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Blog - Nutrition Advice
  A great post on quinoa from my friend Brian St. Pierre: Quinoa is considered by many to be the greatest grain on earth. Though botanically it is a seed, it is much more similar to a grain, and so is placed into that category along with better known wheat and rice. Pronounced keenwa, it was known as “chisiya mama”, or the mother of grains by the Incas, who greatly treasured this tremendous food. There are legends of Incan armies marching for days eating nothing but “war balls”, quinoa packed with fat. One of the greatest aspects of quinoa is the fact that it is rarest of all creatures, a grain or seed that contains all of the essential amino acids, making it a complete high-quality protein. Most grains and plant foods in general lack an amino acid called lysine, which quinoa is naturally high in. High-quality protein is especially important for hard-training athletes for recovery and growth. Quinoa is also incredibly nutrient dense. It is high in fiber, with roughly 5 grams per serving, and it boasts a very low glycemic index score, meaning it has a minimal impact on blood sugar levels. Compared to other grains like wheat and corn (yes corn is really more grain than vegetable) it is higher in many minerals including calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, and iron, of which it is a good source. It is also a good source of zinc, copper and folate along with several B vitamins. Another benefit of quinoa is that though it is used much the same as rice, it cooks in about the same time as pasta, taking roughly 12-15 minutes. It is a versatile and easily prepared food that can be used in a variety of recipes. Since quinoa is technically a leafy seed, and not a grassy grain, it does not contain any of the allergens common to wheat, rye, barley, oats or corn. It is gluten free and so can be enjoyed by those with gluten sensitivies (such as celiac’s disease). Quinoa is an amazing little food that is incredibly nutritionally dense, is a complete protein, is hypo-allergenic, is high in fiber and has minimal impact on blood sugar. Nothing more could be asked of a grain. Quinoa & Coconut Chicken Ingredients
Directions Whip eggs together in a large bowl. Mix quinoa flakes and shredded coconut into a separate large bowl. Dip each piece of chicken into the eggs, then take the lightly egg-covered chicken and press into the bowl of quinoa and coconut, thoroughly covering each piece. Bake chicken in a large pyrex dish at 350 degrees for approximately 20 minutes, or until done. Serves 4.
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It's undeniable: Nutrition is a HUGE part of performance. Many athletes come to me complaining about the weight they've lost throughout the season. Others say they can't put on weight not matter what they do. Others are trying to lose a few pounds. Contrary to popular belief, the eating strategies for these goals is surprisingly similar. When I ask what they're currently eating, the response is generally a hilarious combination of junk food, candy, cereal, and pasta. Total nutrient value: None 10 Things Every Athlete Should Know 1) Thin does not mean healthy. Many young players with high metabolisms are rail thin and still incredibly unhealthy. Research has shown that thin people with unhealthy lifestyles have a drastically higher incidence of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Don't be too short-sighted to overlook your long-term health. 2) Fats are good for you. This is one of the biggest misconceptions in health today. Fat doesn't make you fat. It doesn't give you heart disease. In fact, many of the things reported as negative outcomes from excessive fat consumption actually result from excessive consumption of simple carbohydrates (think sugar) and excessive caloric intake in general. I'm not saying to eat excessive amounts of fat, but QUALITY fat from nuts, olive oil, fish oils will actually help you recover faster, maintain a low body fat (or lose body fat) and decrease your risk of most major diseases. 3) Frequent eating is the key to sustaining a healthy metabolism. Aim to eat a balanced meal every 2-3 hours. If you're in school, stuff your pockets and take a bathroom break. It's doable. When I was in high school and trying to put on weight, I had the smallest bladder ever! 4) Whether you like it or not, your health and performance depends on consuming a wealth of fruits and vegetables. Aim to consume 1 fruit or vegetable with every meal (6+ throughout the day). Potatoes don't count. Choose from: apples, berries, oranges, bananas, broccoli (with some melted cheese if you hate broccoli), spinach, carrots, tomatoes, asparagus, and peppers. You'll be surprised how much your energy levels skyrocket after making this change alone. 5) Protein isn't the key to adding muscle like many think. Well-timed carbohydrates are. Start drinking a protein/carb mix shake before/during your training session or a chocolate milk (low fat) after your training sessions to maximize your muscle mass gains and recovery. 6) If you're aren't assessing, you're guessing. Whether you want to gain muscle or lose fat, you can't make intelligent changes to your diet until you know what you're taking in. Spend a couple days to document your diet and plug it all in at FitDay.com to track your total caloric intake and breakdown of macro- (carbs, protein, fats) and micro-nutrients (vitamins and minerals). 7) Sports drinks are good to consume during or IMMEDIATELY after training or practice. Any other time, avoid them like the plague. The sugar is terrible for your teeth, digestive system, body composition, and overall health. 8) There is a HUGE debate about whether athletes need supplements or whether they can get all the nutrients they need from food. It's a dumb argument. Whether athletes can or can't, they aren't. Every athlete should, at a minimum, have a greens, protein, and fish oil supplement. 9) It's impossible for young players to eat a quality, high performance, health-conscious diet if their parents eat garbage. Parents, get it together. It's in the best interest of your family to throw out the junk and spend your hard-earned grocery money on foods that will improve your health and energy levels. It's true that healthy foods can be more expensive, but not NEARLY as expensive as the doctor visits, medications, and surgeries that ALWAYS result from lazy convenience eating. Set a good example. 10) CONSISTENCY IS KEY. Alternating high-quality and low-quality meals won't get you very far. About 10% of your meals can be "cheat meals" (insert pizza, ice cream, etc. here). If you eat 6 meals/day (every 2-3 hours), 7 days/week, that's 42 meals/week. This means that 4 meals can be junk. The rest have to be quality. The Ultimate Nutrition Resource World-renowned Sports Nutritionist Dr. John Berardi has put together the greatest nutrition resource I've ever come across: Precision Nutrition. I use Precision Nutrition as the basis for all the nutrition recommendations I make to both athletes and non-athlete clients. It walks you through exactly how you should be eating and why. It gives you the eating strategies you need to achieve your performance and health goals. Best of all, it comes with a cook book with some of the simplest, most delicious and nutritious recipes I've ever seen (no boring, bland foods at all). Everyone I know that has invested in Precision Nutrition raves about how it's transformed their life. It's the ONLY book that I think every coach, parent, and athletes should own. Frankly, you'd have to be crazy not to have it! Click the link below for more information: Precision Nutrition To your success, Kevin Neeld
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Dr. John Berardi recently wrote an incredible article on all the ins and outs of the REAL effect coffee has on your body. This is a great read for all the coffee drinkers out there: http://www.precisionnutrition.com/coffee-and-hormones As you know, I'm a huge fan of Dr. Berardi's work. His nutrition book Precision Nutrition is the only resource that I think EVERYONE (athletes, non-athletes, men, women, senior citizens...EVERYONE) should own. I love the cook book (Gourmet Nutrition) that comes with Precision Nutrition and the PN website that you get access to when you buy the book has a ton of great info on it and a network of thousands of people that have the same goals you do. You owe it to yourself to check out Precision Nutrition! -Kevin Neeld
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On Monday I talked about how your view on food could be holding you back from getting the results you deserve. Check out the post here: Changing Your View On Food Building on that post, consider this: Anytime you eat, think about how your meal WILL or WILL NOT help you achieve your goals.If it won't-don't eat it. If it will-enjoy.Pretty complex, I know. I absolutely GUARANTEE that thinking about food this way will get you better results, faster. Keep training hard. Keep eating smart. -Kevin Neeld, Director of Athletic Development P.S. If you want a step by step approach toward revolutionizing your diet (and the world's best cook book to give you all the recipes you need to keep making healthy, delicious food forever), you really owe it to yourself to invest in Dr. John Berardi's Precision Nutrition (which comes with his world-famous cook book Gourmet Nutrition). It's really the only resource out there that I honestly believe that EVERYONE should own. If you have any questions about it, please feel free to email me or ask me at Endeavor. P.P.S. If you're enjoying these posts, please forward them to your friends and family so they can benefit from them too!
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Most people have a hard time changing their diet because of what the feelings they associate their food choices with. Big meals, desserts, and alcoholic beverages are usually consumed excessively as a means of celebration, relaxation, or comfort. With this in mind, think about why you eat certain foods and the feelings you have about those foods or while eating those foods. Now, on a very fundamental level of human survival, think about why you NEED to eat. With this mentality, food is meant to provide nutrients for energy, repair of tissues, and to facilitate certain reactions within the body. Have you ever noticed that you usually feel sluggish, tired, and just generally terrible after eating fast food, dessert, or other low quality foods? From a survive and thrive perspective, these foods offer NOTHING! Before you eat anything, ask yourself what the purpose of that food is. Don't let the internal self-justifications answer this question. From a non-biased perspective, what is the purpose of the food you're eating? Thinking about food based on the fuel/nutrient quality helps keep low quality nutrients out of your diet. To your continued success, Kevin Neeld, Director of Athletic Development P.S. If you want a step by step approach toward revolutionizing your diet (and the world's best cook book to give you all the recipes you need to keep making healthy, delicious food forever), you really owe it to yourself to invest in Dr. John Berardi's Precision Nutrition (which comes with his world-famous cook book Gourmet Nutrition). It's really the only resource out there that I honestly believe that EVERYONE should own. If you have any questions about it, please feel free to email me or ask me at Endeavor. P.P.S. If you're enjoying these posts, please forward them to your friends and family so they can benefit from them too!
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