Eat To Win

Over my adult life, I have steadily made many moderate to major changes in what and how I eat. I often say, I wish that when I was a teenager I had known what I know now. That is why I'm writing this , so if any of you find one little nugget of info that helps you achieve your health or competitive goals, then that will be great. I'm going to give you a little history first, then a few suggestions for your consideration..

At the age of 27 (30 years ago !!!), I stopped eating beef, pork, and processed meat ( cold cuts, sausage, bacon, etc). I did so because my Dad was having some health problems, and my rationale was "I can't control my family history, but I can sure control my diet." It really wasn't difficult, and I didn't miss things very much. My original intention was just to cut way back on my intake, but over time I just never ate it - so after 6-12 months of eating it none, I decided to continue abstaining. I am not medically certain of the following, but from my own experience I am convinced when you stop consuming red meats, your body loses some of it's ability to break down and digest some of that stuff - and eating some then may cause some stomach discomfort. This still happens to me if I accidentally consume , say, a, soup made with beef broth - or some other unknowing consumption of foods I don't regularly take - so if you go this route at any point in your life - be wary of this.

There was a pretty immediate improvement in my health way back when I made this change, and I noticed differences in how I felt, how I moved, how I trained, etc. Over time, I began to be a label reader, and it almost became a hobby to read about nutrition, talk to other coaches and athletes about their habits and discoveries, and learn from experience. There's a ton of info out there, and nothing I share with you here will be groundbreaking, innovative, or controversial - just sharing one tennis players' experiences with some others.

Some 20 years later, after I moved to Texas, one of my good friends and co-workers was experimenting with vegan-ism, which is quite simply, eliminating the consumption of any animal products. That would include any form of meat, poultry, seafood, or dairy. It's an extreme change even to a diet such as mine at the time, but one that interested me and I began to share some of her reading and discoveries. After a few months, I finally elected to try something similar, which was to stop eating poultry, eggs, and dairy - leaving my only departure from a vegan diet the fact that I would continue to eat seafood. That is a category I didn't think I could give up as it is a great source of lean protein, healthy and delicious, and frankly - among my favorite foods for my whole life. So with some restrictions, probably not having any adverse affects on either my health or my fitness, I vowed to try it for one month. That seemed easy and I felt great, so I decided to try another month.

And that' s the diet that I eat still today. Basically, it is anything that grows out of the ground (vegetables, grains, etc) and anything that swims ( fresh or salt water). There are folks out there who eat similarly, and some call themselves "Seagans", which is a twist on vegan that includes "sea" food, but true vegans take exception to this as no " self-respecting vegan" could ever eat a living thing, be it a mussel, salmon, or cow! Some folks mistakenly refer to a diet like mine as Pescatarian,but mine is notably different in that pescatarians can eat dairy, eggs, etc in addition to the seafood. I choose to eat none of that.

There is also an aspect of vegan-ism that is relative to animal rights, mutual respect for living things, protection of environmental issues, support of PETA, etc. I am not commenting here on any of that. I respect those folk's rights and opinions, but it's not relative to decisions I've made. I simply wanted to feel better, possibly live longer, and be a better athlete.

So when I made these most recent dietary changes about 5 years ago, I did one other thing that was probably the most important. Through an amazing online educational system called Coursera, I took an online course (graduate school level!) from The University of Florida called Principles of Human Nutrition. I wanted to know what the science is behind the changes I was making, and to build a solid foundation in general understanding of human nutritional needs. I have been a cook and a "foodie" for many years, but I lacked the science base. This experience proved amazingly beneficial, and has sparked much more reading, investigation, and research. I now know enough to understand my decisions, and to help others (players like you) if they have questions or issues.

So that brings me to a few ideas you may want to consider. Most of you readers are young people, many years younger than when I made even my first dietary decisions. I would never want to "deprive" you of the trials and experiences of discovering new foods, or enjoying things that may not be "healthy". Just know that you are what you eat, and as an athlete, you can make a great difference in your performance by being aware of what you are putting in your body. And know what it does for you ( or to you!)

Anything in moderation..... is pretty good advice.

So here are a few general observations for your consideration:

1- water..

some 60-65% of your body is made up of water. Think about how the moon and gravity have an effect on the tides of the worlds' bodies of water. Surely keeping your water level right will dramatically affect your performance and well being. You've all heard HYDRATE, HYDRATE, HYDRATE as long as you've played and it's good advice - just know you must hydrate in advance. The water you drink today prepares you for tomorrow. You can't fix today's shortages today. Make it a life habit to drink regularly. Carry water with you at school, at home, just keep a container on the go.

Important note- when your body is 2% dehydrated, which is BEFORE you feel thirst, your muscles will perform up to 20 % below optimum. Drinking when you are thirsty is too late. Drink early and steadily, not chugging when its too late.

2- Lemon water -

when I went to my most recent diet, my aforementioned friend and dietary influence told me about lemon water-. I was already off caffeine for many years, so it was easy to try this instead of a morning cup of coffee Simply, its a slice of fresh lemon squeezed into a coffee cup, then covered by warm water. I drink a cup every morning and love it.

some of the benefits:

1-aids digestion by flushing toxins

2- as a diuretic ( makes you pee), cleanses your system

3- high in vitamin C so boosts your immune system

4-helps balance your body's Ph level

5-helps your skin by decreasing wrinkles, and combating free radical damage

6- energizes you and enhances your mood - I find this to be very true and my favorite benefit!

7- promotes healing

8- freshens breath

9- hydrates your lymph system

10- aids in weight loss ( high in pectin fiber)

These are among many health claims for this habit - plenty of reasons to give it a try- but do consider these 2 pieces of advice:

wash the outside of the lemon before slicing, and drink it through a straw to avoid too much contact with your teeth. The acidic nature of the lemon isn't great for your dental enamel, and you should rinse vigorously with clean water after you finish your cup of lemon water.

3- try and avoid, limit, or cut off entirely drinking sugary drinks.

To me, soda (carbonated soft drinks) in America is the Big Evil. It is responsible for childhood obesity problems in America for sure, but it also causes a terrible sugar spike, then drop, that is VERY detrimental to athletic performance- You should try and avoid any beverage with high sugar content or High Fructose Corn Syrup, but that even includes many "sports" drinks. Start with soda. Limit, avoid, or best yet, eliminate it from your diet.

4-avoid white flour and white sugar.

These ingredients are nutritionally useless, and worse yet, can cause glycemic load issues that cause the same blood sugar spike and fall mentioned in the soda area. Try and eat whole wheat bread instead of white whenever possible, on sandwiches, burgers, whatever. Same for Pizza crusts and crackers. If you use powdered sugar ( in drinks or on cereal), try and use raw sugar or turbinado- much less glycemic spike.

5-snacks

I have a weak spot for jalapeno kettle chips (Miss Vicki's are the best!!) but I try and eat them as as seldom as possible. When you first try and change your snack habits, a slice of apple just isn't as appealing as a cupcake - but start somewhere.

carrots, celery, apples, oranges, are great choices- nuts are too in small portions, even pretzels, though they have white flour, are a lot better than chips and fries.

6- develop a relationship with VEGETABLES !!

They are truly the best food there is, and even better when eaten raw. Broccoli and Cauliflower are great raw, but seek out and find a veg that you love - cooked or raw. Over time , this will lead to trying others. You certainly don't need to be a vegetarian, but developing a long term love for one or more vegetables will serve you well throughout your life. Smoothies, shakes, nutri- bullet, all great options - but be careful of high sugar content additives like sauces, flavored yogurts, ice cream, etc)

Big suggestion !!--Start to be a label reader. Do a little research ( reading this blog entry is a great start!!) about what you should and shouldn't eat. Know what you are putting in your body.

It is your instrument, your tool, your connection to your sport. Treat it like a brand new pair of court shoes by taking care of it. You will perform better, you will feel better, you will probably live longer, and you will set a great example for your siblings and peers. Eat to win, and go rack up the W's!