Download NUTRITION TOPICS

NUTRITION TOPICS
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1. How to eat for better sports performance
a.. In general, eat small amounts of healthy foods every three to four hours.
b. At each meal, eat from at least three different food groups
c. Start with a base of healthy whole grains, and then add protein and lots of fruits and vegetables.
d. Before an event, eat lots of carbs and low-fat protein. Fats take too long to digest.
e. If the event lasts more than one hour, you need to refuel with water and sports drinks or energy bar.
f. After an event, you need to replace the carbs you burned up.
g. Keeping properly hydrated (drinking enough water) helps you perform better. Avoid “performance
enhancers.” If you are properly hydrated, you’ll urinate at least 4 times/day and the urine will be
pale yellow in color.
2. Can eating breakfast really help you?
a. In a word, yes. It helps to re-fuel your body after not eating for 12 hours, rev up your metabolism,
kick-start your brain, pump up your muscles, and improve your mood.
b. What is the missing ingredient in most breakfasts? Protein. You can get it from yogurt, cheese,
milk, an hard-boiled egg, some peanut butter, or a small handful of nuts.
c. Energy bars often aren’t very nutritious. Look for bars with 10-15 grams protein and 3 or more
grams of fiber, with not so much sugar.
d. Or, try a grab and go meal, such as yogurt and apple, or string cheese and a banana.
e. You can also get breakfast at the drive through or have one at home. It can be leftovers from last
night!
3. Can snacking are healthy?
a. Snacking helps with weight control, sports performance, and all-day energy levels.
b. Before you snack, as yourself if you are really hungry. Are you eating because you are bored, angry,
lonely, or anxious? Eating for emotional reasons make you feel worse in the long run.
c. Are you thirsty, not hungry? Try drinking a glass of water first.
d. Balanced snacks need lean protein plus complex carbs.
e. Get protein from meats, eggs, cheese, milk, fish, peanut butter, nuts, and seeds.
f. Get carbs from whole grains, cereals, beans, nuts, seeds, fruits, and vegetables.
g. Keep healthy snacks on hand so they will be easy to grab and eat. For instance, try cheese cubes with
baby carrots and a bit of light ranch dressing.
4. Dieting: what works and what doesn’t work
a. Dieting can make you gain weight by slowing down your metabolism, making it hard to stay on a
restrictive diet for long (and then you binge), and can change your food preferences, making you
crave “forbidden” foods.
b. The number one weight control secret is to move, move, and move. You need 30 to 60 minutes of
physical activity (that makes your heart beat faster) at least five times a week. Get a friend to do this
with you, and find something you enjoy, so you will stick with it.
c. Fad diets don’t work. They may have these points: “magic foods,” no need to exercise, bizarre
restrictions, hazardous ingredients, rigid menus, and promise rapid weight loss.
d. It takes 3500 calories to gain or lose one pound of body weight. Try not to lose more than a pound a
week, or the weight will come right back on.
e. More tips to help you lose: eat breakfast, eat a small amount of healthy food every 3-4 hours, include
protein in EVERY meal and snack, eat low-fat dairy products, and eat less food at every meal or
snack.
5. How to control portion sizes
a. Large portions make us eat more than we are hungry for, leading to weight gain.
b. Get in control of your portions: use small-sized plates and bowls. Don’t eat out of a big package, but
take out one serving and put it into a smaller bowl. Use skinny glasses for liquid, and recognize what
8 oz. of liquid looks like. It’s less than you think! Prepare less food at meals.
c. Start with a small portion of food. You can have more if you want it.
d. Eat slowly. It takes your brain 20 minutes to know when your stomach is full.
e. Listen to your body. Eat until you are full, but not stuffed.
f. Eat half, and then wait 20 minutes to finish it. You’ll eat less this way.
g. Eat on a regular basis. Don’t try to go most of the day without eating and then stuff yourself.
h. When out, get the small size of fast food. Or share the big size with a friend.
i. When eating in a restaurant, eat half of the meal and take the rest home to eat at another meal.
6. How does the media influence your food choices?
a. By age 21, the average person has watched 1 million TV commercials. One out of four commercials
sends an “attractiveness message,” telling viewers what is or is not attractive.
b. Some schools work with food companies, advertising food products for money.
c. Most work by repetition, repetition, and repetition.
d. Take back the power! Start questioning media messages. Watch to see how they try to trick you.
e. Speak up with your voice, your writing, and your money.
f. Be informed. Learn about healthy eating so you won’t be taken by those who just want your money.
7. What you eat—can it make you LOOK better?
a. Food choices can affect your hair, skin, teeth, and posture.
b. You need calcium-rich foods for strong white teeth and a good straight posture.
c. You need vitamins and minerals for healthy hair and beautiful skin.
d. Vitamins C, and E are antioxidants, which help to keep you healthy on the inside, which shows on the
outside. Vitamin A is needed for healthy skin and hair.
e. You need at least eight 8-ounce glasses of water every day. It keeps your skin hydrated and helps to
get rid of dark circles under the eyes.
8. What you eat—can it make you THINK better?
a. Students score better on tests who eat breakfast, get enough iron, are physically active, and who are not
hungry when taking the test. This has been proven in research.
b. Choose a breakfast with at least three of the five food groups in it. Meat, fruit, veggie, milk, grains!
This lets you get a wider variety of nutrients your body needs.
c. Such as: peanut butter (and jelly) on whole wheat bread, and milk. Or cereal, banana, and milk.
d. Get enough water during the day, at least eight 8-ounce cups. Your body is mostly water.
e. You need enough iron to make red blood cells to carry oxygen to your brain. Iron is found in fortified
cereal, beef and other meats, and dark green leafy vegetables and potatoes.
9. Can fast food be healthy?
a. It depends on what you choose! Say NO to combo or value meal deals. These have high-calorie, high
profit items, such as soda pop and French fries.
b. Swap super-size for regular size or small items.
c. Get milk, water, or 100% juice, instead of soda pop.
d. Try the kids meal size, or split large orders with a friend.
e. You can get salads (don’t overdo the dressing!), fruits, and healthier meat choices, such as grilled
chicken, at many fast food places. You need to read the menu, as nutritious foods are often low profit
items, and not promoted as strongly as the drinks and French fries.
10. Dietary supplements: are they healthy or harmful?
a. Total sales of dietary supplements are more than $16 billion a year, with more than 29,000 different
products.
b. There are three categories: vitamins and minerals, herbals (botanicals), and other supplements.
c. Most vitamins and minerals can be gotten with a normal HEALTHY diet. A vitamin pill does not
contain antioxidants found in fruits and vegetables.
d. Some special groups need vitamin pills (elderly, pregnant, women of child-bearing age (for enough
folic acid or folate), vegetarians, and people on a very low calorie diet.
e. Taking more pills will not make you healthier, and may hurt you. There are few regulations in this
industry, which means you need to be cautious.
f. Keep all of these away from children, as they can die from overdoses of some of these.
g. Herbal supplements come from plants, but “all natural” does not always mean safe.
h. Lean about any interactions between what you take and any medicines you are on, and be sure to tell
your doctor everything you are taking.
i. “Performance enhancing supplements” have a lot of claims, but very little research to back them up.
Many of these products can cause more harm than good.
11. Best Beverage Bets
a. Staying well hydrated (drinking enough liquids) can improve your mood and make you feel better!
b. Milk tastes good to most people, and also gives you the protein, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium
your body needs for healthy strong bones and teeth.
c. Skim milk has almost half the calories that whole milk has.
d. A regular can of soda pop has 10 teaspoons of sugar and about 150 calories.
e. Diet pop is nothing but liquid, caffeine, preservatives, and artificial flavors and coloring. Reasearch
shows that both regular and diet pop is unhealthy for you.
f. You should get no more than 300 mg. of caffeine a day. Regular coffee has 85 mg. Red Bull (8.5 oz)
has 85 mg. Mountain Dew (12 oz.) has 55, while Sobe No Fear (8 oz) has 158 mg.
g. Energy drinks have a lot of sugar and give you fast energy, followed by a fast fall
h. If you want fruit juice, make sure it is 100% fruit juice and not 5%. Read the labels! And keep the
fruit juice to a glass a day, due to the high number of calories. Many of the more exotic 100% fruit
juices, such as pomegranate, etc. are very high in antioxidants and vitamins.
i. The best liquid is plain water, about eight 8-ounce glasses a day.