CREDIT: WOMENSHEALTHMAG.COM
Yes, there are such things as healthy fats!

As a Fanshawe College athlete, you're responsible for giving your best to not only the college, but also your fellow teammates and, most importantly, yourself! Why not make all the physical hard work and emotional commitment you've dedicated to your athletic area that much more significant and productive? Let's empower ourselves with accurate nutritional information and simple meal solutions so we all can reach our maximum potential!

Pre-Event Meal
What you eat and when you eat before an event or workout can have a huge impact on your athletic performance. Your “pre-event” meal should be consumed three hours before to ensure your digestive process doesn't impair your performance. It should consist of foods that are easily digestible (which can vary from person to person, but you know from personal experience which foods “travel” through your system the best) and are high in carbohydrates that have a low GI, which just means the sugars or “fuel” from the food reaches your blood stream at a more steady and gradual pace. It's also very important to stay hydrated by drinking at least two cups of water before you perform.

Some examples of low GI foods are: peanuts, cherries, plums, low-fat yogurt, peaches, grapefruit, pears, low-fat chocolate milk, tomato juice, apples and apple juice, oranges and orange juice, grapes, pasta, oatmeal and bananas.

During the Event
If you're attending a tournament or participating in an activity that lasts more than two hours, ensuring that you stay hydrated by drinking water is essential to prevent muscle fatigue and cramps. You also have to maintain your energy source by consuming small amounts of carbohydrates throughout the event, such as bananas and other fruits or good quality energy bars and sports drinks.

Post-Event Meal
Even after you've given your all and the event is over, what you eat to restore and replenish your body is critical! With proper nutrition you can accelerate your recovery and better prepare yourself for the next workout or event. Post-event meals can consist of carbohydrates with a higher GI to restore your energy levels and a small amount of protein to aid in the repair of muscle tissue. Again you have to ensure you remain hydrated and continue to drink water to replenish all that was lost due to sweating.

Some examples of high GI foods and protein are: bagels, raisins, pineapple, baked potato, dates, crackers and low-fat cheese, grilled chicken, beans, eggs, good quality protein bars or drinks and soy products.

Off Days
Even when you're not on the field or in the gym, it's important to maintain a healthy diet so you can enjoy other aspects of life full of energy and positivity. Here are a few tips that can be used every day to help keep your diet on the right track.

1. Always make time for breakfast. How you start your day can influence how your day will end. If you wait till the end of the day to eat, you're not only slowing down your metabolism by not regularly having it break down foods you've eaten, but you're also more likely to overeat. Consuming large meals can also affect the regularity of your digestive system.

2. Don't say no to all fats. Small amounts of fat are an essential component to a healthy diet; it's the right kind of fat that's important. Monounsaturated fats such as olive oil, canola oil, avocados, walnuts and flax seeds, as well as polyunsaturated fats such as safflower oil, corn oil and fish oils, have been shown to be more beneficial to the body. Saturated and trans fats such as butter, meat, full-fat milk and milk products are the fats you should avoid.

3. Take time to read food labels. Processed foods are everywhere and specific marketing strategies produced by some companies can make choosing the “healthiest” option a bit confusing. Don't always go by what the front of the box claims; make sure to check the nutritional information and ingredients list. If there is an ingredient you don't recognize, don't buy it. The next time you come across an unknown ingredient, take a minute and research it online (you can even use your cell phone to check Wikipedia or Google!) and you'll be amazed at what you're actually eating!