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| Game Day
Nutrition |
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Proper nutrition is an area
often ignored when it comes to hockey players. However, by
eating the right foods, you will have much more energy during
games, have a much more positive mental attitude and be able to
recover from injuries a lot faster. With all the fad diets out
there, it can become confusing on knowing what to eat to fuel
our bodies. Here are a few simple nutrition guidelines to follow
that can help you be a lot healthier.
Focus on a diet containing healthy foods Try to include as
many as these wonderfully nutritious foods as possible; Fresh
fruits and vegetables, Whole Grains(whole wheat pastas, whole
wheat breads, brown rice, oatmeal, cereals), lean meats
(chicken, fish, lean beef), nuts and seeds (almonds, sunflower
seeds, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, soy nuts), legumes (lentils,
beans), eggs, milk or soy milk, yogurt, unsaturated fats (olive
oil, salmon, peanut butter) and drink plenty of water (8 glasses
/ day).
Limit the following foods as much as possible Sugar (candies,
high fructose syrups, sodas, desserts, ice cream), caffeine
(coffee, tea, sodas), white flower (white bread, pastries),
saturated fats (french fries, red meat, butter, doughnuts).
Remember that the key is to avoid as many as these foods as
possible, and to replace them with healthier more nutritious
foods (mentioned above).
Focus on eating a good combination of carbohydrates / proteins /
fats For each meal, try to have a combination of those three.
They are all essential to help fuel your body for hockey and to
help you function at your best. Carbohydrates (breads, pastas,
sports drinks) will give you the energy you need, protein (leans
meats, eggs, fish, nuts and seeds, legumes) will help rebuild
your muscles and unsaturated fats (salmon, peanut butter, olive
/ peanut / sunflower oils) will help lower your bad cholesterol
and promote better circulation. We recommend consulting a sports
nutrition expert to customize an eating plan that best suits
your type.
Eat more frequent smaller meals Eating 3 large meals is not
the ideal way to help our bodies function their best. Our
digestive systems need just the right amount of foods to be able
to function at full capacity. Try to focus on eating 4-6 smaller
meals, and dont eat large amounts between meals. Eating between
meals is ok, but focus on smaller snacks (a slice of whole wheat
bread with peanut butter, a few nuts or seeds, a banana). You
should also avoid eating too much before going to bed. Eating
too much before going to bed will have your digestive system
working too hard and will take a lot of energy out of you.
Typical Guideline to fuel your body before games or practices
Larger meals should be consumed 3-4 hours before games or
practices to insure proper digestion has been done before you
get on the ice. If you dont have time to eat a meal, try having
a large snack 1-2 hours before game time. Focus on snacks or
meals that have lots of carbohydrates, as they will give you the
fuel you need to perform at your best. The key is to make sure
you have enough nutrients in your body to perform at your best
without getting tired |
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