Nutrition

Kim’s 4 Top Nutrition Tips for 2009

Coach Kim — Mon, 19 Jan 2009 10:24:37 -0800

I am making some big changes in the way I eat for 2009 to increase my performance (going from very good to excellent). But I don’t recommend players make any big changes until you have taken care of these 4 simple changes first.

1. Eat Less Sugar
Not all sugars are created equal. You need carbohydrates in order for your brain and muscles to function optimally, and all carbohydrates are sugars. Some sugars are better than others though. Stay away from the processed and refined sugars (aka anything white) and eat carbohydrates with more fiber. Fiber helps to keep you full and are typically present in healthier foods with the complex carbohydrates you need for sustained energy.

Eating a lot of sugar before hitting the ice will take your energy levels through the roof for a short time, and will then send you crashing down faster than you went up on the sugar high. You’ll feel great for the 3 minute warm-up and your first few shifts, and then you’ll feel like the energy just got sucked right out of you.

2. Eat Less Salt
I recently read a research study showing that kids who eat more salt tend to eat more refined sugars (see why that’s bad in #1). Eating too much salt also has a tendency to make dehydrate the body, which decreases mental and physical performance (see tip #4 below). I was never a big fan of salt myself (I am much more of a chocoholic) but here are a few tips on how to reduce your salt intake. First, don’t add extra salt to your food. Second, try to avoid fast food. These restaurants use salt not only to flavor the food, but to help preserve it as well. The food may not taste overly salty, but trust me, it’s in there.

3. Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
Did you know you are supposed to eat between 7-13 servings of fruits and vegetables per day? Are you even close to that amount? I definitely didn’t eat enough fruits and vegetables as a young hockey player. I had the occassional apple and the odd salad here and there, but I was no where close to getting 7 servings, let alone 13! An easy way to start getting more fruits and vegetables into your diet is to eat a piece of fruit with every meal (maybe afterwards as a sweet treat) and to have a BIG salad loaded with a bunch of different vegetables. I won’t go into all the science of why you need to eat more fruits and veg, but trust me, you will feel better and play better if you do.

4. Drink More Water
This is my #1 nutrition tip for 2009. Most people are chronicially dehydrated and it has negative effects on all aspects of their lives. Water makes up about just over 60% of your body, 75% of your muscles and 80% of your brain. Poor hydration adversely affects both your physical and mental performance. Symptoms of mild dehydration may include fatigue, reduced alertness and an inability to concentrate. None of which you want when you want to perform your best on and off the ice. Carry a water bottle (with water in it) at all times and drink from it consistently throughout the day. Don’t wait until you are thirsty - by that point, you are already dehydrated. Being adequately hydrated is easiest way to increase your performance so drink up!

Start using these nutrition tips today and take your performance to a whole new level in 2009.

What changes can you make to your current nutrition plan to incorporate these tips?

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim

Originally published on Total Female Hockey Club.

Your Hockey Nutrition Goals

Coach Kim — Thu, 15 Jan 2009 13:07:25 -0800

When it comes to improving your hockey nutrition, setting specific goals is absolutely critical.

And so is being realistic.

Saying you are going to “eat healthier” is a good goal to have for the second half of the season. But it’s even better to say that you are going to eat 5 servings of fruit and 5 servings of vegetables per day to achieve that bigger goal.

Saying that you are going to drink more water is an great goal, but saying that you are going to drink 2 liters of water a day is even better.

Saying that you are going to avoid junk food is an OK goal, but is it realistic for you? If you only have the occasional cookie or bag of chips, it might be. But if you are a junk-food-aholic (like I was until the age of 14), going cold turkey is going to be really hard. Instead of saying that you are going to avoid junk-food completely, allow yourself to have 2 treats a week.

When you are going to have a treat - be conscious of it. Are you having it just because it is there or because you really want it? Maybe you see it as a reward or a treat that you have each night on the weekends. Just don’t find yourself laying on the couch throwing back chip after chip just because they are there.

What are your specific (and realistic) nutrition goals for the second half of the season?

Share them below and start taking action toward your goal of eating healthier.

Work Hard. Dream BIG.

~ Coach Kim

Originally published on Total Female Hockey Club.

The Magic of Chocolate Milk

Coach Kim — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 10:52:30 -0800

Mmmmm…chocolate milk. I drank way too much of the stuff when I was a kid - always trying to pass it off that I was really drinking “milk”. Deep down inside, I knew it probably wasn’t what the commercials had in mind when they said, “Milk - It Does A Body Good”.

But…As it turns out, chocolate milk does do a body good. Scientific research has shown that chocolate milk is one of the best recovery drinks for athletes to have after they finish a tough workout or game.

1% chocolate milk has the perfect blend of:

–> Simple sugars (carbohydrates) from the chocolate that will get absorbed by the body quickly in order to immediately replenish lost energy stores

–> Protein from the milk that will help the muscles recover from the wear and tear of the on-ice (or off-ice) session.

Athletes ideally need a carbohydrates-to-protein ratio of 3-to-1 or 4-to-1 after exercise. Chocolate milk has that ratio; unflavored milk doesn’t. It turns out that I was on to something when I was a kid - except that I drank it by the jug and definitely did not restrict my consumption for after practices and games.

Chocolate milk just might be the perfect hockey recovery drink. It tastes great and helps players to recover faster.

Sounds pretty perfect to me.

Until next time,
~Coach Kim

Originally published on Total Female Hockey Club.

Hockey fuel

Miss 604 — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 10:41:44 -0800

Early morning practices can sometimes means scarfing down a banana or a bowl of cereal while the car warms up then heading to the rink, however is that enough food fuel to keep you going?

According to some nutritional resources, those *are* actually a really great ways to start your day.

An active hockey player's diet should consist of carbohydrates (found in cereals) even though they've got a bad rap in recent years. They are the perfect fuel and source of food energy that you can and will burn off during practice or a game.

Carbs can also be found in breads (like having a slice of toast, crackers, a granola bar), vegetables or fruit (dried or in soups or salads), or in dairy products (like milk, yogurt, or even chocolate milk).

Although, you can't survive on those carbohydrates alone, you'll also need to combine them with proteins like nuts or eggs, cheese or milk, and lean cut meat, chicken or fish.

According to The Hockey Source, there are six types of nutrients for top performers: Carbohydrates, fat (good fats, like vegetable fats), protein, vitamins, minerals (calcium and iron) and water. Being hydrated is a huge part of staying healthy and fit. Not only does your body need a lot of it during the day, if you're active you're going to be sweating out moisture that you'll need to get back.

Power-Fuel Nutrition also has some great recipe suggestions for meals before or after games and even some snacking options.

Nutrition is a big part of being a good athlete and you'll find that at most hockey schools or programs they'll promote it, just like they would stick handling or shooting.

There are different ways to make sure your body can keep up with your activity, especially for back-to-back games or road trips, so making sure it has the right nutrition is key.

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