By Elizabeth Wickham from https://swimswam.com/child-eat-swim-meets/

In a recent story, someone commented, “When and what should swimmers eat during meets?” I discussed this question with several swim moms from a variety of backgrounds, including two nurses, former swimmers, athletes, a dietitian and parents of Olympians, to find out their advice about nutrition at meets.

Although none of them claim to be experts, they have years of experience and have learned what things do and do not work for their kids. They provided five practical tips and a list of foods their swimmers eat at meets.

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Know your child.

Each swimmer is different and they can tolerate different things. One swimmer was sensitive to certain foods like a hamburger. She would be in pain after eating one but had no problem with rice and a hard boiled egg. Other swimmers can eat a hamburger the day of a race and get best times. Also, make sure swimmers know it’s important to drink liquids and stay hydrated.

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Recovery.

Swimmers need a recovery drink or food within 30 minutes after they race. When they’re young, parents need to be in charge of this. Chocolate milk is the preferred drink of each mom I interviewed. It has a good ratio of carbohydrates to protein to replenish needed nutrients after practice or a race. Boost, Ensure and other protein drinks are great because they are fortified with protein and vitamins, but your kids have to like the taste.

THREE

Don’t try something new.

If your child got a best time eating a certain meal such as sushi or cheese pizza, don’t mess with it. You don’t want to try a completely new food, because it might not agree with your child. Also, give them plenty of time to digest. One swim mom suggested eating at least two hours before they race. Another mom, who is a nurse, said her kids snack on healthy fruits and nuts throughout meets. Many swimmers like the same food for every meet.

FOUR

Keep a consistent diet.

One swim mom, who’s an athlete herself, made the comment that you don’t eat healthy only during a meet. Swimmers need to have a healthy diet all the time as part of their lifestyle. It’s just as important to eat well every day of the week—not just at meets—for optimum performance.

FIVE

Read and research.

There are many great articles and books about nutrition and sports. Read the many articles on SwimSwam written by registered dietitians and experts. You’ll learn so much about nutrition and the role it has in your swimmer’s health, growth and development.

Here’s a list of suggested swim meet meals and snacks from swim moms:

Chocolate Milk
Carnation Instant Breakfast
Breakfast burrito
Egg and bagel sandwich
Rice with eggs
Gatorade
Coach’s Oats
Bananas
Strawberries
Almond butter and apples
Fresh fruit
Yogurt
Protein bars
Beef jerky
Homemade granola: nuts, honey, coconut oil, salt, shredded coconut and raisins

What is your swimmer’s favorite food at swim meets?

Elizabeth Wickham volunteered for 14 years on her kids’ club team as board member, fundraiser, newsletter editor and “Mrs. meet manager.” She’s a writer with a bachelor of arts degree in editorial journalism from the University of Washington with a long career in public relations, marketing and advertising. Her stories have appeared in newspapers and magazines including the Los Angeles Times, Orange County Parenting and Ladybug.You can read more parenting tips on her blog.

by Dr. Ellen Vora mindbodygreen.com

Ellen Vora, M.D., is a holistic psychiatrist practicing with Frank Lipman, M.D., at the Eleven Eleven Wellness Center in NYC. This week, we're sharing Dr. Vora's expertise in a new series on natural techniques for better sleep. To learn more, check out her mindbodygreen course, The Doctor's Guide to Falling Asleep Naturally + Getting the Best Rest of Your Life.

Does what we eat really affect our sleep? Short answer: yes. Just as a triple-shot Frappuccino at 9 p.m. would be destructive for your sleep, there are also foods that can help support a good night's rest.

Here are five great ones I recommend to patients:

1. Fermented foods

What the heck do fermented foods have to do with sleep? Fermented foods promote a healthy gut, and a healthy gut is a prerequisite for our bodies to feel at ease. In fact, there's a direct line of communication between our gut and our brain, called the vagus nerve. When the brain is relaxed, it gives the gut permission to devote energy toward digestion. Conversely, if we're running from a tiger and in a panic, it tells the gut, Hold off on that for now; we have other things to worry about.

Meanwhile, the vagus nerve also carries information from the gut to the brain. If the gut is inflamed (maybe you've eating something you don't tolerate, or the gut ecosystem has gotten out of balance after a course of antibiotics), then the vagus nerve tells the brain: feel uneasy. This can make us feel anxious or depressed during the day and sleepless at night. Perhaps it's designed to motivate us to change our behavior. Ate pizza → felt uneasy → maybe I shouldn't eat pizza. Unfortunately, pizza hits our brains like a drug, so as with any other drug, cravings can trump our awareness that something is making us sick.

Examples of fermented foods include sauerkraut, kimchi, apple cider vinegar, beet kvass, miso paste, lactofermented pickles, yogurt, and kefir (if you tolerate dairy).

2. Starchy tubers

To improve your gut flora, you need the one-two punch of fermented foods plus starchy tubers. Tubers are the food that healthy bacteria like to eat, so when we eat them, we help those bacteria survive in our guts.

Examples of starchy tubers: sweet potatoes, white potatoes, potato starch, plantains, taro, and yucca

3. Tart cherries

I put frozen organic cherries in my smoothie every morning. Cherries are a good source of B vitamins and magnesium, and they even contain melatonin (the hormone that makes us sleepy at night). Research suggests that the melatonin in cherries is bioavailable and acts as useful melatonin in the body.

4. Almond butter

Almond butter is a superb snack to have right before bed. It has a high fat and protein content, so it's slow to digest and will be absorbed into your bloodstream gradually overnight, giving you a safety net of blood sugar. Steady blood sugar supports deep, consolidated sleep by preventing blood sugar dips, which can wake your body up. Almonds also contain magnesium and tryptophan to promote sleep.

If you can spring for it, sprouted organic almond butter is the most nutritious choice.

5. Coconut oil

I prescribe coconut oil to my patients as if it were medication. Coconut oil is anti-inflammatory and antimicrobial, and it contains medium-chain triglycerides, which support cognition and stable mood. I especially like it for sleep because it's a clean, easy fuel source. Like almond butter, it can keep your blood sugar steady overnight.

I have my patients keep a jar of coconut oil and a spoon next to their bed. I recommend a spoonful before bed and spoonful when they wake up in the middle of the night.

What Should Your Child Eat at Swim Meets?

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