TOP FIVE HEALTHY HOLIDAY FOODS

BY CHRIS ROSENBLOOM, PHD, RD, CSSD

From Thanksgiving to New Year’s Day there will be a lot of media stories on weight gain during the holidays. Dire warnings will be issued about high fat and high calorie holiday dishes. But, what receives less media attention is the abundance of healthy foods that appear on mom and grandma’s table from November to January.

So, load up your plates with these performance boosting foods:

1. Sweet potatoes. Fresh sweet potatoes often appear on the holiday table in a sweet potato casserole or soufflé. These dishes are very good sources of the antioxidant nutrients vitamins A and C that can help repair sore muscles and support your immune system to fight off winter colds and the flu. Sweet potatoes are naturally low in sodium and high in potassium, an electrolyte that is often overlooked but is needed by athletes. Frozen or canned sweet potatoes don’t contain as many nutrients as fresh produce, so fresh sweet potatoes are the healthiest. And, if you have never tried a baked sweet potato you are missing a great side dish or healthy snack…naturally sweet and delicious, there is no need to drown it in butter and sour cream like a baked white potato. For a holiday conversation starter, ask your family if they know the difference between a sweet potato and a yam. The yam is a completely different vegetable and is not as rich in vitamins as sweet potatoes.
2. Turkey. Turkey breast might be your favorite, but don’t be afraid of the dark. The dark meat contains only slightly more fat than white meat but it is higher in iron and zinc. Iron helps make hemoglobin needed to deliver oxygen to working muscles and zinc is important is muscle repair and immunity. If your family likes to deep-fry the turkey, as long as the frying oil is at the proper temperature and the turkey is removed from the oil as soon as it is cooked if won’t contain much more fat than a traditional roasted turkey.
3. Greens. It doesn’t matter if they are turnip greens or collards, steamed spinach or a salad with Romaine lettuce, greens are loaded with healthy nutrients like the B-vitamin folate, fiber, beta-carotene and vitamin C. Collards and turnip greens have an added nutrition boost by being a good source of calcium.
4. Cranberries. This tart berry was said to be served at the first Thanksgiving in 1621. Our ancestors probably didn’t know that they contain a plant compound called bioflavonoids which help prevent disease. Cranberries may show up on the table as a traditional cranberry jelly or sauce but you can also snack on dried cranberries. Cranberries are very tart so sweeteners are usually added to make them less sour.
5. Pumpkin pie. Holidays would not be the same without pumpkin pie. Pumpkin, like a sweet potato, has a deep orange color that is bursting with nutrients. One slice of pumpkin pie has about 350 calories but the same slice of pecan pie has over 500 calories so pumpkin pie is the more nutrient-rich choice.

This holiday, choose performance-boosting foods while enjoying great taste at the same time.

Chris Rosenbloom is the sports dietitian for Georgia State University Athletic Department and is the editor of the American Dietetic Association’s Sports Nutrition Manual, 5th edition, scheduled for publication in 2012.

From USA Swimming.org

ENERGY DRINKS: A NO-NO FOR YOUNG SWIMMERS

The USA Swimming Sports Medicine and Science Committee has recently reviewed the risks and benefits related to energy drinks and is providing information to call attention to the differences between energy drinks and "sports drinks" used for rehydration, to point out the risks associated with such drinks, and to provide suggested alternatives to use of these drinks.

In the coming weeks, the Sports Medicine and Science Committee will publish a series of articles on usaswimming.org on the risks of consuming energy drinks. This week, nutritionist Jill Castle covers the basic nutritional facts behind these drinks.

BY JILL CASTLE, MS, RD

Red Bull, Rock Star, Amp, Monster Energy—enticing labels for a tired and thirsty swimmer. Energy drinks are one of the fastest growing segments of drink sales in America and their popularity is growing, especially among youth. Athletes use energy drinks to rehydrate after a workout, boost attention and focus during school, “wake up,” or as a routine beverage at meals. Don’t be misled by something that sounds too good to be true—while an all-in-one drink is tempting, it carries some serious considerations for young athletes. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), children and teens should avoid energy drinks.

Confusion exists about the difference between a sports drink and an energy drink, so let’s clear this up. A sports drink contains a small amount of carbohydrate, minerals, electrolytes and flavorings and is designed to replace those nutrients lost through sweating after exercise. Gatorade is an example of a sports drink.

Energy drinks contain stimulants including caffeine, guarana and yerba mate (herbal stimulants) and taurine (an amino acid). Ginseng, if present, enhances the effects of caffeine. Other elements may be added to energy drinks, but their benefits, safety and side effects are questionable.

An average energy drink contains 70-200 mg caffeine per 16 ounces. Some energy drinks can contain up to 500 mg of caffeine, the equivalent of 14 cans of soda. For children and teens, caffeine consumption should be limited to 1.25 mg per pound of body weight (for a 100-pound swimmer that’s 125 mg caffeine per day). More than 100 mg of caffeine per day in adolescents has been associated with higher blood pressures.

Growing children and teens should avoid excess caffeine consumption. Excess consumption of caffeine is associated with agitation, anxiety, poor sleep, rapid heart rate, increased blood pressure and altered mental states.

Too much caffeine can mask fatigue. Gauging fatigue is important to staying fit, healthy and in the pool. If jacked up on caffeine, swimmers may miss the body’s signal for rest.

Caffeine can alter mood and behavior, resulting in physical dependence or addiction. How do you know if you’re a caffeine-addict? Without caffeine, you experience withdrawal symptoms such as headache, tiredness, depressed mood and nausea.

If that’s not enough to make you re-think your drink, here’s some more food for thought.

Energy drinks contain sugar—up to 30 grams per cup (almost ¼ cup of sugar). Limiting sugar consumption is a healthy practice, for any growing child and teen, whether an athlete or not.

Energy drinks are dehydrating. Due to the concentration of caffeine, energy drinks encourage frequent urination, and energy drinks with higher sugar content can compound the dehydrating effects of caffeine.

Feeling tired, losing focus and struggling with low energy? Rethink your nutrition, hydration and sleep program. No magic bullet replaces a nutritious diet of real, wholesome food, adequate water and other healthy liquids, or a good night’s sleep. And that’s no (red) bull.

Jill Castle is a registered dietitian and child nutrition expert. She is the owner of Pediatric Nutrition of Green Hills and creator of Just The Right Byte, a child and family nutrition blog. Jill lives with her husband and four children (one swimmer!) in Nashville, Tenn.

Article from USA Swimming

PROTEIN FOR THE GROWING SWIMMER, UNPLUGGED

BY JILL CASTLE, MS, RD, LDN

Do you believe protein is the “magic pill” of sports nutrition, or are you just making ends meet, trying to get enough protein in your diet? Boasting benefits like enhanced sports performance, muscle gain and improved post-event recovery, protein seems to have magical powers, and swimmers are looking for more.

Protein is a necessary part of every child’s diet. It is fundamental for organ function, new tissue development and the repair of muscle damage. Children need protein to stay healthy and grow.

The average child, aged 9-13 years, needs about 0.5 grams of protein per pound of body weight. Youth swimmers and other young athletes have a slightly higher protein requirement and need about 0.5-0.7 grams per pound of body weight, depending on age and gender.

Most Americans meet or exceed their protein needs without trouble and few are lacking this nutrient. In fact, if a young swimmer’s energy needs are met throughout the day with a balanced diet, it’s most likely that protein requirements will be met as well.

Food sources of protein include meats such as poultry and red meats; fish; eggs; dairy products such as milk, yogurt, yogurt drinks, cheese and cottage cheese; legumes such as edamame, black, kidney, white, pinto and garbanzo beans; nuts and nut butters; and high protein grains such as quinoa.

Small amounts of protein are also found in cereal, crackers, bread and bread products, and other processed foods.

Some young swimmers are consuming extra protein sources such as protein-enhanced energy drinks, energy bars and supplemental powders to build more muscle tissue, and/or enhance recovery from training. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP), the regular use of these protein-enhanced foods and beverages is not recommended for young athletes. Also, the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) and USA Swimming considers dietary supplements “take at your own risk,” placing full responsibility for any effects and repercussions on the athlete. Eating real food sources of protein in a well-balanced diet throughout the day is optimum. The AAP also promotes the use of natural protein foods for recovery from prolonged vigorous exercise, such as low fat milk.

Are there negative effects of getting too much protein? Excess protein intake can be potentially dangerous for the young swimmer, resulting in dehydration, calcium losses in the urine, weight gain, and stress on the liver and kidneys. Also, if the focus is on eating a high protein diet, the swimmer may lack the preferred fuel source for training and racing: carbohydrates.

Tips for getting “real food” protein in the young swimmer’s diet:

• Eat protein sources at each meal. An egg and milk for breakfast; peanut butter on a sandwich and yogurt at lunch; and lean meat and milk at dinner are ways to add natural protein to the diet.
• Eat protein with snacks. Fruit and cheese kabobs; peanut butter crackers; nuts and dried fruit; and hummus with pita chips are all healthy snacks for the swimmer. Including protein at snack-time will keep blood sugars normal, help meet overall nutrition needs and reign in excess hunger before meals.
• Eat food to recover from training sessions. Plain or flavored low-fat milk, low fat yogurt and nut-based trail mix are examples of good protein-rich choices.

USA Swimming Article