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Nutrition with Donna Marlor Making New Year's nutrition resolutions stick Diet has a tremendous impact on an athlete's life. Fueling up on nutrient-poor foods can short circuit hours of dedicated training. Not only can performance be lackluster, nutrient deficiencies can result in a whole host of problems that frequent exercise does not prevent, such as a depressed immune system, anemia, bone fractures, heart disease and cancer. If you are one of the many athletes who make a New Year's resolution to change something about your eating only to break that promise to yourself days or weeks later, don't be disheartened. As a sports dietitian, I have found that many athletes find it easier to change exercise habits than diet habits. Why? There are several reasons. Athletes love movement, the feeling they get from movement and rarely do they tire of going out for a "workout" The immediate feedback after a training session is generally positive. First, there is a sense of achievement that comes with physical conditioning, and second, there is the bonus of mental relaxation and stress reduction. This paired association of exercise with feeling good increases the likelihood you will repeat this behavior pattern. Exercise, then, becomes something one looks forward to doing. Changing one's diet, on the other hand, may result in less immediate positive feedback, even though doing so can have long-term benefits. For example, if you made a resolution to cut down on fat and calories, then pizza may be one of your favorite foods now ruled out as a "forbidden." That may be OK until the smell and/or sight of your friends eating pizza makes it a rather unpleasant experience to "just say no" and settle for grilled chicken instead. Obviously the feedback coming from your brain says the chicken just isn't as good. Seeing, smelling, almost tasting something you really love but can't have creates psychological stress. This is not a positive experience and it is likely you will not be motivated to repeat this behavior pattern. Perhaps it isn't particular foods that are a problem. Maybe it's about eating as stress relief. Say you come home from work, starving, dead tired, and once you get started eating, it seems you just can't stop. In this case, it's important to choose low-fat foods. Just as important would be to find another means of stress reduction. By now you should understand why nutrition-related resolutions can be difficult to keep. Behavior that provides immediate positive feedback is likely to be repeated. Our brains do not realize that sugar plus fat plus salt does not equal healthy. Our brains do, however, remember the enjoyment factor and the short-term stress reduction that combination produced. Nutrition-related resolutions are often stated in the negative: "I won't eat high-fat foods" or "I should eat fish twice a week." It is difficult to truly commit to something that is not clearly linked to a strongly desired positive goal. Notice how different this sounds: "I want to run a sub-three-hour marathon, and will feel great when I achieve that goal." If you know that losing 8 pounds of body fat can greatly increase your chances of running a faster marathon - possibly more than gains in training can achieve - then a nutrition goal to achieve that greater goal is easily expressed in positive terms. By consistently choosing low-fat foods and eating fruit or vegetables for snacks, one can lose body fat and run faster marathons. For athletes, performance goals can be the incentive to remain committed to changes in diet. Once a goal is identified, then outline a plan to reach your goal. Stay on track with these goal-attainment tips.
Nutrition-specific strategies Find healthy alternatives to the foods you love. Love burgers? Try marinating portabella mushrooms, sautéed or grilled, with a light Italian dressing and topped with low-fat mozzarella cheese. With the bun, this meal presents 257 calories, 14 grams of protein. 10 grams of fat and 32 grams of carbohydrates. Little by little, shave the saturated and trans fats and portion sizes. Try substituting that morning bagel and cream cheese with a wholegrain English muffin with a half teaspoon of peanut butter or almond butter. Try new foods more than once. Like getting used to a new piece of equipment, our taste buds adapt over time. You will learn to enjoy new flavors. Cop an attitude about treating yourself to quality foods. You may think organic is expensive, but your health is priceless. Choose the freshest, healthiest food around. Donna Marlor MA, BSN, RD, has a bachelor's of science degree in nutrition and nursing from Northern Michigan University and a master's degree in educational psychology from the University of Minnesota-Duluth. A former NMU cross-country ski team member, Marlor resides in Marquette, Michigan, with her husband and chocolate Lab and can be reached via www.DonnaMarlor.com.
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