HPV: An Unexpected Rise in Throat Cancer

New studies are beginning to show a concerning rise in the incidence of throat and other oropharyngeal cancers as a result of the changing sexual practices of young adults. An interesting article on WebMD discusses this disturbing trend in sexually transmitted disease:

http://www.webmd.com/sexual-conditions/hpv-genital-warts/news/20090729/oral-sex-cause-throat-cancer-rise?src=RSS_PUBLIC

Top Ten Nutritional Tips For Athletes: Part 2

Below is Part 2 of my top 10 nutritional guidelines for athletes. As you recall, my top five emphasized:

1. Nutrition is your Secret Weapon
2. Develop a habit of Eating Frequently
3. Breakfast is for Champions
4. Time Nutrients for Best Muscle Gains and Recovery
5. Skip or Minimize the Alcohol

To round out the Top 10, here are some additional guidelines to help you on a path to developing a lifestyle of healthy eating in addition to becoming a healthier and more productive athlete.

6. Be smart about Nutrition Supplementation – Learn how proper supplementation and timing can greatly impact your performance

a. 90% of Supplements do not work and will make your wallet smaller. In addition, many supplement companies do not practice Good Manufacturing Standards (GMP), therefore, making the supplement industry a “Buyer Beware” market. Informed Choice testing 58 products for banned substances and 25% contained Steroids. Bottom Line: You can’t trust the local GNC sales staff on what to buy.

b. On the other hand, proper supplementation with high quality products can be extremely beneficial for your strength, performance, and recovery goals. Supplements do not replace the intake of food as most supplements designed to improve strength, power, or recovery do not contain calories, therefore, will not give you an immediate boost of energy unless it contains a wide variety of stimulants + caffeine, which is not on my “RECOMMENDED” list for collegiate athletes.

Here’s a list of the top 5 supplements I recommend that have been scientifically proven by the top nutrition researchers in the country to enhance strength, performance and muscle recovery.

1. Creatine
2. Beta Alanine
3. Chocolate Milk
4. Whey and Casein Protein
5. Glutamine

To ensure you are taking products that are free of banned substances, please visit www.informed-choice.org for a list of tested supplements. Informed Choice performs the highest quality of testing of dietary supplements.

7. Have a plan in place to achieve success with good nutrition

Athletes who eat well have a plan in place to achieve their goals. Planning involves:
• Having healthy food in your house/apartment
• Bringing nutritious snacks to class for between meals
• Having healthy snacks when traveling to road games
• Knowing your eating schedule (times) for the day
• If trying to lose weight, those who have the most success keep a food diary

Having a plan and being organized is one of the most important principles when sticking to a smart eating plan.

8. Be Smart when dining out, particularly Fast Food

Whoever told you that you can have a cheat day doesn’t know very much about practicing good nutrition. It’s ok to have a cheat meal once or twice a week but eating whatever you want for an entire day can disrupt six days of quality eating. I realize Fast Food is a favorite in the majority of diets of college athletes but if your goal is to maximize performance and improve overall quality of life, I don’t recommend you eat fast food too often, if ever. I’m a realist and realize you’re going to eat it so if you do, BE SMART.

Instead of eating a Value Meal, choose these options:

• 2 Small or Jr. Hamburgers (hold mayo and cheese), substitute a salad with light dressing instead of Fries with a Water
• Grilled Chicken Sandwich with a side salad or fresh fruit
• Single Hamburger with a small or large chili (i.e. Wendy’s)
• Egg Mcmuffin or 2 Breakfast Burritos with low fat milk or juice
• 2 Chicken or Steak Soft Tacos with a Bean Burrito
  

9. Stay Hydrated

a. Especially with the humidity Louisiana during the summer, hydration is critical for the management of many elements.

b. Body temperature, electrolyte balance, and absorption of key vitamins and minerals are altered depending on your hydration status. It is important to go into any active event (practice, lifting, game) hydrated. Dehydration can significantly impact your performance as well as contribute to muscle cramps, especially if you’re only drinking water during long events or training sessions. Drink at least ½ your body weight in ounces of fluid + any losses with sweat.

c. CLEAR URINE = hydration (excluding caffeine and alcohol)

d. DARK YELLOW URINE – Dehydration (unless taking a B-Vitamin)

10. Don’t Underestimate The Importance of Snacking

What I mean by snacking are the meals in between breakfast, lunch, and dinner. A snack could consist of a protein shake, peanut butter sandwich, fresh fruit and a sandwich. Remember how beneficial it is to eat every 3-4 hours. A quality snack will help you achieve this. CAR ANALOGY: You cannot expect your gas tank to remain full for 6-8 hours so refill it every 4 hours with a small meal or snack.

If you have any questions regarding this BLOG or general nutrition questions, feel free to email me at tpiattoly@gmail.com

Tavis Piattoly, MS, LDN, RD
Team Dietitian, New Orleans Saints
Team Dietitian, St. Amant High School
Nutrition Consultant, New Orleans Hornets

2009-2010 NCAA Banned Substance List

All student-athletes who participate in Division I collegiate athletics are governed by the rules and regulations set forth by the NCAA. The rules that govern drug testing and the use of banned substances were put in place to protect the health and welfare of the student-athlete.

Click on the following URL to obtain the most recent list of substances that are banned by the NCAA:

http://www.ncaa.org/wps/wcm/connect/53e6f4804e0b8a129949f91ad6fc8b25/2009-10+Banned+Drug+Classes.pdf?MOD=AJPERES&CACHEID=53e6f4804e0b8a129949f91ad6fc8b25

Lemon Grilled Salmon With Corn Salad

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups Fresh or Frozen Yellow Corn Kernels (Cooked and Cooled)

1/3 cup Red Sweet Pepper (Chopped)

1/4 cup Fresh Chives (Snipped) or Green Onions (Thinly Sliced)

3 Tbsp. Fresh Basil (Thinly Sliced)

2 Tbsp. Pure Maple Syrup

2 Tbsp. Lemon Juice

1/4 tsp. Salt (Optional)

1 1/2 cups Fresh Blueberries

2 tsp. Lemon Peel (Finely Shredded)

1 tsp. Ground Cumin

1/4 tsp. Ground Black Pepper

4-4 to 5oz. Fresh Skinless Salmon Fillets

Nonstick Cooking Spray

Lemon Slices and/or Fresh Basil Sprigs (Optional)

Directions:

For corn salad, in bowl, combine corn, sweet pepper, chives, basil, maple syrup, lemon juice, and the 1/4 teaspoon salt. Add blueberries; Toss gently to combine. In small bowl, combine lemon peel, cumin, and black pepper. Sprinkle mixture over salmon fillets. Lightly coat both sides of salmon fillets with nonstick spray. For charcoal grill, grill salmon fillets on the rack of an uncovered grill directly over medium coals for 8 to 12 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork, carefully turning once halfway through grilling. For gas grill, preheat grill. Reduce heat to medium. Place salmon fillets on grill rack over heat. Cover and grill same as charcoal grill. Serve grilled salmon with corn salad. Garnish with lemon slices and/or fresh basil sprigs.

http://www.bhg.com/

Spinach Tortellini With Beans & Feta

Ingredients:

1-9oz package Refrigerated Cheese-Filled Spinach Tortellini

1-15oz can White Kidney Beans (Rinsed and Drained)

3/4 cup Crumbled Garlic-and-Herb Flavored Feta Cheese

2 Tbsp. Olive Oil

1 Large Tomato (Chopped)

Ground Black Pepper

4 cups Baby Spinach

Directions:

Cook tortellini according to package directions. Drain and return to saucepan. Add drained beans, feta cheese, and olive oil to tortellini in saucepan. Cook over medium heat until beans are hot and cheese begins to melt, gently stirring occasionally. Add tomato and cook 1 minute more. Sprinkle black pepper. Divide spinach among four dinner plates or shallow salad bowls. Top with tortellini mixture.

http://www.bhg.com/

"Healthier" Red Beans and Rice

This is a friends recipe and like many good cajun recipes, the measurements are a dash of this and a sprinkle of that. It is hard to go wrong with this recipe but you may have to spice it more or less to your liking.

Ingredients:
2 lbs. Dried Red Beans (Camilla brand if available)
2-8oz packages Hickory Smoked Turkey Tasso (cut into bite size pieces)
16 oz container Guidry's Pre-Cut Creole Seasonings (celery, green pepper, onion,etc)
Tony Chachere's Creole Seasoning
Poultry Seasoning
White Pepper
Crystal Hot Sauce
Tony Chachere's Instant Roux Mix
Vegetable Oil
Long Grain White Rice

Directions:
Soak beans overnight, drain then rinse. Place soaked beans in large dutch oven and add fresh water to 1 1/2 inches above the beans. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil in skillet and saute cut up vegetable mix and turkey tasso. Sprinkle turkey with poultry seasoning while cooking. Once vegetable mix is cooked down, add to dutch oven (meat will continue to cook in dutch oven). Stir all ingredients together. Add Tony's creole seasoning (1 Tbsp), white pepper (about 1-2 tsp) and crystal hot sauce (1/2 tsp). Mix. Sprinkle on top approximately 2-3 Tbsp Instant Roux. Mix. Cook beans on a slow boil for 5-6 hours. The more stirring you do throughout the cooking process, the thicker the beans will get. Halfway though cooking, sprinkle another 2-3 Tbsp Instant Roux and mix. Add additional seasoning to taste. Prepare white rice as directed on package. Serve over rice. This recipe tastes even better on the second day!

* To reconstitute beans quicker, put beans into a large pot and cover with water 1 inch above beans. Bring to a hard boil with the lid off for 5 minutes. Turn off heat and let beans sit in water for 1 hour. Drain and rinse beans and begin recipe as directed above.

Citrus Salsa Salmon

Ingredients:

4 4oz-5oz Skinless Salmon Fillets (3/4-1 inch thick)

Salt

Ground Black Pepper

1/3 cup Jalapeno Jelly

3 Medium Oranges (peeled, seeded, coarsely chopped)

1 Medium Grapefruit (peeled and sectioned)

1 cup Grape or Cherry Tomatoes (halved)

Directions:

Heat broiler. Lightly sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. In small saucepan over low heat, melt jelly. Brushed 2 Tbsp of melted jelly on the salmon; reserve remaining jelly. Place salmon on unheated rack of broiler pan. Broil 4 inches from heat for 8-10 minutes or until salmon flakes when tested with a fork. For fresh citrus salsa, in medium bowl, combine chopped oranges, grapefruit sections, halved tomatoes and remaining jelly. Season with salt and pepper. Serve salmon with citrus salsa.

http://www.bhg.com/