Holistic Nourishment

Nutrition for Athletes

Exercise puts stress on our bodies so it is important to nourish and feed yourself if you are an athlete.  Here are some recommendations and tips to change your body composition, build strength, maintain muscle mass, and feel energized for your workouts.

Your Go-To Power Foods:

Spinach and other leafy greens.  Try to eat a variety of colors every day!
Brown rice, quinoa.

Antioxidants (fresh colorful fruit!)

Broccoli, garlic, onion, Brussels sprouts, kale, mustard greens, cabbage: these foods are all high in sulfur and other nutrients that support detoxification, which is important in recovery and cellular health.  Eggs are also high in sulfur.

Proteins (meats from grass fed, organic animals is best because these animals are infinitely healthier than conventionally farmed meat and contain more nutrients and a healthier amount of omega 3 fatty acids).  Chicken, beef, lamb, buffalo, bison…pacific salmon (Atlantic salmon contains high levels of heavy metals).  Lentils, beans, and tempeh (fermented soy – organic only) are good vegetarian sources of protein-rich foods.

Chia seeds, flax seeds, hemp seeds are beneficial fats.  Avocados, sesame seeds, pumpkin seeds…all rich in nutrients and healthy fats.  Olives too!

Almonds, walnuts, cashews are the top nuts.  Macadamia, pine nuts…ok too.  Try to stay away from peanuts…they are allergenic, and promote inflammatory pathways in the body.

Coconut milk (organic, canned, full-fat) is rich in fatty acids to give you quick and lasting energy.

Whey, pea, rice, hemp based protein powders.  Avoid soy protein powder- soy contains compounds that have estrogenic effects and 96% of US grown soy is genetically modified.  The only form I’d recommend is organic, non-gmo tempeh, a fermented soy product.  Traditional miso soup is also fermented, but hard to find an organic, MSG-free source.  Tempeh is a nutty, brown rice and soy product.  It goes really well in stir-frys.  Tofu is not fermented and therefore not recommended (maybe once a week at most).

What to Avoid:

Processed foods/refined sugars and carbs.  When eaten in excess, carbs are stored as fat.  Plus processed foods, unless organic, most likely contain low quality ingredients from genetically engineered plants, sprayed with toxic pesticides that make the plants nutrient deficient.

Processed foods, alcohol, coffee, and sugar deplete our bodies of nutrients, rather than provide us with a source of energy.
Avoid fruit juice (unless freshly squeezed).  Prepackaged juice is just sugar.  It has been heated and processed, destroying the antioxidants and beneficial enzymes.  Whole fruits naturally contain methanol bound to a fiber called pectin.  Bound, the methanol is not absorbed in the intestine and therefore has no negative effect on the body.  But in fruit juice, the methanol has been released from the fibers and over time becomes more and more prevalent in the juice.  Therefore, drinking packaged juice sends high amounts of sugar into the bloodstream while also releasing a toxic methyl alcohol that can cause damage throughout the body.  It can even pass the blood brain barrier and affect the brain.

Generally avoid dairy unless you have access to organic, raw, unpasteurized milk from pasture-fed cows.  Dairy products such as cheese and milk are highly allergenic, especially if pasteurized and homogenized (which most dairy is).  The processing denatures proteins and milk globules, deactivates enzymes, and changes the molecular structure of milk so it is more difficult to digest.  If you have any acne or skin issues, or digestive issues, you most likely have one or more food allergies.

Wheat.  Definitely one of the hardest thing to avoid.  Reducing your bread, pasta, muffin, cracker, beer (if you must drink, choose liquor and ice/lime)… intake is going to be beneficial for your digestive health, and consequently your physical, mental, and immune health.  Gluten is Latin for “glue”, so you can visualize the effects bread has on digestion!  Studies show athletes improve performance on a gluten-free diet.

Hydration:

Most athletic people find they need at least 2 liters on workout days, if not more.  Your urine should be barely yellow or clear.  Instead of Gatorade, Powerade, or any of those other energy sports drinks that have artificial food additives as they are linked with obesity, inflammatory conditions, cancer, mental health disorders like ADD and depression, and other chronic health conditions, add fruit to your water. Sea salt and fruit are a much better way to power up!

Pre workout:

Proteins, fats, and maybe a small amount of carbs!  Carbohydrate loading is one way of fueling your body, but not the best way.  After a couple minutes of exercise, our bodies start relying on fats and proteins rather than carbohydrates to create ATP (energy).

If you are working out in the morning, you can even have a half cup of coffee to increase your energy.  I would not overdo it because it can really stress the heart if you are too caffeinated when exercising.  It is definitely not ideal to drink caffeine after a workout.

Branched chain amino acids are popular in sports nutrition because they are easily assimilated as energy in muscle tissue.  Iso-leucine, leucine, and valine are the BCAAs.  Red meat is the best source, followed by other meats, eggs, and lentils.

During workout:

If your workout is less than 90-120 min, water should be just fine. (With a recovery meal after workout!)

If you are working out more than 2 hours, or doing an intense weight training session, a protein shake with some fat and sea salt will be helpful in sustaining your energy.  Coconut water contains electrolytes and hydrates the body better than water.  Avoid canned coconut water (fresh is best!) as the water was pasteurized in the can and is not only denatured, but also is contaminated with metal from the can.

Post workout:

Carbs!  If you are going to eat a candy bar, now is the time!  Your post workout meal should include some simple carbs (sugar) to replace the glycogen stores in your liver.  You want to eat within 30 minutes after working out for maximum recovery.  Some protein in addition to carbs has been shown to increase muscle glycogen synthesis.  A good ratio is 4g carbs to 1g protein.

You can only absorb 20-30g of protein at a time.  So having smaller portions of protein more frequently through out the day will increase your absorption and utilization of proteins.

Glutamine is an amino acid important in bolstering recovery.  It can be purchased as a supplement.  It’s really great if you have any intestinal complaints because it is the preferred fuel source of your intestinal cells.

Working out muscles creates microfractures in muscle tissue.  There are a lot of toxic metabolic byproducts and free radicals created when we exercise.  You definitely want antioxidants (fruit!) after a workout, combined with protein like chicken and some complex carbs like brown rice.

More about Coconut milk:

Fresh is best; or organic in a can, full fat and without preservatives.

Coconut fats are composed mostly of medium chain triglycerides that are absorbed in the body quickly and used as energy rather than stored as fats.  It is great for athletes because your body turns to fats for energy after only a few minutes of exercise.

Coconuts are thermogenic.  As are meats, cruciferous veggies (like broccoli, cauliflower, kale, etc.), eggs, salmon, green tea, nuts, and spices (red pepper, black pepper, and turmeric for example).  To gain muscle and burn fat, you don’t want to eat too many carbs or sugar.  Proteins and fats should be more of what you focus on, with carbohydrates coming from vegetables and 1-3 fruits a day.

You can mix your protein powder with coconut milk for a nutritious, creamy shake.  If you have a blender, some fruit, spinach, and/or kale would be a good addition.

Tags: athletes, coconut, exercise, sports nutrition, whole foods