Athletes don't get fit by stuffing their faces with McDonalds right!?
Some people don't believe how good a food is until they see, read or hear it recommended to them by someone who is a master (or mistress) of their game.
With the Sochi 2014 winter olympics only a few months away, all the winter sport competition athletes are in pre-olympic training ready for the big nerve wracking TV performances in front of an audience of hundreds of millions of viewers around the globe.
We asked:
"what mountain snack foods do you keep in your pocket for a mid morning bite when training, or when the weather is harsh, & your energy has taken a dive" !???
The two pro-athletes we asked basically agree with the "GORP" (Good Old Raisins & Nuts) idea because they are easy to digest, don't take up much room, so you can slip a hand in a pocket & grab a few morsels whilst planning how to bust a move, & whilst you can take a (expensive) energy bar out on any physical activity, you are more likely to have the right ingredients at home in a kitchen cupboard, mixing it up the way you prefer to keep it yummy!
Jenny told us...
" Either a protein bar mid-morning or more often a small bag of nuts & seeds"
Team GB, British Ski & Snowboard team,
Sochi 2014 Olympic contender.
Snowboarding (slopestyle) Born: 03/07/80
Career highlights
The Bristol snowboarder will make her Olympic debut in Sochi but has been a British trailblazer for over a decade. Jenny Jones is a three-time X Games slopestyle gold medallist (one European title, two global).
She finished sixth at last year's World Championships and began the current Olympic season with her first World Cup podium - silver in New Zealand.
Lesley McKenna, Great Britain's park and pipe programme manager, says of Jones: "It's not easy to get to the top and stay for one year. To do it for over 10 years is fantastic."
Career background
Jenny started snowboarding aged 17 when her local dry slope was offering free lessons. Upon leaving college she spent a season working as a chalet maid in Tignes, a French resort in which she would win Euro X Games gold more than 10 years later (2010).
Jenny competed in athletics (400m, long jump, cross country) and gymnastics when she was at school.
Did you know?
Jenny has banned herself from wearing high heels, skateboarding and Irish dancing until Sochi olympics are over - they have all been the cause of ankle injuries in the past.
She and British team-mate Aimee Fuller are planning a post-Olympics motorbike road trip around the USA, although Jenny more typically spends the off-season surfing in Cornwall or Devon.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/0/winter-sports/21521634.
Mercedes Nicoll
Professional snowboarder,Team Canada: Ski & Snowboard team.
Sochi 2014 Olympic contender.
If not on the mountain practising,she'll be training every day, either running (but not in the dark, ..she hates the dark), mountain biking, yoga or simply walking her 2 dogs around her mountain town home, she believes in being active every day!
So with all that activity what does Mercedes keep in her jacket pocket for a quick energy boost, during or after exercise?
Mercedes told us,....
"A quick fix of Almonds in your pocket" :)
What’s usually your last thought before dropping in for a run?
"I tell myself I can do it. I’ve done it before. I can do it this time"
Thanks for the positives Mercedes.
All food provides some energy in the form of calories.but some foods come packed with more energy than others. Nuts, including almonds, have a relatively high number of calories per serving. That makes almonds a useful and healthy snack for delivering high energy in a small serving. Almonds also pack in other nutritional benefits such as high fibre content.
(but too many too often might make you need the loo, so don't be greedy)
ALMONDS
Just 1 oz.of almonds (roughly 20) contains more than 40 percent of your daily vitamin E, an antioxidant that supports the immune system by destroying nasties. Almonds, like hazelnuts and sunflower seeds, also supply helpful mono- and polyunsaturated fats, which are key building blocks for healthy cells.
"Fat is a structural part of your body, so don't skimp on it, ...don't be afraid of it,
...just eat the right kind"
Almonds supply heart-healthy fats that promote healing without clogging arteries.
We also spoke to Dan Kings, Nutritional expert at pro-athletes who works with top football, cricket & rugby teams ...& helps Jenny jones to help them stay at the top of their game,
" Protein bars, seeds, nuts & beef jerky are best, but it depends on what your goal of the snack ultimately is"
Like hydration, (taking water regularly) access to snacks (& the right type for the activity) to keep your own body ticking over needs planning & understanding, just like packing the right kit for a camp activity week-end to stay warm, dry & get the most fun, achieve new skills.
So, just like you'd wear the right boots for a hike, think about your activity energy food the same way .."be prepared"
Big thanks to: Mercedes, Dan & Jenny for their tips & time!