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Latest News - Edition
2
LATEST NEWS will provide you with information
and handy hints for maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
TRAINING
AND TAKE-AWAY
For optimal training and recovery you
need to provide your body with the appropriate fuel to ensure
adequate energy stores and desired body composition. Training
at any level demands a certain time commitment, often leaving
less time for preparation of healthy nutrient rich meals.
As a population we are finding ourselves eating out more regularly
than ever before. Many people eat away from home more than
once per day, often lunch and dinner, and over a week may
consume only one or two meals that are home-prepared.
Unfortunately, many take-away foods
are high in fat and salt and low in important nutrients such
as carbohydrates, protein, vitamins and minerals that are
important for recovery following exercise.
The food and fluids consumed following exercise are critical
for optimal recovery and regular take-away meals may impair
the recovery process.
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THE
EASY OPTION
Individuals training late-afternoon/evening
may find it very convenient to purchase take-away foods on
their way home. It is often late after training has finished,
you feel tired and hungry, there is nothing at home in the
fridge and the easiest option is to stop at the local hamburger
shop on the way home. If you are eating take-away meals more
often than home-prepared foods you need to start doing some
planning to ensure that you do have nutritious, easy to prepare
foods in the house. It is far easier to resist the temptation
of take-away foods if you know you can put together a meal
at home in less time than it takes to wait for the pizza to
cook at the corner shop.
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Go food
shopping regularly - set a specific day and time and stick
to it.
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Keep a
range of 'quick' foods such as pasta (you can now purchase
pasta that cooks in only 3 minutes!), jars of tomato sauce,
low-fat two minute noodles, tins of tuna/salmon/chick
peas/three bean mix and in the cupboard.
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Freeze
chicken fillets, lean beef, vegetable patties that can
be quickly defrosted and grilled in a matter of minutes.
You can also freeze bread, rolls, pita bread to add carbohydrate
to meals.
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Seek out
some recipes that are quick and easy to prepare. You may
need to consult a sports dietitian for specific guidance
according to your preferences and nutrient requirements.
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AVOID
THE FAT
Ideally you should try and limit take-away
foods to no more than once or twice per week. Look for lower-fat
options and take care with the total volume of food consumed,
as serves purchased are often much larger than you would prepare
for yourself.
Fried foods should be avoided completely
due to the large amount of fat absorbed during cooking and
the type of fat used. Fast food outlets usually use saturated
and trans-saturated fats and these can contribute to increased
cholesterol levels and risk of heart disease.
Foods with a larger surface area absorb more fat. Choose roast
potatoes, or even potato wedges, in preference to thin French
fries. Or why not try a baked potato with salad and low-fat
cheese for a nutrient rich meal with very little fat.
Pastry products are very high in fat, often the saturated
variety. Items such as quiches, meat pies, sausage rolls,
custard tarts contain fillings which are high in fat, therefore
it is best to limit these foods. Filo pastry is much lower
in fat and a vegetable filo is a far better choice than a
meat pastie.
Pasta, rice and noodle dishes are also
good sources of carbohydrate. Choose pasta with tomato-based
sauces, seafood and vegetables with rice or stir-fried chicken
and vegetable noodles. Japanese food is becoming increasingly
popular and Nori/California rolls make an ideal take-away
choice, providing fish, rice and vegetables.
Salads are not always the best option. Commercial style coleslaw,
potato salad, Greek salad and particularly Caesar salad are
generally very high in fat - always ask for dressing 'on the
side' when possible.
| Better
Choices |
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Try
to Avoid |
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Rice
paper rolls |
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Spring
rolls |
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Sushi
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Tempura
(battered and fried vegetables) |
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Grilled
honey/soy chicken skewers |
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Satay
chicken |
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Stir-fry
chicken and vegetables |
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Sweet and sour pork |
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Baked
potato with salad |
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French
Fries |
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Chicken
and salad roll |
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Chicken
schnitzel roll |
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Gnocchi
with tomato-based sauce |
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Fettucine
Carbonara |
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Vegetarian
or chicken pizza (less cheese) |
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Supreme
pizza |
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Tostadas
(hold the sour cream!) |
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Nachos
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Grilled
steak sandwich |
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Meat
pie |
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Frozen
yoghurt |
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Ice-cream
sundae |
It is important to remember that even
when we try to make healthy take-away choices, we can never
be completely sure of what is in the foods we purchase. Home-prepared
is always the preferred option as you are in complete control
of what goes into your food and consequently your body.
If you are interested in your health and achieving optimal
performance it is essential to be aware of what you are eating
and cook at home as much as possible. Even if you only eat
take-away once or twice per month, try to make healthy choices
to provide the correct fuel for energy, recovery and optimal
performance.
PAST LATEST
NEWS
Lisa Sutherland,
Sports Dietitian & Fitness Consultant
Website: www.lisasutherland.com
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