Ingredients:
Ingredients:
Ingredients:
6 oz Plain Lowfat Yogurt
1-2 cups Carrot Juice
1/2-1 stalk Celery (sliced)
1/8 tsp Gingerroot (grated)
4-6 Ice Cubes
Optional: 1 scoop Protein Powder
Directions:
Combine all ingredients in blender and puree until smooth consistency.
Tavis Piattoly, MS, LDN, RD
Team Dietitan: New Orleans Saints
Many athletes don't take into account the significance nutrition plays in improving performance, enhancing recovery, and reducing down time from injuries and illness. Combining a quality diet, the timing of specific nutrients (i.e. Protein and Carbohydrate), and smart supplementation with a well-rounded Strength and Conditioning program results in a healthier athlete who will perform at the highest level day in and day out. Below are 5 of my top 10 Nutrition Guidelines for the Athletes (Part 1).
1) Nutrition is your Secret Weapon
If you bought a new Mercedes, would you fill it up with 87 Octane or 93 Super Premium Gasoline? I also agree the finest gasoline will make your car run better and result in less mechanical problems. The same goes for quality nutrition and your body. Fueling your body with high quality nutrition provides you with a foundation to acheive optimal energy levels, improve muscle recovery, minimize your risk of illness (cold, flu, infection), and break records in the weight room. Here's a start on what I define as quality nutrition.
2) Eat and Eat Often
In order to keep your body's gas tank full and maintain a high level of energy, eating every 3-4 hours will prevent your body from using muscle (protein) for energy and instead, burn fat. Additional benefits include maintaining a healthy blood sugar, prevention of overeating, and maintaining lean muscle mass. Skipping meals (going more than 4 hours without eating) causes the body to use muscle for energy which increases body fat and impairs performance. Have a plan by bringing healthy snacks to school to eat between meals, after practice, or lifting. Try some of the following snacks:
You've been hearing this for years from your parents, teachers, and coaches. They got it right. Not only is breakfast the most important meal, it could be the biggest mistake if you decide not to eat it. What time was your last meal the previous night? If your last meal was 9:00 or 10:00 pm, going until 12:00 pm the next day results in 14-15 hours of fasting. Remember what happens when we skip meals? Now you're in continuous muscle burning mode. Now combine skipping breakfast with an early morning lifting session on an empty stomach and you will see the negative impact it has on performance. Doing so increases the risk of you eating larger portions at night when you are less active, promoting the storage of body fat and the potential for weight gain. Start the morning with a well rounded breakfast (egg whites, oatmeal, whole grain cereal, fresh fruit, 100% juice, whole wheat toast). If you have an early morning lifting session and have trouble eating whole food, take 1 scoop of whey protein with water or lowfat milk and a piece of fresh fruit to activate your muscle tissue.
4) Time your Nutrients for Greater Muscle Gains and RecoveryThe timing of nutrients, especially protein and carbohydrates, are extremely important to repair damaged muscle tissue caused by an intense weight lifting session. Having a combination of protein and carbs immediately post workout can improve muscle recovery by 250% as opposed to not consuming calories. You have a small window of opportunity after your workout to optimize recovery so be sure to grab a shake or eat a meal within 30-60 minutes. Waiting longer than 2 hours after your workout to refuel your body causes your body to breakdown more protein than it will rebuild. A ratio of 3 or 4:1 grams of carbohydrate to protein has been proven to facilitate protein synthesis (muscle repair) and the refueling of glycogen (your body's gas tank). Here are some convenient post workout options to ensure recovery is acheived.
Although most college athletes are not of age to drink, I'm a realist and realize some of you will celebrate a big win with a night of heavy drinking. Doing so could significantly impair future performance. In a matter of fact, one night of heavy drinking could off-set the muscle gains acheived through one week of intense strength training. Here are the negative effects alcohol has on performance.
This is Part 1 of the Top 10 Nutrition Guidelines for Athletes. For additional questions, feel free to contact me at tpiattoly@gmail.com
Information provided by: Tavis Piattoly, MS, LDN, RD Team Dietitian, New Orleans Saints.
While many adolescents and young adults opt for a vegetarian diet because of its healthful effects on the body and digestive processes, a recent study in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association discusses the possibility that a vegetarian diet may be at the root of a more serious issue, an eating disorder.
Click on the link belowto read the report entitled: The Dark Side of Vegetarianism
http://www.medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=99031
It doesn't matter if calories come from carbohydrates, protein or fat -- eating less of them leads to weight loss, U.S. researchers said.
Each participant received a diet prescription that encouraged a 750-calorie reduction per day. However, none ate less than 1,200 total calories per day. Participants were asked to do 90 minutes of moderate exercise each week.
The main finding was that diets with varying emphases on carbohydrate, fat and protein levels all achieved clinically meaningful weight loss and maintenance of weight loss over a two-year period.
Have you ever stopped at the convenience store before class or during a long night of studying to get a quick energy boost? College students across campuses rely on artificial forms of energy to get them through long days and nights of class and studying. On top of the typical class demands, student-athletes have to attend mandatory workouts and practices on a regular basis. Unfortunately, student-athletes frequently fall victim to the same energy drink advertisements as the general population. What the energy drink advertisers fail to recognize is that no matter how “safe” or “natural” these energy drinks may be, they may also jeopardize a student-athlete’s athletic eligibility.
Even though the NCAA does not specifically list caffeine as a banned substance, they do regulate the caffeine intake of the collegiate student-athletes by monitoring the concentration of caffeine in the individual’s urine. The NCAA states that a student-athlete will test positive for caffeine if the concentration in urine exceeds 15 micrograms/ml.
In addition to the regulation of caffeine content, the NCAA has a list of other banned stimulants, including an all-natural substance called guarana. Guarana is a plant derivative and one of the richest sources of caffeine, containing up to three times the amount of caffeine as coffee. Even though it has yet to be evaluated by the FDA for safety, effectiveness, or purity, energy drink manufacturers frequently utilize this ingredient as an alternative to other stimulants.
The NCAA is not stating that student-athletes have to completely cut out caffeinated beverages from their daily diet, but the key is moderation. Caffeine consumption in combination with proper hydration using water and electrolyte replacement beverages (i.e. Powerade, Gatorade, etc.), and refraining from energy drinks with excessive amounts of caffeine can prevent a high caffeine concentration in urine. To help you make educated decisions and be more aware of what you’re consuming, the energy drink brochure includes a list of energy drink caffeine contents, energy drinks containing guarana, and various energy drink related websites. Do not let one small decision affect your athletic career.
Banned substance information provided by the NCAA
Blog entry provided by Julie Kruessel, ATC
