NUTRITION GUIDELINES
PROTEIN: .7g protein per pound of body weight. Fish, turkey, beans, eggs, meat
CARBOHYDRATES: Think of good quality food instead of off the shelf carbs filled with preservatives. Sweet Potatoes, squash, pumpkin, rice, quinoa, beans can be a great way to fill you up and supply needed minerals to the body.
FAT: - Good healthy fats , avocado, olive oil, nuts – in a 2000 calorie diet think about 50 g of fat a day. – 3000 about 80-90
If you want to figure out your macro nutrients, you want them to be your ideal percentage for maximum energy. You start by determining your needed Calories for your goals. If you want to maintain body composition you need to eat what you expend. If you want to lose some weight you eat just a little less than you expend and if you want to gain weight you need to eat more than you expend it's really that simple. Some, people do better with a little more fat, or carbs some a little less and that can depend on your current body composition and your genes.
To keep it simple shoot for .5- .7g of protein per pound of body weight. So if you weight 150 lbs you will be trying to eat 75- 105 g of protein a day. Now some people will say .5 is too little but for people that are new to this 75g of protein a day might feel like a lot. Best way to absorb protein is to have several servings of 30-35g or less per meal. So breaking it into several smaller amounts will ensure absorption and synthesis.
Breakfast examples for post swim workouts:
- 2 hard boiled eggs, apple, bowl of oatmeal with some nut butter
- 3-4 slices of turkey, whole grain toast with avocado or butter
- Premade protein pancakes- nut butter to top them if they aren’t made with some fats already.
- Peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a side of beef jerky or sliced deli meat
- Yogurt (low sugar) buy plain yogurt and mix in your own jam or berries, pretzel or toast on the side and a piece of fruit- like a banana or apple.
** try to get protein in with all of your meals- even snacks. This will help regulate your blood sugar- give you sustained energy and cut down on sugar cravings, adding fiber also helps slow moderate sugar spikes**
Snack Ideas:
- Blueberries, plain yogurt with some honey
- Jerky, apple and some nuts
- Protein type granola bar with a piece of fruit- check the sugar on the bar
- Hummus with some cut up vegetables
** again with snacks- get a balance of protein/carbs and fiber- maybe some fat if it’s needed**
Hydration:
Electrolytes are critical!! You are sweating a ton in the pool. You cannot drink just water and Gatorade is packed with sugar. Try the products below instead.
Alternatives:
- Thorne Catalyt is a favorite of mine because of the LOW SUGAR
- NUUN tablets have a great composition and are easy to use
- Watermelon sprinkled with salt
- are LMNT – it has a nice balance of sodium potassim and magnesium.
