by Kirk Erickson
We all have our favorite foods and recipes; but, I wanted to provide a few keys to being successful with your nutrition. Follow these tips to keep what can be a very complicated topic as simple as possible!
#1 – Have a strategy
While you don’t need a strategy per say, you have to have some assemblance of a plan. When are you going to eat breakfast on a practice day, meet day, off day. What is that breakfast going to be? What about lunch, dinner, snacks etc… It is important to have a plan to try and follow to the best of your ability. I suggest stting down on Sunday and mapping your week out as best you can.
#2 – Meal Prep
When you are finished planning, spend some time prepping as much food as you can for the week. If it is ready to grab and go, you will be much more likely to follow your program/plan. Here I recommend batch cooking and containering in portion sizes. As the recipes begin to come in, look for ones you can multiply and then divide back up for snacks and meals. Don’t forget to add fruits and veggies into your prep, easy grab and go snacks!
#3 – Focus on What, not How much
Oftentimes we look for perfection, and nutrition is no exception to this. I tell my clients (especially younger clients) to focus solely on what they are eating and not to worry AS much about how much they are eating. For example, an apple and some peanut butter with some raisins will not differ too much from a standard candy bar in terms of the macronutrients; but, the nutrition value is immensely better.
#4 – So What?
So what do we focus on, great question. I will keep it simple here as well and while there are obvious exceptions to the following tips…they can give you some easy ways to make better choices. And yes, some sound silly;
- If it has a nutrition label, there is probably a better choice to be made. Think about it, an apple doesn’t have a label, the only ingredient is…an apple.
- If it comes in a bag, box or a can, there is probably a better choice. The bag, box and can signal processed food, best to stay away. These are often “food like substances” manufactured and engineered to get you to want to eat them.
- Try to eat a rainbow. These colors in fruits and vegetables signify different vitamins, minerals and micro-nutrients. By eating a rainbow, you will get a large variety of those vitamins and minerals.
- When it comes to meat, the fewer the feet the better! Enough said here 🙂
- No food item is the enemy, too much of any food item is not good for us.
#5 – Run the perimeter
In order to find yourself making the best choices, stay to the perimeter of your grocery store. On this perimeter you will usually find your fruits and veggies, meat, dairy, frozen food and bakery departments. You will often find an organics department as well. Stay to this perimeter and you find yourself in a good spot to make some good nutritional choices.
#6 – Supplements
Supplements are just that, a supplement to your nutrition plan. They are meant to fill in the gaps of your plan and make sure you are not deficient in key areas. It is not wise to use supplements to replace actual food items as the nutrients delivered by actual food react differently then they do in supplement form. Do the best you can with your plan to meet your needs but don’t be afraid to supplement as you feel necessary, especially in season when demands are higher. When choosing supplements look for those that are 3rd party tested and do your research, remember, you often get what you pay for and supplements are no exception.
#7 – On vs. Off
Your nutritional demands will be much different in season than they will be off season, plan accordingly. Look to get more snacks in through the day to balance blood sugar levels, foster recovery and maintain a high enough calorie balance. Again, focus on what you are eating and up the quantity
#8 – Pre-race nutrition
The best advice I can give here is experiment before practice. I jokingly (somewhat) say I can eat a fast food burger and run a 5K. While not a great strategy from a performance perspective, it does not bother my stomach at all. Others will need a lot more time and will need to avoid specific foods before a meet. The only way you can figure this out is by playing around and taking notes on the results. A good starting point is 2-300 calories 1-2 hours before the meet of whole foods low in fiber and fat.
#9 – Post-race nutrition
You’ve expended a lot of energy and need to start the recovery process as quickly as possible and oftentimes that starts with food. Look to replenish glycogen stores and repair muscle with a good supply of quality carbohydrates and protein. Follow the rules above for WHAT to eat and use the recipes to come to help you determine what those meals/snacks are made of. A number of times, a protein bar or shake here is your best or only option, as I said before there are always exceptions to the rules above.
#10 – Water
You may have been thinking “I have not heard anything about water yet.” No list of nutritional tips would be complete without the recommendation to make sure you are drinking enough water. This will be no exception. I want you to have a water bottle with you at all times. I want you sipping on that water bottle all day. I want you drinking whenever you get a chance in practice and sipping in between races during the meet. In season, you need to up your water game immensely. Not only do you train multiple hours a week, you are in the water which dehydrates you as well. Regular water intake requirements for you need to be increased, as do electrolytes. Water cannot do its job in your body without ample amounts of electrolytes. Below you will find a recipe for a homemade sports drink for you to try, all natural and fits the list of WHAT above.
This is by no means an exhaustive list of nutritional advice but it is meant to help you make a suitable and sustainable plan for YOU. Everyone is different and everyone has different nutritional needs. I highly suggest doing some journaling as you experiment with what works best for you! If you have questions, feel free to reach out to me at kerick222@gmail.com
Kirk Erickson
Health Coach
Nutrition Coach
Personal Trainer
Pilates Reformer Instructor
Orthopedic Exercise Specialist
Homemade Sports Drink
1 cup Coconut Water
1 cup water
2 dates pitted
Juice from ½ lemon and ¼ lime
Sea Salt to taste
Blend all ingredients until as smooth as possible, drink as is or strain for a smoother texture.
“Thrive Foods, Brendan Brazier”