How to improve away from the pitch: Nutrition

How to improve away from the pitch:

I'm going to be shooting out an blog series for the next month.

I wanted to start this new year with some concrete ways you can improve away from the pitch!

I started with sleep.

Now I want to help you improve your atheltes's nutrition.

Here are three things to focus on for your athlete's nutrition:

How to improve your diet:

Diet is a tricky one*( I am not a medical professional). My expertise comes from being able to be one of the consistently fittest players on my teams as well as counseling my athletes to become fitter. 

1) Water intake

Especially where I am( Texas), you have to be aware of your water intake! We can get it from the foods we eat, but it is essential to start drinking more water.

I get a lot of complaints: I have to go to the bathroom all the time. I don't like how water tastes. I am never thirsty.

My response:

It'll pass. Get over it. Yes, you are.

I am just kidding.

I am usually much nicer, but athletes need to take care of their bodies, and the best/most straightforward ways are to increase the water intake.

Tip: Carry a reusable water 24-ounce bottle with you. Aim to drink at least 3-4 of those before your practice.

2) Eat more Fruits and Vegetables

I am not a big fan of diets. Most of the time, it makes you feel bad when you can stick to them.

I'd much rather have you starting adding nutrient-dense foods to your diet instead of putting down a list of foods you can not eat.

The nutrients you get in fruits and veggies are perfect for recovery.

 I promise you the more you start adding nutrient-dense food to your meals, the more your recovery will improve.

Tip: Start adding some veggies or fruits to every one of your meals. 

3) Food journal:

Food journals are perfect for giving a snapshot of what you eat. 

Over three days, write down everything you drink and eat. I recommend two weekdays and one weekend day. Do Not change what you eat because of a food journal! The whole point is to give yourself an honest assessment. 

At the end of each day, write down how you felt at practice or your games. 

For me, it is super illuminating to see how much sugar I am eating or how many processed foods I eat over three days. 

After three days, review and see where you can improve. Maybe it is adding a salad or cutting down on sugary drinks. Whatever it is, I promise in the long term your body and your performance will improve. 

Again this is another area where you can improve your performance off the field without even touching the ball right.