Eating For Health

Sports – so fun to have your kids play a sport.   Last week we noted that sports not only require skill but also fuel.   We noted how important it is to stay hydrated and how important carbs are to an athlete as carbs fuel the body.   What about maintaining weight?   Many teenagers lose weight when participating in sports as they not only need calories because they are growing, they need calories to fuel their sports activity.   A local basketball coach was alarmed when one of his players kept losing weight and lost 11 pounds over the basketball season.   And this was 11 pounds the teenager didn’t want to lose.   What are some ways an athlete can maintain their weight and muscle mass while playing sports?   What are some nutrition goals student athletes should focus on to “ eat better, play better ”? 1.        Maintaining Weight – Not surprising, maintaining weight involves calories.   Athletes, especiall...

Are you or your kids playing some sports this coming school year?   Will they be playing football , basketball or soccer?   Sports require not only skill but fuel – healthy nutrition to have energy for the game.   There is a lot of information on nutrition but what is reliable and what isn’t?   How important is just drinking enough water to performance?   What about salt and other electrolytes?   What should student athletes eat before games?   How can a student athlete prevent losing weight during the sports season?   I’ve known student athletes that struggle to maintain their weight during the sports season.   This week I was advising a coach on nutrition for students playing football but most of the same advice applies to students playing basketball or soccer.   In the next few weeks we will focus on sports nutrition.    What are some nutrition goals student athletes should focus on?  1.    ...

What are some of the latest findings about nutrition?   Interested in following the Paleo Diet?   New research indicates this may not be a heart healthy diet.   Want less belly fat?   To reduce belly fat are there foods should you be eating more of? Paleo Diet – many personal trainers and others push the Paleo Diet for good health.   Many articles have been written about the Paleo Diet and many outline the health issues related to this diet.   I have never been a fan.   As Dr. Donohue once noted, cave man didn’t live a long life and this diet follows that of cave man.   The European Journal of Nutrition studied 44 on the Paleo Diet and looked at 47 others on a more traditional diet.   They found that people on the Paleo diet had higher levels of a gut-produced compound called TMAO than those not on the Paleo Diet.   Interesting that some people promote the Paleo Diet for gut health. The gut-produced compound that is increased ...