before an afternoon
or evening competition, eat a hearty breakfast (cereal, pancakes, waffles,
and bagels), a lighter lunch (soup, sandwich), and a dinner or snack as
tolerated. Since each athlete has different tolerances to pre-exercise
food, you need to experiment during training to determine the quantity
and type of food that works best for you.
Although many athletes believe they should exercise
on an empty stomach, current research suggests that a pre-exercise snack
actually enhances stamina and endurance. Some popular choices include
cereal with low fat milk, 1 – 2 slices of toast, or some plain crackers.
Avoid large fatty meals (the traditional steak and eggs breakfast) that
tend to sit heavily in the stomach.
BENEFITS OF PRE-EXERCISE EATING
Proper fuel before training and competition will:
- Finish filling muscle glycogen stores
- Top off liver glycogen stores
- Minimize risk of developing hypoglycemia stores
- Provide fuel during the early part of exercise
- Settle your stomach and prevent hunger pains
- Provide a psychological edge
- Keep you well hydrated.
SAMPLE PRE-COMPETITION MEALS
Meal Providing 150 grams of Carbohydrates and 750
Calories
2 slices bread
1 cup of yogurt with fruit
1 large banana
2 tbsp. jelly
4 ounces fruit juice
or
3 cups concentrated carbohydrate beverage
Meal Providing 300 grams of Carbohydrate and 1400 Calories
2 cups cooked cereal
12 ounces skim milk
1 large banana
4 tbsp. raisin
2 slices toast
4 tbsp. jelly
1 cup yogurt with fruit
8 ounces of juice
or
6 – 7 cups concentrated carbohydrate beverage or liquid replacement
meal
HOW TO EAT BEFORE TRAINING AND COMPETITION
Timing Carbohydrate/Food Sample Foods Start Times Types of Events
Recommendations
Night before High carbo meal Pasta dishes Essential
for early Endurance events
Rice dishes start time
300 grams carbs Lean protein Intermediate distance
Easy on fat Helpful for any start
Low in fiber Cooked vegetables time Short duration events
Plenty of fluid
3 to 4 hours Carbohydrates: 150 lb. athlete: For
mid-morning Endurance events
prior 1.5 – 2 grams per 225 – 300 grams of starts: Eat at
7 am
pound body weight carbohydrates for 10 am start Intermediate distance
(3 – 4 grams/kg)
Mid-afternoon starts:
Low fat protein Cereals, breads, milk, Eat at 10 am for 2 pm
Low fat and fiber crackers, yogurt, fruit, start
juices, jelly, muffins,
bagels
2 hours prior Carbohydrates: 150 lb. athlete: For
mid-morning Short duration events
Up to 1 gram per 130 – 150 grams starts: Eat at 8 am
pound of body carbohydrate for 10 am start
weight (2 g/kg) Intermediate distance
Minimal low fat protein Cereals, bread, milk,
Mid-afternoon start:
Low fat and fiber yogurt, fruit, juices, Eat at noon for 2 pm Endurance
events
Plenty of fluids jelly, crackers start after a large
Carbohydrates: morning breakfast
0.5 grams per Multiple events
pound body weight For late starts: Eat
(1 g/kg) at 6 pm for 8 pm
start after adequate
carbohydrate meals
throughout the day
1 hour prior Emphasize liquids Sports drinks For
early starts: Short-duration events
Easy to digest Eat at 6 am for
carbohydrates Concentrated 8 am start Intermediate-length
Avoid protein, fat, carbohydrate events
and fiber supplements For mid-morning
starts: Eat at 10 am Endurance events
Sports bars start, have a snack/
Liquid at 9 am. In Multiple events
Tolerated fruits addition to 6:30 – 7am
meal
Water
Immediately Carbohydrates Sports drink For any
start time Any event
prior requiring carbs
Energy bars if and hydration
exercise starts at
moderate intensity
for at least 30 minutes
RECOVERY FOODS
You should consume carbohydrate-rich foods and fluids as soon as tolerable
(at least within 45 minutes to an hour after hard exercise) to replace
the glycogen that you burned off. Muscles are most receptive to refueling
at this time. A simple post-exercise example might be fruit juice, a rich
source of not only fluids and carbohydrates, but also potassium and vitamins.
Remember that only carbohydrates quickly refuel
your muscles and prepare you for tomorrow’s workout. Hence, resist
the greasy burger with french fries for your recovery feast; choose instead
carbohydrate-rich, thick-crust pizza with single cheese and vegetable
toppings, or a dinner that focuses on potato, bread, vegetables, juices
and other carbohydrates.
POST-EXERCISE RECOVERY GUIDELINES
Carbohydrate Goals and Carbohydrate Carbohydrate Food
Requirements Guidelines of for 125 lb. for 165 lb. Choice
(grams/lb Carbohydrate Athlete Athlete
body weight) Intake
0.5 – 0.7 grams Within 30 min. 63 –
88 g 88 – 115 g Concentrated
per body weight post-exercise carbohydrate
drinks
Two hours
post-exercise Energy bars
Emphasize Fluids Cereals
Emphasize high Bagel
glycemic index foods
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CARBOHYDRATE LOADING: TIPS FOR ENDURANCE
ATHLETES
For two to three days prior to a marathon, triathlon or other form of
endurance exercise that lasts more than ninety minutes of strenuous effort,
you should super-fuel your muscles by eating a hearty amount of carbohydrate-rich
foods. About 60 – 70% of your calories should come from breads,
pasta, cereal, potatoes, fruits, juices, and other high carbohydrate choices.
To slightly overeat carbohydrates is wiser than to under eat carbohydrates.
In addition to eating a high carbohydrate diet,
you should exercise less to rest your muscles and allow them the opportunity
to stock-up on carbohydrates. The week prior to the event, gradually taper
off your exercise so that you are training only 20 minutes two and three
days prior to the event; nothing the day before. Eliminate any last-minute
hard training; you’ll simply fatigue yourself at a time when rest
would be more beneficial.
To avoid gaining weight due to the reduced amount of exercise, you may
want to eat slightly fewer total calories; exercising less should decrease
your appetite. The calories that you do eat should be primarily carbohydrates
with small amounts of lean protein (to protect your muscles) and minimal
amounts of fat.
You will know if you have carbo-loaded correctly
if the scale goes up – that is water weight, not fat weight! For
every gram of carbohydrate that you store in your muscles as glycogen,
you also store three grams of water. This water becomes available to you
during exercise and helps prevent dehydration.
When selecting your diet, be careful to choose
high carbohydrate foods – not high fat foods. The two often come
together such as butter on a potato, cream cheese on a bagel, and cream
in ice cream.
HIGHEST CARBOHYDRATES CHOICES LOWER CARBOHYDRATE
CHOICES
Spaghetti, noodles, macaroni with tomato Pizza, lasagna with lots of meat,
cheese
Rice, potato, yams, stuffing without butter, gravy French fries, fried
rice, buttery potato
Lentils, Chile beans, split peas Casseroles with rich sauces and gravies
Bread, muffins, bagels – plain or with jam Donuts, croissants, Danish
pastry
French toast, pancakes, cereal Eggs and breakfast meats
Jam, jelly, honey, syrup Butter, margarine, cream cheese
Bananas, pineapple, raisins, figs Cookies, cakes, baked snacks
Apple crisp, date squares, fig newton’s Pastries make with lots
of butter
Juices – apple, grape, apricot, orange Beer, wine, alcohol (dehydrating
effect)
Blender fruit and juice drinks Milk shakes, frappes
Sherbet, ice milk, yogurt Ice cream – especially gourmet brands
The food you eat the days before the event will
fuel your muscles. The food you eat the morning of the event will help
maintain a normal blood sugar level and thereby feed your brain and help
you think clearly. Eat a small (<500 calories) meal 2 – 4 hours
prior; examples are 1 – 2 slices of toast, a small bowl of hot or
cold cereal, or whatever you normally eat prior to your training runs.
Don’t try any new foods! Stay with the tried and true meals.
You are unlikely to starve to death during endurance
exercise, but you can seriously hurt yourself if you become dehydrated.
Prevent dehydration by drinking extra water and juice when you carbo-load.
Pre-event, you should have to urinate frequently.
For fluids the morning of the event:
· Drink at least three glasses of water up to two hours before
the start. (The kidneys will process this liquid in about 90 minutes allowing
time to empty the bladder pre-event.)
· Drink one to two glasses of water 5 – 10 minutes before
the start.
· Drink whenever possible during the event. Try to consume at least
one-half cup every 20 minutes.
After the event, drink plenty of caffeine free
fluids until your urine is a clear color. Eat wholesome, high carbohydrate
foods to replace muscle glycogen, potassium, and electrolytes. Oranges,
bananas, yogurt, fig newton’s, potatoes, banana bread, pretzels,
and juices are some appropriate “recovery foods”. Enjoy the
victory dinner keeping in mind that your muscles are craving carbohydrates;
feed them lots of potatoes rolls, vegetables, fruits, and other carbohydrates
just as you did prior to the event. Add salt if you crave it.
DAILY CARBOHYDRATE REQUIREMENTS
Daily Carbohydrate Training Regimen Goals 125 lb. 165 lb.
Requirements Athlete Athlete
(grams/lb. body wt.)
4.5 – 5.5 grams/lb. Very prolonged Daily muscle 563 – 690
g 742 – 907 g
glycogen
Moderate-high recovery during
Intensity exercise
Daily Meeting high
energy needs
Greater than
5 to 6 hours
3.0 – 4.5 grams/lb. Prolonged Daily muscle
375 – 562 g 495 – 742 g
glycogen
Moderate-high recovery
intensity
“Load muscle”
Daily prior exercise
Greater 90 Refueling during
Minutes exercise
2.5 – 3.0 grams/lb. Moderate duration Daily
muscle 280 – 375 g 370 – 495 g
glycogen
Moderate intensity recovery
under one hour
Low intensity several
hours
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HOW TO LOSE WEIGHT AND MAINTAIN ENERGY
If you continually go “on a diet” and then “off a diet”,
you need to acknowledge that diets don’t work! In order to lose
weight healthfully and to keep it off, you should look at you eating habits.
After all, it is your eating habits and inactivity that can lead to weight
problems…particularly the overeating that commonly occurs after
blowing a strict diet.
Strict diets teach you to have will power and how
to deny yourself food, but also vitamins, minerals, proteins, and carbohydrates;
the nutrients you need to perform at your best. Strict diets leave you
feeling deprived of one of life’s pleasures – food. Rather
than “diet”, you should learn how to healthfully eat “diet
portions” of any food that you currently enjoy and would like to
eat for the rest of your life. Healthful eating offers more long-term
success than crash dieting.
12 STEPS FOR SUCCESSFUL WEIGHT REDUCTION
1. Write down what you typically eat in a day, then evaluate your meal
patterns. Do you nibble all day? Have humongous dinners? Munch-out at
night? Overeat because you are too hungry? Tired? Nervous? Bored? Stressed?
Think about moods. If there are times when a hug and human comfort would
nourish you better than food, do not even start eating; no amount of food
will satisfy you. Food is only fuel.
2. Become aware of meal timing. Many athletes tend to be “good”
during the day and “bad” at night. If this describes you,
try eating a bigger breakfast, lunch, a planned afternoon snack, and then
a lighter dinner. By giving yourself permission to eat more calories during
the day, you will not only burn of those calories, but you will also prevent
yourself from getting ravenous at night. Generally speaking, once you
are ravenous, you do not care about what you eat – or how much –
you just simply eat.
3. To very roughly estimate the number of calories needed to maintain
your current weight:
· Multiply your desired weight by 10. This is your resting metabolic
rate (the amount of calories you need to lie in bed all day and breathe.)
For example: if your target weight is 120 lbs., your resting metabolic
rate is 1200 calories. These are calories you burn even if you are injured
or taking a day from exercise.
· Add another third to half of that number for your general daily
activity – excluding your specific training or exercise program.
If you are active during the day (i.e., going up and down stairs, walking
around, doing errands), you will burn off more calories than if you are
sitting, studying, reading, or working at a desk. For example: a 120 lb.
mother with three children is quite active and will need about 1200 calories
(resting metabolism) plus 600 calories (general daily activity), bringing
her daily needs to 1800 calories.
· Next, add on calories that you burn off during your training/exercise
program. Here’s the caloric expenditure for some popular sports
based on weight and calories burned per minute of activity:
Activity 110 130 150 170 (Body Weight in lbs.)
Bike, 13 mph 8.5 10.0 11.5 13 calories/minute
Running, 8 min/mile 10.8 12.5 14.2 16
Squash 10.6 13.1 14.4 17
Swimming, hard 7.8 9.2 10.6 12
Walking, normal pace 4.0 4.7 5.4 6.2
From: Nutrition, Weight Control and Exercise. F. Katch & W. McArdle,
Lea & Febiger, 1988.
Note: This is a rough estimate of your calorie
needs. You may burn more calories or fewer calories, depending on many
factors unique to your body. For example: if you tend to eat more than
your peers, you probably have a high than average metabolic rate. If you
generally eat less than your peers, you may be energy efficient and require
fewer calories. A registered dietician can help you more accurately determine
your actual energy needs.
4. Subtract 500 – 1000 calories per day from the total to estimate
the number of calories you
should eat for weight loss. Small athletes (i.e., skaters, gymnasts, dancers)
should subtract fewer calories than larger athletes (football players,
body builders). Otherwise, they will cut back too much, could become ravenously
hungry and be at high risk for “blowing” the diet again.
5. Organize your eating into a realist plan. For example: if you maintain
your weight on about 2200 calories you should plan to lose weight on about
1700 calories. Divide those 1700 calories into three meals plus snacks
such as 500 calories for breakfast, 500 calories for lunch, 200 calories
for an afternoon snack, and 500 calories for dinner. Try to eat the majority
of the calories during the day so that you will have the energy to exercise
at your best. By eating during the day, you will also be able to easily
eat less at night because you won’t be over-hungry. Remember: you
won’t gain weight by eating a substantial breakfast or lunch. You
will gain weight, however, if you skimp on those meals, get too hungry,
and then overeat during the evening!
6. Eat slowly. At meals, put down your fork from time to time. You don’t
have to eat non-stop. Overweight people tend to eat faster than their
normal weight counterparts. Since your brain needs about 20 minutes to
receive the signal that you have eaten your fill; try to pace your eating.
No matter how much you consume during these twenty minutes, the satiety
signal won’t move any faster.
7. Once a week, give yourself permission to have a treat such as a piece
of birthday cake or a special Sunday breakfast. This will give you incentive
to be “good” when tempted at other times. When enjoying this
treat, don’t quickly stuff it into your mouth. Rather, eat is slowly
to fully enjoy the taste. After all, the best part about food is the taste.
8. Keep away from food sources that tempt you. For example: read the newspaper
in the living room rather than the kitchen. Avoid jogging past the baker.
Stand away from the buffet table at a party. By keeping the food out of
sight, you are ore likely to keep it out of mind – and out of your
mouth!
9. If you tend to eat because you are bored, stressed, tired, or lonely,
make a list of ten non-food activities you can do instead of eating: water
the plants, take a bath, call a friend, write letters, go for a walk,
go to sleep, etc. If you are stressed, take steps to resolve the real
problem… and recognize that no amount of food will resolve the stress.
Learn how to handle stress and anxiety without overeating.
10. Think thin. Every morning before you get out of bed, visualize yourself
as being slimmer and trimmer. This will help you start the day with a
positive attitude. Continually remind yourself that you’d rather
be thinner than overeat.
11. Measure success by looking at yourself naked in the mirror. If you
see – and pinch – less fat, you have less fat! If you weigh
yourself, do so first thing in the morning, after you have gone to the
bathroom and before you have eaten. Do not weigh yourself after a workout
or at night – that gives a false weight!
12. Be proud of your success and keep reminding yourself that when you
eat well, you not only feel better, your also feel better about yourself.
Plus, you still have energy to exercise and invest in top performance.
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HOW TO GAIN WEIGHT HEALTHFULLY
In order to gain weight, you have to consume more calories than you burn
off. Theoretically, this means eating an additional 500 calories per day
to gain one pound per week. Some thin people, however, have difficulty
gaining weight and have to consume more calories than that. To take in
the extra calories, you can eat:
· An extra snack such as a bedtime peanut better sandwich with
a glass of milk.
· Larger than normal portions at mealtime.
· Higher calorie foods.
Many people who try to gain weight think that a
high protein diet will help them to bulk up. This is false. Although you
may need a little extra protein to build muscle, your normal diet undoubtedly
offers more than enough protein. The average American easily eats two
to three times the recommended amounts of protein. Hence, you do not need
to spend money on protein powders, pills and special supplements. Instead,
spend your money on wholesome, high calorie foods.
When you make your food selections, keep in mind
that fats are the most concentrated forms of calories. One teaspoon of
fat (butter, oil, margarine, or mayonnaise) has 36 calories, whereas the
same amount of carbohydrate or protein has only 16 calories. Since most
protein foods generally contain fat (such as the cream that is in cheese,
grease in hamburger, or oil in peanut butter), these foods tend to be
high in calories. However, some fats can also be bad for your health –
such as the saturated fat that is in cheese, beef, chicken skin, butter,
and bacon. You should try to reduce your intake of these fats and focus
instead on the more heart-healthful fats such as corn oil margarine, olive
oil, old-fashioned peanut butter, and oily fish such as salmon and mackerel.
The following are suggestions to boost your calorie
intake:
JUICE: Apple, cranberry, grape, pineapple, and
apricot have more calories than grapefruit, orange, and tomato juice.
To increase the calories in frozen orange juice, add less water than the
directions suggest.
FRUIT: Bananas, pineapple, raisins, dates, dried
apricots and other dried fruits have more calories than watery fruits
such as grapefruit, plums, and peaches.
MILK: To boost the calorie value of milk, add ¼
cup powdered milk to one cup of whole milk. You can also add malt powder,
Ovaltine, Carnation’s Instant Breakfast, Nestle’s Quick or
other flavorings. If you mix these up by the quart, they will be ready
and waiting for you in the refrigerator. You can also make blender drinks
such as milk shakes, fruit smoothies, and frappes.
HOT CEREAL: By cooking hot cereal with milk, instead
of water, you will add both calories and nutritional value. Add lots of
mix-ins such as powdered milk, margarine, peanut butter, walnuts, sunflower
seeds, wheat germ, and dried fruit.
COLD CEREAL: Choose dense cereals (as opposed to
flake and puffed types) such as granola, muesli, Grape-nuts, and Wheat
Chex; top with raisins, bananas, and other fruit.
TOAST: Spread with generous amounts of peanut butter,
butter, and jam.
SANDWICHES: Select hearty, dense breads (as opposed to fluffy types) such
as sprouted wheat, honey bran, rye, and pumpernickel – the thicker
the slices the better! Spread with generous amounts of margarine or mayonnaise.
Generously stuff with tuna, chicken, and other sandwich fillings. Good
old peanut butter and jelly is an inexpensive, healthful, and high calorie
choice.
SOUPS: Hearty lentil, split pea, minestrone, and
barley soups have more calories than broth (chicken and beef types) –
unless they are chock-full of veggies and meat. To make canned soups (such
as tomato or chowder) more substantial, add evaporated milk in place of
water or milk or add extra powdered milk. Garnish with margarine Parmesan
cheese, and croutons.
MEATS: Although beef, pork, and lamb tend to have
more calories than chicken or fish, they also tend to have more saturated
fat. You should eat them in moderation, taking care to select the leaner
cuts. You can boost the calorie value of lean meat by sautéing
them in safflower, corn or olive oil, or margarine; wine sauce and breadcrumb
toppings can also be added.
BEANS, LEGUMES: Lentils, split pea soup, chili
with beans, limas and other dried beans are not only high in calories
but also excellent sources of proteins and carbohydrates.
VEGETABLES: Peas, corn, carrots, winter squash,
and beets have more calories than green beans, broccoli, summer squash,
and other watery vegetables. Add generous amounts of margarine, slivered
almonds, grated cheese or sauces.
SALADS: What may start out being low calorie lettuce
can be quickly converted into a substantial meal by adding cottage cheese,
garbanzo beans (chick peas), sunflower seeds, assorted vegetables, chopped
walnuts, raisins, tuna fish, lean meats, croutons, and a liberal dousing
of salad dressing (preferably olive oil based).
POTATOES: Add generous amounts of margarine and
extra powdered milk to mashed potatoes. Use sour cream and gravy sparingly.
Each adds significant calories, but they also add heart unhealthful saturated
fat.
DESSERTS: By selecting desserts with nutritional
value, you can enjoy a treat as well as nourish your body. Try oatmeal
raisin cookies, fig newton’s, rice pudding, chocolate pudding, stewed
fruit compote, pumpkin pie, and carrot cake. Even blueberry muffins, corn
bread with honey, banana bread, and other sweet breads can double as a
dessert.
SNACKS: A substantial afternoon and/or evening
snack is an excellent way to boost your calorie intake. If you don’t
feel hungry, just think of the food as a “weight gain medicine”
that you have to take. Some healthful snack choices include: fruit yogurt,
cheese and crackers, peanuts, sunflower seeds, almonds, granola, pretzels,
English muffins, bagels, bran muffins, pizza, peanut butter crackers,
milk shakes, instant breakfast drinks (Slim Fast), hot cocoa, bananas,
dried fruits, and sandwiches.
By adding the additional 500 calories per day,
you should see some weight gain. Be sure to include moderate amounts of
exercise in order to promote muscular growth rather than just fat deposits.
If you don’t gain weight after two weeks of consistent higher calorie
eating (three meals/day plus snacks), look to your family members to see
if you inherited a naturally trim physique. Also keep in mind that most
thin people gain some weight as they get older. Your turn will come! Enjoy
being thin while you can.
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HOW TO
BOOST YOUR IRON INTAKE
Iron is an important part of the red blood cell
that helps transport oxygen from the lungs to the muscles. If you have
a diet that is low in iron, you may develop iron deficiency anemia. The
symptoms are weakness and rapid fatigue upon exertion. The Recommended
Daily Allowance (RDA) for iron is 10 milligrams for men and 18 milligrams
for women. Women require more iron because of loss through menstrual bleeding.
The average woman consumes less than the RDA for iron.
You can absorb the iron in meat and animal products
twice as efficiently as that in vegetables. For example, although spinach
is a relatively iron-rich vegetable, you can only absorb 3% of that iron.
Animal proteins enhance the absorption of the iron from vegetables when
the two foods are eaten together. If you were to eat spinach along with
some chicken, meat, or fish, the animal protein would help you to better
absorb the vegetable-iron. Similarly, if you add lean hamburger to chili,
the meat will help you to better absorb the iron in the chili beans.
Vitamin C also enhances iron absorption. Try to eat vitamin C rich foods
along with meals. This includes orange juice with breakfast cereal, sliced
tomato on a tuna sandwich, and broccoli with fish. Some fruits rich in
vitamin C include oranges, grapefruit, cantaloupe, kiwi, and strawberries.
Vitamin C rich vegetables include broccoli, spinach, peppers, tomato,
and potato.
Bread, cereal, and other wholesome carbohydrates
are good sources of iron if the words “enriched” or “fortified”
are on the food label. In general, grain products offer very little iron,
and it is poorly absorbed. The iron in fortified grains supplements the
little bit that occurs naturally. You can significantly boost absorption
of this iron by eating a source of vitamin C with grains. For example:
by having a glass of orange juice with a breakfast cereal, you will absorb
2.5 times more iron.
When cooking, use cast iron skillets and pots.
They offer more nutritional value than stainless steel! For instance,
the iron content of spaghetti sauce increases from 3 to 88 mg/half-cup
sauce when simmered in an iron pot for 3 hours.
Milk and dairy products are poor sources of iron.
If you primarily rely on cheese, yogurt, milk, and other dairy products
for protein, remember that you also need to include some other iron-rich
foods in your diet. Vegetarians who avoid red meat have a much higher
risk of becoming anemic.
If you are not eating lean red meats, iron-enriched
breakfast cereals and grains, and do not use cast iron cookware, you may
want to take a simple iron supplement such as is found in a multi-vitamin
and mineral pill. Taking the RDA may help protect you from becoming anemic,
but remember that the iron in meats and animal foods is better absorbed.
If you are an avid runner, you should pay particular
attention to your iron intake since runners are more prone to becoming
anemic than other athletes; perhaps because the pounding damages blood
cells.
The following list indicates the iron content of popular foods. To help
determine if you meet the RDA, add up the milligrams of iron that you
consume in a day.
FOOD IRON (mg) FOOD IRON (mg)
Liver, 4 oz., cooked 10* Baked beans, ½
cup 2
Beef, 4 oz., roasted 6* Kidney beans, ½ cup 2
Pork, 4 oz., roasted 5* Bean curd (tofu), ¼ cake 2
Turkey, 4 oz., roasted (dark) 3* Cereal, 100% fortified 18
Tuna, 6.5 oz., canned light 2* (Total, Just Right) ¾ cup
Chicken breast, 4 oz., roasted 1* Kellogg’s Raisin Bran, ½
cup 18
Fish, 4 oz., broiled haddock 1* Cream of Wheat, ½ cup 9
Egg, 1 large 1 Wheat Chex, 2/3 cup 4.5
Prune juice, 8 oz. 3 Spaghetti, enriched, cooked, 1
Apricots, 12 halves, dried 2 ½ cup
Dates, 10 dried 1 Bread, 1 slice, enriched 1
Raisins, 1/3 cup 1 Molasses, 1 Tbsp., Blackstrap 2
Spinach, cooked, ½ cup 2 Brewer’s yeast, 1 Tbsp. 2
Green peas, cooked, ½ cup 1 Wheat germ, ¼ cup 2
Broccoli, chopped, ½ cup 1
* This iron is best absorbed.
MAXIMUM RECOMMENDED AMOUNT – 1.0 grams
Fiber is not an energy source for the body, but it does have an important
roll in digestion effectiveness. High fiber diets fill you up thus helping
maintain a lower calorie diet. We should eat 40 – 60 grams of fiber
a day. Each group listed below averages 10 grams of dietary fiber
GRAINS VEGETABLES FRUITS
½ cup All Bran cereal ½ cup mixed
beans 3 pears
1 cup rolled oats ½ cup peas 3 bananas
1 cup whole-grain cereal ½ cup lentils 4 peaches
2 ears sweet corn 1 cup peanuts 4 oz. Blackberries
3 slices whole rye bread 2 cups soybeans 5 apples
3 cups Puffed Wheat cereal 3 cups steamed vegetables 6 oranges
4 slices whole wheat bread 4 large carrots 6 dried pear halves
4 squares Shredded Wheat cereal 4 cups sunflower seeds 10 dried figs
4 oz. popcorn 5 cups raw cauliflower 20 prunes
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TOP
SPORTS FOODS: SOME HEALTHFUL CHOICES
When you are training hard, juggling school, work, exercise, and social
activities plus trying to eat healthfully, you may feel frustrated that
you have no time to eat the proverbial “three square meals”
every day. Never the less, you can maintain a healthful diet. The trick
is to eat a variety of nutrient-dense, low fat snacks and meals on the
run.
The following list includes foods that you can
easily find in a convenience store, sandwich shop, salad bar, or can keep
stocked at home. These nourishing choices invest in your health within
a moderate to low calorie price. Since none are nutritionally complete,
you need to choose a variety of foods in order to get a balance of the
vitamins, minerals, carbohydrates, and proteins necessary for top performance
and good health.
FOOD IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS COMMENTS
Milk, yogurt calcium, protein, Plan to eat low
fat dairy products 2 – 4 times each day for
(Low fat) riboflavin calcium, a mineral important throughout lifetime
to maintain strong bones. Pizza (with low fat mozzarella cheese) is another
calcium-rich choice.
Broccoli vitamins A, C One stalk (cooked) offers
100% RDA for vitamin C.
Frozen and fresh are nutritionally similar since freezing does not destroy
the vitamin C.
Spinach vitamins A, C Add to salads for more nutrients
than offered by pale lettuce.
folic acid Keep frozen spinach stocked at home for a quick dinner
vegetable.
Green peppers vitamin C Half a pepper offers 100%
RDA for vitamin C. Add to salads,
pizza; munch on a raw pepper for a low calorie snack.
Tomatoes vitamins A, C Boost intake by adding sliced
tomatoes to sandwiches; choose
potassium foods with tomato sauce (pizza, pasta); drink tomato juice.
V-8 Juice vitamins A, C An easy, cook-free way
to get nutrients from eight vegetables.
potassium Keep small cans stocked for a snack or lunch time beverage.
Baked potato potassium, vitamin C, Be sure to eat
the skin; it contains 75% of the vitamin C. For
carbohydrate a low calorie topping, add yogurt. Or mash the baked potato
with milk to add moistness without the fat and calories of butter or sour
cream.
Orange juice, vitamin C, potassium, Six ounces
(fresh or frozen) offers 100% RDA of vitamin C. oranges folic acid, carbohydrates
A great post-exercise “recovery food” for potassium,
carbohydrate, and fluids. Orange juice is nutritionally superior to many
other fruit juices.
Bananas potassium, carbohydrates, To prevent over
ripening, store bananas in the refrigerator. vitamin C Their skin may
turn black, but the fruit will be fine. Add
bananas to cereal; eat with peanut butter and a glass of milk for a balanced
meal on the run.
Cantaloupe vitamins C, A Half a small melon offers
100% RDA of vitamin C for very
few calories. Enjoy with low fat cottage cheese for quick, light lunch
or snack.
FOOD IMPORTANT NUTRIENTS COMMENTS
Chicken, protein Thigh and leg meat has more iron
and zinc than breast meat.
turkey To reduce fat, calories, and cholesterol, remove the skin.
Lean beef protein, iron, zinc Beef is among the
best sources of iron and zinc. Avoid fatty
Meats; choose a lean roast beef sandwich rather than a greasy
hamburger.
Fish, tuna protein, fish oil The oil in salmon,
albacore tuna, and sardines protects against
heart disease. Avoid fried; use low fat mayonnaise with tuna,
if possible.
Bran cereal, fiber, carbohydrates, Bran is excellent
for fiber (to help prevent constipation).
Enriched iron, B-vitamins Select “fortified” and “enriched”
cereals for the most iron;
drink orange juice with cereal to enhance iron absorption.
Muffins, carbohydrates, B-vitamins, Preferable
to doughnuts or breakfast pastry. Try to buy low
Bran, corn fiber fat whole wheat, corn or bran muffins rather than cake-like
ones. Top with jelly rather than butter for extra carbohydrates and moistness.
Bread, bagels, carbohydrates, B-vitamins, Dark,
whole grain breads (rye, whole wheat, oatmeal, etc.) are
whole grain fiber preferable to bread made with refined white flour. Breads
are
not fattening if you limit butter, margarine, cream cheese, and mayonnaise.
Pizza, calcium, protein, vitamin A, Of fast foods,
pizza with thick crust, single cheese, vegetable
thick crust carbohydrates toppings (not pepperoni or sausage) are preferable
to burgers.
If the pizza is oily, blot off the grease with a napkin.
Popcorn, carbohydrates, fiber A wholesome, low
fat snack that is preferable to greasy chips. air-popped Be cautious of
even “light” commercial brands of popcorn –
they can be half fat.
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SUPPLEMENTS
Creatine, chromium, betahydroxy-beta-methyl butyrate (HMB), protein, and
amino acids are the most advertised and popular nutritional supplements
to enhance muscle mass. These supplements are available everywhere we
look; stores, mail order, and Internet. Listed below is the supplement
with its advertised effect. The information is not to be perceived as
a scare tactic; just the real evidence.
CREATINE: Creatine occurs naturally
in meat and fish. It is also synthesized in the body from
The amino acids glycine and arginine. Creatine combines with phosphate
and is used by the body to help generate energy for the body.
Most of the scientific research evaluating creatine
has found ingestion of creatine improves repetitive, short term, strenuous
exercise performance, but the effectiveness is still debated. Supplementation
of creatine (20 – 30 grams/day for 5 days) has been shown to increase
muscle mass and body weight by 1 – 3 Kg. Some studies did not find
any increase in body weight. An interesting side note is that 20 grams
of creatine is found in 5.5 Kg of raw steak. One study found vegetarians
had the highest uptake of creatine. This is thought to be from the lack
of meat in the diet; thus these individuals began with initial lower creatine
levels. Other studies showed that some individuals show large increases
in body weight while other studies show little body weight change.
We are unsure as to why some people have an increase in body weight. One
thought is that creatine helps in water retention in muscle tissues. There
is decreased urine output that would indicate water retention. There seems
to be no ill side effects to the ingestion of creatine. However, these
studies have been of short-term duration (4 days to 2 months.) We only
have anecdotal evidence of possible dangers. They are muscle cramping,
muscle spasms, and muscle strains. There have been no long-term studies
conducted. The manufacturers recommend 20 grams per day (loading period)
for 5 days followed by 2 – 5 grams per day after that (maintenance
period). Without long-term research and the unknown effects of how it
will react in the teenage body; athletes need to be very careful of its
supplemental use.
CHROMIUM: It is one of our trace
minerals essential for life. It is thought that with an increase in chromium,
one could get bigger and stronger because of the glucose and amino acid
uptake of insulin. Chromium does help in the increase of muscle mass of
animals, but we are unsure about its effect on humans. A report in 1989
suggested that the ingestion of chromium would increase the lean muscle
mass of humans; however, four subsequent studies were not able to confirm
those findings. The majority of studies show that chromium supplementation
is not effective in increasing lean body mass. We need chromium in our
diets, but it is best to eat foods that contain it (wheat germ, American
cheese, mushrooms) instead of powdered form.
BETA-HYDORXY-BETA-METHYLBUTYRATE (HMB):
HMB is not an essential nutrient and is not fully understood
in the human body. It is reported that it increases muscle mass by preventing
protein breakdown with exercise. The problem is that there is not enough
data to support or dispute the claims made by the manufacturers. Further
studies are needed to determine how or if it works and if it is safe for
long term use.
PROTEIN: The old saying “to
make muscle you need to eat muscle” is what drives the protein supplement
manufacturers. The powdered protein or various amino acid combinations
are designed to increase muscle mass. It is true that athletes do require
more protein than non-athletes, but only a little extra protein will suffice.
Most of the powders require you to consume more than is needed by the
body to repair and generate tissue. The excess protein that is consumed
is broken down and used as energy and excreted. If you are concerned that
you are not getting enough protein in your diet, an inexpensive and good
source of protein is dry milk powder (casein). This will provide all of
the necessary amino acids and at less than half the cost of the high tech
protein supplements marketed to athletes. Some powders use whey protein
or “special” enzymes, and they have not been scientifically
tested. There is no data to support the claims of muscle gain.
AMINO ACIDS: It is claimed that
by taking amine acids (arginine, ornithine, histidine, lysine, methionine,
and phenylalanine) it gives the user anabolic effects by releasing growth
hormone and insulin thus increasing muscle mass. However, manufacturer-recommended
doses are not likely to increase growth hormone and alter body weight.
Higher levels of amino acids can cause mild to severe stomach cramps and
diarrhea. It does not seem as if amino acid supplements will promote gains
in muscle mass.
To put it simply, there is not enough research
out there to promote the use of any of these products. Why do you want
to let your body be a guinea pig for unknown dangers? This paper has shown
how you can get all of the nutrients you need by eating food. Food is
the cutting edge of strength, speed, and size.
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