Nutrition Series: Make Better Choices

Welcome back athletes! Well I hope you had a fantastic summer and now you are ready to get back into a routine with your school and sport. 

One thing you will want to consider adding to your new routine is to get back to ‘better’ eating. I know my summer was filled with popsicles, chips and lots of - shall we say - ‘extras’. How about you? But that is what summer is for – right!

It’s time to get back to thinking about what foods we put in our bodies and also how we feel afterwards. You might be thinking – but why? Why do I need to worry about my food intake when I am exercising so much. Doesn’t my body just burn all that away? True, yes. As an athlete your body needs a lot of calories.  BUT, there are always BETTER choices out there that will give your body more energy and nutrients to perform your desired activities with more success. Some choices are simply devoid of any nutrient value.  The more you give your body healthier options, the better you feel, the more energy you have, and then the better you will perform. Let’s be clear though – nobody is asking for perfection. I like the 80-20 rule. 80% of the time you are making better choices and 20% of the time you can have some fun. The key here is consistency. It’s all about creating an awareness and connection between food and wellness. If you give your body what it needs to function as an athlete, you can enhance your performance considerably. That’s where I come in. I can help you figure out what your body needs as an elite athlete. I’ve got your back!

Let me introduce myself. I’m Tanya Bradshaw and I am a Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant. I am new to Global/the Village and my role is to educate athletes and their parents on fueling the body properly to stay healthy, as well as, increase performance. My background has been in the private health sector where I worked with people on creating healthier nutritional choices often in the face of disease. I am excited for this new challenge to work with youth athletes and be a part of a company that is truly providing holistic support. Every part of the athlete, whether it is mental health, diet and lifestyle, strength training, leadership, etc contributes to overall wellness and are equally important in creating an elite athlete.  I am also a mother of two global athletes myself and can understand the challenge for parents to know how to feed kids that are eating you out of house and home!

So… you will be seeing me around on Instagram, in the newsletter with various article topics, and coming to the classrooms and speaking, but, more importantly, I am available to create personalized nutritional plans for you. Here’s where I can help you determine specifically what is right for your body and exercise so you can compete at your best. 

Here’s what’s included in the full plan:

1. Introductory Meeting – 30 mins
1. Individual Assessment
2. Goal Setting
2. First Consultation – 1 hour – “The basics: foundation to make better choices”
1. My philosophy
2. Myths and truths about carbs, proteins and fats
3. Carbs, protein and fats specific to athletes
3. Second Consultation – 1 hour – “Personalized Nutrition Plan – Part 1”
1. Energy expenditure and caloric intake
2. Requirements for carbs, proteins and fats
3. Hydration and fluid intake
4. Navigation of apps for recording
5. Guide to proteins vs grams
4. Third Consultation – 1 hour – “Personalized Nutrition Plan – Part 2”
1. Eating before, during and after exercise specific to schedule
2. Supplements
3. Pre and post workout snack ideas
4. Meal Plan
5. Fourth Consultation – 30 mins
1. What’s working – what’s not working?
2. Adjust plan as necessary

In addition, I have put together a seminar series that will be running throughout the year to help you on MAKING BETTER CHOICES. It is really hard to navigate the nutrition world, so I am here to help with good reliable research-based nutrition information. Each seminar will be webinar based so that you can replay at your convenience.   

Here is a look at what you can learn this year. 

Everything you need to know about what you eat and drink and how it affects your health and performance.

(1) October Seminar - Liquid Nutrition - Sign up for the October Seminar HERE

- sports drinks

- energy drinks

- coffee

- water/hydration

- milk/juice

- smoothies

- green juices

(2) December Seminar - The Truth About Carbs

- whole grain vs refined flour

- high vs low glycemic carbohydrates

- better choices for sugar

- low carb??

(3) February Seminar - Everything Protein

- protein sources

- protein powder

- protein bars

(4) April Seminar - The Truth About Fat

- good fats vs bad fats

- inflammation

- free radicals vs antioxidants

PLUS! If you have a burning question or just want to know what brand to buy – email me. I am always free to answer your questions. My email is nutrition@globalsportacademygroup.com.

The value of good nutrition at this point in your life is two-fold. As a teenager, your body requires more nutrients than at any other time in your life because you are growing rapidly and building muscle and bone.  So… good nutrition is essential to help you grow, as well as, for nice looking skin, beautiful hair, healthy teeth etc. As an athlete, good nutrition can keep you healthy because - let’s be real – being an athlete means you have special needs. Keeping your body balanced with intense exercise can help prevent injury and give you the longevity you are looking for to compete in your sport over the long term. In addition, it is essential to achieving optimal performance in your sport. Lastly…. And more importantly, it is never too early to create good habits around nutrition to prevent disease now and in the future. Your body not only needs good nutrition but also deserves good nutrition! It can help you get to where you want to go!

Ready to get started! 

You can find more information about my nutrition programs on the Global website at www.globalsportacademygroup.com under x-factory, or you can email me at nutrition@globalsportacademygroup.com. 

Hope you all have a great first month at school and hope to talk to you soon!

Tanya Bradshaw

Certified Holistic Nutritional Consultant

Global Sport Academy Group