Download 1 - Fc Irlande

EAT TO COMPETE!!!
Optimal performance depends on your personal energy, which we get from mental
attitude (I can do it, I want to do it and I am going to do it), from physical activity
(persistance when it comes to trainings, you need to motivate yourself constantly) and at
the third place there is proper nutrition. Even if you eat well, but not train, you are not
going to get outstanding results, same when you eat well and train but your mental
attitude is wrong, then you also not going to get anywhere. Also, you need to reduce
alcohol intake and smoking, otherwise healthy food is not going to help much as well.
1. Carbohydrates – 60-70% of our diet, which is approximately 300 g (it is for
people who do sports). Glucose is the simple sugar used by cells to produce
energy. If the body does not need glucose for energy, then it stores it in the liver
and muscles in a form called glycogen. If glycogen stores are full then glucose is
stored as fat. A well-nourished adult can store approximately 500 g/2000 kcal of
carbohydrates. Of this, approximately 400g are stored as muscle glycogen, 90-110
grams as liver glycogen and 2-3 grams circulate in the blood as a glucose. For low
intensity excercise (distance running etc.) glycogen stores can last as long as 90
min, for prolonged high intensity exercise, glycogen stores can provide energy for
about 20 minutes. Glycogen stored in the muscle is used directly by that muscle
during exercise, it cannot borrow glycogen from other resting muscles. Simple
carbohydrates you’ll find mainly in fruits, complex ones you’ll find in starchy
vegetables (all kinds of potatoes, squashes, pumpkin), mildly starchy-fibrous
vegetables (carrots, cauliflower, beets, broccoli, green beans, lettuce, mushrooms,
pepper, spinach, zucchini), legumes (peanuts, lentils, peas and beans), all kinds of
WHOLE grains (whole wheat, brown rice, rye, barley, buckwheat, amaranth,
quinoa, oats). For example: 14 g – slice of whole bread, 15-20 g – banana, 15 g –
apple, 44 g - ½ cup raisins, 15 g – orange, 29 g - corn on the cob, 28 g – cup of
oatmeal, 21 g – apple, 26g – medium potato.
2. Protein – around 10-15 % of our diet, which is for people do sports, between 100130 g /day (men), 80-100 g (women). Protein sources: animal products (beef,
chicken, fish, eggs, milk), grains, legumes (beans, lentils, peas, soy products),
seeds and nuts, green leafy vegetables. Examples: 1 egg – 6 g, ½ cup tofu – 10 g,
1 cup lentills – 18 g, ½ cup of boiled broccoli – 2 g, 1 cup of yogurt – 10 g,
chicken breast of 80 g (weight) – 29 g. Beef and pork contain good source of
protein but are loaded with saturated fatty acids, on the other hand they contain
more iron, then white meat like chicken, turkey, fish. These contain high quality
of protein as well, so it’s best to choose lean cuts of red meat and alternating with
white meats. Fish, nuts and seeds contain healthy oils, so it is good to choose
these foods over meat and poultry. Eat in moderation, excess of protein leads to
calcium resorption from bone as a response to the disruption of acid/base balance.
3. Fat – around 20 % of diet, 65-80g/day, good sources: nuts (coconut), seeds, oils
(nonscented coconut oil is the best choice for cooking), avocados. 1 cup of whole
milk (3.3%) – 8.2 g, 1 teaspoon olive oil – 4.5g, ½ cup of cashews – 31g, 1
avocado – 15-30 g, ½ cup brazil nuts - 46g
4. Essential nutrients: a) vitamins, b) minerals, c) essential fatty acids (EFA), d)
essential amino acids (EAA).
a) vitamins – the B-complex are used to convert proteins and carbohydrates into
energy. Studies have shown that athletes, who lack vitamin B-complex have
reduced high-intensity exercise performance and are less able to repair damaged
muscles. Sources – whole grains, dark green vegetables, nuts and animal
products.
b) minerals – calcium 1-1.5 g/day (animal products, fish, eggs, beans, fruits, green
leafy vegetables), iron – 10-15 mg/day (meat, shellfish, dried fruit, nuts, whole
grains, egg yolks, legumes), magnesium 500-800 mg/day (dairy products,
seafood, whole grains, legumes, green leafy vegetables), potassium – 3500
mg/day (meat, poultry, fish, dairy products, whole grains, fruits, vegetables),
sodium – 2400 mg (meat, sardines, sauerkraut, green olives), selenium – 70
g/day (organ meats – liver, kidneys, seafood, whole grains, diary products,
fruits, vegetables), zinc – 8-11 mg/day (red meats, sea food, whole grains,
legumes, nuts).
c) essential fatty acids (EFA) – omega 3 (-linolenic acid), omega 6 (linoleic acid).
Play important role in life and death of cardiac cells, prevent depression, nerve
function. Sources: fish, shellfish, flaxseed, hemp oil, pumpkin seeds, sunflower
seeds, leafy vegetables, walnuts
d) essential amino acids – eight out of 20 aa are not synthetized in our body and we
have to provide them with food. Complete protein contain all eight amino acids
(meat, poultry, eggs, fish, milk products), whole grains like quinoa, buckwheat
and amaranth. Plant foods are generally not the source of complete protein, but it
is not necessary to always consume complete protein, provided that variety of
foods is consumed.
5. Fiber – cell-wall component of plant materials. Daily intake: 40-60 g/day. There
are two types of fiber: a) insoluble (mainly cellulose), which absorb large
amounts of water and helps to create stool, it prevents digestive disorders and
colon cancer. Sources: whole grains, skin of fruits and vegetables, b) soluble –
combine with water and form gels, this type of fiber has the ability to reduce
cholesterol levels. Source – oats, legumes)
6. Supplements – protein supplements, amino acids, vitamins, creatine – limited data
on long term use, potential side-effects, generally there is no need for any
supplementation with varied, balanced diet.
7. Acid - base balance: The maintenance of an acid-base balance in blood (proper
pH) is critical for life. These days, we eat to many products that are acid-forming.
The more acid forming products we consume the more stressed and tired we feel.
Acid forming foods: caffeine products, meat, diary products (excluding kefir and
yogurt), fish, seafoods, eggs, legume, whole grains, processed foods, Alkali –
forming foods: most fruits (except cranberries, plums and prunes), vegetables,
nuts (except chestnuts)
8. Hydration – For intensive trainings longer then 60-90 min, we need to replenish
electrolytes lost with sweat. Electrolytes are ions – components, that carry the
charge (sodium – Na+, potassium – K+, calcium – Ca2+, magnesium – Mg2+,
chloride – Cl-, hydrogen phosphate – HPO42-, hydrogen carbonate – HCO3-). They
are needed for many cellular reactions, proper hydration/blood pH/nerve and
muscle function. Generally you should drink plenty of water, homemade sports
drink (see recipe below: electrolyte lemonade), coconut water from young green
coconut (has perfect balance of all electrolytes, its composition is identical to
human plasma). In the United States, there has been already produced a healthy
alternative to sports drinks – it is called “Iso5” and the main ingredient is 
coconut water! Sport drinks: Sports drinks provide some electrolytes, but also
contain artificial sweeteners, colorants and preservatives. The regular and
frequent use of sports drinks can lead to increased dental decay (sugar
component). For proper hydration you may monitor the color of your urine or you
may weight yourself before and after the training/match.
9. Superfoods – nutritionally packed foods: goji berries, acai berries, cacao, maca,
hemp, spirulina and chlorella (algae).
If I would try to give you one golden rule that applies to everybody I would be very much
wrong, because such does not exist. Everybody has different genetic make up and
metabolic rate and you need to observe and listen to your body. I am not going to ask you
to become vegetarian, vegan or convince you to eat meat. What you need to do for the
begining is to ADD small things to your already existing menu. The problem with most
existing diets is effect yo-yo. Why? Because people are torturing themselves by cutting
out most of the products and completely change the way they eat. After several months
they literally attack the fridge and get back to their previous weight. You need to change
things one at the time. This will help you to develop new habits and will also help you to
be persistent while applying those new habits. VARIETY is the key to a balanced
and healthy diet. Just watch what you eat and think what it contains: if you eat cereal in
the morning, sandwich during lunch and pasta in the evening, then I am sure you provide
enough carbs in your diet, but then you need to add some other foods loaded with
minerals, vitamins, enzymes, protein and fat. Don’t worry about the numbers, I put them
here just to give you an idea, but you really don’t have to count grams etc., unless you are
trying hard to lose weight, but even in this case you should not torture yourself with
numbers… add some healthy stuff to what you already eat and your body will balance
everything out resulting in feeling more energized.
How to lose excess body fat?
You need to consider the amount of calories you take. Even if you eat fat free or low fat,
the excess of carbohydrates and protein can be converted into fat. It is ok to eat less fat as
a part of calorie restricted diet, because fat contains more than twice the amount of
calories per gram than carbohydrates and protein, plus fat is more readily stored as fat
because it doesn’t have to be converted like carbohydrates and protein. The best is to
reduce amount of processed carbohydrates. You need to burn more calories than you
consume, if you are still gaining weight, you need to reduce caloric intake, or increase
physical activity.
What do you want to avoid:
- processed carbohydrates – white pasta, white bread, white rice. These products
are nutrient depleted (25% less protein, at least 17 key nutrients depleted), but
also have high glycemic index (measure of the effects of carbohydrates on blood
sugar levels), which means that they will release sugar to our blood stream very
quickly and overstimulate insulin production. High insulin levels can result in
inflammation, weight gain and insulin resistance, which may lead to type II
diabetes. In addition, insulin resistance in muscle cells reduces glucose uptake
(local storage of glycogen). If there is no specification on the product that it is
WHOLE wheat/rice, then it is processed product,
- white table sugar (sucrose, saccharose) in pure form or in snacks (bars, cookies
etc), sugar-loaded soft drinks and table white salt (use instead sea salt)
- fried/deep fried foods, (production of toxic acrylamide, e.g. french fries, crisps)
- fast foods,
Generally processed food makes your body more acidic, which in turn will make you feel
more stressed and tired.
What are you going to add to your menu:
- organic (if possible) raw fruits and vegetables,
- nuts - rich in fiber, phytonutrients, antioxidants, vit. E, folic acid, copper,
magnesium, manganese, selenium, nuts lower the risk of heart disease, type II
diabetes, dementia, gallstones, when consumed on a daily basis, nuts increase
longevity for about 2 years. Although they contain lots of fats (unsaturated
healthy fats), they don’t increase body weight. Nuts will make you feel full for
longer periods of time – perfect for breakfast!
1-2 days before training/match – meals should include whole grain pasta, brown or whole
grain rice, whole grain bread. Try not to consume to much protein or fats, since they slow
down the digestion and do not promote glycogen storage in muscles. Drink plenty of
fluids, preferably in the form of water. The day before match – rest.
2-4 hours before training – consume meal rich in carbohydrates (65-125 g) – e.g. piece of
bread with tomato slices and low fat- cheese, one or two bananas with yogurt, small
portion of spaghetti etc.
2-3 hours before training – light meal, e.g. sandwich, salad, soup
1 hour before training: Green smoothie, eventually some crackers
Just before training – liquids (avoid simple sugars, if exercise is to last more than 30
min.)
Try not to feel hungry just before the exercise.
Consuming carbohydrate within the first 30 min. after exercise optimizes replenishement
of glycogen stores, so straight after training you should go for:
-water, your homemade sport drink, fruit juice, date/honey- containing snacks, banana,
watermelon, melon, pineapple/mango pieces, raisins, sports bar (only with good
ingredients – NO SUGAR), fresh corn on the cob (corn generally)
Meal after training to replenish glycogen (generally 100-200 g of carbohydrates should
be replenished within 2 hours after the exercise):
4:1 ratio of carbohydrate to protein, so 1/3 of your plate can be protein (e.g. lean meat/
chicken/turkey (all organic if possible), tofu) and 2/3 can be carbohydrates (boiled or
eventually baked potato, whole grain pasta, brown or whole white rice, millet,
buckwheat, amaranto and quinoa - complete protein grains). Examples of 100-200 g
carbohydrates:  3 cups of pasta,  2 cups of rice,  3 cups of mashed potatoes,  6 cups
of mixed vegetables with corn, or peas.
Additional tips:
- eat small meals, but more often (stabilizes blood sugar),
- eat only healthy snacks (piece of fruit, carrot, bars without sugar etc… ) – you’ll
find them in health food stores,
- drink lots of water, only herbal teas, less or no coffee, try to avoid alcohol,
- try not to miss a meal (especially breakfast)
RECIPES:
1) Nut shake: mix 1 cup of soaked in water (24h) and rinsed nuts (any kind) with
fruit (e.g. banana, apple), add some milk (soy or cow’s milk), or water. Blend.
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2) Green smoothie: blend at least 4 cups of spinach (best young spinach) with 2
cups of water, add 1-2 bananas, mango, apple, honey to taste (if you like sweeter
taste). Blend and drink.
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3)
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Electrolyte lemonade – (to drink after workout or in the summer):
4 lemons (you may try with less – maybe with 2 lemons for the begining)
1 tablespoon of flax or coconut oil
1 tablespoon (or less) sea salt
fruit (e.g. strawberries), add as much as you like to taste
6 cups of filtered water
honey to taste
Peel lemons, add the rest of ingredients and blend.
This drink not only is refreshing, but contains electrolytes, helps to detoxify the liver,
kidneys and gallbladder. It is a powerfull immune system booster and energizer!
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Ask for more recipes!  ([email protected])