Eating Right
Eating Right
First and foremost, eating the right things doesn't always mean you have to cut the foods you love out of your diet. Moderation is a big key to staying healthy and getting the right kinds of nutrients your body needs to stay competitive. There lots of different diets and programs out there that can help you maintain a healthy lifestyle and keep your body in shape for those long tournaments. While traveling it can be very difficult to find healthier options over McDonalds and Burger King but even if that is the only food source available to you, there are things you can eat that will not send your blood sugar or calorie/carb intake through the roof.
1. Moderation is Key
2. YES vs NO
3. True Hunger
4. Water Water Water
5. What is too much?
Basic Principles
Carbs:
Such as Pasta, Potatoes, Rice & Cereal. These need to fill no more than 1/4 of your entire plate for the meal. A good way to determine the right amount of these types of carbs are to use your clenched fist. This will give you a proper amount of carbs.
Proteins:
Such as Meat, Fish & Poultry. These are not only healthy but can be some of the best parts of your meals. You want to try and have one of these with every meal. A good serving size, is the palm of your hand. This will help regulate your metabolism and keep you feeling full longer without weighing you down and making you feel sluggish the rest of the day.
Cheese:
Unless you're lactose intolerant this needs to be treated like a snack. Though cheese can be a healthy way to flavor up a meal you want to use it sparingly. Two (2) of your thumbs pressed together should be all you use per day. It may seem small but that serving gives you all the nutrients you will need without adding negative calories or carbs.
Cheese:
Unless you're lactose intolerant this needs to be treated like a snack. Though cheese can be a healthy way to flavor up a meal you want to use it sparingly. Two (2) of your thumbs pressed together should be all you use per day. It may seem small but that serving gives you all the nutrients you will need without adding negative calories or carbs.
Moderation is Key
Every diet needs to be well balanced and provide the right amounts of nutrients needed to get through each day. A great way to keep track of this is by giving a score to everything we eat. This isn't as complicated or time consuming as counting calories, it's awarding or subtracting numbers from everything we eat trying to get the lowest score possible.
To the right you'll find a breakdown of the different foods and scores that go with each, just keep track and watch your energy level stay more constant and even.
The ideal goal is have a score as close to zero (0) as possible, but that doesn't mean you have to limit yourself to strictly all healthy stuff, balance and portion control can help keep the score low and let you eat some indulging foods.
Carbs:
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Natural: -1
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Baked: +2
Proteins:
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High: -2
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Low: +2
Sugars:
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Refined: +4
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Natural: 0
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Calories:
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Empty: +5
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Low: -2
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High: +3
Fats:
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Trans: +6
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Natural: -1
Carbs:
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Natural: Fruits/Veggies
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Baked: Bread/Cereal
Proteins:
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High: 2% Milk/Macaroni
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Low: Apples/Sorbet
Sugars:
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Refined: Pretzels/Bagels
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Natural: Eggs/Nuts
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Calories:
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Empty: Fried Food/Pop
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Low: Broccoli/Tea
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High: Oatmeal/Brownies
Fats:
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Trans: Butter/Fried Food
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Natural: Fish/Dark Chocolate
Yes vs No
This is very simple. If it looks too good to eat, it probably is, so don't eat it.
Just kidding.
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The Yes vs No drill is something we can use for everyday life, not just eating or drinking. It has to do by saying Yes to things that will keep you healthy. Things like taking a walk instead of sitting on the couch or doing lite exercises instead of surfing the internet. You don't have to replace a lazy day all the time, everyone needs to have a lazy day to unwind and relax, but saying No to exercise or eating right can play huge detriments to our body.
We need to say Yes at least 3 days week, nothing to extreme of course, a quick 10 minute walk around the block or some sit ups and crunches can and will do wonders for you morale and helping you feel more fit and energized.
True Hunger
Being hungry can cause some pretty unpleasant side effects, like anxiety, shakiness and even confusion. We need to listen to our bodies. Our diet needs to be filled with high-nutrients and the right kind of calories to try and limit the hunger pangs.
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Dr. Joel Fuhrman says that things like light-headedness and shakiness are actually signs of what he calls "toxic hunger." Toxic hunger is a result from consuming the typical "American Diet", which is deficient in micronutrients and phytochemicals, and rich in high-calorie processed foods, sugar, animal products, and oils.
We need to have a proper diet and the right types of foods in our body so we can hear the messages and signals our body is sending. Our brain is a sensitive piece of machinery, it responds easily to addictive and processed foods, that is why we have to listen to what our body is trying to say.
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The feeling of being hungry after a well balanced rich nutrient meal(s) is the feeling of being truly hungry and not craving the wrong kinds of food.
Water Water Water
Water is not only a key to staying hydrated, feeling refreshed and energized through the day but it is also is a major key to making it through the day. While in competition or in practice we need to make sure to stay hydrated, losing fluids and wearing down our muscles it not only dangerous but it can happen a lot faster than you think.
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A little rule, created by the Bowlers Channel team, for every 8 frames bowled, you should try to drink a full bottle of water. Staying hydrated is key good to health and it'll make a huge difference in staying competitive.
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So don't forget. Water. Water. Water.
What is to much?
Eating or drinking to much, even healthy food, can be a problem. Overstuffing yourself will make you sluggish, possibly give you muscle cramps while competing and make you feel hungry quicker. A good rule of thumb is to eat until you begin to feel full, if you stop eating before that your body will burn through the calories quicker and you will not get the most benefit from your meal. If you continue eating after you've reached the point of being full then your body will store the food and burn it slowly, making you feel sluggish and slow.
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Just remember to eat in moderation and spread your meal(s) out through the day. Don't carb or calorie up at one particular time, small portioned meals throughout the day will make you feel better and keep you feeling energized all day.