Be on the lookout for hidden sugars!
With both childhood obesity and type II diabetes on the rise, many Americans have begun to cut back on sugar. And while staying away from the obvious culprits like soda (8 teaspoons of sugar in an 8 ounce can) and candy is a good start, chances are you're still consuming way too many "hidden" sugars. Did you know for instance that things like whole wheat bread (2 to 4 grams of sugar per slice in most supermarket varieties), ketchup (about 4 grams per tablespoon), store bought pasta sauces (on average between 6 and 10 grams) and flavored yogurts (most containing in upwards of 30 grams per serving!), all contains loads of extra sugar? While there are no hard and fast recommendations as to exactly how much sugar we need to consume each day, most experts agree that while naturally occurring sugars are fine in moderation (such as the sugars in things like milk, fruits and vegetables), the fewer added sugars we consume, the better. Here are some ways you can cut down on the hidden sugars in your diet: - Instead of flavored yogurts, try adding fresh fruit to Greek yogurt. Besides being way lower in sugar, it's also high in protein and contains loads of active yogurt cultures to help boost your immune system.
- Cut down on your consumption of condiments like ketchup and sugary salad dressings. Try using things like mustard instead, and add some healthy fats into your diet by using olive oil on salads and vegetables.
- Try and choose whole grain breads and breakfast cereals that have as little sugar per serving as possible and at least 3-4 grams of fiber. To really help reduce your sugar intake, though, choose slow-cooked whole grain oats over cold cereals.
Then of course there's the whole sports drinks and energy bars angle to consider. Due to increasingly hectic scholastic and sports schedules, a lot of young athletes don't always have the time to eat properly and tend to over-rely on these seemingly convenient fuel sources. Unfortunately, despite the healthy marketing claims that back them, many of these are absolutely loaded with sugar. So, if you do decide to use them, at least try and stick to the following recommendations:
- Only use sports drinks if you're engaging in physical activity of greater than one hour in duration. All other times, choose water, or low fat milk.
- Carefully read nutrition labels and try to stick with bars that have: 1. Whole grains, 2. At least some form of protein, and 3. have no more than 30% of their calories coming from sugar (the lower the better). To figure this out, multiply the number of grams of sugar by 4 and then divide that into the total calories. So, if a bar has 10 grams of sugar and 200 calories. 10 x 4 = 40 and 200 divided by 4 is 5, or 20% of total calories. Good choice!
Finally, start making it a habit to read food labels so that you can become familiar with the many aliases that sugar goes by. If you see more than a couple of these terms on the label of a food that you're considering, take a pass- especially if they're listed within the first few ingredients.
High fructose corn syrup
Honey
Maltodextrin
Cane Juice
Rice syrup
Molasses
Barley Malt
Mannitol
Glycerine
and anything ending in "ose" like glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose etc.
Eat your fruits and veggies.
According to a recent report by the Centers for Disease Control, a whopping 9 out of 10 teens fall short of the daily recommended amount of fruits and vegetables. The report, which was based on data complied in 2007, found that only 13% of high school students get at least 3 servings of vegetables per day and only 32% get at least 2 servings of fruit!
While making a concerted effort to consume more fresh fruits and vegetables offers the best solution, it's not always a viable option for busy young athletes with demanding schedules. One way to help ensure that kids are covering their nutritional bases is to add a powdered greens supplement to their diets. Although there are a wide variety of brands to choose form, I'm especially fond of the Kidz Superfood put out by Amazing Grass. Just one scoop added to their favorite beverage provides kids with the antioxidant power of 3 servings of fruits and vegetables. And don't worry about the taste- the chocolate flavor makes it a hit with even the pickiest of pallets.
Drink Up!
Hydration is a hot topic when it comes to young athletes, and with good reason. Generally speaking, kids are notorious for not drinking enough water. Factor in the increased physical demands associated with regular sports participation and the problem only becomes magnified. In fact, as little as a 1-2% body weight loss (or 1.5 lbs in a 150lb athlete), can negatively affect physical performance.
On average, young athletes between the ages of 10-18 should be consuming anywhere from at least 2 to 3.5 liters of pure water per day- with older athletes and boys falling more towards the high end of that range. As far as sports drinks go, they're really only necessary when participating in activities lasting at least one hour in duration. During intense physical activity of this type, kids need to replace vital fluids and electrolytes that are lost through sweat. Look for a sports drink that is 6-8% carbohydrates, or 50-80 calories per 8 ounces, with 120-170 milligrams of sodium.
