It’s never nice to present a negative topic like the last entry unless you have a positive one to counterbalance it.  Since I just composed an entry primarily of all the foods NOT beneficial for athletes (or the general population for that matter), I would next like to share with you a list of SUPER-FOODS that should all produce positive performances during both training & racing.  While this is by no means an all-inclusive list, I tried to hit up the big power players along with at least one or two of their strongest nutritional benefits that they each possess.   

• Nutrition from A-Z
• A- Avocado - can’t say enough:  http://www.avocado.org/healthy-living/nutrition    
• Apples - fiber, vitamins, low Glycemic Index (GI)
• B- Berries - fiber, antioxidants
• C- Coconut Oil - healthy fat    
• Cherries - muscle recovery, low GI
• D- Dark chocolate/cocoa - antioxidants
• E- Eggs - healthy fats, protein
• F- Fish - healthy fats, protein     
• Flax - healthy fats, protein, fiber    
• Fruit - energy, vitamins, minerals
• G- Green Tea - energy, appetite stabilizer     
• Garlic – antioxidant, immune system booster 
• Goat cheese - calcium, more easily digestible than cheese from cow’s milk
• H- Herbal tea - (ginger, chamomile, dandelion, etc) help promote restfulness    
• Honey - natural sweetener
• I- Iced Tea - does have caffeine, but fewer chemicals, colors & sugar than soda & sports drinks. Sugar level can be controlled. Homemade is best.
• J- Juice - shoot for beverages that are 100% natural.  Try diluting with water to increase hydration & decrease sugar intake.  One of my favorites is also making fresh-squeezed lemonade. Looking for electrolytes??? Just add a little salt.
• K- Kale - Super green, lots of Folate
• L- Legumes - fiber & protein packed, includes chickpeas & beans. Try in soups, salads, veggie burgers & hummus (healthy dip alternative) 
• M- Meat - best source of complete protein available: chicken, beef, turkey, even pork…go for lean cuts
• N- Nuts - healthy fat, fiber: almonds, walnuts, NATURAL peanut butters
• O- Oats - high fiber, low GI, low gluten grain     
• Olive Oil - healthy fat
• P- Pumpkin - high in Fiber & Vitamin A     
• Potato - gluten free carb, make sure to eat the nutrient rich skins
• Pears- most easily digested fruit
• Protein Powder - whey &/or soy (I will address this more in the future but some research has shown that a combination of both whey & soy mixed together showed best results of free flowing testosterone) 
• Q- Quinoa - high fiber, high protein, gluten-free grain
• R- Rice- gluten-free grain, BROWN & WILD have MUCH more nutrients & less starch
• S- Soy - great protein, antioxidant, easily digestible milk    
• Spinach - Super green, Iron     
• Spices - add flavor without extra salt or sugar: Cinnamon, Curry, Cayenne pepper, Black pepper, Vanilla, Italian Seasoning, True Lemon & ginger are just a few 
• T- Turbano (aka raw) Sugar - natural sweetener, healthier alternative to refined sugar or artificial sweeteners    
• Tomatoes - filled with antioxidant lycopene
• U- Unsulfured dried fruit - Natural alternative to candy
• V- Vegetables - vitamins, minerals, fiber: ANY kind, eat as MUCH as you want, shoot for ALL COLORS
• W- Watermelon - antioxidants, prostate health        
• WATER- hydration
• X- eXtra fortification- vitamin & mineral supplements, fortified beverages, etc. Athletes can benefit from extra since we need A LOT more on a daily basis. Check out LiquidMercury’s Blog as he has a pretty thorough list.  The only one I would add is acidophilus to help with digestion.  Also, while the label might freak out those of you from the male population, if your looking for the best bang for your buck, when it comes to multivitamins, the Prenatal ones are actually usually the most comprehensive multi’s out on the market.                                                                                                                                                                                                       

***Always make sure you look up ALL of the ingredients of any supplements you take because many often possess substances banned by doping agencies.***

• Y- Yogurt- calcium, digestion    
• Yams - great easy to burn energy with relatively low GI
• Z- Zinc - mineral that helps immune system
• Ziti- not a big pasta fan but since many are…make sure to go with WHOLE GRAIN fortified varieties or alternative grains (see gluten article from previous post)   That’s all for now.

                                                                                   Eat, Drink & Row Merry

This entry was posted on Wednesday, October 15th, 2008 at 5:46 am and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.