Health and Wellness

Before a Workout or Meet:

Whole grain bread, crackers, tortillas or pretzels (look for those made with !00% whole wheat flour)
-Low sugar cereals
popcorn
Low fat cheese, yogurt, pudding or milk
Lean turkey, chicken or tofu
Apples, bananas, pears, oranges
Carrots, sugar snap peas, cucumbers (dip in fat-free ranch dressing)
Granola Bar (avoid those that are high in sugar and fat), this is a favorite snack of the Jones’ kids

During a Workout or Meet:

Drink lots of water to stay hydrated. Fruit is a great choice at this time.

After a Workout or Meet: After a hard workout or meet, it is very important to replace lost fluids. Milk (including chocolate milk), fruit juice, and water, are great fluid choices. If a child has sweated heavily, sports drinks which contain sodium and potassium can be consumed. Finally, carbohydrates and proteins help kinds refuel and re-energize. While some sugar is OK, don’t go overboard. Try not to use “sweets” as a reward for a job well done.

Fresh fruit or applesauce
Frozen fruit pops
Dried fruit, including leathers or rolls made with 100% fruit
Fruit-flavored gelatin
Granola bars (watch out for too much fat and sugar)
Fig bars, oatmeal cookies and animal crackers
Whole wheat crackers, bread and bagels (top with low fat cheese, peanut butter or low fat cream cheese)
Low fat yogurt, pudding, milk
Low fat string cheese
Popcorn, pretzels, baked chips
Low fat muffins
Trail mix (with dried fruit instead of candy)

Website resources:

www.livestrong.com

http://www.fruitsandveggiesmorematters.org/

http://www.choosemyplate.gov/

http://kidshealth.org/kid/stay_healthy/food/pyramid.html

http://www.foodforyourhealing.com/healthy-foods-for-kids/food-pyramid-for-kids/

Other ways to get moving:

Feeding Your Child Athlete

All kids need to eat balanced meals and have a healthy diet. But should that balance change for kids who play on a sports team or work out? Maybe.

Kids need to eat the right amount and mix of foods to support that higher level of activity, but that mix might not be too different from a normal healthy diet please see http://www.superkidsnutrition.com/nutrition_resources/nc_dole5aday.php. Eating for sports should be an extension of healthy eating for life.

Nutritional Needs of Young Athletes

Many "sports" foods and drinks, like energy bars and gels, are marketed to athletes, but most don't need them to meet their energy needs. While these products don't have magic ingredients that will improve sports performance, they can be handy when kids don't have time for a healthy meal or snack.

Because athletic kids are particularly reliant on the nutrients that a balanced diet can provide, it's usually not wise for them to diet. In sports where weight is emphasized, such as wrestling, swimming, dance, or gymnastics, kids may feel pressure to lose weight. If a coach, gym teacher, or another teammate says that your child needs to go on a diet, talk to your doctor first. If your doctor thinks your child should diet, you'll work together or with a nutritionist to develop a plan that allows your child to lose weight in a safe and healthy way.

Kids who healthy, well-balanced meals and snacks are probably getting the nutrients needed to perform well in sports. The website for my pyramid http://www.mypyramid.gov/ can provide guidance on what kinds of foods and drinks to include in your child's meals and snacks.

But kids and teens who are involved in all-day competitions or strenuous endurance sports (like rowing, cross-country running, or competitive swimming) that can involve 1½ to 2 hours or more of activity at a time, may need to consume more food to keep upgas tank is on “empty”. you’re literally “running on fumes”.
with increased energy demands.

Most athletes will naturally eat the right amount of food their bodies need. But if you're concerned that your child is getting too much or too little food, check in with your doctor.

In addition to getting the right amount of calories, it takes a variety of nutrients to keep young athletes performing at their best:

Vitamins and minerals: Kids need a variety of vitamins and minerals. Calcium and iron are two important minerals for athletes. Calcium helps build strong bones to resist breaking and stress fractures. Calcium-rich foods include dairy products like milk, yogurt, and cheese, as well as leafy green vegetables such as broccoli. Iron helps carry oxygen to all the different body parts that need it. Iron-rich foods include red meat, chicken, tuna, salmon, eggs, dried fruits, leafy green vegetables, and whole grains.
Protein: Protein is needed to build and repair muscles, but most kids get plenty of protein through a balanced diet. Strong muscles come from regular training and exercise and too much protein can lead to dehydration and calcium loss. Protein-rich foods include fish, lean red meat and poultry, dairy products, nuts, soy products, and peanut butter.
Carbohydrates: Carbs provide energy for the body. Some diet plans have urged weight-conscious adults to steer clear of carbs, but for a young athlete they're an important source of fuel. There's no need for "carb loading" (eating a lot of carbs in advance of a big game), but without carbs in their diet, kids will be running on empty. When you're choosing carbs, look for whole-grain foods like whole-wheat pasta, brown rice, whole-grain bread and cereal, and plenty of fruits and vegetables.

Drink Up!

It's important for young athletes to drink plenty of fluids to prevent dehydration, which can zap strength, energy, and coordination and lead to heat-related illness. Even mild dehydration can affect athletic performance.

Thirst is not a reliable indicator of hydration status so experts recommend that kids drink water or other fluids every 15 to 20 minutes during physical activity. It's important to drink afterwards to restore fluid lost through sweat.

Although many sports drinks are available, plain water is usually enough to keep kids hydrated. Sports drinks are designed to provide energy and replace electrolytes — such as sodium and potassium — that athletes lose in sweat.

Sports drinks are a good choice if kids are active for more than 1 hour because after exercising for 60 to 90 minutes, the body has used up its readily available sources of energy. Sports drinks are also a good alternative if kids aren't drinking enough water.

Diluted juice is another option but avoid carbonated beverages that can upset the stomach.

The bottom line is that for most young athletes, water is the best choice for hydration. After the activity, carbohydrates and electrolytes can be replenished.

Pressures Facing Athletes

Some school-age athletes face unique pressures involving nutrition and body weight. In some sports, it's common for kids to feel they need to radically increase or reduce their weight to reach peak performance.

In sports where weight or appearance is emphasized, such as wrestling, swimming, dance, or gymnastics, kids may feel pressure to lose weight. Because athletic kids need extra fuel, it's usually not a good idea for them to diet.

Unhealthy eating habits, like crash dieting, can leave kids with less strength and endurance and poorer mental concentration. Similar performance issues can come up when kids try to increase their weight too fast for sports where size matters, such as football or hockey. When a person overeats, the food the body can't immediately use gets stored as fat. As a result, kids who overeat may gain weight, not muscle, and their physical fitness will be diminished.

If a coach, gym teacher, or teammate says that your child needs to lose or gain weight, or if you're concerned about your child's eating habits, talk to your doctor. The doctor can work with you and your child or refer you to a dietician to develop a plan that allows your child to work on the weight in a safe and healthy way.

Game Day

It's important for kids to eat well on game days. The meal itself should not be very different from what they've eaten throughout training.

A meal 3 hours or more before activity should have plenty of carbs and a moderate amount of protein but be low in fat because fat takes longer to digest, which can cause an upset stomach. High-fiber foods may also cause some stomach upset, so it's best to avoid these foods until after the game.

If kids eat less than 3 hours before game or practice, serve a lighter meal or snack that includes easy-to-digest carbohydrate-containing foods, such as fruit, fruit or vegetable juice, crackers, or bread.

Eating Advice from America on the Move
Great advice for Track Moms and Dads to follow!

Is eating that extra snack really bad for you? Eating one candy bar is not bad in and of itself, but when it becomes a common occurrence it can affect your health. Factors that affect our food consumption are physiological, psychological, emotional, and environmental cues. Physiological cues to eat and not eat include hunger and satiety. Hunger is defined as internal signals given by the body to meet energy needs. Satiety is the feeling of fullness and/or the absence of the drive to eat. Opposite to common belief, the stomach signals satiety more so than hunger.

Appetite differs from hunger and satiety in that it is driven more by non-physiological factors such as psychological, emotional, and environmental cues. Our response to food temptations directly affects our food intake; as food is often used to comfort and reduce stress. Research indicates that overweight individuals tend to respond more to external cues than leaner individuals. Sometimes developing at an early age, emotions can also directly affect one's appetite.

The key to minimizing overeating due to temptation vs. hunger (non-physiological vs. physiological needs) is to understand what our external cues are to eat. An excellent way to start getting a foothold on what your external cues are is to keep a food log. The food log should include what food is consumed, where it is consumed, what you were doing at the time, and what feelings were associated with the food both during and after consumption. What typically happens is the food log will show trends where eating specific foods are associated with specific situations or emotions. Once the trends are identified, you are then in a position to make the necessary changes. For instance, if you know you get hungry mid-afternoon and typically make a trip to the vending machine, bring an afternoon snack that fits more into your food plan than the limited choices available in the vending machine. Following are some tips to help curb the less healthy food temptations:

Essential to any healthful diet is a proper breakfast. This will give your metabolism a kick-start and help prepare you for the busy day ahead.
Keep healthy snacks on-hand such as carrot sticks, broccoli florets with low-fat dip, fresh fruit, pretzels, nonfat yogurt, and low-fat vanilla wafers. When the urge hits, go for the healthy snack instead of the chocolate chip cookies.
Keep a variety of fresh fruit available. There are also a wide variety of fruit drinks (no sugar added) to choose from in the single-serving sizes. These are handy for at work, in the car, or for your children's lunch boxes.
Some nutritious snacks you can purchase include ready-made include pretzels, graham crackers, nuts, raisins, dried fruit, breadsticks, string cheese, peanut butter, and nonfat crackers. You can combine nuts, raisins, dried fruit, and pretzels to make a healthy and inexpensive trail mix.
Keep your favorite single-serving low-fat yogurts on hand. For an added treat, top the yogurt with sunflower seeds or low-fat granola.
Roasted soy nuts is another snack alternative. Health food stores and most major supermarket chains are now carrying soy products, including soy butter, which is a healthy alternative to traditional peanut butter.

Remember, small lifestyle changes can make a big difference in your health. Try to make at least one health-supporting food choice each day. Substituting a more healthful snack for your daily candy bar could mean a significant weight loss over a year’s time!

Adapted from an article by Michele M. Doucette, PhD

for more inforamtion please visit:
http://aom3.americaonthemove.org/articles/managing-food-temptations.aspx

The Benefits of Exercise by Patrice Jones – Member of the Illinois Jets Youth Track and Field Club Organization

Intro

If children today had a choice between video games and exercise. Most would choose video games. Well today I am going to tell you how exercise can improve your life in more ways than one.

Body

Few people know that exercise can make you feel better in a lot of ways. According to mayoclinic.com “Exercise soothes anxiety and depression,” Exercises even helps control stress and builds a good body image for you.

Exercise helps the brain feel better. It reduces the negative effects of long term stress, which can damage the brain. Exercise will help you sleep better at night, and improve the level of oxygen in the blood.

Exercise even helps the heart and muscles. According to communitycare.com it helps repair muscle damage in heart failure patients. Exercise helps build muscle and reduce the risk of heart attack.

Conclusion

Exercise helps people in many different ways and they are all important to every living thing. Exercise helps make you and your brain muscles and heart feel better.

So get out and move it!

Article by Partrice Jones November 2009

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Nutritional Needs of Young Athletes

Drink Up!

Pressures Facing Athletes

Game Day

Meal and Snack Suggestions