Carbs, carbs, carbs. That’s what everyone seems to want to talk about. How do I avoid carbs?
Well, what you should be talking about instead is, “How do I get more lean protein into my eating plan?”
Now THAT is the right question.
You see, Protein is where it’s at. Check out these two little known facts about protein:
1) Protein requires more calories to digest than carbs or fat. This is called the “thermic effect of food.” In other words, your body uses more calories to digest protein than other nutrients.
Pretty sneaky, huh?
2) Protein provides satiety. That’s a fancy way of saying you feel fuller for longer when you eat protein 
Good sources of Lean Protein come from foods such as:
Fish, eggs, poultry, lean beef…
But some people have trouble eating enough protein each day. Some people would like it to be more convenient for them.
If that’s the case with you then I have VERY good news. And it’s news I’ve been waiting to tell you for some time now.
My buddies over at Prograde Nutrition have finally released their pharmaceutical quality whey protein.
You see, not all Protein powders are created equal.
I have been using and highly recommend Prograde Protein
Prograde Protein:
- Delivers unparalleled purity through low-temperature mirco-filtering
- Is naturally sweetened with Stevia
- Contains 5.3 grams of branch chained amino acids per serving
- Mixes instantly with just a spoon
- Enhances absorption and digestion via lactase and Aminogen
digestive enzyymes
If you are looking for a high quality whey protein, check out Prograde’s Protein here
Yours in health,
Jeff Cavaliere
P.S. – Prograde Protein is NOT just some run of the mill protein powder you can find anywhere. They’ve really hit a home run with this one.
Filed under Supplements, Uncategorized by on Nov 15th, 2010. Comment. 
I created a blog post a little while ago about “Solving the Pre-Game Meal Misunderstanding” and gave you ideas on options of what to eat before a game and what you should stay away from.
Well, I received many comments from my readers asking what they should NOT eat AFTER a workout/game.
That is a great question and one that my friend and nutritionist Jayson Hunter, RD, CSCS, just answered
for me.
Jayson created a report for you (where you do have to enter your email address to access it), called “What to NEVER Eat After You Workout”.
Inside the report you’ll discover:
* Research proven ratio of nutrients your body craves as soon as you stop exercising
* How your body could be getting robbed of the results you are working so hard to attain
* The truth about the consequences your body goes through by fueling it incorrectly
* And, of course, exactly what to NEVER eat after you workout
If you want to make the most of your workouts (which of course that you do), make sure you head over and grab your copy of the report today.
What to NEVER Eat After You Workout
Stay Strong,
Jeff Cavaliere
Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint
Filed under Meal Timing, Sports Nutrition, Supplements, Uncategorized by on Nov 4th, 2010. Comment.
There are many misconceptions when it comes to proper usage of supplements. To help clear up some of these misconceptions I am going to give you a timeline of when and what supplements you should be using in your diets, or implementing into your kids or athlete’s diets.
**Note that these ages are based on how the average child matures. There are obviously children who mature faster/slower than their peers. This is something you need to take into consideration when starting to add supplements to your diet. Also, as always…it’s wise to consult a physician before you take any new supplements. **
Ages 3-12
Multivitamin- Regardless of age, it has been shown that children who take an age appropriate multivitamin experience more normal growth patterns and suffer from less diet induced vitamin deficiencies. It’s sometimes hard to overcome family eating patterns when you’re a child. Maybe you’re parents don’t believe in eating meat and your diet lacks in iron? The multi helps to overcome this. Again, it’s important to point out though, in the search for the perfect multi…you need to look for one that is again, suited for their appropriate age. In other words…you don’t want to get them the same multi-vitamin that a 50+ male would be taking. Sometimes these “senior” vitamins (for lack of a better term…don’t worry, I’m creeping up there myself!) contain additive vitamins for prostate health and skin/hair health that a child obviously would not require.
MAJOR POINTS
- Make sure the multivitamin is designed for your child’s age group.
- Select a multivitamin that provides 100% of the daily value for all vitamins and minerals and is actually ABSORBABLE! (The biggest factor in determining a good vitamin from a substandard quality one!
- Store multivitamins out of your child’s reach and make it clear that they aren’t candy.
- Multivitamins should not be used a replacement for proper nutrition. Be sure you are still offering your child healthy meals and snacks.
Fish Oil- Fish oil is often overlooked when it comes to supplements, but as a young child you should be taking it. A lot of children will have a hard time swallowing this size of a pill, and will resent the after taste (fishiness) but the benefits are well worth it. Being young, taste buds obviously aren’t geared to like a lot of foods, fish being one of them. There are obviously a lot of children who eat fish, but for the most part kids would rather eat chicken or beef. Adding fish oil to your child’s diet at a young age gives them the Omega 3’s they are most likely lacking due to no fish in their diet, and can be the key factor in maintaining normal growth and development due to the critical role that fatty acids play in basically every cellular process! Yes…GO FISH has more than one meaning at this age!!
Ages 13-14 (Young Teens)
13/14 is usually the age that teens are introduced to working out with weights. Generally, before this time (and as a rule, before going through puberty where the tendon attachments and bones have had a chance to mature more) my recommendation is to stick with bodyweight exercises and tubing only. However, that said, by the time this process is complete and the teen has a chance to start lifting with weights, my general recommendation is to hold off on any supplements besides those we just spoke of. Really there’s no need at this point. With most kids growing like weeds at this time, supplements to accelerate this are sort of like overkill and can do more damage than good (particularly if the wrong ones are taken). Once you have a solid foundation and understanding of how weight training works, you can start supplementing with more than multivitamins.
These include:
1. Meal Replacement Powders / Protein Bars – There is a common misconception that protein is bad for you which is completely false. Protein is perfectly healthy. The only time excessive protein has been shown to be dangerous is in individuals with already compromised kidneys (since the kidneys will have to excrete whatever excess protein you don’t utilize). It’s my feeling that some of the justified criticism of protein bars and shakes comes from source of the protein used in the products and the additives/artificial ingredients that go along with the protein. Be careful to avoid things like added stimulants, prohormones, nitrous oxide, etc and stick instead to high quality pure sources of proteins and carbs and you’ll be perfectly fine and will gain the muscle repair and restoration benefits that this essential nutrient delivers.
2. Specific Vitamins – ie. B, C, E, Calcium, etc.
Ages 15-19 (Teenagers)
Now that you have spent a few years in the gym and understand how your body works you can start adding more supplements to your diet. My top recommendations here include:
1. Creatine Monohydrate- There has been a lot of talk about how creatine is bad for you and it promotes injury, and damages your system. This, in fact, can be true if you do not consume it properly. My first suggestion is to discredit the “loading phase” that a lot of these companies tell you to do. This means you take 4-5 servings of creatine for the first week or so when you first start. A lot of times the abundance of creatine is too much for your body to handle and problems may occur (namely stomach upset and muscle cramping). Stick to a steady 5 gram a day dose, drink plenty of water (can you say the pee chart?!?) for best results and eliminate those side effects. Remember guys, a lot of these supplement companies tell you the serving amounts to take, but they are the ones selling it. So be careful as to how much you are taking regardless of what the label calls for.
2. L-Glutamine – As the most abundant amino acid in muscle tissue (and also the most consumed during activity), L-Glutamine supplements are taken for the purpose of replenishing depleted stores. It’s not a wonder supplement by any stretch of the imagination, but then again…those don’t exist. Instead it’s a supplement that when taken consistently, can provide that extra boost in your recovery to leave you feeling refreshed, more energetic and a step ahead of your competition. And as we know…sometimes…that one step can mean the difference between winning and losing!
Stay Strong,
Jeff
Want to know more in depth about the exact amounts and brands of these supplements that I recommend? See it all laid out in detail in my Teen Sports Nutrition Blueprint that you can grab over at http://sportsnutritionblueprint.com Take the confusion and technical out of nutrition and simplify it to the stuff that really works!
Filed under Sports Nutrition, Supplements by on Sep 9th, 2010. 2 Comments.
Man…it seems like just yesterday that I posted PART 1 to this article! Just goes to show you how quickly the Fall Season is approaching! We’re now down to just a couple of weeks. That said, are you going to be ready when your kids get to practice to ask them the right questions? Will you be ready to get to the root of their nutrition woes so you can reverse course and help them make their nutrition an ally instead of an opponent? You will if you ask these questions. So without another second delay…let’s take a look at questions 4-6!
4. Are you taking Nitrous Oxide Products?
If so…tell them to stop! These incredibly popular fad supplements are the rage right now. I don’t have actual statistics but I would bet that at least 50% of all males (and some females) who are working out and taking supplements in high school are using some form of a nitrous oxide product…and that’s BAD NEWS! These “vasodilaters” are unsafe and definitely not the right mix for an athlete who may already be a bit stressed (from the competition of trying to gain a spot on the varsity) and who might have a tendency to dehydrate (particularly if they are NOT watching the color of their pee and ARE taking creatine already!). Nitrous Oxide (NO) products are usually laced with high amounts of caffeine to give an intense stimulatory effect. The caffeine not only interferes with motor control (yes that means that your athletes can become jittery and prone to false steps/injuries/etc) but it can drastically change your body’s ability to absorb other important nutrients like iron. The dilation effect that this causes on the vessels in the body will not only shuttle more blood to your muscles (which is supposed to be one of it’s benefits…giving more energy) but also to your brain! This rush of blood flow to the brain has led to more than just a few documented migraines and is not the sort of chemistry you want your athletes to be fooling around with. Want to get them pumped? Have them watch HOOSIERS or “300″ a couple times before the big game, or pull out your best Knute Rockne speechto motivate them and you will have accomplished the same thing….in a far less dangerous way!
5. Did you eat a snack before practice?
One of the most overlooked times of the day to be fueling up is right before practice. If you think about it, the last time the majority of your athletes will have eaten is at lunch time (usually 3 hours before). Attempting to go an entire practice with no more incoming calories is like trying to drive your car cross country when you’ve only got enough gas to make it across the state lines! In order to produce a sustained effort and energy levels your body needs to be “fueled” every 3 hours AT THE LATEST! Failing to do this is not only going to take it’s toll on the performance output for that particular day or practice…but in the long haul, the ability of the body to recover and grow stronger will be compromised as well. A prepractice snack of a protein bar, a piece of fruit with skim milk, a half of a peanut butter sandwich, or even some trail mix is enough to help them to sustain some blood sugar stability heading into the next two hours of intense practice. Knowing that your athlete has “fueled” their tank can now give you confidence in knowing that they can give you all they’ve got without attempting to “run on empty!”
6. How many hours are you sleeping at night?
WHAT?!? That’s not a nutrition question! Actually, indirectly it very much is! In fact, it may be the most important of all of them. Why? Because even the greatest nutrition game plan can come absolutely unglued when the body isn’t allowed to recover properly. When you are sleep deprived your body fights all day just to provide you with enough energy and focus to “zombie” your way through the day. None of the nutrients are used to build you up stronger. That would be a waste of good useable energy in a time when perceived survival is the more immediate concern. Dating all the way back to the cavemen…being alert and having enough energy to run in case you found yourself face to face with a T-REX (the prehistoric version of that 300lb left tackle!) was the prime focus of your body. Any incoming energy was directed at allowing you to survive in situations like this. Where do you think muscle growth and performance enhancement fell on that priority list?? Umm…nowhere close to survival! Same thing applies here. If you’re burning the candle at both ends and barely squeaking by on your recovery and sleep…I don’t care how good you’re eating, or how hard you’re training…none of that will be reflected in your results since your body will just be trying to keep you from sinking even further into the overtraining abyss. The phrase “playing for the tie” applies perfectly here. No continued decline, but certainly NO improvement at all (in your skills, focus, muscularity, or athleticism) if you’re not completing the “nutrition” picture with proper rest and recovery. 7.5 hours of CONSISTENT solid sleep a night will get the job done. Find out how much your athletes are getting…before their lack of zzzz’s puts them on energy empty!
So there you have it. The 6 simple but information loaded questions that you need to be asking your athletes when they hit camp just days from now. No hard sell is needed. No need to go out and try to get a 2 week PHD on nutrition. Just 6 informative questions that will help you get a huge head start on not only knowing your team and what you’re bringing to the field or court this Fall…but also a giant edge on your competition who aren’t asking these questions!
If you’re looking to accelerate your knowledge of nutrition however and want to really gain the upper hand on your competition (but still don’t have the time it will take to learn ALL the ins and outs and the detailed scientific chemical reactions of nutrition and how it relates to performance) then head to http://sportsnutritionblueprint.com and get your copy of the TEEN SPORTS NUTRITION BLUEPRINT! It’s the practical solution you can implement in days with your team that is guaranteed to equate to at least another W or more this season without changing anything else! How important could that be? Be back next week with some more new tips and tactics to get the most out of your athletes by targeting the “INSIDE” track of their nutrition! See you then!
Jeff
Filed under Sports Nutrition, Supplements by on Aug 18th, 2010. Comment.
It’s almost that time of the year again! The buzz is growing, anticipation is brimming and opportunity awaits those who have prepared themselves the best for the upcoming Fall Sports Season! School’s back in session in just a few weeks! That said, while the brain may have been given a vacation for a couple months, if your athletes bodies and nutritional habits have as well…you could be in big trouble this season (especially if you’re hoping to compete for championships!).
You see, there really is no offseason anymore in the field of competitive sports. Yes, even at the high school level, there needs to be an initiation of good healthy habits that start to become ingrained in your athletes NOW so that they can carry over into their lives for years and years to come (long after competition has ended for some of them).
The Summer represents a time of opportunity. Opportunity for your players to make themselves better, and opportunity for you to make yourself a better coach. If both of these things happen…when you reconvene at the start of the Fall Sports season, you’ve got a much improved team. Better performance from the players and better leadership at the top.
That said…if in your preparation to become a better coach, you’ve eluded the topic of your athlete’s nutrition (really due mostly to an intimidation over the technical aspects of this kind of information) then I wanted to help you overcome that so that you could be armed with the right questions to ask and the key information that you’ll need to know to get a head start on a successful season and a unified team awareness of how important nutrition will be to ultimately the success of the team this year!
So without further delay….here is Part 1 of my “6 Questions Coaches Need To Know About Their Athlete’s Nutrition” to properly bring yourself up to speed on your athlete’s Summer habits….and more importantly….how to correct them in time for preparing for your greatest season ever!
1. Did you eat breakfast this morning?
If every hand doesn’t go up for this one (trust me, you’ll be lucky if half of them do!) then you need to do something about this before ANYTHING else! Breakfast not only sets the stage for all energy levels throughout the rest of the day, but it also delivers much needed nutrients to the brain to allow for better mental focus, attention, reaction time, and muscle contraction. Most of your athletes have gone over 8-10 hours without eating and the need to “Break” the “Fast” has never been greater than in the morning. For those who claim to “hate” breakfast, make them aware of what this is doing to their body and brain and find some way to convince them that even a little is enough to turn the tables on the energy roller coaster they’re about to embark on if they eat nothing at all!
2. What is the color of your pee?
Don’t laugh…and don’t be ashamed to ask? Whether we admit it or not, it’s normal to check out the color of your pee! After all, how else are we going to know when we’re entering into a severe state of dehydration. Sure, the headaches, dizziness, and nausea that comes with dehydration may give it away, but wouldn’t you like to know BEFORE that happens? After all….by the time it fully sets in it could be too late. So, rely on the old reliable and get your athletes into the habit of checking out the color of their urine throughout the day. The more clear it is, in general, the more hydrated that athlete is. The more dark or yellow…the more likely that they’re entering into dehydration (some vitamins may interfere with this rule, but for the most part it stands the test of time!). ”Keep it Clear” is the phrase you might want to use…especially with the extremely hot initial days of camp! To do this, suggest that your players take in half their weight in ounces of water a day! In other words….your 200lb athlete would need to take in 100 ounces of water each day. On days where there is a lot of sweating going on….recommend an additional 16 oz of water for every pound of weight lost during the hot practice just to replenish and get back to even again!
3. Are you taking creatine?
Most coaches intentionally shy away from supplement questions for lack of a good understanding of them….or worse, turn a blind eye to them as part of a “don’t ask don’t tell” policy! Either one is wrong and actually doing a disservice to your players and their health. If you’re a coach you NEED to know what your players are doing as it may change the recommendations you make to them. Case in point….creatine. Creatine monohydrate is one of the most used supplements in the world right now (particularly in young teens). Why? Because for the most part, long term studies have shown it to be safe AND effective at assisting a gain in weight (through increased intramuscular water and eventual new muscle growth) and increasing short term power output. That said, if your athletes are using this supplement and NOT getting adequate water replacement in to overcome the shuttling of the water INTO the muscles and OUT of the tissues surrounding the muscles…then you could be looking at a team decimated by faster dehydration and ultimately a rash of pulled muscles and injuries. Surely no coach wants to go to battle without his or her best players right? Take the time to find out who is using creatine and recommend that that athlete take in an additional 20% more water than what we figured out in the last question.
So that’s it! 3 to get you started….feel free to comment below or ask me any questions that you might want to know the answer to so you could be ready for the time the first day of camp arrives. In the meantime, stay tuned for next week when we hit the next 3 questions (including one on the most popular supplement being used right now that I absolutely hate that young athletes are using!) Til then…
Stay strong,
Jeff
To learn more about the ins and outs of sports nutrition so you can be a complete coach this season (yep…nutrition plays a huge part in how your players perform on the field!) then head to http://sportsnutritionblueprint.com and check out my step by step “TEEN SPORTS NUTRITION BLUEPRINT”! It takes the “technical” out of nutrition and makes it “practical’!
Filed under Sports Nutrition, Supplements by on Aug 11th, 2010. 15 Comments.
Filed under Sports Nutrition, Supplements by on May 26th, 2010. Comment.
