Our whole family sports a lot! That involves team sports, boxing, running and more. We know that eating healthy nutritious food is very important. Of course we eat some fries once in a while but mostly we eat healthy food. It tastes better and you have more energy. Energy we can use again for our sports!
As an athlete, the foods that you choose to put in your body
matter. If you want to stay in top condition and give your body the fuel that
it needs, you need to be careful with the foods that you choose. Some foods are
simply more nutritious than others. There are plenty of foods that sporters
should keep stocked in their refrigerators and pantries. The right meal can be
the difference between performing at a high level in the sport of your choice
or being less than your best. It is no secret why you don’t load up on a meal
of pasta and bread before you head to the track and get in some laps.
Here are some of the most nutritious foods that athletes can
use to give them a much needed edge:
Oatmeal
If you want to indulge in the breakfast of champions, you
might want to start your day with a big bowl of oatmeal and yogurt. An oatmeal/yogurt
breakfast is packed with fiber and protein, which provides your body with the
fuel that it craves. If you want to have sustained energy that gets you through
your workout, this is the type of food that you need to eat first thing in the
morning. Not only is it a good source of Vitamin B, but it also is jam packed
with antioxidants (more here). Eating oatmeal has even been proven to help your regulate
cholesterol levels within your body. This is a must-have food item on any
athlete’s grocery list.
Cherries
Fruits are great for sporters, but some are better than
others. If you are an athlete that needs endurance, cherries should be the food
of choice for you. This fruit is filled with antioxidants that give you access
to many different health benefits. Not only is it a food that will help you
perform better, but it will also aid with recovery. Research shows that eating
cherries can be especially beneficial for runners (see here). Runners that consumed
cherries 2 times a day for at least a week were much less likely to experience
muscle pain during training than those that did not. A cherry a day might keep
you up off the ground and from writhing around in pain.
Kale
It seems like many athletes are joining in on the latest
health craze involving kale. Kale is a food that is a lot like cabbage, but it
contains high amounts of vitamin A, K, B and also calcium. This vegetable is
said to be especially helpful with reducing inflammation in the body. You know
that staying active can put stress on different parts of your body, but eating
kale can help aid with recovery. Much like oatmeal, kale is also known to help
lower cholesterol levels.
Milk
Milk does a body good and this is true for athletes as well.
There are a wide variety of milk products on the market including soy and
almond that offer wide ranging health benefits to sporters, but traditional
milk and yogurt also does the trick.
