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SPORTS
& NUTRITION - THE WINNING COMBINATION by Sean Peters
Keeping
your energy levels up for peak performance is not easy. It does not just seem to
happen. High energy levels are a result of good eating as well as exercise. If
you do not pay attention to what you eat and the supplements you take, your performance
will suffer. One of the most common nutrition problems of the young athletes of
today is simply not eating enough, especially of the complex carbohydrates. Life
for all of us, including the families and children, is now a lot busier and we
spend much of our lives rushing around so our diets suffer as we eat more
processed/convenience foods which is high in preservatives, colours, flavours
and, of course, chemicals especially true if we fry our food or burn our meats.
Also,
we must understand the difference between simple and complex carbohydrates -
this is vital for every sports person. Simple carbohydrates are better known as
stimulants ie coffee, tea, chocolate, alcohol, biscuits, cakes etc - these are
high in sugar content - they give us a quick burst of energy which does not last
long. After a short time we feel worse so we have another coffee, another
biscuit and it becomes a vicious circle. Sadly, this is how a large percentage
of people live, spending their lives taking stimulants to give them an
artificial high not realising that they are losing the energy baffle because
they have to take more and more to maintain their energy levels.
So,
complex carbohydrates ie the slow releasing energy food (which give you energy
without the lows of the simple carbohydrates) in the form of brown bread (white
breads are processed, high in starch with most of the goodness and essential
minerals taken out), brown rice, pasta, all types of fruit and vegetables,
grains, seeds etc - all of which offer a high fibre content.
Lets
look at some interesting facts to help us combine our foods and enable us to
choose a wide variety of healthy foods:
Simple Carbohydrates
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These foods provide empty calories - no vitamins and no minerals or
goodness.
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Complex Carbohydrates
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These foods contain many essential nutrients - they are low in fat but
high in fibre.
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Top
athletes will need at Top athletes will need at least 5,000 calories a day. The forgotten nutrient is
water. Water plays a very important role in the regulation of body temperature
and acts as a vehicle for transporting nutrients and wastes in the body and aids
digestion. The sensation of thirst is a sign that you are in need of fluid. In
sports terms, if you are thirsty, you have already lost 20 - 30% of your
sporting capacity. So, drink water often.
The
six essential nutrients are: Protein, Carbohydrates, Fat, Vitamins, Minerals and
Water.
I
hope I have given you and your family an idea of how to use food for energy, to
improve your fitness, stamina, mind and, have a healthier and longer life.
Studies have proved that eating the right food can lengthen your life by 20%.
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