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WEEK 3 – Nutrition
It has been made abundantly clear to me this week that most of the population, including our elite riders, have very little understanding of correct nutrition!! Or the understanding of what should be included in their daily eating plan, which is somewhat antiquated or misguided. So I decided this week to discuss with you the importance of what you put in your mouth… even those who are not looking for weight loss or to control their weight need to consider what they eat.
FOOD IS FUEL. Would you try and run your car on dish water? Or your horse on the bare minimum with no consideration for their nutritional need? ‘NO WAY’ I hear you say. How are your needs any different?
Many people are of the misguided notion that FAT is bad…and for energy you need to eat carbohydrates like pasta and rice and bread, and that protein is not that important. When in fact practically all commercially produced wheat, rice, oats and similar grains have been refined. So the grains once rich in complex carbohydrates and nutrients are now stripped of the main properties including fats, protein, vitamins and minerals which leaves just concentrated carbs/sugar.
Fat, like protein and carbohydrates is a ‘macronutrient’, meaning the body needs a relatively large amount of it. If you are missing out on good fats by replacing fats with things like “fat free” foods you are essentially replacing it with high sugar/carbohydrate foods which constantly elevate your blood sugar, resulting in your pancreas working overtime to produce insulin to regulate fluctuations in your blood sugar levels. This in turn increases cholesterol.
The body requires fat to perform many functions. These include ENERGY, absorption of the fat soluble vitamins – A,S,E,K and avoid their deficiencies as they aid in maintaining healthy skin, hair, nails and teeth, aids in hormone production and contribute to the metabolism of carbs and protein.
The body also requires Protein to perform many functions. Firstly it forms an important component of EVERY cell in the body. Hair and nails are mostly made of protein, your body uses protein to repair and build tissue, it is the building block for muscles, blood, bones, cartilage and skin. You also require protein to produce enzymes, hormones and other body chemicals. The body can store fats and carbs but not protein, so your muscle tissue is first to breakdown if your protein intake is inadequate.
OK! You say, so what do I eat? When it comes to Fats ‘If it’s not totally natural, avoid it. Un-natural fats are those that are homogenized, hydrogenated, processed and extremely heated. Add protein to every meal in the form of eggs, meats (not cured), fish and seafood, dairy, nuts. Please do not believe the myth that protein = big muscles! (Ladies) I wish, you have to work hard for muscles. Eat an abundance of vegetables or as I like to call them GREEN CARBS and only stone ground or whole or whole meal grain products. In most cases people are actually starving their bodies of essential nutrients, vitamins and minerals.
Last but not least WATER! Our bodies require a minimum of 2 liters for adult females and 3 for males, add exercise and horse riding to that and you can probably double it depending on duration and weather.
A few good rules to follow are:
– 80/20 rule , eat clean a minimum of 80% of the time to ensure good nutrition.
– Buy whole natural unprocessed un-tampered-with foods
– Eat a variety of everything, lots of colors (especially GREEN ) as it seems it is the least popular
So now I hear you saying why bother? I’m ok… I have enough energy and feel fine. Really? Do you?
How many days do you hit the wall in the afternoon…craving something sweet or a sugar fix or develop a head ache or have back pain. How often do you wake up tired, get cramps while sleeping or exercising. How often are you moody, short tempered or vague and unable to concentrate?…Sounding a little familiar? More often than not these symptoms can be rectified with proper nutrition and hydration.
Eliminating theses imbalances can help you with your riding and everyday life, you will have constant energy, be more focused, calm, attentive and less irritated by the little things.
Improving your physical fitness is only half the battle, proper nutrition is the other half and you need both to achieve success in your fitness goals.
Till next time. Train Hard. Eat Well. Rest.
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