Triple - The Healthy Performer - Blog 3 - 09/03/16

Today we focused on a healthy balanced diet including what to avoid eating when losing weight, what nutrients to avoid and which nutrients are helpful for a healthy lifestyle.

We first discussed how long a performer will be awake for and how long their days are, especially during show weeks. We all knew that the main nutrient they'd need for energy is carbohydrates. However, slow release carbohydrates, commonly found in brown rice, brown pasta (basically anything wholemeal), are much better for performers as they release the energy over a longer period of time compared to regular carbohydrates. We also found that grazing is very useful in a performers life. Grazing is the process of eating smaller meals but at more frequent intervals. As opposed to eating a big breakfast, lunch and dinner, performers would typically make these three meals smaller and add in snacks in between. This spreads out the release of carbohydrates and other nutrients in the body.

We also discussed different nutrients which you shouldn't eat too much of or any at all:

• Saturated Fats - our bodies struggle to break down this type of fat so it's best not to consume this at all. Alternatives to Sat Fats are Mono-unsaturated and Poly-unsaturated Fats. These can be found in Walnuts, Avocados and Salmon.
• Salt - maintains the correct balance of certain fluids which bathe the cells in our bodies. Research shows that too much salt can lead to increased blood pressure, osteoporosis - a bone-thinning disease, asthma, stomach cancer and weight gain. Foods high in salt include Bacon, Cheese and Pickles. Healthier alternatives include Tofu, Soya and Pulses.
• Calories - a measure of the amount of energy in foods. On average, men need 2500 calories per day whilst woman only need 2000 calories per day and children only need 1800 per day! This is because men have more muscle mass which means they burn 20% more calories than women just by doing nothing.

We discussed how we can take into account these issues yet still make a tasty meal. We even discussed a meal that was designed on the spot for us on how beneficial for our health it is:

Wholemeal Pasta, Tuna, Tomato Sauce (Tomatoes, Basil, Pepper, Salt), Veg

Next lesson, we will have a flexibility work out session ran by Lorna.