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10 Motivation Tricks to LOVE your workout

Posted on May 30, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

The only problem with hot weather is that, well, it’s hot outside. Put the cool factor back into your workout routine with these tricks from top fitness pros:

1. Adjust your body temperature

Hop into a cold shower before your workout. A German study this year found that a pre-exercise cool-down improves performance in the heat — probably because it lowers your heart rate as well as core and skin temperatures. Too chicken to try it? Even just cooling your neck or head with an ice pack may make a difference.

2. Check the map

Does your usual running route leave you broiling in the sun? Find a shady new one through the Road Runners Club of America (rrca.org), which features running routes around the country via Google maps. You can also log on to weather.com, which offers a local parks forecast, a fitness comfort index, and an hourly forecast to help you figure out the best time of day to exercise.

3. Keep tabs on your ticker

The hotter it is, the harder your body has to work — so if you normally run at a 9-minute-mile pace, when the temperature hits 90 you may find yourself having to slow down to a 10.

This is where a heart-rate monitor comes in handy. You can make sure you’re not pushing yourself too hard in warm-weather conditions, which can up your risk of heat exhaustion or even heatstroke.

An even simpler way to check that you’re not overdoing it: Try to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. You’ll know you’re exercising hard enough when you have to take a quick breath every three to six words (murmur it under your breath if you’re worried about getting funny looks).

4. Get the dirt

Try to walk, run, or cycle on dirt or gravel paths, since asphalt and concrete tend to radiate heat and reflect the sun’s rays, making you feel hotter. Live near water? Take advantage of the breeze on even steamy days; if possible, start out with the wind at your back, so when you’re finishing you’ll be running into a headwind, which is cooler.

5. Cool down with essential oils

Dabbing a few drops of peppermint or eucalyptus oil on the back of your neck and at your temples just before your workout provides a cooling effect and also opens up your nasal passages, so you can breathe a little easier when the air is humid. In fact, research has found that athletes who sniffed peppermint during their workout ran faster, had greater grip strength, and could do more push-ups than those who didn’t.

6. Summerize your intervals

To keep your fitness level up when the mercury is too, do your regular cardio (whether it’s walking, running, swimming, or biking) at a slightly slower pace, but add in 30-second speed bursts every three to five minutes. You’ll maintain your conditioning and burn more calories without having to go all-out the entire time, says Doug Chapman, president of Hyperfit USA, a fitness boot camp in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

7. Make like a pretzel

Turn the rising temperature to your advantage and concentrate on improving your flexibility with some yoga moves. “When your body temperature is up, you can go deeper into a pose,” says Edward Vilga, author of Yoga for Suits and a yoga instructor from New York City. One move to try for perpetually tight hamstrings: Stand and bend forward from the waist, reaching toward the floor (if you’re not flexible enough to touch the ground, put your gym bag or a tote in front of you and touch that). Hold for 5 to 10 breaths. To stretch your hips — another inflexible zone — sit with one leg crossed over the opposite thigh and bend forward, keeping your arms outstretched; hold for 5 to 10 breaths.

8. Practice random acts of fitness

Sneak in little bits of exercise with some summer-friendly activities. For example: Washing the car for 30 minutes burns about 100 calories for a 140-pound woman; gardening burns 128. Other options: throwing a Frisbee, walking the dog, playing a game of volleyball (all about 100 calories), mowing the lawn (176 calories), biking around the neighborhood (192 calories), or hula-hooping, which burns about 50 calories in just 10 minutes.

9. Protect your head

A mesh visor is a great way to shield your face from the sun while still allowing excess heat to escape from your head. One good option: the Nike Feather Light Visor ($18, nike.com), which has a Dri-Fit terry sweatband to move moisture away from the skin and mesh insets to keep cool breezes flowing. If you’re biking, consider one of the new helmets that have deep vents to provide breezy airflow, such as Specialized’s new Decibel bike helmet ($170, specialized.com) and Giro Pneumo ($145, giro.com).

10. Refuel with fruit

They’re more than 80 percent water, so fruits such as grapes, watermelon, cantaloupe, and honeydew are a tasty way to replenish fluids and boost your energy post-workout, says Leslie Bonci, RD, director of sports medicine nutrition at the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Keep ’em frozen for a refreshing treat. Other good options: Smoothies, frozen yogurt, or Jell-O with fruit chunks. “They provide the perfect mix of carbs and fluid and they’re easily digestible in the summer heat,” explains Bonci. If you’ve lost a lot of salt (hint: your clothes have white sweat stains after a workout), replace sodium by drinking V8 or a sports drink.

Add These 9 Anti-inflammatory Summer Fruits and Vegetables to Your Diet

Posted on May 28, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

As you may already know, inflammation is one of number one causes of disease, with chronic illnesses also infamous for promoting inflammation in our bodies. While there are many things in our environments (chemicals, plastics and pesticides) that can cause inflammation, there are also plenty of foods that help fight inflammation. Seasonal fruits and vegetables are often richer in nutrients than those raised on conventional farms and shipped around the world, since the distance from farm to table is shorter. Plus, seasonal and local produce also tends to be less expensive to purchase than similar produce (like organic) from larger farms and often are produced with less harmful pesticides and chemicals.

Here are nine anti-inflammatory seasonal fruits and veggies you should be eating this summer—look for them at your local farmers market.

1. Cauliflower

Cauliflower—it’s delicious and can be used in a number of ways, but it’s also great because of the nutrients it contains. For example, cauliflower contains indole-3-carbinol (I3C) which may be anti-inflammatory and also contains sulforaphane that is a sulfur containing compound that may help to slow tumor growth.

2. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are a refreshing, hydrating and tasty summer fruit. (You may think of tomatoes as being a vegetable, but technically because of its seeds, it’s classified as a veggie.) Tomatoes are great because they also contain so many awesome nutrients like anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory lycopene (although remember that tomatoes need to be cooked for your body to be able to use the lycopene here), and quercitin which is a nutrient that may also help to reduce inflammation related to rheumatoid arthritis.

3. Broccoli

Broccoli is packed with healthy nutrients that are both great for digestion and are also anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory. Broccoli contains kaempferol, which may help to lessen the impact of allergy related substances on the body. The cruciferous veggie also contains isothiocyanates that are anti-cancer and anti-inflammatory.

4. Garlic

Garlic is a staple in the Mediterranean diet and also a plant that many people are afraid to consume on a regular basis (ahem, bad breath), however it’s really something that you should be eating whenever you can! Garlic is rich in a nutrient called alicin that is both anti-inflammatory and anti-cancer, and garlic may also contain anti-bacterial and anti-viral properties too, so it can help to ward those summer colds away.

5. Beets

Beets are a tasty and classic summer favorite that’s loaded with healthy nutrients like the anti-inflammatory compounds anthocyanin and betalain. (Betalain may also have fungicide compounds and detoxification properties, too.)

6. Strawberries

Strawberries are another sweet favorite in the summertime (and all the time!), and they’re also super good for you as well. Strawberries contain anthocyanin—an anti-inflammatory nutrient. For anyone concerned with skin health, it’s a good source of vitamin C as well, which may help to promote collagen production. I love strawberries on a salad in the summertime or even as a snack on their own.

7. Red Bell Peppers

Bell peppers are a seasonal fruit (due to their seeds again—although I consider them more of a veggie due to their lower sugar content) and come in all sorts of shapes and colors. The red ones in particular are a source of quercitin that may help to reduce inflammation that may be linked to rheumatoid arthritis, as well as other nutrients like vitamins A and C that are also important for so many other functions in our bodies.

8. Apricots

Apricots are another delicious and seasonal summer fruit packed with anti-inflammatory nutrients, like beta-cryptoxanthin that may help to reduce inflammation overall, and specifically inflammation that’s related to arthritis. Apricots are also a source of heart-healthy magnesium that’s also involved in muscle contraction and relaxation and may also help to ease pain.

9. Cherries (both tart and sweet)

Cherries are a tasty summer fruit that are fun to eat and adored by your body. Tart cherries contain anthocyanin, which may help to reduce muscle soreness. Research has also found it may be helpful in reducing gout flares. The anthocyanin in sweet cherries may also help to reduce C-reactive protein—an inflammatory marker.

Sports Specialization Is Making Our Youth Less Athletic

A recent study by the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health which included over 1,500 high school athletes found that athletes who specialized in one sport were twice as likely to report a lower extremity injury as compared to those who played multiple sports. It was also found that 60% of athletes that specialized in one sport sustained a new lower extremity injury.

This study got a lot of publicity because early sport specialization has been a hot topic as of late. Most of the arguments against early sport specialization are from rehab professionals, surgeons, and well-informed strength and sport coaches. The frustration of these professionals is all the push back or lack of understanding that the parents have when they so desperately want their kid to succeed at an early age. So instead of just relying on anecdotal cases, it’s nice to have more legitimate studies that can be brought to the parent’s attention as evidence.

Youth programs started out as an avenue to allow kids to play a sport in an organized environment. This helped kids develop self-esteem, peer socialization, work ethic, and general levels of fitness. It also allowed kids to sample a variety of sports and potentially start developing a passion for some of them. It also allowed time for them to recognize the sport they are best at. These were the days when a sports season lasted somewhere around 4 months before the next season came around and the focus would shift. But in the last decade, youth sports have morphed into highly competitive leagues and year around sports specialization.

If Some is Good Than More Must Be Better, Right?

Unfortunately this is first instinct for a lot of parents and even coaches. At first glance, it seems to make sense right? If you want to get better, than you have to practice and play the game. Seems all well and good until you take a second look and realize how damaging that idea can actually be.

I think everyone can agree that playing a sport puts an immense amount of strain on the human body. As parents and coaches we forget about this because young kids are so resilient and bounce back so quickly. That is until the day they don’t bounce back, and a nagging overuse injury starts forcing them out of competition and practice. Kids are going through growth spurts, bone and body structure is still developing, and they are still developing strength and coordination. All of these are risk factors for developing overuse and repetitive strain injuries.

Image you have a piece of plastic such as a credit card. You fold it once, still good. Fold it back the opposite way, still intact. Keep moving it back and forth repeatedly and eventually it snaps.

An injury is the fastest way to decrease athleticism. Especially when you consider that at such a young age rapid improvements are made in speed, coordination, and athleticism. Miss out on 6 weeks of play due to an injury, you quite possibly missed out on a very important 6 weeks of development.

Why is Playing Multiple Sports So Beneficial?

We already mentioned that sports can help develop self-esteem, socialization, and work ethic. Physically it will improve strength, coordination, power, and adaptability. As previously mentioned, playing one sport year around at such a young age exposes kids to overuse and repetitive injuries at a high rate.

When kids play multiple sports over the course of multiple season it varies the type of stress on the body. Football, basketball, and baseball all have very different demands in sport. As such the strain and wear pattern on the body is different. It’s the same reason you rotate the tires on your car. Change the wear pattern and you increase the likelihood of staying healthy.

How Can Playing Multiple Sports Increase a Kid’s Athleticism?

A study in the Journal of Sport Sciences found that physical fitness and gross motor movements were improved in boys aged 6-12 when they played multiple sports versus just one sport.

Similarly, according to a study in The American Medical Society for Sports Medicine, 88% of college athletes participated in more than one sport as a child. Playing multiple sports exposes the athlete to different kinds of skills, movement patterns, coordination, and dynamic power development. It’s been found that kids who play multiple sports have a larger athletic base of skill to draw from. This means that they have the ability to pick up and learn skills, techniques, tricks, etc much faster than their one sport counterpart.

The problem with playing just one sport is we immediately switch from a youth development model to an elite athlete development model. While it sounds cool, this is a major problem as the physical needs of youth athletes are totally different than elite athletes.

Even high level athletes (Collegiate Division I) have different needs than elite athletes (All-Pro/Olympic caliber). To put this in perspective it’s similar to teaching calculus to a student before they can even do basic addition. The knowledge base is completely different and as a result your, conversations will change drastically. Elite and high level athletes have already developed foundation levels of strength and coordination. Their body has matured enough to withstand a prolonged season and repetitive strain.

With that being said, most elite and high level athletes still find time to recover throughout the year in some way shape or form because they know the negative effects overtraining and overuse have on the body.

Furthermore, they understand that their body will only have a limited window of sustainability when performing at a high level at such a high frequency. It’s why athletes retire. Playing at a high level day in and day out is just not sustainable forever, and especially not at a young age. This is why specialization should be avoided as late as possible. In most scenarios this will be until college or at the very earliest junior and senior year of high school. Some of this may differ depending on sport. For example gymnasts peek at a very young age, however most field and court sports peeking occurs much later, generally in mid to late 20’s (sometimes later).

Playing Multiple Sports is Beneficial To Confidence & Self-Esteem

Kids just want to have fun. Interestingly enough, when a kid is having fun they simultaneously want to get better and win. When the emphasis is placed on year around competition in a highly competitive environment the fun and joy of the game is lost.

Things have gotten so organized that kid’s don’t even know how to free play anymore. I wish I had some evidence or data on this, but if I was to guess, the amount of pick-up games or backyard ballgames being played are much lower than what they had been in generations earlier. Passion for the game starts because the game is fun. We hear stories about elite athletes all the time who retire because they have “lost the love of the game” or was “burnt out”. If this is happening to mature athletes, what are the odds it’s happening to your kids when you treat them the same?

What If My Child Only Likes Playing One Sport?

I would first answer that question with some follow up questions. Does your kid truly only want to play one sport? Or is it you, the parent that thinks they only want to play one sport? Have you asked them?

If they only enjoy or have interest in playing one sport, then there is certainly no reason they have to play multiple sports. The point being made earlier is that year around specialization in a sport at a young age can have very negative side effects with little to no benefit. So if you enjoy playing more than one sport, by all means play a variety of sports at a young age.

However, if your kid only enjoys one sport, or during their Junior or Senior year the child chooses to specialize (not the parent) then understand elite and high level athletes do not compete and play their sport year around. If a mature pro doesn’t play year around, there is no reason why your developing child should. High level completion imposes high levels of demand on the body that is not sustainable year around.

How Does Lifting Weights & Training Contribute To This?

Obviously lifting weights and training programs will impose stress on the human body. However, the purpose of an intelligently designed weight room program is to impose a demand on the body so that it adapts favorably.

The goals, volume, and intensity of this training program will vary depending on what sport season you are in (or offseason/in season if playing one sport). The goal of a training program at a young age should really focus on filling in the gaps of foundational movement and basic levels of strength that your sport or sports may miss.

Enjoying the various seasons and sports will accomplish a lot of this on its own at a very young age. When a training program is implemented correctly it will first address poor movement patterns and the ability to absorb force to make the body more adaptable to stress. It will also start to build foundation levels of strength to make the body more resilient and resistant to overuse injuries. When these foundations are established it creates higher athletic development potential and an environment for the athlete to succeed when they eventually decide to specialize later in their athletic career.

repost from:

https://drjohnrusin.com/early-sport-specialization-is-killing-the-health-of-our-kids/

Building young athletes up: Coaching winners on and off the field

Posted on April 19, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation, Sports Performance, Strength and Conditioning No Comments

Matt Kunz, a former walk-on linebacker and four-year player at Notre Dame, understands the intricacies of coaching kids as well as anyone through years of working with young athletes as young as 6 through the collegiate ranks.

He knows what works, and what doesn’t, when it comes to helping kids be their best both on and off the field.

“The question is whether the coach can put the team ahead of his own ego, because no coach has ever scored a touchdown or scored a basket or hit a home run, but they take credit for it a lot,” says Kunz. “And for some reason that fuels their sense of self worth but it really is not the way to go. The reality is that the players and the coach all work together in a system.”

Kunz is the author of Triumph! An Athlete’s Guide to Winning On and Off the Field, which is a guide for helping young athletes play with more confidence and a clearer focus, as well as prepare them for the many different types of coaches they’ll likely encounter along the way – both the good and the not-so-good. Plus, it’s insightful for volunteer coaches as well to gain clarity on what their role is really all about and the best ways to be a positive influence.

“I want people to realize that they all have self worth, and they can all contribute to the team, but so many times coaches think it’s about them and about them winning,” says Kunz. “Really, it’s about building an organization and the most important part of an organization is to build up all of the members within it.”

Kunz grew up playing a variety of sports and he had a closer look than most at the highest levels of the game as his father George was an All-Pro offensive lineman with the Atlanta Falcons and Baltimore Colts. Later, Matt found his way to Sound Bend, walked on, and played four seasons for the Irish – three for legendary coach Lou Holtz.

“As much as playing and winning was important the thing that mattered more than anything else was how we went about winning,” Kunz says of playing for Holtz. “It was that we showed passion for our sport, that we followed the technique that our coaches taught us, that we respected each other, that we played together and that we had fun together. He always said at the end of a practice to go on and have a smile on your face and a song in your heart. Those were all important things to him.”

CORRECTING MISTAKES – START WITH YOURSELF

“In competition you’ll always find difficult situations that will come up and the question is how do you handle those as a coach,” Kunz says. “So a lot of times if I was giving directives to one of my players or one of my assistants, if they screwed up did they screw up because I didn’t give them the right direction? I always looked at myself first before I went after someone else. And I think that’s a common mistake a lot of coaches make. If a player fails that means the whole team fails, not just any one individual.”

COACHING TIP: BUILD YOURSELF UP BY BUILDING OTHERS HIGHER

“Believe it or not, simplicity matters more than complexity,” Kunz says. “And execution matters far more than strategy. If coaches can keep those things in mind then what they end up doing they really focus more on the alignment, rules and technique that the players have and less on themselves as the coach trying to devise something on paper that can’t be run by the kids that are out there on the field. I think that’s where ego comes into play and coaches think they need to be more than they really need to be. But if they focus more on building and developing the players themselves, then the coach himself will be successful – and that’s the irony of it. As much as a coach wants to build himself up that’s the opposite way to go – you build yourself up by building others up higher.”

SMALL STEPS PAY BIG DIVIDENDS

“When you get a group of kids together you really don’t know what you have and every season is different,” Kunz says. “What you want more than anything is for them to have an appreciation for the technique of the game and help them understand small victories and little steps lead to bigger victories down the road. I always like to tell my kids that small steps in the right direction are far better than any big step in the wrong direction. Both literally and figuratively, so when they start realizing that it’s ok to take small steps good things begin to happen – and that’s where patience plays in and consistency plays in and that’s where repetition plays in. So it’s important during those periods of repetition, which can be boring from time to time, to help them understand that those little things lead to the victories and the celebrations at the end. And when those victories happen then it’s important to celebrate those things.”

THE PERFECT PERSPECTIVE

“Being an athlete is just one part of being human, but being human is every part of being an athlete,” Kunz says. “You’ve got to keep sports in perspective that it’s just one part of our lives.”

repost from: https://www.nays.org/sklive/for-coaches/building-young-athletes-up-coaching-winners-on-and-off-the-field/

Spring into fitness for Summer!

Posted on April 15, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Motivation No Comments

The days are getting longer, sunnier and warmer, meaning it’s time to get yourself out from the comfort of your winter pajamas and increase you energy levels with some exercise.

If you want to feel confident about your body this summer, now is the time to start your fitness plan!
But finding motivation to step into your exercise gear and get moving can be a challenge.

Motivation is a lot more complex than people understand. It is what causes us to take action. It is defined as the process that starts, drives and maintains behaviors. It is therefore not a simple act of flicking on an energy switch. It involves so many levels – the biological, emotional and social energies that activate behavior. Confused? Well this is why it is difficult to get motivated as you actually have to tackle motivation from lots of directions to then find the formula to get going.

However, with a little help from these motivation tips, you’ll feel more informed and ready to get moving in preparing your exercise plan and most importantly, enjoying yourself while getting fit.

Have a Workout Buddy
Let’s face it, having a friend give you a kick in the pants can be really helpful. You can actually motivate each other. Some people say the competition with friends is what drives them.

Eat real, whole food

Forget counting carbs and calories; instead, focus on fueling your body. If you are eating nutritious foods with as few ingredients as possible — fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, healthy and clean proteins — you’re treating your body well. This spring, try some delicious and healthy recipes that will have you feeling refreshed!

Don’t skimp on sleep

Easier said than done, I know. In our hectic, overscheduled lives, sleep often gets pushed to the back burner. But sufficient rest should be one of your top priorities.

Reward Yourself!
Giving yourself a reward is a nice reminder to yourself of how amazing you are and what you have achieved. Put together a chart and when you have completed, say 10 sessions, treat yourself (just not with an ice cream sundae, haha!) Rewarding yourself helps you reach goals and stay motivated.

Give Yourself a Variety of Activities and Equipment
Due to your natural daily high and lows and moods you need to have 4 or 5 different activities to choose from. Have your “go to” activities and options for when your energy levels are lower.

Having access to a variety of equipment can keep you motivated and different equipment helps confuse muscles which can increase results of your workout.

Easy Tips for a Happy + Healthy Memorial Day Weekend

Posted on April 8, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance No Comments

For many, Memorial Day weekend marks the “unofficial start of summer” – three months of beach days and barbecues. With that comes a lot of ice cream, hot dogs and sugary drinks. Rather than throwing caution to the wind and figuring you’ll read a bunch of detox articles on Tuesday, why not stay ahead of the game? There are plenty of ways to keep your long weekend healthy and still fun!

First, Plan ahead. Don’t find yourself days away from the big weekend with a ton of stuff to do! Disorganization can lead to you in the grocery store at the last minute stocking up on chips and soda. Take a little time to plan your menu, write a shopping list, see what errands you can combine and shop ahead of time.

Ditch the margaritas for a drink with serious health benefits! The Healthy Zesty Martini is a delicious drink that will soothe your tummy and lift your mood without the booze! The best part is, it’s alcohol-free so it’s the perfect refreshing drink for the whole family. Grab the full recipe here.

Swap out heavy macaroni and potato salads with lighter, healthier options. And substitute the fattening hamburgers and hot dogs for some lean, palate-pleasing alternatives. Having plenty of light, veggie-friendly options will keep people from overindulging on meats and desserts and leave everyone feeling great even after you eat!

This refreshing jicama and carrot slaw recipe is fantastic served as a side dish or pile high on fish tacos. It’s perfect for your Cinco de Mayo party, too!

A sweet, tangy and nutty whole wheat couscous recipe with nectarine and toasted almonds can be whipped up in only 10 minutes.

Kick up your barbecue or your Father’s Day menu with these amazing lean hamburger sliders that are topped with a hot sauce slaw.

This easy grilled salmon in foil recipe, with the flavors of soy sauce and ginger, requires virtually no clean-up! That’s right. Just place the salmon in a double layer of foil, pour over a simple soy sauce (or tamari) mixture. Serve with ginger, garlic and green onions, and slide it onto the grill. It can be served hot or at room temperature.

Take your backyard barbecue from good to great with these tender and tasty Grilled Maple Dijon and Chili Chicken Drumsticks. Plus, they’re healthier than most drumstick recipes out there!

Succulent grilled pork chops make a perfect Memorial Day BBQ addition. This is a foolproof recipe for the most delicious, tender grilled pork chops around. Balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and dijon mustard give the chops incredible flavor. If you’re tired of burgers, this recipe will get you out of that bbq slump.

This healthy broccoli salad recipe contains quite a few detoxifying ingredients. Broccoli, shallot, olive oil and almonds combine with some Greek flavors to create a simple side salad.

Or try some grilled pineapple. Recipe here!

Enjoy Memorial Day Weekend and the start to a healthy, fun summer!

How to Fuel an Athlete Before a Competition

Posted on March 22, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition, Performance, Sports Performance No Comments

Many questions about what athletes should eat typically arise in the minds of youth sport coaches and parents. These adults know very well that the diet of “little superstars” has something to do with their athletic performance. And, of course, that includes what’s consumed in the pregame meal.

An important point about planning the pregame meal should be kept in mind: It should be planned. A well-planned eating experience tells athletes that their energy level is being adequately fortified to handle the upcoming event. This serves to enhance athletes’ confidence and ultimately contributes to their sense of gaining a competitive edge—at least in nutrition.

What are some guidelines for planning the pregame meal?

The meal should be eaten 2.5-to-3 hours before the game.
Locate a suitable place where the team or athletes can be together and can concentrate on the upcoming competition.
The meal is best if it is low in fat, modest in protein, and high in carbohydrates (bread, spaghetti, macaroni, potatoes, pancakes, cereals, fruits, vegetables).
The meal should be modest in amount.
The menu should avoid those foods that carry a greater-than-usual risk of food poisoning, such as cream gravies, turkey, and cream pastries.
Fatty foods are slower and more difficult to digest. Thus, they should be eaten 5 or more hours before a game.

Coaches, parents, and athletes should learn the old rule: Saturday’s game is played on Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday’s food intake. The pregame meal is not the time to try to provide all of the energy for some high-energy-expending competition.

What’s a simple, inexpensive pregame menu?

Lean beef or chicken sandwiches.
Fruit punch or fruit juice.
A large Jell-O salad.
Nutrition bars or generous servings of sherbet.

A big steak dinner is a poor choice for a pregame meal. It’s a fine postgame meal for the affluent athlete or team—either to celebrate or to forget and get ready for the next game.

Special attention also should be given to the food needs of young athletes when they are away from home and spending an evening in a motel.

“On the road” athletes are at considerable risk for gastronomical disasters and compromised performance the following day.
It is as important to plan evening eating as it is to plan pregame food intake.
Nutrition bars and sherbet make good evening snacks.
By providing such refreshments, athletes can be kept away from vending machines and fast-food establishments and make a positive contribution to the energy taken into the next day’s game.

Healthy Passover Recipes

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition No Comments

Most people feel that a week without cereal, cookies, bagels, or granola bars is something akin to torture. Beyond the unbearable cravings, a stomach full of matzoh, eggs, potatoes, and oil is rarely a happy one.

Passover doesn’t have to be so stressful on the body. In fact, the holiday’s a great opportunity to experiment in the kitchen, finding new easy, healthy, and—most importantly— tasy recipes that meet the kosher-for-Passover criteria. To help you out, we’ve rounded up 34 Passover recipes, from matzoh brei with veggies to quinoa almond butter cookies, sure to please those observing Passover and even those who aren’t.

Homemade Matzoh

It is possible to make your own matzo instead of chowing down on the store-bought variety. It’s pretty simple, too: This recipe calls for just flour and water, plus a little mixing, cutting, rolling, and baking.

Breakfast and Brunch

Passover Granola

Try this DIY granola featuring walnuts (which pack a healthy-fat punch), honey, and dried fruit. Add it to protein-rich yogurt or milk or just bag it and munch on it as a snack.

Quinoa Porridge

This recipe is sort of like French toast in a bowl, since it combines milk, sugar, cinnamon, maple syrup, and nuts. Those watching their sugar intake can go easy on the brown sugar. (Note: There’s some debate over whether quinoa is kosher for Passover, so this recipe might not suit everyone’s style of observance.)

Matzoh Brei With Bananas and Pecans

This rendition of matzoh brie (Yiddish for “fried matzo”) is more sweet than savory, but it’s still nutritious enough to meet our criteria for a healthy Passover meal, and the recipe’s pretty easy to follow. Bananas, pecans, milk, and maple syrup add a hefty dose of potassium, protein, and calcium to traditional matzoh brei (Those watching their sugar intake can use less syrup.).

Skinny Matzoh Brei With Fresh Spinach, Garlic, and Onions

.Traditional matzoh brei calls for a lot of eggs and butter, and not much else. But the classic recipe is easily green-ified (and at least a little health-ified) thanks to superfood spinach, which packs a ton of antioxidants, vitamins, and minerals.

Smoked Salmon Omelet

Bagels with cream cheese and lox are off-limits during Passover, but this dish seems like it would go perfectly with a piece of matzoh and cream cheese

Spring Frittata

Passover falls right at the start of spring, so it’s the perfect time to celebrate the return of greens like asparagus and sugar snap peas. Don’t worry about blandness—fresh dill, lemon, and black pepper keep things flavorful.

Green Shakshuka

Shakshuka’s an Israeli egg dish that’s just as tasty for breakfast as it is for dinner. Adding spinach and feta cheese makes it a little more omelet-y, while spices like cinnamon, cumin, and coriander add a powerful punch of flavor (and some super nutrients).

Almond Flour Pancakes

Almond meal, tapioca flour, and a bit of butter form the base of this tasty (swap in unsweetened applesauce for the butter if you want to cut down on sugar). Serve ’em up to friends and fam and top with fresh berries for some added nutrients and that extra “wow” factor.

Orange and Raisin Matzo Meal Pancakes

A surprising combination of ingredients are featured in this recipe for slightly sweeter ’cakes. We’re talking raisins and cottage cheese in the batter and sour cream and honey in the topping. Slap two (or three) on a plate for a hearty, protein-packed breakfast or save one for a mid-day snack.

Grain-Free Banana Bread

This mom-approved recipe uses almond flour in place of regular flour, plus wholesome ingredients like honey and olive oil.

Veggies and Side Dishes

Bitter Herbs Salad

Here’s another tasty twist on a traditional Passover seder dish. A bowl of bitter herbs (usually in the form of horseradish) on the table symbolizes the bitter lot of the Israelites when they were slaves in Egypt. This salad is a little less sad, and a lot more colorful—the nutrient-packed combo of radicchio, endives, and watercress gets its flavor from lemon and olive oil dressing.

Sweet Spaghetti Squash Kugel With Apples and Raisins

This kugel is sweet enough to be dessert, thanks to raisins, coconut sugar, and superfood cinnamon. But vitamin-packed squash and apples make it a nutritious side dish on Passover or any time of year.

Amazing Charoset

Charoset’s a traditional dish on the sedar plate-the crunchy paste is supposed to represent the bricks and mortar the Jews used to build statues for the Egyptian pharaoh. The dish itself is a sweet treat made with relatively healthy ingredients: raisins, pecans, almonds, dates and figs mashed into applesauce. It works really well as a snack on top of matzoh or even paired with a meaty main dish at Passover dinner.

Carrot and Sweet Potato Tzimmes

The word “tzimmes” might look hard to pronounce, but this bright-colored meal is relatively easy to make. Everything about this dish screams sweetness, and yet the ingredients ain’t half bad—think sweet potatoes, apples, prunes, and apricots. Walnuts add some crunch, some healthy fats, and some protein, making this meal a hearty side dish for vegetarians and meat-lovers alike.

Mini Potato Kugels

This recipe, created by the former star of the TV show Blossom, is perfect in so many ways. For one thing, the individual mini kugels mean insta-portion control (assuming we eat just one). It’s also one of the simplest recipes on this list—nothing but potatoes, potato starch, and olive oil—meaning it’s also vegan and gluten-free.

Passover Root Vegetable Casserole

Vitamin-packed potatoes, carrots, superfood beets, and celeriac star in this recipe, which is topped by unsweetened applesauce and lots o’spices.

Carrot Salad

This blindingly-bright dish looks way fancier than it actually is: just vitamin-packed carrots, spices, and lemon juice. It makes for a light, tasty appetizer or side dish at a holiday dinner.

Meats and Main Dishes

Mediterranean Olive Chicken

Everyone always talks about the health benefits of the Mediterranean diet, and this Passover is the perfect time to go Middle Eastern. This chicken recipe involves some unexpected ingredients, such as lime juice, honey, and red pepper, which make for a fragrant and flavorful main dish.

Tangy Spiced Brisket

Eggs and potatoes too bland? Spice things up with this brisket recipe featuring good-for-you onion, superfood garlic, paprika, thyme, and oregano. Just don’t leave this one ’til the last minute—it takes a few hours to bake in the oven.

Braised Brisket & Roots

Brisket’s often the main attraction at the Passover seder. Brighten up the batch (and add some nutrients) with carrots, parsnips, and rutabaga. Then enliven the flavor with spices like thyme, paprika, and pepper.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs Over Quinoa Pilaf

This dish scores major points in the health category, since it uses lean ground beef plus a veggie medley of carrots, celery, and onions.

Vegetarian Matzoh Ball Soup

The preparation’s a little more work-intensive than some of the other recipes on this list, but the look on guests’ faces when they start slurping will more than make up for it.

Matzoh Pizza

Any kid growing up in a Jewish household knows the real Passover fun starts when it’s time to whip up a batch of matzo pizza. Unlike the regular greasy variety, this Passover pie calls for just a few basic, natural ingredients: matzoh (try whole wheat for a healthier twist), canned tomatoes, mozzarella and Parmesan cheeses, basil leaves, and some healthy fats courtesy of olive oil. Choose your favorite veggies (we’re fans of spinach and mushroom) for the topping.

Cauliflower Crust Cheesy Pizza

Eliminate the grains entirely and check out this lower-calorie, cauliflower-based creation. Use a cheese grater to shred the cauliflower into small crumbles and mix with eggs, cheese, and spices. Top with onions and peppers, and voila! You’ve just proved a vegetarian, kosher-for-Passover concoction can still look and taste awesome.

Matzoh Lasagna

Leave the lasagna noodles behind and use matzo instead. The rest of the recipe is basically the same as the non-kosher-for-Passover variety: marinara sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, Parmesan, and some nutrient-dense spinach. Be sure to snap a photo of the masterpiece before digging in!

Eggplant Parmesan Stacks

It’s totally possible to make this classic vegetarian dish using matzoh meal instead of bread products, plus tomato sauce and cottage cheese. Eggplant packs an antioxidant punch while the cheese amps up the protein value. And look how pretty they are all stacked up on a dish!

Desserts

Almond Pear Blueberry Cake

The recipe also calls for nutrient-rich pears, almonds, superfoods blueberries and ginger, and lemon. It’s technically a dessert, but we give you permission to eat it for a snack, or breakfast, or all day long…

Pistachio, Honey, and Sea Salt Matzo

It wouldn’t be Passover unless some guest brought chocolate-covered matzo as a contribution to the seder. This version takes the sweet stuff to a slightly more sophisticated (and slightly more nutrient-dense) level, using dark chocolate, honey, and pistachios for the coating.

Flourless Chocolate-Walnut Cookies

All that’s required is walnuts, confectioner’s sugar, cocoa powder, salt, egg whites, and vanilla—plus some quick mixing. It’s an easy way to reap the benefits of chocolate without going overboard, making it the perfect snack to have on hand throughout the week of Passover.

Blender Banana “Any Way You Want It” Ice Cream

This one’s super simple: All you need is some bananas, the nut butter of your choice (avoid peanut butter if you’re keeping Kosher), a handful of chocolate chips (optional), and some cocoa powder. It’s the perfect way to indulge a sweet tooth without consuming a ton of sugar.

Passover Pecan Bars

Miss those non-kosher-for-Passover granola bars? Don’t. Matzoh cake meal and matzoh meal take the place of flour in these nutty goodies, which also feature only a little bit of sugar, butter, and maple syrup (all for under 100 calories per serving).

Quinoa Almond Butter Cookies

This recipe is like a batch of wholesome sweetness that combines protein-packed quinoa and almond butter, plus bananas, chocolate chips, and honey. One batch takes just 12 minutes to bake.

No-Bake Chocolate Macaroons

These no-bake treats are vegan, nut-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, and kosher for Passover.

Healthy Easter Basket Ideas

Posted on March 14, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Nutrition No Comments

Get creative and come up with other Easter basket ideas to keep it healthy, but still festive! Try to focus on giving experiences instead of material gifts in your holiday celebrations.

Healthy Easter Baskets: Taking It Too Far?

Do you think taking candy out of an Easter basket takes the whole healthy thing a little too far? If your thoughts are running along these lines, consider:

Easter is the second biggest candy-selling holiday of the year after Halloween. Over 16 billion jelly beans are made each year, along with millions of neon marshmallow chicks and hundreds of varieties of chocolate treats. Most of these products are now made with high fructose corn syrup, food dyes, and ingredients our bodies (and certainly our kids’ bodies) were not meant to consume. The point is, if it’s extreme, it’s because its a reaction to a bigger problem.

Since food dyes may affect behavior, and many people consume over 100 pounds of sugar a year, it is becoming increasingly important to consider healthier alternatives even on holidays. These simple switches don’t take away any of the fun or tradition … they just reduce the sugar and food dye content.

Certainly, sometimes the stress of choosing natural options can outweigh the benefits, but this is a holiday where we can definitely make improvements. We can still celebrate all that Easter is meant to be without going to extremes on either end of the spectrum.

Ok, that’s out of the way … on to Easter baskets! Hopefully some of these suggestions get the wheels turning and inspire some ideas perfect for your family!

Experience-Based/Themed Easter Basket Ideas

These experience-themed baskets are more fun and long-lasting than a sugar-laden basket of candy. Create an Easter basket based around an activity or theme like gardening, baseball, swimming, or camping and give your kids the gift of a new skill or favorite pastime.

Gardening Basket

You can use inexpensive clay pots for the “baskets” and fill them with child-sized gardening gloves, seeds, small garden tools, and other garden-related items. Each child in the family could get different types of seeds that you will use in your garden and help to start the seeds, plant in beds, and water throughout the year.

Camping Basket

If your family enjoys camping, or perhaps want to plan a trip, this is a great way to stock your camping supplies! Each child could receive camping items in their baskets. Sleeping bags, flashlights, binoculars, whistles and camping silverware are just some suggestions.

Sports Basket

Baskets with gear to play certain sports and even tickets to local minor league teams to go to games as a family throughout the year are always a family favorite.

Movie Night Basket

Most kids really enjoy family movie nights, so their baskets could contain summer PJs and movie tickets or DVDs/Blu-Ray discs. Each kid gets a different movie and gets to “host” that movie night by making snacks and setting up for the movie.

Craft Basket

Every mom knows the challenge of keeping kids pleasantly and productively occupied (especially in the summer months, which are coming not long after Easter!). Craft-themed baskets are perfect for this. You might fill the baskets with craft supplies like construction paper, glue, scissors, buttons, and modeling clay.

Scavenger Hunt Basket

With this idea, the basket is part of the experience. Create a scavenger hunt around one big gift and leave the clues in their baskets. Hide one part of the first clue in each basket so the kids can work together to find the first clue and lead them on a scavenger hunt to the final destination or gift.

Easter Basket Filler Ideas

If you don’t want to follow a theme for an Easter basket, just fill it with a random assortment of items that encourage activity and experiences, such as:

Jump ropes
books
card games
jump gym passes/Bounce
puzzles
ingredients to make natural slime
outdoor games
Legos
water guns
kid-sized cooking tools
beach towels and toys
hair accessories
kites
coupon for a lunch date with Mom or Dad
sticker pads

And When There’s Time: Try Homemade!

Just say no to the neon jelly beans and marshmallow chickens! Skip the chocolate bunnies and Cadbury eggs completely and consider making healthier chocolate, marshmallows or fruit snacks (maybe in an Easter-themed mold!). And although it’s not as convenient, homemade candy comes with a bonus: quality time together preparing for Easter.

An Easter Basket to Treasure

It takes a little thinking outside of the box to come up with new Easter basket ideas, but in the end the kids don’t feel deprived or miss out the celebration of the season. In fact, it’s amazing how colorful, sweet, and festive a healthy Easter basket can be. Hope these ideas help you fill your Easter baskets with surprises, joy, and good health!

Arthritis at 30? Youth sports injuries can turn into chronic problems, doctors warn

Posted on February 20, 2019 by Train for the Game LI in Sports Performance, Strength and Conditioning No Comments

Arthritis at 30? Youth sports injuries can turn into chronic problems, doctors warn – Chicago Tribune

Leo Anderson was in the middle of a baseball game when he threw a ball he had just caught, heard a crunch in his elbow and fell to the ground.

That sound was a growth plate in his elbow breaking, and it ended the now-15-year-old’s season last spring.

Doctors soon said the break was caused by overuse, and the Lake Forest teen underwent surgery to place a pin in his elbow to stabilize it. Anderson, a catcher who had been trying out pitching, wore a cast for 12 weeks before his comeback this fall, playing for the Slammers club team in Lake County. The freshman at Lake Forest High School also underwent physical therapy until November and says he hopes to play for his high school team in the upcoming spring season, in addition to his other team.

But his father, Bill Anderson, said he now closely monitors his son’s play, and that the injury was a wake-up call. Leo, like many youth athletes, plays baseball 10 months out of the year. “Quite honestly, it just didn’t occur to me that he was overusing his arm.”

Doctors say overuse injuries in youth sports have increased dramatically in the past decade. They blame it on kids focusing on one sport early on and playing it year-round, sometimes on multiple teams at once.

“Sports specialization has led to almost an epidemic in sports injuries,” agreed Dr. Elizabeth Matzkin, surgical director of women’s musculoskeletal health at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston and assistant professor of orthopaedic surgery at Harvard Medical School. “Kids are fatigued, and they’re not strengthening the way they should be.”

Matzkin said that, in the past decade, she’s seen overuse injuries in young athletes that she used to see mainly in adults.

“Over the past 10 years, you’d maybe see the occasional high school ACL tear. Now you’re seeing it in 12-, 13-year-olds,” she said. With such injuries at 13, “are you going to have arthritis when you’re 30?”

While doctors and physical therapists say they can treat the injuries, some worry what will happen as these young athletes grow into adults — when old injuries could turn into chronic problems.

“We can get you back playing your sport … but what we can’t do is prevent your arthritis in your knee,” Matzkin said. Then “you’re seeing young women in their 30s who can’t keep up with their kids in the backyard.”

Doctors say it’s largely up to parents and coaches to try to prevent these injuries through cross-training and rest.

But that message can be a hard one to follow in the increasingly competitive landscape of youth sports, where more parents seem to have their sights set on college scholarships and even professional play for their kids, said Dr. Andrea Kramer, a pediatric orthopaedic surgeon at north suburban-based Illinois Bone and Joint Institute.

Kramer, who treated Leo Anderson, said she’s seen more overuse injuries in recent years, and at younger ages.

“I’m seeing kids from 7 on up for overuse injuries,” she said. The injuries come in the form of sprains, breaks, stress fractures and other problems that cause “much more increased pain at a much younger age” than she used to see, and span many sports, from baseball to gymnastics.

Kramer said children are at risk for these injuries because they are still growing and growth plates are shifting. She said she advises these young athletes and their parents to try more variety in sports or cross-conditioning, and stresses the importance of rest. Societal pressures seem to play into the desire for high achievement in sports, often leading to overplay, Kramer said.

“If we could convince people to not specialize in one sport at a young age, it would help a lot,” she said.

For Leo Anderson’s arm injury, the tipping point seemed to be when Leo, a catcher since childhood, started to try out pitching with private lessons, plus his regular team practices, which begin in October and last through July. His dad said rain-out dates last spring also caused more back-to-back games, which he thinks also contributed to his son’s overthrowing.

“Looking back it was pretty obvious,” Bill Anderson said. “As a parent, I’m (now) much more hypersensitive to Leo having a sore arm.”

Anderson said he, along with Leo’s coaches, doctor and physical therapist, is monitoring Leo’s play to make sure the injury is healed and to prevent another overuse injury.

Ed Tolzien, co-owner of the Slammers, said he and his staff “strongly encourage our kids to cross-train and play multiple sports” to prevent overuse injuries. About 70 to 75 percent play a sport other than baseball, he said.

Many baseball leagues and the Illinois High School Association limit the number of pitches players can throw in a game and a season to prevent injuries. Tolzien said his youth players abide by such guidelines, and though there aren’t official limits on high school-level club teams, his coaches keep a close eye on players, who are also given strength and conditioning exercises. The team also partners with Illinois Bone and Joint to make sure players get proper treatment and to learn more about injury prevention, he said.

Matzkin, who also serves on the board of directors at the Rosemont-based American Academy of Orthopaedic Surgeons, said education of coaches and parents is necessary to prevent overuse injuries in kids.

The academy teamed up with the American Orthopaedic Society for Sports Medicine earlier this year to launch the OneSport Injury campaign, which focuses on just that. The slogan is, “Doctors can treat them. Parents and coaches can prevent them.”

The campaign offers materials geared toward coaches, parents and young athletes, providing prevention tips, statistics on injuries and guidelines for specific sports.

“Sports are beneficial, but playing the same sport more than eight months out of the year can be detrimental,” Matzkin said.