Nutrition

What to Eat?

The food guide provided by the US Department of Health is still one of the best all-around guides to healthy eating. You can find it at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2000/document/build.htm. This is based on the Food Guide Pyramid, which you can review at http://www.health.gov/dietaryguidelines/dga2000/document/images/pyramidbig.jpg.

The most widely held approach to eating for an active (and healthy) lifestyle is to get your calories from food in the following proportions:

• Carbohydrates: 60%
• Fat: 25%
• Protein: 15%

Remember that fat has roughly TWICE the calories per volume as Carbs and Protein - so to get one-fourth of your calories from fat, one-eighth of your food volume should be fat.

The simple summary I give to my athletes?

• Maintain your water intake.
• Eat fats sparingly - don't add them to your diet, there are plenty included in most of what we consume every day.
• Eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables.
• Make sure you are getting protein in your diet - fish, chicken, lean beef/pork.
• Carbs! Fit these (bread, cereal, rice, pasta) into every meal somehow.
• EAT TO TRAIN. You must have fuel in your body if you are going to ask it to perform for you.
• Water! Did I mention water?   ;-)