As an athlete, along with getting older, I have learned through the years the importance of diet. Your diet correlates directly with how you feel and how you perform.
However, whether you’re an athlete or not, diet will influence your mood, sleep and energy. If you’re an athlete who wants to get bigger and stronger or just someone looking to make improvements in the gym, there’s a stigma around eating as much as possible. Although this is true, I often find people getting those calories in the wrong places.
In recent years, I’ve shifted from a “eat as much as possible” mentality to a mentality of knowing exactly what I’m putting into my body. Your gut is everything; 70%-80 % of your immune cells are present in your gut, and it needs good bacteria for you to function properly. What I mean by “what goes into your body,” or more specifically, your gut, is the ingredients you don’t understand, or even take the time to look at on nutrition labels. Things like sucralose, acesulfame potassium and carrageenan are often found in protein drinks and foods you wouldn’t expect them to be in because they claim to be “healthy.” The grocery store is filled with these artificial sweeteners that harm your body.
From an athlete’s perspective, I would buy protein bars and shakes filled with calories, carbohydrates, and protein. Now, I realize they contain many of these harmful additives, so let’s dive into what some of them do.
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener often used in products that claim to be zero sugar. However, sucralose is just as bad and maybe even worse than sugar. It affects insulin sensitivity and can increase the risk of cancer.
Acesulfame potassium has been shown to cause metabolic disorders and also increase the risk of cancer. Even Liquid IV is filled with these additives. Another product that I used to drink was fa!rlife protein shakes, which contain artificial sweeteners and texturizing agents that are harmful.
What’s great is there are alternatives, and Alvin’s Market here on campus has them. RX and GoMacro protein bars contain no additives and high amounts of calories and protein.
You may be asking, “well, how am I supposed to get my protein and calories in without using these products?” My best advice would be making a fruit smoothie. This is perhaps the greatest alternative and is so easy to make, and so good. Grab some fruit of your choice – I recommend bananas and a frozen fruit mix. Next, you need some organic Greek yogurt, which is high in protein and good for your gut. Avocados are great to throw in there, as they contain healthy fats. Lastly, use organic milk for your liquid as it adds protein and calories and is, in general, very good for you. So, keep an eye out for these ingredients, and use apps like Yuka and Bobby Approved to scan products and see what ingredients they contain.
Best of luck changing your diet and feeling good.
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