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Building strength, balance, power and grace from within

Nutrition 

      A diet is what you DO eat! iStockberries.jpg

In an effort to maintain lean body mass, the performance athlete often skimps on much needed nutrients. It is important to make nutrient dense, healthy choices for good health, growth and improved performance.  Read more

Why good nutrition? 

  • Healthy foods nourish your body
  • Healthy foods help prevent illness
  • Healthy foods help prevent and fight diseases
  • Healthy foods improve performance

Tips for Healthy Eating
  • Eat balanced meals 
  • Try to eat at a table rather than on the go. Enjoy!
  • Eat proper portions
  • Eat 5 small meals per day rather than 3 large meals
  • Eat a variety of fruits and vegetables
  • Avoid excess white flour, white sugar, processed foods and high fructose corn syrup
  • Avoid carbonated beverages
  • Avoid fast food and food cooked in saturate fats/oils
  • Drink plenty of water
  • Meal plan before you are hungry
  • Keep healthy snacks at hand
  • Talk to a dietition or family physician about taking a-vitamin supplement

Everyone has unique dietary considerations. Consider making an appointment with a registered dietition in your area.

Meal planning Tips

Meal Planning saves time, money and unwanted calories 

  • Gather some tasty healthy recipes
  • Purchase a lunch box with containers that keeps your cold items cold and your hot items hot
  • Plan out your meals (including snacks) for 1 week
  • Create a shopping list
  • Go to the grocery store with a full tummy and shop only from the list
  • Put together your meals fresh each day
  • Having a snack attack? Relax, there is a tasty snack close at hand!

Recipe of the Month

             Ginger and Carrot Cake

  • 2 tsp ground ginger
  • 3/4 cup dark brown soft sugar
  • 1 1/4 cups self raising flower
  • 2 large carrots, washed and grated
  • 1 egg, beaten
  • 8fl oz 1% milk

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line a 1 lb. tin with greaseproof paper. Blend the ground ginger, sugar and flour into a bowl. Add n the grated carrots and stir. Add the egg to the milk and stir this into the mixture, blending in well. Pour te misture into the prepared tin and bake in the oven for approximately 55 minutes, or until a skewer inserted into the cake comes out clean. Leave to cool.

Recipe from "the 28 day plan"-get fit for the beach", Christine Green, Parragon Publishing

Nutrition for Performance

Performance Centered Nutrition Download

Eating Disorders

Fact: Nearly 10 million girls/women and up to 1 million boys/men in the United States suffer from anorexia or bulimia

Anorexia: Cycle of self starvation in which the body is robbed of essential nutrients. As a result, normal bodily functions are slowed to conserve energy. 

Symptoms that may be present with Anorexia:

  • Introverted
  • Angry
  • Controlled
  • Ritualistic
  • Denial of Hunger
  • Restricts calories
  • Turns away from food to cope
  • May say "I'm too fat."
  • Lack of period (after normal age of puberty)
  • Overachiever/perfectionist
  • Demanding and critical

Health Problems associated with Anorexia:

  • Fatigue
  • Slow Heart Rate
  • Severe dehydration
  • Hair loss
  • Fainting
  • Decreased performance
  • Muscle atrophy & weakness
  • Anemia
  • Death

Bulimia Nervosa: Bulimia Nervosa is characterized by binge and purge cycles.

Symptoms that you may observe in someone with Bulimia:

  • High achiever
  • Extoverted
  • Turns to food to cope
  • Binge eating followed by fasting, laxative abuse, vomiting, over-exercising
  • Impulsive
  • Obsessive Compulsive

Health Problems from Bulimia

  • Dental problems (from vomiting)
  • Peptic ulcers
  • Pancreatitiis
  • Gastric ruptures
  • Chronic bowel problems (from laxative abuse)
  • Electrolyte imbalance-can lead to heart failure-and death

If you or someone who know is suffering from an eating disorder, contact:

National Eating Disorders Association hotline: 1-800-931-2237 (hours vary)

National Eating Disorders Association Website

 

Nutrition Links

Nutrition.gov

My Pyramid

Real Age

National Eating Disorders Association