Nutrition may
arguably be one of the most important decisions you make on a daily basis. Sound nutrition is often overlooked today in
America and is especially important to athletes and those involved in physical
fitness. In order to make lasting change
in an individual’s diet you must make it simple. That is why I have broken it down into the
seven rules of good nutrition. Before I
go any further, I would like to pay a special thanks to Central College
Strength & Conditioning for this information. During my undergraduate S&C internship
experience at Central College I partook in many nutritional meetings with
countless athletes one on one. During
each individual consolation I shared these seven rules of good nutrition with
each of them.
1. Eat Every 2-3 Hours- Keep your body fueled throughout the day. By eating many smaller meals and snacks in
between your body is unable to store these calories as fat and instead each
calorie is utilized.
2. Eat a Lean Protein Source with Every Feeding- Aim for 1g of protein per pound of bodyweight. Lean protein sources include chicken, beef,
turkey, fish, eggs, pork, protein shakes, cottage cheese, ect.
3. Eat a Fruit/Vegetable with Every Feeding- Aim for 10 servings of fruits and vegetables per
day. Also, eat as many different colors
as possible (eat the rainbow). Different
colors of fruits and veggies correspond with different vitamins and minerals.
4. Time Up Your Carbohydrates For Best Times During the
Day- Try to consume the majority of
your carbs in the morning and pre and post-workout. Avoid around dinner and before bed.
5. Drink Non-Calorie Containing Beverages Most of the Day- All beverages contain calories except water and
green tea. Aim for 1 gallon of water per
day to avoid dehydration.
6. Eat Healthy Fats- All fat is not created equal.
Healthy fats include olive oil, fish oil, flax seed, and the fat found
in eggs (omega-3). Healthy fats are used
as an anti-inflammatory and joint lubricant as well as an energy source.
7. Prepare
Your Food Ahead of Time-
This will help you to eat on the run and be able to eat every 2-3 hours.
Nutrition is very important for many reasons. It seems like today that more and more people are forgetting to take care of their bodies. These 7 rules of good nutrition are easy for anyone to follow to help make a healthier lifestyle change. For me the hardest thing is making the time to get to the store and prepare my food ahead of time to put myself in a better position to succeed at having good nutrition but I have learned that I need to make that time because it is important to take care of my body. I will also take your tip on eating “the rainbow” in my fruits and veggies. I find myself eating more green then anything.
ReplyDeleteWhere is Central College? I would like to look up their S&C program.
ReplyDeleteCharles, you and I were on the same wave length this week. I myself have been the one to find all these tips out the hard way, through trial and error. I used to think that as long as you worked out, it didn’t matter what you ate. I was totally wrong. My body changed through weight lifting, but when I focused on the nutrition aspect, my body changed in ways I never imagined possible. I became leaner, stronger, I was more energetic, I had more endurance (both muscular and cardiovascular), I recovered quicker from workouts, and I felt like an overall new person. I literally am in the best shape of my life at the tender age of 31. Not many people in the world know the benefits of a proper nutrition.
ReplyDeleteIt cannot be emphasized how important nutrition is for optimal performance, recovery, and physique. Athletes need to eat every few hours in order to keep their energy stores up and maximize their workouts and this is often one of the hardest things to comprehend for people who are trying to lose weight or change their body composition. They think that they need to eat fewer meals, or skip snacks and meals in order to lose weight when they are actually damaging their metabolism and forcing their bodies to store everything they eat as fat. It is obvious that you have a lot of knowledge in nutrition and I think it is great that you are able to share that with the athletes that you train.
ReplyDeleteSo many people do not understand the true value of nutrition with a workout program. I know some individuals who believe that eating 2 small meals daily and working out for an hour and a half is a healthy way to get skinny or lean. They don't realize the harm they are placing on their body and that their body is utilizing that as fat. I agree completely with the multiple small feedings throughout the day and the large quantities of fruits and veg.
ReplyDeleteCentral College is in Pella, Iowa. They have a great website for the Strength & Conditioning program. Very detailed and helpful.
ReplyDelete