Before I begin, I’d like to send my thoughts and prayers to all the
people affected by the recent events at the Boston Marathon. This was
senseless and tragic, especially at an event surrounded by so much hope,
pride, and community support.
The other
day I had to get an oil change, buuuuuut didn’t remember to bring
anything to help pass the time. I can only look at an iPhone for so many
hours before my eyes burn. I scanned the magazine table, and Score! A
nutrition special volume of “Outsider” magazine, full of food ideas and
nutrition tips from and for professional athletes. I’m no Olympian, but
if I get the chance to learn about how they fuel up or slim down, you’d
better believe I’m taking it because it must work. Obviously.
One
article featured a nutritionist who works with athletes living at the
Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs. Apart from their training
regimens, the most important thing athletes do here is learn how to eat
properly to get the most out of their training. Even Olympians are
human, and burning 2,000 calories during a workout doesn’t make it okay
to finally splurge on that bacon burger with donuts as buns.....whaaaat?
Anyway, the article’s author condensed what he learned at the Training
Center into simple pointers we can all use.
I won’t list
all of the points here (because it’s a REALLY interesting article and
you should read it), but I will mention those that seemed most
beneficial to us non-Olympic level athletes. One: find out if you have
any sort of vitamin or mineral deficiency and fix it. For example,
deficiencies in Iron and Vitamin D are very common and can be
responsible for symptoms like fatigue and muscle inflammation. Two:
whole foods (not the store) are the best sources of nutrients. Don’t be
afraid to do a little research before running to Trader Joe’s to buy a
supplement. Three: try not to make any food your enemy. Eating out,
alcohol, appetizers, and desserts are going to be part of the rest of
our lives, so we might as well get cozy with that fact and work on
maintaining a balance.
This is an awesome article.
Do
yourself a favor: http://www.outsideonline.com/fitness/nutrition/The-Secret-Food-of-Athletes.html
Happy reading!
Katie
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