How to Grocery Shop

This was a cool list I made while attending the University of Illinois. I invite all of you to take a quick read or even print out the following information to carry around with you when you grocery shop. You will find that your fridge/freezer/pantry will be much healthier looking and you may even save a couple bucks on the better food. 

This may say "for athletes" but this is a perfect list for anyone's kitchen.

Any looking for the word document print out just send me a quick email, I don't mind sending you the original!

Grocery Shopping for Athletes

Produce:

·         Choose lots of different colors: green, red, orange, yellow, blue, etc.

·         Check for seasonal fruits and vegetables. Hint: those are the ones usually on sale!

·         Not ripe? They will be! Plan for how long you want them.

·         Fruit can provide a natural source of energy when compared to Gatorade and energy drinks

·         Diet high in fruits and vegetables is a proven method to decrease high blood pressure

·         Check the produce by smelling, Nice smells usually mean ripeness and full flavor

·         Stock up:

o   Pre-cut fresh vegetables

o   Pre made salad mix, with dark lettuces (romaine, spinach)

o   Baby carrots

o   Grapes, oranges, grapefruit, apples, and strawberries

o   Bananas, pineapple,  mango, kiwi

o   Potatoes

o   Mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus, cucumber, broccoli

Meat:

·         Try and go for leaner meats; choose the 95/5 beef instead of the 80/20

·         Buy frozen bags for a cheaper, long term option

·         Choose fish, large amount of high quality fat

·         The protein in meat is perfect for recovery after games and practices!

·         Stock up:

o   Lean ground beef (try ground turkey)

o   Pork tenderloin and chicken breasts

o   Tuna steaks and salmon fillets

o   Veggie burgers

o   Frozen hamburger patties

o   Frozen chicken breasts

Dairy:

·         Milk is an amazing source of protein, calcium, and vitamin D. Perfect for athletes.

·         Cheese makes a perfect protein packed snack. Go unprocessed!

·         Eggs are good for recovery after practice in the morning or in the afternoon.

·         Digestive troubles? Get some yogurt.

·         Juices, in the dairy section, are best! Go 100% juice and avoid added sugar.

·         Stock up:

o   Eggs or egg substitute

o   Low fat milk, chocolate milk, soy milk, etc.

o   100% OJ with added calcium

o   Mozzarella cheese sticks

o   Cheddar slices, shredded cheeses, real cheese

o   Single serve yogurt, giant tub of yogurt for smoothies

Dry Food

·         Look for healthier options: whole wheat, low saturated fat, etc.

·         When on sale, stock up on long term foods: soup, dry pasta, and rice

·         Try to buy separate ingredients, not “already prepared full meals”

·         When buying snacks, think “what’s a healthier option?” Nuts and popcorn over chips.

·         Most foods in this department will be the immediate sources of energy; remember that.

·         Bread should have as few ingredients as possible. Try the bakery.

·         Granola bars, breakfast bars, dried fruit, and fruit snacks are healthy options

·         Sports drinks for practice; before, during, or after. Also, sports bars.

·         Stock up:

o   Rice, pasta, couscous, quinoa, oatmeal, cereals, etc.

o   Chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup; choose low sodium option

o   Salsa, marinara sauce, hummus, applesauce, salad dressing (low sat. fat)

o   Popcorn, crackers, baked chips, trail mixes, nuts, pita chips

o   Canned veggies, beans and fruit, single serve veggies and fruit

o   Raisins, fiber one bars, nutty granola bars, fruit snacks

o   Gatorade, Propel, watch out for high fructose corn syrup

o   Powerbars, Special K bars, muscle milk, whey protein, etc.

Frozen Food

·         Great for quick, healthy meals on the run. Add sides to make a full meal.

·         Look for low fat (less than 30%) and high protein (15g or higher).

·         Easy to have and make frozen vegetables and other side items.

·         Having frozen fruit on hand makes it easy to make smoothies.

·         Stock up:

o   Lean meats and veggie burgers

o   Whole grain waffles and pancakes

o   Low fat burritos, pizzas, and other prepared foods - ex:

§  Healthy Choice Lemon Pepper Fish

§  Stouffer’s Lean Cuisine Honey Roasted Pork

§  Uncle Ben’s Parmesan Shrimp Penne Pasta Bowl

§  Amy’s Santa Fe Enchilada Bowl

o   Frozen fruit

o   Frozen vegetables and vegetable sides

o   Frozen yogurt or ice cream

The Postseason 2

So I've had so more thoughts on the post season to help you with the transition.

I've said before how I like whole foods and dislike super-manufactured foods. But for us athletes they can be beneficial to our sport because of the nutritional differences. In the post season, I think it is a good idea to give your some of your favorite products the chance to prove themselves in the "low fat!" and "low cal!" type departments.

During the season we need a lot more of certain things. The ones that come to mind are calories, protein, carbohydrate, iron, electrolytes, calcium, sodium, among other small vitamins and minerals. This is why for one reason it can be OK to eat a lot of food and a lot of different foods. For the most part, if you watch your fat intake and are eating nutritionally dense (lots of micronutrients) foods, you will be fine! When it hits post season, all of a sudden we don't need all those foods and treats. But we still need all the good stuff! For this reason, give a try to some of the altered foods that have had their calories lowered, fat lowered, or anything else you are trying to keep out of the diet (cholesterol, sugars, trans fat, etc.)

When it comes down to really thinking about the off season eating, you should be eating "like a normal person." Since it seems like no one eats like a "normal person" anymore this is still difficult. I recommend just taking a peak at the MyPlate, the governments nice little representation of what your plate should look like at every meal. If you don't feel like researching yourself (lazy!) it basically is a circle plate split into 4 quarters. One quarter is fruit, one is vegetables, one is grains, and one is protein. In the top corner is a small circle of dairy (which is their hint at making this milk!). I find it hard to get all four sections on my plate, but for the most part I can keep things pretty balanced.

Take a look at the site! It's actually pretty nifty now.


http://www.choosemyplate.gov/food-groups/

Going into the different sections will show you an exact example of what is a serving of different kinds of foods. That's my favorite part to the website. This way you can see you are taking waaaaay too much rice or that the apple you just ate is closer to two servings of fruit than one. Cool!

The Post Season

So now that everyone is starting to enter the post season, at least in my sport, I thought I'd go over some pointers on how to change one's diet accordingly.

When the season ends, the body is usually in tip-top shape. Since the body is so well conditioned at this point, it is almost craving more exercise or at least the everyday regiment of work outs and practices and games. Now with that dwindling down to whatever level you choose, its important to realize that your body will be uncomfortable with the change at first.

If you are coming down from an extremely intensive training schedule, your body will feel strange from the extra sleep and from the food you eat. For example, waking up earlier, or getting less sleep than normal will cause your body to feel more tired than it actually is. This is because you are messing with your circadian rhythm or in other words, your body's balanced way of life. This fatigue and time shift can also alter when you eat your food as well. Now that you don't have practice in the morning, You may have breakfast when you are normally on the court. Your body could not be used to a full meal that early, thus leading to discomfort. The reason I'm telling you all this is not to avoid it, but to embrace it. Your body will be uncomfortable at first. Don't push it too hard too fast after the season ends. Nicely and slowly ease your schedule to a comfortable level of sleep, eating, and exercise, and listen to your body for when it is hurting because it is trying to tell you something.

The other thing that happens when the season ends is calorie needs. Without spending all the excessive amount of calories you normally use in practice, it's important to control portions. Especially at the beginning of the now eased up schedule, it can be way to easy to destroy a ton of food in one sitting. After all, your body is used to eating a lot more calories. The easiest way to control this change is to spend more of your extra time in the kitchen making your food. The more time you take making your food, the more awesome and nutritious you can make it, but you will also pay WAY more attention to what you are doing. Therefore it will be incredibly easier to lighten the portions.

When at the store in the off season, it can still be easy to be lazy. I challenge you to push yourself to try new recipes and make up new dishes! What better time to work on your cooking skills and nutritional knowledge then now? You got all this free time. So when you go into the freezer section and really want that frozen pre-made something, look at it, and tell yourself that you can make the same thing using other stuff you can buy at the store. Ten bucks says it will taste better too. Have some fun with it! See who makes the best hot wings, Caesar salad, pizza crust, stir fry, or grilled cheese in your apartment/building/team.

For many during the season it is work hard, play hard, get results. This is usually turned off in the off season, but I say keep one area "on" and that is your diet. Pay attention to what and how much you are eating. You should do your best to eat healthy like you always do with paying much more attention to decreasing the amount eaten. With this in mind you can keep off the "post-season poundage" and keep your body happy.

Enjoy your free time!

Dessert Switcheroo

Yesterday I was reeeally craving something sweet. You know when you go through all the cabinets and find nothing and start freaking out? Me yesterday.

So with dessert on my mind, let me go through some nice switches you can make in order to choose a "healthier" option for you diet.

• Ice cream: try yogurt, frozen or not. There are a ton of yogurts too that come with mix-ins that can mimic a tasty ice cream easily. A brand I've liked is Yo-Crunch. For me, frozen yogurt is always a no, but I can tell you that you will be getting less calories and still Calcium, protein, and digestive benefits.
• Pastries: Drop the Hostess and pick up the peanut butter! Easy to spread a slice of bread and take to go. You can even roll it up and mimic a swiss cake roll if you must. This sandwich/snack will provide much more protein and cut back on the heavy fat and sugar quantities in pastries. But! In all honesty, if you can keep the sweet down to only one, this shouldn't be stretching you diet too much, just keep things small and only grab one.
• Chocolate: don't have much bad to say about this other than eating too much. If you want to increase fruit consumption, melt your chocolate by breaking it up into smaller pieces and melting it in the microwave (watch it until its done, maybe 30 sec to 1 min) and dipping fruit in it! A great snack. Plus you can put these concoctions in the fridge, let the chocolate re-harden and have a dessert for the next day(s).
• Cookies: I think a great replacement for this one is a classic bowl of cereal. This way you are getting some super beverage (milk!) in your system and still enjoying the many sweet flavors of the many great cereals. Wow, choose any! If you want a really good option for cereal, find the granola and eat a smaller bowl of cereal! You will be looking at higher fiber, unsaturated fats, and protein in the granolas.

Want some other great ideas real quick? Fruit smoothie, pudding Snack Pack, trail mix, cottage cheese, and maybe, if you want, a sweet potato with brown sugar on it....wow that sounds good.

Hope maybe this helps your cravings, I'm going to the grocery store...

Spring Break Tips and Pointers

Woooooow, all you cool people are getting a Spring Break? Wish I was in the States right now...

So Spring Break...it usually involves drinking. A lot of drinking. This choice is up to you, but there are some things, easy things, that you can do in order to not COMPLETELY destroy your body this coming week.

Drink a ton of water! Like, you should be going to the bathroom almost 5 times a day. The more you stay hydrated, the less headaches you will get, and the more comfortable your body will feel, especially out in the sun. A quick way to get hydrated fast is to drink a full water bottle immediately before going to bed and immediately after waking up. If you want something to help a little more, grab the Gatorade, Propel, juice, etc. because these have the sugar to get you moving and the electrolytes to push you through the day. Caffeine beverages like coffee and energy drinks will help kill a headache, but I recommend avoiding these guys as they cause your body to crash and can lead to dangerous alcohol levels, ala Four Loko madness.

Get some sleep! It is break you know. Sleep in; don't get up until your body tells you to. Because of this, you may skip right through breakfast. This is ok, as long as you still eat something when you wake up. Don't just jump right into a greasy or huge lunch "just because it is lunch time." Take it easy, and let your stomach wake up with something easy like a banana, a half bagel, or some yogurt.

When you do eat during this wonderful time, go after some carbo-heavy foods. Carbs are much more easily digested by the body and they are the most immediate source of energy. If you really are going to "go strong" and drink all week, weekend, or whatever, you really need to eat correctly. If not, your body will crash in a way you don't want it to. Before your trip, adventure, or party, stock up on bread and sandwich ingredients. Also grab a nice stack of bagels, cream cheese, and juices. And last, make a "fruit bag." Literally just go to the store and grab one of each fruit (or more). After you buy, throw them all in a bag. This will be your go to bag in order to get nice bursts of energy while keeping your "weak" stomach happy.

Finally, please be safe. We all do stupid things and that is fine by me. But please stay out of the cars. Don't put yourself into a position where things can get dangerous.

Now go have fun! This holiday is meant to be enjoyed in the nice weather (which I heard it is just amazingly warm over there) with a cold drink.

How to Eat Well on Vacation!

Hi all! I realize I have been gone for a really long time, and I apologize...again...but I have been pretty busy the last two weeks!

So you are going on vacation and you are scared about the extra weight associated wit heating out all the time? I can help!

First step: Go with other people. Sounds pretty stupid? Yeah, because most go on vacation with other people, but what I am getting at is the idea of sharing. A lot of the time restaurants will throw their whole kitchen at you. It's ridiculous! An easy way of enjoying yourself but at the same time not stuffing yourself is to share with some one else! Get only one meal, or one meal and an appetizer for the both of you. This way you are eating a better portion without the stress on the belt.

Second step: Small thinking. This kind of goes with what I just said. On vacation, most do much less with their body. The body will be much more relaxed and easy going. Sleeping in happens a lot too. This leads to the body not needing as many calories due to the decrease in physical activity. Try getting the smaller portions of things (6 inch instead of foot long, small bowl instead of large, 1 slice instead of two, etc.) Sharing *wink wink* makes this easier because the portion automatically becomes smaller with the added benefit of not wanting to take the other person's food!

Third step: If you are going for dessert, which you should!, decrease the main meal and no appetizers! Don't always add things in. If you want extra parts to your meal, you are asking for extra calories. Maybe using my amazing, never-before-thought-of idea of sharing, try a meal and a dessert to share! Mmmmm cake.

We all must alter how this works with what we are doing on vacation too. For example, I just went to Barcelona and went allllll over the town, hopped up and down some stairs, pushed up hills, all the good stuff. This was pretty tiring for me! I made sure to stay hydrated before hitting an alcoholic drink or eating food in order to not upset my stomach. I also ate a pretty good portion in order to get enough energy for the rest of the trip. I didn't want to be in food coma ever because I wanted to be all over the city! My plan worked too. I just ate a little less, shared with my girlfriend, and made pit stops to get a water or a juice/coffee. Good times!